Mélomane by nature. A 20-something businesswoman, nerd, and ambigamist in love with friends, wine, food, traveling, birds, words, a boy, and everything in between.

Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

All original content by me is licensed under the CC BY-NC 3.0 License

 

adipos asked
I'm strongly considering getting a frequent flyer credit card (either Delta or United). Of course, the most practical advise is to carefully read the terms and conditions of the card. And the partners of the airlines are what I'm considering the most (I'm a young globetrotter). Any other practical advise before I make the commitment? Much appreciated! x

I’m flattered that you’re asking me of all people for advice, haha :3

If you’re a young globetrotter, I would consider…

  1. Where do you fly? Who [airline + alliance] serves the best routes to your most frequently visited airports? Delta was best for me until United/Continental merged and I had more EWR and NRT flights.
  2. Points aside, what actual perks does the card offer? Delta offers up to 9 of your companions free checked bags - Good for families. United offers 2 free passes into their lounges - Good for people who have to use connections or travel in unpredictable winter weather. Click for a list of each of their perks.
  3. Visa or Amex? This is pretty important. I have a Plat Amex, but find that a lot of little boutiques and restaurants I usually venture to won’t take it - But they do take Visa. If you go to France, many vendors will take Amex, but can’t take a chip-and-PIN-less Visa card from the US. Try to remember your fave stores/restaurants and whether they take Amex/Visa or not. It’s useless to have a point card you can’t use.
I think I’ve been fairly un-biased here despite my ever-obvious loyalty to Star Alliance/United ;) Tumblrs, any more advice you can give adipos?