This is a news recap from last week, tailored to regular families. For faster updates, follow Miles For Family on Twitter or check the feed on the right side of the blog.
1) The biggest news item of the year (so far) is the increased offer on Amex SPG cards. I don’t want to repeat myself, so read my yesterday’s post for details. Both personal and business versions pay us commission if you choose to support the blog. Thanks in advance!
2) The sign-up bonus on Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature card has been once again increased to 75,000 points. It does pay us commission. Honestly, this is a “yawn” kind of news item because the offer comes and goes few times per year. I absolutely expect it to come back at some point in the future.
So, I don’t believe you should rush to apply unless you are running out of options listed on my Hot Deals page. See more details on this card in my list of best hotel sign-up offers. Note that the bonus on Amex Surpass is currently increased to 100K points. This may be a better deal, depending on your plans, though be aware that you can only get that offer once per lifetime. With Citi cards you are eligible for the bonus again as long as the card hasn’t been opened or closed within the last 24 months.
Keep in mind, if you’ve applied for Citi Hilton Reserve card within the last two years, this will disqualify you from getting the bonus on Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature. Confused yet? Also, read my post on upcoming changes to Hilton program.
3) Purchase IHG points by the end of today and get 100% bonus, so the price will work out to be 0.57 cents per point. Details here I would never consider making this purchase speculatively, but it can be a great deal under certain circumstances. I would say PointBreaks hotels (5,000 points per night) and Tier 1 properties (10,000 points) definitely fall in that category.
4) Cathay Pacific airline now has a co-branded credit card. Two words: weak sauce. Low mileage bonus, plus $99 annual fee? Pass. Of course, if you are running out of options, it may be worth considering. Otherwise, you should probably save your credit inquiry for something better. Read this post on DoC for more details.
5) Those of you who are thinking about doing some island-hopping in Hawaii should read this post on MileValue: See Four Hawaiian Islands for 6,000 miles This is an excellent use of United Mileage Plus currency.
6) Five Awesome Sun-Drenched Georgia Beach Vacations, by Traveling Mom. I really like this area of US, so I recommend you check out the post. Georgia is within an easy one-day drive from most of Eastern United states. Few years ago we vacationed in St.Simons island and really enjoyed it. Lots of history and the scenery is quite impressive. Plus, it’s a relatively affordable area.
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Regarding Citi, I thought the rules were open or close within 24 months – I opened one in July 2015 and there was no annual fee so I just kept it open and plan on applying again this July – hopefully I didn’t shoot myself in the foot with that strategy!
@Hilary I believe you may be right. This Citi policy is super confusing. The only trouble with your strategy is that they may not approve you if it’s the same product you already have. But with Citi it’s always YMMV kind of deal.