I’ve read a few articles lately opining that the bag fee revenue take for the airlines is down (slightly) because people are checking less baggage due to the fees. I say not so fast. Has anyone noticed that there are now a ton (ok…that’s probably an exaggeration) of ways to avoid paying the fee to check baggage. Of course, there’s always elite status as the airlines waive the fee for at least the first, and sometimes more pieces of checked baggage for their elite frequent fliers.

Another reason the baggage fee take may be heading down is that many airlines now waive the first checked bag fee for holders of their credit card products. For a family of 4 that flies 2 times per year, the benefit of carrying a credit card that includes a baggage fee waiver for the first bag usually exceeds the annual fee of the card. For example, a family of 4 flying 2 times per year would pay $400 dollars in checked baggage fees assuming each person checks 1 piece of luggage each way. However, if a member of the family carries the Delta SkyMiles Card from American Express, which carries an annual fee of $95 dollars, those baggage fees are waived (for up to 9 passengers in the same reservation). For American fliers, the Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage Visa card offers similar benefits (for up to 4 passengers in the same reservation) for those who are inclined to check baggage. United’s MileagePlus Explorer card offers a baggage fee waiver as well for up to 2 passengers in the same reservation.

Notably absent from the baggage fee waiver list is the US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard, though it does offer useful benefits liked priority check in, boarding, and a 5,000 mile discount on booked award travel. These cards and others can offer numerous benefits to make your air travel more comfortable and save you money too. If you fly more than once a year and check luggage, you should probably consider obtaining the affiliate card of the airline you fly most.

Disclosure: Some of the links above are my affiliate links and will provide me with a referral bonus if you apply for and receive a credit card through my link. There may be other card offers available that provide a higher mileage bonus. If you are aware of more beneficial offers, please apply for the offer that benefits you most. I appreciate your readership no matter what link you use.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

Yes, I realize that I am on a bit of a Chip & PIN crusade right now, but darn it, I think it’s important for people that travel outside the US from time to time. I read in one of the online forums that CitiBank would exchange my Citi AAdvantage Visa for another card with an embedded EMV chip if I asked. I tried online a few weeks ago and was told that the Citi AAdvantage Visa products did not qualify. But after checking out Flyertalk, I read that the Visa cards could indeed be switched to a Chip card if you asked so I went for it.

I started by emailing from the the online portal. Within an hour or 2, I received a reply that I would need to contact a customer service rep to facilitate issuance of an EMV enabled card, so I did. I called yesterday and was connected to a US based agent who put me on hold for just a minute after I related my story about email customer service saying that the Citi AAdvantage Visa could be issued with an EMV chip. She quickly returned to say that she was issuing a new card with an EMV chip and would overnight it to me.

The new card arrived today, and it is equipped with an EMV chip, although it still requires a signature. Not sure how useful it will be in Europe this fall, but at least it is a start.

Just based on the number of views of my Chip & PIN credit card post, it is clear to me that this is an issue for many travelers. While it is an issue, it’s also fairly clear from the comments to my post that if I carry some cash in Europe I should be ok, even if inconvenienced…..fully automated gas stations and some other merchants excepted.

It’s obvious to me that this is a hot button for people that travel outside the USA, and I do not know why credit card companies are not coming around to reality. One other interesting tidbit….. my go-to card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, may have a kink in its armor when it comes to traveling outside the USA. While it’s probably fine for major hotels and restaurants, the cards lack of raised numbers may be an issue in some shops that would use a swipe and carbon copy machine to accept your card in the absence of Chip & PIN.

I wonder why card companies are not moving out on this? I, for one, would actually pay a small fee to have a real Chip & PIN card. Would you?

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Nothing against Hyatt at all, but I am the last blogger on earth to mention this. Hyatt and Visa have teamed up to offer a free status match to Hyatt Platinum for 90 days if you hold a Visa Signature card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and others. Platinum status includes free internet, 2pm late checkout, and a 15 percent bonus on points earned for Hyatt stays. Stay 8 eligible nights at any Hyatt hotel within 90 days of enrollment to maintain Platinum status through February 2013. Register here.

