Like most U.S. airlines, Delta charges passengers to check a bag when they travel on domestic itineraries. The first bag is $35, and must be no more than 50 lbs.
A second bag costs $45 and follows the same Delta baggage weight policy. This fee also applies on flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Other international itineraries receive one free checked bag per passenger.
The Delta baggage calculator can give you the exact requirements for your trip. It analyzes all the factors into your destination, eligible waivers and number of passengers to alert you to the amount you would owe for standard or overweight bags.
How to pay
You can pay for a checked bag during the check-in process for your flight online or at the airport by using a kiosk with either in cash or in miles. Remember that most domestic Delta airports are now “cashless,” and you may need a credit or debit card.
Checked bag restrictions
Overweight/excess bag fees are determined by the number of bags, the size of the bag and the weight of the bag. Here is what you can expect to pay for bags that exceed these limits:
51-70 lbs: $100.
71-100 lbs: $200.
Over 100 lbs: Not permitted.
Third checked bag: $150.
Fourth-10th checked bag: $200 each.
Oversized bag exceeding 63-80 inches in length/width/height: $200.
Oversized bag exceeding 80 inches in length/width/height: Not permitted.
Travelers can pay extra to check as many as 10 bags per person on most domestic Delta or Delta Shuttle flights (Delta Shuttle flights are the airline’s air shuttle service in the Northeastern U.S.). Up to four bags may be checked on Delta Connection carrier flights, the regional airlines that operate under Delta.
It’s important to note that Delta may limit the number of excess bags it carries on some flights if not everyone is allowed to check the standard two pieces. They would be on a standby basis and may travel on the next available flight.
Here are some key exceptions to the Delta luggage weight limits:
When flying to/from Key West, Florida, all passengers are only permitted one checked bag.
Excess baggage weight is not permitted on Delta Connection flights.
Military travelers on orders can check as many as five bags (up to 100 lbs each) for free. When traveling for personal reasons, they can check two bags (up to 50 lbs each) for free with proper military identification. If traveling in Premium Select, they can check three bags (up to 50 lbs each), and if in first class or Delta One, three bags (up to 70 lbs each).
How to avoid Delta baggage weight fees
There are several ways to avoid paying Delta bag fees.
Flying internationally
When flying all other international flights, most Delta passengers can check their first bag for free, no matter their cabin, status or fare. Basic economy passengers do not earn this benefit. Additional weight and size limitations for international flights include:
51-70 lbs: $100.
71-100 lbs: $200.
Over 70 lbs: not permitted on flights to Europe/United Arab Emirates/North Africa/South Africa.
Over 100 lbs: not permitted on all other flights.
Restrictions on number of bags and size of bags vary depending on the destination country.
Elite status
One of the many perks of SkyMiles Medallion status is being able to check bags for free. This benefit also applies to up to eight companions traveling with the Medallion member on the same reservation.
SkyMiles Silver Medallion: One free checked bag up to 70 lbs on domestic flights and 50 lbs on international flights.
SkyMiles Gold Medallion: Two free checked bags up to 70 lbs on domestic flights and 50 lbs on international flights.
SkyMiles Platinum and Diamond Medallion: Three free checked bags up to 70 lbs on domestic flights and 50 lbs on international flights.
Any SkyMiles Medallion member in Premium Select: Three free checked bags up to 70 lbs on domestic flights and 50 lbs on international flights.
Any SkyMiles Medallion member in first class or Delta One: Three free checked bags up to 70 lbs on all flights.
Premium cabin
In addition to more space and additional food and beverage options, those traveling in premium cabins receive extra bag perks, too (no matter what their elite status tier).
Delta Premium Select: One free checked bag up to 50 lbs.
First, business and Delta One: Two free checked bags up to 70 lbs.
Credit cards
The real value sinks in if traveling with others because they can check one bag for free, too. Up to eight additional companions on the same reservation as the cardholder can check one bag for free.
The only bummer about this benefit is that this perk does not apply when departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam.
These are the eligible cards with this benefit:
At $35 per bag (per way), that’s a savings of $630 if you travel as a group of nine. That can really take the sting out of paying an annual fee for any of Delta’s credit cards. Frequent flyers can actually come out ahead when you consider the perks of several Delta cards, like SkyClub access with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card(annual fee: $650; see rates and fees ).
If you do not have a Delta co-branded credit card, but still want to save cash, there are other workarounds, too. Many cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve® , come with travel credits tied to the card.
When spending money with Delta, bag fees would be refunded up to a certain amount. American Express requires that you designate Delta as your preferred airline at the beginning of the year. You would receive up to $200 back. Chase offers up to $300 with no specified airline requirement. Terms apply.
Top cards for Delta flyers
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $150
Earning rates
• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).
• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on hotel purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).
• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
• 1 mile per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
Other benefits
• First checked bag free.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
Terms apply.
• Companion certificate (main cabin).
• First checked bag free.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
Terms apply.
• Airport lounge access.
• Companion certificate (first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin).
• Credit for application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
• First checked bag free.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
Terms apply.
Learn more
Carry-on bag restrictions
The bag you bring on board should follow a combined length, width and height limit of 45 linear inches with the size restrictions also being 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 9 inches tall. There are sizers at the check-in and gate areas for travelers to measure their luggage; this includes handles and wheels. Interestingly, there is no weight limit for carry-on bags as long as they follow these size metrics.
If you are flying from Beijing or Shanghai, however, Delta will require the carry-on to be 22 lbs or less.
Delta makes exceptions for musical instruments, strollers, car seats and nursing mother accessories. There are no size limits for these items although they must be able to securely fit in the cabin.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, see this page.
Boeing has about 2,000 workers in Canada, according to the company. The strike – which kicked off Sept. 13 – halted production of Boeing ‘s 737 MAX, 767 and 777 jets, and the company’s shares fell 1.1% in after-market trading. The layoffs could put pressure on employees to end the strike, said Thomas Hayes, equity … [Read more…]
Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions. In this episode:
Learn how presidential policies on tariffs, immigration, and prices can impact your everyday expenses like groceries and gas.
What can a president actually do to lower prices and fight inflation? Can campaign promises really impact your wallet, or are they just political hot air? Hosts Sean Pyles and Anna Helhoski discuss presidential policies and how they affect everything from the cost of gas to your grocery bill to help you understand the real impact of political decisions on your finances. They begin with a discussion of inflation, with tips and tricks on understanding how inflation is measured, what drives price hikes, and what role the president plays in influencing it.
Then, Anna talks to Derek Stimel, an associate professor of teaching economics at UC Davis, about the economic implications of tariffs and immigration policies. They discuss how tariffs raise the price of imported goods, how immigration impacts labor costs and wages, and what these political policies mean for your everyday purchases.
Check out this episode on your favorite podcast platform, including:
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Episode transcript
This transcript was generated from podcast audio by an AI tool.
Sean Pyles:
What’s the first thing you do when you go to the grocery store? Do you run to the produce aisle and look for the freshest broccoli, maybe? Or conversely, are you heading for the candy section? I don’t judge. But pretty soon after that, you’re probably starting to look at prices, right? The price of, well, everything is a daily question in our lives. So it’s not surprising that prices are playing a part in this year’s presidential election.
Derek Stimel:
I just find it interesting that both presidential candidates have focused on these highly volatile markets, which we often think they really can’t do that much about, and that are often driven by these global forces basically. But both of them have focused on those as their avenues to bringing inflation down.
