Clay Buster

Advice please! I'm thinking of getting an Emirates Bank credit card with 2 Skywards miles for every dirham spent, plus an introductory 40,000 miles. The downside is a AED2,500 joining fee plus AED1,500 annual fee.

Anyone know of a better deal?

lionheart

Try any other bank. Those fees are extortionate.

the_red_sheep

There is a BA Barclaycard, intro deal isn't as good as that and I think its something like 1.5 miles per $ spent. They'll wave the 1st years fee (AED600 for platinum), if you ask nicely.

I just got one, as for better or worse BA are always my best/cheapest option for flying home, took 2.5 months for them to complete my application and was a total pain in the arse, but got there in the end!

Clay Buster

Thanks a-to-d. What is the issuing bank for the BA card?

BA certainly gives more worldwide flexibility than Emirates, though my Canuckian wife would prefer a card with points on a Star Alliance carrier.

the_red_sheep

It issued by Barclays. You'll get all the details here:

http://staging.barclaycard.ae.housin...t/ba/home.html

Clay Buster

Excuse me while I slap my forehead. Yes, a Barclaycard would tend to be issued by Barclays....

Bahtatboy

Just signed up with ADCB. Very quick, and almost free. No airmiles though--however, I'm totally disenchanted with KLM's version of airmiles: been using KLM for ages, but the saving using points is negligible after you've paid the booking fee and the tax. Maybe airmiles is better...

Bahtatboy

That's an outrageous amount of money. You could have an hour's piano lesson for that...

Clay Buster

But only if you spring for breakfast

Roadking

Why are my ears burning???

Bahtatboy

The phone rang while you were ironing?

outerspace

ADCB have just launched an Etihad card.

4 Tiers. Any comments on whether or not platinum or infinite are worthwhile?

http://adcb.com/riseabove/index.asp