As NoobTraveler points out, you will receive 2 free suite upgrades if you apply for the Hyatt Visa while holding Platinum status.

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive credit cards through the links provided in the post, I will receive a referral bonus. I appreciate all my readers, whether you use my links or not.

Note: Reader Steve commented with this link for a better Hyatt offer.

Got a minute? Good. Let’s chat. I told myself I wasn’t going to apply for the new 100,000 Avios British Airways Visa from Chase, but it’s starting to taunt me. I am not a prolific credit card “flipper” like a lot of my more motivated blogging brethren, but 100,000 Avios is 100,000 Avios. Actually, it’s 125,000 Avios since you earn 1.25 per dollar spent and you have to spend $20,000 dollars to get the full bonus. Of course, BA charges hefty fuel surcharges on its awards, but when you figure the price of a premium cabin ticket vs paying the fuel surcharge, it makes me feel a little better.

What is it about the card that is calling my name? It’s not so much the 100,000 Avios as it is the possibility of 250,000 (or more) Avios IF MrsMJonTravel and I both procured the card. Since there are 2 of us, we can pool our Avios in a household account, and given MrsMJonTravel’s penchant for shoes and my spendthrift habits, there’s a good chance we can not only hit the minimum spend for the 100,000 Avios each, but one of us might even be able to hit $30,000 and receive a companion ticket that the card offers as well. However, that would require our dedicating all spending to this card…..and that’s the only thing holding me back right now….. but maybe not for long.

LINK: The British Airways Visa with Up to 100,000 Avios Bonus

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive the BA Visa through the link I provided, I will receive a referral bonus. I appreciate your readership whether you apply through my link or not.

As I am sure you have determined, I am a huge fan of cruise vacations, and Royal Caribbean in particular. You might be aware that Royal Caribbean offers a Visa card issued by Bank of America. It’s a pretty basic product that offers 1 “Royal Point” per dollar spent on most charges and 2 Royal Points per dollar spent on all purchases from Royal Caribbean. Those purchases include cruises, onboard spending, and shore excursion spending when purchasing through Royal. If you purchase any kind of onboard gifts like flowers, wine, and room decorations in advance of the cruise, those also earn double Royal points. There are eight levels of Royal Point rewards starting as low as 1,000 points and going as high as 250,000 points. Now let’s look at what you can get for those points. (Link to RCL Royal Points Program Rules)

1,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• Ten dollar ($10 USD value) donation to one of our partnering charitable organizations for Haitian Relief (multiple donations may be requested if earned).

5,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• Fifty dollar ($50 USD value) onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. Spa, Shore Excursions, Gift Shop, Bar, etc (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned)
• Onboard amenity (choice of one)
• Two Royal Caribbean International robes ($100 USD value)
• Domaine Chandon and strawberries delivered onboard ($50 USD value)
• Upgrade on a 3 or 4 night sailing for two, (interior stateroom to minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of upgrade may not exceed fifty dollars ($50 USD value).
• Royal Packet – includes 2 Royal Caribbean International towels, 2 disposable cameras, and 2 messenger bags ($50 USD value).
• Royal Wear – includes 2 Royal Caribbean International Polo Shirts and 2 baseball caps ($50 USD value).

15,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• One hundred and fifty dollar ($150 USD value) onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. Spa, Shore Excursions, Gift Shop, Bar, etc (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned).
• One hundred fifty dollar ($150 USD value) Cruise Discount off any ship and itinerary.
• Upgrade on a 4 to 8 night sailing for two, September – May (interior stateroom to minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of upgrade may not exceed three hundred dollars ($300 USD value).
• Onboard Grand Romance Package – This package includes a bottle of chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne upon arrival; a fresh bouquet of flowers in your stateroom; two of our signature robes; a tray of elegant canapés delivered before dinner and decadent petit fours after dinner on two formal evenings; breakfast in bed one morning during the cruise vacation; and a silver-framed, 8” x 10” keepsake portrait. ($150 USD value).

