Blue Sky® from American Express

• Save on any airline, hotel, or rental car
• No blackout dates, no travel restrictions
• No annual fee and a 0.00% intro APR
• World class American Express® benefits

Just The Facts -

Issuer :  American Express

APR :  No interest on purchases and a 4.99% introductory rate for balance transfers.

Introductory Period : 6 months

APR After Introductory Period : 13.24%

APR On Purchases : 13.24 % Variable

APR On Cash Advances : 23.24% Variable

Annual Fee : $0

Credit Line Possible : Blue Sky From American Express has no pre-set spending limit; however, purchases are approved based on credit record, account history, and personal resources.

Insurance included : Blue Sky From American Express offers all of the usual American Express insurance perks including car rental insurance, a purchase protection plan, extended warranty, return protection and up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance.

Financing Configuration - Interest is calculated on your average daily balance (including purchases made on that day).

Grace Period - You have twenty days after making a purchase during which you do not have to pay interest.

The Best Thing About It - Blue Sky From American Express offers the ultimate flexibility when it comes to travel with no black out dates, restrictions, expiration dates or caps of any kind associated with its reward points.

The Worst Thing About It - Not all applicants may qualify for the lowest rate offered - the interest rate is dependent on a credit check and the variable APR rate for cash advances is unusually high. The APR after the introductory period has expired is also quite high.

Credit Rating Needed For Acceptance :  Excellent

Who Is It For?

The Blue Sky From American Express issued by American Express is designed for individuals who would like to redeem rewards and discounts that relate to traveling and vacationing.

The Benefits

The Blue Sky Points Card from American Express allows you to travel anywhere at anytime. Blue Sky has no blackout dates, advance purchase requirements, hotel room restrictions, or travel restrictions, period. You're free to go anywhere, anytime.

The Blue Sky Points rewards program can be applied to many different products and services. This incredibly versatile card allows you to apply points to : Free flights (domestic or international) on any airline, Free stays at any hotel worldwide, Free car rentals at any agency, Free trips on any cruise line, Free travel packages booked through any provider. (any travel agency, online travel site, etc.)

There are no caps on points or expiration dates. Earn as many points as you like, hold on to them as long as you want, and redeem them when it's convenient for you. There's no rush.

A low redemption level so you can start traveling right away.  You can start redeeming for free travel with only 7,500 points. Compare that to some other rewards cards that require you to have at least 25,000 points to redeem for travel rewards. With Blue Sky, you can travel for free sooner, and you can travel free fast.

Track all of your expenses on one statement.  Online access to this statement to your account is also provided so you can stay on budget.

No annual fee is charged. This is an annual fee-free card.

You manage your account online - This card comes with an online account that provides the convenience of paying your credit card bill online.

You can print out a Year End Summary for Tax Purposes. You can access the Online Year End Summary of Charges gives you access to important information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flexible features make organizing your expenses really easy - you can sort information by date, merchant name, or charge amount or by review charges made within a category, such as Travel and Restaurant. You can print this report out at the year's end so you can do your taxes accurately

Monitor your expenses.  You are also able to monitor what goes on in your account with full access to an online account report.

Duplicate cards are complimentary.  Duplicate cards for family members who are free and you can earn cash rewards every time they are used as well.

You have a Return Protection Plan. If you try to return a designated item within 90 days from the date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back, American Express will refund the full purchase price, up to $300 per item.

You have extra protection from theft or loss of your card while traveling.  American Express provides quick emergency cash and emergency card replacement should your card be stolen.

You have a great deal of travel insurance. Blue Sky From American Express offers $100,000 in travel insurance.

The card comes with a Global Assist Hotline. Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have security and peace of mind 24/7 with medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance, including medical and legal referrals, visa/passport help, cash access, lost luggage and more

You are not held liable for unauthorized transactions that appear to be conducted on the Internet.  This means that you don't have to pay the typical $50 fraud liability fee.

The Drawbacks

The introductory rate of 4.99% ONLY applies if you plan to transfer a balance from another credit card. Otherwise the rate for the card is much higher.

The APR is variable! The APR for purchases varies according to the applicant's credit history and will be calculated on .99%, 5.99%, 8.99% or 10.99% + Prime Rate.

Cash Advances have an extraordinarily high APR depending on your credit rating. The APR for cash advances varies according to the applicant's credit history and the variable rate is a whopping 23.24 % variable rate!

Monthly payments are applied to purchases before cash advances.  The amounts that you pay monthly to your Blue Sky From American Express account are not applied to the highest interest transactions such as taking out a cash advance.  This can make it longer to pay off your debt.

The introductory interest rate is not guaranteed. If you make a late payment on any bill during the first six months, not just your credit card bill, your introductory 0% rate can be replaced with the prime rate.

The grace period is short. The grace period for Blue Sky From American Express is only twenty days compared to the usual thirty days before you start paying interest on your purchases.

Rewards points will expire if your card is not in good standing. Pay late a few times and you could lose your points.

The Return Coverage on your Blue Sky From American Express is limited. Coverage is limited to $300 per item, excluding shipping and handling, and up to a maximum of $1,000 annually per Card Account and is subject to additional Terms, Conditions and Exclusions.

Fees To Watch Out For

Late payment fee :  $15 on balances up to $100; $29 on balances of $100 through $1,000; $35 on balances over $1,000

Over the Limit Fee : $35

Cash Advance Fee : 3%, $5 minimum for Express Cash transactions

Balance transfer fee :  The balance transfer fee is at the discretion of American Express and may only be disclosed at the time that the balance transfer is to take place.

To Summarize -

Blue Sky From American Express has no annual fee and a reasonable interest rate for purchases (for those who qualify) and is idea for travelers as it has no blackout dates or travel restrictions on its rewards program.