booked the incorrect dates for airlines flight

I recently booked two return British Airways flights from Gatwick to Bordeaux so my wife and I could join my daughter on holiday there next summer. Immediately afterwards, my wife discovered we had booked the wrong dates.
The error was entirely ours. I logged back into the BA site and found I could change the flight dates to depart a week later using the booking manager. The times, flight numbers and prices were identical to the original ones but there was a fee of £120 to make the changes.
I thought this was a bit steep, but better than having to book new flights, so I went ahead. As I did so, a confirmation email came through for the original flights. This said: “Please check the details of the items purchased are correct. If you have made a mistake, you may cancel your flight booking and claim a refund without penalty, up to 24 hours from when you made the original booking. Refunds under these circumstances can only be requested by calling our contact centres.”
I phoned the call centre and explained what had happened. The agent said that as I had changed the flight details myself I was deemed to have accepted the flights and therefore she couldn’t cancel them for a refund. I said I was happy with the revised flights and didn’t want a refund, only a waiver of the £120 change fee. This request has fallen on deaf ears at BA. Is this fair?
Gill Charlton, consumer expert, replies
Like you, I didn’t realise that you could amend or cancel BA flights without penalty within 24 hours of making the reservation. It’s good to see an airline recognising that customers should not be penalised for making genuine mistakes in online reservations.
Unfortunately, in your rush to rectify your mistake, you made the amendments via the website and accepted the change fee, thus giving up your right to take advantage of the cooling-off period.
BA says that to make changes free of charge customers must telephone a contact centre. However, as a goodwill gesture, it is refunding the £120 fee.
The airline says that the 24-hour cooling-off period also applies to flights sold through agents. However, some agents have different timescales for amendments, requiring notification by the end of the business day; others refuse to allow any changes or cancellations once payment has been taken.
While most amendments must be made within 24 hours, an exception is made for those getting married and later realising they have booked flights in different names from those in their passports. In such cases, BA does not charge for the name change, though it will ask for documentary evidence.

booked wrong flight on easyjet

I recently made a flight booking with easyJet for my family of four to travel from Gatwick to Alicante for the October half-term. I have done this on many occasions over the past eight years as my parents have a home there.

Normally easyJet’s website remembers your previous booking history and brings up details of the travellers from the information already stored. It is all very easy - or so I thought.

Two days later, on checking the email confirmation, I noticed that the reservation details were incorrect. We were booked to travel out from Alicante and back from Gatwick. This was certainly not the reservation I had made. When I checked the “Where are You Going” tab on my computer, I found it still showed my stored preferences: outbound Gatwick, return Alicante. So how could this error have happened? To book Alicante-Gatwick return tickets I would have had to input new departure airports from the drop-down menu. I would have recalled doing this.

Another odd thing is that the confirmation shows the cost in sterling. I know that when you make a flight booking that originates from a European airport, the website’s default is to quote the cost in euros.



I contacted easyJet’s customer services desk where I was told that it must have been my mistake and that I would have to pay an additional £759.92 to rebook the correct flights. (The original flights cost a total of £418.68.) I work as a nurse and simply cannot afford to pay this amount.

I was so upset that I was put through to a supervisor. He told me that because nobody else had reported problems with the website on the day I made the reservation easyJet would not accept that it was a system error. He would only agree to refund £52 for the airport taxes. I have reluctantly accepted this but I am very upset about it (I have not dared tell the family yet). Can you help me?

Gill Charlton, consumer expert, replies
It is difficult to argue that you did not make the mistake yourself because airline booking systems are very robust in this respect. A screen shot of the final booking page can be a great help in situations like this. However, in your case, it does appear odd that your booking confirmation showed the cost of Alicante-Gatwick return flights in sterling. You would surely have remembered changing the default from euros to sterling.

