I mention some offers for Canadians, but probably the best resource for miles producing credit cards for Canadians is the Rewards Canada Bonus Mile Promotion Directory.

Caution: Most cards have a limit on the number of miles you can earn in one year. If you plan to charge a lot on a card, be aware of this limit.

Note: I see no reason why you can't apply for all of the cards, though there is some current evidence that you might have to spread out your applications 60 or 90 days apart. I suspect that personal and business cards can be applied for at the same time. The only limitations would be the annual revenue you tell them you have for the business card (though the seem to have eased up on their requirement recently), and your ability to charge $250 or $750 on each within 4 months. Charging that $750 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.

Citibank American Airlines credit card holders are eligible for reduced miles award tickets.

Caution:

A reader warns that they tried to bill her the annual fee after ordering a free card. She says she had to send them a copy of the offer. So be sure to make a copy, just in case. Keeping a copy of any offer you accept from any company, along with its URL, is always essential.

Caution: I am hearing that Citibank is sending something called a "yearly summary" to card holders and billing them $15 for it. Readers are complaining that they did not order and did not want this summary. They tell me the fee is reversed when complaint is made, but I suggest you tell Citibank up front that you don't want the summary.

Citibank occasionally offers these cards on their main page with increased requirements or lesser awards. But they will often leave up the better offers for awhile. So I list specific offers I have come across below. Be sure to make a copy before applying.

There is a Mastercard Easy Savings program available for businesses. I leave it to you to investigate the terms and conditions, but it looks promising.

American Airlines Visa, American Express, and Business Credit Cards.

• 75,000 bonus miles after you make $1,500 on the card within the first 6 months of acquiring the card. Charging that $1,500 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill. The Mint mow has a limit of $1,000 every 10 days. I would mix small coin purchases with other regular purchase over the 6 month time limit to keep both the Mint and Citibank happy.
• Annual fee waived for the first year.
• The maximum number of American Airlines AAdvantage® miles you can earn from purchases using the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® Visa Signature® card the Citi Select® / AAdvantage® American Express® card is 100,000 AAdvantage® miles per calendar year and 150,000 AAdvantage® miles per calendar year with CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Visa® card. AAdvantage® bonus miles are excluded from this mileage cap. AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® and AAdvantage Gold® members are excluded from these limits.
• You should be able to get both a personal and a business card, since these applications are processed by different departments. And maybe you can get all three.
• View from the Wing reports that people are also receiving emails offering 50,000 miles after $750 in purchases on a new credit card within 4 months and an additional 50,000 miles for spending $10,000 on the card within a year. A link to the application page for the offer is posted there, but no one has yet found a page that actually describes the offer. People are reporting success in getting the offer. After getting approved for the card, they call customer service to get confirmation of the bonus miles part. View from the Wing also lists a link to the application page of the 75,000 mile offer above, which can be used if my link to the page that describes the offer no longer works. (It seems to come and go.)
• The offers are scheduled to last through October 31, 2010, but I would not be surprised if it is pulled much earlier (like maybe tomorrow) when Citbank discovers how popular it is and how fast word of it spreads through the frequent flyer miles community.

American Airlines Visa, American Express, and Business Credit Cards.

• Special offer through August 31, 2010 (though it was still online September 2, 2010): Same as below, except 35,000 miles after making $750 of purchases on the card in the first 4 months, but no bonus for more spending. (Thanks to View from the Wing and FrugalTravelGuy for this information.)
• 30,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making $750 of purchases on the card in the first 4 months. Charging that $750 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.
• Another 5,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making $5,000 of purchases on the card in the first 12 months.
• 1 mile/$1 of purchases on the card.
• Annual fee waived for the first year.
• Available as a Visa or American Express personal card, or as a Visa business card. In the past it has been possible to get all three. I would space out the applications at least 60 days apart.
• Offer ends July 31, 2010, though it was still online on September 2, 2010.
• If my link does not work, try this one or this one. You may have to look at the terms and conditions of each card to see that the annual fee is waived for a year.

Citi Bronze Advantage World MasterCard.

• College student version.
  • No annual fee.
  • 1 mile/$2 spent.
  • No miles bonus for first purchase.
  • No minimum income or co-signer required.
  • Special Student Deals.
  • Access to credit education tips and tools.
• Regular version.
  • 2,500 miles for first purchase after $125 in purchases within the first 4 months.
  • 1 mile/$2 spent.
  • No annual fee.
  • Maximum miles that can be earned is 25,000 miles per calendar year.
• I no longer have links to these offers but they still may exist. tTry the standard number for applying for Citibank American Airlines cards, (800) 359-4444. If that doesn't work, call customer service at (888) 766-2484 and do not respond to any of the prompts. Instead, wait (several minutes) until the system gives up trying to understand you and sends you to a human being. In both cases, you will most likely have to ask for the card by name. Most reps say they have never heard of it, but they all have the means of looking it up.

Note the differences in the maximum miles that can be earned in one year.

These offers change all the time. Please tell me about your experience trying to get any of them, or about any new offers you know about.

American offers credit cards worldwide.

Bonus Offers:

• American Airlines offers limited time, heavily restricted reduced mileage awards for holders of American Airlines credit cards.
• I received an email from Citibank on April 15, 2003, offering 250 miles for accepting on-line statements, but I can find no mention of the offer on line. Ask customer service after you get your card. To change to on-line statements, log into your account, click on "Manage My Account", go to "Stop Paper Statements", and enroll.

Cancelling the card:

• A thread in FlyerTalk offers a good discussion on what you might expect when threatening to cancel the card.
• A reader writes: "If you call and threaten to cancel the card after using it for 3-4 months, they will now give you 5,000 miles more to keep it. Then you can cancel it anyway a month later." She was referring to the free platinum card mentioned above, but this might apply to all cards. After I posted this note, another reader confirmed that this works.
• On December 23,2004, still another reader wrote "upon telling Citibank that I was going to close my Mastercard account with them (their normal customer service number) as my annual fee was due, they went ahead and gave me 4000 AA miles to keep my account open..."
• On March 1, 2004, a reader wrote: "I called Citibank today to cancel my AAdvantage card because the annual fee is due soon. I was offered a $50 certificate to offset the annual fee so I can keep the card for another year, continue to earn miles and have no fee to pay."

Chase Bank, the issuer of United Airlines credit cards, will allow only one bonus for each type of card (personal signature, personal gold, and business) per person. Supposedly this is per life, but this policy has not been in effect long enough to test this by waiting a few years after cancellation and then applying again. You can get a bonuses for each of the personal signature and gold cards, and a business card. I have received the bonuses for both the personal signature and the business cards after the bank policy came into effect. I haven't tried for the gold card yet.

• On November 3, 2008, a reader wrote:

  "My wife and I both received the 25,000 bonus miles, this after churning other United cards from previous offers. My most recent bonus from Signature cards came back in April. While Chase has rejected recent bonuses for United Credit Card bonuses, the miles from the Gold Card posted to both of our accounts this evening."

Before you sign up for any card, be sure to read my section on More initial miles below, so you can avoid accepting extras without getting all of the miles you can for them.

United Airlines has several free and annual fee offer of interest:

Free Offers

• 30,000 mile offer for the Visa Signature card. This offer was in an e-mail from United Airlines specifically addressed to me, but I see nothing in the e-mail or the terms and conditions that says that the offer is targeted or otherwise restricted. The e-mail says to apply by May 15, 2010. but the offer page does not mention this deadline.
  • No annual fee for one year. $60/year thereafter. The no annual fee can be seen by scrolling through the terms and conditions near the bottom of the page.
  • 30,000 miles after $250 of purchases on the card. Charging that $250 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent purchases, with no earnings cap.
  • Please tell me when this offer changes or disappears. Thanks.

