As the credit card wars continue to heat up, we the Average Joes stand to profit! The competition among travel companies to co-brand and develop a faithful following has them doling out the perks for those who are willing to step up and help themselves.
This weeks score for this Average Joe, was United’s MileagePlus “Explorer Card.” This is a Chase card co-branded with United Airlines. It offers the following perks (read the fine print for others):
50,000 bonus miles (worth about two free flights).
A free checked bag (a pretty common offer).
Priority boarding (always a plus).
2 United Club Passes on your anniversary (Say hello to free beer!)
And, of course the obligatory 2 miles per $1.00 spent on tickets from United, and 1 mile per $1.00 for everything else.
On the negative side, this card comes with a $95.00 annual fee. Always check the fine print for the terms and conditions of the credit offering/card and understand the interest rate you are paying!
Now, to get your 50,000 bonus miles, you will need to spend $3,000.00 in the first three months. Which, is not an undoable task. A little manufactured spending, a lot of organic spending, and what do you know, you are on your way to an amazing adventure!
This Average Joe applied for and received the card, the same day this post was created, so, I am adding one more card to my growing collection.
If you ever get a chance to slip into a airline club for a long layover, I highly, highly, recommend it! Free house beer and wine, free finger foods, free wi-fi, and very comfortable chairs. It can make a very stressful experience, something completely different.
The airline clubs are like Heaven compared to the chaos that goes on around the terminals. The drawback to the clubs is their price of admission. Which, is how the airlines keep out all but their best and most loyal customers. So, if you are getting two free passes each year to slip in with the airline elite, in my play book, this is a real score! And, it helps take some of the bite out of the $95.00 annual fee.
And, just as a side note, this Average Joe gets no compensation from this plug.