I put this argument to easyJet. While the airline claims that it is nigh impossible for such a mistake to happen, it has now agreed - as a gesture of goodwill - to reimburse a total of £379.68 including taxes but excluding card charges and other fees. This will appear on the payment card used to make the booking.

The original offer of a taxes-only refund was because you notified the airline outside the 24-hour grace period for flight cancellations. If customers discover a mistake like this within 24 hours it is possible to obtain a fare refund. However, there is a cancellation charge of £30 per passenger and charges for payment cards and checked luggage are non-refundable. Do not despair of getting away in October. Prices may fall, especially on charter flights, so keep an eye on a price comparison site like skyscanner.net or kayak.co.uk.

Citi Dividend visa 5% Cashback offer

Apply for a Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students


 you can earn 5% cash back on eligible purchases within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands, car rental agencies, movie theaters and theme parks from July 1, 2013, to September 30, 2013, upon enrollment.20% Intro APR on purchases for 7 months. After that, 13.99% – 23.99% variable based on your creditworthiness1each quarter on new must-have categories – like department stores, travel and more, upon enrollment.2
1% cash back cash back on all other purchases.



$0 Liability on unauthorized charges
No Annual Fee1
Online Services, including account management, online-only statements, account activity, and faster payments

citi aadvantage american express card review

If you apply for citi aadvantage card from American Airlines, you may have noticed that there is a non Visa-version. It’s officially called the Citi Select AAdvantage American Express.
Now most people generally think of AmEx as being cream of the crop. I’m not here to say my opinion one way or another on that, but the fact is this card is not issued by American Express. It merely operates over their payment network, that’s all.
The issuer of this card is still Citibank, who is also the issuer of the other AAdvantage cards.
So that brings us to the question… which one should you choose? Well compare and review them side-by-side… I think the choice is obvious.

	Citi® / AAdvantage® American Express® Card	Citi® Gold / AAdvantage® Visa Signature® Card	Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® Visa Signature® Card
Type	AmEx	Visa Signature	Visa Signature
Annual Fee	$50	$50	$95
Get no blackout dates on award travel	Yes	Yes	Yes
25% savings on eligible in-flight purchases	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chip and PIN (Signature) technology	No	Yes	Yes
Free First Checked Bag	No	No	Yes
Priority Boarding	No	No	Yes
Earn 10% of your redeemed miles back (up to 10k annually)	No	No	Yes

So basically, the AAdvantage American Express card is on par with the Gold Visa Signature. Both have a $50 annual fee and most of their benefits are the same.
The most noticeable difference between the two is that the Visa version has EMV chip and signature technology. Meanwhile the AmEx does not.
If Visa & AmEx are almost the same, why do they have both?
This is a question I get asked a lot about credit cards. You will often see banks with a card that’s available as both a Visa and MasterCard, or in this instance, a Visa and American Express.
While I don’t know specifically why Citibank offers an American Airlines AmEx, my guess is that it stems from the various antitrust settlements over the past few years.
You see previously, the major banks would only issue one type of card. To make a long story short, after various lawsuits and settlements, they agreed to each offer cards for the 3 biggest payment networks (Visa/MC/AmEx).
This is why you see Bank of America offering AmEx on a couple cards, which is quite ironic because BofA was actually the inventor of Visa!
The Winner of the 3 versions is…
… definitely the Platinum Visa. There are 3 major reasons why it’s the obvious choice:
1. First checked bag is free
You get this for yourself as well as up to four other passengers if they’re traveling under your same reservation. The AmEx and Visa Gold versions do not include this perk.
Given that just one checked bag normally costs $25 one way – $50 round trip – even if you just use this benefit once per year, it makes the extra $45 for the annual fee worth it.
2. Priority boarding privileges
You only get this on the Platinum. It allows you (and up to 4 people traveling under your same reservation) priority boarding with group 1 privileges on all American Airlines flights.
3. Better rewards
There are several aspects of the AAdvantage Platinum that are superior to the other two versions:
Double AAdvantage miles on American Airlines purchases.
Get 10% of your redeemed miles back – up to 10,000 miles per calendar year.
$100 flight discount awarded each year you make at least $30k in purchases and renew your card.

