One Chase credit card that has often been overlooked is the Fairmont Visa. Compared to many other cards, the sign up bonus really isn’t that great. It has the makings for a really nice weekend getaway, but that is about it. The main perks of the card are:
- 2 free night certificates after $3,000 in spending in the first 3 months
- Automatic Premier status with Fairmont (which gives 1 suite upgrade, 1 room upgrade, and a $50 dining credit)
- Earns 5x at Fairmont properties, 2x for airlfare and car rentals
- No foreign transaction fees
- Redeem points for gift cards at $0.01 per point, or redeem for a night at a Fairmont starting at 25,000 points
The annual fee is waived the first year, but is then $95 annually thereafter. It is unclear what will happen to the card eventually (there is speculation at DoC that is will be converted to a Chase Freedom Unlimited). My Chase Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard was converted into a Chase Freedom some months ago. Getting a CFU through the Fairmont card (after getting the sign-up bonus) would be sweet!
My experience applying
I had never really considered applying for the Fairmont Visa card until the news broke that it is being discontinued, probably because Fairmont was purchased by Accor Hotels. There are two links still working for the Chase Farimont Visa (at least when I applied), sourced by Doctor of Credit. Yesterday I applied through the first one, and within seconds got a message.
It sounded positive. I hoped that all I’d have to do is shift some credit limits around, since that it why I figured I wasn’t approved outright. I’m at ~20/24, but I had read that the Fairmont card isn’t subject to the “5/24 rule.”
Today, Saturday, I finally got around to calling. The Chase rep picked up literally within seconds. I gave him my name and reference number, he asked some simple identity verification questions, paused, and then said, “Congratulations, you’ve been approved for the Chase Fairmont Visa card with a credit limit of $9,000.” So much for shifting credit limits. That was the easiest bank call I’ve had in ages!
My wife and I don’t have specific plans, but there are 4 Fairmont hotels within 5 hours of where we live, so this card bonus has the makings for a nice weekend in the Bay Area at a minimum. I would much rather use it at Lake Louise in Banff (to also take advantage of the free Canadian Parks in 2017), but I don’t see us getting there this year.
Act fast if you’re interested! The application link could easily die anytime.