Sean Pyles:
Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast. I’m Sean Pyles.
Anna Helhoski:
And I’m Anna Helhoski.
Sean Pyles:
And this is episode two of our Nerdy deep dive into presidential policy and personal finances. Hey Anna, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve got a presidential campaign underway.
Anna Helhoski:
Hard to miss it. Talk about drama. And every great drama has a storyline. One big part of this year’s storyline in the campaign has been prices, specifically inflation and what it’s done to our bottom lines.
Sean Pyles:
Yeah. Inflation hit a high of 9.1% back in 2022, and we’ve been paying a whole lot more for a lot of things over the last few years. And it’s not subtle, it’s very noticeable. Anna, is there anything specific that has popped up on your radar as more expensive than just a couple of years ago? Something where you said whoa, that is way more than I used to pay.
Anna Helhoski:
Yeah. So I have a bread place near me and a few years ago the prices were pretty reasonable for a big loaf of fresh bread, like $6 a loaf.
Sean Pyles:
Yeah, that’s like New York reasonable, I’ll say.
Anna Helhoski:
Yeah, exactly. No, that’s how I gauge everything. But then flour prices spiked and suddenly the price went up to nearly $10, which is way more than I’m willing to pay. What about you, Sean? Did gecko food get more expensive along with anything else?
Sean Pyles:
Since you mentioned it, crickets for my gecko Ozzy did go up about 12%. I now spend a whopping $2.25 a week for those creepy bugs for the old guy. Of course, it’s not just these one-off items, these are just the things that the two of us noticed in spades. Houses are more expensive, cars are more expensive, credit cards are more expensive. It just takes more out of your budget to buy stuff.
Anna Helhoski:
So what can a president do about it? As we heard in last week’s episode, the answer is not a lot by themselves. They often need Congress or the Fed or both, and sometimes a lot of luck to have an impact on the economy and specifically on prices. But that doesn’t stop them from making all kinds of promises about the changes they’d make if we sent them to or back to the White House. Let’s talk about what they can do in reality.
Sean Pyles:
And as we noted in the last episode, we’re not here to take sides or fan the flames of an already contentious political season. Our goal here is the same one we always have at NerdWallet, to help you, our listeners, make smart informed decisions about the stuff that impacts your finances. Sometimes that means choosing a new high-yield savings account. Other times that means voting for the candidate who you believe will help you achieve your life and financial goals.
All right, well, we want to hear what you think too, listeners. To share your thoughts around the election and your personal finances, leave us a voicemail or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373. That’s 901-730-N-E-R-D. Or email a voice memo to [email protected]. So Anna, who are we hearing from today?
Anna Helhoski:
We’re talking with Derek Stimel. He’s an associate professor of teaching economics at the University of California, Davis. So not only is he an expert in macroeconomics, but he’s an expert in teaching it. He’ll help us parse what presidents can and can’t do to affect the price of all sorts of goods that we all buy. Derek Stimel, welcome to the show.
Derek Stimel:
Thanks for having me.
Anna Helhoski:
Presidential administrations tend to take the credit or get the blame for things that happen, at least when it comes to public perception. That means that the Biden-Harris administration has taken a lot of flak from the Republican Party and from many Americans for elevated prices that we’re seeing in the wake of the pandemic. And since we are just a few months away from a new administration, can you talk a little bit about how much influence presidents actually have on inflation and prices?
Derek Stimel:
Normally we don’t think of them as the major driver of inflation in the economy. Usually, it’s things like monetary policy, so interest rates, and the supply of money. Sometimes it can also be things outside of the economy, shocks as we sometimes say in economics. So things that happen globally, for example. Having said that, it’s not to say that there can’t be some causes that are driven by policy of the government. For example, in the current situation, some people do point to some government spending that took place in the aftermath of COVID and the policies surrounding that. That might’ve been some fuel for inflation. But it’s not usually the first thing we think of. In this particular situation of our recent inflation, I suspect it’s not the first number one thing causing the inflation.
Anna Helhoski:
Let’s get into some of the campaign promises that each candidate has made. Some of the promises might just be politicking, but some of it could become a reality. Start off with former President Donald Trump’s proposals. Thus far, there have been multiple reports and assessments from economists who say that his proposals, if enacted, would be inflationary. And one of the main drivers of that projected inflation is Trump’s promise to levy 10% across-the-board tariffs on all foreign goods. Can you explain how tariffs and prices interact?
Derek Stimel:
Tariffs are basically a tax on imported goods. For any tax, it’s going to have the following effects on the market, which is, the tax gets levied, let’s just say it’s the 10% just to have a number. And then the businesses basically have to, in a sense, make a decision about do we absorb this tax ourselves, do we pass it on to the customers, and if so, in what proportion? They may not pass on the full 10%, it’s unlikely they’re going to absorb the full 10% themselves. So there’s going to be a split. So in some loose setting, maybe they raise prices by 5% and they absorb 5% of it to get up to the 10, or maybe it’s 8 and 2, or 3 and 7, or what may be. But the point is that basically, it’s going to lead to higher prices on those products.
So in this particular situation, we’re talking about higher prices for imported goods. And I think as we’re all generally aware from our day-to-day shopping and if we ever look at the label of anything, we buy a lot of imported goods in the United States. So it’s not unreasonable to think that raising taxes essentially on imported goods would ultimately boost the prices of those imported goods and then on average raise our cost of living at least somewhat.
Anna Helhoski:
Now, Trump claims that his tariffs would spur American manufacturing and domestic competition for production. Is that something that does happen or would likely happen as a result of tariffs?
Derek Stimel:
So it definitely can happen that there could be some… you know, businesses have to make the best decisions based on the rules of the game as they are. Raising tariffs would definitely change the rules and businesses would likely respond to that. And so to the extent that they could and that the U.S. was a major market to them, at least some businesses would try to reallocate or relocate back into the U.S. in order to avoid this tariff, basically. But I think the question is: Would that be enough to counterbalance the effect of this higher tax across the board? I don’t have hard data on it, but the likely answer is it wouldn’t be enough. So we would still see higher prices as a result, and so we would have to deal with the consequences. But there could be some reallocation or relocation of businesses for sure.
Anna Helhoski:
Another promise Trump has made is to lower gas prices. Under his first administration, he increased oil production and then Biden went further still. So how much can a president impact gas prices?
Derek Stimel:
The gas market or the market for energy more broadly defined is very much a global market, but the U.S. is in a way in a unique position of being the center of that global market. You hear a lot about that the U.S. dollar is this global reserve currency. Oil for example is usually traded in dollars and that sort of thing. So we do have a little bit more power than some other countries. The answer would be maybe a bit different if it was us talking about Canada doing something or whatever. It is also probably true that gas prices or prices of energy in general are really often driven by these global shocks. So in this particular case, the disruptions that took place due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are really the prime mover probably of energy prices in the recent years. And it’s not clear that any president would be able to have done something about that directly. Obviously, it’s more of a geopolitical thing than an economic policy thing.
Anna Helhoski:
Switching gears again, I’m hoping you can talk a little about the connection between immigration and the prices that consumers pay for certain everyday goods and services. And note for listeners, as you may know, Trump has promised to use law enforcement and the National Guard to deport many millions of undocumented immigrants. Beyond the humanitarian implications and the logistical questions raised by this proposal, what are some of the economic implications?
