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If you have an airline miles credit card, Capital One is offering the chance for you to double your mileage balance on that card, up to 100,000 miles. The cash value of those 100,000 miles is $1,000, so this is currently one of the best credit card bonus deals available, if miles are important to you. The miles can be cashed in for almost any travel expense, including flights, hotel stays, and car rentals, at a rate of $1 per 100 miles.

Here is how this offer works. Apply for the Capital One Venture Card, one of my current picks for best overall credit cards, and submit proof of your mileage balance on another card with 45 days. Within 90 days of opening the account, spend a total of $1,000.

This amount to be matched is not your mileage balance at the airline; the amount of your matched miles comes from your accumulated points balance with a qualifying credit card. This could be a big drawback and it’s not entirely clear in Capital One’s promotion. Some mileage credit cards convert your credit card points to frequent flyer miles at the end of the month, so you don’t accumulate the credit card miles that would be matched. Thus, if you earn 2,000 miles on your credit card a month and have done so for the past ten months, you might have only 2,000 miles to match rather than 20,000. On the other hand, some cards accumulate the miles and move them to your frequent flyer program only when you instruct the issuer to do so.

These are the qualifying credit cards for which Capital One will match your miles on a one-to-one basis up to 100,000, and the company will match only one of these cards per customer.

  • Alaska Airlines® Visa® Card
  • American Airlines® Card
  • Continental Airlines® Card
  • Delta® SkyMiles® from American Express®
  • Frontier Airlines® MasterCard®
  • Hawaiian Airlines® Visa Card
  • JetBlue® from American Express
  • Spirit Airlines® Free SPIRIT™ MasterCard
  • United Mileage Plus® Visa Card
  • US Airways® Dividend Miles MasterCard
  • Virgin America® Visa Card

You can receive a credit for two other cards, but not on a one-to-one basis. Those cards are AirTran Airways® A+ Visa Card (1,000 Venture miles per A+ Rewards® Credit) and Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Visa Card (1,200 Venture miles per Rapid Rewards® Credit).

In addition to the miles matching promotion, Capital One will also provide an additional 10,000 bonus miles. This promotion is ending once Capital One has doled out one billion miles, so if this is something you are interested in, keep in mind it will be available only for a limited time.

You may ask how the Capital One Venture Card stacks up among others. It is a Visa Signature card, so you have all the benefits that this level of ownership provides, such as concierge services and access to somewhat exclusive events. You earn two miles for every dollar you spend on the card. There is an annual fee of $59, but it is waived the first year. Almost all Visa Signature cards carry annual fees to offset some of the benefits. There is no 0% APR introductory period; once you carry a balance, you will need to pay between 11.9% and 19.9% APR depending on your credit quality. You’ll need excellent credit to qualify for the card.

Capital One

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As airlines continue to add a variety of fees to compensate for keeping fare prices low to complete with each other, the overall cost to fly is increasing. Adding to the base cost of a flight are fees like fuel surcharges, checked baggage fees, and in-flight fees for food, drinks, headphones and pillows. Some airlines are now even charging for carry-on luggage. Some of the best airline miles credit cards allow customers to waive a few of these excessive fees and are accompanied by a quality rewards program. These features help customers save money on fees as well as apply discounts to fares.

These are the best airline miles credit cards available to consumers today, updated as of February 2012. If you fly frequently on any of the below airlines, you could save thousands of dollars in airfare every year, but even less frequent travelers will still be able to save money. If you own a card not found on this list and consider the card to be valuable, please leave a comment with the card information and I will add it to the list.

Editor’s choice

Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus CardContinental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card. The Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card is perfect for anyone that flies Continental often. I fly Continental a few times each year, so I own this card personally. The first checked bag is always free with this credit card and after you sign up and make a purchase, you receive 25,000 bonus miles, good enough for a round trip ticket anywhere in the continental United States. Once an additional authorized card holder is added to the account, the card provides another 5,000 miles, bringing the initial bonus to 30,000 miles. If you’re a big spender, you will earn 10,000 bonus miles each year by spending $25,000 on the card annually. So for the first year of card ownership you could potentially rack up 40,000 bonus miles.

