Airline credit cards

[PinMan]

what airline credit cards do you recommend. From Boston or Providence to Orlando

 

[Judique]

Chase's Southwest card. Southwest flies out of Logan and Green.

 

[Darcy03231]

I'm from central NH and have Southwest, Delta and JetBlue.

We used to use the Southwest card almost exclusively for years, but found over time the flights have increased in price to the point they aren't necessarily the least expensive option. They do allow 2 free checked bags, so you have to factor that in. They also have a lot fewer non-stop flights than they did 5 years ago.

Lately I've found we've been flying JetBlue and Delta more. Flight times are better and less expensive. While both of these cards have a $99 yearly fee, I get one free checked bag for myself and up to three traveling companions and the JetBlue card gives me 6x points. We also get half off food and drinks during the flight. We travel a lot both domestically and internationally and I more than save the $99. If you're an infrequent traveler, these cards may not be the best for you.

 

[vanjust14]

I fly out of PVD and have two Southwest CC's. If you accumulate 110,000 points in the same year, you can qualify for companion pass and bring a companion for free every time you fly for the remainder of the year and the full year following. Right now the personal cards come with a 50,000 point bonus and the business card comes with a 60,000 bonus. So essentially you could apply for one personal and one business and have 110,000 points for companion pass! Also, the points are really easy to use. I love Southwest and my companion pass!

JetBlue doesn't really have enough time options out of PVD for me to consider the card. I believe only two flights a day. Boston has more though. Jetblue card may be an option for you.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Southwest-have had it for years and use it for flights and some online shopping.
United-for free luggage as my wife used to travel United all the time for work. We have tens of thousands of miles we need to use, but our last trip on United left us stranded in New York. (had to rent a car and drive 14 hours on a Sunday night to be at work Monday morning)
Delta-we are using this one much more often now as Delta often beats SW in price.

 

[Texans_loyal]

Southwest, I love that I can get the difference refunded if the flight goes down.

 

[trenty]

Check out the I Love Credit Cards thread - tons and tons of great info there.

I personally would not get started with an airline co-branded card if you are not loyal to a specific airline. I do love SW and I do have their CCs - got them to earn the companion pass.

If you are just starting out with earning CC points and are not loyal to a particular airline check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Once you earn UR points you can transfer them to quite a few airline (and other) partners. You can also book through their travel portal for airlines you cannot transfer points to. I have used my Chase UR points to:

• transfer UR points directly to Southwest Rapid Rewards to book flights
• book a hotel room through the Chase portal using UR points
  
• book an American Airlines flight through the Chase portal using UR points

And there are so many other uses to the UR points too. It is a great "beginner" card for travel.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Chase united mileage plus but I tend to fly only United.

 

[Jimsig]

Depending on how you feel about it you might also need to factor if you only want non-stop flights.

The problem with SW out of Boston is there are no non-stops to MCO, I wish there was to give us another option. But they do have a couple non-stops out of PVD.

JetBlue has numerous non-stops from both BOS and PVD so that would be a plus for you if that's important.

JB has two CC options. The regular JetBlue Card (free) and the JetBlue Plus Card ($99 year). They both have no foreign transaction fees and give you a 50% eligible in-flight purchases. I have the JB Plus and it gives you and 3 companions free bags which almost pays for itself after one round trip even if only 2 of you are flying. Last I saw they were charging $23 each way for a bag. It also gives you 5000 bonus points on your card anniversary date. Both of those combined more then pay for the card. Currently if you charge $1000 in the first 3 months the basic card will give you a 10000 point bonus and the Plus has a 40000 point bonus.

