$2,000 in Travel Card Annual Fees? Learn How to Audit Your Wallet to Make Sure They’re Worth It (Video Episode)

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways – Episode Summary

Episode Title:
$2,000 in Travel Card Annual Fees? Learn How to Audit Your Wallet to Make Sure They’re Worth It

Date:
November 26, 2025

Hosts:
Sally French & Megan Coyle (NerdWallet Travel Experts)
Special Guest:
Elizabeth Iola (Host, Smart Money podcast)

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on a candid wallet audit with special guest Elizabeth Iola, who’s juggling credit cards with a combined $2,000 in annual fees. The NerdWallet travel experts break down whether those fees are justified, how to evaluate credit card benefits, and practical strategies for optimizing travel rewards. The discussion offers insights into maximizing travel dollars, understanding airline industry changes, and leveraging elite travel perks—providing listeners with a real-world blueprint for making their own credit card choices.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Travel Trends and Deals [01:24 – 07:51]

• Travel volume & modes:

  • Sally notes Thanksgiving is historically the busiest travel weekend, especially the Sunday after (01:30).
  • Air travel bookings are slightly down by 3.3% this year; driving and vacation rentals (up 8%) are more popular (01:56–02:45).

• Booking tips & deals:

  • Megan and Tess highlight their comprehensive NerdWallet Black Friday/Cyber Monday travel deals list—covering airfare, cruises, and hotels (03:16–03:52).
  • Emphasis on using new credit cards for large purchases to hit sign-up bonuses (03:55).

2. Major Airline News: Emirates Upgrades [04:05 – 07:51]

• Partnerships and expansions:

  • Emirates & Air Canada extend their codeshare through 2032, offering smoother international flight connections (04:38).
  • New aircraft orders: Emirates adds 8 more Airbus A350s, growing their long-haul fleet (05:14).
  • Premium Economy review:
    • Sally describes Emirates’ premium economy: “they recline so much that I was like, I feel like I’m in my lazy boy in the living room” (05:28).

• Inflight experience:

  • Emirates upgrades include free, fast Starlink WiFi and new seats for every A380 and 777 by 2027—the largest Starlink-enabled fleet worldwide (06:41–07:25).
  • Starlink enables streaming, video chats, and even online gaming mid-flight.

---

3. Credit Card Wallet Audit: Is $2,000 in Annual Fees Worth It? [09:01 – 28:48]

Elizabeth’s Situation & Card Inventory [09:11 – 10:33]

• Single mom, based in Houston, loves dining out, groceries, travel, shopping.
• No outstanding debt except a car loan.
• Card lineup:
  • Amex Blue Cash Preferred
  • Amex Platinum
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve
  • Citi AA Advantage (with lounge access upgrade)
  • TJ Maxx Card (no annual fee)

The Audit Begins

The hosts systematically examine each card, weighing the annual fees against real, used benefits:

---

A. Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795/year) [12:34 – 15:48]

• Annual $300 travel credit — “I travel pretty often, so I could use that.” – Elizabeth (12:58)
• Lounge access:
  • Elizabeth: “I’m a lounge girly. I love a lounge.” (13:02)
• Dining credit $152/year, easy to use for fancy restaurants [13:47]
• StubHub, Apple TV, Peloton credits: Not utilized, but open to exploring.
• Points balance: 83,000 Chase points unused.
• Hosts' assessment:
  • Annual statement credits used + lounge access generally outweigh the fee.

“You have at least justified this annual fee with those.” – Tess Viglin [15:28]

---

B. Amex Platinum ($895/year) [15:50 – 18:56]

• Hotel & airline credits: Not used; Elizabeth seldom stays in hotels and no longer checks bags (“I have learned to pack efficiently… I will cry if you check in my bag.” – Elizabeth, 16:41)
• Uber/Uber Eats ($200 annual): “I’m an Uber Eats girly.” – Elizabeth (17:14)
• Dining (Resy) credit: Interested in using after reviewing eligible restaurants.
• Digital entertainment & Saks Fifth credits: Not maximized (prefers thrifting).
• Lululemon credit ($300/year): Will use—“I buy workout clothes to motivate me to work out.” (18:29)
• Lounge access: Central to card's value—regular Centurion Lounge user.

Hosts’ Value Summary:

• Uber Eats, Resy, and Lululemon credits alone cover most of the annual fee.

---

C. Card Value Evaluation — The Lounge Math [18:56 – 21:08]

• Lounge “value” calculations: Hosts suggest factoring cost of airport food/drinks (~$25-50/visit) times lounge visits. Elizabeth averages 10 visits/year.
• Elizabeth’s justification:
  • “Can I justify, hey, if I would have not had that lounge access and bought, I don’t know, 10 meals… You know, does that count?” (19:34)
• Hidden value: Additional lounge access via Amex to Delta Sky Clubs when booked properly.

---

D. Citi AA Advantage Card (w/ Lounge tier) [21:18 – 23:39]

• Annual Fee: ~$500 (with lounge access)
• Benefit misalignment:
  • Elizabeth doesn’t check bags and now lives in Houston (United hub), but prefers American out of loyalty.
  • Chose it primarily for lounge access, which is now eclipsed by better Centurion lounges.
• Recommendation:
  • “I think we'd recommend probably considering getting rid of that card.” – Claire Socie [22:23]
• Transferring points: Miles already in AA account are safe if card is closed.