Citi ThankYou Premier free Companion Ticket review

 Citi ThankYou Premier Companion Ticket

Pros

Earn frequent flyer miles for both primary cardholder's flight and companion flight

Authorized user on the credit card also eligible for companion ticket

Able to upgrade with miles and upgrade certificates, depending on fare class

Cons

Companion ticket only works with paid ticket

Domestic travel only (can book international travel with the Citi Thank You Prestige Card)

Coach travel only

Must book with Spirit Incentives, where fares generally 15%-35% more expensive

Delta flights currently not available online; must call to book

citi thankyou premier companion airfare travel benefit is entitled to receive one free companion airfare each year (12 month renewal period) with the purchase of a like published fare coach class ticket from Spirit Incentives. One of the travelers must be the primary registered Citi Thankyou® Premier cardmember.

 To qualify for the complimentary companion airfare ticket,economy class airfare ticket must be purchased at the published fare from Spirit Incentives

all itineraries must be identical, a minimum 4 days advance purchase, roundtrip, one way, or multiple destination tickets. Multiple destination itinerary provide for two flights (departure and return) similar to round trip itinerary, however the return flight can be from a city other than the arrival city on the departure. Open tickets, open returns, open jaws, prepaid tickets, circle trips or stopovers are not permitted. Spirit Incentives will offer all the available scheduled jet or commuter service airline and routing made available by the global distribution system (GDS) utilized by Spirit Incentives and may not be able honor requests for specific airports, airlines, flight times or routings. Code share flights do not apply.

 you must contact Spirit Incentives at least 72 hours prior to your scheduled departure to cancel and rebook.

best travel credit card in singapore

As people take to the skies more often, demand for credit cards targeting singapore travellers has surged accordingly.

Many people are drawn to these cards by the various perks dangled by banks and credit card firms to entice those bitten by the travel bug. These cards are also targeted at different customer segments.
 below are some of the best travel rewards credit card in singapore


 the American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card, which was launched last Tuesday, targets regular fliers on Singapore Airlines and SilkAir.

Cardholders can earn one KrisFlyer mile for every $1.20 spent on eligible purchases. KrisFlyer miles can be redeemed for free tickets or free upgrades on the two carriers and their partner airlines.



Some banks target their credit cards at travellers who are looking to maximise their travel rewards from both overseas and local transactions.

One such card is the OCBC Titanium MasterCard, launched in 2004, which has one of the most generous air miles schemes.

OCBC Bank's head of core cards and unsecured lending, Ms Wong Chung Yee, said the card caters to the "increasing number of people opting for free and easy travel" and who tend to do their own online hotel bookings.

Besides earning 2.5 miles for every foreign dollar spent, Titanium cardholders can earn 2.5 miles for every $1 spent at popular local nightspots such as Mink and Butter Factory.

Also competing in the air miles department is the UOB PRVI Miles Platinum American Express Card, which offers 2.5 miles for every $1 spent. As an added incentive, cardholders who accumulate their purchases on the card can earn an additional 20,000 bonus miles if they spend more than $50,000 per year, said United Overseas Bank's Gan Ai Im, managing director of cards and payments.

Maybank adopts a different approach, aiming to help cardholders save on administrative charges.

Its Horizon Platinum Visa Card lets cardholders enrol for free in the Maybank Frequent Flyer Programme, and enjoy fee waiver for conversion of points to air miles.

Frequent travellers to Australia and New Zealand can consider the ANZ Travel Visa Signature Card.

ANZ launched a promotion for the card in April whereby every $1 spent on direct flight bookings with airlines or purchases in Australia and New Zealand can earn cardholders 2.8 miles.

