Questions and Answers

Given Barclays’ changes to the Arrival Plus card, is it still worth holding onto the card and paying the fee, downgrading to the no annual fee card or getting a different card?

My wife and I fly American and Southwest domestically. Her preference is Southwest, though we don’t fly enough to qualify for the companion pass outright. We plan on going to Ireland in March 2017 (and would like to fly economy plus or better if possible). I’ve got miles on AA, but don’t want to take it to Ireland in order to avoid those high Heathrow fees. We already have global entry and won’t use airport lounges enough to take advantage of that perk, which I know some of the more expensive cards offer.

Thanks in advance.

[USER=1039]@AGuywithHisWife[/USER] – welcome!

Have you considered flying Aer Lingus? You can use your AA miles and fly directly to Ireland instead of having to transit LHR.

Would you use the card for non-chain hotels where you can’t use points? What about for cruises or land tours?

Also, remember this is a true Chip + PIN card and if you’ll be traveling places that require that (and you don’t have another C + P card) it might be worth it to hold onto.

[USER=1039]@AGuywithHisWife[/USER] I would consider downgrading or dropping the card. The reduction in rebate changes the math for me and I’d rather use the Citi Double cash with the flexibility to get cash back for whatever I want instead of being restricted to travel purchases. You could downgrade to preserve credit history or cancel to reapply down the line for another shot at the bonus.