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Update: This card no longer provides car rental insurance in Israel.
Offer expired: Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®
Barclaycard has improved the bonus on this card from 20K to to 50K after you spend $3,000 within 90 days.
The card gives 2 “miles” for every dollar you spend plus a 5% refund when you redeem miles so that you effectively earn 2.11 “miles” per dollar spent.
Miles is a misnomer, really they just mean cents with each mile being worth 1 cent. The way it works is you book travel via any booking site and then you can just go online to your Barclaycard account and request that the purchase be refunded using your points. You can refund any purchase that is categorized as “Airlines, Travel Agencies & Tour Operators, Hotels, Motels & Resorts, Cruise Lines, Passenger Railways and Car Rental Agencies.”
So if you spend $420 on a plane ticket and have 42,000 from opening the card and spending $1,000 you’ll be able to get a $420 cash refund.
I prefer real airline miles because they allow me to book expensive last minute domestic tickets that can otherwise cost over $1,000 for just 9,000-25,000 miles. I’d have to shell out over 100,000 bank miles for such a ticket.
I also love airline miles because I can take business and first class trips that I could otherwise never afford. Spending $20,000 to fly in a suite is ludicrous but using 110,000 airlines miles is a steal. I’d need some 2 million bank miles to pull off such a trip.
So why would anyone want bank miles?
Say you just want to fly to Israel in coach. You would need roughly 80,000 airline miles for such a trip (though it can be had for as little as 25,000 with fuel surcharges or 50,000 without surcharges). Plus those seats are of course capacity controlled.
If you want to fly nonstop on United to Israel for $900 using the hidden city trick I wrote about last week you can just pay for the flight and use your bank miles to get that ticket refunded. You’ll need 90,000 miles, but as you earn 2 miles per dollar it’s really the equivalent of just 45,000 miles. Plus you’ll get a rebate of 5% of the miles (9,000 in this case) credited back to you in addition to the $900 cash refund.
And of course as you bought the ticket you’ll also earn some 11,000 United miles for the trip itself, which of course you wouldn’t earn if you redeemed an award through United. So you’re really getting a bank mileage refund and an airline mileage refund on your free ticket.
Plus with these miles you’ll have 90 days to earn more points and still cover the price you paid in the past. As opposed to airline miles where you need to have all of the points in hand before redeeming. And you are not limited to just airplane tickets.
As for me, I’d rather use 120,000 United miles and fly in in a bed to Israel. That kind of redemption would cost some 600,000 bank miles. Call me spoiled, but I appreciate the aspirational aspect of real airline miles.
But if you just like to redeem for coach awards purchased with advance notice and don’t want to deal with capacity controls this may very well be the best card for you at 2.11% back.
There are no foreign exchange fees. There is delayed luggage insurance included as well for you to be able to purchase necessities while you’re without your bags.
There is no fee for the first year, but afterward there is an $89 annual fee. You can downgrade the card to a free version after the year is up, though that card only earns 1 mile per dollar spent. Of course you can always ask for a retention bonus or for the fee to waived once the fee comes up.
I may not like the card for everyday use for my purposes, but the signup bonus is very good, especially as Barclaycard typically pulls from Transunion which is great news for most burners.
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69 Comments On "Is The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Mastercard Card For You?"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Any reason not to apply just for the sign up bonus?
If I book a refundable travel reservation will I be able to cash out my points and then just cancel the travel reservation for a refund as well?
Capital One venture is almost the same as this. They give 2% cash back and you can redeem it much easier by reimbursing youself for the same item multiple times. Ya ya, I know capital one is the enemy, but the product has been out there for a long time with a lower annual fee and AWESOME discounted rental cars through their portal.
I am sticking with the old Travelocity card from Barclay 4% on all purchases.
Thanx dan! do the miles expire and what about if i downgrade the card do i still keep the points? thanx?
Umm… shouldn’t we receive 42,000 “miles” after spending $1000 (instead of the 41,000 that you wrote)?
Just wanted to make sure i understood this card correctly.