Derek Stimel:
Kind of a classic way of thinking about it economically, especially when we’re talking about things like inflation, is that we think that business costs basically would drive a lot of inflation, or at least it could be a prime driver of inflation. And inside those business costs, labor costs are often a large portion of those costs. And of course, that has to do a lot with the supply of labor that’s available relative to the demand for that labor. And so we live in an aging society, the baby boomers are basically retiring. And of course, this is reducing our labor supply or at least likely to reduce our labor supply in the coming years. So what that would mean economically is that would tend to push up wages all else the same, which of course then could also push up prices. Businesses, when they face these increased labor costs, have to make a choice about how much to pass on to customers in terms of higher prices.
So with that all in mind, if you also cut off the amount of immigration into the economy, you would think that that’s likely to put further pressure on wages in the economy. It’s going to further, in a sense, reduce or at least not provide any extra slack for the supply of labor, and so that’s going to further push up wages and further push up prices overall. That’s not to say we shouldn’t think about reforming immigration in some way, shape, or form, but that’s just to say economically that if you reduce the supply of labor, the price of that labor, the wages, and all the other forms of compensation that come with it is going to go up and businesses are going to pass at least some of that on to customers in the form of higher prices.
Anna Helhoski:
And are there any specific areas of the economy that could be altered if you deport millions of people who were already in the workforce?
Derek Stimel:
There’s the initial disruption, uncertainty that would surround it, which could shake out in all sorts of ways, many of which are probably not positive. Imagine the local restaurant down the street suddenly loses half its staff. And what are they going to do? So we would expect a lot of service sector jobs to maybe be impacted by these sorts of things, a lot of things that we interact with daily. And then there’s also this issue about if you create shortages in one area, let’s say you create a shortage in one service sector, it could spill over to other unrelated service sectors as well. Maybe now the one sector has to basically go poach employees from the other one. And so maybe it starts to spill over into other areas where you wouldn’t think of, say, quote, unquote, “illegal immigrants” basically playing a role, but it actually could have this cascade to other markets.
Anna Helhoski:
More of our interview in a moment. Stay with us. I want to talk about Donald Trump’s proposal to weaken the power of the Federal Reserve by bringing the central bank under more direct control of the president. And listeners, we’ve said it before, but the Federal Reserve is nonpartisan and operates independently. That means that the president doesn’t tell the Fed what to do and the Fed doesn’t make its decisions based on politics. Derek, it seems like the separation is pretty crucial to ensuring public trust in the central bank’s ability to make decisions. But if Trump was successful in his plans to more directly influence the Fed’s activities, what are some of those economic implications?
Derek Stimel:
Stepping back for a second, we generally think that the Fed’s main role is to keep inflation, especially over the longer term, relatively low and stable. And one element that tends to be critical to that is their basically credibility to commit to that policy of keeping inflation low and doing what it takes. None of us liked in the recent years the interest rates going up, but it’s seen as this necessary thing to do to bring inflation back down to that longer-term goal. And so the concern basically is that a lot of that comes from the fact that the Fed is independent to some degree from the rest of the government. It’s important to understand that they’re not completely independent. The president plays a role in nominating people to serve in the Fed. Congress obviously has to approve these things. But this general separation of like, oh, you can’t tell us when to change interest rates or you can’t tell us we can’t do this policy and we have to do some other policy or whatever, that tends to be important as this inflation fighter credibility that the Fed has.
If that gets eroded, I think the concern would be basically that people in the economy start to not believe in the Fed as much as an inflation fighter. That lack of credibility starts to make people think, “Well, they say they want 2% inflation, but given that they’re tied to the rest of the government, I think it’s maybe going to be more like two and a half, 3%.” So expectations start to tick up on inflation. And one thing about inflation is that expectations really play an important role and they tend to be self-fulfilling. We all expect five, we’ll get five. And so basically the Fed’s independence is one of… There’s some others of course, but it’s one of the main things that’s tying down those expectations because it’s helping the Fed maintain its credibility to be there when we need them to fight inflation.
Anna Helhoski:
Well, those are the main things I want to talk about in terms of Donald Trump, but I want to switch gears and talk about Vice President Kamala Harris’s plans to battle inflation. She recently unveiled a plan to ban price gouging. So first off, what is price gouging and how have we seen it happen?
Derek Stimel:
So in economics, price gouging doesn’t really have a specific definition, to be honest with you, but the loose idea is that it’s taking, quote, unquote, for lack of a better term, “unfair advantage of a situation in order to raise prices.” Sometimes these situations are obvious, which are… There’s an earthquake that happens, let’s say, so suddenly the price of gas and water in the surrounding area is going to skyrocket. That kind of idea of taking advantage of other people’s misery and something that was really out of their control, a natural disaster, that’s really what we see as price gouging. So in this particular context, what we’re talking about with Vice President Harris is this view where, say, for example, grocery stores taking advantage of the circumstances to basically raise prices on their products in an unfair way. But it’s a bit nebulous once you start to get away from things that I think we all would agree are clearly things out of our control, like natural disasters.
Anna Helhoski:
And is there anything already in place to prevent price gouging?
Derek Stimel:
So states generally have laws that prevent price gouging in the situations we’re talking about like natural disasters, so hurricanes and floods and earthquakes, and so forth. What Vice President Harris is really talking about is basically a federal ban across the board on all forms of price gouging. At least that’s what I understand it to be. And we don’t have that. It’s not really clear what the criteria would be for that as well. So for example, if a company raises prices on its products by 5%, how do we decide if that’s just normal market forces or is it price gouging in some ways? In other words, how do we decide the fairness of it all? Generally speaking, in our economy, we let the markets work that out, and then everybody individually makes a decision about, nope, that’s too expensive, I’m not going to buy it, or I guess I’m willing to pay that price, that kind of thing.
Anna Helhoski:
So some critics of Harris’s proposal, including Donald Trump have said that this is a price control. So what is a price control? Why don’t economists like price controls and would Harris’s proposal to ban price gouging actually be a price control?
Derek Stimel:
Basically, a price control is essentially the government setting a maximum price in a marketplace. So sort of saying, “Hey, you can charge no more than X for this product.” And of course, we have price controls in the economy. The ones that people typically talk about classically are certain cities that have rent control. What people are basically saying is that this price gouging idea would in a way limit how much businesses can raise prices. And that would in a way be similar to what happens in a price control situation where the government often does cap how much a business can raise prices.
The good and bad of economics a lot of times is that there’s tradeoffs for everything. Concern would be basically that maybe grocery stores, because that’s the one that’s been central to all this argument, has really been the price of food, is that basically, maybe you wouldn’t see as many new grocery stores opening up, or at least in a lower frequency. Maybe you would start to see the quality of what’s on the shelves in the grocery stores start to decline a little bit. So on the one hand, you get the prices of the things you buy don’t go up as much maybe, but on the other hand, there’s less of them available and at least for some of them, maybe the quality of those products might go down a little bit.
Anna Helhoski:
So beyond preventing price gouging, Harris has also vowed to lower prescription drug prices and she wants to do this with price caps by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, speeding up delivery of generic drugs, and cracking down on big pharma. So how impactful could some of these efforts be in terms of making prescription drug prices more affordable?
Derek Stimel:
Oh, it could. Not surprisingly, the federal government via Medicare is a huge consumer in this marketplace, which basically means they have a lot of power, market power we would call. In this particular case, the technical term is monopsony power. But basically, yeah, they would have a lot of power potentially to negotiate and there would be spillover effects for people who don’t have Medicare. In terms of being able to lower, say, prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to do this giant negotiation basically with the big pharma companies, that honestly could have a big impact on those prices for sure, because Medicare is so huge.
