If you are a Citibank PremierMiles cardholder, you must be new to my blog(s) and the universe must have directed you to this page as a reward for you doing something good, hahaha.
Citibank PremierMiles Visa 2018
The Citibank PremierMiles is not a good card for accumulating airmiles especially from local transactions. This is because you need to spend RM4.50 with the Citi PremierMiles just to earn 1 Enrich Mile or KrisFlyer Mile or Asia Mile. If you had checked out my AirMiles Page, you will know that there are more than 6 cards which earn you airmiles faster including the FREE FOR LIFE Entry Level Maybank 2 Cards Gold AMEX, FREE FOR LIFE Entry Level CIMB Enrich Platinum MasterCard and Entry Level Maybank AMEX KrisFlyer!!!
FYI, until 31st December 2018, the MBB AMEX KF not only grants you FREE access to 11 Plaza Premium Lounges nationwide incluiding KLIA2 but also more than 50 Airport Lounges worldwide including Changi (3 Terminals), London (3 Terminals), Melbourne, Canada (4 Cities), India (3 Cities), Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Macau and etc. If you have yet to read my review of the MBB KrisFlyer AMEX 2018, you should click here now.
As for overseas spending with the PremierMiles, you only earn 1 Enrich Mile or KrisFlyer Mile with every RM2.25 spent. If you refer to my Airmiles Page once again, you will note that there are at least 10 credit cards that earn you 1 Enrich Mile or KrisFlyer Mile with less then RM2 spent overseas!!!
So What Is The % Return You Earn With The Citibank PremierMiles?
Based on local spending where you earn 1 PremierMile for every RM3 spent and 80 PremierMiles = RM1, basically you are getting cash back equivalent to 0.416%!!! Less than 0.5% cash back, you might as well just get the Entry Level Hong Leong Bank Essential Credit Card and you will earn more in cash back!!! Seriously, if you want better returns compared to the Citibank PremierMiles, it is to your benefit that you click here to my Cash Back Page and any of the credit cards listed/reviewed will earn you more!!!
However, if you reside in KL or PJ and travel overseas very frequently and you arrive at KLIA, the Citibank PremierMiles may be beneficial as it offers FREE taxi ride when you swipe at least 3 times while you are overseas. So if you do travel overseas monthly via KLIA and if your company does not reimburse you for taxi fares, you can easily save a few hundred Ringgit on taxi fares!
As for Free Airport Lounge access, effective 2018, you can only enter for free at 4 local airports. I tell you, I have seen so many Citibank cardholders being rejected from Plaza Premium Lounges at KLIA2 and sometimes I wonder why these people are still holding the Citibank credit cards in the first place, hahahahaha.
So basically, the Citibank PremierMiles is only good if you fly in and out from KLIA because you will then be eligible for a FREE Taxi Ride home and guaranteed FREE entries the Plaza Premium Lounge at KLIA.
Other than the above 2 benefits at KLIA, by you holding a Citibank PremierMiles, you are basically shiok sendiri and need to beg for annual fee waiver too.
I tell you, Citibank PremierMiles is also one of the worst credit cards to own because it does not assist you in reducing the burden of upbringing your child. You won’t earn anything from education related and child care transactions!!!
And worst still, Citibank is really heartless. When you are deep in sorrow with the passing of a loved one, instead of assisting you in making payments for the funeral expenses, Citibank will abandon you and maybe even make you more depressed.
I tell you, I was shocked when I read that Education, Child Care and Funeral related transactions are not entitled to any PremierMiles. But luckily, you have me to point out to you just how heartless Citibank is. Below is part of the T&Cs for the Citibank PremierMiles:
I really don’t understand why would a cardholder want to support a company that doesn’t give a damn about the cardholders’ loved ones………………….
If you do travel overseas frequently and really really need a card that gives you FREE Taxi Ride and FREE access to Airport Lounge including KLIA2, check out Standard Chartered Bank WorldMiles. It earns you 1.7X faster in airmiles compared to the Citibank PremierMiles from your overseas transactions.
Come to think of it, this Citibank PremierMiles cater more to business travelers. But since it is a Personal Card, technically you are not entitled to any PremierMiles for Business related transactions. Remember the Keh Khiang lady where she used a personal AMEX credit card for business related transactions and MBB subsequently suspended her card and cancelled all her Treats Points. If you need a card for business related transactions, get a Business Credit Card, it’s that simple. So don’t be surprised if Citibank cancel all your PremierMiles if you have been using the card for business related transactions – you have been warned.
UOB Visa Infinite Terms and Conditions 2018
I have been very happy with my UOB Visa Infinite P (Privilege Banking), in addition to FREE access to airport lounges worldwide, I get to enter Sama Sama Lounge at KLIA2 which is way better than any of the 4 Plaza Premium Lounges at KLIA2. Click here to my Airport Lounge Page for more into. And prior to 2018, I do earn UNIRinggit for almost all types of transactions including government related. However, effective 1st January 2018, we are no longer entitled to any UNIRinggit for Government, Utility, Top Up, Transportation, etc.
WOW! Bro & Sis, better take note, in addition to government and utility we are not entitled to any UNIRinggit for transactions related to Transportation!!! And also note Top Up can mean anything including Touch N Go. So, for those of you who own a UOB Visa Infinite, you better check your Statement and verify what transactions entitle you to UNIRinggit.
Now, unlike Citibank PremierMiles, UOB actually support your child’s education. For years they have been offering 0% 6 Months Installment Plans For Education related transactions.
Nowadays I hardly use my UOB Visa Infinite P because I earn more from my other credit cards, click here to see The Best FREE FOR LIFE Credit Cards in Malaysia 2018. However, UOB does offer pretty good promos at two of my favorite restaurants, i.e. Oriental Group and Imperial Group. So for now, I am keeping the card because my UOB VI P (Privilege Banking) annual fee is auto waived if I swipe the card minimum one time per month unlike the normal UOB VI where the card holder needs to swipe RM30K (or maybe even 50K, I can’t remember) for the annual fee to be waived.
Until 31st December 2018, UOB Visa Infinite also offers FREE Limo ride to KLIA or KLIA2 subjected that the cardholder swipe RM5K within 30 days prior to departure.
And if you are using your UOB Visa Infinite to earn FREE air miles from Local Transactions – once again, do yourself a favor by clicking here to my Airmiles Page and you can buy me a cup of coffee when you fly Business Class 7X quicker than you would have with the UOB Visa Infinite.
Generally the UOB Visa Infinite is a freaking damn useless credit card for accumulating airmiles from Local transactions. However, for overseas transactions, with 5X UNIRinggit, it is pretty good as you can earn 1 Enrich Miles or 1 Kris Flyer Miles for less than RM1.50 spent overseas.
Conclusion
If you are a Citibank PremierMiles cardholder and you are not utilizing the FREE Taxi ride from KLIA, you are losing big time because the card only earns you 0.416% based on the latest revision to Citibank Reward Redemption effective March 2018. As for airmiles, there are many credit cards that earn you airmiles faster than the Citibank Premier Miles.
The UOB Visa Infinite P, the Privilege Banking version, is pretty good as it allows you 6X FREE access to airport lounges worldwide and the annual fee is auto waived with minimum 1 swipe per month. As for the non Privilege Banking version, the cardholder is only entitled to FREE airport access to five (5) countries in Asia and the cardholder needs to spend RM30K (or is it RM50K) for the annual fee to be auto waived.
Click on the images below to learn more about what credit cards are the best to accumulate Air Miles and enter airport lounges for FREE!
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