Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

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GenawithanE
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Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by GenawithanE »

We had planned a big trip for fall of 2020 :annoyed but covid, you know. We’re getting ready to rebook it. Although we have airline credits with United, they only cover half of the expected new airfare. We will pay for hotels and rental cars and most of the excursions ahead of time to a US travel consultant. But there will still be meals and drinks and incidentals.
we have a Capital One card that has no fees on international transactions, but i’m wondering if we should get a new card to get benefits from the big airfare spend and the travel spend.

Any suggestions if we should and what is best? we usually fly on United.
DSInvestor
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by DSInvestor »

Do you have a Costco visa card (costco membership is required)? This card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and gives 4% on gas, 3% back on restaurant and travel related charges.
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gougou
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by gougou »

I have the Alliant Visa Signature card that has no foreign transaction fees and gets 2.5% cash back on everything up to $10K/month.
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bob60014
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by bob60014 »

Some cards exclude rewards when dining or entertainment while overseas, so be sure the card covers it while abroad, if this is part of your strategy.
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ApeAttack
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by ApeAttack »

DSInvestor wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 10:28 am Do you have a Costco visa card (costco membership is required)? This card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and gives 4% on gas, 3% back on restaurant and travel related charges.
This is the card I use for all gas and travel related purchases.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by ResearchMed »

GenawithanE wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 10:23 am We had planned a big trip for fall of 2020 :annoyed but covid, you know. We’re getting ready to rebook it. Although we have airline credits with United, they only cover half of the expected new airfare. We will pay for hotels and rental cars and most of the excursions ahead of time to a US travel consultant. But there will still be meals and drinks and incidentals.
we have a Capital One card that has no fees on international transactions, but i’m wondering if we should get a new card to get benefits from the big airfare spend and the travel spend.

Any suggestions if we should and what is best? we usually fly on United.
Have a great time! We got our Australia/New Zealand cruise and land trip in just before Covid hit. (We returned mid-December, 2019... just in time to sequester in the convenience of our own home!)
It was wonderful, and we wish we'd had more time.

In terms of charge cards, if you are traveling long distances and might appreciate business class on those flights, consider getting a charge card that has points that can be used for flights on an airline you might use.
Many agree that the best use of awards points is for premium class travel on top international carriers. (Occasionally using awards to get F instead of business is a relative bargain, but the real value usually is the jump to comfy flat bed business class.)

We tend to use Amex or an American Airlines Citicard, and one other. So we have an Amex, a Mastercard, and a Visa, but it's the associated airline program and network that matter. Amex and AA each have a large number of partner airlines, and they don't overlap much.
Additionally, some tickets can be purchased using points on Airline A to get tickets on Airline B (who is not in the same program network).

Also look to open a card that gives a hefty bonus (try for 100k points, but at least 50k) for opening and spending $X within the first Y months. And you'll also have all of those travel expenses counted for points... for future travel. :happy

Especially going west, the fees are minimal. (Some "fees" for using points to Europe can be... high!)

Just make sure you use a card while traveling overseas that does not have a foreign use fee. And if you are offered the chance to convert the purchase to US Dollars DECLINE. The merchant will select a nice high "exchange rate". Let your charge card vendor do the currency conversion at regular exchange rates

Have fun!

RM
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koryg75
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by koryg75 »

Go to one of the various travel blogs and find the best signup bonus for your situation.
dlm2827
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by dlm2827 »

My wife and I are trying to set up a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Have checked various travel companies, but none has an itinerary that excites us. We want to see the major sites in each country and also get to a number of wineries in each country. Don't know what your itinerary is, but if it checks both those boxes, would you mind sharing it? Thanks in advance!
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GenawithanE
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by GenawithanE »

y dlm2827 » Sat May 21, 2022 2:37 pm

My wife and I are trying to set up a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Have checked various travel companies, but none has an itinerary that excites us. We want to see the major sites in each country and also get to a number of wineries in each country. Don't know what your itinerary is, but if it checks both those boxes, would you mind sharing it? Thanks in advance!
We are not folks who go on a set tour, but rather roll our own. For this trip, we are working with Swain Destinations out of the Philly area, which was recommended to us by friends. Our consultant did a great job of taking our ideas and putting together an itinerary that made sense of them. I love wine but unfortunately my DH does not, so there is just one day of wine tasting for me in the Yarra Valley while we are in Melbourne. We're going to the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Melbourne, the Blue Mountains, and both the North and South Islands in NZ.
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oldcomputerguy
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by oldcomputerguy »

dlm2827 wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 1:37 pm My wife and I are trying to set up a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Have checked various travel companies, but none has an itinerary that excites us. We want to see the major sites in each country and also get to a number of wineries in each country. Don't know what your itinerary is, but if it checks both those boxes, would you mind sharing it? Thanks in advance!
Like ResearchMed, we got a trip to New Zealand in under the wire (Feb 2020). We took a cruise offered by Azamara that hit most of the places in New Zealand that we wanted to hit. Unfortunately, due to a last-minute travel snafu with our airline, we were unable to board the ship in Sydney as originally planned and had to meet it at the first port of call (Dunedin), so we ended up missing seeing Milford and Doubtful Sounds. In looking for a return trip, we're seeing good itineraries from Azamara, and also from Oceania Cruises. You should check both of these cruise lines for their New Zealand offerings. They both typically either start or end their New Zealand itinerary at some port in Australia (Melbourne or Sydney generally).

