Airstream Jets waives credit card fees on jet cards

The jet card broker is dropping its credit card convenience fee through Nov. 14, 2019

In a short-term promotion, jet card broker Airstream Jets is waiving the credit card convenience fee on its Distance Card.

The Distance Card is sold in denominations of $25,000 and $100,000 and unlike the typical hourly rates, it uses flight mileage to calculate costs.

Rates range between $9 and $24 per mile, with a daily minimum of 500 miles.

For a very light jet flying 500 miles, the rate is $14 per mile, so you end up paying $7,000 for the flight.

Typically jet cards price trips based on estimated or actual flight time, then tack on 12 minutes of taxi time per segment. It means you don’t know precise costs until or after each flight. The Distance Card enables customers to know exact charges in advance.

Airstream’s standard fee for credit card transactions is 4%, so the offer, valid on new purchases and refills, has a value of up to $4,000 in savings when depositing $100,000.

Earning 100,000 points via some airline affinity credit cards is enough for a one-way first-class ticket to Europe or Asia, so an additional value of between $5,000 and $15,000.

In other words, a value of between $9,000 and $19,000, or up to 19%, about five to six times higher than typical jet card promotions – if you have good use of miles you earn from card charges.

Airstream also offers discounts if you can book at least 14 days in advance, are flexible with travel dates, for same-day roundtrips, as well as flights to or from designated hub airports.

You save 5% for each qualifying discount, so you can save up to 20% off of published rates.