25,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• Two hundred and fifty dollar ($250 USD value) onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. Spa, Shore Excursions, Gift Shop, Bar, etc (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned).
• Free Companion Fare on a 3 or 4 night sailing (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of free companion fare may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value).
• Upgrade on a 4 to 8 night sailing for two, June – August (interior stateroom to minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of upgrade may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value).

50,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• Five hundred dollar ($500 USD value) onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. Spa, Shore Excursions, Gift Shop, Bar, etc. (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned).
• 3 or 4 Night sailing for two (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of cruise vacation fare for two may not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000 USD value).
• Five hundred dollars ($500 USD value) Cruise Vacation Discount off any ship itinerary.
• Upgrade on a 7 night Alaska sailing for two (interior stateroom to minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of upgrade may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value).
• Upgrade on a 4 to 8 night sailing for two (oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom to minimum
• available balcony, excluding suites). Value of upgrade may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value).
• Upgrade on a 7 to 12 night European sailing for two (interior stateroom to minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of upgrade may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value).
• Upgrade on a 9 to 12 night Caribbean sailing for two, (oceanview stateroom to minimum available balcony stateroom, excluding suites). Value of upgrade may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value).6. 75,000 Royal Points (choice of one)
• Free Companion Fare on a 7 night Caribbean or Mexican Riviera sailing (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of free companion fare may not exceed fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500 USD value).
• Upgrade on a 7 night European sailing for two (balcony stateroom to a junior suite). Value of upgrade may not exceed eight hundred dollars ($800 USD value).
• Upgrade on a 7 night Alaska sailing for two (balcony stateroom to a junior suite). Value of upgrade may not exceed twelve hundred dollars ($1,200 USD value).

125,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• Free Companion Fare on a 7 night Caribbean sailing (minimum available balcony stateroom excluding suites). Value of free companion fare may not exceed twelve hundred fifty dollars ($1,250 USD value).
• Free Companion Fare on a 7 night Alaska sailing (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of free companion fare may not exceed twelve hundred fifty dollars ($1,250 USD value).
• Free Companion Fare on a 9 to 12 night Caribbean sailing (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of free companion fare may not exceed eighteen hundred dollars ($1,800 USD value).
• 5-7 night Caribbean or Mexican Riviera sailing for two (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of cruise vacation fare for 2 may not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500 USD value).

250,000 Royal Points (choice of one)

• 7 night Caribbean or Mexican Riviera sailing for two (minimum available balcony stateroom excluding suites). Value of cruise vacation fare for 2 may not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500 USD value).
• 7 night Alaska sailing for two (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of cruise vacation fare for 2 may not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500 USD value).
• 9 to 12 night Caribbean sailing for two (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of cruise vacation fare for 2 may not exceed thirty-six hundred dollars ($3,600 USD value).
• Free Companion Fare on a 12 night European sailing (minimum available oceanview, boardwalk view or central park view stateroom). Value of free companion fare may not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500 USD value).

Shew! Glad that’s out of the way. Some of the rewards sound pretty nice, specifically, a free Caribbean cruise at the 250,000 point level. Then again, I can frequently buy a 7-night Caribbean cruise for 2 for less than the $2,500 maximum dollar value allowed. Now, the person that led me to write this post only uses her Royal Points for onboard credit. 5,000 Royal Points = $50 dollars in onboard spending money. Not the worst thing in the world on the surface, but here is where things break down for me with the Royal Caribbean Visa. Unless I’m spending with Royal Caribbean, I’m only earning 1 point per dollar. If I don’t buy a cruise during that spending period, I’m dropping $5,000 dollars for 5,000 Royal Points.

