lfas25
Level 2 Member
I wouldn't advertise this... lol
Which card is right for me? / AOR help
- Thread starter KennyBSAT
- Start date
Mike
Silver Member
Is that an official invitation to all trolls? Come to think of it was wondering why you always have so many 'robots' online!
I believe there is a south park episode explaining what happens when you just accept the rules without reading themWhen I'm forced to I don't, I just hit I agree, now I have a choice and you want me to go read them???
chunkalunk
Level 2 Member
I can also confirm receiving the 10K bump in bonus points for my Ink Bold. SMed and got it the next day (this was done ~50 days of having the card)
MarkyMark
Level 2 Member
Anyone feel free to correct me, but this was 3+ years ago for the old (original) ink bold card. I would be very hesitant to ask Chase to match an offer you can not document. Must my 2 cents worth.
Mike
Silver Member
If they can pull up the offer and it was within 90 days they'll match you, otherwise you'd have to bring proof there's such an offer.
nickelfish1
Level 2 Member
I've been doing the buying gift cards-loading BB, which is $594 per year in fees. The cards I use are just 1 pt per dollar, so I'm not really maximizing anything. Right now, my husband and I each have a CSP. He has 120k and I have 50k pts. I just paid the 95$ fee on both. I'm thinking about transfering my pts to him, closing my acct and opening a Freedom. But, I don't think that's the card I should be targeting. Maybe I need an Amex to start earning MR instead. (I'm also about to pull the trigger on the Costa Rica airfare. 4 tickets using my last Citi TYou 15% discount benefit it would only be 1,250$ so could maybe use my points on hotels instead of transfering. I'm shutting CTY down too.) I have the SPG, Citi Executive, Citi AA regular, IHG, US Air, and Marriott.
I am looking for AOR help which I honestly have been struggling with all week as I am about to go for round. As a newbie I did my first round in January.
I signed up for the personal SPG, Hyatt with 2 nights, SW 50K, and Inkplus 50K
(I know this doesn't seem well thought out but I pulled the trigger from reading MMS which I no longer read, rookie mistake
Then in Feb. I had to pull the trigger on the 100k AA Exec because it was too good to pass up.
Now I am ready for my next round. I have offers mailed to me at this time for (2) 100 K Amex Platinum, (2) 75 K Business Gold Rewards, but I do feel strongest about getting another 100 K AA Exec.
Prior to getting the Amex offers, I was set on Barclay's Arrival to use for my Mykonos/Tel Aviv trip in August (the parts not covered by rewards), another 100 K AA for my trip to Florianopolis next Feb., and from there I was thinking of AmexBlue for my reloads/GC (although this card is great the money back doesn't excite me nearly as much as the points). Now I am wondering if the Amex offers I have should be used before they expire, or if I should just wait until they send more in the mail (at least hope they do)
I know I have read that all these are personal and you should set a goal. I also have a wedding to attend in Sydney next March so could use miles for that too. Anyways, if anything above jumps out as a clear "do it" or "not" please advise. I plan to do the AOR tomorrow night, with some chilled champagne so the excitement is building.
I signed up for the personal SPG, Hyatt with 2 nights, SW 50K, and Inkplus 50K
(I know this doesn't seem well thought out but I pulled the trigger from reading MMS which I no longer read, rookie mistake
Then in Feb. I had to pull the trigger on the 100k AA Exec because it was too good to pass up.
Now I am ready for my next round. I have offers mailed to me at this time for (2) 100 K Amex Platinum, (2) 75 K Business Gold Rewards, but I do feel strongest about getting another 100 K AA Exec.
