Chase and Continental Airlines have had a long partnership. In 2001 the companies began offering the Chase Continental Airlines World MasterCard for frequent travelers using Continental Airlines. The card allowed consumers to build miles with every purchase at a rate of one mile per dollar spent.
Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card
In 2010, the Chase/Continental Airlines program was revamped to Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card and began offering travel miles at a rate of two per every dollar spent on Continental Airlines tickets in addition to the one mile per every other dollar spent. Consumers that apply and ultimately qualify for the One Pass MasterCard receive 25,000 bonus miles with their first purchase using the card. According to the Chase website, this is enough in bonus miles for one round trip ticket anywhere in the continental United States.
Chase also offers a unique online portal to more than 60 sellers. The purchases through these online stores allow cardholders to accrue double miles. With the revamping of the program Chase now allows customers to redeem their miles for rewards other than air travel, setting this card apart from many other frequent flier rewards credit cards. Consumers may redeem their miles for car rentals and hotel stays. Miles are also redeemable for flights on other airlines that are in the Star Alliance Network (28 members).
Other card benefits include:
First bags checked fee waived
2 President’s Club passes every year after the first-year membership anniversary
2 discount travel certificate worth up to $200 every year after first year membership anniversary
There are no annual fees for the first year for this card. After the first year an $85 annual fee will be applied to the account
The Continental Airlines Presidential Plus Card is the premier travel card in the Chase/Continental program. This card evolved from the original Chase Continental Airlines World Mastercard programs and offers all of the benefits from the original program: one mile for every dollar spent on all purchases and two miles for all travel purchases (airline tickets, hotel stays, and car rental).
Some benefits of the Presidential Plus Card:
First and second bags checked have the fees waived
Elite Access to high priority airline services
Hyatt Gold Passport status
Benefits from Avis rentals
Double miles with all purchases made through Continental’s online merchant portal
The Presidential Plus Card has an annual fee of $395 with a $95 discount after approval of application.
Continental Airlines World Mastercard for Business and Presidential Plus For Business
As a business owner it is essential to keep business and personal transactions separate, for tax purposes and for organizational reasons. A business owner need not be a Fortune 500 CEO to need a credit card designed for accumulating travel miles; many small business owners travel extensively.
Chase offers two business credit cards cards that accrue miles, Continental Airlines World Mastercard for Business and Presidential Plus for Business. Both cards offer the same benefits as the personal versions. The business cards allow the business owner to track travel purchases and keep tabs on expenses all while earning free travel rewards for their business.
The World MasterCard for Business has an annual fee of $85. The Presidential Plus for Business has an annual fee of $395.
The World MasterCard, from which all four of these cards evolved, is known as one of MasterCard’s premier offerings, and, depending on your needs, either the Presidential Plus or standard One Pass MasterCard might be the “best” choice for you.
For a frequent long-distance traveler, the $300 annual fee (after discount) on the Presidential Plus card may easily pay for itself, making it the better choice. However, for many travelers who don’t fly with two checked bags on every trip, the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card offers exceptional benefits and rewards and the $95 annual fee pays for itself when you receive your $200 discount travel certificate.
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