You can compare the cards here and see all the perks
https://www.barclaycardus.com/apply/Landing.action?campaignId=2244&cellNumber=12&referrerid=PTRBAHPHO?intcmp=&intcmp=H2_JetBlueCard_02152018

 

[lisa3635]

I’d suggest the chase freedom unlimited. You earn 1.5 points per dollar spend everywhere and the points transfer to most airlines 1:1. Plus no annual fee!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Whatever airline you think you'll be able to redeem for. I think SW and JB are best in this respect. Finding award space on legacy carriers (united, delta, american) can be next to impossible so then the only benefit your left with out of a card are free bags and maybe priority-ish boarding.

If you're looking for flexible options to help cut the cost I agree with the above mentioned CSP, annual fee is waived first year fyi. Chase Sapphire Reserve is something to look at, but the $450 annual fee (NOT waived) in year 1 makes it a bit more complicated to maximize.

I'll also re-iterate from above and say come join us on the i love credit cards thread especially if you have an idea of what you'd like to do, you can bounce it off people over there if you want to talk anything out. We're nice

 

[gottalovepluto]

I’d suggest the chase freedom unlimited. You earn 1.5 points per dollar spend everywhere and the points transfer to most airlines 1:1. Plus no annual fee!

Not when you can get CSP with the annual fee waived the first year. Bonus is much bigger, points will redeem at 1.25x, travel protections include trip delay insurance. OP can call Chase and downgrade the card at the one year mark to a freedom or freedom unlimited. No annual fees, lots more bang for your credit card signing up buck.

 

[CoP Luv]

I’d suggest the chase freedom unlimited. You earn 1.5 points per dollar spend everywhere and the points transfer to most airlines 1:1. Plus no annual fee!

I think you have to have the CSP or CSR to transfer to airlines 1:1. You can transfer your CFU UR points to those cards and then transfer out.

 

[PinMan]

We prefer a direct flight , it seems that sw doesn’t have direct flights from Boston, and only a few from Providence. So is jet blue a better choice ?

 

[trenty]

I think you have to have the CSP or CSR to transfer to airlines 1:1. You can transfer your CFU UR points to those cards and then transfer out.

This is correct. Get the CSP first - bigger bonus as someone stated above. Then get CFU or CF which you can transfer UR points from these to CSP then to airlines.

 

[Jimsig]

We prefer a direct flight , it seems that sw doesn’t have direct flights from Boston, and only a few from Providence. So is jet blue a better choice ?

Just to be clear direct flights and non-stops are two different things in airline speak.

A non-stop is just that, a flight between two points with out a stop.

A direct flight is a flight between two points that includes one or more stops (you usually stay on the aircraft). So if you tell an airline you want a direct flight you may end up with a stop you were not expecting.

And then of course you have connecting flights where you stop and change aircraft, they will have two flight numbers.

So as mentioned before SW does not fly non-stop between BOS and MCO in either direction. They only have connecting flights except for one direct flight coming back. Out of PVD they have non-stop's both ways and I think one direct flight down and numerous connecting flights each way. JetBlue has non-stops to MCO out of both BOS and PVD in both directions as well as connecting flights. I don't think they have any direct flights from either BOS or PVD.

IMO JetBlue is the better choice if you want non-stop flights as you have more to choose from between BOS and PVD. Also depending on where you are Worcester can also be an option for non-stop with JB. My sister lives almost equidistant from all 3 airports so she always checks all 3. She saved over $1000 flying JB out of Worcester to MCO last OCT for 4 of them.

 

[PinMan]

Get on in Boston and get off in Orlando, no stops quickest time there .

 

[Ngwira]

what airline credit cards do you recommend. From Boston or Providence to Orlando

Definitely JetBlue.

 

[MEM]

Definitely Southwest Visa! We live in a suburb West of Boston but drive to T.F. Green to fly non-stop to Orlando. Long-term parking is cheap. The airport is much easier to navigate than Logan.

 

[MEM]

We prefer a direct flight , it seems that sw doesn’t have direct flights from Boston, and only a few from Providence. So is jet blue a better choice ?

Southwest has several (at least four) daily non-stop flights to Orlando from T.F. Green in Providence.