Can I apply for this card if my credit is messed up? By messed up I mean a 450 score
Hi Dan, pretty sure you can only use the points to the extent they fully cover the trip (i.e. would need 45,000 points to book $450 plane ticket).
@sam not so simple. Who’s the airline going to refund to?
You don’t pay with ur cc. I did this with thankyou points. U get the points back.
dan, does the free version also have CDW in israel? Does it also have free foreign transactions?
Hey all -what other barclays cards are there for a two browser method?
Couldn’t you just use the points and apply it to the statement balance? Why wait for the next time you fly?
So what are the best 3 Barclaycards?
@YG:
Sure.
Regardless of my thoughts on bank vs. airline miles having $440 to spend on free travel is always a good thing.
@Sam:
Should work.
@Bob:
1. Cap1 pulls 3 credit reports, so 3 times the pain.
2. This card gives 40K points, the Cap1 gives 10K points.
3. This card gives 10% back in perpetuity on every redemption.
@chaim:
The miles don’t expire if you have the card and you should be able to keep them even if you downgrade.
@theyoungcouple:
Indeed.
@joe:
You can always apply but with a score like that I doubt you’ll get anything.
Work on fixing it up…
@Steven:
No, you can redeem points to be partially reimbursed for a trip.
@Tt:
Incorrect.
Citi actually buys the ticket for you.
With this card you buy the ticket and Barclay sends you a cash refund for however many points you a redeem.
A refund from the company will just put that cash back in your pocket.
@yitz:
Yes.
Indeed!
@mike:
USAir and the free version of this card?
@Better Redemption:
Sure, it just needs to be against a travel related expense.
for those that apply and want to check the status:
https://www.barclaycardus.com/app/japply/checkstatus.do?default_partner=003
Do I need to purchase the Tickets on This card or ang CC?
@Yossi:
You would need to purchase on this card.
Dan, If a household has two cards can the points be combined or transfered from one card to the other? The Capital One card permits points to be transfered. Thanks
Dan, if I can downgrade the card before an annual fee is paid what do I have to lose by signing up for this card? Credit score?
@entrada:
Not sure, sorry.
@Yoilish:
A hard pull costs you a few points, but that’s only temporary.
Within a few months your score will be higher than before the pull due to the increased credit and lower utilization ratio. The weight of the pull drops off from 3 months until it disappears in 2 years.
From witch credit agenty do they pull my credit in nyc area?
@Wolf:
It seems like Transunion for NJ/NY, but these things are YMMV.
Same question as Wolf.. but for illinois?
any reason a new app for this card wouldnt get approved if recently got the us air barclays card around a month ago?
Dan, got denied because I signed up for the Amex 75k offer, Chase sapphire & southwest in the last 2 months… Tried calling the reconsideration line twice with no success.. Any ideas? Thanks for your help
@ Yoilish Don’t Give Up Call In Again!!!!
@Wolf:
I just applied and got instantly approved, they pulled from TransUnion.
any experience with 2bm with barclays any reason not to do this with the us air
Do I have to pay for the flight with the Barclays card or may I use another card?
@Jack:see number 17
thanks
I was anyways going to pay for tickets to Israel for the summer (going with the family, last minute reservations or extra cities not an option)
First card approved instantly, now for the next one for the wife…
I’m just wondering how you’d get a bed to israel for 120,000 points? What airline?
Gracias
Dan, does 2bm work with Barclays?
United Airlines
Can i use amazon p. to spend the thousand to get the bonus miles? Thanks so much!
How long I this ‘temporary’ bonus going to be around ?
What’s there number fo?r reconsideration ? Got denied (
@hello 866-369-1283 I got denied, called 3 different times & they didnt want to hear of anything (even a manager)
is there another 2 cards to get from that at the sametime to do the 3 browser trick?
Any link still for US Airways card – used to be up to 60k i believe
@u-no-me:
USAir or United.
Could even do it for 100K with no surcharges with Flying blue miles on Delta.
@hello:
866-408-4064
@Eli:
Unknown.