Anna Helhoski:
Right. And you touched on housing earlier, but let’s talk a little bit about Harris’s big proposals with her plans to make housing more affordable. One that really stuck out to me is a plan to prevent corporate landlords from using price-fixing algorithms.
Derek Stimel:
This is a brave new world that we’re in, and there’s a lot of times where regulation is behind the technology, where basically a lot of these businesses… And it’s of course not just in real estate, it’s in a lot of other areas as well, in finance in particular, where they basically use these computerized algorithms to essentially search for the deals that they want to transact. Is it price-fixing or is it the fact that all of these algorithms basically tend to point in the same direction because they often use the same data in order to churn through all their calculations? It’s not clear to me, I guess, how that might be enacted and then also what the implications would be.
Anna Helhoski:
And Harris said she would support construction of 3 million new housing units in the next four years, among other plans. And fundamentally, in order to lower housing prices or rent or the supply of homes for purchase, we just need more housing. So could Harris’s proposals spur more construction? And also what can a president do to facilitate housing growth?
Derek Stimel:
So much of this is local. I mean, so much of this is red tape based on local housing boards and all these other types of things, the “not in my backyard” kind of stuff. And so it’s not really clear what anybody at a national level could really do about that kind of stuff because so much of it is all of the local political machines and so forth that basically drive all these policies. As a general idea, I think the basic point that, yes, the way you have to basically lower housing prices or at least keep them from going up as much is to supply more housing, is definitely the answer. Because the housing market in a sense is unique compared to other markets, in that the supply is basically fixed by the number of units and very, what we would say in economics, inelastic. You’re not going to really get around that unless you just simply build more.
Anna Helhoski:
Derek, are there any other proposals from either of the candidates that we’re overlooking that could contribute to lowering prices or to increasing inflation?
Derek Stimel:
I think the last thing I would mention, I guess. I know President Trump wants to increase the domestic production of natural gas and coal and all that sort of thing. And I do find it interesting that both Vice President Harris and President Trump have focused on these areas of inflation. In the case of former President Trump, it’s energy costs, and in the case of Vice President Harris, it’s basically food costs. And these are the things that are specifically excluded by the Fed when they’re looking at the longer-term measures of inflation. So I just find it interesting that both presidential candidates have focused on these highly volatile markets, which we often think they really can’t do that much about, and that are often driven by these global forces, basically. But both of them have focused on those as their avenues to bringing inflation down.
I think the very last thing I might add in, which is probably too big to really get into, is the extent that the deficit and the national debt might play in terms of inflation in other parts of the economy, especially going forward as it’s ballooned a lot. There are some theories out there, for example, that it does play a role in inflation and to the extent that the policies of the two candidates might add to the deficit, and of course, then by extension add to the debt. That could be in a way a hidden inflation factor that we tend to not focus so much on.
Anna Helhoski:
And one we’ll probably pay for in the future.
Derek Stimel:
Yeah, somebody will eventually.
Anna Helhoski:
Derek Stimel, thank you so much for joining us today.
Derek Stimel:
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.
Anna Helhoski:
Sean, there’s something else I want to point out that I didn’t get to in my conversation with Derek, but came from researching an article on this topic, and that’s price tolerance. Right now, people are still pretty price intolerant because so much is elevated from where we remember it being. But if prices actually did drop across the board, it would be a big problem. Economy-wide price drops really only happen when there’s a big recession. And I think Trump and Harris’s campaigns both know this. They can’t bring back pre-pandemic prices, so what they can do strategically is make promises that are most relevant to people.
Sean Pyles:
Right. And last week we talked about how one individual president can’t really transform the economy on their own. But your conversation with Derek Stimel illustrates how a president’s priorities can make a bigger impact on an issue-by-issue basis. Former President Trump is focused on lowering the price of gas. Vice President Harris wants to make housing more affordable. And we saw how President Biden was able to push for lower prices on certain drugs like insulin. Although we should note, of course, that Biden wasn’t able to do that without the help of Congress.
Anna Helhoski:
So Sean, one other thing. Maybe it’s obvious but it’s worth saying, is that while we have pointed to a lot of ways in which a president cannot really control things like pricing, the president is also the leader of his or her respective political party, and that often means that the party and its political leaders will coalesce around these policies, making them more viable.
Sean Pyles:
Yep. We’ve mentioned that the president often has to work with Congress to get bills passed that can fulfill their promises. And members of their party, while they don’t necessarily march in lockstep, they will frequently work with that president to pursue his or her economic agenda. So no, the president can’t wave a magic wand, but if their party also has control in Congress, that makes a world of difference in the ability to make those goals happen.
Anna Helhoski:
And that’s a case for making sure you’re paying attention to what candidates are saying up and down the ballot. The presidential candidates aren’t the only ones to make a difference. Do some research on your congressional candidates, and for that matter, city council and school district, because they all touch public money and that’s your money. It always helps to educate yourself on how they plan to spend it. You can find the latest money news updates in NerdWallet’s financial news hub, which we’ll link to in the show notes, or just search online for NerdWallet financial news.
Sean Pyles:
So Anna, tell us what’s coming up in episode three of the series.
Anna Helhoski:
Well, Sean, next time we’re using a word nobody likes but matters a lot to your finances: taxes. We’ll hear what the current candidates for the highest office in the land want to do with the money that comes out of your paycheck.
Amy Hanauer:
Two-thirds of the cost of making those individual tax cuts permanent would go to the richest fifth of Americans. So to the richest 20% of Americans. So just for a sense of what that will cost, in 2026 alone, that will cost more than $280 billion.
Anna Helhoski:
For now, that’s all we have for this episode. Do you have a money question of your own? Turn to the Nerds and call or text us your questions at 901-730-6373. That’s 901-730-N-E-R-D. You can also email us at [email protected]. And remember, you can follow the show on your favorite podcast app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes.
Sean Pyles:
This episode was produced by Tess Vigeland and Anna. I helped with editing. Rick VanderKnyff and Amanda Derengowski helped with fact-checking. Megan Maurer mixed our audio. And a big thank you to NerdWallet’s editors for all their help.
Anna Helhoski:
And here’s our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This nerdy info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.
Sean Pyles:
And with that said, until next time, turn to the Nerds.
The company also announced the appointment of Jeff Carroll as senior vice president and chief technology officer. Carroll brings over 20 years of experience in technology operations, including infrastructure, cloud platforms, and technology modernization initiatives. Most recently, he held the position of senior vice president of platform and cloud engineering at Sabre, where he managed … [Read more…]
For a limited time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has increased its sign-up bonus, its biggest offer since June 2021. If the card has been on your wish list, now may be an opportune time to apply.
Starting Oct. 3, 2024, new Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders can earn the following two-part welcome offer:
A one-time $300 credit that can be used to book travel through Chase’s travel portal. The credit expires 12 months after account opening.
60,000 bonus points worth $750 in travel after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.
If you hit the $4,000 spending requirement for the bonus, the total value of the welcome offer is $1,050 in travel. That’s because one Chase Ultimate Rewards® point is worth 1.25 cents when redeemed through Chase’s travel portal.
Note that you’re ineligible for this offer if you already have a Sapphire credit card or have received a sign-up bonus on a Sapphire credit card within the past 48 months.
Full list of Chase transfer partners
Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Iberia (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue (1:1 ratio).
Singapore (1:1 ratio).
Southwest (1:1 ratio).
