A Reader’s Question
by Jason SteeleA reader wrote in recently with the following question:
I live in Tampa FL. I am buying a home in Santa Fe NM;
flying in to Albuquerque, NM as often as possible, at least
once a month. What is the best credit card arrangement for me?
The best airline seems to be Southwest, followed by Frontier
and then Continental. The array of choices has made me dizzy.
I am a bankruptcy lawyer so right now I enjoy high income and
very good credit (about 800 on the FICO score thingy), I want
get the best deal to get to my crib in Santa Fe NM. Any
suggestions?
Thanks,
Herb
Congratulations Herb on your new home in the “Land of Enchantment”. I take it you enjoy the sun wherever you are. It sounds like you are already on the right track in locating an airline and a correstponding credit card.
Which Airline Will Work Best For You?
The first thing I checked into would be what is the best airline to get you from Tampa to Albequerque and back, as the Santa Fe airport no longer supports any commercial airline serice. Unfortunately for you, there is airline that offers non-stop service between those two cities. While most airlines will offer service with one stop and a change of planes, Southwest, the dominant carrier at both Tampa and Albequerque offers same plane service with just a short stop in as little as five and a half hours point to point. They also offer non-stop service between Orlando and Albequrqe, if you wanted to drive 90 miles for the privilidge of a non stop flight. Furthermore, their flights are incredibly inexpensive. A quick search showed flights for merely $79 each way. Finally, there are a few other advantages with Southwest, such as no change fees, or checked baggage fees.
While Frontier is my hometown airline, I just can’t see paying more to fly them, and then paying additional for luggage, and then being nailed with change fees if my plans change. In addition, you will also spend more time in the air, as all Frontier flights will take you through Denver, which is obviously quite a bit out of the way for you.
Continental offers flights through their Houston hub, which would be a lot less out of your way.
How Do Their Frequent Flier Programs Stack Up For You?
Frontier’s “Early Returns” program presently offers a free flight at 20,000 miles. Since you will earn about 3,700 miles for each round trip, you will earn a free ticket approximately every 5 round trips.
Southwest’s “Rapid Rewards” program works quite differently than most airline programs. There are no miles, only “Radid Rewards” credits. You receive one credit for each one way flight. It takes 16 credits to earn a free round trip ticket, which is earned every eight round trips. It is not as generous for you Frontier’s program, however you are still better off with Southwest. Here is why: Southwest’s round trips can be half the price of Frontiers. Even with a free flight earlier, you are still saving money on Southwest.
As for Continental, I have had too many problems attempting to redeem miles in their program to recommend them to you. It seems to be almost impossible to redeem awards at their “saver” level, so you are looking at 50,000 miles for a round trip ticket.
How Do Their Credit Cards Compare?
Southwest’s “Rapid Rewards” card, offered by Chase, costs $59 per year. With it, you will earn one credit per $1,200 spent, for a free flight after $19,200 spent. When you sign up, you will receive eight Rapid Rewards credits, half of what you will need for a round trip.
Frontier’s “Early Returns” card is offered by Juniper Bank. Their best card has an annual fee of $49. You will receive a sign up bonus of 10,000 miles, also half of what you need for a round trip. With mile earned per dollar spent, and a free ticket earned for 20,000 miles, it will take you just slightly longer to earn an award ticket with Frontier than it does with Southwest.
Other Goodies
If you earn 100 credits in a year with Southwest, you are entitled to a free companion ticket with any paid flight. This could be an incredibly good deal if you frequently travel with another person. While you would have to make 50 round trips to earn that status without the credit card, you could earn it a lot faster if you have it. Once you have it, you could potentially cut your travel costs in half. Finally, in the off chance that you every need to visit a city other than Albuquerque or Tampa, Southwest can offer you many non-stop flights from either city, while Frontier will always route your through Denver.
Conclusions
I would have to recommend you go with Southwest. The most important reason is that you didn’t buy a home in Santa Fe to spend your time in airplanes and airports, and Soutwest’s schedule is vastly superior for your needs. While their frequent flier programs and their corresponding credit cards are roughly equal, the opportunity to earn a companion pass with Southwest should seal the deal and would represent a value of potentially dozens of free flights.
Thanks for the question Herb and enjoy the sun!