• 25,000 mile + 5,000 mile offer for the Visa Signature card.
  • $60/year annual fee waived the first year. The no annual fee can be seen by scrolling through the terms and conditions near the bottom of the page.
  • 25,000 miles after $250 of purchases on the card. Charging that $250 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.
  • 5,000 miles after you spend $250 on the card and add another authorized user. No, I don't know either whether or not that is an additional $250 or whether or not that $250 has to be spent on the addtional card.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent purchases, with no earnings cap.
  • Please tell me when this offer changes or disappears. Thanks.

• 20,000 miles offer
  • 20,000 miles after first purchase - no minimum purchase requirement
  • $25 travel discount certificate
  • 1 way 1,000 mile one class upgrade certificate
  • Annual fee waived for one year.
  • You may confirm all of the details of this offer by calling 877-273-7138 and mentioning the referral offer with Promotion code MPF327. A script will be read to you. Please do this before asking me to refer you.
  • To receive this offer, I must refer you. I get 5,000 miles for doing so. Please be advised that I have a serious limit of three people I can refer. You must absolutely promise me that you will apply for the card through my referral and that you no of know reason why your application will be refused. Be strongly advised that if you have at any time in the past received a United Airlines personal credit card, you will be refused this offer. Please do not cause me to waste my referral.

• 17,500 mile offer for a Gold card.
  • No annual fee for one year, $85/year thereafter.
  • 17,500 miles for first use.
  • I am not certain how many miles/$1 spent.
  • Call (877) 339-0292 and mention source code BPPC. If they ask, tell them you saw it in the in-flight magazine. This is the phone number give to me by a reader. It appears to be a number for signature card applications. The first time I called it, the rep was able to look up the offer via the source code. The second time I called the number, the rep was unable to do this. So you may have to call back several times to find a competent rep.
  • The reader who sent me this offer speculates that since the bank allows only one bonus offer (perhaps in a lifetime, or perhaps every few years - it remains to be seen), if you have already have received such an offer for a signature card, you may still be able to get this one for the gold card. Please tell me about your experience with trying this. Thanks.

Annual Fee Offers:

United lists its annual fee card offers for personal cards on its credit card offers page. Annual fees range from $60 to $375, with goodies increasing with the price. Some offer large discounts on purchased tickets. Some offer EQM miles. Some offer extra miles for certain types of purchases. I don't intend to keep up with these types of offers, unless the free ones I list above disappear. But you might find somem of them useful.

A September 21, 2006 post on Flyertalk says:

I received Email offering 5000 EQM for 1st purchase + 5000 EQM for spending $ 35,000/year + 1 EQM for every $ on United tix for upgrading United visa to platinum It costs $80 more than standard card but as I was close to Premier this will put me over the top for a reasonable cost. Call the # on the back of the card to upgrade.

United offers a Mileage Plus Visa Signature Card offer for 15,000, 17,500 or 20,000 miles up front and one mile per dollar spent up to 60,000 miles per year (Mileage Plus Premier members have no cap), and possibly useful other goodies. It costs $60 a year, which means that those 15,000 miles cost only 0.4 cent/mile, the 17,500 miles cost less than .35 cent/mile, and the 20,000 miles cost only 0.3 cent/mile. Good deal, but be sure to remember to cancel the card before they charge a second annual fee. (When I called to cancel in January, 2003, they extended it a year for free.)

Please tell me if these offers are cancelled or modified. Thanks.

Mileage Plus Business Awards Visa.

• 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $250 on the card.
• Earn 2 miles/$1 spent on United travel and services
• Earn 1 mile/$1 spent on all other purchases
• Earn up to 250,000 miles per calendar year
• No mileage cap for elite members
• $75 annual fee

Mileage Plus Select Visa.

• 30,000 bonus miles after your first purchaseon the card. The rep with whom I spoke on March 14, 2009, insisted that there is no minimum purchase requirement for these miles. The similar offer on United's website requires $250 minimum.
• 15,000 miles for adding another person to your card and that person then makes a purchase.
• $100 discount on United Airlines purchases after first purchase on the card
• Earn 3 miles/$1 spent on United travel and services
• Earn 2 miles/$1 spent on Star Alliance purchases, and purchase of gasoline, groceries, dining, and home improvement
• Earn 1 mile/$1 spent on all other purchases
• Up to 5,000 EQM miles annually.
• $135 annual fee
• Call (866)556-7201 (offer code CLKF).

When you sign up for your card, do not sign up for the "Payment Protector" program, the one that pays your credit card bill when one of various defined disasters happen to you. Instead, wait for your card to arrive, the call (8007) 801-7319 and sign up for this plan to receive 1,000 United Airlines miles. The cost of the plan is $.89 per $100 average balance, with no charge if there is no balance. I was offered this plan by a regular credit card customer service rep, who assured me that even if I were to carry no balance (and thus generate no fee) and then were to cancel, I would still get the 1,000 miles. I suggest you do just that. It's a terrible bet anyway, unless you know your future.

After you receive your card, you can refer a friend to receive one and receive 5,000 miles. On March 14, 2009, a customer rep at (800) 537-7783 described this procedure:

• The person you refer calls (866) 556-7201 and tells the rep which card he or she wants. That person must confirm with the rep all of the terms, conditions, and fees read on line. This is most important. The call center may not have available all of the cards offered online.
• That person provides your United Airlines Mileage Plus number and his or her number.
• Both you and the person you refer get and extra 5,000 miles.
• The rep said this works for any card.
• In the past I have had to fight to get my referral miles. Good luck.

Bonus offers:

United is offering bonus miles for certain transactions. Some are listed here. Typical of United Airlines credit card offers, the offers are far from clear. Be very certain to keep a copy of any offer you are counting on along with its terms and conditions. Getting more than one card.

A reader writes:

"I now have 2 UA personal VISA cards and a business card...I received 15000 for the 1st card in Year 1 at no fee, and 5000 in year 2 after renewing at $60; I paid $60 and received 17500 miles for the 2nd card; and I paid $60 and received 15000 miles for the Business Card. All without having any business. But they didn't seem to care and didn't even want to know the name of the business.

Cancelling the card:

• When I called to cancel my card near the due date for the annual fee, I was offered the card free for another year. This was January 2004, if memory serves me right. (Alas, it often doesn't.)
• In January 2004 two readers told me that they got either the 15,000 or 20,000 mile offer, cancelled the card, waited four and two months, respectively, and then got the 20,000 mile offer again.
• A reader told me that she waited for the $60 fee to post on her statement and called to object to it, and then cancelled the card. She says she got her $60 back and was able to keep her 20,000 mile bonus for first use. I leave this to be judged by your system of ethics.
• On February 23, 2004, a reader wrote:

  "Yesterday I called United Mileage Plus Visa's credit card customer service to request a cancellation of my card (it's due to renew in about 4 months). They offered to give me 2,000 mileage plus points for free if I kept the card for another 90 days. So I asked if I could still cancel before the annual fee and get the 2,000 miles and she said sure, they just wanted to see if 90 more days and 2,000 points would help me reconsider. The customer service # is 800-537-7783 - they will transfer you to a cancellations department (which they lovingly call the 'special' customer assistance center)."

  (I assume by "points" the reader meant "miles".)

United has credit cards available to people residing in many countries other than the U.S. It's list of these cards provides contact phone numbers, but no details of the offers.

I particularly recommend the Alaska Airlines program because of its extensive list of partners on which you can use Alaska miles.

The personal cards for U.S. residents:

• Visa Signature card personal card.
  • 25,000 miles after approval.
  • One $99 companion ticket. Pay $99 for a ticket for a companion - same as the ticket you buy. Any fare is valid. Alaska or Mexico, here I come!
  • 1 mile/$1 spent - 3 miles/$1 spent in purchases of Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air tickets and Vacations packages (probably directly from Alaska or Horizon Airlines).
  • $75 annual fee. That's only 0.3 cent/mile for those 25,000 miles, even if you have no use for those other goodies.

  Visa Business card for U.S. residents.