Prior to getting the Amex offers, I was set on Barclay's Arrival to use for my Mykonos/Tel Aviv trip in August (the parts not covered by rewards), another 100 K AA for my trip to Florianopolis next Feb., and from there I was thinking of AmexBlue for my reloads/GC (although this card is great the money back doesn't excite me nearly as much as the points). Now I am wondering if the Amex offers I have should be used before they expire, or if I should just wait until they send more in the mail (at least hope they do)
I know I have read that all these are personal and you should set a goal. I also have a wedding to attend in Sydney next March so could use miles for that too. Anyways, if anything above jumps out as a clear "do it" or "not" please advise. I plan to do the AOR tomorrow night, with some chilled champagne so the excitement is building.
TinyElvis
Level 2 Member
OK, you want to get to Sydney. What kind of miles are you going to use? AA? If so then note that amex MR points can't be transferred to AA. Better get enough miles by hitting citi offers. You could also transfer MR to BA and use avios to book a flight. Better look into the number of required miles to do that, not sure if avios are a good way to get to Oz. Third option is I believe you can transfer MR to Delta and book Virgin Australia (never done this so I would make sure it still works first). I've heard Virgin offers better service than Qantas, but have no direct experience. Anyways, your memberhsip rewards and aadvantage miles won't be able to be combined.I am looking for AOR help which I honestly have been struggling with all week as I am about to go for round. As a newbie I did my first round in January.
I signed up for the personal SPG, Hyatt with 2 nights, SW 50K, and Inkplus 50K
(I know this doesn't seem well thought out but I pulled the trigger from reading MMS which I no longer read, rookie mistake
Then in Feb. I had to pull the trigger on the 100k AA Exec because it was too good to pass up.
Now I am ready for my next round. I have offers mailed to me at this time for (2) 100 K Amex Platinum, (2) 75 K Business Gold Rewards, but I do feel strongest about getting another 100 K AA Exec.
Prior to getting the Amex offers, I was set on Barclay's Arrival to use for my Mykonos/Tel Aviv trip in August (the parts not covered by rewards), another 100 K AA for my trip to Florianopolis next Feb., and from there I was thinking of AmexBlue for my reloads/GC (although this card is great the money back doesn't excite me nearly as much as the points). Now I am wondering if the Amex offers I have should be used before they expire, or if I should just wait until they send more in the mail (at least hope they do)
I know I have read that all these are personal and you should set a goal. I also have a wedding to attend in Sydney next March so could use miles for that too. Anyways, if anything above jumps out as a clear "do it" or "not" please advise. I plan to do the AOR tomorrow night, with some chilled champagne so the excitement is building.
I hear the Park Hyatt in Sydney is lovely, that would be a good place to redeem your 2 night hyatt stay from your last AOR. You might consider trying to earn some hotel points as lodging in Australia is not cheap.
InstinctX
Level 2 Member
I wasn't planning to do any new AOR's...but the other day, I learned I need to have a medical treatment that costs about $6K. The provider is requiring payment upfront. They are considered an out of network provider -- so I will get some reimbursement from my medical insurance, but it will be in incremental claims that are submitted.
Which is / are the best card that I should apply for?
Existing in my wallet:
Any help & recommendations is thoroughly appreciated.
Which is / are the best card that I should apply for?
Existing in my wallet:
- AmEx Blue, Chase Freedom (I've had both forever)
- newly acquired from Feb's / March AOR: Chase Ink Plus, AmEx Simply Cash; Chase United, Barclaycard Arrival, Wells Fargo Rewards, Bank of America Cash Rewards, Bank of America Travel Rewards -- of these, the only "active ones" are AmEx Blue, Freedom, Ink Plus, Simply Cash, Barclaycard, WF and BofA Cash Rewards
Any help & recommendations is thoroughly appreciated.
Haley
I am not a robot
Medical is not an 'old' blue category, pharmacy is. I considered paying up front for my 6k med (that I need to fill every four weeks) and then submitting for reimbursement, but I decided it was too much trouble.
You could buy gift cards with old blue and use those to pay the bill, do you have the ability to buy no fee cards at a pharmacy or grocery store in your area? Even paying a 1% fee nets you 4% back if you have unlocked the 5% on old blue.