@mike:
There should be a 35K link, check on DDF.
what are the most advised cards to open now or does it pay to wait for an amazing sign up bonus
will they approove me if i already have the same exavt car just got lees bonus 4 applying?
Thanks a lot Dan! By far and away, the quickest and easiest application process I’ve ever done online.
I filled it out and received a $10K credit line all within 3 minutes.
how about doing a 2bm with Barclays NBA $400?
Got my card in the mail today. Called Barclay. There is no car insurance coverage for Israel. What gives??
@Mimi:
Coverage is from MasterRental, call them for a letter of coverage at 800-622-7747
Just got the card. CDW coverage is excluded in Israel.
@AK:
That’s not what I was told originally.
Did you call MasterRental directly and ask them for a letter of coverage?
@Dan: I read the details of coverage that came with the card. It specifically excludes Israel.
@AK:
Every single credit card says that.
You need to call MasterRental as they provide the coverage, not the card.
thanks; I’ll try
Dan, after spending over 20 minutes on the phone with various representatives, I was informed that they no longer administer benefits for Barclays; that I will have to talk to them directly. I will call when I have time, and keep you posted.
Dan, I received a secure message that CDW does not apply in Israel. I called the provided phone number,800-348-8472, and they confirmed that there are no benefits in Israel.
THANKS DAN, GOT 10K LIMIT,
@Dan: except of citi cc which dont exclude it
can these 42000 points be sold and how valuable are they?
Thanks Dan, I got this card, still waiting for the 40k points to post. Looking around the online account, it seems that you can get a staement credit for points (2500 minimum like the travel credit). Is there any reason to use the travel credit rather than the stam credit? Does the stam credit give 10% back?
Also, If I downgrade after a year, do I still get the 10% back on redemption with the free card or do I have tp use the miles before then to get this?
What credit cards still offer rental car coverage in Israel?
Important: The no annual fee card only gives 2x miles on travel and dining, 1x on everything else.
If my hotel purchases are business expenses, if Barclays reimburses me can i still get the tax deduction?
There are tons of cards that give 1% cash back for all purchases with no annual fee.
So here you pay $89.00 fee to get 1% further percent off, really you are paying that fee for one percent not two, because the first percent you get for free from other cards.
You would need to spend $8900.00 / year just to cover the fee. furthermore since you probably use other cards for gas/groceries..etc categories you can take that spending out of the equation… whats left – this card would make sense for big spenders in categories that dont fall under other cards…
eg: amex blue cash gives 6% on groceries/3% gas/3%department stores
“I also love airline miles because I can take business and first class trips… using 110,000 airlines miles…”
How?
I was talked by Barclay that I need to spend $3,000 to get the 40,000 bones not just $1,000 any did the promotion change?
Dan, I reserved/purchased a refundable ticket and got charged on this card, and cancelled and was refunded the full purchase price a month ago. It is still showing me that I can apply my points towards the original charge despite the subsequent credit. Is there any reason that I not use these miles to apply the additional credit to my account? Also, do you expect that the merchant (travel agent) will have any consequence if I apply this to that transaction?
@Moish:
No reason not to. Won’t affect the merchant at all.
Thanks Dan, I just knocked off a few hundred dollars from my Pesach shopping with this credit, and instantly receive the 10% available bonus. The cool thing is that I purchased 2 tickets and since they give you 90 days from the date of travel purchase, I still have a month and a half to apply any transactions at 2 miles per dollar to the other ticket. Of course the sign-up bonuses are more valuable, but on additional transactions where there’s no gas or office bonus this is a solid 2% reward.
You seem to have left off something key here. When you by a ticket to Europe, and then get reimbursed for it, you get extra rewards.
1. You get miles for the purchase price of the ticket (say 1000 miles)
2. You get MILES for the flight itself (which you don’t get when you purchase with miles) – that’s 7,000 miles!
So you get an extra 8,000 miles you normally would not get when purchasing a ticket with miles.
@Dan:
hi Dan, i’m a little confused… are the miles on the Barclaycard Arrival Plus world elite mastercard considered as airline miles or bank miles? if it’s bank miles what is the best or rather the one you recommend most airline miles credit card?