Japan Airlines First Class 777 Review (HND to JFK) [2021]

Japan Airlines (JAL) first class was on my bucket list for a while. Now, I have flown them, tasted their food and drinks, enjoyed their hospitality, relaxed for hours in their first class lazy-boy style seat, and even had two seats all to myself.

In this review, I’ll cover my experience flying JAL first class from Tokyo (HND) to New York City (JFK) and why I would recommend JAL first class to anyone. From the ground experience of JAL first class to the onboard memory-foam mattress in first class, I will put you in my slippers of what makes JAL first class a great way to cross the Pacific.

Trip briefing

Flight routes

This was my third flight during my trip to the USA with a night in each Bangkok and Tokyo coming back from Kuantan, Malaysia. These flights spanned over three days and the routings were all on purpose to try the products I haven’t flown before. There was one flight change before my first flight, but it turned out alright resulting in only one night in Tokyo besides two.

Kuantan (KUA) -> Kuala Lumpur (KUL): Malaysia Airline 737-800 Economy Class
Kuala Lumpur (KUL) -> Bangkok (BKK): Royal Jordanian 787-8 Business Class
Bangkok (BKK) -> Tokyo (HND): Thai Airways 747-400 First Class
Tokyo (HND) -> New York (JFK): Japan Airlines 777-300ER First Class
New York (JFK) -> Detroit (DTW): Delta Airlines CRJ900 First Class (domestic product)

Hotel stays

Hyatt Regency Kuantan (5 nights on cash)
Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa (1 night points)
Hyatt Regency Tokyo (1 night points)

Flight details

Here are the details for the flight:

Route: Tokyo (HND) -> New York (JFK)
Flight No.: JL 6
Aircraft: 777-300ER
Registration: JA743J
Class: First Class
Seat: 2K
Date: July 25, 2019
Scheduled Departure Time: 10:40 am | Actual Departure Time: 11:04 am (+24 minutes)
Scheduled Arrival Time: 10:45 am | Actual Arrival Time: 9:47 am (-58 minutes)
Flight Time: 11 hours, 44 minutes

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How to book Japan Airlines First Class (JAL F) using miles

I booked my JAL first class ticket using 80,000 AA miles plus $49.83 taxes and fees. However, as I booked it a week before departure, I was charged by AA for a close-in booking fee of $75. If I was an AA elite, I would have had the close-in booking fee waived.

This has to be one of my favorite uses for AA miles as it’s not too expensive of a redemption cost, plus the taxes and fees are cheap.

You can now book JAL flights on AA website making it super easy to redeem AA miles for JAL flights. In the past, you would have had to call in to redeem AA miles for JAL. I just searched on AA’s website and was able to make the booking.

Getting to HND

From the Hyatt Regency Tokyo, which is located in Shinjuku, I took the taxi as the time I left the hotel didn’t have the airport limousine bus till an hour later leaving from the hotel. Plus, I kinda had a headache from drinking the night before with a friend.

The taxi took about 40 minutes from the hotel to the international terminal at Haneda and costed bout $75. I knew it would cost a good chunk of cash, but in this situation, I was happy to pay it.

Japan Airlines first class check-in at HND

HND is a lovely airport. It’s easy to get to from downtown Tokyo, easy to get around the terminal as it’s not too big, and has many food options. Plus, arriving at HND is always better with the shorter immigration queue when comparing to Narita (NRT).

The departures hall might be slightly crowded with people, but once you pass the crowds for the check-in counters, it’s smooth and easy with little to no queues for elites, business or first class passengers.

Japan Airlines has a separate section for first class and Oneworld Emerald elites. In fact, there are six counters open, one being occupied, just for first class and Emerald elites.

I walked right up to the counter without any hassle or wait. At the counter was a fabulously friendly check-in agent helping me. She explained where I had to go for first class security and lounge.

After check-in, I went straight to Japan Airlines first class security. After security was immigration. The whole process from check-in to getting airside took no longer than 10 minutes. Plus, I got a nice little first class tag for my carry-on bag and personal item.

Japan Airlines first class lounge and Red Suites

I specifically wanted to fly out of Haneda (HND) instead of Narita (NRT) for Red Suites, which is located in Japan Airlines first class lounge at HND.

I walked a short distance from immigration to Japan Airlines first class lounge, called the Sakura Lounge. Notice the lounge is right outside of gate 112. Gate 112 is the gate JL 6 usually flies out of. So, this is a great placement for the lounge and one of Japan Airlines lucrative routes.

Entering the lounge is as simple as scanning your first class ticket issued by Japan Airlines or Oneworld airline. Emerald elites can also enter this lounge.

I love the hallway entering the main part of the lounge.

Red Suites is almost like a tiny Japan Airlines AvGeek (aviation geek) museum, and comes with other features like an adult game room, shoe shining, and champagne sake room.

You will typically never find anyone in the Red Suites. Maybe one or two other passengers visiting, but it’s very private.

All over the Red Suites, you can find old aircraft parts, pictures, brochures, tickets, books, etc. It’s really made for AvGeeks.

In the game room, you can find a foosball table and multiple different chessboard designs having all the walls covered in aeronautical charts.

Then there is the champagne and sake room that doesn’t serve the most expensive champagne on the ground but does satisfy my taste for the bubbles. Plus, if you like sake, you can find a few options in that room along with other parts of the lounge.

JAL First Class Sakura lounge Red Suites at HND

Don’t worry, there are other sections in the First Class Sakura lounge like the buffet with a made to order section, massage chairs, showers, various seating, and tables.

You might notice, the lounge isn’t so crowded, especially in the Red Suites. Comparing to JAL First Class Sakura Lounge at NRT, the HND lounge is far better in my opinion due to the factor of the Red Suites.

The seating is standard, but comfy with great placement of outlets in the main section of the lounge. There is even a proper dining area.

Selection of food is alright. I did enjoy the made to order breakfast dish, JAL Original Rye Galette, but if you only care about food from first class lounges, then the offering from ANA will be better. Even JAL’s First Class Sakura Lounge at NRT offers a better selection of food. Nevertheless, I would rather eat in the air because JAL knows how to do proper inflight dining just like ANA.

Japan Airlines first class boarding

Within five minutes of boarding, I left the First Class Sakura Lounge and found myself in front of the gate. I love the fact that Japan Airlines has its HND to JFK flight right across from the lounge at gate 112.

When I arrived, lines were formed for both first and business class. As it’s a Oneworld airline, many Oneworld elite passengers are ready to board via the first class lane, making it feel less like first class. This has to be my biggest gripe with the Oneworld program, the fact that they give away first class benefits to elites. First class boarding and lounge access should be more exclusive, right?

At least boarding in Japan is always efficient. After scanning my boarding pass, I walked down the exclusive jetbridge for first class it was empty.

Arriving in first class, the experience changes from being crowded to calm and private.

When I walked up to the cabin door ready to step on the aircraft, the flight attendants were greeting me with big smiles. I was welcomed by name and escorted to my seat where I would be sitting for the next 12 hours.

At that time I was offered a pre-departure drink of my choice. I chose champagne, at that time I didn’t know they had three different champagnes and they randomly selected one for me. They also gave me a scented hot towel.

Later in the boarding process, the flight attendants came to introduce themselves to me. There were three flight attendants working in first class named: Chinen (went by I), Osishi, and Maseda. I will explain more about them in the service section below, but a brief statement about service — they were great. They were excited as much as I was.

Chinen and I ended up having a conversation that went something like this:

Chinen: “Have you flown JAL first class before.”
Me: “No, but I have flown your competitors first class three times and loved it. I hope to compare yours to theirs for the ultimate showdown.”
Chinen: “Oh wow, well I guess we will have some fun this flight winning you over.”

We laughed a little and then talked more about how she lived in New York City before, how much she loves her job, and her husband. They also made sure my champagne was filled during the whole, but short, boarding process.

I would like to point out, the crew didn’t give me any special treatment. All the other passengers in first class were looked after as much as I was.

Waiting at my seat were the menus, amenity kits, headphones, and other little goodies like the wifi voucher and immigration card.

Japan Airlines first class cabin

Japan Airlines 777-300ER first class cabin has a total of eight seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. There are two lavatories, one larger than the other in the front of the cabin by the galley and flight deck. The smaller lavatory is used by the flight crew, but open to passengers as well.

Behind the first class cabin, you will find business class laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration. While it looks like a dense configuration each business class seat has direct aisle access as they are Apex Suites. In fact, they are one of my favorite seats for privacy and seat width in business class.

Japan Airlines first class suite is considered an open suite, but are private enough. They are designed better than ANA first class seats. Comparing directly with ANA first class suites, you will find them a little less private, but at least you can look out of the window easier along with less obstruction talking with your companion in the seats next to each other.

Plus, JAL first class supports dual dining.

Before take-off, there isn’t much in terms of amenities around the cabin, unless you count the amenities at the seat. However, after take-off in the front galley by the lavatories is a display for whiskey, bottles of water, and snacks.

Japan Airlines first class seat

Since Japan Airlines uses an open suite seat, it has a roomy airy feeling. Like most Japan Airlines first class flights, not every seat is occupied. My seat was 2K and there was no one seated across from me.