ANZ Singapore's head of retail banking Philip Lim said: "As air travel becomes increasingly affordable and accessible in recent years, we notice that Singaporeans are travelling overseas more frequently for both leisure and business... a significant portion of Singaporean travellers begin to value air miles and travel-related privileges and rewards."

One common gripe of travellers with air miles on their credit cards is that these miles expire after a certain period of time, but there are several cards that are more generous in this area.

Among them are the DBS Altitude American Express Card and the DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card, which have no expiry for points accumulated and, as an added incentive, 10,000 bonus miles are awarded when the annual fee is paid.

Similarly, there are no expiry and no cap on miles earned on the Citi PremierMiles card, which awards 1.2 miles for every $1 spent.

The number of Citi PremierMiles card members has grown 20 per cent year-on-year since its launch in July 2007, said Ms Jacquelyn Tan, Citibank Singapore's head of credit payment products.

rewards cards that allow you to redeem points with multiple airlines

Many credit cards let you earn travel rewards. The ones I like best give you more flexibility in your choice of rewards. These cards allow you to accrue points then redeem them with multiple airlines, so you have more options when it comes time to cash in points or miles.

One of my favorite programs is American Express Membership Rewards with the Platinum Card. With Membership Rewards, you can pay for all or part of your tickets with points by booking through American Express Travel, so you can fly with almost any airline.

You can also pay with points when booking hotels, vacation packages and cruises.

You also have the option of transferring your points into your frequent-flier program with some airlines.

I have an American Express Platinum Card, and while the annual fee of $450 is not cheap, the benefits are worth it for me. You can get entrance into the airport clubs of American, Delta and US Airways, plus membership in Priority Pass, which offers entrance to more than 600 lounges worldwide.

The airport club memberships cost between $450 and $500 per club, so this benefit has a value of close to $1,500 for the three airline clubs.

You’ll also get a $200 annual credit for airline fees. You can also get a buy-one, get-one-free in business class on some international routes. Those fares are a big chunk of change, but can be well worth it for a business traveler who purchases business-class fares.

If you have a secondary card for a spouse, the spouse can also get free entrance into the American, Delta and US Airways airport clubs. The secondary card costs $175 per year, but membership for these three clubs would cost close to $2,500 for both of you.

American Express also offers other cards like the Green Card, which has a cheaper annual fee of $95 that is waived for the first year.

You still earn one point per dollar spent on most purchases, but you do not get all of the perks that come with the Platinum card. The two American Express cards mentioned above are charge cards, not credit cards, so they must be paid in full each month.

American Express was the pioneer on points that can be used with multiple airlines. Now other cards have come along with similar structures. Capital One, Chase Sapphire and BankAmericard Travel Rewards have lower annual fees and fewer perks. One nice thing about these four cards is that they don’t charge foreign transaction fees.

If you’ve got good credit, you can get the Capital One Venture Rewards card, which gives you two miles per dollar spent.

You can redeem miles for travel on any airline, miles don’t expire and you don’t have to worry about blackout dates. The annual fee is $59 and is waived for the first year. Visit capitalone.com.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a very nice sign-up bonus of 40,000 points when you spend at least $3,000 in the first three months. This is worth about $500 in airfare. You earn two points per dollar spent on travel and dining and one point on other purchases. You’ll save 20 percent off travel when you redeem points for airfare, hotel, car rentals and cruises with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.

You’ll also receive a 7 percent dividend at the end of the year. The annual fee is $95 and is waived for the first year. Visit creditcards.chase.com/sapphire.

BankAmericard Travel Rewards offers 1.5 points per dollar spent on everything, and it has no annual fee. You’ll earn a bonus of 10,000 points if you spend at least $500 in the first 90 days.

You can book travel however you choose, then visit the Travel Rewards website to redeem points for a statement credit on your account. You can even pay for your baggage fees. Visit bankofamerica.com/travelrewards.