The rewards program on the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card is simple; two reward miles earned for every dollar spent on Continental or United flights and one reward mile per dollar spent on everything else. As an added bonus, two Presidential Club passes are included annually and cardmembers receive priority boarding. The annual fee of $95 is waived for all first year cardholders. I own this card and currently use it for my everyday spending, because Continental flies frequently out of my closest airport, and I fly frequently to visit family. The annual fee is less than the cost of checking my bags each year, so it is financially worthwhile for me.

United MileagePlus® Explorer CardUnited MileagePlus® Explorer Card. Cardholders receive a few bonuses with the United MileagePlus® Explorer Card. First, you will earn 25,000 points after making your first purchase with the opportunity to earn 5,000 additional bonus miles by adding an authorized cardholder and another 10,000 bonus points every year you spend $25,000. Next, the card offers all fliers to check their first United or Continental bag for free (a $50 value round-trip). Finally, everyone who is approved for this card will have priority boarding privileges. All cardholders will earn double miles for dollars spent on United and Continental flights and one mile for each dollar spent on all other purchases. The United MileagePlus® Explorer Card does have a $95 annual fee, waived for all first year cardmembers.

Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American ExpressGold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express. The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express offers 30,000 bonus miles after making $500 in purchases in the first three months. You will also receive double miles on Delta purchases and one mile per dollar for all other purchases. You and up to nine passengers will always have your first bag checked for free when flying Delta, up to $50 savings per person roundtrip. The annual fee for the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express is $95, but the card is free for the first year.

Citi® Gold / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®. The only Citi branded card to make our list, the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® provides cardholders a free round-trip ticket, in the form of 30,000 bonus miles. This benefit is available after the cardholder spends $750 during the first four months of cardmembership. You can tack on an additional 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases during the first six months of cardmembership. And a one-time $100 statement credit for the first eligible American Airlines purchase made within the first twelve months of card ownership.

Another perk within the first twelve months of cardmembership spenders earn two AAdvantage® miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and one AAdvantage® mile for every dollar spent on other purchases. After that, you will continue to earn one AAdvantage® mile for every dollar you spend on purchases. The amount of miles you can earn each year is capped at 100,000 which does not include any promotional or bonus miles. The rewards are valid for travel with no blackout dates or travel restrictions for award travel on American Airlines, American Eagle or the AmericanConnection® carrier. The Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® has an $85 fee each year, but this fee is waived for the first year.

JetBlue Card from American Express. The JetBlue Card from American Express takes a similar approach to the other cards by offering a free flight. When you sign up for this card, you’ll receive 10,000 points with your first purchase, good enough for a round-trip seat; one way tickets start at just 5,000 points. Cardholders will earn up to eight reward points on every dollar spent at jetblue.com. All other purchases earn one reward point for every dollar spent. A $40 annual fee accompanies the JetBlue Card from American Express.

With the fees on some of the above cards, becoming a member may not be worthwhile unless you pay your bill in full every month and fly frequently for the points to be more worthwhile than a cash back card. Many of these cards have fees, so consider whether you will use the card enough to take advantage of discounts and fee waivers exceeding the amount of those annual fees. Using an airline miles card also ties you into using a specific airline. If you fly the same route frequently, you may already have that level of loyalty.

Leave a comment if you are a fan of other airline miles credit cards.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s 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.

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Owning an airline miles credit card can come in very handy if you’re a frequent flier, especially if you have a favorite airline. Thankfully, all of the major airlines have partnered with a credit card issuer to offer special deals on their airlines. Citibank is partnered with American, American Express with Delta and JetBlue, and Chase with Continental and United. It’s the United relationship that we’ll feature here, as the United Mileage Plus® Select® Visa Card offers cardholders 30,000 bonus miles and a $50 discount travel voucher, just for signing up and making $250 in purchases.

United Mileage Plus® Select® Visa CardIn addition to the initial bonus offer, the Chase United Mileage Plus® Select® Visa Card provides cardholders the following rewards structure:

  • 3 miles for every $1 spent on United flights
  • 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, home improvement, grocery, dining and Star Alliance purchases
  • 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Other features of the Chase United Mileage Plus® Select® Visa Card include a 13.24% APR on purchases, 19.24% APR on cash advances and 29.99% APR if at anytime you default on your credit card. There is no intro APR and if you are looking to make a balance transfer, the fee is 3%. Owning this card comes at a price, as the Chase United Mileage Plus® Select® Visa Card includes a $95 annual fee.

