Upgraded Ritz Carlton Card Offers More Benefits
I don’t talk much about hotel branded credit cards on Go to Travel Gal unless they have exceptional offers or allow you to do more than score a free hotel night. Ritz Carlton has announced they’ve upgraded their Chase credit card with some really amazing benefits that I think is worth a shout :).
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card has been upgraded to a Visa Infinite Card, which offers some outstanding perks, and is the first co-branded credit card to do so. With this card, which currently gives you three free nights at Tier 1–4 Ritz-Carlton hotels after spending $5000 in three months, you can now get:
Unlimited $100 discounts when purchasing two or more domestic airline tickets
Worldwide access to more than 900 airport lounges through Priority Pass
Global Entry application fee reimbursement credit
Car rental discount and upgrades
This is in addition to the existing benefits, including:
$300 annual travel credit
No foreign transaction fees
Access to cardmember events, including exclusive sports, entertainment and culinary experiences (Note: These are cool events, but they cost a pretty penny)
Three The Ritz-Carlton Club Level upgrades annually on paid stays of up to seven nights, subject to availability
Automatic Gold Elite status in Ritz-Carlton Rewards for the first year, which is maintained after spending $10,000 each year
Platinum Elite status in Ritz-Carlton Rewards after spending $75,000 each year
$100 hotel credit on each paid stay of two nights or longer
Earn five points for every $1 spent at participating The Ritz-Carlton hotels or worldwide partner brands within the Marriott International portfolio, including JW Marriott, EDITION, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels and Marriott Hotels
Earn two points for every $1 spent on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, at car rental agencies and restaurants
Earn one point for every $1 spent anywhere else
What I Like About This Card
I don’t believe I will be hitting the $75 grand mark ;-) but one of my favorite reasons to take advantage of hotel credit cards like the SPG AMEX is to use points for “experiences” like purchasing tickets to a Broadway Show or sitting in an exclusive suite at a Chicago Cubs game.
A perk of this card over SPG is that you can earn double points on travel and dining, which I really like, as you can accrue points faster.
What I Don’t Like
The $450 annual fee — enough said. HOWEVER, if you use it to purchase multiple airline tickets multiple times, you’ll save $100 each time. You also get reimbursement on the Global Entry Fee of $100, and you get a $300 travel credit each year, as well as three free hotel nights. So if you take advantage of those benefits, you should come out with plenty more than $450 savings.
