Mailbag: Flying a Family of 5 to Madrid on Points, Plus 3 More Questions

In the October 22 edition of the Points Insider newsletter, we opened up the floor to you.

You’ve been sending in questions, and this week I’m answering four of them. (Three of you also wrote in just to say you share my last name, which I appreciate, because there aren’t many of us.)

We’ve got a family of five headed to Madrid, a question about overlapping Delta and Amex benefits, my take on using points for hotels versus flights, and a quick one on Atmos credit cards.

Flying a Family to Europe on Points

A reader asks: “I have a family of 5, and we’re hoping to travel from Washington State to Madrid next May to visit family. I’m a beginner when it comes to maximizing rewards points. My husband and I both have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, but are hoping to take advantage of a welcome bonus to make our flight as affordable (dare I even say, comfortable?) as possible. Should I be looking at a general travel credit card with a good welcome bonus, or an airline credit card specific to our route? We have 3 little kids (4, 2, and 6 months) so we don’t travel frequently.”

I’d start with the number of seats you’ll have to book. Your 2-year-old needs a seat, and your youngest will still be under 2 next May, so you’re looking at four seats plus one lap infant (a baby under 2 who flies on your lap instead of in their own seat).

From there, a few things come to mind:

• Account for the points you already have. If you’ve built up a decent balance of Chase Ultimate Rewards points between your two Sapphire Preferred cards, see what you can book before applying for anything else. PointsYeah is great for this, and you can filter results to show only flights bookable with Chase points.
• Look for a program with reasonable lap infant pricing. Personally, I’ve been a fan of Air Canada Aeroplan for several years for this very reason. On international award tickets, a lap infant costs 2,500 points or CAD 25 each way, and you can usually add the baby online. Taxes and fees on Aeroplan awards can be reasonable, too.
• Consider Atmos Rewards. This isn’t a Chase transfer partner, but Alaska Airlines’ loyalty program recently changed its lap-infant policy. On long-haul international award bookings, lap infants now cost only the applicable international taxes, although you’ll need to call to add the baby. You can also join the free Atmos Rewards “Families on the Go” community and get 20% of the points redeemed for children 12 and under back after your trip. (You can belong to only one community at a time.)
• Look beyond Seattle. If you’re not finding much from Washington State, check Portland or San Francisco, too. Flying or driving to another airport to start your trip is called “positioning,” and it can open up additional options.
• Don’t rule out paying cash. Sometimes the cash fare is competitive enough that using points isn’t the best deal. Depending on your card, you may be able to redeem points toward a travel portal booking or use them to offset a travel purchase.

The next question is whether another credit card would help.

Say you find flights you want to book through Aeroplan but don’t have quite enough points. You could look for a card with a welcome bonus that transfers to Aeroplan (lots do) and use it to top up your balance.

An airline-specific card could work, too, but those points generally aren’t as versatile. And depending on the ticket you book, you might not even need some of the card’s benefits (like a free checked bag, if your fare already includes one).

So, I’d start with transferable points, find the flights you want, and work backward from there. You could even consider buying the remaining points outright if the math works.

Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum: Where the Benefits Overlap

A reader asks: “Is it worth having both the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Reserve and the Amex Platinum Card? There is a fair amount of crossover. If not, what would be the best balance?”

First, tally the cost. Between the Delta SkyMiles Reserve ($650) and the Amex Platinum ($895), you’re paying $1,545 in annual fees.

There’s definitely some overlap, but each card also offers benefits the other doesn’t.

Delta Sky Clubs: This is probably the biggest crossover. The Reserve gets 15 visits per Medallion Year, while the Platinum gets 10, so holding both gives you 25. The Amex Platinum requires a same-day Delta-operated flight, while the Reserve also covers flights marketed by Delta under its own flight number. Reserve cardholders can unlock unlimited visits after $75,000 in calendar-year spending.

Centurion Lounges: Both cards offer access, although the Reserve requires you to book your Delta flight with the card. The Amex Platinum doesn’t have that restriction.

Overlapping credits: Both cards offer Resy credits (up to $400 annually on the Platinum and $240 on the Reserve), along with Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits. There’s also $200 in Uber Cash on the Platinum and $120 in rideshare credits on the Reserve. Some benefits require enrollment.

Only on the Reserve: An annual companion certificate after renewal, $2,500 in Medallion Qualification Dollars each year (a head start toward Delta status), 15% off eligible Delta award flights, a free first and second checked bag, and a $200 Delta Stays credit.

Only on the Amex Platinum: 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines, up to $600 in lodging credits, Priority Pass and access to a wider lounge network, plus credits for CLEAR+, digital entertainment, Lululemon, Walmart+, and more. Membership Rewards points can also transfer to a variety of airline (and hotel) programs, not just Delta. Some benefits require enrollment.

All that to say, there’s a case for keeping both cards, and just as much of a case for keeping one and pairing it with something else.

I’d look at which benefits you actually use, rather than trying to assign value to every credit on paper. The risk is paying for two expensive cards without getting enough out of them to justify the annual fees.

Card Points for Hotels or Flights?

A reader asks: “Do you use card points for hotel stays, or do you prefer to use points for airlines only?”

Personally, the only card points I typically use for hotel stays are those I earn through co-branded hotel cards (either from spending or a welcome bonus).

And there are plenty of reasons to keep a co-branded hotel card around, at least for brands you stay with somewhat regularly. Lots of hotel cards with annual fees offer some form of annual free night award (although some require hitting a spending threshold first).

In most cases, I find that free night is worth more than the card’s annual fee, even before factoring in benefits like complimentary elite status.

When it comes to transferable credit card points, though, I almost always use them for flights.

I’ll either transfer them to an airline loyalty program or — particularly with Capital One — book through the travel portal and then use points to cover the charge once it posts.

Here’s why.

With some exceptions, transferable points programs offer hotel and airline transfers at the same 1:1 ratio. But I generally get more mileage (and save more out of pocket) by transferring points to airlines, then paying cash for hotels or buying hotel points when they’re on sale.

For example, it’s pretty common to find Hilton or IHG points on sale for around half a cent each.

If I have a transferable credit card point worth at least 1 cent toward travel, why would I exchange it for a hotel point I could buy for half a cent?

There are exceptions, of course, but that’s generally how I approach it.

Does a Second Atmos Card Mean Another Hard Pull?

A reader asks: “If I apply for another Atmos card, will they do another hard pull from my credit report?”

Yes, I’d expect another hard inquiry.

Each Atmos card requires a separate Bank of America application, and Bank of America’s own credit guide identifies credit card applications as hard inquiries. These can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points.

Holding one Atmos card doesn’t prevent you from getting another, and you can potentially earn the welcome bonus on each.

Just keep Bank of America’s commonly reported 2/3/4 rule in mind. Generally, that means no more than two new Bank of America cards in 30 days, three in 12 months, or four in 24 months (for personal cards).

And remember, approval isn’t guaranteed. Bank of America’s pre-qualification tool uses a soft credit check, but being pre-qualified doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be approved.

If you’re considering the Summit (a card quite a few of us on the PointsYeah team admire), you can find the current offer below.

More on This: Current Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card Welcome Offer

Ask Your Own Question

Got a points question of your own? Email us at newsletter@pointsyeah.com, and we’ll answer a few each week.