---

E. Amex Blue Cash Preferred ($95/year) [23:39 – 25:59]

• Grocery spending: Now maximized for 6% cashback at US supermarkets (Kroger, H-E-B) after retention offer education.
• Spends ~$500/month (so annual cashback well over $95 fee).
• Comparison: Swapping to Blue Cash Everyday would net less cashback.

---

F. TJ Maxx Card

• No annual fee. Laura keeps it open for average credit age.

---

G. Summary of Recommendation [27:14 – 28:48]

• Drop the Citi AA Advantage (high fee, little real value).
• Consider replacing it with the more affordable United card (better fit for Houston, free checked bags, lounge passes).
• Keep maximizing current card benefits, but monitor for burnout in managing multiple “bougie coupon book credits.”

“You do have to just calculate the anxiety of managing all these benefits… Sometimes it’s stressful and… not worth paying this annual fee.” – Tess Viglin [28:13]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sally French, on Emirates premium economy:
  “They recline so much that I was like, I feel like I’m in my lazy boy in the living room.” [05:28]

• On lounge value justification:
  “If you’re someone who would pay for two airport cocktails… maybe you might value a lounge at $50.” – Tess Viglin [20:06]

• Elizabeth, about luggage:
  “If you check in my bag, I will cry.” [16:53]

• Managing complex credit portfolios:
  “I have a document called ‘expiring things’... Did I use my Uber credit for every month? ...It’s very stressful.” – Tess Viglin [28:04]

• Elizabeth’s “hot takeoff”:
  “First class should have a do not disturb or do not talk to me sign.” [29:49]

---

Important Timestamps

• Major travel trends & booking data: [01:24 – 02:49]
• Emirates news & inflight WiFi upgrades: [04:05 – 07:25]
• Elizabeth introduces her lifestyle and cards: [09:11 – 10:33]
• Annual fee shock & justification: [11:09 – 12:07]
• Chase Sapphire Reserve deep dive: [12:34 – 15:48]
• Amex Platinum audit: [15:50 – 18:56]
• Lounge access calculations: [18:56 – 21:08]
• Citi AA card critique: [21:18 – 23:39]
• Amex Blue Cash Preferred analysis: [23:39 – 25:59]
• Card closure & downgrade recommendations: [26:03 – 28:48]
• Hot takeoff segment – do not disturb in first class: [29:49 – 31:09]

---

Actionable Takeaways

• Regularly audit your credit cards— match benefits to your real-world usage.
• Be wary of “coupon book stress”: It’s not just about value, but also the hassle of tracking benefits.
• Downgrade or swap cards—especially airline cards if you’ve changed your travel habits or home airport.
• Use lounge access as a major point of value, but run the math based on your own habits, not just sticker price.
• Monitor and redeem unused points—money (and travel) left on the table help no one!

---

Closing Thoughts

This episode offers a toolkit for travelers to maximize travel credits and points without falling victim to credit card “bloat.” Through Elizabeth Iola’s practical audit, listeners get an honest, empathetic look at striking the right balance between aspirational travel perks and real-life use. And, as always, there’s the crucial reminder: “Don’t let managing your benefits become a second job!”

---

For more, follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts, and catch Elizabeth Iola on NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast for more personal finance wisdom.

---

Transcript

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[Elizabeth Iola]

You've earned it.

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Find your nearest Aerie store or shop [e-mail] Give Love Real.

[Sally French]

$2,000 a year in credit card annual fees.

[Megan Coyle]

That's what one of our fellow nerds is paying. But should she?

[Sally French]

We are doing a credit card consult with Smart Money's Elizabeth Iola to find out if her wallet is working for her or if it's time to trim the plastic.

[Megan Coyle]

Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Megan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And I'm Sally French.

[Megan Coyle]

And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[Sally French]

But before we bring Elizabeth on, embrace yourself, listeners, because I think she has.

[Tess Viglin]

More energy than us.

[Sally French]

We have some beefy news.

[Megan Coyle]

And before the news, we gotta do that disclaimer.

[Claire Socie]

Sally, take it away.

[Sally French]

Okay, yes, Chipmunk mode is on, listeners.

[Tess Viglin]

As always. We will talk about a few credit.

[Sally French]

Card companies that are Nerd wallet partners in this episode, but that does not influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of posting, but things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening, so for the latest details, follow the links in the episode.

[Megan Coyle]

Description Thanksgiving weekend is here, which means airports and highways are about to be packed.

[Sally French]

Yes, this is historically the busiest travel weekend of the entire year. And if you are flying Sunday after Thanksgiving, Godspeed. That day almost always breaks travel records for the busiest travel day to fly.

[Megan Coyle]

You think we'll break another record this year, Sally?

[Sally French]

Well, you know, Megan, funny you say that, because last week I was like, yes, definitely, we are still expecting records. Tyrium just sent me some new data that overall Thanksgiving flight bookings are actually down 3.3% compared to last year.

[Elizabeth Iola]

No.

[Megan Coyle]

Now, just to back up a little bit, Cerium said that bookings were actually ahead of pace in late October, but then that government shutdown started at the end of the month and since then, everything's just dipped. Travelers might be feeling a little spooked about delays or maybe they're just driving instead.

