The British Airways mega sign up bonus returns. The Free Money offer from British Airways makes your trips significantly cheaper!

We recently picked up this card in our $4,927+ Credit Card Application Spree for Summer Travel.

British Airways is offering 100,000 Avios points when you get a British Airways card.

How to Get Your 100,000 Avios

  1. Open a new British Airways card*.
  2. Earn 50,000 Avios after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
  3. Spend $10,000 total, also in the first year, and earn 25,000 more Avios.
  4. Spend $20,000 total in the first year and earn 25,000 more Avios.
  5. Redeem your Avios for reward flights.

*Find and compare all current credit card offers in our credit card directory.

Credit Card Bonus

British Airways Terms and Conditions

  • All reward flights are subject to taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, including airline sur­charges.
  • After qualifying, please allow 6 to 8 weeks for bonus Avios to post to your account.
  • This one-time bonus offer is valid only for first-time cardmembers with new accounts. Previous and existing cardmembers/accounts are not eligible for this bonus offer.

More on the British Airways Card

No Foreign Transaction Fees. Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.

Annual Fee. The annual fee for this card is $95.

Companion Tickets. Every year you spend $30,000 on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years when you redeem for a flight on British Airways. If you hit the spending requirements above, you’ll be 2/3 of the way there.

Earning Avios. In addition to the sign-up bonus, you’ll earn 3 Avios per dollar you spend on British Airways and 1 Avios per dollar for all other purchases.

Chase 5/24. The British Airways card is not subject to the Chase 5/24 rule.

Tips and Tricks to Maximize the Avios

The key to this offer is maximizing your use of the Avios at the lowest possible cost. Here’s a collection of tips and tricks that I keep to reference whenever British Airways rolls out their big mileage offers:

Consider Non-European Destinations. While you can redeem the Avios for transatlantic reward flights, including flights to Europe, you’ll still have to pay the taxes and fees on the free tickets. Since the taxes on flights to Europe are higher than other continents, you can actually save even more money vacationing elsewhere. Of course, if you really want to go to Europe, this is still a cheap way to do so.

Merge Family Accounts. You and a spouse can each get your own British Airways card. They’ll allow you to combine the accounts into one family account. Obviously, I don’t have to tell you that getting 200,000 Avios for you and a spouse is a great thing! With the change to Avios, it looks like you have to call to do this now.

Fly on Partner Airlines. Ironically, this deal gets even better if you don’t fly British Airways and use the British Airways Avios on one of their partner airlines, where the taxes and fees are significantly less. Some of the partner airlines include American Airlines, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Iberia, Finn Air, and more.

Fly Domestically. Since American Airlines is listed in the partner list, you can use your British Airways Avios for multiple domestic flights, again minimizing the taxes and fees.

Use for Hotel Stays Instead. Readers have expressed frustration on redeeming British Air miles for flights. A reader, Todd, suggests that you skip the flights and redeem for hotel stays instead. He said that 50k miles should get you about 4 free nights ($400-$600 value). Thanks Todd!

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Southwest increased their signup bonus on the Rapid Rewards Plus credit card from Chase for a limited time to 60,000 miles. It was 40,000 bonus points.

Last time we reviewed Southwest a longtime reader, Richard, sent us a survey that tested airlines for frequent flyer award seat availability. Southwest topped the list five years in a row at 100% availability; I’ll be anxious to see if they come out on top again this year.

It’s time to pick up some Southwest points for summer travel!

It’s Free Money Friday!

How to Get Your Sign Up Bonus

  1. Apply for the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Card*.
  2. Spend $2,000 in the first three months.
  3. Get 60,000 Bonus Points, redeemable for flights or $600 in gift cards.

*Find and compare all current credit card offers in our credit card directory.

Southwest Free Flight Credit Card Bonus

Terms and Conditions

  • $69 Annual Fee.
  • This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.
  • The number of points needed for any particular Southwest flight is set by Southwest and will vary depending on destination, time, day of travel, demand, point redemption rate, and other factors and is subject to change.
  • No Blackout Dates and Unlimited Reward Seats apply to flights booked with points.