Let’s imagine for a second that I put that spending on the Chase Sapphire Preferred (Disclosure: my affiliate link) card instead. In a typical month, I might spend $250 dollars on restaurants (2x Ultimate Rewards points) and purchase $250 dollars worth of travel services (also 2x Ultimate Rewards points). For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll say the rest is $500 dollars on other items for a total of $1,000 dollars in spending per month. For that $1,000 dollars, I receive 1,500 Ultimate Rewards points. Let’s take that thought out over the next year….I’ve spent $12,000 dollars, but I have 18,000 Ultimate Rewards points. In 2 months, assuming the same spend rate, I can redeem 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points for a $200 dollar Royal Caribbean gift card, and a have 1,000 points left over to get me started on my next reward. Total spend: $14,000 dollars. In 14 months of spending on the Royal Caribbean Visa, I would have amassed 14,000 points, enough to redeem 2 $50 dollar onboard credit awards (5,000 Royal Points each). Perhaps if I had purchased a Royal Caribbean cruise during that time (2x points), I would have had enough Royal Points to redeem for 3 $50 dollar rewards. In this case, I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a better deal.

Another good option could be the Fidelity Investment Rewards Amex Card. Why? It earns 2% cash back on ALL purchases. Basically, you earn 2 WorldPoints per dollar for purchases. You convert WorldPoints into cash at the rate of $50 dollars per 5,000 points. The catch is that you must have a Fidelity account and the rewards are deposited there. In this case, that $14,000 dollars in 14 months would equate to 28,000 WorldPoints. Redeem 25,000 of those for a $250 dollar deposit into your personal Fidelity account.

I’m torn here. I’m very “loyal to Royal” myself, and appreciate that they offer a credit card product. But I’m having a really hard time justifying a case for carrying the Royal Caribbean Visa. In defense of the card, it carries no annual fee, so its cheap to carry. In this case, I lean towards the Chase Sapphire Preferred card because of the flexibility of Ultimate Rewards points. On the other hand, it’s hard to argue with cold, hard, cash from the Fidelity Amex if you are singularly focused on earning “cash” for spending on cruises (as the person behind this post is) whether it’s onboard spending money, or cash in the bank to use on your cruise. What do you think?

Another Saturday morning, another cup of coffee on the porch with my MacBook Air. Life is good. There’s a good bit of upcoming fun stuff in travel so let’s talk about it. First, The Freddie Awards are coming soon. It will be interesting to watch who this year’s big winners are. I cast my vote, did you? Following the Freddies is the Randy Petersen Travel Executive Summit on Friday, April 27.

This event offers an opportunity to hear from loyalty industry big guns. Last year the executives from the major airline programs like AAdvantage, MileagePlus, and SkyMiles were presenting. This year, the focus will be on mileage/points as a currency in the morning with American Express, Points.com, Loylogic, and Swift Exchange participating in the discussion. The afternoon will be dominated by the big hotel programs, Marriott, Starwood, Hyatt, Choice, Best Western, IHG, Wyndham, Hilton, Carlson, Accor, and Taj Hotels. The cost to attend is $99 dollars, which includes lunch. If you are a Milepoint.com member, you can attend for $49 dollars. Proceeds from the event will be donated to charity. This promises to be a very interesting session, and I’m hoping I can arrange my schedule to attend before it sells out.

Following the Randy Petersen Travel Executive Summit is this year’s Frequent Traveler University. Beginning Friday evening, April 27th, with a cocktail party, and ending Sunday, April 29th, you’ll hear from miles and points pros on everything from how to get started to credit cards and award booking. You can check out the full schedule of events here. I don’t know about you, but I think I’m looking most forward to that debate between Brian (The Points Guy) and Gary (View From the Wing) on whether or not SkyMiles represent a good value! Yes, I will be there to learn more about miles and points from the best in the business as well as socialize and have a good time. As previously promised, the first person to find yours truly at the event gets a highly sought after MJ on Travel key chain, and a cocktail of your choice!!