We also looked at Viking's Australia / New Zealand offering, but it doesn't hit as many ports in New Zealand as do the other guys, and don't take in Milford or Doubtful Sound at all.

As for a credit card to use while travelling, we've used a Capital One 1.5% cash back card for the last several trips we've taken, never had a problem. As backup, I usually will also take our (Chase) United Airlines Visa. None of these have foreign transaction fees.
GenawithanE wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 2:09 pm I love wine but unfortunately my DH does not, so there is just one day of wine tasting for me in the Yarra Valley while we are in Melbourne. We're going to the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Melbourne, the Blue Mountains, and both the North and South Islands in NZ.
If you happen to get to Picton, you'll be pretty much in the heart of the Marlborough wine region, which is noted for its white wines.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by ResearchMed »

oldcomputerguy wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 2:21 pm Like ResearchMed, we got a trip to New Zealand in under the wire (Feb 2020)
You cut it *really* close! :shock:

And oldcomputerguy, do try to see those Sounds someday. We had a nice clear day, and there was one point where the sides of the fjords went almost straight up on either side of us, and they were ... *very* tall. Apparently the tallest tops out at a mile high. But I'm not sure if that was "right next to the ship"...?

We were in Sydney just as they were having those wildfires, and it really interfered with our stay there... but not nearly as much as it interfere with the lives/homes of people living there.
There were some times we could barely see the big building right across the street from our hotel, the smoke was so thick. And many times when we couldn't see more than perhaps half a block away. So we didn't do as much sightseeing in Sydney as we had hoped to be able to do.

We were already in Sydney when the volcano at White Island (NZ) blew ... with tourists there. That was horrific, and I'm glad we were nowhere near that area then. It was unnerving to read as they rescued survivors, and recovered those ... not...
We hadn't been on an excursion there, but it gave us chills nevertheless.

We did get to see some of the "exotic" (to us) animals there, some very up close and personal, and those experiences were truly special. At one place, I was watching a koala bear when DH suddenly softly said, "RM, you are *surrounded* by kangaroos!" Indeed I was. Our guide handed me some appropriate food and they were nibbling out of my hand. [This was in a rescue sanctuary; these animals were never going to be released back in the wild for various reasons.]
And elsewhere, DH had a meerkat in classic "Meerkat Sentinel Position", right on his lap.

We hope we'll be able to return.

RM
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Watty
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by Watty »

Be sure to check which credit cards still cover rental car damage. A lot of credit cards dropped that a year or two ago.

Also check to make sure that Australia and New Zealand are not on the list of countries that are excluded from rental car coverage. I don't recall seeing them but with driving on the left they might be.

Be sure to have multiple credit cards just in case there is a problem with your main credit card. If you are traveling with a spouse then you should each have a card that the other does not have. That way you will still have a card that works if something happens like a wallet or purse is lost or stolen and you have to cancel the credit cards that are in it.
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by dbr »

When we were there it did seem that AMEX tended to sometimes not be accepted when others were, at least in shops and restaurants.
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by Barkingsparrow »

Watty wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 3:48 pm Be sure to check which credit cards still cover rental car damage. A lot of credit cards dropped that a year or two ago.

Also check to make sure that Australia and New Zealand are not on the list of countries that are excluded from rental car coverage. I don't recall seeing them but with driving on the left they might be.

Be sure to have multiple credit cards just in case there is a problem with your main credit card. If you are traveling with a spouse then you should each have a card that the other does not have. That way you will still have a card that works if something happens like a wallet or purse is lost or stolen and you have to cancel the credit cards that are in it.
Watty - I believe NZ requires international drivers to carry accident/rental car damage coverage as part of the rental car agreement. It did the one time we rented a car for 2 weeks.
corpgator
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Re: Best CC for Australia/New Zealand vacay

Post by corpgator »

Capitol one venture rewards will give you 75k points that you can use towards travel purchases once you spend $4k in the first 3 months. Would probably pay for a nice chunk of the vacation. 2 points per dollar spent. $95 fee. I'd look at other similar cards like chase sapphire preferred or citi premier. Signup bonuses are the way to go.
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