More on Southwest

Earning Points. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases & with Southwest partners. Earn 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else. Plus, get a 3,000 point anniversary bonus every year.

Points Expiration. Your points won’t expire as long as your card is open. If you close your card, you’ll need earning activity in your account every 24 months to keep points from expiring. I use AwardWallet to track expiration dates. See How Many Frequent Flyer Miles Do You Need to Fly for Free? for more information.

Companion Pass. If you earn 110,000 points you will qualify for a companion pass.

Southwest Perks. Southwest doesn’t charge fees for changing flights & you can check your first two bags for free!

Rapid Rewards Premier version. The signup bonus is also increased for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card. The premier card has a higher annual fee but comes with 6,000 bonus points on your anniversary and no foreign transaction fees.

Chase 5/24 Rule. The Southwest card is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. Chase limits approvals to those who have opened fewer than 5 new credit card accounts in the last 24 months. For more about the rule and how to get an approval see How to Get an Exception to the Chase 5/24 Rule.

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Citi increased the sign up bonus on their American Airlines AAdvantage card to 60,000 miles for a limited time.

I picked up this card in my $4,292 Credit Card Application Spree this spring when it was 50,000 miles! I sent a message to request a match and they honored it; you may want to try the same if you picked up this card before the bonus increased.

We used American miles for free flights to Disney World. Combined with free Disney hotels and free Disney tickets we saved quite a bit of money!

The 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles are this week’s Free Money Friday offer.

How to Get Your Bonus Miles

  1. Sign up for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard*.
  2. Spend $3,000 within the first three months.
  3. Earn 60,000 bonus miles to redeem towards free flights.

*Find and compare all current credit card offers in our credit card directory.

Terms and Conditions

  • American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have had any Citi® / AAdvantage® card (other than a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® card) opened or closed in the past 24 months.
  • Miles will appear 8-10 weeks after conditions are fulfilled.
  • $95 annual fee, waived for the first year.

More on Citi AAdvantage

Free Checked Bags. The Citi AAdvantage card gives you and 4 companions your first bag checked free. As a family of five, we use this benefit almost every time we fly! Just make sure you book everyone on the same reservation.

Other Benefits. You’ll also get preferred boarding, 25% off food and beverage purchases in-flight.

Earning Miles. You’ll earn 2x miles on American purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases.

Redeeming Miles. It usually takes 25,000 miles to redeem a free, round-trip domestic flight but you can also use miles for upgrades, international flights or one-way trips. As a cardholder you’re also eligible for reduced mileage awards.

Bonus Redemption Miles. You’ll also get a refund of 10% of your redeemed miles back to your card. This is good for 10,000 miles each calendar year.

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United just increased their sign up bonus to 50,000 miles on the Mileage Plus Explorer card from Chase. The regular bonus is 30,000 miles.

In addition to the 50,000 miles that you can redeem for Free Flights, the card offers one free bag, 2 club passes and priority boarding.

It’s our Free Money offer.

How to Get Your 50,000 Sign Up Bonus

  1. Apply for the United MileagePlus Explorer card.
  2. Spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.
  3. Earn 50,000 miles.

Earn 15,000 More Bonus Miles

In addition to the first 30,000 miles you also earn:

  • Earn 5,000 more miles after using the card & adding an authorized user within 3 months of opening your account.
  • Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $25,000 or more each calendar year.

Terms and Conditions

  • $95 annual fee.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • This product is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months.
  • Your miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account is open, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.

More on Chase

Earning Miles. You will earn 2 miles per $1 on United tickets and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

Earn a $50 Statement Credit. You might be able to find the same offer with an added $50 statement credit. Pretend to begin booking a flight at United.com and watch for an advertisement.

Targeted 70,000 Mile Offer. The 50,000 point bonus is for everyone. Some people were targeted for 70,000 miles. To see if you were targeted login to your United account. I tried all of our accounts, but they all showed the 50,000 mile offer only.