[Sally French]

Yes, and driving is a good point. So I do think there is still a really good chance we will see record numbers. But I do wonder if people are now driving versus Flying, for example, Triple A gave us some Data that nearly 82 million Americans will be traveling for Thanksgiving, up more than a million from last year. But their data accounts for not just flyers, drivers as well. And then you look at air DNA, they track data around vacation rentals. They are telling me that bookings are pacing above last year by, get this, by about 8%. Okay.

[Megan Coyle]

So it sounds like people are still going places, just maybe not flying there.

[Sally French]

Are you traveling for Thanksgiving, Meghan?

[Megan Coyle]

Well, as you know, going to another wedding. It's the Monday after Thanksgiving, so I'm going to avoid that whole mess. It's also international, so I'm not worried at all.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay. Okay. All right.

[Sally French]

Yeah. The best way to avoid Thanksgiving travel.

[Tess Viglin]

Is to travel, but internationally. Yeah.

[Megan Coyle]

They do not have Thanksgiving in this country.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay. Amazing.

[Sally French]

Now, speaking of Thanksgiving, we have to talk about Black Friday deals. And as we talked about on last.

[Tess Viglin]

Week'S episode, Christmas seems to come sooner than ever. Black Friday seems to come sooner than ever. Tess and I already shared a bunch of Black Friday deals that we loved to see.

[Sally French]

I would Recommend listeners visit nerdwallet.com our.

[Tess Viglin]

Wonderful colleague Craig Joseph has been updating.

[Sally French]

This list of Black Friday deals. At this point, he has found more.

[Tess Viglin]

Than a hundred NerdWallet approved deals. We will post a link to those.

[Sally French]

Deals in the episode description.

[Megan Coyle]

And there's so many different types of deals. There's airfare deals, cruise deals, hotel deals. So I think no matter what kind of travel you're looking to book, especially in the next year, I think you might find something on that list.

[Sally French]

Anything you found, Megan?

[Megan Coyle]

I don't know, man. I just got a new travel credit card. So I'm looking for the perfect thing to actually buy with my new gotta.

[Tess Viglin]

Hit that sign up bonus. That's right. Maybe book a deal to hit it.

[Sally French]

Now moving on to some big news from Emirates. They have had a massive week of news this week. New planes, new partnerships, even new WI fi. It feels like they are doubling down on pretty much everything.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, it's been like the airline version of Oprah. It's like you get a retrofit and you get faster Internet and you get a code share. So let's start with Air Canada news.

[Tess Viglin]

I love it.

[Sally French]

I love it. Everyone gets a WI Fi. All right, so first off in the news is that Emirates and Air Canada are extending their existing partnership now through 2032.

[Megan Coyle]

That means more codeshare routes, which basically translates to smoother connections for travelers between Canada, the U.S. dubai and beyond.

[Claire Socie]

Right.

[Sally French]

We should kind of Explain what code share means for people who don't know. Basically, instead of having to book an Air Canada flight to maybe Vancouver to Hong Kong and then catch a Emirates flight from Hong Kong onto Dubai, now you could easily book that same itinerary. So you're technically still doing the Air Canada flight, but you can check bags all the way through, you're on the same ticket. It just makes it so much smoother. Rather than having to book two literally separate flights, it.

[Megan Coyle]

Right, so next up, they also ordered eight more Airbus A350s, which brings their total to 73. They already have 13 flying. So that just builds on that fleet of ultra long haul jets with premium economy cabins.

[Sally French]

Yo, I love their premium economy cabins. I don't know if you know this, Megan, but they invited me to SFO to go on a tour of one of their planes because they were showing off these new cabins. And Megan, they are fabulous. They aren't quite lie flat. I mean they're, they're not life flat, but they recline so much that I was like, I feel like I'm in my lazy boy in the living room. So comfy.

[Megan Coyle]

I'm becoming a premium economy convert on international flights. I just took a premium economy seat on an international flight and I was like, wow, this is like first class domestic. And it was like half the price, you know, of a business class or first class seat. So I really liked it.

[Sally French]

You know what they have in real first class in Emirates?

[Megan Coyle]

What?

[Sally French]

They have not just showers, they have heated floors inside their bathrooms.

[Megan Coyle]

I love the idea of a heated floor. It's just so cozy.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah.

[Sally French]

When they invited me for the tour.

[Tess Viglin]

I was like, can I please stay on a flight?

[Sally French]

They're like, no ma', am, you need to leave.

[Tess Viglin]

Get off, get off.

[Megan Coyle]

We're boarding now.

[Tess Viglin]

Take your photos for a nerd wallet and leave.

[Megan Coyle]

True, okay, but then you could send those photos over WI fi. Is that the idea?

[Sally French]

All right, Megan, I see what you did there.

[Tess Viglin]

And that ties into the next big.

[Sally French]

Piece of news from Emirates. That is that they are undergoing a massive retrofit program on many of their planes. Starting next year, they will upgrade 111 existing aircraft with brand new seats, 4K entertainment screens and even Starlink satellite WI fi.

[Megan Coyle]

The Starlink part is wild. It's rolling out this month on their Boeing 777s and it's free high speed Internet for everyone on board. So you can stream, you can video chat, you can even maybe game mid flight. And I know United has Starlink as well on some flights. So our fellow writer Ben got to test it out and he said it was super good.

[Tess Viglin]

I saw he wrote in his article that the person next to him was.

