What is your primary way of acquiring miles and pts?

[italdesign]

Just curious.

 

[Burgertm]

It is a tough choice between MS and Credit Card signup. It really depends on the type of points/miles I'm earning. If it is AA miles, definitely CC signups. If it is UR points, then definitely MS or regular spend at office supply stores.

 

[italdesign]

Here I was thinking that maybe CC sign up bonus has become passe, that MS has become the preferred method. So it's interesting to see that even on a MS-centric forum such as this, that that doesn't seem to be the case, yet.

 

[italdesign]

It is a tough choice between MS and Credit Card signup. It really depends on the type of points/miles I'm earning. If it is AA miles, definitely CC signups. If it is UR points, then definitely MS or regular spend at office supply stores.

Makes sense!

 

[KennyBSAT]

I initially voted signup bonuses, but a look at my spreadsheet shows it's actually about 60/40 MS vs signups if I only view each mile as worth 1 cent and include cashback in the calculation. I guess you could say signup bonuses keep us flying and MS pays for the rest.

 

[pizza0496]

Definitely sign up bonuses first, then general MS game from there.

 

[projectx]

MS for me. The value of my cashback/points in the last year far outweighs CC sign up bonuses.

 

[Rob G]

Sign-up bonuses for the first 18 months, then the selections start to dry up a bit! Working on building up UR its and hitting 20K spend on British Airways card to hit spending bonuses

 

[smittytabb]

All of the above.

 

[JBL]

Sign-up bonus are great for first 2 years because many options are available.. However, it gets really challenging after that because you run out of CC to apply.. Better strategy for sign-up bonus is to "wait for the historically best sign-up offer" for particular CC.

 

[italdesign]

For churning, it helps if you have access to multiple SSNs. Even better if you have more SSNs than ppl to redeem for.

 

[PghRocks]

Sign-up bonus are great for first 2 years because many options are available.. However, it gets really challenging after that because you run out of CC to apply.. Better strategy for sign-up bonus is to "wait for the historically best sign-up offer" for particular CC.

Sign-Up Bonuses & 5% Cards/Categories

But other than AMEX & Chase Personal cards (Freedom and CSP) and the Chase 5/24 rule, you're re-eligible for sign up bonuses after 2 years at Chase - its right there in the rules, 18 months for Citi - same thing and even sooner at some other banks like (BOA, Barclays, these are grayer sometimes)

And really the only one that kinda matter is the CSP because you can MS yourself the common 15K UR sign up bonus for the Freedom by maxing out 2 5% quarters, it goes up to 20K sometimes but that's just

 

[treetopunknown]

Just starting out so sign up bonuses. I do wonder if MS will still be as popular in 1/2 a year from now because it won't be as easy as before.

 

[HalPert]

For me it depends; some months I am able to charge massive expenses that I'm going to get reimbursed for (i.e., $10,000+ for hotel and airfare expenses for a group that paid me for their share, while I collected all the points).

Everyday life can often provide opportunities to run up extra cc points, if you work hard enough. Do you eat lunch with co-workers a lot? Offer to run out and grab sandwiches from a well-liked local diner and pay the tab w/your cc, and have everyone pay you back. At a restaurant, if anyone has cash, offer to put their share on your cc and have them pay you the cash. Little tricks like these have helped me out when sign-up bonuses or MS opportunities go through dry spells.

 

[suljaga13]

I use MS( along with everyday spend) for SPG and Citi thank you points, and for verything else Credit card signu bonus. I also fair portion of points by funding checking and savings account.

 

[Alice]

Sign up bonuses for the flights, but MS for all the other costs associated with travel, and to profit enough to justify the time spent participating in the hobby.

 

[Hplx32]

It really depends...I exhausted a lot of my sign up bonuses, and we'll see about MS in general after the BB/Serve blow. I do have other ways, but it may end up being bonus categories on spends and general travel for work.

 

[Eric Bogs]

After 2 years of app-o-ramas, I worry that for me the signup bonuses are coming to an end, or are at least slowing.

I'm looking forward to ~6 more months of mileage-based accrual with AA. After that, will probably look at the long tail of mileage-based accrual opportunities (e.g. crediting Qatar to AA, or crediting Delta to Alaska).

 

[rcc]

Sign up bonuses have been unbeatable for me. There is always something new/churnable that keeps coming up - 2014 it was the Citi Exec, last year and continuing into this year - it's the AA Plat cards

 

[Andrew Beall]

Sign up bonuses
Shopping portals
Real business CC spend
I quit MS'ing after I started spending enough with my regular business spend. I'm about to have a SW companion pass with one 50k signup bonus and no MS.

 

[TaraL]

Sign up bonuses for me. I still did not try Shopping portals, but have been reading a lot about it....pretty soon, hope to give it a try.

 

[Hplx32]

Sign up bonuses for me. I still did not try Shopping portals, but have been reading a lot about it....pretty soon, hope to give it a try.

Oh yeah shopping portals, check out www.evreward.com and/or www.cashbackmonitor.com

 

[Billiken]

Mostly MS...not much of an app-O-rama person.
Although, I've done almost all cards except DL, IHG, and WN.