The seat itself was basically a big lazy boy chair that went into the lie-flat position. There was plenty of counter and storage space for everything you might want to store, even enough storage to store a 15 inch Surface Book.

Design, comfort, and privacy

The seat offers a lazy boy style chair that is wide in upright, reclined, and lie-flat positions. It’s very comfortable and nicely padded with very little flaws.

There is minimal wear and tear making it shine over other foreign competition first class seats. It just shows how Japanese always try to keep premium seats well maintained, even on an older seat like this.

In comparison, the seat itself is somewhat similar to ANA first class seat called ANA First Square. The difference would be ANA first class seat is cloth instead of leather that JAL uses.

When it comes to privacy, you will find the open suite design slightly more airy and less like a cubical than ANA’s first class seat. It’s not the most private open suite design, but it does its job and it’s a nice change of pace compared to a more confide suite design that has bigger higher walls.

It’s still nothing like Emirates fully enclosed first class suite, but it’s still better than Lufthansa’s first class seat for privacy.

If you are seated in the middle aisle seats, you will find that there is a divider that is almost the length of the seat. It’s controllable by soft-touch physical buttons. JAL beats ANA for traveling with a companion as you can easily talk to your seatmate when you have the divider down.

Seat features (controls, storage)

JAL first class has more than enough storage for my needs. Even one compartment is big enough to fit my Surface Book 15 inch along with a few other things.

There is the overhead bin over the window seats, but none in the middle of the cabin.

You then have the beautiful huge side console storage along the side of the seat.

Then you have room under the ottoman to put a briefcase, backpack, or purse.

While it doesn’t have small little storage compartments as ANA has in their first class suite, this is by far better in terms of overall space given to you.

Seat controls are easy to use being soft-touch physical buttons. There are three preset positions and individual adjustments for the seat.

Then you will find the touchscreen IFE remote in a super small storage compartment with a tiny mirror. There is another remote in the big storage compartment, but it isn’t operational.

In the most forward storage compartment, you can find the USB port and universal outlet. The USB port didn’t work, but neither did the other seat I used for my bed. I didn’t mention anything, but I think the USB ports were disabled. (Luckily I don’t need the USB port as I rather use my fast charger with the outlet.)

For a video of the seat tour, you can see here:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98RhOr4Fpuc[/embedyt]

Japan Airlines first class amenity kit

The beautiful first class amenity kit bags were made by ETRO, an Italian fashion house brand. The ETRO amenity kit mainly contains JAL branded item and with three ETRO branded items. You will find an eye mask, moisture mask (more airlines need to add this), a hairbrush, tissues, mouth wash, toothbrush, earplugs, ETRO lip balm, ETRO body lotion, and ETRO perfume.

Then you will find a Shiseido skincare kit that is gender-specific. I still use my skincare kit to this day as I found the cleanser great. Both the ETRO and Shiseido amenity kits were waiting at my seat before I boarded.

Then you will also find slippers (again, more airlines need to offer slippers on every one of their routes), a shoehorn, and wifi voucher.

After takeoff and meal service, I asked for PJs. I find them soft and comfy. Not as good as Emirates, but still great. However, when I compare PJs service to ANA, I prefer the ANA PJs service better as when you board an FA gives you PJs and asks if you want to change or not. JAL doesn’t do it as proactively, but JAL will still fold and hang your clothes.

I forgot to take pictures of the PJs without me wearing them, so here is a selfie with my breakfast and some champagne. 😉

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Japan Airlines first class headphones & IFE

If you ever read any of my other reviews, which I highly recommend, you would know I never use the IFE for anything else besides the in-flight map. That results in me me never using headphones. But for your information, the new Bose headphones offered by JAL is certainly a great headwear for movie or TV watchers on a plane.

The Magic-V controlled IFE isn’t going to blow you away with many options for movies and TV shows, but you will be entertained by Eastern and Western options. For the inflight map lovers, JAL uses a decent inflight map, but again, not going to blow you away.

Japan Airlines first class wifi

JAL gives every first class passenger a complimentary first class voucher. It’s good for the whole flight and it’s unlimited. You can connect right away and not worry about any data or time limits.

I could easily watch YouTube and communicate over many different apps without any issues what so ever. Even uploading photos wasn’t time-consuming.

Japan Airlines first take-off experience

Take-off was a beautiful and wonderful experience. I saw Thai Airways 747, which I flew the day before to Tokyo Haneda (HND). Then when we took off and rotated, an ANA flight on the other runway also took off.

For about three minutes, our aircraft and the ANA aircraft were ascending at the same rate and at this moment, it reminded me how amazing flying is.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq0wsDlgUYE[/embedyt]

Japan Airlines first class dining experience

My favorite time of any flight is the meal service as food is life and life is food. When an airline has good food, they should be proud of it. Well JAL is extremely proud of their food and they are right to be proud.

Compared to my outrageous meal in Singapore business class, this was night and day. I would say it’s on par with ANA first class taste and quality. It’s really hard to decide which one is better, but when food is great it shouldn’t matter, right?

JAL does have an edge over ANA as JAL first class supports dual dining, where you can dine together with another passenger. However, I wasn’t flying with anyone I knew, so I dined alone watching YouTube videos or talking to Chinen.

Maybe there is a winner, but that would be for the ultimate comparison between JAL and ANA first class.

After take-off

Right after take-off, the flight attendants went into action pulling out the massive tray tables, setting up a table cloth, and getting our drink orders onto our tables. (I would like to note how easy it is to move the tray table. Plus, you can easily get out of your seat even when all the food is on the table.)

I started off with Salon 2007 champagne. A bottle of the Salon 2007 goes for $599 on wine.com making it one of the most expensive bottles of bubbles in the sky. It was good and my first time trying it but wasn’t my favorite out of the three. Nonetheless, I still had two glasses of Salon.

I found something strange though, JAL doesn’t have a proper champagne flute during the rest of the flight. I found this strange as they had proper champagne flutes during boarding for our pre-departure drinks. Although, I don’t mind and see no difference, but the change in glasses threw me off.

At the same time, we were served the canapés.

The canapés consisted of three different bite-sized dishes. To be honest, the food items escaped my mind after they told me what they were. I did enjoy them, but as the canapés aren’t on the menu and change frequently, just know you can look forward to them.

At this moment I ordered my meal. I decided to go with the western option. I was hungry and ready to eat enough to gain a few extra pounds… even though I already gained a few pounds over the past few months.

After the canapés were taken away, the flight attendants set table with dining wear and gave me more to drink. This time I chose Comtes de Champagne 2007. This has to be my favorite champagne out of the three and in actuality it’s a “cheaper” wine compared to the other two and at wine.com it goes for $135 bottle.

For the amuse I had amatoro. (Amatoro is pork rillettes.)

This was my very first time trying amatoro. I was skeptical of how it would taste, but wow amatoro is good.

Chinen was even happy to offer me seconds if I wanted to eat it later on during the flight. From the pork to the crunchy bread, I was happy to eat every single crumb of the amatoro. If you like pork, you gotta try amatoro. (Don’t worry, next time I go to Japan, which is in November to fly Garuda Indonesia first class, I will eat more amatoro.)

For the hors-d’oeuvre, I got caviar.

The caviar presentation was on-point and came with a mother of pearl spoon and was served with egg yolk cream topped with white and green onions. The crispy rice wafers had a little Eiffel Tower on them.

I found the taste of the rice wafers and egg yolk cream complementing the tiny black pearls. Simple and small, but well done JAL.

For the main, I ordered wagyu beef fillet & eggplant with ginger sauce.

It was accompanied with potherb mustard and a Japanese ginger salad. I ordered it medium to medium-well and it was cooked as I requested. I wasn’t expecting much as the salad was on top of the wagyu, but wow it was so good.

In actuality, I am not a huge meat eater, I prefer vegetables, but I finished it all. It wasn’t overpowered by the ginger sauce and the salad created a light taste to the wagyu. Both complemented the wagyu. The wagyu itself was also very tinder and had no trouble cutting or chewing.

Wagyu beef fillet & eggplant with ginger sauce

I had two desserts, the first one was a sweet corn sorbet with coffee gelee.

The corn sorbet with coffee gelee was my first. In Japan, it was the season for corn and it tasted interesting. Having the bitter coffee gelee with each bite of the sorbet was actually good.

The second dessert was an item on request called dainagon adzuki bean fancier “S”.

No, I don’t understand the name, but for your information, Japan loves to use the words fancy and premium… to be honest, Japanese use those two adjectives a little bit too much, but this discussion is better left for another time.

The “S” dessert was delicious. It’s influenced by the French and found it a great way to end the meal. I loved how crunchy and soft it was while having a sweet buttery taste that wasn’t overpowering.

Overall, this meal was just too good. I would say this was the peak of my meals on JAL, but the rest was still delicious.

Mid-flight snack

I woke up after my nap, as the flight left at noon, and ordered some snacks. I also drank some Louis Roederer Cristal 2009 champagne. Louis Roederer Cristal 2009 goes for $250 a bottle at wine.com making it the second most expensive champagne on this flight. I didn’t care for Louis though making it my least favorite out of the three. I then had Hibiki Suntory Whisky Blender’s Choice on rocks with some little snacks. I’ve had Hibiki before and knew I wouldn’t get another glass, but as a bottle of Hibiki goes for $183 at Kabikui Whisky, it’s still worth it to have some.