  • 20,000 bonus miles with first purchase.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent. 3 miles/$1 spent on Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air tickets purchased through Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.
  • Annual $99 (USD) Companion Ticket.
  • Annual fees:
    • $50 Company Fee if Company Earning Level Plan; $0 if Individual Earning Level Plan.
    • Fee prer card is $25 if Company Earning Level Plan; $75 if Individual Earning Level Plan.
    • Annual $99 (USD) Companion Ticket.

  Cards for Canadians:

  • Platinum Plus personal Mastercard
    • 20,000 Bonus Miles upon approval.
    • Another 5,000 miles after spending $750 on the card. There is a footnote to this which I am unable to find. Probably a time limit.
    • 1 mile/$1 spent - 3 miles/$1 spent on Alaska Airline tickets and vacation packages
    • 2 Board Room passes.
    • $75 annual fee, for a cost of 0.3 cent/mile for those 25,000 miles.
  • Alaska Airlines Preferred Mastercard
    • 3,000 Bonus Miles upon approval.
    • 1 mile/$1 spent - 3 miles/$1 spent on Alaska Airline tickets and vacation packages
    • 2 Board Room passes.
    • $45 annual fee, for an expensive of 1.5 cents/mile.

  Bank of America offers Canadians Visa credit cards with 5,000 and 3,000 mile first use bonuses. Details.

  Alaska Airlines Bank of America credit card holders earn up to 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles for referring friends to the program (2,500 miles/successful referral).

  This FlyerTalk thread discusses the possibility of getting the 3% rip off fee for foreign currency conversion waived if you are a good customer of Bank of America. Ask.

   

Note: Those seeking Continental Airlines miles should also consider acquiring the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Credit Card. Last I looked it offered 16,000 points convertible to Continental Airlines miles 1:1 for spending $1,000 in 3 months, and the annual fee was waived for the first year.

Note: Regular riders of Amtrak should consider the Amtrak credit card as a free alternative for earning Continental Airlines miles. But note its risks and restrictions, especially the one that requires that you spend $200/year on it for Amtrak tickets before you can transfer credit elsewhere.

For U.S. residents:

• OnePass Plus Card.
  • $85 annual fee waived for the first year. This is quite rare for Continental cards. Given all of the other offers I have seen for the same card, I suspect this feature will disapppear shortly. Please tell me when this happens.
  • 25,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase.
  • Earn 5,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user within two months of opening your account and after you make your first purchase..
  • $50 statement credit after first use.
  • Earn 10,000 bonus miles for $25,000 in spend.
  • Every year, you’ll receive two Continental travel discount certificates and two day passes to the Continental Presidents Club, so you can relax before your flight. I believe that these are earned after you pay the annual fee at the begining of the second year, but ask to be sure.
  • Primary cardmembers get their first checked-bag fees automatically waived (a savings of up to $40 per passenger checking bags).
  • 2 miles/$1 for ticket purchases made on the card at Continental Airlines ticketing facility or online at continental.com.
  • Twice the Miles on all ShopOnePass purchases. Go to continental.com/shoponepass.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent on everthing else.
• OnePass Plus Card.
  • 25,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase.
  • Earn 10,000 bonus miles annually when you spend $25,000 on your card.
  • Primary cardmembers get their first checked-bag fees automatically waived (a savings of up to $40 per passenger checking bags).
  • 1 mile/$1 spent on the card.
  • Earn Twice the Miles on all ShopOnePassTM purchases made with the card.
• A Business MasterCard
  • 20,000 miles up front for $85 a year for your first card (0.55 cent/mile), $20.00 per year for each additional card.
  • 5,000 bonus miles each year when qualified spending reaches $25,000.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent on the card.
  • Double miles on all ShopOnePass purchases.
  • 2 President's Club passes every year on your cardmember anniversary.
  • Two Travel Discount Certificates (up to $200 in savings) every year after your cardmember anniversary.
  • Note: My link brings you to Continental's website listing all of its credit cards. Clicking on the link on that page for the busines card brings you to a page that does not mention the bonueses. Ask before you apply.
• A Presidential Plus World MasterCard
  • Primary cardmembers get their first and second checked-bag fees automatically waived (a savings of up to $80 per round trip per passenger checking bags). For frequent Continental Airlines flyers who check two bags, this feature may justify the expensive $375 fee,
  • $75 credit after your first purchase.
  • Presidents Club Membership for as long as you carry the card for you and your family or 2 guests, including access to over 60 additional affiliated lounges worldwide.
  • Other possibly useful goodies.
  • Be sure to carefully read the terms, conditions, and fine print.
  • There is a different offer for the Presidential Plus World MasterCard for Business

Continental lists many offers of credit and debit cards worldwide on its Credit/Debit Card Partners page.

U.S. Airways Premier World MasterCard from Barclays Bank:

• 12,500 bonus miles with your first purchase.
• 12,500 more bonus miles after spending $750 in the first 90 days. Charging that $750 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.
• 5,000 mile discount off of each eligible Award Ticket
• 10,000 miles toward Preferred status.
• $89 annual fee, for a cost of 0.356 cent/mile.
• 2 miles/$1 spent on US Airways purchases.
• 1 mile/$1 spent on other purchases.
• No limit to the miles you can earn.
• Redeem miles for award travel for 5,000 miles less.
• A 6 month 0% balance transfer and convenience check offer with a 3% fee, $5 minimum, $100 maximum. Earn 1 mile/$1 transferred up to 10,000 miles.

U.S. Airways World Mastercard from Barclays Bank.

• 5,000 bonus miles with your first purchase.
• 5,000 more bonus miles after spending $750 in the first 90 days. Charging that $750 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.
• Annual $149 companion certificate, whatever that means.
• $49 annual fee, for a cost of 0.49 cent/mile.
• 1 mile/$1 spent on purchases.
• A 6 month 0% balance transfer offer with a 3% fee,$5 minimum, $100 maximum. Earn 1 mile/$1 transferred up to 10,000 miles.

U.S. Airways Dividend Miles Professional MasterCard from Barclays Bank:

• 25,000 bonus miles with your first purchase.
• $79 annual fee, for a cost of less than 0.316 cent/mile.
• 2 miles/$1 spent on US Airways purchases and on hotel, car rental, and gasoline purchases .
• 1 mile/$2 spent on other purchases.
• No limit to the miles you can earn.
• A 6 month 0% balance transfer and convenience check offer with a 3% fee, $5 minimum, $75 maximum.
• When an Eligible Cardmember spends more than $25,000 in new Net Purchases within their January through December statement cycles, 10,000 of those miles that have been awarded to your Account will be converted from base miles to Preferred Miles.
• A complimentary US Airways Club Day Pass.

Two U.S. Airways Business Mastercards from Barclays Bank.

Offer #1

• 25,000 bonus miles with first purchase.
• "Up to" 10,000 Preferred miles each year.
• $79 annual fee, for a cost of 0.316 cent/mile.
• 1 mile/$1 spent. Double miles for U.S. Airways purchases.
• No limit to the miles you can earn.
• A 6 month 0% balance transfer offer with a 3% fee, $5 minimum, $75 maximum for those 6 months, no maximum thereafter. Earn 1 mile/$1 transferred up to 10,000 miles.
• A complimentary U.S. Airways Club Day Pass.

Offer #2

• 5,000 bonus miles with first purchase.
• No annual fee. So those miles are free.
• 1 mile/$2 spent. 1 mile/$1 spent for U.S. Airways purchases.
• A 6 month 0% balance transfer offer with a 3% fee, $5 minimum, $75 maximum for those 6 months, no maximum thereafter. Earn 1 mile/$1 transferred up to 10,000 miles.

U.S. Air is starting a program of partnerships with various vendors who will provide extra miles if you use your U.S. Air credit card for purchases with them. The list of vendors is tiny now, but it is said to be expanding.

Note: Regular riders of Amtrak should consider the Amtrak credit card as a free alternative for earning Southwest Airlines credits. But note its risks and restrictions, especially the one that requires that you spend $200/year on it for Amtrak tickets before you can transfer credit elsewhere. Using the Amtrak card actually gets you a free trip much faster than using Southwest's card after the first year bonus, so long as the Amtrak > Choice Points > Southwest credits conversions are not changed, and so long as you qualify for this privilege.

Southwest Airlines offers Signature and Business Visa cards for annual fees of $59, and a Classic Visa card for and annual fee of $39. There are various offers of bonus credits for first purchase, plus 1 credit per $1,200 spent (double credit for Southwest Airlines purchases on the Signature and Business cards). It takes 16 credits to earn a round trip ticket on Southwest. Do the math to see what the bonus credits offered are worth.

I see no reason why you can't get both the personal and the business card.

See note 3 on the 16 credit personal card offer to read about the Classic Card. The web page seems to imply that it is the bank's choice which card you get, but that the lower fee card may be preferable to some. So, after applying online, I would try calling the bank to see if you can express your preference, or, if that doesn't work, calling them immediately upon receiving the higher priced card to ask for it to be changed. If you are successfully in getting the Classic card by your request, please tell me how you did it. Thanks.

Please tell me when any of the bonus offers disappear. Thanks.

• Bonus offer:
  • 16 credits for your first purchase.
  • Annual fee waived for the first year.
  • Up to $500 in southwestgiftcards for various total purchase amounts.
  • Same offer for a business card. So get them both.
  • I see no expiration date for this offer. Please tell me when it disappears. Thanks.
  • Thanks to FrugalTravelGuy for this information.
• Bonus offer: 16 credits for your first purchase. Same offer for a business card.
• Regular offers for the personal and business cards: 16 credits for first purchase.

Southwest Airlines offers an annual fee Classic Visa credit card for a more reasonable fee of $39 per year. The differences I can find between it and the signature card are a lower credit limit and no double credit for Southwest Airlines purchases. The limited time offers seems to imply that you still get the bonus credits for first purchase, but it is not completely clear. I suggest that you call (877) 665-9146, mention the card code for the offer, and ask if you can get the bonus for the card with the lower fee.

Caution: Southwest credits expire 2 years after they are earned. So be sure you can earn enough credits within that time to earn a ticket and can spend them within that time before you accept Southwest offers.

I understand that Midwest plans to charge $25 for transferring Midwest miles to Amtrak points after June 30.

Midwest Airlines offers credit cards with up front miles, two free, and two with an annual fee. Both offer up to 10,000 miles for balance transfer (at 1 mile/1$ transferred in the first 30 days after you open your account) and 0% interest for 6 months for those transfers, but with a fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer, $5 minimum, $50 maximum. Be sure to read the Cautions section of the Important Starting Info page of this credit card section before doing a balance transfer.

Two personal cards:

• $59 annual fee, 25,000 bonus miles when you spend $750 in the first 90 days, for a cost of 0.239 cent/mile. 2 miles /$1 spent on Midwest Airlines or Midwest Connect Airlines tickets, 1 mile /$1 spent on everything else. So the extra 20,000 miles over the free card cost 0.295 cent/mile.
• NO annual fee, 5,000 bonus miles when you spend $250 in the first 90 days. 1 mile /$1 spent on Midwest Airlines or Midwest Connect Airlines tickets, 1 mile /$2 spent on everything else.
• Charging that $750 or $250 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.

Two business cards:

• 12,500 miles with first purchase, 2 miles /$1 spent on Midwest Airlines or Midwest Connect Airlines tickets, 1 mile /$1 spent on everything else. $49 Annual Fee, for a cost of 0.392 cent/mile.
• 5,000 miles with first purchase, 1 miles /$1 spent on Midwest Airlines or Midwest Connect Airlines tickets, 1 mile /$2 spent on everything else. No Annual Fee.

Frontier Airlines offers two Mastercard deals:

• 5,000 Bonus Miles miles when you spend $250 in the first 90 days on its no annual fee MasterCard. 1 mile/$2 spent.
• 25,000 Bonus Miles miles when you spend $500 in the first 90 days on its $59 per year MasterCard. (So the extra 20,000 miles cost you 0.295 cent/mile.) 1 mile/$1 spent. Double miles for purchase of Frontier tickets.
• These deals are available for both personal and cards. So get them both.

Both cards offer 0% interest balance transfer for first six billing periods, with a 3% fee capped at $50 per transfer. One Mile per $1 in balances transferred to your Frontier Airlines MasterCard requested in the first 30 days after you open your account, up to a maximum of $10,000. So if you do one $10,000 transfer and pay it off immediately, you should receive your 10,000 miles at a cost of 0.5 cent/mile. If you invest the money in a C.D. for 6 months, you can reduce that after tax cost. (But read the terms and conditions, and my cautions on 0% balance transfer offers on the Important Starting Info page of this Credit Card section.)

Jet Blue Airways offers a personal American Express credit card:

• 10,000 TrueBlue® points with first purchase on your Card. One way Award Flights start at just 5,000 points.
• Earn up to 8 TrueBlue points for every eligible dollar spent on jetblue.com - 6 points when you purchase a flight and an additional 2 points when you use your JetBlue Card.
• 1 TrueBlue point/$1 otherwise spent.
• $40 annual fee.
• I leave it to you to carefully read the terms and conditions.
• The link above goes directly to the application page. If that doesn't work, navigate form Jet Blue's credit card page.

JetBlue Business Card from American Express OPEN

• 10,000 TrueBlue® points with first purchase on your Card. Oneway Award Flights start at just 5,000 points.
• Earn up to 8 TrueBlue points for every eligible dollar spent on jetblue.com - 6 points when you purchase a flight and an additional 2 points when you use your JetBlue Card.
• 1 TrueBlue point/$1 otherwise spent.
• Save 3% - 25% automatically on business expenses from FedEx, Hertz®, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts®, and more with OPEN Savings®
• $40 annual fee.
• Carefully read the terms and conditions, which of course you would automatically do, since you are a business person.

Caution: The Jet Blue frequent flyer program is very different that any other. Be sure you understand how it works before you commit to it. Note, for example (last I looked), that points expire in 1 year unless you fly on their metal or use your Jet Blue credit card. I strongly recommend reading Tim Winship's FrequentFlier Blog on the subject before applying for this card.

• 4 Roundtrips - 5,000 bonus miles
• 7 Roundtrips - 10,000 bonus miles
• 10 Roundtrips - 15,000 bonus miles
• 12 Roundtrips - 25,000 bonus miles

Spirit Air offers a World MasterCard.

• Annual fee is $69, but it is waived for the first year.
• 15,000 bonus miles when you make your first purchase.
• 3 miles/$1 spent on Spirit.
• 2 miles/$1 spent on everyday purchases at select merchants.
• 1 mile/$1 spent anywhere else.
• Elite status.
• Make at least one purchase per month and you’ll automatically be upgraded to an Elite member.
• As of June 18, 2007, your Spirit Airlines miles will never expire if you make at least one purchase/month on the credit card. Otherwise, your miles could expire due to this policy in the terms and conditions of the miles program:

  "If you have less than 2,000 miles posted to your account from any source during the previous 6 month period, miles older than 6 months will be expired." And "If you want to keep your miles, get a FREE SPIRIT MasterCard* and make just one purchase per month - then your miles will never expire."

  Spirit Air's website describes its very different FREE SPIRIT miles program. Be sure you understand it fully before committing to this card.

   

AirTran Visa business credit card.

• 10 credits for first purchase or balance transfer.
• 2 points/$1 spent on AirTran Airways Travel. 1 point/$1 spent on everything else.
• Earn one point per $1 in balances transferred to your AirTran Airways A+ Business Card in the first 30 days after you open your account, up to a maximum of 10,000 points. 10,000 points = 10 credits.
• $39 Annual Fee.

AirTran Visa personal credit card.

• 10 credits when you spend $750 in the first 90 days.
• 2 points/$1 spent on AirTran Airways Travel. 1 point/$1 spent on everything else.
• $49 annual fee.