What I like about these programs is that it can be much easier to get award travel. If you’ve ever tried to book a frequent-flier seat, it can be difficult to find seats for 25,000 points or miles and it could cost you 50,000 points or miles for a coach-class ticket.

With the programs above, you don’t have blackout dates, and if the airfare is available for $250, it won’t cost me more than 25,000 points.

citi simplicity card has higher interest rates After 18 month

Citi bank has a new card, called "Simplicity", which it thinks has terms that will attract a lot of new customers. On the surface, the new citi simplicity card looks great, but in my opinion there are much better options out there.

The card will have no annual fees, no interest on purchases and transfers for 18 months, and no late fees. This all sounds great, but the good times will only last you for 18 months.

After the 18 month period is over, the interest rate on the cards will be less competitive than other cards out there, running somewhere between 13 percent and 22 percent depending on your credit score.

Another big disadvantage to the card is that there is no reward program attached. Consumers that do not take advantage of reward programs are giving away free money. Some reward programs are worthless, but there are some great reward programs out there that offer everything from cash back to airline miles.

The not-having late fees is nice, but if that is the main selling point for you, you probably shouldn't be getting another credit card in the first place.

In an ideal world, we could all pay off our total balance every month, but this is not an ideal world. Things come up, and there is nothing wrong with carrying a balance as long as you make payments each month. But these are not the type of people that Citi wants to target with these cards. It wants people that charge a lot, and then pay their minimum payments each month.

Citi is banking on finding customers that will be carrying a big balance when their 18 month introductory period ends, and then the above average interest rates will more than make up for the interest it didn't charge during the first 18 months.

Citibank claims that the new offering is designed to help people responsibly manage their finances, but I believe it is really an attempt to lure in people to carry bigger balances. The recent recession resulted in better card management by consumers, and this has had a negative impact on credit-card revenues at banks. Citi's card operations have experienced a three percent drop in revenues over the last six months, and I believe it is hoping this new card will help change that trend.

Lured in by the 0% interest rate on purchases, people are much more likely to run up big balances, and then get left facing the high interest rates down the road when their balances are too high to pay off.

The best way to take advantage of this offer would be to use the card for 18 months, and then transfer your balance to a lower interest rate card after your introductory period ends. There are much better offers out there, so be aware of them before you carry a high balance at a high interest rate.

Citi Dividend Card For College Students review

The Citi Dividend Card for College Students is one of the best student cards offering cash rewards when you spend on the card. This Citi student card gives you bonus cash back on certain eligible purchases and 1% cash back for all the other purchases you make with your card.

Unlike a debit card, student credit cards can help you establish a credit history, and if you make purchases with it and pay your bills on time, you would build a good credit score over time, which is important when you find employment in the future or apply for loans.

Here is a detailed review of the Citi Dividend Card for College Students, highlighting the pros and cons of this student credit card and how it best benefits you.

Things We Like About This Card

No annual fee. Get cash rebates in return for your spending without paying any annual fee with this Citi Dividend Card for College Students.

0% introductory rate on purchases for 7 months. After the introductory period, the APR for purchases will be variable, between 13.99% and 23.99%, depending on your creditworthiness. You pay no interest if you make full payments every month.

Get bonus cash back from Citi on eligible purchases when you purchase in select categories such as travel, department stores and so on, with enrollment. For all other purchases you will earn 1% of what you spend.

Your rebates are earned as “Dividend Dollars”, which are payable in checks of $50 increments upon request.

Your Dividend Dollars don’t expire, as long as you have qualifying purchase activity at least once every 12 months unless the Citi Dividend Card Reward Program is terminated. This allows you to accumulate and redeem your rebates whenever you want.

No cosigner required if you have good enough credit.


Citi Photocard option. If you wish, you can have your photo and signature at the front of your credit card. What a great way of identifying yourself! It also makes it more difficult for someone else to use your card in person if your card gets stolen.

