You’ve seen cash back offers from Chase, Citibank and Discover; here’s one from American Express. The Blue Sky℠ Preferred from American Express is offering all new cardholders a 15,000 point bonus for signing up and making $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. Those points can be traded in for a $200 statement credit or travel rewards also worth $200. And, unlike the other similar bonuses, this card is the only one that qualifies as a travel rewards card.
The Blue Sky℠ Preferred from American Express has a great rewards program with a few unique features. The most prevalent feature provides cardholders a $100 credit toward airline fees each and every year. This means that American Express will pick up the tab on your checked baggage fees, in-flight entertainment fees or even your in-flight headphones, up to $100 annually. In addition to the $200 bonus cash and $100 annual flight credit, you’ll also receive rewards points in the following amounts:
- Two points for ever dollar spent on hotels, dining and car rental purchases
- One point for every dollar spent on all other purchases
Since 7,500 points can be redeemed for $100 in rewards, your points are worth more than the typical one-to-one ratio. With this card, 75 points are equivalent to one dollar rather than 100 points. You can earn your cash 33% faster with the Blue Sky℠ Preferred from American Express.
Blue Sky℠ Preferred from American Express cardholders have access to pre-sale entertainment opportunities and when you redeem your points for travel, there are no blackout dates or restrictions of any kind. An added bonus of 0% APR for twelve months on purchases makes this card even better, but there is one obvious drawback: all cardholders must pay a $75 annual fee. If you travel enough to take advantage of the $100 in flight credits, the fee is not enough to offset the positives of this card.
The $200 cash back bonus on the Blue Sky℠ Preferred from American Express is only available for a limited time. If you find yourself flying different airlines frequently, consider using the Blue Sky℠ Preferred from American Express to book your future travel purchases.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are authors alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Updated May 6, 2012 and originally published November 5, 2010. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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All these cash back and bonus points give me some! I’m looking for a credit card to build up my credit.