United (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hyatt (1:1 ratio).
InterContinental Hotels Group (1:1 ratio).
Marriott (1:1 ratio).
Chase is also offering a temporary promotion through January 2025 that can add even more points to your Ultimate Rewards® stash. You can get:
20,000 points for hotel bookings of at least $500 made in Chase’s travel portal, or 10,000 points for non-hotel bookings of at least $500. This promotion is only available to cardholders who haven’t used the travel portal since Aug. 15, 2022.
10,000 points or a $100 statement credit for hotel bookings of at least $400 made in Chase’s travel portal. This promotion is only available to cardholders who are repeat bookers in the portal.
Cardholders must activate this offer online or in the Chase app to receive the bonus points. Points will be credited to the account after the travel has been completed.
For many years, SeatGuru served as the go-to site for viewing airplane seat maps to choose the best seat for your flight. But SeatGuru hasn’t been meaningfully updated in years. The best source for checking airplane seat maps these days is AeroLOPA.
AeroLOPA is arguably one of the best aviation resources that have been launched in the past few years, offering hundreds of detailed airline seat maps. However, AeroLOPA isn’t as beginner-oriented as SeatGuru, so you’ll need to know what you’re looking for or use other tools in conjunction with it.
Here’s what to know about AeroLOPA and how to use this resourceful tool to find your perfect seat.
What is AeroLOPA?
AeroLOPA is a website that has compiled and published hundreds of seat maps covering a vast majority of the airlines in the world. The site digitizes each airline’s Layout of Passenger Accommodations — most commonly known by the abbreviation LOPA — letting you see the exact arrangement of aircraft seats, windows, lavatories, bassinets, galleys, etc., for each aircraft type.
Which airlines does AeroLOPA publish seat maps for?
AeroLOPA publishes seat maps for pretty much any airline you can think of.
As of September 2024, AeroLOPA published seat maps for the following 168 airlines:
Aegean Airlines.
Aer Lingus.
Aerolíneas Argentinas.
Aeroméxico.
Air Algérie.
Air Astana.
Air Austral.
airBaltic.
Air Belgium.
Air Canada.
Air Caraïbes.
Air China.
Air Dolomiti.
Air Europa.
Air France.
Air India.
Air Japan.
Air Macau.
Air Mauritius.
Air New Zealand.
Air Serbia.
Air Tahiti Nui.
Air Transat.
Alaska Airlines.
Allegiant.
American Airlines.
Asiana Airlines.
Austrian Airlines.
Azerbaijan Airlines.
Bangkok Airways.
Batik Air.
Binter Canarias.
Blue Islands.
Boliviana de Aviación.
Breeze Airways.
British Airways.
Brussels Airlines.
Canadian North.
Caribbean Airlines.
Cathay Pacific.
Cayman Airways.
Cebu Pacific.
China Airlines.
China Eastern.
China Southern.
Copa Airlines.
Corsair International.
Croatia Airlines.
Cyprus Airways.
Delta Air Lines.
Discover Airlines.
Eastern Airways.
Edelweiss.
Ethiopian.
Etihad Airways.
Eurowings.
Fiji Airways.
Flair Airlines.
French Bee.
Frontier Airlines.
Garuda Indonesia.
Hainan Airlines.
Hawaiian Airlines.
Helvetic Airways.
HK Express.
Hong Kong Airlines.
Icelandair.
ITA Airways.
Japan Airlines.
JetBlue Airways.
Juneyao Air.
Kenya Airways.
Korean Air.
Kuwait Airways.
La Compagnie.
Lufthansa.
Malaysia Airlines.
Middle East Airlines.
Mongolian Airlines.
Northwest Airlines.
Norse Atlantic Airways.
Norwegian Air Shuttle.
Pegasus Airlines.
Philippine Airlines.
Porter Airlines.
Qatar Airways.
Rex Airlines.
Royal Air Maroc.
Royal Brunei Airlines.
Royal Jordanian.
Saudia Airlines.
Shanghai Airlines.
Shenzhen Airlines.
Singapore Airlines.
Smartwings.
South African Airways.
Southwest Airlines.
Spirit Airlines.
Spring Airlines.
SriLankan Airlines.
Starlux Airlines.
Sun Country Airlines.
SunExpress.
Sunwing Airlines.
TAP Air Portugal.
Thai Airways.
Thai Lion Air.
Tianjin Airlines.
Transavia.
Turkish Airlines.
United Airlines.
Uzbekistan Airways.
Vietnam Airlines.
Virgin Atlantic.
Virgin Australia.
Viva Aerobus.
XiamenAir.
AeroLOPA shortcomings
Although AeroLOPA is an excellent free resource, the site has some room for improvement.
Can’t search by airline, flight number and date
One frustration casual travelers may experience is that AeroLOPA doesn’t provide the ability to find flight seat maps by entering your airline, flight number and date. Instead, to see your flight seat map, you’ll first need to research what aircraft type you’re flying via another resource and then search AeroLOPA for that aircraft type.
The founder of AeroLOPA shared that he actively worked on adding a feature that lists the aircraft being used for a specific route on a specific day.
However, airlines often have multiple seating arrangements for the same aircraft type, without a clear indication which arrangement is being used for a particular flight. Rather than potentially provide inaccurate information, AeroLOPA focuses on publishing seat maps and letting travelers figure out the aircraft type themselves.
Lack of analysis
Another shortcoming is that AeroLOPA doesn’t provide any commentary on what seats are good or bad — like what you’d find on SeatGuru. Instead, you’ll need to examine the AeroLOPA seat map to determine the best seat based on your preferences.
This may not be an issue for frequent travelers who can quickly suss out their preferred seat. However, infrequent travelers likely prefer having some guidance.
How to use AeroLOPA
The first step to using AeroLOPA is to check your airline flight booking for the aircraft type being used on your flight. This may be shown as a three-digit code (e.g., 777 or 77W) or spelled out (e.g., Boeing 777-300ER). If you logged into your airline’s website or flight booking platform to find your aircraft type, leave that page open as you might need it in a moment.
Next, open AeroLOPA’s website and scroll through the list of airlines until you find your operating carrier. Clicking on the airline’s link will take you to AeroLOPA’s fleet page for the airline. The next challenge is to figure out the right seat map to refer to.
How to determine your exact aircraft type
Most airlines have several arrangements for the same aircraft type. For instance, take American Airlines. American uses only the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 for its entire wide-body fleet. Here’s where that aircraft code is useful. Knowing whether you’re on a 777-200ER vs. 777-300ER or a 787-8 vs. 787-9 can narrow your results.
However, as you can see above, American has two different seating arrangements for the Boeing 777-200ER, 787-8 and 787-9. In this case, you’ll need to open the airline’s website — or your flight booking platform — in conjunction with AeroLOPA to figure out the right option.
Go into the seat selection functionality to see the seating arrangement for your flight. In the example below, American already does a good job displaying the cabin arrangement, including bathrooms and galleys.
However, other important aspects — such as missing windows — aren’t reflected on American’s seat map. That’s where AeroLOPA can help you select the best seat.
Reviewing the two AeroLOPA seat maps for American Airlines 787-9 aircraft, you’ll see that one cabin has eight rows of business class seating and another has nine rows. For the flight in the example above, the eight-row seat map on the left is the corresponding seat map.
Now that you know which seat map to examine, you can review that AeroLOPA seat map for details like lavatory placement and window arrangement. In this case, there are no lavatories immediately in front of row 1 or immediately behind row 8, making these seats a bit more appealing than otherwise.