[Sally French]

Playing World of Warcraft on the flight.

[Tess Viglin]

I was like, great detail then.

[Megan Coyle]

I love that.

[Sally French]

So Emirates says that by mid-2027, every A380 and 777 in service will have it. That makes them world's largest Starlink enabled international fleet.

[Claire Socie]

Okay, this is great.

[Megan Coyle]

It sounds like we can work remotely from this big airplane.

[Tess Viglin]

Honestly, it looks like better wifi than what I have in my house.

[Sally French]

So I do think maybe we should.

[Tess Viglin]

Just record our next podcast episode from the flight.

[Sally French]

What do you think?

[Megan Coyle]

I don't know how Tess would feel about that.

[Tess Viglin]

Bosses, let us do it.

[Sally French]

All right, Megan, time to move over to our better, fancier studio where Elizabeth is waiting for us.

[Tess Viglin]

Yes, this episode is a special episode.

[Sally French]

That we've got on video. You can watch it on YouTube, on Spotify. Just search for Nerd Bullet so you.

[Tess Viglin]

Can see us in video form as well.

[Claire Socie]

See you all there.

[Megan Coyle]

Sort of.

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[Tess Viglin]

And now it's time to get to the fun stuff.

[Sally French]

So first off, thank you for being here.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Thank you for having me.

[Tess Viglin]

And we want to get to know.

[Sally French]

You and your financial self. So why don't you tell us what.

[Tess Viglin]

You'Re looking for in a credit card, what your family's like, what your spending is, all that. Introduce yourself.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Okay, so I'm a fabulous single mama. I have one kid, he is seven. In terms of my lifestyle, I like to eat out sometimes because I have to cook often because I'm a mom. Otherwise I would live off of cereal and peanut butter jelly sandwiches. So I also do do lots of grocery shopping multiple times a week sometimes could be more efficient with that. I like to travel. What else do I like to do? I like buying clothes.

[Claire Socie]

Where do you live?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, I live in Houston.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, that's very important.

[Sally French]

Very important.

[Tess Viglin]

Yes. And then the other thing I want.

[Sally French]

To know is, do you have any.

[Tess Viglin]

Outstanding debt going on?

[Elizabeth Iola]

No, I don't okay. Car loan.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Okay.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Iola]

With.

[Tess Viglin]

With this show, we always talk about.

[Sally French]

Travel credit cards that have high interest.

[Tess Viglin]

And so the cards that we typically talk about on the show are not for people who have credit card debt. So I'm glad to hear that is not you, because we are going to be talking about cards with high annual fees, high interest rates. So I think let's actually get to that. I want to know, what credit cards do you currently have in your wallet?

[Elizabeth Iola]

All right, so I will start with my oldest card, which is the American Express Blue Cash Preferred. Got an annual fee on that. I also recently got the American Express Platinum.

[Tess Viglin]

Ooh.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I have the Chase Sapphire Reserved. And then I have the Citi AA Advantage card. And then I have a bonus one, the only one without a fee, the TJ Maxx Marshall slash, slash, slash card.

[Tess Viglin]

Shout out, TJ Maxx.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay. I'm just doing my math in the head, and you said you have one card with no annual fee, and then you have a whole bunch of cards with many annual fees. So you mentioned the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. That is a less than $100 annual fee, but it is still something. And then you mentioned other cards that have many hundreds of dollars in annual fees. The chase Sapphire Reserve, $795 annual fee, Amex Platinum, as we just have been talking about on the show, annual fee increased to $895. So I' math. And you are paying close to $2,000 in annual fees for your credit card.

[Claire Socie]

How does that make you feel?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, when you say out loud like that, but honestly, it makes me feel. I feel like money is a tool. Right. So in some ways it's like, well, that's a lot of money to spend on fees. But I think if I'm getting a benefit out of it and it brings me joy and I can afford it. Right. Then you know, why. Not everyone has what they're going to spend their money on. So.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah. And we are definitely not judging you. There are so many people who say, I will not pay any annual fees for a credit card. And that is also completely okay. But you are talking to two people who also pay.

[Claire Socie]

You pay $2,000.

[Tess Viglin]

I think Megan pays more than $2,000.

[Sally French]

In annual fees, so.

[Tess Viglin]

So we are also not immune to annual fees on credit cards. I think it's just important to break down. Are you actually spending enough to not just justify the annual fee, but justify the opportunity cost of using another credit card that could give you similar benefits with no annual fee? When we brought you on the show, I was genuinely expecting to add another credit card to your wallet, but I'm kind of.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I need another one.

[Tess Viglin]

I'm actually kind of thinking we should talk about, should we almost get rid of one of these credit cards?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, that's what I've been thinking. Especially since Chase increased their annual fee. I was like, oh, no, I'm getting rid of this card. But then I saw there's an option to downgrade the card. So essentially I'm on the fence. And that's why I'm here. So you guys can help me think through this so I can make an informed financial decision. Can you tell I work at Nerd Wallet? Yes.

[Sally French]

I love it. Okay, well, let's kind of go through.

[Tess Viglin]

The high level benefits, especially with these cards that have high annual fees. We're not going to go over every single benefit on these cards because that would take two hours or more. But let's go through some of the top line benefits. So let's start with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, since you've already alluded to maybe possibly wanting to dump this one. This card has a $795 annual fee. There is a $300 travel credit, which I personally find easy to use.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah, I travel pretty often, so I could use that.