Notice the numbers on the packaging? JAL creating products for the fans.

I first ordered the JAL original Japanese soba noodles tsuta ramen noodles in soy sauce soup infused with truffle oil.

Yes, a long name, but ramen with truffle oil is always wonderful. I was on a truffle kick and this hit the spot. While it’s just a hit of truffle, it still was a nice addition to the ramen that I really enjoyed.

Then I ordered JAL the curry… yes, the names are interesting with Japanese airlines.

I love curry, but this curry was just alright. It claims to be a one star Michelin curry, but I don’t think so. While it’s not bad, but compared to ANA’s curry offering, I prefer ANA’s curry as it’s slightly my rich in spice and presentation.

Overall, the mid-flight snack filled me up making me happy. After the meal, I fell right back to sleep.

Before landing

The before landing meal, or also known as breakfast, was good.

I started off with another glass of champagne, this time I went with Comites. I found Comites smooth and refreshing, even though it’s the cheapest one.

For the meal, I went with the Japanese breakfast option. Everything tasted good but I found that the roast beef rolls lacked flavor. Then the tofu curry flavor was also pretty bland. Nothing was bad, but I expected more comparing to the main meal.

Yet, for a meal before landing, this definitely hit the spot and filled me up even more.

Japan Airlines first class service

JAL service shined on this flight. Like, wow. The flight attendants were near perfection when it comes to hospitality. It wasn’t only me that they were attentive with, but they watched over every first class passenger equally.

Chinen, Osishi, and Maeda were wonderful. In fact, it was Osishi’s first time working in first class. She was super nervous and working the galley most of the time, but she was still excellent. Maeda was the senior officer and almost like a veteran for JAL. She was super warm and not like most senior flight attendants as she wasn’t jaded. Then, Chinen, we talked for almost hours. Such a lovely person and made the flight truly special as our talks were like we were best friends.

At the end of the flight, Chinen, Osishi, Maeda, and the purser visited every first class passenger.

At the time of their goodbye, they gave me and the rest of the first class passengers some Jean-Paul Hevin JAL macaroons, which I ate right away.

The whole time, they were on top of their game making sure glasses were filled and empty plates were cleared. They always presented the bottles encouraging me to take pictures.

When I left the aircraft I was sad to leave, but I wished them a lovely time in New York City and hoped to see them on another flight.

It’s always nice to see great workers love their company. The crew on this flight were excited as much as I was. I do hope they continue and JAL rewards them for their amazing hard work.

Thank you to the whole flight crew for making this flight fun!

Japan Airlines first class lavatory

JAL has two first class lavatories and one is bigger than the other. While both can be used by the passengers and are well stocked, the smaller one is used by the cabin crew.

Each one offers many different amenities like toothbrush, mouth wash, lotion, and perfume. And like every other Japanese airline, they had a bidet.

Japan Airlines first class bedding

JAL first class bed is wonderful. Would I say it’s as good as Emirates new fully enclosed first class suite bed? No. Would I say it’s better than many first class beds? Yes!!

First of all, JAL gave me another seat for my bed. It was, in fact, my very first time having two seats for myself. It’s not needed, I didn’t ask, but they offered and I was delighted to take them up on their offer. (Another passenger also got the privilege of having a second seat for a bed during this flight.)

The seat in lie-flat mode is fully lie-flat without noticeable differences between different cushions of the seat. It’s wide and long enough for me. When it’s fully in the lie-flat position, you won’t have differences between cushions and it’s comfortable without a mattress pad. Yet, JAL provides a mattress pad and it makes it even better.

The mattress pad adds a layer of comfort that creates a wonderful nights sleep. I slept a good total of eight hours on this flight on my stomach, as I usually do. Definitely a good slumber.

With the rest of the bedding you will find a decent duvet. Not too thick, but not too thin.

The pillows provided are memory foam. I got two pillows and found them to be one of my favorite pillows in the sky.

Landing at JFK

Got some beautiful views of Manhattan during our descent and the Atlantic ocean. You can watch my video here:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKqXju2805M[/embedyt]

Final word

I don’t know why it took me this long to fly JAL first class. I have flown them in economy and business class numerous times, but never in first class. Now I can say I have flown them and would fly JAL first class again, even if it’s out of my way as their route network is tiny in comparison to ANA.

What makes JAL stand out on this flight has to be the cabin crew for their performance being so friendly and hospitable. It’s not ANA perfection, but JAL first class flight attendants on this flight weren’t robots and felt like I was at home.

I cannot wait for my next JAL first class flight and would definitely go out of my way for their food, service, and seat.

This article was originally published by Steve Smith.

Should I Apply for the NEXUS Program?

NEXUS is one of a hand full of Trusted Traveler Programs launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to expedite the entry process through immigration. The difference with NEXUS is that it also provides expedited entry into Canada. And although NEXUS isn’t marketed as heavily as Global Entry, it’s arguably more valuable than Global Entry. Here’s a guide to NEXUS with everything you need to know.

What is NEXUS?

Some describe NEXUS as the “Canadian version of Global Entry,” but I don’t think that’s quite accurate since that would mean the program just offers you expedited entry into Canada. But the program is much more than that.

NEXUS is a joint program between the US and Canada that will grant pre-approved, low-risk travelers expedited entry into both Canada and the US. Specifically, membership in the NEXUS program allows you to reduce your wait times at designated ports of entry by:

Using dedicated processing lanes at land border crossings
Using NEXUS kiosks when entering Canada
Using their card in dedicated SENTRI lanes along the U.S.-Mexico border
Using Global Entry kioks when entering the United States, and
Calling a marine telephone reporting center to report your arrival into the United States and Canada

You may also be granted access to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Security Line at some Canadian airports to expedite airport pre-boarding security screening. (This is like a Canadian version of TSA Pre-Check.)

Who is eligible for NEXUS?

U.S. citizens
U.S. lawful permanent residents
Canadian citizens
and Canadian lawful permanent residents
If you are under the age of 18, you must have your parent or legal guardian’s consent to participate in the program.

Note the eligibility for NEXUS is not quite as broad as it is for Global Entry, which allows for citizens of some other countries to apply.

Does NEXUS require a background check?

Just like Global Entry, NEXUS will require you to clear a background check. The difference is that this background check also is submitted to Canadian authorities, such as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Thus, if you have done any of the following, there’s a chance that you might not be eligible:

Provide false or incomplete information on the application;
Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants (to include driving under the influence);
Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;
Are the subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state or local law enforcement agency;
Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation; or
Cannot satisfy CBP or Canada Border Services Agency of your low-risk status

Both the United States and Canada must approve your application. Denial of an application by either country will prevent you from participating in the NEXUS program.

How do I apply for NEXUS?

You apply for NEXUS in the same way you apply for Global Entry. Head over to the TTP website where you can begin your application.

One of the major draws to the NEXUS program is that the application fee is only $50. This is surprising since NEXUS comes with both Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check (Pre-Check is offered for for U.S. Citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents and Canadian citizens). Global Entry would cost you $100 so Nexus is half the price with even more benefits, which is pretty amazing.

Unfortunately, you cannot use credits on cards like the Platinum Card from American Express or Chase Sapphire Reserve to cover this fee like you could for Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check.

Note: there is no fee for applicants under the age of 18 although they must still fill out a separate application form.

Do I have to do an interview for NEXUS?

This is probably the biggest drawback to the NEXUS program. You have to go in for an interview but have to do it at one of the limited locations near the U.S./Canada border. You can check for NEXUS enrollment center here. (Note that the website lists each state on the page but only a few of the northern states will actually have an enrollment center, so I’d rather search here.

Like Global Entry, there are often long wait times for scheduling an interview but it’s often possible to continuously check the schedule to see if anything opens up to get your interview done sooner.

What airports can I use NEXUS at?

NEXUS kiosks are located at the following airports:

Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW)
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)

You can also find NEXUS kiosks at the following land crossings:

Nexus lanes are located at the following land border crossings:

Alexandria Bay, New York
Blaine, Washington (Pacific Highway)
Blaine, Washington (Peace Arch)
Buffalo, New York (Peace Bridge)
Calais, Maine
Champlain, New York
Detroit, Michigan (Ambassador Bridge)
Detroit, Michigan (Detroit-Windsor Tunnel)
Highgate Springs, Vermont
Houlton, Maine
Niagara Falls, New York (Lewiston Bridge)
Niagara Falls, New York (Whirlpool Bridge)
Pembina, North Dakota
Point Roberts, Washington
Port Huron, Michigan (Blue Water Bridge)
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (International Bridge)
Sweetgrass, Montana
Sumas, Washington

Don’t forget that you also have access to Global Entry which is found at tons of airports around the US.

Can others use the NEXUS lines with me?

Only Trusted Travelers who have successfully been through the application and interview process can use NEXUS kiosks. Thus, if anybody traveling with you does not have a NEXUS membership, they will have to go through a separate line.

NEXUS cards

Like Global Entry, you’ll receive a membership identification card to use when entering Canada or the United States at all designated NEXUS air, land and marine ports of entry. Note that there is a non-refundable $25 (USD) fee to replace a NEXUS card that is damaged, lost or stolen.

Can I use my NEXUS card instead of my passport?

