Norwegian Airlines is branching out from its low-fare transatlantic flights from the U.S. to a rewards credit card for frequent fliers in America.
If you’re into counting your miles and want to use points to get free tickets, then Norwegian’s rewards card is just one of the latest offerings to help you travel for free.
The Perks of Norwegian’s Rewards Card
The Norwegian Reward World Mastercard is a loyalty card issued by Synchrony Bank. It’s a way for flyers to get CashPoints, or frequent flyer miles.
The card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee. You can earn up to 2% back in points if you make a Norwegian purchase, buy groceries, or eat at a restaurant. You can get 1% in CashPoints for all over purchases. And if you spend $500 in the first three months of opening an account, you earn $50 in CashPoints.
You also get Mastercard ID theft protection and access to Mastercard’s 24-hour telephone assistance line. And the best perk for frequent fliers: priority boarding. The big downside is that purchases at big box stores like Walmart and Target will not qualify as grocery stores. So to get that 2% CashPoint, you will need to shop at a grocery chain like Kroger.
The CashPoints are also linked to the Norwegian Krone. So one CashPoint equals one Krone. The exact rate in U.S. dollars will depend on the currency rate on the day the points are earned.
Other Frequent Flying Credit Cards to Know About
There are several credit cards that can earn you miles when you spend money.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the more well-known non-airline rewards cards. It costs $95 a year, but you get 2.5% back on all your travel and dining and are not limited to just one airline.
- Bank of America’s Travel Rewards Travelcard has no annual fee and gives you 1.5 miles for every $1 spent.
- Capital One’s Venture Rewards card gives you 2 miles for every $1. It’s free for the first year but costs $95 a year after that.
- Delta’s Skymiles with American Express gives you 15,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months, and you can earn 2 miles for every dollar spent at a restaurant or at Delta.
Why Use a Frequent Flyer Credit Card?
If you fly with one airline or an airline in an alliance with others, then using their credit card is an excellent way to rack up miles without doing much.
Adding up those miles can help you get free flights for expensive long-haul flights. There are many other perks that can save you money in the long term, like priority boarding and a free checked bag. Getting a credit card with an airline also means that all of your monthly purchases can go towards getting you more miles.
However, if you don’t fly very often or you don’t fly with one particular airline, then you should consider getting a non-airlines credit card that offers reward miles instead.