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Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card
Since I received three reader questions over the weekend about this benefit, I thought it warranted some clarification.
The new Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card is a Visa Infinite card.
In addition to Gold Elite status (which is honored at Marriott hotels, comes complimentary the first year and that you retain each year you spend $10,000 on the card); a $300 Airline Fee credit, $100 Global Entry credit, and unlimited use $100 Airline Ticket discounts when buying for 2 or more passengers; 3 complimentary upgrades to The Ritz-Carlton Club® Level each year valid on paid stays of up to seven nights; plus airport lounge access and a premium concierge, the card gives you:
- A great signup bonus of 3 complimentary nights at any participating Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton hotel after $5,000 spend on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card also offers a $100 discount on the cost of two passengers traveling roundtrip in domestic economy.
Note that this benefit is offered with the Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card and the Visa Infinite from City National Bank. It isn’t offered with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.
With this benefit between 2 and 5 passengers can travel on the same itinerary and the cardmember must be one of those passengers. You just make the purchase through the Visa Discount Air site.
You can use this as many times as you like. If you travel with someone regularly the savings can add up. And it can amount to some phenomenal airfare savings when coupled with sale fares, for instance I’ve recently seen Boston – Houston for $116 roundtrip, Chicago – Phoenix for $106, and Los Angeles – Atlanta for $181. You’d effectively pay ‘full price’ for one of those tickets and get the second for a pittance.
It gets even better. The benefit is $100 off the total price of all passengers on the itinerary, not $100 per passenger. So if your fare is less than $100 per person, you’re still going to get $100 off. Take an $80 roundtrip, $160 for 2 passengers, your net cost is $60 for both.
The fares I’ve seen reported through the Visa Discount Air site have matched the best available fares elsewhere, with the caveat that not all airlines are available. However United, Delta, and American are. So are Alaska, JetBlue, and Virgin America.
The airlines we know cannot be booked through this offer are Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest and Spirit Airlines.
Here’s how you book:
- Go to the Visa Discount Air website for the Ritz-Carlton card.
- Enter your credit card number, this is used to verify your eligibility for the offer as a Visa Infinite cardholder.
- Search for your preferred flight itinerary
- Complete the purchase with your Visa Infinite credit card.
That’s really all there is to it, though bear in mind that it’s $100 off per itinerary not per person. There’s no extra benefit for a third, fourth, or fifth passenger. And you’re not going to split up to do multiple bookings in order to save more on a single trip, since the cardholder’s name on the Visa Infinite card must be the primary traveler on the itinerary to qualify for the discount.
Roundtrip tickets with a minimum of one day advance purchase are required, and these are available for travel only within the 50 US states.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card
“The benefit is $100 off the total price for everyone on the itinerary. ”
“That’s really all there is to it, though bear in mind that it’s $100 off per itinerary not per person.”
I know the answer is the latter, but these two statements contradict each other and the whole reason for the post. You might want to word the former differently.
Does the Visa Airfare site allow multi-city routing? I love this benefit – it easily covers the annual fee if you are flying with your significant other or friend regularly… just four flights would do it!
Also indirectly works for first class with a certain airline if you know what to do.
Any effect to miles-earning by booking through the Visa Air Discount site? I.e., do these show up as regular or consolidator/tour operator tickets?
Wow Gary, quite the baited title. Here I thought I could use my CSR card (it’s a Visa Infinite, after all) to get this benefit but of course that isn’t the case. But here, have a page view.
@ gobluetwo — I have received “regular” fare classes on all of the tickets I have purchased. When booking Delta tickets, I have always been offered three choices at the end of the booking process — cheapest (Basic Economy with no changes, no seat assigns), Regular Economy, and Comfort+.
@Gene I thought the type of fare (regular vs. bulk/exception) was independent of the fare type (Y, Q, L, etc.)? That is to say, you could be either a regular W (Comfort+), or bulk W, depending on how the ticket was marketed. Julian did a writeup on findings with the Chase portal, but I don’t know how the Visa portal works: http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2016/09/30/bet-you-didnt-know-is-chase-using-bulk-fares-for-sapphire-reserve-tickets/
@Jody Nichols it is a Visa Infinite benefit, just one that Chase didn’t opt into for that product. [It’s provided with the City National Visa Infinite as well]. As I’ve written several times, card products are a three-party effort between bank issuer, co-brand partner, and payment network.
@Jim seemed clear to me but I’ll clarify further if it struck you as confusing
@Gene
How are you getting first class? I’m not able to unless you’re able to upgrade after booking? I’m not even able to see coach plus, etc?
@Gary Leff, Jim – I agree, the phrasing of “The benefit is $100 off the total price for everyone on the itinerary. ” seems to suggest that each person gets $100 off, not that the $100 off is for the itinerary, irrespective of the number of people (assuming it’s anywhere from 2-5).
@ Sean — The way you said.
@ Hari — Interesting. My DL tix have posted as non-bulk thus far.
What about HA? Anyone living in Hawaii would definitely want to know about that, because this discount would be amazing on the inexpensive island hops..
I can’t figure out the rationale for why paid F isn’t also included.
Not sure if that was mentioned
it works only for domestic flights
too bad
@brteacher it works with Island Air, Hawaiian Airlines and Mokulele Airlines, I can see it in the result page.
@Gary Leff, this benefits (discount) also applies to AU, and since AU are free to add (same cc number, just different name on it), the whole family can take advantage of that.
Chase Sapphire Reserve is an Infinite card, no? Does this $100 discount work with Reserve?
Thanks,
@Burt Hellman – no
Do the free 12 passes for go-go wifi/ yr apply for CSR visa infinite card holders. Thanx
@Gary that’s a benefit of Amex Business Platinum not CSR