What Miles Rewards Credit Card Deal Will Be Perfect For You

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February 22, 2008

Travel aficionados are ready to seize any chance to go on a trip. For that reason, airline miles credit cards are, generally, the most searched for card type for travel fans. It seems so easy, you apply for a card that gives you travel related rewards, earn some certain amount of miles and you can pack your bags and go on some of your dreams' journeys. In fact, it is much easier said than done. What kind of problems can you face enthusiastically collecting miles?

The main problem that can occur, is that your credit card company can turn out to be a true miles vulture. They just cannot get enough of your rewards points to grant you a free airline ticket, free accommodations, or an upgrade to a first class. And you start earning miles even more greedily. Maybe you are trying too hard? Maybe your efforts are in vain?

No, it is not that bad. What you did is applied for an airmiles credit card, got approved, and now you are just making purchases with your plastic and hoping to collect enough miles to get some of the enticing bonuses that you saw in your credit card terms.

But you spend your money month after month and just cannot get the desirable result. It seems to you that you keep beating a dead horse. So, what is the reason for that? Have you been cheated?

No. The problem is that you might be using one of the Capital One credit cards with miles rewards programs. The thing is, your program is independent from a particular airline company. And with card you have many restrictions when it comes to earning and redeeming your miles for travel oriented products.

Capital One has designed such offers after extremely popular airlines programs in order to keep existent and attract new customers that love travelling. But their terms are totally different from other regular credit cards for frequent flyers, and those airlines issued plastics.

Airline Issued Credit Cards

The peculiarity of miles rewards cards issued by airlines is that you earn miles making travel related purchases mostly. What else characteristic of this credit card type you can collect miles using your plastic to pay for a certain airline's merchandise and services. Such cards do not enable you to accrue miles making everyday purchases. So, if you are not a frequent flyer and not an ardent devotee of your airline's products and services, it might take you a great deal of time to earn enough miles to become eligible to redeem them for Free Travel Certificates, and upgrades to first or business class.

But if you are a loyal customer of your airline, you get unrestricted free travel rewards and the service. The main shortcoming of such credit card deals is that you can earn and redeem your miles at only one and the same airline.

Bank Issued Credit Cards

You get much more freedom having a frequent flyer credit card issued by a bank. Such a plastic gives you an opportunity to collect miles on all types of purchases. Generally, such rewards programs give you 1 mile for every dollar spent. This way you can use your card to buy what you really need and not what an airline you tied to wants you to buy. With bank issued miles rewards cards you earn miles faster and this kind of offers allow you to choose from a number of airlines, which is much more convenient.

Such cards enable you to get free flight tickets, free accommodations, upgrades, and other bonuses associated with travelling.

So, it is up to you to decide what miles rewards card is better for you. You just should set the priorities - what do you need this plastic for. If you are a true travelling fan and you have time, opportunities and desire to travel as often as possible - a frequent flyer card issued by a bank (except for Capital One) will be a perfect choice for you.

If you are just a frequent buyer and travel every once in a while, but you love to be treated like a special customer, then consider getting an airline issued plastic or one of the Capital One miles rewards credit cards.