Subject to 5/24. This card is subject to the 5/24 rule (5 approvals in 24 months), or the Chase rule that they will not approve you for another Chase card if you’ve opened 5 new cards in the last two years with any issuer (not just Chase).

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Updated October 13, 2017 to reflect new offer.

The Delta American Express card increased their sign up bonus to 50,000 miles for a limited time. The standard is 30,000 bonus miles. In addition to the miles it has a $50 statement credit.

We just picked up this card in our last application spree this spring when it only offered a standard bonus. I kind of wish I had waited until now to get the increased bonus, but the free bags for a family of five was very valuable on our family vacation!

It’s Free Money Friday!

How to Get Your Delta Bonus

  1. Sign up for the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card* by November 8,2017.
  2. Make $2,000 in purchases on your card within the first 3 months of opening your account and earn 50,000 bonus miles.
  3. Make your first Delta purchase within the first 3 months and receive a $50 statement credit.

You can earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles. Spend an additional $1,000 in the first 6 months. Offer expires on 11/8/2017.

*Find and compare all current credit card offers in our credit card directory.

Terms and Conditions

  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
  • Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.

More on Delta

Earning Points. Get 2 miles per dollar spent on any Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent anywhere else.

Free Bags. You can check your first bag free on Delta flights (for you and passengers on your reservation; maximum nine waivers per reservation). You’ll also receive Zone 2 priority boarding on Delta flights. Plus, receive 20% In-Flight Savings on food and entertainment. Also, you receive a $99 Companion Certificate annually.

More Card Options for Delta Flyers. The American Express Platinum Delta SkyMiles Card offers 70,000 bonus miles with your first purchase However, this card comes with a higher annual fee.

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This is usually the time of year when the travel sign up bonuses start increasing before the holiday travel season.

The Premier Miles and More Mastercard from Barclaycard just increased their sign up bonus and made it much easier to get 50,000 Lufthansa bonus miles.

50,000 miles is good for a round-trip award flight to Hawaii, Europe or the Caribbean. If you aren’t planning a trip abroad soon, you can redeem 25,000 Lufthansa miles for a domestic round trip flight.

It’s our Free Money Friday offer this week.

How to Get Your Miles

  1. Open a Barclaycard Lufthansa Premier Miles and More Mastercard.
  2. Earn 20,000 award miles after your first purchase or balance transfer.
  3. Earn an additional 30,000 award miles when you spend $5,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Terms and Conditions

  • $79 annual fee.
  • Taxes and fees are not included in the award.
  • No mileage expiration with monthly qualifying purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

More on Lufthansa Premier Miles & More World Mastercard

Earning Points. Earn 2 award miles per $1 spent on ticket purchases directly from Miles & More integrated airline partners and 1 award mile per $1 on all other purchases.

Annual Companion Ticket. With this card, you’ll receive an Economy Class Companion Ticket upon the first use of your account and on your account opening anniversary every year.

0% Intro APR. There’s a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months with a 4% balance transfer fee (3% during the first 12 months).

Sign Up for Premier Miles and More Mastercard




With US Airways and American Airlines merging, US Airways miles should have more options for redemption in the coming months. The US Airways sign up bonus is this week’s Free Money Friday!

US Airways Mastercard 30,000 Mile Sign-Up Bonus

  1. Apply for the US Airways Mastercard.
  2. Make your first purchase.
  3. Earn 30,000 bonus miles!

Terms & Conditions

  • $89 annual fee.
  • Offer applies to new cardholders only.

More on US Airways

Earning Points. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on US Airways purchases and 1 mile per $1 spent anywhere else.

Companion Tickets. With the US Airways Mastercard, you get 2 companion tickets every year with redemptions starting at $99.

Added Perks. You get great perks with this card, including first class check-in, Zone 2 priority boarding and a complimentary US Airways Club day pass every year.

Another Option. US Airways also offers a $49 annual fee card with a 15,000 mile bonus offer.