However, row 5 is missing a window on both sides of the aircraft.
For some airlines, AeroLOPA even shares the seat manufacturer and seat type. In this example, American installed the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond in business class, a great reverse-herringbone seat that’s used by several airlines.
If you’re trying to find the perfect airline seat …
AeroLOPA is an incredible resource for travelers looking to select the perfect seat. It publishes detailed seat maps for over 160 airlines, with up to dozens of seat maps per airline.
However, this free tool isn’t the beginner-focused one-stop flight seat map tool that SeatGuru used to be. You’ll need to know your aircraft type and arrangement to make the most out of AeroLOPA. But, for knowledgeable travelers, AeroLOPA seat maps are worth bookmarking.
The Ikon Pass is a ski membership that provides access to a collection of ski resorts around the world. The most expensive pass from Ikon includes unlimited access to 17 Ikon Pass resorts and up to seven days per year of access to other resorts, plus buddy passes and discounts on food, drinks and retail purchases.
The Ikon Pass is an excellent choice for people who plan on skiing multiple days each winter. With many lift tickets running between $200 and $300 per day, just one multiday ski vacation can justify the cost.
What Ikon Pass resorts are included?
There are more than 50 Ikon Pass mountains where passholders can ski and snowboard around the world. However, access may be limited depending on what type of Ikon ski pass you have. Limited blackout dates apply to the Ikon Base Pass and the Ikon Base Plus Pass.
Resorts in the United States
Thirty-nine of the Ikon Pass mountains are in the U.S. Of these resorts, they’re primarily concentrated in the Rockies and Northeastern states.
Pacific NW (6)
Rockies (15)
Midwest (2)
Palisades Tahoe.
Sierra-at-Tahoe.
Mammoth Mountain.
June Mountain.
Big Bear Mountain Resort.
Snow Valley.
Sun Valley.
Alyeska Resort.
Crystal Mountain Resort.
The Summit at Snoqualmie.
Mt. Bachelor.
Schweitzer.
Aspen Snowmass.
Steamboat.
Winter Park Resort.
Copper Mountain.
Arapahoe Basin.
Eldora Mountain Resort.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Big Sky Resort.
Taos Ski Valley.
Deer Valley Resort.
Solitude Mountain Resort.
Brighton.
Alta Ski Area.
Snowbird.
Snowbasin.
International travelers can also take advantage of 22 Ikon Pass resorts in multiple countries. Southern Hemisphere locations make it possible to ski throughout the year since their ski season starts just as the North American ski season comes to an end.
Canada (8)
South America (1)
Europe (6)
Oceania (5)
SkiBig3. Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Cypress Mountain. RED Mountain. Panorama. Sun Peaks Resort.
Tremblant. Blue Mountain
Valle Nevado.
Grandvalira Resorts Andorra.
Kitzbühel.
Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley.
Dolomiti Superski.
Switzerland
Zermatt Matterhorn. St. Moritz.
Thredbo. Mt Buller.
New Zealand
Coronet Peak. The Remarkables. Mt Hutt.
Niseko United. Arai Snow Resort
When planning your ski vacation, keep in mind that some ski resorts require reservations. While this can be frustrating, limiting access prevents overcrowding. This way, you’ll spend more time on the slopes than in the lines for ski lifts.
What ski pass options are available?
Ikon Base Pass
Ikon Base Plus Pass
Ikon Session Pass
Adult $1,359.
Young adult $1,019.
Child $429.
Ages 4 and under $149.
Adult $969.
Young adult $699.
Child $359.
Ages 4 and under $99.
Adult $1,219.
Young adult $949.
Child $609.
Ages 4 and under $349.
Adult passes:
4-day $479.
3-day $399.
2-day $289.
17 resorts.
14 resorts.
14 resorts.
Up to 7 days each at 42 resorts.
5 days each at 39 resorts.
5 days each at 45 resorts.
2, 3 or 4 days total at 43 resorts.
Blackout dates
Dining and retail discounts
Friends and family discounts
12 passes.
Ikon Pass (Best)
The Ikon Pass offers the most benefits and ski lift access of any pass. There are no blackout dates, and it includes unlimited access at 17 destinations. This means that you can ski or snowboard as much as you want at these locations throughout the ski season.
With the Ikon Pass, you’ll receive up to seven days each at 42 additional destinations. Passholders also receive a 15% discount on food, beverage and retail purchases at select destinations. You can use up to 12 friends and family discounts per season.
Ikon Base Pass
For skiers on a budget, the Ikon Base Pass adds blackout dates and eliminates access to some destinations in exchange for a reduced price. Even with these restrictions, you still get unlimited access to 14 destinations and five days of lift tickets at 39 other resorts. Passholders also get a 10% discount on food, beverage and retail purchases at participating destinations and eight friends and family discounts.
In the Northern Hemisphere, blackout dates this season include several days after Christmas, the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January and the weekend before Presidents Day in February. The Southern Hemisphere has blackout dates for two weeks in July.
A major downside for the Ikon Base Pass is losing out on six resort destinations. These locations are Alta Ski Area, Aspen Snowmass, Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Snowbasin and Sun Valley. If you want to visit these locations, consider upgrading your pass or purchasing single-day lift tickets.
Ikon Base Plus Pass
For skiers who want access to every Ikon ski resort but still want to save money, the Ikon Base Plus Pass is a solid choice. It includes unlimited access to 14 destinations and limited visits to Ikon’s 45 other ski resorts. There are limited blackout dates, but if your travel plans are flexible, you can work around those restrictions.
While the premium pass includes unlimited visits at Crystal Mountain, Schweitzer and Steamboat, this pass is limited to five days at those resorts per season. Blackout dates also apply to these resorts. Additionally, you’ll receive just five lift tickets at the other resorts compared with seven visits with the Ikon Pass.
Holders of the Base Plus Pass get a 10% discount on food and drinks and at retail stores at select destinations. You can also bring friends and family along by using up to eight discounts per season.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Skiers planning to upgrade from the Ikon Base Pass to the Ikon Base Plus Pass should consider buying the premium Ikon Pass instead.
With a $250 cost to upgrade to the Base Plus Pass, the difference in cost for adults and young adults between the Base Plus Pass and the Ikon Pass isn’t that much compared to the extra benefits and access you’ll get with the Ikon Pass. For children, the Base Plus Pass is actually more expensive than the top-of-the-line ski pass.
Ikon Session Pass
Travelers who aren’t ready to commit to a full season of skiing and snowboarding can still purchase an Ikon Session Pass to save money over single-day lift tickets.
Session passes can be used for one or more days at 43 ski resorts. They can be purchased for two, three or four days of skiing, but blackout dates may apply to select destinations. With this pass, some resorts also require reservations.
What to consider
Before buying your pass, consider which Ikon Pass mountains you want to visit, when you want to travel and how many days you’ll ski. You may be able to save money by purchasing a lower-level pass instead of the premium pass with the highest price tag.
Epic Ski Pass holders get access to several Epic resorts and partner resorts around the world. Think of it like a membership: Buy it once, use it all winter.
Most participating resorts are in the U.S., but there are also a handful in Canada and Australia plus partner resorts in Europe, Japan and the Canadian Rockies (plus one in the U.S.) that offer limited access to certain pass holders. Depending on when you purchase your pass, you may even get summer lift access, too, which could include lift-accessed mountain bike parks or scenic lift rides.