[Tess Viglin]

What about the lounges?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, so see, that's what got me in this mess in the first place. I love the lounge.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I'm a lounge girly. I love a lounge.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, Sally, you are speaking in people. Let's see. TSA PreCheck credit, $500 in annual credit. But this comes in two twice a year. Well, one twice a year credit. $250 each for the edit, which is their hotel booking portal. Have you ever used that?

[Elizabeth Iola]

I have not.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah, I actually find it kind of a pain to use myself.

[Claire Socie]

Have you ever used your Chase points?

[Elizabeth Iola]

So since you asked, I have about 80. No, about 83,000 points and I have not used any of them yet.

[Tess Viglin]

You haven't used it.

[Claire Socie]

Okay, well, that's good to know.

[Tess Viglin]

Back to the next show on how to spend your points. Yeah, so you do have a ton of points.

[Sally French]

Other credits that are relatively new.

[Tess Viglin]

Twice a year dining credit, which is $152 times a year.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Easy to use.

[Tess Viglin]

I like to eat well, it is fancy restaurants. You like fancy restaurants when someone else is paying?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Sure.

[Tess Viglin]

Or when.

[Sally French]

When your daddy chases.

[Tess Viglin]

But when you paid for the Chase. Let's see, another new credit is two $150 a year credits for StubHub.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I do not use Stubhub no concerts.

[Tess Viglin]

You're not taking your 7 year old to concerts. Wait a second.

[Elizabeth Iola]

See? Thank you for saying that. Because I'm a concert lover. Actually, I've been to three already this year. I'm going to three more. But I never use StubHub, so I'm missing an opportunity there.

[Tess Viglin]

Would you buy the tickets on StubHub?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, I'm going for the cheaper price. So it depends. You know, are there prices competitive? So that's something I'm going to go on.

[Claire Socie]

I don't know.

[Tess Viglin]

I don't use StubHub.

[Claire Socie]

I think that's good advice, though. Like, if there's something you're going to buy and you have an option between buying a cheaper one, not with a merchant that has a credit, or buying the more expensive one with the credit, I think you have to weigh your options here and think about. I would usually go with the cheaper one anyway.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Exactly. I feel like sometimes that's the lure or the cash because they're like, we're giving you a discount here, but I could get it cheaper somewhere else.

[Claire Socie]

There you go.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay. And then so there's a bunch of other credits we'll just kind of quickly go through. There's a 250 Apple TV credit.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, no.

[Tess Viglin]

Do you do Apple TV?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Sometimes.

[Sally French]

Okay.

[Tess Viglin]

Sometimes it's on the show. $10 a month Peloton membership?

[Elizabeth Iola]

No.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay. Okay. Well, so you kind of. What you're already saying is $300 travel credit, easy to use. You're saying $300 dining credit you feel like is easy to use. And then it sounds like the $300 step hub credit you would also potentially use. So that's $900 right there. If we're talking about the annual fee is $795. You have at least justified this annual fee with those.

[Elizabeth Iola]

And. And I didn't have to go through the whole list to do that.

[Tess Viglin]

Right, right. And then, you know, I feel like.

[Claire Socie]

We haven't even talked about the value you can get from the points yet, which you haven't spent yet. But I mean, that offers a lot of opportunity there as well.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah. And then like some of it's like, maybe you wouldn't value Apple TV at $250, but maybe you would value it at $20, in which case, yay, it's a little cherry on top.

[Sally French]

Okay, so I don't hate that.

[Tess Viglin]

Should we talk about the Amex Platinum?

[Claire Socie]

Yeah, let's do it. Okay. So that one has an annual fee of $895, but we'll go through some of the credits. There's a $300 twice a year credit. So $300 in the first half of the year, $300 second half of the year for their fine hotels and resorts. Prepaid through American Express. Do you ever book those hotels through American Express?

[Elizabeth Iola]

I don't. And it's interest. I don't stay at hotels that many times a year. So sometimes when I travel, I'm usually traveling to somewhere where I have family or friends and I end up staying with them, you know, so we probably don't stay at hotels that.

[Tess Viglin]

I mean, the fact that you didn't use a Chase version of the credit, I'm not optimistic. You use effectively the same version of the credit for Amex, just their service.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah.

[Claire Socie]

Okay. There's also a $200 airline fee credit. And so this isn't for, like, flights. This is for, like, baggage fees, fare change fees. Do you use something like that?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, I have a cute story for you about that.

[Claire Socie]

Oh, okay.

[Sideline 2 Intercepted Advertiser]

So here is.

[Elizabeth Iola]

So my ex was like, hey, if you're traveling with me, I don't check in. And I was like, wait, what? That changed my life because now I don't check in bags. So I learned to pack efficiently. So all I have to take is a carry on and I will cry if you check in my bag.

[Tess Viglin]

She's a candidate for co host on the show. We love the no carry on life.

[Elizabeth Iola]

There's no going back.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, good.

[Claire Socie]

And, well, you also have an airline credit card, so that also gives you some benefit credit for. Okay, that makes sense. $15 monthly in Uber cash.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I'm going to let you guys take a cheeky guess on that.

[Tess Viglin]

You're an Uber girl.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I'm an Uber Eats girly. So, yes, I Uber eats.