Any HawaiianMiles member can give miles to a Hawaiian Airlines Visa® cardholder (corporate/business credit and check cardholders) — free of charge. I leave it to you to read the details.

Hawaiian Airlines lists its credit card offers on its website. However, I often list better ones below.

Here is a very easy way to get a round trip ticket to Hawaii for $100. Currently two banks are offering a Hawaiian Airlines credit card - Bank of Hawaii and Bank of America. Each costs $50, and each offers 20,000 miles for first purchase. 40,000 miles gets you a roundtrip ticket between the mainland west coast and Hawaii. Also note the interesting miles award tickets to Pago Pago, American Samoa or Papeete, Tahiti, and Manila, and the partner awards on Delta, Continental, and Virgin Atlantic Airlines. See Hawaiian's award charts. As of April 25, 2010, a round trip ticket between mainland U.S. and Europe on Virgin Atlantic was available for 50,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles. So combinations of the various Hawaiian Airlines and American Express credit cards should get you to Europe very inexpensively.

A customer rep assured me that it is permitted to get both credit cards. Each offers

• 20,000 miles up front with first use and payment.
• 1 mile/$1 spent, and 2 miles/$1 spent at Hawaiian Airlines.
• One Time Round-trip travel discount of 25% between the Mainland US and Hawaii for you and a companion.
• 2,000 miles upon renewal, should you care to pay the annual fee again.
• Other possibly useful goodies.
• The cost for each is $50 a year.
• Bank of Hawaii offer. Or call (800) 551-0839, or maybe the bank's home phone number, (888)643-3888.
• Bank of America offer. Or call (800) 932-2775 and mention priority code UAAGZ.
  • Apparently the Bank of America 20,000 mile deal is a special offer. The regular offer from Bank of American's website is for 10,000 miles up front. So grab the 20,000 mile offer while you can, and be sure to make a copy of all pages of the offer and your application for it.
• I sometimes have difficulty with the links I provided. Links to the offers are available on Hawaiian Airlines' home page and its HawaiianMiles page. Ignore the distinctions between Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian residents. Both banks will accept your application wherever you live.

Bank of America offers a Hawaiian Airlines Business Card:

• 10,000 miles up front with first use and payment.
• 1 mile/$1 spent, and 2 miles/$1 spent at Hawaiian Airlines.
• 25% discount companion certificate for travel between the Mainland U.S. and Hawaii.
• 2,000 miles upon renewal, should you care to pay the annual fee again.
• Other possibly useful goodies.
• Annual Fee is $50 for the Company and $25 per card.

Bank of America also offers a less expensive Classic card.

• 5,000 miles up front with first use and payment
• 1,000 miles upon renewal
• Annual fee of $25.

Caution: This Flyertalk post says that the renewal bonuses will be reduced. Be sure to make and keep a copy of the offer you accept.

Last time I looked an inter island round trip costs 10,000 miles, and a one way trip costs 5,000 miles. The annual fee for the card is probably less than the inter island fare.

Hawaiian Airlines offers bonus HawaiianMiles when you use your Hawaiian Airlines Visa Cards at any participating HawaiianMiles XtraMiles merchants. There are lots of them in Hawaii, and some online merchants nationwide. Be sure to click on all of the links in the top menu. I leave it to you to read the terms and conditions.

This FlyerTalk thread discusses the possibility of getting the 3% rip off fee for foreign currency conversion waived if you are a good customer of Bank of America. Ask.

Air Canada Aeroplan lists numerous mileage earning credit cards on its website.

• Caution: The British Airways miles program is very different from those of U.S. Airlines. Be sure you understand the program and exactly how and when you will use it before applying for this card. I am not very familiar with the program, as I have never used it. But here is what I understand about it:
  • British Air charges very high fees for award travel on its own metal. It may be possible to avoid these fees by flying on partner airlines.
  • British Air miles expire, I think after 3 years of no activity, but check this to be sure. I think activity on the account keeps your miles alive, but again, check this to be sure. I do not list many easy British Airways activities. Be sure you know when you will use these miles before acquiring them.
  • You may not use British Air miles to cross the Atlantic on partner American airlines. But other partners are probably permitted. But confirm this yourself before counting on it.
• Note: Those seeking British Airways miles should consider also acquiring American Express Cards that earn Membership Rewards points. They regularly offer 10,000 - 25,000 bonus points which are convertible 1,000 points > 1,000 miles. The cards often waive the annual fee for a year, and then become prohibitively expensive. Consider using one of these cards first, cancelling it before the fee becomes due, then acquiring a card listed below, or visa versa. Or consider acquiring both the Amex and a card below simultaneously to get all of the up front bonus points.
• Note: Those seeking British Airways miles should consider also acquiring the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Credit Card. Last I looked it offered 16,000 points convertible to British Airways miles 1:1 for spending $1,000 in 3 months, and the annual fee was waived for the first year.

• Visa Signature Card:
  • 25,000 miles for first purchase.
  • 25,000 more miles on your first card anniversary.
  • 1.25 miles/$1 spent, or 2.5 miles$1 spent British Airways flights, land products and vacation packages.
  • Save $50 on any British Airways ticket purchase made at ba.com/get50 by December 31, 2010. Valid for travel through December 31, 2010.
  • $75 annual fee.
  • Please tell me when this offer disappears. Thanks.

  Canadian residents may acquire a very interesting Visa Platinum card from the Royal Bank of Canada.

  • It costs CN$165 per year and offers only 5,000 Canadian Airlines miles for first purchase.
  • It provides 1 BA Mile for every dollar you spend on the card, and BA Miles for every dollar you spend on British Airways flight that is purchased with the card.
  • Free travelers checks.
  • So far, this doesn't seem very impressive return for the large annual fee. However, the card has some very interesting insurance programs that go with it.
    • A very comprehensive medical emergency travel insurance policy for travel outside of Canada that pays for medical expenses and transportation back to Canada, including very expensive air ambulance service if required.
    • Flight Delay Insurance.
    • Emergency Purchases Insurance.
    • Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance.
  • This card is well worth a look for Canadians who frequently travel outside of their country.

  Two British Airways credit cards for UK residents are described here.

  British Airways offers credit cards in many other countries. To find the offers for your country, go to click here, then click on United Kingdom at the top of the page, and then change your country on pull down list. Look for partners pages, both general and for your specific region.

  The British Airways program miles program is quite different that those of U.S. Airlines. This is a card you would buy only if you are familiar with the program and know you will use the miles before they expire.

   

Note: As of April 25, 2010, a round trip ticket between mainland U.S. and Europe on partner airline Virgin Atlantic was available for 50,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles. So combinations of the various Hawaiian Airlines and American Express credit cards should get you to Europe very inexpensively.

If you want the Black Card, you can help me at no extra cost to you by applying via creditcard.com. Use this link, then on then, on the Travel and Airline Credit Cards page, scroll down to Virgin Atlantic American Express® Card from Bank of America. Thanks.

Virgin Atlantic offers two American Express credit cards issued by Bank of America for U.S. residents. To see the details of the offer, click on the terms and conditions link for each card, wait for the pop-up to load, then use the internal scroll bar to scroll down to almost the bottom of the page. If my link does not work, try this Virgin Atlantic link and then navigate to the card you want.

