I have written about the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card and how it can be a great option for anyone who frequents Marriott hotels. Not only does the card offer some great perks for Marriott stays, but the card comes with other valuable benefits that include:
- $300 annual travel credit for airline incidentals
- 3 Ritz-Carlton Club Level upgrades
- $100 hotel credit for each 2 night or longer stay
- Complimentary LOUNGE CLUB™ membership
- Automatic Gold elite status for the first year and each year after when you spend $10,000 or more
- Chip and signature technology and no foreign transaction fees
In the past the card has offered several welcome bonus variations including a 70,000 and 140,000 point offer. However, as of late it appears that those are no longer available and the only offer around is for one free night.
One of the most attractive perks of the card include the $300 annual travel credit for airline incidentals per calendar year that comes with the card. Because this benefit revolves around the calendar year, you can get $600 in statements for travel incidentals before the annual fee hits.
I received quite a few questions about what exactly counts for these annual travel credits and after running some transactions I am able to report back with what I have found works. I’ve called in to redeem my travel credits for several different scenarios in the past week and can confidently say that I haven’t had any issues this far. Here is what I have found that works:
- In-flight drink and food purchases
- Delta eGift card
- Award fees on an American Airlines award ticket
The biggest news is that I successfully redeemed credits for a Delta gift card, so it appears that it’s possible to get six $50 gift cards to use on travel credits. I’ve also heard successful results with Southwest gift cards, and it may be possible with other airlines, but YMMV.
Have you had any success? Let me know if you've used your travel credits for gift cards in the comments below!
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