[Tess Viglin]

Yes, I like that.

[Sally French]

You can use only reads nice.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, you already said you like dining. And this one has a $100 quarterly resi credit, very similar to the Chase dining credit, but it's amex's version. You like that? Yeah.

[Elizabeth Iola]

But you know what? I'm going to go after this and research what restaurants are under this resi credit, and maybe some might jump out at me.

[Claire Socie]

Okay. There's also another $25 monthly digital entertainment credit, so that's like certain streaming services or subscriptions to news. Do you use any of those?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah, I had. I think I have Netflix and I'm stealing everyone else's password for the rest, so.

[Claire Socie]

Okay. Okay, so maybe not.

[Sally French]

We don't.

[Tess Viglin]

We don't endorse that on the Smart Travel show. Just kidding. You said you like shopping. Amex has some interesting shopping credits. It has $800 broken out into two $50 per year credits to Saks Fifth Avenue.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Thoughts? Oh, that sounds a little expensive. I like. I like thrifting, and I like, you know, if it's obviously, if it's good quality. I'm here for quality.

[Tess Viglin]

I feel like $50 of Saks Fifth Avenue is like a pair of socks.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Exactly.

[Claire Socie]

It's really hard I with it, and I still go over $50.

[Tess Viglin]

Thoughts? When Amex announced their new changes, their higher annual fee, they also announced a new shopping benefit that I like. I'm curious Your Thoughts? Is $75 quarterly at Lululemon.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Now, I like that because I buy workout clothes to motivate me to work out. So if I have a cute outfit, I'm probably going to do it.

[Tess Viglin]

If we're saying that you can use a $400 resi credit, you can use the $300 total for Lululemon. Let's say you can use the $200 annually in Uber credit. That's $900 in value right there, which is what the annual fee is. So I do feel like we are at least breaking even on annual fees on these cards with kind of like just these benefits alone.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I have a question for you all. How do you justify. Because I feel like a lot of my justification has centered around the lounges. Right?

[Sally French]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Iola]

So I am. I have a whole experience. I am not the person who likes to get to my flight five minutes before I get there, two to three hours before, so I can get a drink, get a margarita, get a meal, and relax. So I like the Centurion Lounge. I went for the first time, actually.

[Claire Socie]

The one in Houston.

[Sally French]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yes, the one in Houston. And I'll try the one in Arizona as well. But my point is, can I justify, hey, if I would have not had that lounge access and bought, I don't know, 10 meals, 10 times I traveled. Right. You know, does that count? Do you guys think about it that way?

[Tess Viglin]

Absolutely. I mean, I also factor in the cost. So. So we said with these credits alone, we are already justifying the annual fee, but justifying is not good enough because you could also just use a card with a $0 annual fee. So that's where we have to factor in these benefits that don't have a clear dollar value. And I think about something like a lounge. I'm not a big drinker, so I don't get like the alcohol value of the lounge, but I still get food and So I would figure I would probably buy a coffee at the airport, which, let's face it, airport coffee is, like, $8, and then I'm gonna get maybe a sandwich, which is 15.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I don't know.

[Tess Viglin]

Right. And so, you know, for that, it's like, okay, let's say maybe I would value a Lounge at $25. If you're someone who would pay for two airport cocktails, which, let's say that's $20 each, maybe you might value a lounge at $50. And so you do have to kind of do that calculation for yourself. And then how often are you going to lounges?

[Claire Socie]

Yeah, how often do you fly?

[Elizabeth Iola]

I'd say maybe, like, 10 times a year. And sometimes I take my sunshine.

[Claire Socie]

You go to the lounge 10 times.

[Tess Viglin]

And then you're valuing it at $50. It's like, okay, so is this $500 of value right there? And it is hairy math. You know, would I just bring a PB and J from home? You do have to. Right. So you do have to actually factor in all this. And I am actually feeling like maybe it is worth keeping these cards because you are actually justifying the annual fee on the statement credits. And then you're also able to go into the lounge, which is maybe $500 in value right there.

[Claire Socie]

And did you know that Amex Platinum gets you into Delta Sky Clubs as well, so.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Claire Socie]

You could also hit up the Delta Sky Club next time you're at the airport if you have a Delta flight. Of course. And you paid for it with this card.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, Elizabeth, I got bad news for you. We're, like, halfway through your cards, and it already seem like we got to keep both of them. Oh, man. Okay, let's go over that American Airlines card, though, that you had.

[Claire Socie]

I'm interested.

[Tess Viglin]

It has a $99 annual fee. I think its top benefit is the free checked bags. And you just said you don't check bags? No.

[Claire Socie]

Interesting. Okay. I am also very curious, because you chose an American Airlines card and you fly out of Houston, where I looked it up, there was only, like, 5% of flights that were American out of Houston. They're actually big United hub. Have you found that to be a problem when you're looking for flights?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yes. Now, so. So that has been. I was in Florida before, and I didn't have as much of an issue with that. So I have been thinking. But I just have an affinity towards American right now because it was my first airline that I started Air Miles with, you know, So I just used to flying with them, I guess.

[Tess Viglin]

Why do you have this card if the top benefit is checked bags for the lounges?

[Elizabeth Iola]

So I wanted access to all the American lounges. Right. But that was.