• The Black Card
  • Annual fee: $90.
  • 20,000 Flying Club miles after your first purchase made with your Virgin Atlantic Card.
    • You can help me at no extra cost to you by applying for this Black Card via creditcard.com. Use this link, then on then, on the Travel and Airline Credit Cards page, scroll down to Virgin Atlantic American Express® Card from Bank of America. Thanks.
    • Here is the application for people residing outside of the U.S. Note the first field.
    • If you are thinking about going for an easy, cheap 50,000 - 65,000 miles with this offer, be sure to read this article on View from the Wing. Fees are very high for flying on Virgin Atlantic metal. They may be lower using the miles to fly on a partner airline, but I have no experience with this.
    • Use the pull down menu on that partner airline page to see the miles requirements to fly on each partner airline. I checked a few for airlines with which I am familiar. I noted, for example, that the standard 25,000 miles is required for a cattle class trip within the continental U.S. and Canada for Continental Airlines and U.S. Airways. I also noticed that the miles required for flying on several of the airlines are not posted. Ask.
    • This flyertalk discussion may shed more light on the usefulness of this offer.
    • The Virgin Atlantic's terms and conditions for membership in its program said on December 6, 2009, "Your membership is valid for three years following your first Virgin Atlantic or partner earning or spending activity in your account. Both your miles and membership will remain active, provided that you complete an earning or spending activity in any three-year period."
  • 2,500 Flying Club miles for each of the first two authorized users added to your Card.
  • 3 miles/$1 spent on Virgin Atlantic tickets and duty free items purchased directly from Virgin Atlantic.
  • 1.5 miles/$1 spent on everything else.
  • 7,500 anniversary Flying Club miles when you spend a minimum of $15,000 in net purchases within the anniversary year with your Virgin Atlantic Card.
  • An additional 7,500 anniversary Flying Club miles will be awarded when you spend $25,000 in net purchases within the anniversary year with your Virgin Atlantic Card.
  • Earned Anniversary Flying Club miles will be posted to your Flying Club account each year within four to six weeks of the anniversary of your Card’s open date. Note that this may mean that you would have to pay the annual fee a second year to get these miles. Ask.
  • If you spend $25,000 in Net Purchases using your Virgin Atlantic Card within a year (a year being the accumulated spend on the 12 monthly statements issued within any anniversary year), the primary Cardmember will also qualify for an Economy companion reward ticket for half the standard miles of a reward economy seat. See the terms and conditions for the many details of this feature.
  • One tier point for every $2,500 spent with the Virgin Atlantic Airways Card. A maximum two (2) tier points can be earned per month. A maximum of twenty-four (24) tier points can be earned per year. For a more detailed explanation, visit www.virginatlantic.com Q&A's.
• The White Card
  • Annual fee: $49.
  • 12,500 Flying Club miles after your first purchase made with your Virgin Atlantic Card.
  • 2,500 Flying Club miles for each of the first two authorized users added to your Card.
  • 3 miles/$1 spent on Virgin Atlantic tickets and duty free items purchased directly from Virgin Atlantic.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent on everything else.
  • 2,500 anniversary Flying Club miles when you spend a minimum of $5,000 in net purchases within the anniversary year with your Virgin Atlantic Card.
  • An additional 5,000 anniversary Flying Club miles will be awarded when you spend $15,000 in net purchases within the anniversary year with your Virgin Atlantic Card.
  • Earned Anniversary Flying Club miles will be posted to your Flying Club account each year within four to six weeks of the anniversary of your Card’s open date. Note that this may mean that you would have to pay the annual fee a second year to get these miles. Ask.
  • If you spend $25,000 in Net Purchases using your Virgin Atlantic Card within a year (a year being the accumulated spend on the 12 monthly statements issued within any anniversary year), the primary Cardmember will also qualify for an Economy companion reward ticket for half the standard miles of a reward economy seat. See the terms and conditions for the many details of this feature.

  Virgin Atlantic offers two American Express credit cards issued by MBNA.

  • The White Card offers
    • 3,000 bonus Flying Club miles upon first spend
    • No annual fee
    • 1 Flying Club mile/£1 spent
    • 2 Flying Club miles /£1 spent direct with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays
  • Black Card offers
    The
    • 6,000 bonus Flying Club miles upon first spend
    • £115 annual fee
    • 2 Flying Club mile/£1 spent
    • 4 Flying Club miles /£1 spent direct with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays

   

Two Mastercard offers for U.S. residents:

• Premier Miles & More World MasterCard
  • 20,000 miles after your first purchase and pay your annual fee, if applicable.
  • Up to 15,000 additional miles when you complete a balance transfer.
  • 2 miles/$1 spent on ticket purchases with Miles & More integrated airline partners.
  • Annual Companion Ticket.
  • $79 annual fee, for a cost of 0.395 cent/mile for the bonus 20,000. Annual fee waived for Senator and HON Circle Members.
• Miles & More World MasterCard
  • 15,000 miles after your first purchase and pay your annual fee, if applicable.
  • Up to 10,000 additional miles when you complete a balance transfer.
  • Annual Companion Ticket.
  • $59 annual fee, for a cost of less than 0.393 cent/mile for the bonus 15,000. Annual fee waived for Senator and HON Circle Members.
• For both cards
  • 1 mile/$1 spent on all purchases.
  • Before doing a balance transfer or using a convenience check, be sure to read my cautions on 0% balance transfers on my Starting Info page. Banks are quite sneaky on these types of deals, but you may be able to make money on them if you are careful.

The terms and conditions of the above offers mention a no annual fee Platinum Mastercard, 5,000 mile bonus, 1 mile/$2 spent. I can find no link to it. Call the bank and ask.

Lufthansa's website lists credit cards available for residents of countries other than the U.S.

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offer several credit cards on their websites that earn Flying Blue Award miles. No bonus offers for first purchase are listed there. However, you may be able to find bonus offers for your country by clicking on Air France's Flying Blue home page, selecting your country and language at the top of the page, and then navigating to credit card or financial offers. For example:

Mastercard offer for residents of Switzerland. 5,000 Flying Blue Miles bonus for first use,

If you provide me a specific link to a special offer for your country, I will list it here. If possible, please provide the links to both the English and native language offers. Thanks.

Alitalia suggests obtaining European American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points, and European Diners Club cards to earn points that convert to Alitalia miles at various conversion rates.

• Select the World++ MasterCard
  • 10,000 Bonus Customer Club Points on first use
  • 2 Points/$1 spent on Icelandair travel
  • 1 Point/$1 spent on anywhere else
  • $39 annual fee
• Select the Platinum MasterCard
  • 5,000 Bonus Customer Club Points on first use
  • 1 Point/$1 spent on Icelandair travel
  • 1 Point/$2 spent anywhere else
  • No annual fee

• 5,000 miles for first purchase.
• 2 miles/$1 spent on purchases.
• 3 miles/$1 spent in purchases at participating grocery stores.
• $99 annual fee.
• $100 rebate on an Asiana ticket.

• 10,000 miles for first purchase.
• 1 mile/$1 spent on purchases.
• 2 miles/$1 spent in purchases at participating grocery stores or on Asiana Airlines tickets (presumably purchased from Asiana, though they don't say that).
• No limit to the number of miles that can be earned each year.
• Automatic $100 rebate on qualifying Asiana Airlines ticket purchases twice per year
• Annual Fee is $90 for the Company.

This FlyerTalk thread discusses the possibility of getting the 3% rip off fee for foreign currency conversion waived if you are a good customer of Bank of America. Ask.

Asiana lists many Korean banks that issue credit cards which earn Asiana miles. One of them is for Japanese residents. No details are given for any of the cards.

Korean Airlines offers several credit cards for residents of Japan. All offer up front bonus miles. Read the terms, conditions, and fees.

And, of course, Korean Airlines offers many credit cards for residents of Korea. To find them, go to its Global Website, chose Korea for your region, and then your language. Click on SKYPASS > Earn Miles, then on Other Partners in the left menu.

All Nippon offers a large number of mileage earning credit cards.

• It's card for U.S. residents offers a 5,000 mile bonus for first use, and 1 mile/$1 spent on the card. It costs $70 a year, for a cost of 1.4 cents/mile.
• It's Hong Kong card for residents of Hong Kong offers a 5,000 mile bonus when you accumulate a spending of HK$2,000 or more within the first 3 months of card issuance, and 1 mile/HK$8 spent on the card. It offers lots of other possibly useful goodies.

Japan Airlines offers several credit cards that appear to be Mastercards. You must have a bank account in Japan to qualify for them. There are up front miles, but the fees are in Yen, so I am unwilling to take the time to evaluate these bonuses.

