Blue Sky from American Express Credit Card Review
March 15, 2011
Blue Sky from American Express is one of the top travel rewards credit cards because of the freedom its membership rewards program offers cardholders to choose how you can redeem your points.
Top Travel Rewards Card – One of the problems that can come with using a rewards card with a certain airline or hotel chain is that you might spend years building up rewards and then have them suddenly change the program on you.
For example there were some major changes made to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Reward program not long ago when they overhauled how customers could earn and redeem flight rewards. Many customers and industry experts thought the changes were an improvement but not everyone felt that way. The customers who had been flying Southwest for years and felt they were being mis-treated had little they could do about it other than leave complaints on the customer blog.
Regardless of whether you thought the Southwest Airlines rewards program improved or got worse, the point is that using a specific airline credit card does expose you to that risk. That’s one of the reasons that Blue Sky from American Express is one of the best travel rewards credit cards you can apply for today. With no blackout dates or travel restrictions plus rewards points that can be used for any airline, hotel, cruise, or car rental – the card doesn’t limit you to a specific airline, or even method of travel.
Earn Reward Points Easily – Another nice benefit of American Express Blue Sky over some of the other cards from airlines like Delta, United, and Continental is that the card has no annual fee. The fee for most airlines cards isn’t that high, but no fee is certainly better than even a low fee. With no charge to use the Blue Sky card, you start earning rewards right away without having to worry about making up the annual fee.
The Blue Sky also has no purchase limitations on where you can earn travel points. As a card member, you earn one point for every single dollar that you spend and there is no earning limit on your rewards. Expiring points are not an issue either, the points you earn will be available as long as your account is active and in good standing.
Not to complain about the airlines again but I’ve had so many frequent flyer miles expire over the years, it’s nice to know that the rewards you earn when traveling will be there for you to use them. If you’re not a frequent traveler and are trying to save up rewards for a big vacation a few years off, then this is a great feature for you.
I don’t know how many offers I saw come in the mail to use my frequent flyer miles to buy magazine subscriptions. It was a prett inefficient way to redeem the miles, I wasn’t getting a very good conversion rate when it came to mone spent on flights vs rewards, but once or twice my miles were expiring so I opted for the magazine. I’m glad I don’t have to mess around with that anymore because of cards like Blue Sky.
Blue Sky Travel Savings – The Blue Savings program is a good way to earn discounts on travel. You can find deals from 5–20% off hotels (like Marriott), rental cars (like Hertz), and restaurants when you pay with your Blue Sky card. It’s a nice perk – the Blue savings program was setup for the Amex Blue and Blue Cash cards but since Blue Sky is in the same card family, you can take advantage of the savings as well.
Blue Sky Protection – Another thing people like about the Blue Sky card is that it offers travelers protection against unexpected problems while on a trip. Card holders can call the American Express Global Assist Hotline for help with coordination of emergency assistance for medical, financial, and legal matters. They also offer a lost wallet service, which does cost extra, that will rush you a new card and will help expedite getting a new passport or ID if you’re overseas and lose your wallet.
Blue Sky from American Express also provides the Purchase Protection Plan, which can cover items you buy while traveling. It protects eligible purchases made with the Card against accidental damage and theft for up to 90 days from the date of purchase. The Blue Sky card also offers auto insurance for rental cars but make sure you understand the rules of the credit card rental insurance and what it does and doesn’t cover before you start driving.
You can review the features and benefits of the card listed below and see if the Blue Sky travel rewards credit card will save you money on your next trip.
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