Additional Balance Transfer Miles. You can earn another 10,000 Bonus Miles when you transfer a balance within 90 days of account opening. You’ll get 1 mile per dollar in balances transferred, up to a maximum of 10,000 miles. The card has a 0% APR on balance transfers (3% fee) for the first 15 months after account opening.

Sign Up for US Airways




A lot of my West Coast friends swear by Virgin America and now they’re getting even better because they’re offering a great bonus that’s this week’s Free Money Friday!

For a limited time, Virgin America is doubling their sign up bonus.

How to Get Your Sign Up Bonus

  1. Apply for the Virgin America Visa Signature card.
  2. Earn 20,000 points after your first purchase.
  3. Points will be added to your Virgin America Rewards Account at the close of the first billing statement.

Terms and Conditions

  • $49 annual fee.
  • Points required to redeem an Elevate travel reward on Virgin America will be publicly available on a seat and flight-specific basis and are subject to change. Taxes and applicable fees are extra.
  • Domestic reward bookings are subject to a security fee of $2.50 per segment, payable by credit card or Virgin America credit file. The Passenger Facility Charge and Segment Fees are waived for domestic reward bookings.

More on Virgin America

Earning Points. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Virgin America and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else. You can also earn up to 5,000 points with a balance transfer option but the balance transfer has a fee.

Companion Tickets. You’ll also receive a $150 off a companion ticket every year!

No Blackout Dates. Virgin America has no blackout dates on any seat at any time for reward flights! As a frame of reference, I recently found a flight from Boston to San Francisco for around 15,000 points so this card will easily earn you a free flight.

Sign Up for Virgin America Visa Signature Card




Holiday travel is heating up with another Free Money Friday travel offer. The United MileagePlus Explorer card is offering 30k bonus miles!

If you were paying close attention in my $2,325 Holiday Credit Card Application Spree, you knew the United offer from Chase was coming soon… and here it is!

How to Get Your 30,000 Miles

  1. Apply for the United MileagePlus Explorer card.
  2. Spend $1,000 in the first 3 months
  3. Earn 30,000 miles.

Earn 15,000 More Bonus Miles

In addition to the first 30,000 miles you also earn:

  • Earn 5,000 more miles after using the card & adding an authorized user within 3 months of opening your account.
  • Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $25,000 or more each calendar year.

Chase Terms and Conditions

  • Annual fee is $95 but the first year is free.
  • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on tickets purchased from United; 1 mile per $1 for everything else.
  • Miles don’t expire.

More on Explorer Card

Flying Perks. Primary cardmembers and one companion can each check their first bag for free when you fly United flights. That can really add up for those of us who travel with kids and can’t carry everything on.

Priority Treatment. As a United MileagePlus Explorer cardmember, you’ll be invited to board your flight ahead of general boarding. Plus, Visit the United Club with two passes every year.





As many of you know, PenFed is one of our favorite personal finance secrets. It’s no surprise they have a great Free Money Friday offer for travelers!

Pentagon Federal is currently offering 20,000 points on their premium travel card.

How to Get Your 20,000 Points

  1. Open a PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express card.
  2. Spend $650 with the card in the first 3 months.
  3. Get 20,000 bonus points (worth $250 towards your next round-trip airline ticket)!

Pentagon Federal Credit Union Terms and Conditions

  • No annual fee.
  • No foreign transaction charges.

More on Premium Travel Rewards

Balance Transfer. Penfed is also currently running their 4.99% balance transfer rate until June 30 for the life of the balance (with no balance transfer fee).

Rewards. Earn 5 points per dollar on airline purchases and 1 point on any other purchases. You can redeem points for a range of rich rewards, including travel, brand-named merchandise, and gift cards at PenFed Premium Rewards.

Lounge Club Membership. If you spend $15,000 annually on the card, you’ll get a free Lounge Club membership which gives access to airport lounges around the world.

More Travel Benefits. Other benefits include: complimentary 24-hour concierge service, exceptional travel offers and discounts through the American Express Travel Privileges program, comprehensive world-class travel insurance, roadside assistance and car rental insurance, and more!

Sign Up for Pentagon Federal