• 5,000 Bonus Asia Miles upon enrollment.
  • 1 Asia Mile/C$1 you spend on the card.
  • Double Asia Miles for each C$1 spent on Cathay Pacific tickets purchased online at www.cathaypacific.ca.
  • 31-Day Out of Province/Country emergency Medical Insurance. This could be quite valuable if it includes medical evacuation, but I leave it to you to evaluate. I pay US$139 for a similar annual medical evacuation insurance.
  • Other goodies.
  • C$150 annual fee, which make this a possibly good deal only if the medical insurance is as valuable as I think it might be.

  Cathay Pacific offers a large number of mileage earning credit cards for residents of Asia, Australia, some of the Pacific Islands, and parts of the Middle East. Details, such as they are, here. It appears that you have to contact the bank of interest to find out about the fees and conditions.

   

Singapore Airlines has several relationships with third party "points" type of cards which allow you to convert those points to the airline's miles. Details here.

• Platinum Mastercard.
  • $59 annual fee.
  • 7,500 miles for first use. (So the extra 5,000 miles over the card below cost 1.18 cents/mile.)
  • 2 miles/$1 spent on China Airlines travel.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent everything else.
• Platinum Mastercard.
  • No annual fee.
  • 2,500 miles for first use.
  • 1 mile/$1 spent on China Airlines travel.
  • 1 mile/$2 spent everything else.
• There is a 5,000 mile, 0% balance transfer offer for both cards, but beware - read the terms and conditions, and my cautions on 0% balance transfer offers on the Important Starting Info page of this Credit Card section.

China Airlines offers a large number of mileage earning credit cards for residents of the Far East. It appears that you must contact the bank of interest to find out about the offers, fees and conditions.

Mexicana Airlines offers a Visa Credit Card to U.S. residents.

• Earn 2 miles/$1 you spend with Mexicana Airlines.
• Earn 1 mile for every dollar you in spend other retail purchases.
• 4,000 Welcome Miles when you join Frecuenta Loyalty Program, for a cost of 1.125 cents/mile. I am not certain, but I think this means you don't get the 4,000 miles if you are already a member of the program. The bonus is not mentioned on Mexicana's website.
• 2,000 anniversary miles each year. You have to pay the fee for the second year to get these.
• 15% Discount on Mexicana flights from the U.S. to Mexico and Latin America when you use your card (presumably when you buy tickets from Mexicana directly).
• The annual fee is $45.
• Companion tickets of dubious value. Read the terms and conditions.

• This FlyerTalk thread discusses the possibility of getting the 3% rip off fee for foreign currency conversion waived if you are a good customer of Bank of America. Ask.

Mexicana Airlines mentions a Banamex Credit Card offer, and several other credit card programs about which I have no further information. Presumably residents of Mexico will recognize the cards and will know where to ask.

Aeromexico Visa Signature Credit Card for U.S. residents:

• 1 mile/$1 spent on the card.
• 20,000 First Use Bonus Miles plus Complimentary Companion Ticket
• 4,000 Annual Bonus Miles plus $99 Companion Ticket with Credit Card renewal
• Double Miles on AeroMexico airfare purchases
• 15% discount on AeroMexico airfare purchases
• Club Premier Elite Status Qualification Miles
• No annual fee for the first year ($80 thereafter)
• I leave it to you to read the footnotes, terms and conditions.

Aeromexico Visa Credit Card for U.S. residents:

• 1 mile/$1 spent on the card.
• 15,000 First Use Bonus Miles plus Complimentary Companion Ticket.
• 2,000 Annual Bonus Miles plus $99 Companion Ticket with Credit Card renewal.
• Double Miles on AeroMexico airfare purchases.
• 10% discount on AeroMexico airfare purchases.
• No annual fee for the first year ($45 thereafter).
• I leave it to you to read the footnotes, terms and conditions.

Aeromexico offers three American Express credit cards to residents of Mexico with annual fees of $80 and $200 with bonuses for first use of 10,000 and 20,000 miles, respectively, for a cost of 0.8 cent/mile and 1 cent/miles, respectively. Each offers 1 mile per US dollar or equivalent spent, and more for Aeromexico purchases. These cards have a very interesting companion ticket deal, wherein you earn free companion tickets when you use your miles to purchase a ticket. The number of companion tickets you earn depends on how much you spend on the card.

• Distancia Visa Signature card:
  • 20,000 Bonus Miles with your first purchase.
  • 6,000 Bonus Miles with your annual renewal.
  • Double Miles on TACA Airlines ticket purchases.
  • 50% Excess Baggage Discount.
  • Annual fee of $75.00 waived the first year.
• Distancia Visa card:
  • 15,000 Bonus Miles with your first purchase.
  • 3,000 Bonus Miles with your annual renewal.
  • 25% Excess Baggage Discount.
  • Annual fee of $45.00 waived the first year.

Grupo Taca mentions several credit card programs about which I have no further information. Presumably residents of Central and South America will recognize the cards and will know where to ask.

• South America.
• Central America. (Note particularly the double miles offer for the INTERFIN-TACA-AVIS card.)
• North America. (Note particularly the double miles offer for the INTERFIN-TACA-AVIS card.)

• LANPASS Visa Signature® Card.
  • 20,000 Bonus Miles with your first card use.
  • 1 LANPASS Mile for every $1 you spend - double for LAN purchases.
  • 4,000 Bonus Miles with your annual credit card renewal.
  • 20% discount on LAN Airfare (1 time per year).
  • 25% flight miles bonus.
  • 3 one-way upgrade coupons per year.
  • $75 annual fee.
• LANPASS Visa Card
  • 15,000 Bonus Miles with your first card use.
  • 1 LANPASS Mile for every $1 you spend.
  • 2,000 Bonus Miles with your annual credit card renewal.
  • 10% discount on LAN Airfare (1 time per year).
  • $45 annual fee.
• LANPASS Visa Secured Card
  • 10,000 Bonus Miles with your first card use.
  • 1 LANPASS Mile for every $1 you spend.
  • 10% discount on LAN Airfare (1 time per year).
  • $25 annual fee.
  • This type of card is a good way to establish credit. U.S. Bank says: "Just send us a cashier's check, a certified check, or a money order with your credit card application (from $300 to $5,000) to open a savings account. Once you're approved, we'll send you a credit card. Your credit line will be the same amount as your deposit. It looks and works just like any other credit card when you use it at a restaurant or store."

LAN very likely offers credit cards for residents of South America. Choose your country to find its website.

I am not familiar with Diners Club. I don't know if there is a minimum number of points needed to convert to miles, and I don't know if there is a fee to do so. Ask. (A reader tells me that points must be redeemed in 2,000 point increments only. Another reader tells me that there is a $0.95 charge per 1,000 mile transferred.)

Dinners club special offers. Read the terms and conditions.

• Delta
• Continental
• Frontier
• Hawaiian
• Air Canada
• British Airways
• Virgin Atlantic
• Mexicana
• AeroMexico
• Air France/KLM
• ANA
• Alitalia
• Iberia
• El Al
• Singapore

• AirTran
• JetBlue
• Starwood Hotels
• Priority Club
• Hilton Hotels
• Best Western Hotels.

View from the Wing has an excellent article on where to transfer Membership Rewards Points to get Star Alliance tickets. He likes Air Canada and All Nippon Airways, and explains why.

There is a tiny fee of $0.0005/mile for converting points to miles - that's 50 cents/1,000 miles. The fee is capped at $50 per transfer. This fee will increase to $0.0006/mile, capped at $99 per transfer. However, on August 2, 2008, a reader wrote

"Federal laws [or whatever they are] that makes American Express charge for transfer of points to airline frequent flyer programs only applies to US airlines. There is no charge if you transfer points to say Virgin Atlantic.

"American Express will transfer points from UK card holders to US card holders at the rate of exchange between the £ and the $. So 10,000 UK points become about 20,000 US points [at the current currency exchange rate]. This is great as the exchange rate between points and frequent flyer miles is the same in the US as it is in the UK.

