Tag: Fees & Policies

The Cost for CLEAR Family Members Just Went Up

November 17, 2023 0

Without warning, CLEAR has increased the price per adult to add family members to your account — a jump of more than 40%, sadly. While this isn't great news, there remain ways to get a discount or even a free CLEAR Plus membership.

Ryan Smith

Amex Strikes Again, Adding 'Family' Language to the American Express® Gold Card

October 6, 2023 1

Amex has been on a tear, making numerous changes to limit who can earn the welcome bonus on its cards. The latest victim: the American Express® Gold Card

Ryan Smith

What Is the Credit Card Competition Act, and Why Should You Care?

September 22, 2023 3

The Credit Card Competition Act purports to reduce fees on credit card purchases, saying businesses will save money and then reduce prices — leading to savings for consumers. History tells us this isn't true. So what is this legislation, how does it relate to credit card rewards, why should you care? These are the latest developments.

Ryan Smith & JT Genter

The Unofficial Delta SkyMiles Award Chart for Flights from the U.S.

September 18, 2023 67

Delta Air Lines uses dynamic pricing for its award flights, which can sometimes make prices astronomical. High prices make it hard to know if you're getting good value from your SkyMiles, so we've assembled an unofficial award chart to showcase what you should expect to pay on your next Delta award flight.

Tyler Glatt & Max Prosperi

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Slashes Point Transfer Fees

September 9, 2023 2

Virgin Atlantic has slashed the cost of transferring points between family and friends. Effective immediately, you will only have to pay aflat fee regardless of the number of points transferred. Let's look at this 90% drop in fees.

Sam Helmy

Capital One Adds 48-Month Credit Card Bonus Rule

August 16, 2023 2

Capital One has added new 48-month terms to the application terms for many of its credit cards. And while this might feel restrictive, the silver lining is that this provides clarity over the vague terms on previous applications. Let's look at the rule and how it applies to your credit card strategy going forward.

Ryan Smith

Southwest Airlines To Raise Some Fees Starting August 15th

July 9, 2023 0

Southwest is known for its fee-free tickets, however, they do charge for things like excess bags, overweight bags, and unaccompanied minors. Coming in August, these fees are being raised. This article tells you what you need to know about the fee changes (plus what's not changing), so you can be an informed traveler.

Jenna Hansen

Free Jabbrrbox Workspace Sessions for Some Priority Pass Members

June 14, 2023 2

Jabbrrbox first partnered with Priority Pass in 2018. Now, Priority Pass members can get a free session in a Jabbrrbox workstation if they have a paid Priority Pass membership. That means Priority Pass members are excluded if they get a complimentary membership through their credit card. What's a Jabbrrbox and who gets access? We've got the details here.

Skye Class

Mixed Bag: Alaska Airlines Makes Changes to Saver Fares

May 19, 2023 0

Alaska Airlines has a fairly generous basic economy ticket, though in the past it's been restricted by lack of elite status recognition and nonrefundable fares. Beginning May 22, however, those who have booked a Saver ticket will be able to take advantage of new benefits, including complimentary upgrades before departure.

Carissa Rawson

Marriott Finally Displays Resort Fees in Compliance With Court Order

May 10, 2023 12

In late 2021, Marriott agreed to a legal settlement to clearly list resort fees (and other mandatory fees) on the first page of hotel results. After years of delays (and fines), Marriott is finally complying with the settlement. You'll now see resort fees in the initial Marriott search results. However, the initial price still won't be your total cost. Here's how to compare the all-in prices for Marriott hotels.

Ryan Smith

American Express Drops Centurion Lounge Guest Access for Platinum Cardholders

February 1, 2023 42

Centurion Lounge guest access for the American Express Platinum Card® cardholders is set to change. Effective February 2023, Platinum Card® cardholders now have to pay to bring non-cardholders with them into Centurion Lounges.

Max Prosperi

American Express Announces New 'Apply With Confidence' Feature

November 21, 2022 4

American Express has introduced a new "Apply with Confidence" feature to its credit card applications. This lets you know whether you will be accepted for a new credit card without pulling a hard inquiry on your credit report (which negatively impacts your credit score). Here's what we know so far about this feature.

Sam Helmy

ANA Increased Fuel Surcharges; Here's Why Those Prices Fluctuate

March 1, 2024 4

ANA just increased the fuel surcharges it levies on flights on its own flights. The new charges applied to tickets booked on or after October 1, 2022. The new surcharges are a substantial increase on the previous ones and will negatively impact the value of ANA awards. But thankfully you can avoid paying fuel surcharges entirely by booking through the right partner. Here are a few options to consider.

Sam Helmy

Flight Cancellation Period Passed? Trying Changing Your Flight to Save Your Award

September 24, 2022 5

Travel plans can change at the drop of a hat, especially in this day and age. If changes are required too close to scheduled travel, airline policies may seem to leave award travelers with no option but to forfeit the points or miles used for booking. However, that may not actually be the case. Here's my strategy for saving award when you have to cancel at the last minute.

Ross Denkin

Flying Blue Introduces New Family Pooling Option

April 28, 2022 8

Flying Blue just introduced family pooling to its program. Now 2 adults and up to 6 children can form a family pool of up to 8 people to better leverage the miles earned by everyone in the family. Here's what you need to know about how to utilize this new program.

Sam Helmy

Citi Now Allowing Product Changes to the Citi Custom Cash®

April 17, 2022 2

Citi is now allowing existing cardholders to change some of their existing card products to the new Citi Custom Cash^® Card. The list of eligible cards to change from is wide-ranging—including the Premier, Prestige, Preferred, Dividend, and American Airlines AAdvantage cards. Select from one of 10 categories to get 5% earnings! And, by product changing an existing account, you can avoid a hit to your 5/24 count.

Sam Helmy

A New Look at Qatar Airways Privilege Club as Per Segment Fees Return

June 1, 2023 13

Qatar Airways Privilege Club has brought back its 'per segment' award fees, and recent changes to the program merit a new evaluation. The program dropped its award pricing and cut surcharges on award tickets. Recently, Privilege Club adopted Avios as its miles currency. So how good or bad is the program now? Here's a renewed look at the program to see how good it is for award travelers.

Ryan Smith

Convert Citi Double Cash Rewards to Transferrable ThankYou^® Points at 1:1

February 11, 2022 37

You can convert cash rewards from the Citi Double Cash® Card to transferrable ThankYou® Points at a 1:1 ratio if you also have one of the premium Citi ThankYou® cards, like the Citi Strata Premier® Card. This feature makes the Citi Double Cash one of the top personal cards for everyday spending. Here's how to convert your cash to points.

Jess Farley