US Bank Altitude Reserve Credit Card: New Avianca 1:1, Five Partners in Total

US Bank Altitude Reserve finally officially opened points transfer functionality. Current cardholders can now transfer Altitude Points into 4 airline programs and 1 hotel program. Compared with that, AV and AF are still somewhat usable, though they are not exactly mainstream. Hopefully they keep going.

• Avianca LifeMiles 1:1
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue：1:1；
• Qantas Frequent Flyer：1:1；
• Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles：1:1；
• ALL - Accor Live Limitless：2:1。

This update clearly increased the value of Altitude Reserve points. Especially since this card still earns 3x on the first $5,000 of Mobile Wallet spending each month. If you transfer to Flying Blue, Qantas, or Ethiopian, that is effectively 3 airline miles for every $1 spent; transferring to Accor is effectively 1.5 Accor points for every $1 spent. At the moment, the only confirmed transfer option is Altitude Reserve; the other US Bank Altitude cards have not broadly opened this feature yet.

Altitude Reserve is still not accepting new applications, but for long-time cardholders who have kept this card, the addition of transfer partners is a major positive. Flying Blue is especially useful, and Ethiopian ShebaMiles is also a relatively rare transfer partner for U.S. credit cards. If US Bank continues adding partners, this card still has room to grow in long-term value.

The transfer portal can be found after logging in to US Bank and going to Altitude Reserve → Rewards → Rewards Center → “Rewards your way with loyalty rewards transfer”. Points are deducted from US Bank immediately after submission. Most transfers arrive by the next business day, and the official terms say it may take up to 72 hours. Once transferred out, points cannot be reversed.

US Bank Altitude Reserve credit card review

Highlights

• US Bank Travel earns 10x on hotel bookings and 5x on airfare bookings (already similar to the current Sapphire Reserve and Strata Elite)
• $325 travel reimbursement: Each year you get $325 in travel spending reimbursement. This is based on the cardmember year, not the calendar year. It can only be used through the US Bank Travel portal
• US Bank Travel multipliers: US Bank Travel earns 10x on hotel bookings and 5x on airfare bookings
• 3x on mobile payments: After the change, only the first $5,000 per billing cycle earns 3x. Mobile payments here refers to Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay. Earning 3x on these purchases is incredible, because these payment methods can be used to buy anything in stores, including gift cards, so it is basically 3x on all spending. Note that the 3x only applies to in-app purchases and NFC transactions. For example, Samsung Pay earned 3x both for in-app purchases and in-store swipes (including magnetic stripe emulation). Plastiq payments, although they posted as 01night (similar to a hotel stay), did not earn 3x
• Priority Pass Select membership: There are 8 visits per year (including yourself and guests, each counted separately). There is also a very useful benefit tied to this card’s PP card. The Priority Pass that comes with this card can be registered with any name and address at signup (it is not locked to the cardholder), so if you already have a PP card, you can simply enter a family member’s or friend’s name and let them use this benefit.

• Metal card: It still has a certain premium feel
• Other benefits: TSA PreCheck or Global Entry reimbursement, Black car and rental car service

Altitude Rewards points system

How to use points:

• Redeem for the annual fee: 35,000 points can offset the $400 annual fee on the primary card
• Redeeming points for travel purchases through Real-Time Mobile Rewards (RTMR) has changed to 1:1, which is awful
• Redeeming travel purchases through US Bank Travel has changed to 1:1, which is awful
• Points seem to be transferable to other Altitude cards
• Also, while browsing the rewards center, I found that US Bank points can be transferred to other people without restriction (similar to Capital One), so if transfer partners go live later, it could make buying and selling points easier for everyone.

Unboxing photos

First, here are the unboxing photos. I will gradually add my thoughts on using the card.

Activation

You need to call the number on the back of the card to activate the credit card. It seems to be the Reserve line, and a representative answered in just over ten seconds. When I added it to Samsung Pay on a Samsung phone, it prompted me to call to activate it. After I got through, customer service verified the information and it was activated. The rep said the only way to activate mobile payment is by phone verification.

Some application data points

[DP1] According to reader alex’s application experience, the Fidelity card may not count. After he applied, he called more than 5 times and was even transferred to a manager, and they all said the Fidelity card does not belong to US Bank and could not be used to pass his application. In the example below where the application was approved, the card had already been mailed! So this is really YMMV and needs more examples to confirm. If you know of similar application examples, please leave a comment.

[DP2] Finally confirmed! Users with the Fidelity 2% credit card that was previously forcibly moved to US Bank also meet the requirements to apply for this Altitude card. Here is a reader’s firsthand experience: the first application was instantly denied with no hard pull. Then after calling, customer service said Fidelity counted too, and it was moved to manual review, which triggered a hard pull. The next day, he called to check the status and was denied! He called again, and customer service said that card did not count. But he was still unwilling to give up, so he called again, and another rep said it would go to manual review again. On the third day, he called to check the status and it was approved! I personally think US Bank employees were not fully clear on the rules either, so it is better to try a few more times.

According to DOC’s information and the DP in the comments, this card no longer requires having a US Bank relationship in order to apply. In other words, you no longer need to first have a checking account, savings account, or credit card to apply for this card directly (you used to need one). However, this DP says it may be declined, and manual reconsideration may be needed. If you apply without a relationship, make sure to call for reconsideration and do not waste a hard pull. But with a bank that is as particular as US Bank, having a checking account still seems to make approval easier.

Application

• The minimum credit line for this card is $5,000. Applicants are advised to have at least one year of credit history and some income.
• If you have a business relationship with US Bank (such as business checking or a credit card), you also need to apply at a branch, and a banker will call to explain the situation.
• According to DOC, the terms on this card have changed slightly: you can now apply again every five years and earn the welcome bonus again (it used to be once per lifetime). This calculation is based on when you received the welcome bonus, so if you’re trying to time it precisely, it’s best to check the exact month when the bonus posted.Existing or previous US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite cardmembers are not eligible if you have received a new account bonus for this product in the last five years.

• US Bank application status check link. Or call: 800-947-1444
• When you apply, US Bank may check the two smaller credit bureaus SageStream & ARS credit reports, so you may consider freezing them before applying
• You can only earn the welcome bonus on the same US Bank credit card once
• You can call the reconsideration line (800-947-1444) to speed up the credit card approval process or to have a denied application reviewed again.
• US Bank is relatively sensitive to HPs and new accounts. Having a US Bank Checking account can help with getting approved for a credit card
• More about applying for US Bank credit cards

Application Link

• US Bank Altitude Reserve (applications suspended)