[Tess Viglin]

You're probably only going to one lounge. And if you have. Now exactly. You have Centurion lounge access and Chase lounge access and American lounge access. Do you like the American lounges more than the Centurion lounges?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, now that I've been to the Centurion lounges, no. So I'm like saying that might be the weakest link.

[Tess Viglin]

I agree.

[Claire Socie]

Okay, that's good to know. I think we'd recommend probably considering getting rid of that card.

[Tess Viglin]

I agree.

[Claire Socie]

It seems like the least valuable in your wallet so far.

[Tess Viglin]

That cuts out a hundred dollars in annual fees right there.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Wait, let's. No, it's not. It's not a hundred dollars. No, it's like 500 or something.

[Tess Viglin]

Oh, that's right.

[Claire Socie]

She's got the one with lounge access.

[Tess Viglin]

Oh, of course, of course. Okay.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Okay.

[Tess Viglin]

That's going to sa of money.

[Elizabeth Iola]

It is.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, let's get rid of that card.

[Elizabeth Iola]

But wait, so I have like 113,000 points on there. So do I need to use those points first?

[Claire Socie]

Oh, that's a really good question. The great thing about airline cards is that your airline miles go straight into your airline loyalty account. So when you do downgrade or close that card, your miles will stay safe inside of your account.

[Tess Viglin]

And that is different from if you have more of a general travel card like your Amex Platinum or your Chase Sapphire Reserve. If you close those cards and you don't have, let's say, like if you had a Chase Sapphire Preferred and then you had a Chase Freedom Unlimited, your points would still stay there. But if you close a Chase Sapphire reserve and you didn't have another Chase card, you would lose those points.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, wow.

[Claire Socie]

So you have to move them before you close the card. Do another card that can hold them.

[Tess Viglin]

Right. But that's not the case with airlines. So I'm kind of tempted to close the American Airlines card. And then you will still at least save the miles.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah.

[Tess Viglin]

One more card that you have that has an annual fee, that would be the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, which its annual fee is zero dollar intro offer for the first year and then $95, which I am assuming you are now paying that.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah, and I have a little side quest about that. So earlier this year when I was like, hey girl, you might have too many cards. I had called them to cancel it because I was like, do I really need this card? And then they learned me back in because they were like, well, how much do you spend on groceries? And I was like maybe quite a bit. And they were like, well. And then I, I didn't realize I wasn't using the card Right. Well, in terms of the maximizing the benefit because I wasn't using that to buy all my groceries. So I have started trying to do that to see if I can maximize the benefit.

[Claire Socie]

Okay, you got something called a retention offer. That's usually when the credit card company will try to make sure when you're thinking about canceling, they'll lure you right back with a really good offer. And it sounds like it was helpful because you were able to learn like, oh, how I can maximize my spending on this card. This one gets 6% cash back at US supermarket. So that's really good. 6% cash back is awes.

[Tess Viglin]

It is on only up to $6,000 per year. So I am curious, do you happen to know how much you spend on U.S. supermarkets?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah, I would say around about $500 a month.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, interesting. The other thing that I do want to note about this card is it is US Supermarkets. It is not groceries, which drives me wild because I buy my groceries at Target and Costco, which are not US Supermarkets. So you do need to factor that in.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, are Kroger and H E B.

[Sally French]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Okay, great.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, good. Okay, we'. Yeah, you know, I was going to say you might want to downgrade to. There's a similar card called the Blue Cash Every day which has a $0 annual fee and that one earns 3% back at US supermarkets. But actually what you're telling me is I think this Amex rep is right that you are still doing well because you spend so much on supermarkets.

[Claire Socie]

Yeah, I mean you only have to spend about sixteen hundred dollars at U.S. supermarkets. Or they have another bonus category on streaming subscriptions. So that might be your Netflix. You're spending $5,000 a year, then you're already making enough back in cash back to pay for the annual fee. So that might still work.

[Tess Viglin]

About $6,000 annually in spending at supermarkets. You would basically be looking at $265 cash back on the blue cash preferred versus 180 on the blue Cash every day. So you are kind of. I hate to say it, but you are really doing well with this card.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh my God. On accident.

[Claire Socie]

Didn't know.

[Tess Viglin]

7 year old child is eating a lie.

[Claire Socie]

I would actually though if we're going to recommend another card for you. I would recommend the United Airlines card to replace your American Airlines card. And you could even get a cheaper version because we've now found out you've got the lounge access through the Amex Platinum. So you don't need lounge access with your airline. So you could get a United card. The annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $150.

[Elizabeth Iola]

It's more affordable.

[Sally French]

Yeah.

[Claire Socie]

You are able to earn United points. Plus like you get the free checked bags if you ever do need them. There's also two United Club passes per year, so that's like kind of easy to use and justify as well.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah.

[Tess Viglin]

And the final card you have, no shade to the TJ Maxx credit card. It has a zero dollar annual fee.

[Sally French]

I say keep it.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, it's not doing anything to me, so it collects dust in my room.

[Sally French]

Yeah.

[Tess Viglin]

Yes, I have it and it is helping your average age of credit. I'm assuming you've had this card for a long time.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I have maybe about four years now.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah. Yeah. So. So if you at least go to TJ Maxx enough, then, then keep it open. Open.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I do, but it's a reminder to actually use it. I don't know, I just tend to. To not use it.