So instead of transferring Amex points to get say 10,000 Virgin frequent flyer miles in the UK you convert the Amex points to US points first and then get 20,000 Virgin frequent flyer miles. Cool eh?"

To see the conversion ratios and do the conversions, go to the Membership Rewards home page, click on Travel in the upper left corner, then on the category you want.

On August 3, 2008, a reader wrote:

"Just an FYI, you can get the American Express Gold and Green cards bonus points at the same time. And you can get them multiple times in rapid succession. I've had all four (gold and green, business and personal) several times in the past year and I've never failed to get the bonus points."

Special offers:

• Frugal Travel Guy suggests how new card holders might get 5,000 or 6,000 extra membership rewards points by making a timely complaint.
• If you happen to own the very expensive American Express Business Platinum 2010 card, you are offered 5,000 bonus points by spending at least $10,000 within a billing cycle, starting with your first billing cycle that begins after March 1, 2010, through the billing cycle that begins in February 2011 (for a total of up to 12 billing cycles). (Thanks to View from the Wing for this information.)
• View from the Wing advocates moving Membership Rewards points to Star Alliance member Air Canada Aeroplan miles. The comments following that post suggest why you shouldn't. It appears to me that this use of Membership Rewards points would be very good for those who know they will generate enough of those points to get a reward ticket within 7 years of the posting of the miles to the Aeroplan account. If you know you will always have an American Express card that generates Membership Rewards points (i.e., you will pay the annual fee for the card), just wait until you have enough points to get that ticket before transfering them. This transfer is usually instant, but never more than a day or two. But remember that if at any time you do not have such a card, all of your Membership Rewards points disappear. On March 28, 2010, a Membership Rewards customer service rep said that points do not otherwise disappear.

Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express

Please click on the banner to the left to see the offer. If you can't see the offer, you are probably logged in, and cookies think you already have this card. Here are some suggestions:

• Click on the "These are not my cards" link, clear your cache, and click on the banner again.
• Clear your cookies, and then click on the banner again. This was progress for me. My slow internet connection stalls now, instead of bringing me to the wrong page.
• Just logging out did not work for me. Clicking on the banner again still would bring me to the wrong page.
• Please tell me of your experience clicking on the banner. I especially need to know what it says now: how many points for what spend within what time, and whether or not the first year fee is waived. If you do not see the offer, please tell me if there is a small log out link on the upper right corner of the page. If you were able to fix the problem, please tell me how. Thanks much.

• 15,000 Membership Rewards® bonus points when you spend $1,000 in 3 months. (Hover over the "1" footnote to see the details of this part of the offer.) Charging that $1,000 is easy - just buy U.S. Dollar coins at cost from the U.S. Mint. The coins usually arrive before the bill is due, especially if you buy them just after your statement closes. Simply deposit the coins in your bank account and use the balance to pay off your credit card bill.
• Plus, get 15,000 bonus points when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
• You can earn 3X points on airfare, 2X points on gas and groceries, and 1X points on everything else.
• No annual fee for your first year of membership, then $175.
• Using the links on the banner and text above helps me at no cost to you. But if they just won't work, even after clearing cookies, try this one.
• Please tell me when this offer changes or disappears. Thanks.

Business Gold Rewards Card(R) from American Express OPEN

Please tell me if the page you get does not offer the 50,000 points. Thanks. The offer details:

• 50,000 Membership Rewards® bonus points when you spend $10,000 in 4 months.
• Get 25,000 additional points each year if you shift $50,000 in expenses onto the Card.
• No annual fee for your first year of membership, then $125.
• Please tell me when this offer changes or disappears. Thanks.

• Caution: The the "Membership Rewards points" offered and earned by this card are not the same as ordinary Membership Rewards points. They are part of a lower tiered program. They are not transferable to airline or hotel programs, and they are worth half as much as ordinary Membership Rewards points for purchases with the points. But 20,000 of these points can be redeemed for $100. This obfuscation is typical of American Express. Sorry it fooled me for awhile. The offer page clearly states "Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® bonus points after first purchase". Only clicking on the footnote suggests the lower status of these points, and I could get clarity on this only by calling a Membership Rewards rep. If you ordered this card in expectation of ordinary Membership Rewards points, I strongly suggest you call American Express to cancel your order and demand that no fee be charged due to their obfuscation.

  More on the Zync card: This blog indicates that your 10,000 points will get you a $50 AMEX cash card or $50 in travelers checks. I spoke with an Amex Membership rewards rep about this. She confirmed that this is true. She also volunteered that you can get some of the $100 gift cards for 10,000 points - Home Depot was mentioned. She said that the points have the same value as regular Membership Rewards points, except that they cannot be transferred to airline or hotel programs, and that the pay with points program costs twice as much. Of course, she was completely unable to find an American Express page that says all of this. This is typical of American Express. But it seems that you can get a useful $100 gift card for the 10,000 point bonus, costing you only the $25 annual fee.

• Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® - Express Rewards (Tier One) points after first purchase.
• $25 annual fee.
• You can add programs for a fee that provide double miles on certain categories of purchases.
• This is charge card. No interest, because you must pay your bill on time. This card is advertised as useful for people who want to build a credit history.
• Click on the banner to the left to see the offer and apply for the card.
• Please tell me when any part of this offer changes. Thanks.

Business Green Rewards Card from American Express OPEN

• 5,000 bonus points with first purchase.
• $95 annual fee waived for first year.
• 1 point/$1 spent.
• With OPEN Savings, you can save on expenses with companies like FedEx, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts®, and more.
• This card is ideally suited for businesses that are established, cash flow positive and have an excellent credit history, have revenue in the 6 to 7-figure range that want more flexibility to manage cash flow, purchase materials and handle other business expenses. To apply you are asked for your annual revenue.

American Express Preferred Rewards Green Card

• 1 point/$1 spent. Please tell me when a bonus is offered for opening this account. Thanks.
• This card has a hefty annual fee, but it is sometimes waived for the first year for new card members. (It was waived as of September 30, 2008.) Check the offer page and the terms and conditions. Please tell me when the annual fee is waived. I don't intend to keep close track of this, but I will post the waiver here if told about it.
• The page to which I link says that the 5,000 points can be redeemed for a $50 gift card.

American Express SimplyCash Business Card:

• No annual fee.
• 5% cash back on office supplies, and wireless services purchases.
• 3% cash back on automobile gas purchases.
• 1% cash back on virtually all other purchases.
• Cash back is automatically credited to the statement each month.
• 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months.
• My only problem with this offer is that I find it difficult to find gasoline stations with competitive prices which accept American Express credit cards.

American Express Business Gold Rewards Card for Canadians

• 25,000 bonus Membership Rewards points if you have $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
• $180 annual fee waived the first year.
• Each year if, on or before the annual reset date, you reach $50,000 in net purchases charged to your account you will earn 15,000 bonus points and if you reach $100,000 in net purchases you will earn an additional 25,000 points. On the annual reset date, the amount of annual net purchases resets to zero. Account must be in good standing. Careful: "Year" may mean calendar year. Ask, and time your application accordingly. Click on the "footnotes" link to see this part of the offer.
• Alas, this offer is available to Canadian citizens only.

This FlyerTalk thread discusses how the poster received 25,000 Membership Rewards points for upgrading his AMEX gold Business card to AMEX Business Platinum card, and 5,000 points each to add up to 5 people as additional gold cardmembers at $35 each.

This post on FlyerTalk suggests you may be able to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points into American Express Blue Sky points. Please tell me what happens when you actually try to do this. You may read about the Blue Sky credit card on my Bank and Other Travel Cards page of this Credit Card section.

This post on FlyerTalk discusses how to get 1.5 Membership Rewards points per Euro spent (for a fee) on a German American Express card.

American Express maintains a page listing Membership Rewards Bonus Offers. The URL I have for this page is https://www.membershiprewards.com/BonusProgram.aspx. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My Firefox and old Netscape browsers seem to have more success with it than does my Microsoft Internet Explorer. I would be interested to know why.