Now, a word about the next week and a half here at MJ on Travel. I am entering a brief period of what one could describe as madness at my day job. It won’t last long, but it will be intense. As a result, you may see some “Best of” content popping up here for the next week or so like I sometimes do when on vacation. But trust me, I won’t be vacationing….just working….a LOT. I’m going to try very hard to post once per day, but we’ll have to see. But before Monday, I’m working on a special post about my effort to convince someone who shall remain nameless that she needs to dump her Royal Caribbean Visa card (not an affiliate link) for something more lucrative, primarily the Chase Sapphire Preferred or British Airways Visa.

Disclosure: If you apply for the British Airways Visa or Chase Sapphire Preferred card through the links provided in this post, I will receive a referral bonus.

OK…. It’s time. If you’ve got a little money to spend, and are interested in flying premium classes of service across the pond or even getting 4 American Airlines domestic coach class tickets for free, it’s time to apply for the Chase British Airways Visa. I’ve told my wife, my mother, my in-laws, my cousins, my friends, and anyone else I come across to get this card!!!! I previously posted about what a fabulous deal I think this is. And I haven’t even talked about the benefits of pooling your Avios together in a household account.

• You will get 50,000 bonus Avios after your first purchase
• 25,000 bonus Avios after you make $10,000 in purchases within the first year of account opening
• Plus an additional 25,000 bonus Avios after you make an additional $10,000 in purchases within the first year of account opening
• That’s enough Avios for one roundtrip business class reward ticket
• New: Smart Chip Technology allows you to use your card for chip based purchases in Europe & beyond, while still giving you the ability to use your card as you do today at home.
• Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad
• In addition to the bonus, you will also get 2.5 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases and 1.25 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years

Apply here for this great offer.

BA does charge some hefty fuel surcharges for its awards, but their above average (at least when I’ve searched for it) premium class award availability combined with the fact that you can use their miles on Oneworld partners like Cathay, Qantas, and yes, even American, really make this card a compelling product for your travel wallet. That said, I must acknowledge that prior offers have been more generous than this as $20,000 dollars in spend is required to get the full bonus. On the other hand, I’m not sure how many miles or points we can reasonably expect to be given away. No matter what, this is a decent deal. It’s so decent that I’m going to do something no one else will do. Don’t trust me, or my affiliate links? Go here and apply for the same offer (not my affiliate link) directly with Chase. Yes, I’m that serious about your taking advantage of this opportunity.

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive a card through the links I’ve provided, I do receive a referral bonus except as noted as not my affiliate link. Of course, I’m very appreciative if you use my link to apply, but that’s by no means required. I appreciate your readership no matter what.

Sitting here on the front porch in NW DC pondering the day ahead over coffee and my MacBook Air. Of course, I’m flying out this afternoon for Ohio, but other than that, I’ve been perusing the blogs and message boards for information. The big news of the 50,000 point Amex Business Platinum was only good for one day (yesterday), but the bigger news was the reemergence of the 100,000 Avios British Airways Visa (now my affiliate link!) (Hat tip to Gary) 100,000 Avios is pretty snazzy, biz class across the pond anyone? Unless I change my mind, I won’t play this time. I’m pretty much loaded up with all the credit cards I can manage for the moment. But if you are in a good spot with your credit and spending, you should consider this offer.

You will have to do some work for it. You get 50,000 Avios with your first purchase, then 25,000 for the next $10,000 in purchases and the final 25,000 with the following $10,000 in purchases. In other words, you have to spend $20 grand in a year to get the full 100,000 Avios. The card does have some extra bennies that make it worth considering. Companion certificate, chip technology for spending abroad, and no foreign transaction fees. I could make the spend if I tried, but I just did a Citi AAdvantage application and am working on meeting the minimum spend for that card now. Not to mention I really want to hit $25K in spending on my US Airways MasterCard this year for the 10,000 preferred qualifying mile benefit. Living 15 minutes away from US Airways’ large operation at Reagan National (DCA), it’s just too handy to have US status, and anything I can do to keep it and build on it, I will. All this coupled with most of my dining/travel expenses being charged to my Sapphire Preferred card, and there’s only so much money I can throw around.  But that’s just me. If you’ve got the spending capability, I’d jump on this BA offer right now. You never know how long it will be out there.

