Should have added, you don't need any specific number of miles for a ticket on Capital One. That's one of the advantages. You just charge your airline ticket to the card, and they credit you back for whatever amount you've earned.

Really, it's not an airline card, it's a cash back card with the cash expressly applied to airline ticket purchases.

Two credit card companies I like is US Bank, no problem reaching a real live person!! I use US Bank extensively as I get FF miles. And USAA (you do not have to be in the military or retired military to have an USAA Visa and/or MC).
You do have to have a very good credit rating. USAA only charges 1% for oversea credit card charges. It is also always easy to reach a represenative.

I do not pay an annual credit card fee..I refuse to do that.

Well, can you blame them for not wanting to give away the WHOLE ranch at once? Guess that credit limit is their way of doing that. Many of the others limit their miles or points to 100,000 per year.

Oh, well, to each his/her own. I am happy, getting miles/points, no fees, no currency exchange fee, and satisfactory service, and that's all that really matters in the end, right? I don't think I have charged $5,000 in one month travelling, so I don't have that problem.

Right, Marilyn, I do know how Capitalone works. I usually book on Orbitz, wait a few days for the charge to post, then call and have them apply the points.

Just out of curiosity, tuckerdc, what was the problem you were trying to resolve? If it is a common one, I may have to give a try the way you did to see if it is possible to reach a live human. But, in the interest of giving some practical advice, go to their web site and print out a list of the verious phone numbers to call for different issues. Then carry that with you when you travel in case you do have a problem.

Mike, I don't mind them putting some sort of limit on the number of miles I can earn. What I object to is the sneakiness of it. Other cards state up front that there is an annual or monthly limit on the number of miles you can earn, but that is separate from your credit limit. With Capital One using the credit limit to limit the awards, you don't know until you actually get the card that that's what they've done. (And even then it took me a while to figure it out.)

We didn't charge $5000 in one month either, but if you have a rental car, they "hold" a rather large sum while you have the car. And somehow, although our actual statement was always under $3000 for the amount due, our online information showed no credit available (due to charges that weren't due yet and would appear on the NEXT statement).

So we had the embarrassment of having the card rejected (for a purchase under $30!) and we had to manage it closely once we figured out what was going on.

It's great that you're happy with them. But I'm not and feel it's worthwhile to share my frustrations for other potential customers. People can decide for themselves whether these issues are worth the good points of the card.

FWIW, I worked my through their phone tree several times and absolutely could not get a human being until I reached the Fraud Dept.

I just got a Capital One card last week and expect better luck with it than the US Air card that I've had for years. I can NEVER cash in my balance for air line tickets with US Air. Right now I have enough points for 5 free tickets in the continental United States and can't book tickets for a few trips that I'm taking in 2006. It's very frustrating (and expensive) to have to buy airfare when I have enough points for free tickets, that's why I made the switch.

Me, too, Kathy. That's exactly why I got my Capital One card. I hope you are happier with yours than I am with mine.

I HAD been happy with Capital One for many years and always promoted their Miles One card here on this board, but I've been very disappointed in them lately. Not just because of the changes to our program, but as Marilyn said, they've been very sneaky about said changes.

I have a AA World Citibank card that I never new how good it was until I had an accident in a rental car. They paid my whole deductable and all the paper work from the incident!

I also just ordered a Fidelity Visa ( Free card). Thier deal is for every 5000 "points" you accumulate, you can use those points for $75 which gets transfered into your Fidelity account. I have a ton of AA miles so thought this might be a better use of my money spent on credit cards right now.

Mike: To answer your question, the 'issue' that needed resolving was my receipt yesterday morning of a statement that included a $35 penalty plus $8.50 finance charges. (We maintain several cards and always pay the full balance each month). Apparently the check I wrote/mailed in October went astray. So I started out the morning livid and apopleptic and it just got worse when I was unable to get hold of anyone to resolve things.

The good news: Thanks to advice here, I did get through to a real person (you do just have to sit and wait out all their menu requests/commands w/o lifting a digit). And I was able to get the $35 removed. I also lodged my complaint about their "customer service" for what that's worth and was told they are "working on improving" their phone system, etc. (Ha!)

Another complaint about C One - apparently miles expire with them and so my balance has been going down for the past few months.

Hi tuckerdc, your FF miles begin to expire with CO, even though you are using their credit card? I would dump them!!

Letting the voice commands run all the way through their blabbering without punching any # to finally reach a represenative..who knew? That is useful information.

Glad you got the late charge waved, but seriously tuckerdc, especially since you have other credit cards, I would rethink staying with Capital One. They don't sound very customer friendly. Obviously Marilyn and others have had problems too. Who needs to spend their money with a company like that? Best regards, hope your weekend is relaxing.

LoveItaly - Oh yes, the w/e is getting off to a nice, relaxing start (see Statia's standard Friday nite thread!)

I agree with you re putting up with Cap One. I certainly want to try and get a ticket out of them before dumping. And, as the point was made elsewhere here, their one saving grace is a more modest surcharge on overseas use.

Please let me put my 2 cents in. I had a Capital One card for years. One night I got home and my daughter was very upset because some woman from Capital One called and was very rude to her (accused her of being a liar when she told them I was not home). I called them back and they proceeded to me given the n'th degree for not paying my bill. I had just used my card that day and it was fine and I had paid my bill early as always. Finally after about 10 minutes it was resolved but not until they had given me a social security number and birthdate of someone else with the same name as me. When I gave them my birthday and social and card number I received unreal appoligies. Turns out they had gotten my phone number somehow instead of hers when they were calling. Because I have a close friend on State Patrol I was able to get a phone number for this other person with my name and I called her and let her know they had given me her social and birthday over the phone. Talk about easy identity theft. I would never trust Capital One again and it has NOTHING to do with Cusomer Service!!
For what it is worth, the absolute best credit card company I have ever dealt with is Bank of America.
Happy Travels, April

Maybe Capitol One could hire those dirty vandal warriors to answer the phones since they appear to be out of work as their commercials suggest. They could answer your questions with things like "Hey woman, I don't know no answer to that dumb question. Go raid your neighbor house and take their coins"