I remember when cobranded credit cards made more sense. Ah, the good old days.
Cobranded credit cards (ones that earn rewards with a specific airline or hotel brand) launched with broad appeal because most customers could find enough value to justify the annual fee — even if they weren't die-hard fans of that brand. Free checked bags and free breakfast are slam-dunk benefits on cards.
When the pandemic hit years ago, things changed. People stopped traveling, and credit card issuers scrambled to convince customers to keep their cards — and continue to pay annual fees — during that time.
How did they do this? Through new partnerships that supposedly added value and could be used at home. These partnerships have since expanded and birthed a wide range of new cobranded cards. But are there too many cobranded credit cards now? Let's take a look at what happened.
"I'm not traveling, so why should I pay a fee for a travel credit card?"
Banks feared this mentality when borders closed and people curbed their travels for a few years. The logic made sense, though. Was it worth paying for a credit card offering a lounge membership and free checked bags when you weren't flying anywhere?
Many banks added benefits with previously unseen partners to entice customers to keep their credit cards open. Here are some examples:
Our 2022 prediction of further expansions of these partnerships was correct. As they expanded, they evolved these partnerships into new cobranded credit cards.
The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Many of these newfound bank-brand partnerships turned into cobranded credit cards. However, these card launches tend to be very niche, unlikely to attract anyone not already loyal to the brand stamped on the front of the card.
For example, over the past year, Chase has launched the Instacart Mastercard and DoorDash Rewards Mastercard. While both are likely to be popular with fans of those brands, they don't offer much to convince outsiders. The Instacart Mastercard offers just one year of Instacart+ (providing reduced fees on certain orders) before requiring cardholders to pay $99 a year for this service. The DoorDash Mastercard offers even less to convince outsiders: mainly discounts on orders, which aren't permanent.
The information for the Instacart Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other cards are even more niche.
Consider the fan-based credit cards from Cardless, which offered cards related to NBA and English Premier League sports teams. Most
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Amex GBT (American Express Global Business Travel) has become a giant since spinning out from American Express a decade ago. Last year, it helped employees at about 20,000 companies book $6.3 billion in travel transactions. It’s probably the largest travel management company by sales, though many competitors don’t disclose their financials publicly, making comparisons tricky.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Scarlett Kiaras-Attari, a marketing executive and education content creator who moved to the UK for her studies. It has been edited for length and clarity.
A cruise on the Mediterranean Sea aboard a superyacht was supposed to be a celebratory event for the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who was acquitted in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company, Autonomy, to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.
There has been a shift in travel preferences with emerging trends such as quiet travel and the pursuit of a slow-paced life gaining popularity in recent months. Quiet travel is a way of exploring that emphasises tranquillity, mindfulness, and a closer connection to nature. Scotland’s serene landscapes offer a perfect escape for those seeking quiet, reflective travel in nature’s embrace.
As interest in visiting Porto only grows stronger, visitors are finding even more things to do in the city. What was once seen for many as a short trip is becoming a longer break, with exploration outside of the city centre and into neighboring areas. Porto may be Portugal’s second largest city—after Lisbon—but it did give the country its name from the Roman Portus Cale. Centuries later, the city became famous for port, its “divine nectar of the Gods,” tastings of which are highly recommended in any of the port lodges lining the riverside in Vila Nova de Gaia. From there, look across the Douro at Porto’s colorful jumble of medieval houses, soaring church towers, and glossy blue-and-white tiled façades. Here, our selection of the best things to do in Porto can help you weave your way through the city, dipping into its sights, sounds, tastes, and smells to better get under its skin. To be sure, Porto will get under yours too.
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Helene Sula , a travel blogger and author of "Two O'Clock on a Tuesday at Trevi Fountain: A Search for an Unconventional Life Abroad."
Nashville has its eyes on hosting the Super Bowl, March Madness Final Four and Wrestle Mania. “Going after mega events” is a key objective, said Deana Ivey, CEO and president of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
A Europe-based carrier, voted as the worst airline in 2024 by consumer group Which?, has announced it’s launching a subscription service offering unlimited flights to those who sign up.
If the end of summer has you craving more vacation time, a new offer could be just the ticket. Wizz Air, based in Budapest, recently announced an «All You Can Fly» subscription pass that allows travelers to journey throughout the world for just a few hundred dollars. For a very limited time, the program is only €499 (approximately $537) per year, and the price jumps to €599 (approximately $657) from August 16, 2024. Travelers can begin using their flight pass for flights after September 25, 2024. While the program has the subscription fee, the flights are technically not free. Travelers are charged a small €10 (approximately $11) fee for each flight segment they book, according to the program's terms.