In cruising news, Royal Caribbean has a pretty good deal available for a limited time. If you book by April 15, you can book a European cruise AND air fare starting at $1,349 dollars per person. Seriously, if I didn’t have a big vacation commitment this fall, I’d be on this one. As you know, I think cruising represents an amazing vacation value, especially in Europe. See fantastic sights, but use the ship for your “hotel and restaurant.” Cruising can also be a great way to sample the fabulous Mediterranean and Europe to give you an idea of where you might want to take your next land-based vacation.

Well, that’s all for my Saturday morning musings. Time to get ready for the airport. Next post will be from the Southwest Airlines elite lounge at BWI aka the Vino Volo with a cheese plate and wine.

Disclosure: The credit card links in this post are not my affiliate links and I do not receive any kind of referral bonus if you apply for and receive the card products mentioned. These simply represent the best available offers that I am aware of for the card. Updated on 4/11/12 to note that the BA Visa offer is now my affiliate link. It is the best offer available to my knowlege.

As you know, April 3rd was the last day for the 50,000 point Chase Sapphire Preferred offer. Today I received the new offers and a surprise. First, the new offer is as we expected, 40,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points for spending $3,000 dollars in the first 3 months of card membership. What I had not expected was a Chase Sapphire Preferred MasterCard to be in the mix. I’ve known that if you asked, it was possible to get a Chase Sapphire Preferred MasterCard, but it has not been actively marketed by Chase until now that I’m aware of. So here’s the new lineup.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^SM Card

Note: The Chase Sapphire Preferred MasterCard offer has been expired.

Even though the new offer is a little less than before, these cards still represent an amazing value and the Ultimate Rewards program is among the best. The utility of transferring your points to great mileage programs like MileagePlus and hotel programs like Hyatt and Marriott is awesome. I love my Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and I think you will too.

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive a card through one of the above links I will receive a referral bonus.  

Yesterday’s news that Citi and American are finally getting their act together with their credit card game was welcome news indeed. The other card companies and their airline partners have long left Citi AAdvantage in the dust with superior benefits like waived baggage charges, priority boarding, and bonus miles for purchasing air travel with the airline or sometimes partners. Citi AAdvantage has been a stand out in not evolving with the times, but those days appear to be over. Take a look at the new card product’s benefits.

• First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation for travel booked and ticketed on or after April 2, 2012. For example, a family traveling in the main cabin from JFK to LAX roundtrip with four checked bags could save $200.
• Priority boarding for cardmembers and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation for travel booked and ticketed on or after April 2, 2012.
• Cardmembers earn a $100 American Airlines Flight Discount that can be used to book any available qualifying flight on AA.com for each year following which they spend $30,000 in purchases and renew their Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® card.
• 25 percent savings on in-flight purchases of food, beverages and headsets when purchases are made with the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® card or any other Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
• Ten percent miles back on AAdvantage miles redeemed by cardmembers, up to 10,000 miles per calendar year. For example, if the cardmember uses AAdvantage miles to book a 50,000 mile roundtrip flight, they will receive 5,000 AAdvantage miles back in their AAdvantage account approximately 6-8 weeks after booking.
• Double miles on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• No annual limit or cap on how many AAdvantage miles cardmembers can earn with card purchases.

If you are interested in applying for one of these cards, check out this offer. (Hat Tip to Mommypoints)

I’m happy to see American catching up in the credit card department, but this is also a key datapoint on why a lot of people feel that the value of entry-level elite status is declining. While I’m not quite ready to say that I’d trade in any level of elite status for one of these cards, I think it’s a legitimate point of discussion. Other than the potential of a First Class upgrade, the differences between entry level status at most airlines and the benefits offered by their card products are minimal. One outlier in all this, US Airways’ MasterCard offers priority boarding and check in, but no waiver of any kind for checked baggage fees. Wonder if they’ll be looking at this in the near future?