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), the NEXUS card has been approved as an alternative to the passport for sea, air, and land travel into the United States for U.S. and Canadian citizens. With that said, I’d still carry my passport because you never know what kind of customs agent you might run into. They might be in the wrong in some instances by asking you to show your passport but if you’ve got it on hand you can potentially avoid a long, unnecessary ordeal.

Also, you’ll still need your passport to process through Global Entry Kiosks (that are not pre-clearance stations in Canada). So I recommend that you bring your passport with you anytime you are crossing any international border.

Final word

NEXUS is arguably the #1 Trusted Traveler Program since it’s cheaper (for some) and comes with expedited entry into Canada along with Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check. The only issue is the location of the enrollment centers but if you can make it to one and pass the interview, I think it’d be worth at least considering over Global Entry.

Big Amex Changes Coming (Trip delay, Trip cancellation, etc)

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

We just witnessed Citi drop an entire suite of valuable credit card benefits and protections like it was nothing. And now, it looks like American Express is trying to shake things up with some of the benefits and protections they offer.

American Express is adding trip cancellation/interruption and trip delay to several cards but they also are dropping/changing some benefits that have been really valuable in the past. These new changes will come into effect January 1, 2020, and here’s what you need to know about the new changes.

Trip cancellation & interruption

Some premium cards like the Platinum Cards, Aspire, Brilliant, etc. are getting trip cancellation & interruption.

With the new trip cancellation, if you book a roundtrip flight entirely with your eligible Amex card and the flight is canceled for a “covered reason,” which would include events like: inclement weather, terrorist action, call to jury, sudden illness, etc., up to $10,000 per trip, with a maximum of up to $20,000 per eligible account for each consecutive 12-month period.

This $10,000 limit is up there with the Chase Sapphire Reserve so this is very competitive. The thing that is “interesting” about the protection is that it only applies to roundtrips. Apparently Amex will define a roundtrip as “travel to one or more destinations that begins and ends in the original city of departure.” (For people like myself who often take a lot of one-way flights on large trips this benefit might be useless at times.)

You’ll need to pay for the entire cost of the trip with your card (but you can trigger the protection when paying taxes/fees on award tickets or by using Pay With Points).

Inclement weather is covered with trip cancellation & interruption.

Trip Delay Coverage

The trip delay coverage will be offered in two different levels, with the most premium cards getting better coverage.

For the premium cards like the Platinum, if your roundtrip is delayed by six hours due to a covered reason then you’ll be able to get expenses covered such as meals and lodging reimbursed for up to $500 per trip. Six hours for trip delay isn’t bad at all and the $500 limit per trip is very competitive. Again, the same restrictions for roundtrips apply so this will be useless for many trips for many “round the world trip” folks.

For the middle tier cards they will get protection after a delay of 12 hours and be reimbursed up to $300 per trip. This will include cards like the American Express Gold Card. This is much weaker protection. While some cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred have 12 hour limits, they also offer $500 per trip.

Trip delay protection is critical for overnight delays.

Huge for the Platinum

These changes are huge for the Platinum Card from American Express. That card has a host of benefits but the 5X earnings on airfare has always been one of the most interesting perks. The problem was that it didn’t come with built-in travel coverage for cancellations and delays.

But now it’s going to offer pretty solid versions of those perks which will make it much easier to use the Platinum Card on airfare (unless you travel the way I do). Click here to learn how to apply.

Even with these new perks there are still some protections missing that I’d like to see. For example, there is still no baggage delay insurance which is one of my most used protections. Other protections like emergency medical or dental coverage would be nice too but I don’t think those are deal breakers.

So while these new benefits are great for cards like the Platinum Card and a big upgrade, American Express is still playing catch-up to Chase in the benefits department when it comes to travel protections.

Negative changes

Extended warranty and purchase protection

The American Express extended warranty will only offer one year of coverage, down from two years. And some no annual fee cards won’t offer extended warranty coverage at all like the Amex EveryDay Credit Card.

That extra year of warranty helped set Amex apart from other programs but if the five-year warranty limitation on cards like the Platinum remains, it’s still better than cards like the Sapphire Reserve which only offer extensions of warranties of three years or less.

Also, all Amex cards that offer purchase protection will have it changed to 90 days from 120 days. The $10,000 limit will likely remain the same for premium cards like the Platinum but this change will make purchase protection more appealing on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve that offer a 120 day limit.

Other changes

American Express is removing two benefits that they reported fewer than 1% of cardmember utilized.

Travel Accident Insurance

Travel Accident Insurance covers you in those horrendous times when you experience death or dismemberment during a covered trip. I don’t even like thinking about this benefit so I don’t care that it’s gone but on a serious note it could be very valuable.

Roadside Assistance/Hotline

Roadside Assistance was one of the best Amex perks, offering a lot of the same perks you’d get with AAA. That benefit will definitely be missed if’s fully taken out but it might just be the hotline that’s removed not the core benefits.

You can still get this perk with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers:

Battery Boost: If your vehicle won’t start because of a dead or weak battery, they’ll come out and provide you with a jump-start.
Flat Tire Service: If you have a flat tire and are not capable of installing it yourself, they will install your inflated spare.
Fuel Delivery: If you run out of gas, an emergency supply of fuel will be delivered to you and the cost of the fuel is covered for up to 2 gallons.
24 Hour Towing Assistance: covered up to $50 for each event.
24 Hour Lockout Assistance: covered for locksmith services up to $50 for each event but replacement key costs are the responsibility of the Cardholder.

Final word

These are nice changes overall to cards like the Platinum Card, especially. It will now be easier to feel better about your 5X on airfare with the Platinum Card but the protections are still lagging some and some cards definitely did just suffer some devaluations.

H/T

New 5% Back Capital One Walmart Cards [2020]

If you do regular shopping at WalMart then you might be interested in a new Capital One product coming out very soon. Capital One will soon be launching two new credit cards: the The Capital One Walmart Card and the Walmart Rewards Card (store card to be used only at Walmart). These cards will be available beginning September 24, 2019.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

The Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard

The Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard will offer the following perks.

Sign-up bonus

5% back on in-store purchases when using Walmart Pay for the first 12 months after approval as a special introductory offer

Bonus categories

5% back on purchases at Walmart.com, inclusive of Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery.
2% back on Walmart purchases in stores outside of the introductory offer.
2% back on restaurants and travel.
1% percent back everywhere else.

This could be a great option for people who are heavy WalMart shoppers, as getting 5% back on all of these purchases is very nice. For those who combine daily-needs shopping with groceries at Walmart, this could amount to significant earning potential that would out perform some of the best daily drivers and grocery store cards. And you might be able to leverage 5% on popular gift cards as well but we’ll see.

The rest of the bonus categories are pretty average and I wouldn’t want to use this card to maximize rewards for them but it’s still nice having a 2% minimum cash back rate on popular categories like restaurants and travel. If you don’t want to mess around with many different cards, this could be a good option.

Additional features

Here are some of the additional features:

No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
The ability to redeem rewards at any time for travel, gift cards, during online checkout at Walmart.com, for recent purchases, and statement credits.

Credit card strategy tip

I’d be sure to hit up the best Chase cards first like the Chase Sapphire Preferred which offers 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. As long as you haven’t opened up five accounts in the past 24 months, the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve are going to be better options to go with first before choosing to go with store cards.

Application process

Capital One will make the application process a little bit easier for a lot of people. Customers will be able to apply for the new card at Walmart.com, the Walmart app, or at CapitalOne.com, and also text to apply from anywhere (I imagine they’ll be placing many ads in Walmart stores for this).

Once an applicant is approved, they will receive immediate access to their card for Walmart purchases.

Walmart Rewards cardholders will earn the same 5% back on purchases made at Walmart.com and on the Walmart app; the 5% introductory offer for using Walmart Pay in stores for the first 12 months after approval and an unlimited 2% back on Walmart purchases in stores outside of the introductory offer; and 2% back at Walmart Fuel Stations. So even the store cards will offer pretty decent earnings.

Current Walmart cardholders will be converted to the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard or the Walmart Rewards Card and will start earning these new rewards starting October 11, with updated cards arriving in the mail beginning in November. Current cardholders will also be eligible to earn 5% back when they use their card with Walmart’s mobile payment solution, Walmart Pay, for in-store purchases through October 14, 2020.

Final word

This is a very interesting option for WalMart shoppers. Earning 5% online (and in-store the first 12 months), could set some people up for great long-term earning potential. The other bonus categories aren’t very special since you can do just as good or better with a 2% cash back card but for the heavy WalMart shopper, this could be a great option to go with.

H/T: Press Release

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Review [2020]

The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite is one of those great travel credit cards that is a must-get in my opinion due its high welcome bonus and other perks. In this review article, I will break down all of the main features of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, covering things like welcome bonuses, bonus earning, and other perks like free checked bags and preferred boarding.

Welcome bonus

The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select is known for having a bonus that changes all the time. For example, I have seen this card offer 30,000 miles and also offer 65,000 miles for its bonus, which is obviously a huge difference.

This means that you really want to try to time your application for this card so that your application coincides with one of the higher bonuses offered. Personally, I wouldn’t settle for anything under 60,000 miles.

Lastly, this is one of those cards where it is not uncommon to see several links out for that card at the same time. So you might see a 50,000 point offer and a 60,000 point offer out at the same exact time. Don’t believe me? Just look here and here.

So it’s not just about making sure the timing is right, you also want to make sure you are looking at the best offer currently available to the public.

The spend requirement will usually be $2,500 to $3,000 but keep in mind the Barclays Aviator Red card offers AA miles after just a single purchase.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How far can you get with these miles?

American Airlines will be implementing a new dynamic pricing system for their miles soon. This means that there will not be a set price for redemptions between certain destinations. Instead, the price will fluctuate similar to how a cash price fluctuates for a plane ticket.

But you can still get a great value for your AA miles right now. I would highly suggest that you read my article on AA sweet spots as it highlights some of the best uses for American Airlines miles.

You’ll see how 50,000 to 60,000 miles can get you some pretty solid redemptions including things like a roundtrip in domestic first class.

Matching?

In the past, if you did not jump on one of the best offers you could call in and request the agent to match you to a higher offer. So let’s say you applied for a 50,000 mile offer but a week later you found a link for a 60,000 mile offer. In that case, you would be able to call in and get your offer matched to that higher offer.

I have seen recent reports where matching was not honored so this is something that is not always guaranteed but it is still worth giving it a shot in my opinion because you don’t have anything to lose.

Rules

Citi has some complicated application rules (which by the way is something that WalletFlo will help you have to not worry about in the future).

In addition to Citi application rules, once you pick up this card, you can’t get its bonus again for 48 months, as the rules state:

American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® account in the past 48 months.

This means that you can get other cards, such as the business version without violating this rule. Also, I should point out that sometimes targeted mailers go out without this language so be on the lookout for those.

Credit card strategy tip

I’d be sure to hit up the best Chase cards first like the Chase Sapphire Preferred which offers 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. As long as you haven’t opened up five accounts in the past 24 months, the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve are going to be better options to go with first.

Bonus earning

The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select earns the following rates:

2X on purchases on American Airlines
2X at restaurants (including cafes, bars, lounges, and fast food restaurants)
2X at gas stations

This card is a little unique because American Airlines is not a direct transfer partner of the major banks like American Express, Chase, or Citibank. Unlike other legacy carriers such as United Airlines or Delta, you can’t just transfer your points earned from great cards like the Amex Gold Card or Sapphire Preferred so it’s harder to rack up miles.

This means that you might have to rely more on your American Airlines credit card to earn you miles. In this case, being able to earn 2X at restaurants and gas stations is not too bad. However, I would much rather earn Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards on categories like dining and travel.

If you want to earn a lot of AA miles, the best route is to look into stacking AA cards like the Platinum Select, Platinum Select business card, and Barclays Aviator. Getting those three cards could score you over 150,000 AA miles in a hurry.

Earn 2X on gas stations with the Platinum Select.

Flight discount

One of the new perks with this card is that you can get a $125 dollars flight discount (after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your card). Getting $125 dollars back after spending $20,000 dollars is not very good in my opinion.

I would much rather put $20,000 dollars worth of spend on a different card like a Hilton card and earn a free night that could be worth way more than $125. However, that is just me.

Something that I think is cool about this discount is that it is also redeemable for air travel on any oneworld carrier or American Airlines codeshare flight.

First checked bag free

When you fly on domestic American Airlines itineraries you can get free checked luggage for you and up to four companions. This is a great way to save a couple hundred bucks on a round trip and this benefit alone could easily offset the entire $95 annual fee.

The catch is that it only works on domestic flights. Meanwhile, the United Explorer card also offers this benefit for international flights (but not for as many companions).

If you want to take advantage of this perk your card needs to be open at least seven days prior to your travels and the reservation must include the primary credit cardmember’s American Airlines AAdvantage number. (If your card gets closed you cannot use these benefits.)

All flights on the itinerary must be domestic flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle. And in order for the companions to get free luggage they must all be on your itinerary as well.

Unlike the United Explorer Card, the terms do not require you to use your Platinum Select on the airfare to get this benefit.

Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights

With this card you’ll get “Preferred Boarding” on American Airlines flights for up to four companions traveling with you and listed in the same reservation. You should note that this is different from priority boarding. Basically with this perk you get to board with Group Five.

This is still a nice perk because it means you will likely have more access to the overhead storage bin space. To find out more about the American Airline boarding groups click here.

In case you’re wondering, here are all of the other eligible cards that will get you preferred boarding:

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select American Express Card
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Visa Signature
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard
AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard
AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard

The terms do not require you to use your Platinum Select on the airfare to get this benefit.

25% savings

With this card, you can get a 25% discount on in-flight food and beverages. These savings do not apply to any other inflight purchases, such as wireless internet access. Also, this benefit applies to domestic flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or on domestic flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by certain airlines. Note that if you’re flying Main Cabin Extra, you can get some drinks for free.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

No foreign transaction fees

This card has no foreign transaction fees which is pretty standard for a major airline cobranded credit card.

Annual fee

The annual fee for this card is $99. Typically, this fee is waived for the first year. This is in contrast to the American Airlines card issued by Barclays that forces you to pay the annual fee the first year.

Benefits and protections

Just in case you have not heard, Citibank dropped pretty much every major travel benefits and protection from their cards as of September 22, 2019. Some of the benefits and protections that were dropped consisted of:

Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection
Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance
Citi Price Rewind
Trip Delay Protection
Baggage Delay Protection
Lost Baggage Protection
Roadside Assistance Dispatch Service

For this reason, you don’t want to use this card for purchases that you really need or want built-in travel insurance/protections for. So when it comes to purchasing flights and prepaid hotels, you would be much better off with a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred which provides you with much better protections.

While this was a major blow to the Platinum Select, I still am big on this card for its high welcome bonus.

Final word

Overall, I am a pretty big fan of this card. There are so many great partners that you can use American Airlines miles on that it is always tempting to get this card but you really need to make sure you’re jumping on a great offer since the offers can fluctuate over time.

And while I was sad to see some benefits go, it’s worth noting that you don’t have to use your Platinum Select card on your airfare purchases to get the perks like free checked bags and preferred boarding.

The Citi Double Cash May Convert Rewards to ThankYou points 1:1!

It seems like there are a lot of rumors swirling around right now. We’ve got exciting rumors about big changes coming to the Amex Green Card and now there are more rumors about the ability to convert Citi Double Cash cash rewards into Citi ThankYou points. If these latest rumors are true, this could be a huge game changer for your everyday spend.

The new Citi Double Cash changes

Citi already announced that beginning in the fall of 2019, the Citi Double Cash will allow you to convert cash rewards from your Double Cash to Citi ThankYou points. Here’s what the changes state:

Coming in Fall 2019 your Citi Double Cash Card will allow you to convert your cash rewards to ThankYou Points which can be redeemed for gift cards, travel, purchases at select retailers, and more. For more details, please review the terms and conditions of your Citi Double Cash Card and the terms and conditions at www.thankyou.com

We’ve known this change is coming for some time but we didn’t know what the transfer ratio would be. But now multiple people have reported that Citi reps have confirmed that as of 9/21 (or 9/23) the transfer ratio will be $1:100 ThankYou Points. This means that your Double Cash points will convert to Citi ThankYou Points at a 1:1 ratio.

This is huge because it transforms the Double Cash into arguably the most valuable travel rewards card for everyday spend for a lot of people. It will give the Amex Blue Business Plus a run for its money (that card earns 2X Membership Rewards on up to $50,000 in spend per year).

But there still is a little bit we don’t know….

We need confirmation

First, we need to get this 1:1 change confirmed from Citi in a public release. I think it’s likely true given how many people have reported Citi agents confirming this, but I don’t think we can take this as a fact until we see it officially announced by Citi.

The next question is will you be able to transfer these points to travel partners? Not all ThankYou points can be transferred to travel partners so this isn’t outside the realm of possibilities.

It’s possible that these points won’t be transferrable to travel partners or Citi may require you to hold a Premier or Prestige in order to transfer them similar to how Chase requires you to have a Sapphire Preferred, Reserve, etc. to transfer points.

You may need a Premier or Prestige to convert your points.

A new trifecta/quadfecta?

The Double Cash will continue to earn 2% back on all purchases which could work great in conjunction with other ThankYou points earning cards and form a pretty sweet trifecta or quadfecta.

If you’re wondering about other ThankYou earning cards and how they compare, here’s a quick breakdown:

Citi Premier

3X on travel (including gas)
2X on dining and entertainment

Citi Prestige

5X on airfare
5X on dining
3X on hotels and cruises

Citi Rewards+ Card

2X at Supermarkets & Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year
Rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase

So as you can see, there’s a need for a ThankYou points earning card for non-bonused spending and the Double Cash could be a great option for that if the transfer ratios are actually 1:1. With the Prestige, Premier, and Double Cash, you could be earning:

5X on airfare
5X on dining
3X on travel
3X on gas
2X on all other purchases

Even though Citi has dropped a lot of benefits and protections, that’s still a very stout line-up of bonus categories.

Citi ThankYou partners

Here’s a list of Citi ThankYou partners in case you need to be refreshed:

Asia Miles
Avianca LifeMiles
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
Etihad Guest
Flying Blue
JetBlue TrueBlue
Jet Airways JetPrivilege
Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer
Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

These airlines aren’t quite as popular as partners for Amex or Chase but there are still some high-quality transfer partners.

Final word

While we are awaiting confirmation, it does seem likely that the transfer ratio will be 1:1, which is very exciting. We just need additional confirmation that the ThankYou Points can be transferred to travel partners (and how that will happen). If/when that happens, the Double Cash will immediately become a no-brainer.

H/T: Reddit/DOC

New Business Green Rewards Card Limited Time Offer

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is now offering a new limited-time offer. Anytime there is a limited time offer it is very tempting to jump blindly on the offer so that you do not miss out. In this case though you really want to examine the alternatives you have for the offer because this limited time offer is just not that attractive. Here is a look at the new Business Green Rewards Card offer.

The new Business Green Rewards Card offer

Earn 3X on the first $50,000 spent in combined purchases during the first three months of card membership on:
- U.S. Restaurants
- Hotels (booked directly)
- Airfare (booked directly)
2X on American Express Travel purchases.
1X on all other purchases
$95 annual fee
This offer expires on November 6, 2019.

This is probably not a limited time offer that you want to jump on. Essentially, the limited time offer gives you half of the earning potential of the card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but only gives it to you for up to $50,000 in spend and only for three months. This is just not an attractive offer whatsoever, in my opinion.

Instead, if you are in the market for a new card you are much better off going with a different type of rewards card that sets you up for long-term earnings. If you are under Chase 5/24 (five accounts opened up in the last 24 months), I’d go with the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card or Chase Ink Cash over this card any day.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card has a high sign-up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. The card also earns 3X per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on all of the following categories:

Travel, including airfare, hotels, rental cars, train tickets and taxis
Shipping purchases
Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
Internet, cable and phone services

The Chase Ink Cash earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year at:

Internet
Cable
Phone services
Office supply stores

And it also earns 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each year at:

Gas stations
Restaurants

You might also think about the Amex Business Gold Card, which allows you to earn 4X points on the two select categories where your business spends the most each month and it applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these two categories each calendar year.

You can choose from the following:

Airfare purchased directly from airlines
U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
(online, TV, radio)
U.S. purchases made directly from select
technology providers of computer hardware,
software, and cloud solutions
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases at restaurants
U.S. purchases for shipping

The Amex Business Gold Card does come with a very high annual fee of $295, though, and it currently does not offer a standard welcome bonus of Membership Rewards.

Or if you are in the market for a personal rewards card then going forth the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred would be a much better option if you are under 5/24.

Sometimes when it comes to these niche offers it is possible to find a group of people who would benefit a lot from them. But in this case, I just don’t see people benefiting a lot from this card when there are other options that will serve your needs much better in the long-term and also offer better short-term returns.

Final word

Obviously, I am not too excited about this offer. However, it is interesting that the rumors are circulating about the changes to the personal Green Card right now and this new offer just came out for the business version. This could be more evidence that we will see changes to the personal Green Card very soon. Let’s just hope that they are much more impressive than these limited time changes.

Frontier Airlines Cancellation & Change Policy Guide [2020]

Frontier is like any other low-cost airline in the USA where the cheap tickets are set up to be à la carte for seat selection, baggage, and priority boarding. However, Frontier probably has one of the best change and cancellation policies of any airline in the USA right behind Southwest.

In this article, I will explain Frontier Airlines’ generous change and cancellation policy in detail and then I will show you how to change or cancel a flight, step-by-step.

Updated September 18th to reflect the new cancellation policy.

Frontier Airlines flight change policy

Frontier has a generous change policy, especially if you’re someone that loves to book months before the flight. As you can see below, Frontier has a better and cheaper change policy than most other airlines:

	Regular ticket	The WORKS	Award ticket
Within 24 hours after initial purchase (made 7 or more days before departure)	$0	$0	$0
60 days or more prior to departure	$0	$0	$0
59 to 14 days prior to departure	$49	$0	$0
13 days to 8 days prior to depature	$119	$0	$0
Within 24 hours after initial purchase (made less than 7 days before departure)	$119	$0	$99
Within 7 days of departure (including same-day standby)	$119	$0 ($119 for same-day)	$99

The WORKS bundle can cost you a hefty penny. Sometimes the price is less than $100 and sometimes it’s more than $100. Each route will determine the price. It can be very valuable to some, but only if you need everything included like carry-on, a checked bag, seat selection, priority boarding, free changes, and refundability.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

24-Hour risk-free Cancellation/Change

Tickets purchased seven days (168 hours) or more before the scheduled departure date are eligible for free changes and cancellations within 24 hours of the flight purchase date. Frontier holds the ticket for 24 hours and then charges you once the 24 hours are up. Therefore, your purchase will post to your credit card statement with a 24-hour delay. However, Frontier will hold the funds on your credit card.

Tickets purchased less than seven days (168 hours) before scheduled departure date aren’t eligible for free changes or cancellations.

This could give you a little more than 24 hours to change or cancel your ticket made directly through Frontier, only if you booked your flight seven days or more before the departure date. Tickets made through travel agencies like Expedia, Priceline, Orbits, etc. will have to go through the travel agency’s 24 hours change and cancellation policy.

Prices

Fees will be per passenger for the whole itinerary unless noted.

Regular tickets change fees are $0 for 0 days or more before departure, $49 for changes made 59 to 14 days prior to departure, and $119 for changes made 13 days or less prior to departure. Same-day standby/change will also be $119.

The WORKS tickets have no change fees until 24 hours before departure, which will then occur a $119 change fee for a same-day standby/change.

Award tickets change fee is $99 for modifications made seven days or less. For changes before eight days or more prior to departure, the change fee will be $0. Modifications can only be done over the phone.

Deadline

Regular tickets changes made within 24 hours and greater than seven days will be free. Changes made 60 days or more prior to departure will be free. Changes made 59 days or less prior to departure will be subject to a fee.

The WORKS tickets changes made anytime before 24 hours prior to departure will be free. Changes made within 24 hours prior to departure will be subject to a fee.

Award tickets changes made eight days or more prior to departure will be free. Changes made within seven days prior to departure will be subject to a fee.

Price changes

Flight changes will be subjected to price differences if the value of the new ticket is higher than the original of a regular ticket or award ticket. You will have to pay the difference in ticket value. Ticket values that are less in price than the original ticket value will receive a credit called Frontier credit.

For example, if you hold a regular ticket that originally cost $500 and change the flight that now costs $400, you will be credited $100. However, if you change the flight that costs $600, you will be charged $100 since the value of the new ticket is higher. (The same concept applies to the WORKS ticket, but instead of credit you get a refund to the original payment method.)

Related reading: Check out the full review of the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard!

Frontier Airlines cancellation and refund policy

Frontier cancellation fees are mostly the same price as their change fees, except for the award ticket redeposit fees. The WORKS is the only way to get a fully refundable ticket with Frontier.

	Regular ticket	The WORKS	Award ticket
Within 24 hours after initial purchase (made 7 or more days before departure)	$0	$0	$0
60 days or more prior to departure	$0	$0	$75
59 to 14 days prior to departure	$49	$0	$75
13 days to 8 days prior to depature	$119	$0	$75
Within 24 hours after initial purchase (made less than 7 days before departure)	$119	$0	$75
Within 7 days of departure (including same day standby)	$119	$0 ($119 for same-day)	$75

24-Hour risk-free Cancellation/Change

Tickets purchased less than seven days (168 hours) before scheduled departure date aren’t eligible for free changes or cancellations.

Prices

Fees will be per passenger for the whole itinerary unless noted.

Regular tickets cancellation fees are $0 for 60 days or more before departure, $49 for changes made 59 to 14 days prior to departure, and $119 for changes made 13 days or less prior to departure. Same-day cancellations will also be $119.

The WORKS tickets have no cancellation fees until 24 hours before departure, which will then occur a $119 cancellation fee for a refund.

Award tickets don’t have any cancellation fees, but there is a fee for redepositing the miles into your account for $75.

Deadline

Regular tickets cancellations made within 24 hours and greater than seven days before departure will be free. Cancellations made 60 days or more prior to departure will be free. Cancellations made 59 or less prior to departure will be subject to a fee.

The WORKS tickets cancellations made anytime before 24 hours prior to departure will be free. Cancellations made within 24 hours prior to departure will be subject to a fee.

Award tickets cancellations made anytime after the 24 hours cancellation window will be subject to an award redeposit fee.

Refunds

Regular tickets refunds are issued as Frontier credit for future flights. Therefore, you can only use the credit for Frontier Airlines in the name of the passenger that the credit was issued to.

The WORKS tickets refunds are issued back to the original payment method. Therefore, if you used a credit card to purchase a WORKS bundled ticket, your credit card will be refunded when you request a refund.

Award tickets miles would be re-deposited back into your account and if you’re eligible any fees charged at booking will be refunded.

No show and missed flights

Frontier Airlines doesn’t have an official no show policy, which means if you don’t show up for your flight, your ticket is gone and cannot be used ever again. You will not get any credit back from the ticket, or you will not get another ticket for a later flight. Of course, agents have the power to rebook you on a later flight with a valid excuse.

Frontier Airlines same-day standby for earlier or later flights

When flying on a regular or the WORKS bundled ticket, you can do a same-day standby for an earlier flight at the airport or call Frontier reservations before arriving at the airport for a confirmed seat on a later flight. The fee is $119 for same-day standby and changes. For Frontier Elites, same-day standby fee is waived.

For award tickets, you have to call in before the flight to make sure there is availability for same-day confirmed changes. The fee is $99, but elites have the fee waived.

Remember, standby is subject to seats being available. So, be aware some flights might not have any seats available.

Same-day standby to alternative airports

If you wish to do same-day flights to alternative airports, you can do so from the list down below. That means if you want to fly into another airport the same day and they are listed in the same bullet down below, you can do so.

For example, if my original destination airport was Orlando (MCO), but I prefer Tampa (TPA), I could change the same day as they are alternative airports, or also known as sister cities.

Birmingham (BHM) and Huntsville (HSV)
Bloomington (BMI) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Boston (BOS), Bradley (BDL) and Providence (PVD)
Boston (BOS), Portsmouth (PSM) and Portland, ME (PWM)
Charleston (CHS) and Myrtle Beach (MYR)
Charleston (CHS) and Savannah (SAV)
Charlotte (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU)
Chicago Midway (MDW), Chicago-O’Hare Airport (ORD), Chicago Rockford (RFD), Dane County (MSN) and Milwaukee (MKE)
Cincinnati (CVG) and Louisville (SDF)
Colorado Springs (COS) and Denver (DEN)
Columbus (CMH) and Cincinnati (CVG)
Fort Lauderdale (FLL), West Palm Beach (PBI) and Miami (MIA)
Fort Myers (RSW) and Sarasota (SRQ)
Harrisburg (MDT), Trenton (TTN) and Philadelphia (PHL)
Long Island (ISP), Newark (EWR), Trenton (TTN), Philadelphia (PHL) and LaGuardia (LGA)
Los Angeles (LAX) and Orange County/Santa Ana (SNA) and Ontario (ONT)
Madison (MSN) and Milwaukee (MKE)
Ontario, CA (ONT) and Palm Springs (PSP)
Orange County/Santa Ana (SNA) and San Diego (SAN)
Orlando (MCO) and Tampa (TPA)
Phoenix (PHX) and Tucson (TUS)
San Antonio (SAT) and Austin (AUS)
San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC)
Sarasota (SRQ) and Tampa (TPA)
Washington-Dulles (IAD), Washington-National (DCA) and Baltimore-Washington (BWI)

How to change a Frontier flight online

From the homepage, you will want to select “my trip/check-in” to show the box to type in your last name and confirmation code. Proceed to the next screen by pressing search.

If there are multiple people on the same reservation (PNR), just use one of the last names and confirmation codes to bring up the trip itinerary.

You will be directed to the trip confirmation page.

On the trip confirmation page, you will see the option to change flights. Select “change flights.”

A popup to the right side of the screen will appear titled “itinerary changes.” If you have more than one flight on your itinerary, you can select one or multiple flights that you wish to change.

To change a flight, you will have to select a flight. Notice the check that now appears with the boxes to change the origin and destination airports along with the date of departure.

Once you input the new information, press “change” to proceed.

On the next page, you will see the flights available. The prices shown are the price of a new ticket and whatever fare difference to your current one will show on the next page.

After selecting your flight, bundle (only perks bundle is available if you didn’t select the WORKS), and other add-ons you will input your payment information. Then fees associated with your changes will be shown. (Refer to the change policy section outlined above.)

When you confirm your changes, you will see your new trip details in your trip confirmation page along with an email sent right away.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

How to cancel a Frontier flight online

From the homepage, you will want to select “my trip/check-in” to pull up the box to type in your last name and confirmation code. Proceed to the next screen by pressing search.

If there are multiple people on the same reservation (PNR), just use one of the last names and confirmation codes to bring up the trip itinerary.

You will be directed to the trip confirmation page.

On the trip confirmation page, you will see the option to change flights. Select “cancel booking.”

You will be directed to a new page displaying information like fees, if applicable, but I owe no fees as I was canceling the booking made within 24 hours and greater than seven days before departure.

After clicking “confirm changes” you will see your cancel confirmation along with an email sent right away. It will also show any fees you paid if applicable.

Canceling or changing a Frontier flight on the phone

You can cancel or change flights over the phone with Frontier Airlines.

Reservations: +1-801-401-9000
Assistance for the hearing impaired: 711

How to get Frontier fees waived

There are two ways to get some or all of Frontier fees waived, one is fly enough to become an elite with Frontier or another is purchasing the WORKS bundle at booking.

Elite status

Any level of status can get certain fees waived like same-day confirmed fee and reward redemption fees waived.

All you need is to fly 20,000 qualifying miles or 25 segments to become Elite 20k. Benefits include free seat assignment, priority boarding, free carry-on, family pooling, and stretch seating upgrade at check-in. Some of these benefits do help to make your flight a better one.

The WORKS bundle

As I explained above, the WORKS bundle creates a regular ticket into a refundable ticket and can change the ticket whenever you want. Plus, if you refund the ticket, the original payment method gets refunded. On top of that, the money you spent on the WORKS bundle also gets refunded. Changes and cancellations can be done anytime for free 24 hours or more prior to the flight departure.

In contrast, Frontier’s regular tickets policy is 59 days or more prior to departure free changes and cancellations, but you can only be refunded in the form of Frontier credit for future flights with Frontier.

Third-party ticket change or cancel

If you bought your Frontier flight through a travel agency like Expedia you will have to make changes/cancellations through the travel agency that you purchased the ticket through. Change or cancellations might result in additional fees by the travel agency. I recommend always booking with the airline directly unless a third-party agency has a better price with no added fees.

Frontier baggage policy

If you are new to Frontier, baggage isn’t included in the base fare. So, I suggest you to read our article about baggage fees when flying Frontier Airlines so you know what to expect.

Final word

When it comes to cancellation and change policies, Frontier is surprisingly relaxed and not price gouging you compared to the likes of Delta or Alaska. Even their elite program has fee waivers for certain fees that do come in handy. So, I do hope this article helps you better understand Frontier’s policy for changes and cancellations.

Cover photo by Tomás Del Coro via Flickr

Amex Green Card Rumors (Changes Coming Soon?)

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

There have been rumors going around since early 2019 that the American Express Green Card is going to be substantially revamped. While I’m still not 100% sure about the validity of these rumors, a revamp seems to be imminent now.

Amex Green cards have been pulled from new applicants and several people have received “pre-offers” for the Green Card which might go by the name of the “Amex Preferred Rewards Green Card.”

Below, I’ll talk about what these rumors entail and what you might want to do to prepare for the new card!

The American Express Green Card

If you don’t already know, the American Express Green Card is arguably one of the least valuable rewards credit cards. It earns a basic 1X on (virtually) every type of purchase and does not really come with any kind of valuable benefits that would justify its $95 annual fee when considering alternatives.

Its only saving grace is that it can be a decent option to downgrade to to avoid higher annual fees/keep your account open and that it sometimes comes with a welcome bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.

But soon our outlook on this card could all be changing and in a big way.

The Green Card Rumors

It is rumored that the American Express Green Card will come with the following benefits:

35,000 Welcome bonus
4X on gas purchases
3X on streaming services
Amazon Prime benefit
Away luggage

It’s not clear what will happen to the $95 annual fee but if the current pattern by American Express is any indication that annual fee will likely go up and probably go up substantially.

35K Welcome bonus

A 35,000 welcome bonus after $1,000 in spend would be very solid for this card with a reasonable annual fee and would be better than the prior 25K offers. I’m sure many will be attracted to this card with such a high bonus (for a lower-tier card like this).

If you already received a bonus for the Green Card, I doubt you will be eligible for this card.

4X on gas

Earning 4X on gas purchases (which will likely be limited to US gas stations) would be very significant. You can find some cards that offer as much as 5% back at gas stations but that is virtually always limited to cash back and there are usually limitations with those cards. So earning 4X on gas with a transferable currency like Membership Rewards is extremely exciting.

3X on streaming

Earning 3X on the streaming services is not that exciting to me because most people probably don’t spend that much on them. I know that we have a hand full of streaming services that would qualify for this but in the end I would only be earning a couple of hundred Membership Rewards a month so this would not be that major of a benefit.

Amazon Prime

The Amazon Prime benefit would absolutely be key and make this card a true keeper for many. Last year, Amazon increased the price of Amazon Prime to $119 dollars per year. So many people use Amazon Prime that it would be very easy to offset $119 dollars of any annual fee.

So then it would really just be a matter of earning enough in gas and streaming rewards to offset the difference of any increased annual fee. For example if the annual fee was increased to $150, you would just need to earn about $30 in gas rewards per year to offset the annual fee with a Prime membership. That would be extremely easy to do for a lot of people.

So that kind of makes me question if the Amazon Prime benefit would actually work like that. Maybe they just offer an annual credit that is something like $15, $30, $49, etc.? Or maybe there will be a very substantial hike in the annual fee?

Who knows?

Away luggage

There may also be some type of partnership with Away Luggage. Again, this could be some type of credit or something.

I wanted to get this out to anybody who did not know about these rumors so that they could start planning to potentially pick up this card because it looks like it could be a very worthwhile option.

If you have never had the Amex Green Card before, I would not downgrade any cards to it so that you potentially don’t lose out on the welcome bonus. By the way, getting advice on upgrades/downgrades is something that I’m hoping to automate with WalletFlo, so in the future, you’ll know exactly what to do without having to think about it.

Final Word

These are exciting rumors. It definitely seems in-line with what American Express has been doing recently with new changes, so it would not surprise me to see a major overhaul of this card very soon. So just keep an eye out for the changes and be prepared to adjust your credit card strategy accordingly.

H/T: DoC

Frontier Miles (Early Returns) Benefits Review [2020]

Frontier Airlines is known for being one of the most popular ultra low cost carriers but just like many other airlines, they have a frequent flyer program that you can benefit from if you find yourself flying Frontier a lot. Because this is a low cost carrier that charges you hefty fees for things like seat selection, carry-ons, and checked baggage fees, a lot of the benefits will be able to save you on normal travel expenses when flying.

In this article, I will break down all of the benefits for the Frontier miles frequent flyer program (formerly Frontier Early Returns) and show you how the benefits differ for the different elite levels (20K, 50K, and 100K). I’ll also show you how to obtain these different levels including how to do so without even flying.

What is “Frontier Miles?”

Frontier Miles is the frequent flyer program for Frontier Airlines, formerly known as Frontier Early Returns. The new program does not only have a new name but also has some new features, which I will highlight below.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

What are the Frontier elite levels?

Their are three Elite tears in the Frontier Miles frequent flyer program.

Elite 20K: Earn 20,000 status qualifying miles or fly 25 segments
Elite 50K: Earn 50,000 status qualifying miles or fly 50 segments
Elite 100K: Earn 100,000 status qualifying miles or fly 100 segments

How do you earn Frontier status miles?

You can earn Status Miles by flying Frontier or spending on your Frontier Airlines World Mastercard.

You will earn one mile for every one mile flown, no matter the price of your ticket. This is different from other airlines that allow you to earn more miles for more expensive fares. For example, Southwest Airlines has the following earning rates:

6X per dollar for Wanna Get Away fares
10X per dollar for Anytime fares
12X per dollar for Business Select

Status Miles and are not redeemable for flights or with partners.

Additionally, the following type of miles are NOT considered Status Qualifying Miles: special bonus miles, mileage multipliers, and other promotional miles. This means that all of those additional bonus miles that you will earn from having a higher elite status will not count towards status.

Earn elite status with a credit card

Frontier is a bit unique in that they allow you to spend your way to elite status.

You can do this with their cobranded credit card that is issued by Barclays. With this credit card you can find a sign-up bonus worth up to 40,000 miles which can get you up to two round-trip tickets.

This credit card will also allow you to earn five times the miles per dollar spent on purchases at flyfrontier.com
and three extra miles on restaurant purchases. You will also earn one Frontier mile for every dollar spent on all other categories.

Some of the additional perks of this credit card include:

Zone 2 boarding
0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening
No foreign transaction fees
Award redemption fees waived
Complimentary FICO credit score
Keep your miles from expiring with one purchase every six months
$79 annual fee

Frontier elite benefits

Below, I will break down all of the different benefits for the different elite levels.

Elite 20K benefits

Free carry-on

As an elite 20K member, you will be able to bring on a carry-on for free. This benefit only applies to the member.

Just like other low cost carriers, Frontier charges some pretty hefty fees for carry-ons. These fees can range from $30-$60, so it’s really nice that you can save money as an elite member on these carry-on fees.

Flyfrontier.com, at booking

$30 to $35

Flyfrontier.com, after booking and up to 24 hours before departure

$38

Call Center

$40

Web Check-in

$40

Airport ticket counter or self-service kiosk

$45

Departure Gate

$60

Family pooling

Unlock family pooling where you can combine FRONTIER Miles with up to 8 family members and friends to make using miles easy.

This benefit can really make it much easier to use your points since you can simply pool the points within your family. The primary member of the pool will be able to use the points as they wish and also can control who is in the pool, so you want to make sure that someone very responsible is designated as the primary member.

Note that this benefit is also available to the co-branded credit card holders of the Frontier credit card.

Seat assignment

Receive free advanced seat assignment on your flights (note this does not include stretch seating). This benefit is for the member only. Seat selection will cost $6 for a standard seat at the time of booking.

Stretch Seating

Upgrade, for free, to stretch seating (if available) during flight check-in, at the ticket counter or gate. This benefit is for the member only.

Priority boarding

Enjoy priority boarding and Express TSA (at participating airport).

Award fees waived

Award fees are waived when booking in award flight

Travel fees waived

Travel fees are waived, these include: call center reservation fee, unaccompanied minor fee (if the minor is the elite member), same-day confirmed fee and same-day standby fee. This benefit is for members only. Read more about cancellation fees here.

Last seat toward

Use miles to redeem last seat available award tickets. This benefit can be used by any traveler on the Elite member’s booking.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Elite 50K benefits

Family seating

You and your family & friends get free advanced seat assignments, including stretch! This benefit can be used for up to 8 travelers on the Elite member’s booking.

Earn more miles

Receive 25% additional redeemable mileage bonus on all eligible Frontier flights. The mileage multiplier apples towards redeemable miles and does not apply toward Status Qualifying Miles. This benefit is for the member only.

50% off Discount Den

Elite 50k members enjoy 50% off Discount Den, our fare membership club that allows exclusive access to our lowest fares. Sign Up! This membership would typically cost you $60 per year. However, you should know that this benefit is for the member only. This is similar to the $9 Fare Club offered by Spirit Airlines.

Elite 100K benefits

The works

You and your family & friends enjoy Family Status and all receive the WORKS bundle. The WORKS bundle includes:

Advance Seat Assignment, including Stretch Seating at booking, for the Member and up to 8 other Members traveling on the same reservation with the same confirmation number.
Carry-on baggage for the Member and up to 8 other Members traveling on the same reservation with the same confirmation number.
One checked baggage item for the Member and up to 8 other Members traveling on the same reservation with the same confirmation number.

You’ll also get: priority boarding, flight flexibility and refundability.

Saving on baggage fees for checked luggage can really add up and here are the prices that you would normally be paying if you had to pay out-of-pocket. Prices taken via a chart from Frontier’s website.

Purchase Location	Carry-On Bag	1st Checked Bag	2nd Checked Bag	>3+ Checked Bag
BEST VALUE! Flyfrontier.com, at booking	$30*/35	$25*/30	$45	$80
Flyfrontier.com, after booking and up to 24 hours before departure	$38	$38	$45	$80
Call Center	$40	$40	$45	$85
Web Check-in	$40	$40	$45	$85
Airport ticket counter or self-service kiosk	$45	$45	$50	$85
Departure Gate	$60	$60	N/A	N/A

Earn more miles

Receive 50% additional redeemable mileage bonus on all eligible Frontier flights. Keep in mind that the mileage multiplier applies towards redeemable miles and does not apply toward Status Qualifying Miles. So as a 100K member, you will be earning 1.5 miles per dollar spent.

Discount Den

Get Discount Den for FREE.

Final word

There are a lot of benefits to climbing up the elite status levels with Frontier. If you regularly travel with your family then you can really save a lot of money with free carry-ons and checked bags and also have a more convenient experience with perks like priority boarding in seat selection. I really like that you can spend your way to elite status via a credit card since that is something typically not offered by other airlines.

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Trip briefing

Flight routes

Hotel stays

Flight details

How to book Japan Airlines First Class (JAL F) using miles

Getting to HND

Japan Airlines first class check-in at HND

Japan Airlines first class lounge and Red Suites

Japan Airlines first class boarding

Japan Airlines first class cabin

Japan Airlines first class seat

Design, comfort, and privacy

Seat features (controls, storage)

Japan Airlines first class amenity kit

Japan Airlines first class headphones & IFE

Japan Airlines first class wifi

Japan Airlines first take-off experience

Japan Airlines first class dining experience

After take-off

Mid-flight snack

Before landing

Menu

Japan Airlines first class service

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Landing at JFK

Final word

What is NEXUS?

Who is eligible for NEXUS?

Does NEXUS require a background check?

How do I apply for NEXUS?

Do I have to do an interview for NEXUS?

What airports can I use NEXUS at?

Can others use the NEXUS lines with me?

NEXUS cards

Can I use my NEXUS card instead of my passport?

Final word

Trip cancellation & interruption

Trip Delay Coverage

Huge for the Platinum

Negative changes

Extended warranty and purchase protection

Other changes

Travel Accident Insurance

Roadside Assistance/Hotline

Final word

The Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard

Sign-up bonus

Bonus categories

Additional features

Credit card strategy tip

Application process

Final word

Welcome bonus

How far can you get with these miles?

Matching?

Rules

Credit card strategy tip

Bonus earning

Flight discount

First checked bag free

Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights

25% savings

No foreign transaction fees

Annual fee

Benefits and protections

Final word

The new Citi Double Cash changes

We need confirmation

A new trifecta/quadfecta?

Citi Premier

Citi Prestige

Citi Rewards+ Card

Citi ThankYou partners

Final word

The new Business Green Rewards Card offer

Final word

Frontier Airlines flight change policy

24-Hour risk-free Cancellation/Change

Prices