[Tess Viglin]

You don't have to use it. You could just keep it open and you might find that the bank could see she never uses it and they might choose to close it. Which it is what it is.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah.

[Tess Viglin]

I don't think you need to worry about closing that one. So how are we feeling about all the cards that we have?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Wow. Surprisingly I, you know, I thought it was going to be like, girl, you need to utilize this more and do that. But it sounds like again, on accident I'm using, utilizing my benefits, so. But I do think I am going to get rid of the American Airlines card.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah. At least.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Because it just doesn't have that many benefits that are useful for me.

[Tess Viglin]

Yes. And my only other word of caution for you is we did justify the annual fees on these cards and then some. But you do have to just calculate the anxiety of managing all these benefits. I literally, because I am like you, both of us are like you, that we have all these cards with all of these bougie coupon book credits and I have a document of. It's called expiring things and it's when all the statement credits expire and I'm like, you know, end of the month, did I use my Uber credit for.

[Sally French]

Every month and then twice a year.

[Tess Viglin]

Did I Use my Saks credit. And sometimes it's stressful and it'll be like, mid June, and I'm like, what do I buy from Saks? Like, do I want this pair of socks or this pair of socks?

[Sally French]

Like, what do I do?

[Tess Viglin]

And it's very stressful. And I do think it is completely okay to say my mental energy of managing whether or not I use my Uber credit is not worth paying this annual fee that I do think it is okay to not pay annual fees for these cards for your sanity.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Yeah, I'm with you.

[Claire Socie]

And the nice thing about keeping track of it is then you have the data. Like, did I actually use my Uber credit every single month? If it turns out you're like, you know, I actually didn't spend as much at restaurants as I thought I did, then you have the information, and then the next year you can be like, you know what? I don't need to. I can downgrade this card. I don't need to keep it.

[Tess Viglin]

Yeah, we did it. I think we have a good strategy for you. At least close one of these cards. And I think maybe we'll have to bring you on again to talk about how to actually redeem all these points because you have so many high, high earning cards.

[Elizabeth Iola]

And I think in addition to being an awesome host, you're also a mind reader, because I was gonna say the same thing. So you gotta follow up with me. You gotta follow my journey.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay? And. And everyone can follow you over at the Smart Money podcast.

[Elizabeth Iola]

That's right. So we're gonna tell you guys how you can budget for all of these cards if you choose to have all of these cards, if it's right for your financial situation. I love it. And a whole bunch of other stuff, too, whether that's mortgages, insurance, but you gotta go and listen, hear what we talk about over there.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay?

[Claire Socie]

And Elizabeth, since you host a personal finance podcast, how is your emergency fund going?

[Elizabeth Iola]

Oh, my gosh, I'm so sad to say. It's very vanilla. It's in good shape, so very good.

[Claire Socie]

Very good.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, time for the fun part of the show. This is what we call hot takeoffs. Now, usually Megan and I give a hot take, but because you are our guest, we invite you to share your hottest take in travel.

[Elizabeth Iola]

The one that comes to mind is that first class should have do not disturb or do not talk to me sign. Oh, I love that. One of my car. Well, one of my flights got upgraded to first class recently, so I'm celebrating because I got, you know, and I Kid, you not. This man spoke to me the entire three hours on the flight.

[Tess Viglin]

So it's not to tell the flight attendants to not talk to you. It's to tell the person next to you to not talk to you.

[Elizabeth Iola]

There needs to be a button assigned. Don't talk to me. Leave me alone.

[Tess Viglin]

Stopping.

[Sally French]

Wait.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I love this. You ruined my upgrade experience because you would not be quiet.

[Tess Viglin]

Okay, I agree. Elizabeth, why are we limiting this to first class class? Every seat should have this.

[Claire Socie]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Okay.

[Tess Viglin]

I love that.

[Claire Socie]

It's like a go button. Or not. Don't talk to me. Talk to me. I love it.

[Tess Viglin]

Yes.

[Claire Socie]

Also, did you know some first class seats have, like, privacy doors now? So that is, like, a nice upgrade. When you get those kinds of seats, you just shut the door.

[Elizabeth Iola]

I didn't know we all don't talk.

[Tess Viglin]

To me on airplane, people.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Well, if you don't have social cues, then just don't talk at all. Right, so, like, I like a little chit chat here and there's. But the yap has to stop at some point. You gotta know when to be quiet.

[Claire Socie]

Especially if it's a long flight. I'm like, oh, no, did I start a conversation? And now I have to talk for nine hours.

[Tess Viglin]

This is awkward. Yes. Okay. That's also awkward. I just want to point out the elephant in the room. We all talk for a living and we're all saying, don't talk to us on airplanes. Yeah.

[Elizabeth Iola]

Because I like to sleep. I'm trying to take a nap. Shh. Yeah.

[Tess Viglin]

Thank you so much for joining us on this show.

[Megan Coyle]

Thank you, Elizabeth.

[Tess Viglin]

And make sure to follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app that is includes Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio. You can automatically download new episodes when you do that. And if you are listening on Spotify, you can drop a comment right on the app.

[Claire Socie]

This episode was produced by Tess Viglin and edited by Nick Karismi. Claire Socie and Hilary. Georgie helped with fact checking. And thank you to our studio's Eden Visuals.

[Tess Viglin]

And here's our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes. It makes not apply to your specific circumstances.

[Claire Socie]

We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. See you next time.

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