You could order Am Ex GC with your old blue to get to the 6.5 spend if you are not there yet. Just check if the provider takes AmEx, some doctors don't.
Lots of options for opening a new card and getting the spend knocked out fast. What about the 100,000 mile AAdvantage card w/$10k spend? I think there are still zombie links around.
If you will need to carry any of that 6k until you get the insurance check, that should be the deciding factor for what card to put it on. Insurance checks can take awhile to come in. A card with 0% on new purchases or your lowest rate card.
I hope it isn't anything serious, I know dental is expensive! All my old fillings from when I was a kid needed to be redone, they started to expand and cracked one of my teeth. Super expensive.
You could buy gift cards with old blue and use those to pay the bill, do you have the ability to buy no fee cards at a pharmacy or grocery store in your area? Even paying a 1% fee nets you 4% back if you have unlocked the 5% on old blue.
You could order Am Ex GC with your old blue to get to the 6.5 spend if you are not there yet. Just check if the provider takes AmEx, some doctors don't.
Lots of options for opening a new card and getting the spend knocked out fast. What about the 100,000 mile AAdvantage card w/$10k spend? I think there are still zombie links around.
If you will need to carry any of that 6k until you get the insurance check, that should be the deciding factor for what card to put it on. Insurance checks can take awhile to come in. A card with 0% on new purchases or your lowest rate card.
I hope it isn't anything serious, I know dental is expensive! All my old fillings from when I was a kid needed to be redone, they started to expand and cracked one of my teeth. Super expensive.
RavenHawk
Level 2 Member
InstinctX,
As Haley mentioned above, your existing cards give you a few options that you can explore.
From my perspective, it's hard to give you an answer without knowing your goals...are you looking for miles/points for travel, or cash back? If you are looking for cash back, the difference between the Fidelity Amex and your existing BoA Cash Rewards card on the $6000 is only going to be $60 (not counting future spending). As you mentioned that you weren't planning on an AOR, you will have to decide if that amount is worth a hard pull right now. Additionally, you probably received 0% APR for 12 months when you opened it, so you could carry a balance for some time while waiting for reimbursement.
If you are looking for miles or points, you will need to decide what airline/hotel/point program will be of the most benefit to your goals. The Citibank Executive that Haley mentioned is a good choice if you think you can hit the $10,000 spending limit within 3 months and you are comfortable with the $450 fee ($250 after credit). Other options would be the Chase Sapphire (to add to your existing UR points) - just be sure to cancel or downgrade it before the annual fee hits next year.
If you want to provide a bit more insight into your goals, I may be able to offer up a few more suggestions.
As Haley mentioned above, your existing cards give you a few options that you can explore.
From my perspective, it's hard to give you an answer without knowing your goals...are you looking for miles/points for travel, or cash back? If you are looking for cash back, the difference between the Fidelity Amex and your existing BoA Cash Rewards card on the $6000 is only going to be $60 (not counting future spending). As you mentioned that you weren't planning on an AOR, you will have to decide if that amount is worth a hard pull right now. Additionally, you probably received 0% APR for 12 months when you opened it, so you could carry a balance for some time while waiting for reimbursement.
If you are looking for miles or points, you will need to decide what airline/hotel/point program will be of the most benefit to your goals. The Citibank Executive that Haley mentioned is a good choice if you think you can hit the $10,000 spending limit within 3 months and you are comfortable with the $450 fee ($250 after credit). Other options would be the Chase Sapphire (to add to your existing UR points) - just be sure to cancel or downgrade it before the annual fee hits next year.
If you want to provide a bit more insight into your goals, I may be able to offer up a few more suggestions.