If you’re planning to ski multiple days this season, the cost of a pass could be much cheaper than paying for daily access. But blackout dates and limits to when you can visit might apply. Make sure your favorite local resort is included in the pass before purchasing.
Where are Epic Pass resorts?
Epic Pass mountains and resorts are located all over the world, with the majority in the U.S.
U.S. Rockies:
Vail, Colorado.
Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Breckenridge, Colorado.
Keystone, Colorado.
Crested Butte, Colorado.
Park City, Utah.
Western states:
Heavenly, California/Nevada.
Northstar, California.
Kirkwood, California.
Stevens Pass, Washington.
Northeastern states:
Stowe, Vermont.
Okemo, Vermont.
Mount Snow, Vermont.
Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire.
Attitash Mountain Resort, New Hampshire.
Wildcat Mountain, New Hampshire.
Crotched Mountain, New Hampshire.
Hunter Mountain, New York.
Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania):
Liberty Mountain Resort, Pennsylvania.
Roundtop Mountain Resort, Pennsylvania.
Whitetail Resort, Pennsylvania.
Jack Frost and Big Boulder, Pennsylvania.
Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
Laurel Mountain, Pennsylvania.
Hidden Valley, Pennsylvania.
Midwest:
Afton Alps, Minnesota.
Mt Brighton, Michigan.
Wilmot, Wisconsin.
Alpine Valley, Ohio.
Boston Mills/Brandywine, Ohio.
Mad River Mountain, Ohio.
Hidden Valley, Missouri.
Snow Creek, Missouri.
Paoli Peaks, Indiana.
Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia.
Australia:
Perisher, New South Wales. (2025 access.)
Falls Creek, Victoria. (2025 access.)
Hotham, Victoria. (2025 access.)
Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Switzerland.
Partner resorts (limited access) in Europe, Canada, the U.S. and Japan:
Rusutsu, Japan.
Jigatake Snow Resort, Kashimayari Snow Resort, White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka, ABLE Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park, Hakuba Happo-one Snow Resort, Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field, Tsugaike Mountain Resort, Hakuba Norikura Onsen Snow Resort and Hakuba Cortina Snow Resort, all located in Hakuba Valley, Japan.
Telluride, Colorado.
Fernie Alpine Resort, Canada.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Canada.
Kimberley Alpine Resort, Canada.
Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.
Nakiska, Canada.
Stoneham, Canada.
Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Verbier 4 Vallées, Switzerland.
Ski Arlberg, Austria.
Skirama Dolomiti, Italy.
Les 3 Vallées, France.
Epic Pass costs and options
Epic Pass: $1,025
If you want nearly unlimited access to all Epic Pass resorts with no blackout dates during peak times (usually holidays), the classic Epic Pass is the one for you.
You’ll get unlimited access to most U.S., Canadian and international resorts. But Telluride in Colorado, several Canadian destinations and participating Japanese resorts still come with a cap on how many days in the season you can visit. Since it’s the most inclusive pass option, it’s also the most expensive.
Epic Local Pass: $762
Geared toward U.S. residents who may occasionally travel internationally to ski, the Epic Local Pass offers unlimited access to several resorts across the U.S. and limited days at international resorts. Some U.S. slopes don’t allow visits on peak days, though, so check to see if your favorite mountains come with limitations, especially if you’re planning to travel over the holidays.
Epic Day Pass: Starts at $46 per day
This flexible option allows you to buy a day pass (for one day up to seven) for use whenever it’s convenient. You can choose if you want those days to give you access to all Epic resorts or just a selection and if you want the pass to include peak dates (which costs more). Which you choose will depend on when and where you plan to travel to ski or ride.
Purchasing a pass this way scores you lift tickets at a discount up to 65% off. Epic says that works out to between $46 and $135 per day depending on your selections, meaning you could score yourself a pretty decent discount depending on what resorts you plan to visit.
Military passes: Start at $181
Whether you’re active military, retired military, a dependent or a veteran, there are several discounted passes available with unlimited access to a wide selection of resorts.
Area- and resort-specific passes: Start at $334
For those who don’t plan to travel far to ski or snowboard, there are several resort- or region-specific passes available. For example, the Tahoe Local Pass offers unlimited access to a handful of California resorts, plus extra days at a few destinations in Western states.
The Northeast Value Pass gets you access to slopes in New England, Pennsylvania and the Midwest. Several dedicated resort-specific passes are available, too, if you plan to always ski close to home.
How to use an Epic Pass
To use an Epic Pass, download the My Epic app then scan your phone in lieu of a traditional lift ticket. That means you can skip the ticket line and head straight to the lifts at most resorts (except Telluride, which requires reservations).
The app also will keep track of days skied and any date restrictions associated with the pass you chose.
Other benefits of the Epic Pass
In addition to users getting access to often unlimited lift tickets by purchasing a pass before the season starts, the Epic Pass comes with a slew of other benefits at select resorts:
20% off food at many on-resort dining establishments.
20% off resort lodging.
20% off group ski or snowboard lessons.
20% off rental equipment.
50% off a tune-up and one free wax a year.
Discounted single-day lift tickets or Buddy Tickets for friends or family (with select passes).
Discounts on transportation and experiences at a handful of locations.
Pass coverage: You may be able to get a refund or partial refund if you lose your job, a resort closes or you get injured, thus limiting your ability to use your pass.
Is an Epic Pass worth it?
For many skiers, yes. But it depends on several factors — mainly, how often you’ll be able to use the pass and if it’s convenient for when and where you ski or snowboard.
Here’s what to consider before purchasing:
Location. Are any of the resorts near you part of the Epic Pass program? If not, and you’re not planning to travel to any that are, then you probably want to pass on this pass. If, however, your favorite hometown slope is included, and you plan to spend more than a few days layering up and strapping in in search of fresh powder or want to travel for a ski vacation, a pass could likely save you money.
Frequency. The more days per season you ski or ride, the more the cost of a pass will be worth it. But even if you plan to ski or ride only a few days throughout the season, a day pass could likely save you quite a bit of cash compared to a full-priced lift ticket, so it’s worth considering, especially if you live near an Epic resort.
Blackout dates. Keep in mind, too, whether the pass and included resorts allow you to claim lift tickets on peak days like Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you’re hoping to ski during the holidays, this is extra important.
Finances: Don’t go into debt for a season-long ski pass. Whether you choose to pay in full or use Epic’s buy now, pay later option, make sure your finances are in good enough shape for large transactions or automatic withdrawals. If they’re not, stick with saving up and paying on just the days you want to ski.
For the best value, make sure you scan the list of passes available and choose one that makes the most sense for you. There’s no need to spend big bucks on a full-blown Epic Pass if a regional or local pass will suit your needs.
Qatar Airways offers two branded credit cards for U.S. consumers. Launched by the airline in May 2024 in partnership with financial technology company Cardless and issued by First Electronic Bank, the cards offer sign-up bonuses, rewards on purchases and an accelerated path to status in Qatar Airways Privilege Club (the airline’s frequent flyer program) and the Oneworld alliance (of which the airline is a member).
One card is more feature-rich than the other, and the difference is evident in an annual fee that rivals what you’d pay for the best premium travel rewards credit cards. For that price, other cards may have more to offer, especially if you’d prefer more flexibility with your rewards.
Here are five things to know about the Qatar Airways credit cards.
1. There are two Qatar Airways credit cards
You can choose between the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card, with a $99 annual fee, and the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, with a $499 annual fee.
