Hi, I just got a CFF and was planning on getting a CIP for the flight and travel benefits. However, United, who seems to be the best travel partner for Chase, doesn’t fly out of JFK. Does it make more sense to go for the AMEX ecosystem instead to fly Delta?
I have a BCE but it doesn’t earn any points, so I would have to start applying to AMEX cards. The only Chase cards I have are Amazon and CFF.
I did just get the CFF for its 10% grocery back, but I’m not sure how to proceed here due to this information.
Keelan said:
How often are you going to fly per year?
1-2 international flights a year. Probably a domestic flight once a year on top as we get more PTO.
Take a look at the Delta AMEX Gold card. It has an annual fee of $150, which is waived the first year. The U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve is also an option.
@Keelan
Yeah, this is actually why I was second-guessing my Chase ecosystem choice. I was comparing the Delta AMEX Gold to United Explorer and realized Delta tends to be cheaper.
Though United Explorer gets 7x on United flights, compared to 2x Delta, and it comes with Global Entry, which Delta AMEX doesn’t.
But Delta tends to be cheaper and easier to get to with JFK, and supposedly better than United flying-wise?
JetBlue is the best airline for domestic flights from JFK (and for the few international routes in Latin America and Europe). You’ll consistently get 1.3 to 1.5 cpp. I don’t really transfer to JetBlue, but if that’s a big deal for you, the Citi ecosystem is best since they transfer 1:1 to JetBlue.
Even if you fly with Delta at JFK, AMEX transfers to Delta with a transfer fee, which isn’t great. If you’re going the Delta route, transfer Chase points to Virgin and book Delta flights with Virgin miles when available.
If you’re going to use points for travel, look at travel partners before applying for cards. The card should fit your spend patterns and offer good point redemption options for you.
Take the hype around Venture X, for example. It’s a good catch-all card for 2x points, but its domestic travel and hotel transfer partners aren’t great.
@Baer
I said the same thing in the Venture X group and wasn’t well received . My wife and I almost exclusively fly Delta, stay at Marriott or Hilton hotels, and hate the C1 travel portal locking us into it for the $300 credit. Venture X wasn’t for us!
Zoran said: @NomadNerd
It’s amazing how different groups are from this one, right? Echo chambers everywhere . I had a similar experience in the Sapphire group.
Some people go really hard for their card choice. Someone tried convincing me how great C1’s foreign transfer partners were. I’m like, great you got a deal flying to Timbuktu, but I want flexibility for my dates!
If Delta points matter to you, the AMEX Gold could be a good option, but you should weigh the annual fee and credits it offers. Based on the info you gave, it’s unclear if the Gold card makes sense. You’re unlikely to get 10% back on groceries with AMEX, so I’d stick with the CFF for that perk in the first year.
@Fane
Since you spend $200/month on utilities, consider applying for the U.S. Bank Cash+ card. You can choose utilities and another category to earn 5% on both: U.S. Bank Cash+.
. My wife and I almost exclusively fly Delta, stay at Marriott or Hilton hotels, and hate the C1 travel portal locking us into it for the $300 credit. Venture X wasn’t for us!
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