MattyMattMatt
Level 2 Member
Be careful with the promo codes on IHG. There are some examples of people being shutdown for plugging all the random codes in. Not sure exactly who they are targeting, because I have done it plenty of times and so far haven't been canned (fingers crossed).
http://loyaltylobby.com/2014/06/07/update-ihg-rewards-club-account-audits-terminations/
http://loyaltylobby.com/2014/06/07/update-ihg-rewards-club-account-audits-terminations/
Fishing4Deals
Level 2 Member
Yah, I was shutdown the first time I tried to load codes to my account. I never even made a reservation. IGH blocked my access to their website. I called and the restriction was lifted but I received a warning not to add codes that were not emailed to me.
thoughts1053
Level 2 Member
I'm also trying to figure out which card(s) I should apply for. I have no immediate goals other than a trip to Europe next year and I already have a stash of AA miles. When first starting, I figured I'd start with transferrable points and airline miles and then move to hotel points. Now I'm not sure if I should get the old Amex Blue for cash back (my wife liked this idea), the Ink plus (with the 70k bonus), a barclaycard arrival+, or some hotel cards. The cash back would be used to pay back student loans instead of for traveling.
Current Inventory:
Me:
PRG
SPG (applied 4/26/14)
CSP (applied 4/18/14)
Citi Plat (applied 5/21/14)
Citi Exec (applied 5/31/14 - cancelled)
BOA Travel Rewards
Wife:
Freedom
Ink Plus (applied 5/28/14)
Citi Plat (applied 6/13/14)
Citi Exec (applied 6/24/14 - cancelled)
Points currently owned:
AA miles: 275,000
Starwood: 31,000
MR: 67,000
UR: 146,500
Credit Karma: 784
Credit Sesame: 732
Sorry for the overload of info. Any advice would be appreciated.
Current Inventory:
Me:
PRG
SPG (applied 4/26/14)
CSP (applied 4/18/14)
Citi Plat (applied 5/21/14)
Citi Exec (applied 5/31/14 - cancelled)
BOA Travel Rewards
Wife:
Freedom
Ink Plus (applied 5/28/14)
Citi Plat (applied 6/13/14)
Citi Exec (applied 6/24/14 - cancelled)
Points currently owned:
AA miles: 275,000
Starwood: 31,000
MR: 67,000
UR: 146,500
Credit Karma: 784
Credit Sesame: 732
Sorry for the overload of info. Any advice would be appreciated.
misterbwong
Level 2 Member
Depending on where you're planning to stay in Europe, Club Carlson may be a good one for you. They have a large footprint in the EU and the 2for1 nights is a stellar benefit.
Just remember to freeze your ARS/IDA before applying.
thoughts1053
Level 2 Member
Is freezing your ARS/IDA required most of the time to get approved? I checked my credit report via CreditKarma and I only have 4 applications in the past year (within the past 4 months actually) and it's showing 0 credit inquiries. My wife's is the same but with 3 applications.
I was actually considering getting both of us the Hyatt and Club Carlson at the same time so our bonuses's and annual awards line up. They're both cards I plan on keeping. I also want to get the Old Amex Blue. What should the order of apps be in that case? Club Carlson, Old Amex Blue, Hyatt? Should I add something else in for for my wife's apps since she's not getting the Amex? Is the Club Carlson business just as easy/hard to get as the personal?
thoughts1053
Level 2 Member
Just to report the outcome. I applied for Club Carlson > Chase Hyatt > Old Amex Blue in that order. I got instantly applied with credit limits of 14k > 12k > ?. Kind of made me want to keep applying for other cards.
Great outcome. Instant approvals rock. It is a good idea to have the Hyatt and Club Carlson aligned or at least to each have them. Makes for nice back to back redemptions.Just to report the outcome. I applied for Club Carlson > Chase Hyatt > Old Amex Blue in that order. I got instantly applied with credit limits of 14k > 12k > ?. Kind of made me want to keep applying for other cards.
Dkelly1110
Level 2 Member
Planning my first AOR in a while now. I'm trying to branch out a little to some other banks as I have pretty much maxed out credit with Chase at this point.
WF 5%/5pts -- what are your thoughts on the two options here? If i want airfare, its a no-brainer, right? Worth diversifying vs. cash from the Amex Old Blue?
