I have been flying a lot lately especially to and through Dubai for work and I'm not sure I'm getting the most out of my travel CCs these days. I currently have Capital One, AA Mastercard, and a United Visa. Have quite a bit of miles built up on all of them but open to moving balances around if I can get some good deals out there.

I'm especially interested in cards partnered with Emirates or Qatar Air. But open to any and all airline related cards.

Any opinions or suggestions?

Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum

+1 Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred. Both pay for themselves very quickly with the signing bonus. I have the Preferred and it's great. If anyone's looking to get it, I can send a referral.

+1 for the AMEX Platinum. Centurion and Priority Pass Lounge access, and Emirates is a transfer partner. Now that Chase Sapphire Reserve raised their annual fee to $550, the AMEX Platinum might be the better value.

For those with Chase Sapphire - I am considering it. I see something about you can pay the $75 for another named person to get the card/lounge access. I assume this also means they could get the $28 credit at the restaurants without me being present, correct? (so adding if I added my husband for $75, then I assume we could each take a kid into the lounge?)

And second question - lets say you get stuck in an airport for 6 hours and there are multiple lounges. Do you get access to each for 3 hours, or is it a one per day? Or another scenario - can you use the $28 restaurant credit and lounge in the same day?

JMac03 said:

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And second question - lets say you get stuck in an airport for 6 hours and there are multiple lounges. Do you get access to each for 3 hours, or is it a one per day? Or another scenario - can you use the $28 restaurant credit and lounge in the same day?

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Most lounges now have restrictions that will only allow you to enter the lounge 3 hours before your flight. But you are still able to visit multiple lounges on the same day, as long as its 3 hours before your flight. In your scenario, you would not be able to visit a lounge 6 hours before your flight.

Yes, you can use the $28 restaurant credit and lounge on the same day. When AMEX had the $28 non lounge credit, I would load up on some beers at the IAH Centurion Lounge then head to Landrys for dinner.

ea1060 said:

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JMac03 said:

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And second question - lets say you get stuck in an airport for 6 hours and there are multiple lounges. Do you get access to each for 3 hours, or is it a one per day? Or another scenario - can you use the $28 restaurant credit and lounge in the same day?

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Most lounges now have restrictions that will only allow you to enter the lounge 3 hours before your flight. But you are still able to visit multiple lounges on the same day, as long as its 3 hours before your flight. In your scenario, you would not be able to visit a lounge 6 hours before your flight.

Yes, you can use the $28 restaurant credit and lounge on the same day. When AMEX had the $28 non lounge credit, I would load up on some beers at the IAH Centurion Lounge then head to Landrys for dinner.

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Thank you! This is helpful. I glanced at some of the lounges I would use and some say just max 3 hours, some say cannot access more than 3 hours prior to flight.

While my husband has United Club access, I think he would still maybe use the $28 food credit and in places where he doesn't have a lounge. It also will work when going to Punta Cana over Spring Break, so I def think the $75 for him will be worth it.

Still need to decide if the extra $100 for the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth it. Had had the card since the beginning.

My wife and I have used the Priority Pass Lounges all over Europe and that's really the only reason why it may be worth it. So nice to have a shower in the airport after you land at 9 am in the morning over there.

A lot of the lounges won't allow arriving passengers to use the facilities unless it's a connection.

IrishTxAggie said:

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A lot of the lounges won't allow arriving passengers to use the facilities unless it's a connection.

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That's every lounge. You need proof of same day travel out of that airport.

Travel tip: Delta has a 24hr cancellation policy. Book a trip, lounge, cancel trip.

Although I have only done that a few times. Most times in Europe we usually fly into Frankfurt so need to take another flight to whatever destination we are headed.

ea1060 said:

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+1 for the AMEX Platinum. Centurion and Priority Pass Lounge access, and Emirates is a transfer partner. Now that Chase Sapphire Reserve raised their annual fee to $550, the AMEX Platinum might be the better value.

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So does this mean AMEX Platinum is partnered with Emirates Skywards and miles are built up each time you use the card? Or is it more a limited partnership that's just lounge access and other non miles building perks?

Orlando Ayala Cant Read said:

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ea1060 said:

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+1 for the AMEX Platinum. Centurion and Priority Pass Lounge access, and Emirates is a transfer partner. Now that Chase Sapphire Reserve raised their annual fee to $550, the AMEX Platinum might be the better value.

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So does this mean AMEX Platinum is partnered with Emirates Skywards and miles are built up each time you use the card? Or is it more a limited partnership that's just lounge access and other non miles building perks?

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How AMEX, and the Chase Sapphire cards, work is that they have a list of airline partners that you can transfer your card miles to. AMEX transfers 1:1 AMEX miles to Emirates, Avianca, Air France, British Airways, Singapore Airlines etc. So if you have 60k AMEX miles/points, you can transfer those miles to Emirates, or any other AMEX airline partner at a 1:1 to ratio and will receive 60k Emirates miles.

The same with the Chase Sapphire cards. You can transfer 60k Chase/Ultimate rewards miles to Emirates and other airlines, and will receive 60k Emirates miles. Thats what makes the AMEX and Chase cards so valuable is that you can use their miles to transfer to a number of airline partners at a 1:1 ratio.

I hope all of this makes more sense now.

I will use the first person who wants to email me a referral for the Chase Sapphire (I do not want the Amex). My email is in my profile.

Last I checked (in Dec), the Reserve does not have a current referral program. Only the Preferred does.

For clarity, there are two Chase Sapphire cards, The CS Reserve, and the CS Preferred.

Thanks. I def want the Reserved.

I would just sign up directly through Chase and get the 50k bonus.

I'm still not seeing any referral available.

Vernada said:

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I would just sign up directly through Chase and get the 50k bonus.

I'm still not seeing any referral available.

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Thanks! I'll do it now.

Chase Sapphire Reserve increased the annual fee to $550 now.