Fraud and security protection services as well as identity theft solutions, emergency cash replacement and lost or stolen card reporting.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. If you rent a car with your Citi card and damage the car in an accident or if it gets stolen, don’t worry about the cost since you will be covered automatically.

Retail Purchase Protection. This plan will protect you against any accidental damage or the theft of eligible purchases for up to 90 days from the date of purchase. This benefit is very useful for when you purchase expensive items like a laptop.

Free extended warranty. Citi will extend the original U.S. warranty (of one year or less) of the items you purchase by up to one year.


Our Least Favorite Things About This Card

Yearly rebate limit, that only allows you to earn a maximum of $300 in rebates per year. The good thing is that this rebate limit doesn’t apply to the rebates earned on purchases through the online Citi Bonus Cash Center which are unlimited. There’s also no limit on the Dividend Dollars that you are also eligible to earn when making balance transfers.

Citi ThankYou Cards Offering sports, dining and family experiences

Today Citi unveiled a series of music, sports, dining, comedy, theater and family experiences exclusively for Citi ThankYou cardmembers. As part of the new entertainment benefits of Citi ThankYou, Citi designed this special events lineup based on the interests of ThankYou cardmembers. Ranging from youth sports clinics to intimate culinary events, comedy shows and VIP concert access, these experiences are another example of how Citi is delivering more access to entertainment. Tickets to each special event can only be purchased with a Citi ThankYou card.

More Rewarding Entertainment for Citi ThankYou Cardmembers

The Citi ThankYou Preferred card now offers twice as many ThankYou Points for each dollar spent on both dining out and entertainment at no annual fee. ThankYou Points can be redeemed for a wide variety of rewards on thankyou.com like electronics and digital music downloads, and concert tickets on LiveNation.com. In addition, the Citi Private Pass entertainment access program offers Citi credit and Citibank debit card customers access to thousands of events including preferred seating, early access, VIP experiences, complimentary tickets and more.

"Our Citi Private Pass program rewards cardmembers by giving them more access to the entertainment they love and want, with thousands of events each year," said Jennifer Breithaupt, SVP of Entertainment Marketing, Citi Cards. "We're excited to introduce experiences curated exclusively for our Citi ThankYou cardmembers that give them special access to some of the best talent in music, sports, culinary, comedy and more."

Citi is offering ThankYou cardmembers a variety of experiences for the entire family, including clinics where young sports fans can learn skills and sportsmanship from professional baseball, football and basketball players.

"Experiencing the energy and pure love for the game that young players bring to the field is always fun, and I'm looking forward to being out there, at Citi Field, and teaching the kids some of the fundamentals of the game," said award-winning baseball slugger David Wright.

Added two-time championship MVP quarterback Eli Manning, "Growing up, football was a big part of our lives and brought not just fun and friendships, but an appreciation of sportsmanship on and off the field. It's always great to expose kids to the game at an early age, and I am happy to be working with Citi at their clinic for young football fans."

Experiences also include unique opportunities for cardmembers to enjoy popular music live.

"I love introducing new music to my fans in an intimate setting," said country music star Luke Bryan. "I'm really proud to work with Citi to create unique experiences for my fans."

Citi ThankYou Cardmember Event Lineup

A preliminary list of experiences to be offered to ThankYou cardmembers starting in August through December 2013 is below; additional events will be announced this fall in select major U.S. cities. Tickets are available exclusively for purchase with a Citi ThankYou, Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi ThankYou Premier or Citi Prestige card. More information on upcoming events and how to purchase tickets can be found at www.citi.com/thankyoucards. Space is limited and tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Comedy

-- New York Comedy Festival: New York (November 6-10)

Family

-- Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic VIP Experience: Chicago (September 13)

Music

-- Josh Groban VIP Experience: Chicago (October 20)

-- Austin Mahone Exclusive Pre-Show Experience and Concert Access: New York (October 24, 2013)

-- Luke Bryan VIP Experiences: New York/New Jersey Metro Area (August 24) and West Palm Beach, Fla. (October 26)

