Any article, any blog, any piece of writing anywhere regarding travel hacking will always have one thing in common, Credit Card.
Summary
Let’s face it, you don’t really understand credit cards. How they work, how to maximize them or even which one’s the best for you. Well here is where we come in and help because in travel hacking your credit card is also your best friend, your partner in crime, your heart, your soul, your everything.
To give it to you straight, the more you spend, the more points you get. This also means the more things you can use them for, especially your coveted Airline miles!
However, that doesn’t mean that each card has the same per mile price, nor does it also mean that the points you get is the only thing that matters!
You have other things to worry about too! How much is the yearly payment, which airlines partners with your card, when do your points expire. A complete list of things you don’t have the time to read.
So to keep it simple, we summarized everything in this table!
CIMB Infinite
The CIMB infinite card has the best per mile price domestically at Rp 5.000 per mile. However, sadly this wonderful news only applies for KrisFlyer members. As for Air Asia’s BIG Members, this value goes up to become Rp 8.350 per mile.
Nonetheless, the CIMB Infinite card still provides you with relatively good new member benefits! It offers a free flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore (worth 15,000 miles) after spending Rp 40jt domestically or Rp 15jt internationally. Other than this, you can also exchange it for one year’s access in the Sapphire Lounge or a free annual year fee (worth Rp 1.5jt, which other cards such as HSBC already provides) which is amongst the most expensive.
I’d recommend this card if you only fly with KrisFlyer’s Airlines, and put every domestic expense on this card!
Standard Chartered WorldMiles
The Standard Chartered WorldMiles card has the best per mile value internationally at Rp 3.250 per mile, with Rp 7.500 per mile domestically, which can be exchanged to Kris, BIG, Asia and Garuda miles.
Everything else about the card after that is actually pretty good. There isn’t any expiry dates on your points and you get some pretty decent new member benefits, however getting it is a bit harder than the other cards.
You can get a free flight to Singapore after accumulating 15,000 miles, and have your first year fees free by spending Rp 750.ooo within at least 5 transactions. Along with this, you get some added benefits as well.
Through the card you’re able to access all domestic lounges for free and purchase a priority pass for $99 a year (Which CitiPremier gives for free).
I’d recommend this card if you LOVE to shop abroad, or just keep in your wallet if you’re leaving the country and putting every expense on it! The super low Rp 3.250 per mile value would allow you to rack up your points in a blink of eye!
UOB PRVI Miles
The UOB PRVI Miles has the best of both worlds in terms of its per mile value. It awards 1 mile per Rp 7.000 domestically and Rp 3.500 internationally, which can be exchanged to Kris, BIG, Asia and Garuda Miles.
Along with this you could get an extra 4,500 miles if you spend at least Rp 5 jt per month during the first three months. Well that’s pretty much it, I wish there was more to it but sadly there isn’t. There aren’t any added benefits except for the 0% Installlment rate for spendings in Singapore. It has the average yearly fee of Rp 1 jt, and your miles end every two years.
I’d recommend this card if you’re a very frequent traveller and don’t want to bother about having different credit cards all the time. Accumulating the points through this card would quicker than the others and the lack of free lounge access wouldn’t be a problem if you’re already a frequent traveller, assuming you already have a high tiered airline loyalty card which grants you lounge access already!
CitiPremier Miles
The CitiPremier card might be relatively high in the per mile value category, with Rp 8.750 per mile domestically and Rp 5.000 per mile internationally. However, it has by far the most flexible use of its points.
The CitiPremier Card partners with over 60 airlines (which also includes numbers from alliances as well) and 8,500 individual hotels, and goes especially well with the Hilton Groupas you get 1.5 points per mile used instead of the usual 1 point per mile!
On top of this, it also provides a free Priority Pass once a year, has points which never expire and has the best new member benefits!
You can get 5,000 miles for spending Rp 15 jt in the first 3 months, 17,500 miles for spending Rp 60 jt in the first 3 months and 33,750 miles for spending Rp 90 jt in the first 3 months.
I’d recommend this card if you’re new in the loyalty game! The amazing new member benefits gives you a great head start and you’re able to exchange your points from a catalogue of different brands which helps with planning in the future!
HSBC Premier
The HSBC Premier has both the highest per mile value for both domestic and international spending, at Rp 25.500 for domestic and Rp 8.500 for international, which can be exchanged to Kris, BIG, Asia and Garuda Miles and 50 hotels in the Asian Pacific region.
However, it has the added benefit of getting a bonus of 2,350 miles (40,000 points) for every kartu tambahan under it, with a maximum of getting 3 under one card. All you need to do receive these points is have them conduct 3 transactions! Other than this it has the cheapest annual fee compared to the other cards at Rp 300.000 a year and access to domestic lounges.
I’d recommend this card just to get the bonus miles, and close it after milking all the points out of it!
HSBC Signature
The HSBC Signature is the second HSBC Card. This card has the same per mile value for both domestic and international spendings at Rp 6375 per mile. This card has the cheapest domestic per mile value. Technically the second, but the CIMB Infinite credit card can only transfer to Kris miles, whereas this card can have its miles exchanged to Kris, BIG, Asia and Garuda Miles and 50 hotels in the Asian Pacific region.
Sadly, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, because much like the CIMB Infinite card, this also has its cons. The per mile value being Rp 6.375 only applies to dining, travel and hotel payments. Everything else outside of that is similar to the HSBC Premier card, which has an outrageous Rp 25.500 per mile! However, it does have the bonus benefit and lounge access the HSBC Premier card has.On top of that it has its own new member benefits which gives you 30,000 KrisFlyer Miles (2 tickets PP Singapore) through spending Rp 30 jt!
I’d recommend this card if you travel and dine a lot domestically and have only my leisure payments paid through this! Along with this, it also gives a nice new member bonus, along with great lounge access and flexible point exchange partners, which is pretty great!