Amex Old Blue -- Fee free card, seems like a no brainer once i do 6 mos on WF. Have 2 Amex credit cards currently so won't run into limit there.
Bofa Alaska -- Churnable, would like to increase this balance for its flexibility and interesting award options.
Discover It -- Never really thought about this card until recently. Is it really worth it? 4Q is basically all shopping...that I can do.
WF 5%/5pts -- what are your thoughts on the two options here? If i want airfare, its a no-brainer, right? Worth diversifying vs. cash from the Amex Old Blue?
Amex Old Blue -- Fee free card, seems like a no brainer once i do 6 mos on WF. Have 2 Amex credit cards currently so won't run into limit there.
Bofa Alaska -- Churnable, would like to increase this balance for its flexibility and interesting award options.
Discover It -- Never really thought about this card until recently. Is it really worth it? 4Q is basically all shopping...that I can do.
thatrik
Level 2 Member
BofA Alaska is great. As a data point, I applied (and was approved) for the Visa Signature on December 21, 2013. I spent enough for the 50k bonus (at the time) which I hit in a couple of weeks. I then stopped using the card, and cancelled it at the end of July 2014.
I have heard stories of just how much they love to let people open accounts, but I'm usually pretty reserved so wanted to test it myself. I applied yesterday (only about a week and a half after cancelling) and was auto-approved for the Signature again!
Alaska points are also great because (as you suggested) they can be used on so many carriers: my preferred usage is Cathay business class (used to be from NYC to YVR for 50k return (a $4.5k ticket), now will be HKG to YVR for 100k return, which is less than Avios (120k) or AAdvantage (110k) redemptions).
And don't forget about the annual companion fare that comes with this one too.
PS -- If on the off chance you have a Canadian address/social as well, churn the MBNA one too!
Get WF 5%, leave airfare to other cards. Then apply with the other 3 all together. You may consider leave Alaska for a better offer laterly. Well, since it is churnable, no big deal if you ask me.
Annie H.
Egalatarian
I would like some help and recommendations in applying for new credit cards,
Major Objectives—European trip, 2015 Bus or 1st; Domestic travel/hotels, Other European trips- 2015
I have very few opps to purchase gift cards --currently mainly SMGC-so please take that into account with recs. SO is not an MSer
We also don't regularly spend very much money:
Spend categories- annual spend - $10K groceries (real); Health Club $1K;Cable & Internet $2K; Minimal gas. In the last 2.5 months all our spending has gone toward min. spends so no choice of cards.
· Home airport: SFO; Local Airport- STS, Alaska only
· Me: Citi Exec, Citi Plat, US Air, UA MP Exp Bus, Chase Freedom, Barclay Arrival+, USAA, Chase Sapphire, Fido Visa (from 92, my oldest card basically 1x), Merrill Accolades-FIA, the world most useless card, another legacy’d NF card which I’d like to dump
o 5 HPS- 4 EXP, 1 Barclay-TU 5/21-7/28
o Miles: AA 253K; US Air 42K; UA 95K; Virgin US 3,700
· Him: Citi Exec, Citi Plat, US Air, Amex PRG, Barclay Arrival+, USAA, Chase Freedom & Slate, Wells Plat
o 4 HPS- 3 EXP, 1 Barclay-TU 5/15-7/15
o Miles: AA 135K; US Air 41K; Amex PRG 33K, Arrival 50K. Virgin US 5,000
Definitely need a 5% groceries. Where shall we begin? and thanks!
Edit: Both of us need to wait til mid Sept for 65 days Citi
Major Objectives—European trip, 2015 Bus or 1st; Domestic travel/hotels, Other European trips- 2015
I have very few opps to purchase gift cards --currently mainly SMGC-so please take that into account with recs. SO is not an MSer
We also don't regularly spend very much money:
Spend categories- annual spend - $10K groceries (real); Health Club $1K;Cable & Internet $2K; Minimal gas. In the last 2.5 months all our spending has gone toward min. spends so no choice of cards.