Sports

-- Youth Baseball Clinic with David Wright at Citi Field: New York (August 29)

-- Matt Forte Football Watch Party: Chicago (October 13)

-- Jerry Rice Youth Clinic: San Francisco (November 2)

-- Rob Gronkowski Youth Camp: Boston (November 10)

-- Mariano Rivera Youth Clinic: New York Metro Area (November 16)

-- Eli Manning Football Youth Clinic: New York/New Jersey Metro Area (Fall 2013 - Date to be Announced)

-- Yasiel Puig Youth Baseball Clinic: Los Angeles Metro Market (Fall 2013 - Date to be Announced)

Theatre

-- Motown the Musical VIP Experience: New York (December 5)

New Citi ThankYou Preferred Benefits

Citi ThankYou Preferred card is designed for people who love earning points for doing the things they enjoy. New and existing Citi ThankYou Preferred cardmembers can now earn two points for every dollar spent on dining at restaurants and entertainment: from their favorite coffee shop to fine dining, music downloads and movie rentals, to concert and sports tickets, museum admission and more. ThankYou Preferred cardmembers will continue to earn one point for every dollar spent on other purchases, with no annual fee. There is no limit to the amount of ThankYou Points cardmembers can earn for purchases, and their points do not expire. More information including how apply for a Citi ThankYou Preferred card is available at www.citi.com/thankyoucards.

amex Centurion free first-class upgrades

American Express Centurion
 Annual fee: $2,500
 When it launched in 1999, American Express’s Centurion card, made from titanium, essentially defined the premium card category, and it’s still the most exclusive card out there. Cardholders pay a one-time $5,000 joining fee and $2,500 annually.

 They also must spend at least $250,000 annually on an Amex Platinum or Gold card. Michael Dolen, founder and CEO of CreditCardForum.com, says the Centurion isn’t that much better than the Amex Platinum Card, which gives you many of the same benefits for only a $450 annual fee. What you can’t get with the Platinum card, however, is elite status on Delta and US Airways. That means Centurion holders are eligible for free first-class upgrades on those airlines when flying domestically – and when space is available, says Brian Kelly, of ThePointsGuy.com.

One of the plushest perks for Centurion holders is access to the Centurion Lounge, which opened in Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport in February. All Amex cardmembers can purchase one-day access to the lounge for $50; Centurion cardholders get in free. The lounge’s amenities include a shower suite, family room, gourmet buffet and computer bar.

Citibank increased platinum card applications in Malaysia

Citibank increased conversions by 42 percent in a recent retargeting campaign to generate new platinum card applications in Malaysia, which used DG Mediamind's creative optimization tool.

The ad management firm uses Smart Versioning technology, which allows marketers to manage multiple creative ad banners and serve up targeted messaging to specific audiences.

Nicholas Goh, associate director from MEC Malaysia, says the Citibank campaign has combined retargeting with DG's feature to optimize more than 80 banners based on user behavior to drive better conversions.

Citibank's direct response campaign started early this year to promote its new Reward Platinum credit card to online users in Malaysia.

MEC and Splash Interactive had to develop workflow, retargeting sequence, and strategy for the three-month long campaign that was executed in two phases.

In the first six weeks, consumers were exposed to banners from various categories such as dining, travel, and entertainment, which featured different creatives and messages.

For instance, if a user clicked on a travel-related banner but did not convert, she would be retargeted with another travel ad in subsequent impressions.

In the second phase, the team conducted a mid-campaign analysis to retarget users that have signed up for the platinum cards.

Post-conversion banners were served on the bank's website to communicate other benefits, reward points, and rebates for the card.

As a result, DG said the campaign attracted 42 percent more requests for credit card applications compared to a previous retargeting campaign that did not include a behavioral component.

The ad management firm also claimed that overall production time was reduced as creative agency Splash only took three days to produce 87 banner versions using an Excel feature from its tool.