Not too many people do the math. They pay $60 a year for a credit card that earns airline miles, but take five years to earn the 25,000 miles necessary for a “free” trip. If you ask me, that free ticket cost $300 plus the tax you will have to pay on the actual airline ticket. And then of course there is the very high APR on any remaining balance you might carry over, and don’t forget about the dreaded blackout dates.
Feel like you’re getting screwed? Well, an informative article in the April edition of Budget Travel straightens out the fine print, identifies the hassles, and explains the benefits available from a variety of different reward oriented credits cards. I didn’t know, for example, that the Capital One No Hassle Miles card can apply miles toward any airline but can’t be combined with miles you may have earned on prior flights. Damn!
So take a moment to read up and see what your credit card is doing for you; hopefully you’ll still respect it in the morning.