New promotion means double miles and points with credit card

A new promotion offered from Chase will have some credit card users earning double miles and points. This article has the top cards eligible for the promotion. 

Holders of Marriott- and United-branded credit cards from Chase will find certain travel expenses doubly rewarding during November.

During the Double Stay, Double Go promotion from Nov. 1-30, 2015:

• Holders of Marriott Rewards Premier cards — personal or business — will earn double points on tickets booked directly with United.
• Eligible holders of United MileagePlus Explorer, Club and Presidential Plus cards — personal or business — will double up on miles every time they book stays directly through Marriott.

The partnership — the first between Chase’s United- and Marriott-branded cards — offers an extra incentive to spend with United (362 destinations worldwide) and Marriott (more than 4,300 locations) during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Cardholders don’t have to do anything special to participate in the promotion. Just spend and collect points or miles.

Top cards eligible for promotion

Eight cards — six with United branding, two with Marriott — are eligible for this promotion. Finding the best one for you can mean earning big rewards not just in November, but all year long.

Marriott Rewards^®  Premier Credit Card

If you’re looking to approach this deal from the Marriott side, the Marriott Rewards^® Premier Credit Card lets you earn big when booking rooms. Every dollar spent at Marriott locations earns 5 points; you earn 2 points per dollar spent on plane tickets (directly from airlines) and at car rental agencies and restaurants; and all other spending earns 1 point per dollar. During the Double Stay, Double Go promotion, cardholders will earn 4 points per dollar spent when booking flights directly with United.

In addition to rewards earnings, new cardholders can collect a fairly generous sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Points are redeemable for hotel stays starting at 7,500 points per night (for a Category 1 hotel) and ranging to 45,000 points per night for a Category 9 hotel. 

The Marriott Rewards^®  Premier Credit Card has a $0 Introductory annual fee, then $85. If Marriott is your go-to choice for hotel accommodations, the high rewards earnings rate on this card can wipe out the yearly costs in no time. 

United MileagePlus^®  Explorer Card

For folks who spend more on flights than hotels and want to hop on this promotion, the United MileagePlus^®  Explorer Card might be a better option. This card makes flying with United not only cheaper, but also more convenient. It earns 2 miles per dollar spent on tickets purchased from United and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. During the Double Stay, Double Go promotion, cardholders can add an additional mile for every dollar spent at Marriott, for a total of 2 miles per dollar.

United MileagePlus^®  Explorer Card holders also get perks like the ability to check their first bag free on United flights (up to $100 per roundtrip), priority boarding privileges and access to United Club airport lounges (two one-time-use passes per year). Plus, there’s a sign-up bonus: Start with 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 

Miles are redeemable for any United flight, as well as flights on airlines in the Star Alliance network (Asiana, Air Canada, Lufthansa and more). Like the Marriott Rewards^®  Premier Credit Card, the United MileagePlus^®  Explorer Card does come with an annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. But, again, if you take advantage of the card’s perks (free baggage check, for example) the annual fee balances out.

This article first appeared at Nerd Wallet.