Miles and Points Recap: Altitude Reserve Card from US Bank, 100K Offer on Chase BA Visa, Daily Getaways and More

1)The biggest story of the week is the news that a premium US Bank credit card appears to be heading our way. Supposedly, it will be called Altitude Reserve. Reserve… Hmm, that sounds familiar. I wonder what card they are planning  to compete with?

Check out the post on DoC for all the details.  We don’t know all the specifics yet, but the info appears to be legit (as in, it was posted on Reddit).

Short version:

• Sign up bonus of 50,000 points after $4,500 in spend within the first 90 days
• An annual $325 travel credit
• Annual fee of $400, not waived
• Points are worth 1.5¢ when redeeming for travel through their portal

Verdict: Hot! It appears they are hoping to steal some customers who love their Chase Sapphire Reserve. I’m in! So yes,  I do plan to apply for this card if the rumors prove to be accurate. Be aware, US Bank is quite stingy when it comes to approvals, unless you have a squeaky clean credit history. I have a colorful history and I’m darn proud of it! Not holding my breath, but will give this one a shot at some point.

2) Another somewhat important news item which I’ve briefly mentioned earlier this week: the 100K bonus on Chase British Airways Visa Signature card has returned. You can find all the details and non-affiliate application link in my Hot Deals page. My thoughts? This is still a good offer, though not as good as it used to be just a few years ago.

The reason for downgrade? Poor award availability on American Airlines (BA partner) and murder of 4,500 Avios routes to/from USA. And of course, you have to be very careful taking on such high minimum spending requirements. MS strategies are dying off, so it will probably be harder to get the full bonus.

Don’t get me wrong, Avios program is still great for many folks, especially those who live near Alaska Air and American hubs and those who have some flexibility. Read my post for more on this topic. I also recommend you check out analysis of this offer on Travel Codex.

3) Another week, another set of deals from Daily Getaways I’ll make my analysis short and sweet this time around. Two words: weak sauce. Well, if you are a middle-class family, that is. I would never pay normal (aka inflated) prices on these packages, so the fact that the rate is discounted means absolutely nothing to me. But check it out, maybe you’ll find something appealing for a special anniversary getaway.

You can now preview all deals on this page. Keep in mind, in the past, the purchase from Daily Getaways coded as travel, though I can’t guarantee it will happen this year.

4) The offer on Barclay Choice Privileges Visa is increased to 40K points through May 31st. See all the details on DDG blog. Honestly, not enough to tempt me, but it is a solid deal, especially if you plan to redeem points overseas. Read my post on Choice program for more on this topic. Also, you may want to hold off applying for now and try to buy some Choice points via Daily Getaways on April 28th. I will have another post on this deal because it’s probably the most worthwhile of the bunch.

Whatever you do, don’t accumulate Choice points speculatively. This program tends to raise rates without advance notice. You have been warned!

5) Rite Aid: purchase 3rd party gift cards, get Plenti points by DoC. A nice way to get a discount on your favorite merchants. I’m a big fan of Plenti program now that they’ve added Winn-Dixie as a partner. Guys, so easy to use the points! The cashier  just scanned my Plenti card and voila, $67 taken off the bill (6,700 points). I shop at Winn-Dixie at least once per month, so this is almost as good as cash. Come on, Amex, bring back a transfer bonus for  Plenti program!

6) There are some decent (but targeted) Amex offers, like $40 discount on $200 Jet Blue flight. Check your Amex accounts.

Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses