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JoeSentMe Experts Talk Credit Cards
COMPLETE COVERAGE
COMPLETE COVERAGE
McGarvey: Amex Obsolete
The $200-a-year airline fee rebate from American Express Platinum is now an obsolete idea that needs an overhaul.
Joe: Travel's House of Cards
United now wants you to bend a knee to Chase to be loyal to the airline. Who cares? Banks matter more anyway.
Baker: Reserve Reservations
I think that Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth its new, higher price. But I have some serious reservations.
Danto: The End of Pretend
The airlines' real customers are sitting in bank towers approving credit card marketing budgets.
Baker: Citi Card Collapse
Citi launched a fancy new premium-priced credit card--and that is when the trouble for travelers began.
Allen: Money Matters
Currency considerations for a journey to Morocco made me ponder the issue of money. Credit cards aren't universal.
Baker: Reserve Costs More
Chase just announced a massive price hike for the Sapphire Reserve card. Its benefits aren't worth it.
McGarvey: To the Points
Loyalty plans and credit cards? Now it's a merry-go-round, without a lot of merriment.
Joe: Fight Club for Cards
"Super-premium" credit cards have plenty of perks, but not every one is right for everyone.
Baker: Pick a Card
Citi joins Amex and Chase in the elite credit card race. Travelers get a return on annual fees, but nuances abound.
Joe: Smash & Grab Strategy
The only way to win the loyalty game now is to smash and grab credit card acquisition bonuses and move on.
Joe: Crazy Credit Card Gods
Why would Amex lose a customer for $50, incur $600 in fee losses, then try to win him back with a $750 bonus?
Our Credit Card Archives
JoeSentMe columnists track credit cards because banks are key contributors to the financial health of airlines and hotels. And, of course, a source of miles, points and perks for us.
Abatemarco: How to Switch
I've dumped my airline credit cards for cashback cards. My life is much better now. Let me explain how to do it.
Allen: Plastic Paradigm Lost
After 40 years chasing miles, Covid made me realize that points-earning cards may no longer be right for me.
Joe: Start Your Travel Bank
If you swap your airline and hotel cards for cashback cards, you can create your own travel fund with the cash kickbacks.
Balancing Clubs and Cards
Joe never wants to be without airport lounge access. And he wants his credit cards to pay the freight. Here's how he has done it over the years.No Card to Rule the Clubs
No one card--neither Amex Platinum nor Chase Sapphire Reserve--rules the club-access world. What can we do?A Change Is in the Card
By 2017, Priority Pass was changing to stay relevant in a world where its users came from banks, not airlines.Playing the Right Club Card
By 2015, what I once called "the magic card" became passe, doomed by airline economics and bank partnerships.Dicey and Pricey
By 2014, banks are pushing hard to lock up exclusive airline-club access. Amex even begins building its own lounges.The Magic Lounge Card
In 2007, Priority Pass cracked the last U.S. airline lounge network (American) and stood alone as a tool for travelers.How (and Why) to Join Clubs
Back in 1997, Priority Pass offered in-the-know travelers secret access to most U.S. airline airport clubs.
Is My Card Worth the Cost?
I regularly audit my wallet to assess the value of my credit cards. My primary, an Amex Platinum, charges a huge annual fee, so I pay careful attention.· 2026 Mid-Year Calculations
· 2026 Early-Year Calculations
· 2025 New Fees Calculations
· 2024 Year-End Calculations
· 2024 Mid-Year Calculations
· 2023 Calculations
· 2022 Second-Half Calculations
· 2022 First-Quarter Calculations
· 2021 Early Calculations
· 2020 Calculations
· 2019 Calculations
· 2018 Calculations
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