Here’s how the cards compare:
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card
Annual fee
Sign-up bonus
Earn up to 50,000 Avios, including 25,000 Avios after the first transaction and 25,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.
Earn up to 40,000 Avios, including 20,000 Avios after the first transaction and 20,000 Avios after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.
Loyalty program points
Earn 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.
Earn 2 Qpoints for every 1,500 Avios earned.
Earn 2 Qpoints for every 2,000 Avios earned.
Earnings rates
5 Avios per $1 spent on Qatar Airways.
3 Avios per $1 spent at restaurants.
1 Avios per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.
4 Avios per $1 spent on Qatar Airways.
2 Avios per $1 spent at restaurants.
1 Avios per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.
Other perks
2. The cards earn Avios
The cards earn rewards in the form of “Avios,” which you can use to book award travel on Qatar Airways. Avios are also the rewards currency for several other airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair; you can transfer Avios among those airlines’ frequent flyer programs, although the value you get per point will differ.
Because Qatar Airways is part of the Oneworld alliance, you can also redeem Avios toward flights on partner airlines such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Qantas and more.
3. You get an accelerated path to status
With the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card, you automatically get Silver status in Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club for the first year you have the card. This grants you a 25% bonus on rewards earnings for eligible flights; priority standby, check-in and boarding; a 20% discount on the cost of seat selection; an allowance for extra baggage; and lounge access. You’ll also get Ruby status in the Oneworld alliance, which gets you business class priority check-in, preferred seating and priority on waitlists and standby.
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card grants you Privilege Club Gold status for the first year, which comes with a 75% bonus on rewards earnings for eligible flights; priority standby, check-in and boarding; preferred seats; an allowance for even heavier extra baggage; lounge access; credits you can redeem for upgrades; a “meet and assist” service; and a discount on online redemptions. You’ll also get Sapphire status on Oneworld, which provides the benefits of Ruby plus access to business class lounges, priority boarding, a free extra checked bag and priority baggage handling.
Note that the automatic elite status lasts for only the first year. To keep (or increase) your status, you need to earn “Qpoints,” which you can do by flying Qatar Airways or any Oneworld member airline. Using the Qatar Airways credit cards can also earn Qpoints — you get 2 Qpoints for every 1,500 to 2,000 Avios you earn with credit card spending, depending on the card.
4. One card’s annual fee is extra pricey
The “Infinite” version charges a sky-high $499 annual fee, which is certainly something to take into consideration when considering these two cards. For the extra cost, you get a larger sign-up bonus, higher ongoing rewards rates, a higher rate at which you earn Qpoints, a higher status tier and Visa Infinite benefits.
5. Other premium travel cards may be a better option
If you’re considering the more expensive Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, note that other premium travel cards allow you to transfer points to airline partners, which includes some of the Avios airlines mentioned above.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which has a $550 annual fee, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airlines including British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia. Plus, you get a $300 annual travel credit, a statement credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global entry, airport lounge access and more.
Full list of Chase transfer partners
Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Iberia (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue (1:1 ratio).
Singapore (1:1 ratio).
Southwest (1:1 ratio).
United (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hyatt (1:1 ratio).
InterContinental Hotels Group (1:1 ratio).
Marriott (1:1 ratio).
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card includes both British Airways and Finnair among its transfer partners. The $395 annual fee can be effectively wiped out by the card’s many perks — a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel, a statement credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, airport lounge access and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.
Qatar Airways offers two branded credit cards for U.S. consumers. Launched by the airline in May 2024 in partnership with financial technology company Cardless and issued by First Electronic Bank, the cards offer sign-up bonuses, rewards on purchases and an accelerated path to status in Qatar Airways Privilege Club (the airline’s frequent flyer program) and the Oneworld alliance (of which the airline is a member).
One card is more feature-rich than the other, and the difference is evident in an annual fee that rivals what you’d pay for the best premium travel rewards credit cards. For that price, other cards may have more to offer, especially if you’d prefer more flexibility with your rewards.
Here are five things to know about the Qatar Airways credit cards.
1. There are two Qatar Airways credit cards
You can choose between the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card, with a $99 annual fee, and the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, with a $499 annual fee.
Here’s how the cards compare:
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card
Annual fee
Sign-up bonus
Earn up to 50,000 Avios, including 25,000 Avios after the first transaction and 25,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.
Earn up to 40,000 Avios, including 20,000 Avios after the first transaction and 20,000 Avios after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.
Loyalty program points
Earn 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.
Earn 2 Qpoints for every 1,500 Avios earned.
Earn 2 Qpoints for every 2,000 Avios earned.
Earnings rates
5 Avios per $1 spent on Qatar Airways.
3 Avios per $1 spent at restaurants.
1 Avios per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.
4 Avios per $1 spent on Qatar Airways.
2 Avios per $1 spent at restaurants.
1 Avios per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.
Other perks
2. The cards earn Avios
The cards earn rewards in the form of “Avios,” which you can use to book award travel on Qatar Airways. Avios are also the rewards currency for several other airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair; you can transfer Avios among those airlines’ frequent flyer programs, although the value you get per point will differ.
Because Qatar Airways is part of the Oneworld alliance, you can also redeem Avios toward flights on partner airlines such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Qantas and more.
3. You get an accelerated path to status
With the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card, you automatically get Silver status in Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club for the first year you have the card. This grants you a 25% bonus on rewards earnings for eligible flights; priority standby, check-in and boarding; a 20% discount on the cost of seat selection; an allowance for extra baggage; and lounge access. You’ll also get Ruby status in the Oneworld alliance, which gets you business class priority check-in, preferred seating and priority on waitlists and standby.
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card grants you Privilege Club Gold status for the first year, which comes with a 75% bonus on rewards earnings for eligible flights; priority standby, check-in and boarding; preferred seats; an allowance for even heavier extra baggage; lounge access; credits you can redeem for upgrades; a “meet and assist” service; and a discount on online redemptions. You’ll also get Sapphire status on Oneworld, which provides the benefits of Ruby plus access to business class lounges, priority boarding, a free extra checked bag and priority baggage handling.
Note that the automatic elite status lasts for only the first year. To keep (or increase) your status, you need to earn “Qpoints,” which you can do by flying Qatar Airways or any Oneworld member airline. Using the Qatar Airways credit cards can also earn Qpoints — you get 2 Qpoints for every 1,500 to 2,000 Avios you earn with credit card spending, depending on the card.
4. One card’s annual fee is extra pricey
The “Infinite” version charges a sky-high $499 annual fee, which is certainly something to take into consideration when considering these two cards. For the extra cost, you get a larger sign-up bonus, higher ongoing rewards rates, a higher rate at which you earn Qpoints, a higher status tier and Visa Infinite benefits.
5. Other premium travel cards may be a better option
If you’re considering the more expensive Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, note that other premium travel cards allow you to transfer points to airline partners, which includes some of the Avios airlines mentioned above.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which has a $550 annual fee, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airlines including British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia. Plus, you get a $300 annual travel credit, a statement credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global entry, airport lounge access and more.
Full list of Chase transfer partners
Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Iberia (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue (1:1 ratio).
Singapore (1:1 ratio).
Southwest (1:1 ratio).
United (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hyatt (1:1 ratio).
InterContinental Hotels Group (1:1 ratio).
Marriott (1:1 ratio).
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card includes both British Airways and Finnair among its transfer partners. The $395 annual fee can be effectively wiped out by the card’s many perks — a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel, a statement credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, airport lounge access and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.