If you’re a loyal customer of United Airlines, you’ll earn the most bang for your buck when you use the Chase United Mileage Plus® Select® Visa Card to book your flights. The 30,000 bonus points and $50 travel voucher is a limited time offer so visit Chase United application page for more details on this exciting opportunity.

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Just a few days ago, I arrived home from a vacation that took me to Las Vegas and Death Valley. When preparing for the trip, I used SideStep for finding the best fare that fit my schedule, settling on a flight from EWR to LAS on Continental Airlines. My flights were mostly full, so I decided to cash in on my travel over the past 10 years or so and use my miles to upgrade our return reservation to first class.

In the end, even first class was full, so we didn’t get to experience the better amenities. Continental still hasn’t refunded my miles, but that’s another story. Today’s story is about how the airline industry continues to find ways to “unbundle” services so that anything travelers have grown accustomed to are now offered only a la carte.

My last air travel was to celebrate my brother’s marriage last year. Flying Delta was not a perfect experience, including charges of $15 for pre-paying online for checked baggage, $20 for paying for baggage when checking in at the airport, and $8 or more for a meal on the flight. This more recent Continental flight included a $23 fee for checking a bag online ($25 in person) and a $39 fee for choosing a “premium” seat in the coach cabin.

Dante's ViewJetBlue, another perennial favorite of mine because it flies direct to Long Beach airport, charges for pillows and blankets, admittedly a package I never use.

What other micro-fees can the industry deliver? Spirit Airlines answered that question in a recent press release. Somewhat hidden in the announcement of this airline’s new reduced fares is the fact that checked bags are no longer the only type of luggage subject to extra charges. Each carry-on item will now cost each Spirit Airlines traveler $20 when members of the airline’s discount club, where membership costs $39.95 per year, pay online in advance, $30 when non-members pay online in advance, or $45 when anyone pays at the gate.

Spirit has two goals. The first is to decrease listed fares in an industry where customers, like me, shop mainly for the lowest fare regardless of the carrier, not loyalty. The second goal is to create a disincentive for customers to bring more luggage into an already crowded cabin.

These new fees take effect July 1, 2010 for travel on or after August 1, 2010.

I don’t like being nickeled-and-dimed, but as long as I continue to live far from people and places I want to see, I’ll need to continue playing the airline industry’s game.

There isn’t much room to complain. Airfare, at least coach travel, is generally affordable. If you avoid overpaying for food in the airport, keep your schedule flexible, and search for the lowest fares, it can be one of the cheapest, and obviously fastest, ways to travel.

Nevertheless, the quest for lower fares invites these fees. Here are some more ideas for new ways for the airline industry to take our money:

  • $1 for entering the lavatory
  • $9.99 a minute for talking to a flight attendant
  • $2 for the privilege of reclining your seat back an inch
  • $1 to use a tray table
  • $20 for access to fresher air for the entire flight

Any more suggestions?

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Delta Airlines: Good Airfare But Not My Favorite Airline

by Flexo

As of this past Saturday, my brother is now a married man. He and his wife live in California, and I spent Halloween attending their wedding and the past week visiting with my family in that state. I am happy I was able to take a week off from my day job and spend it ... Continue reading this article…

17 comments Read the full article →

Airline Fees for Checking Bags

by Flexo

Spurred on by Erica Douglas in response to my thoughts about airline fees for checked baggage, here is a list of the fees charged by airlines for traveling with this particular expected service. I should have done this research before embarking on my previous trip to Arizona. I might not have been able to avoid ... Continue reading this article…

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Personal Income Statement, October 2008 (Net Income: $9,074)

by Flexo

Despite the 6 percent decrease in my net worth in October, my income and expenses were healthy. My income was at my expected level for both my salary and “extracurricular” income. October’s expenses were a little higher than expected, but still within an acceptable range. Each month, to accompany my balance sheet, I publish my income ... Continue reading this article…

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JetBlue Now Charges for Pillows and Blankets on Flights

by Flexo

In order to remain competitive, airlines try to keep fare prices low. When that strategy starts to break down and airlines can’t compensate for the cost of flying in the normal way (increasing bookings, and decreasing flights) and they still resist raising fares, they look for new ways to earn revenue. So now we’re charged ... Continue reading this article…

6 comments Read the full article →
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