I’m currently messing around with a couple of trips we want to take in the near to distant future, so I’ve been a bit too busy to post. Plus, it turns out taking care of a child is a lot of work. I did want to post quickly (albeit late) about the US Airways/American Airlines merger.

The short of it is this: US Airways and American will be merging sometime in the near future. What does that mean for points enthusiasts? Well, if past mergers are any indication, at some point you will be able to transfer US Airways miles to AA and vice versa, and ultimately your balances will likely be combined into one megabalance (though watch out for potential devaluations).

What this means is now is a good time to apply for the Barclay’s US Airways card, which currently is offering a sign up bonus of 35,000 miles after first purchase. There are other benefits, but essentially you can buy 35,000 miles for a dollar purchase. I just applied for one for my wife and she was instantly approved although I haven’t confirmed the bonus yet.

Anyway, this is a link to the flyertalk thread about the cards, and this is the application link that was working as of today. Be sure to do your own research if you’re going to pull the trigger of course. And if you’re new to this, feel free to check out my credit card application strategy series. Happy appy!