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I Paid $4,588 in Credit Card Annual Fees in 2019 – Was it Worth it?

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Good morning everyone.  As we approach the end of the year, I decided to take a look at my credit card spreadsheet and see how much my wife and I paid in annual fees this year.  I removed all the no annual fee credit cards and here are the 26 credit cards that have annual fees (sorted alphabetically).  I will break down this list into cards that I am 99% sure that I will cancel, 99% sure that I will keep, and the 50/50 cards that I might keep or cancel.  Read through this post and let me know if you agree or disagree with my thinking.

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Up to 20% Off Alaska Airlines Flights for Starbucks Rewards Members; Alaska Priority Boarding on National Ugly Sweater Day

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Good afternoon everyone.  I have some good news for Starbucks Rewards members and Alaska Airlines flyers.  On December 12, Alaska Airlines and Starbucks are partnering for a special Happy Hour “that will spread a ‘latte’ holiday cheer.”  Starbucks is offering customers a BOGO (buy one, get one) free on any handcrafted beverage (grande or larger) from 2 – 7pm.  Alaska Airlines is also giving away 6 trips during a special #AlaskaHappyHour, but you need to follow @alaskaair on Twitter for details on how to win a trip to an iconic Starbucks location + $100 Starbucks gift card.  Also, Starbucks Rewards members can receive up to 20% off flights anywhere Alaska Airlines flies.  The discount code will be shown in the Starbucks App (iOS or Android) and you need to enter that discount code when you book your Alaska Airlines flights (discount code expires at 11:59pm PT on December 13).

You need to book through alaskaair.com/happyhour and use discount code IFLYALASKA.  See complete terms and conditions below.

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New AMEX App Feature: Split Purchases & Request Venmo or PayPal Payments from Others

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Good morning everyone.  I was checking my American Express credit cards on the AMEX App and was shown a new feature where you can split purchases with friends and family members.  You make the purchase on your American Express credit / charge card and then you can request payment from your Venmo or PayPal account.  Supposedly, this is a “seamless way to split payments.”  In this post, I will show you how the process works.

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6 Buy Miles / Points Promos Ending Soon: Avianca (145%), Radisson (100%), American (80%), Choice (40%), Frontier (50%) & United (85%)

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Updated 11:45am PT on 12/9: United Airlines has a buy miles promo that ends on December 11.  More details added below.

Good afternoon everyone.  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found a few offers ending soon.  Always check the math to make sure that buying miles & points makes sense for you.  Do not buy miles & points speculatively unless you have a use in mind.  With that said, here are 6 offers that end this week.  Up first, Avianca Airlines is offering up to a 145% bonus, depending on the number of Avianca Airlines LifeMiles you purchase.  This offer expires today –  December 3.  Extended until December 5.

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Upgraded JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card $300 Annual Travel Credit for 2019 Still Available

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Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and any other holiday in between that I missed.  A few weeks ago, I wrote Why Did I Upgrade my Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa Signature to JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite?  In that post, I went through all the card benefits and explained why this card was interesting to me.  One of the key features of this card is the $300 annual travel credit.  Accord to the terms and condition, the $300 Annual Travel Credit can be used for the following purchases, “airline lounge day pass, or towards a yearly lounge membership of your choice; airline seat upgrades; airline baggage fees; in-flight Internet/entertainment; in-flight meals.”

Since I still had a few weeks left in the year, I called JPMorgan Chase and asked if the $300 annual travel credit was available to me since I recently upgraded from the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.  The rep said yes and listed the same qualifying purchases as above.  I started thinking about my upcoming trips to see if I could pay for airline seat upgrades on any of my flights…

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