· Home airport: SFO; Local Airport- STS, Alaska only
· Me: Citi Exec, Citi Plat, US Air, UA MP Exp Bus, Chase Freedom, Barclay Arrival+, USAA, Chase Sapphire, Fido Visa (from 92, my oldest card basically 1x), Merrill Accolades-FIA, the world most useless card, another legacy’d NF card which I’d like to dump
o 5 HPS- 4 EXP, 1 Barclay-TU 5/21-7/28
o Miles: AA 253K; US Air 42K; UA 95K; Virgin US 3,700
· Him: Citi Exec, Citi Plat, US Air, Amex PRG, Barclay Arrival+, USAA, Chase Freedom & Slate, Wells Plat
o 4 HPS- 3 EXP, 1 Barclay-TU 5/15-7/15
o Miles: AA 135K; US Air 41K; Amex PRG 33K, Arrival 50K. Virgin US 5,000
Definitely need a 5% groceries. Where shall we begin? and thanks!
Edit: Both of us need to wait til mid Sept for 65 days Citi
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I think you are light on transferable points, and should get some UR, SPG, MR and an Amex Blue Old style..
Cards:
Amex SPG 25K
Chase- CSP or Ink
Amex PRG Gold - 75K offer somewhere? or call in and get them to match you a 150K Amex Biz Plat.
Amex Blue - or if you are going to Amexy in this app TD 5% for 6 months with $200 signup.
Cards:
Amex SPG 25K
Chase- CSP or Ink
Amex PRG Gold - 75K offer somewhere? or call in and get them to match you a 150K Amex Biz Plat.
Amex Blue - or if you are going to Amexy in this app TD 5% for 6 months with $200 signup.
@Annie H. AORs are over rated, you have few apps and hard pulls but your mileage balances are concentrated in AA with not enough US miles to really do anything but a domestic trip. I would look to add UA miles, transferable points and cash back. Sure they devalued premium cabin partner awards, but the miles it takes to make up the difference for one way are easy to get.
Lots of people love the Club Carlson card, the time to get one if either of you want is now, before you add more new accounts.
Then, as your spending allows,
Old AMEX Blue
UA 55K
Ink, don't call in. If you go with Bold it gives you a more plausible reason to add a Plus later.
Alaska, maybe. Skip that one if you're concerned about hard pulls and new accounts going forward.
After a week or two since AMEX will likely kick out a second app as duplicate:
SPG but getting only 25K hurts with your smaller-scale MS. Maybe wait for the next 30K. I'd go with PRG 75K+ or Plat 100K+
The other one of you could then open another MR earning card and throw in a pair of Southwest cards early next year if you're able to make their routes work for you.
With a Visa Ink card, you can MS through the mail with Staples GCs at relatively low cost.
Lots of people love the Club Carlson card, the time to get one if either of you want is now, before you add more new accounts.
Then, as your spending allows,
Old AMEX Blue
UA 55K
Ink, don't call in. If you go with Bold it gives you a more plausible reason to add a Plus later.
Alaska, maybe. Skip that one if you're concerned about hard pulls and new accounts going forward.
After a week or two since AMEX will likely kick out a second app as duplicate:
SPG but getting only 25K hurts with your smaller-scale MS. Maybe wait for the next 30K. I'd go with PRG 75K+ or Plat 100K+
The other one of you could then open another MR earning card and throw in a pair of Southwest cards early next year if you're able to make their routes work for you.
With a Visa Ink card, you can MS through the mail with Staples GCs at relatively low cost.
Annie H.
Egalatarian
Thanks, Kenny. I need to close one Citi Exec. for AF refund on the next 20 days-- I was kind of waiting to see if there was another Citi card I wanted to apply for so as to have the oppty. to re-allocate credit--any comment?
I'm also trying to spread among different issuers but I still have the HP problem. His WF pays nothing and I'd like to replace that. I'm also looking at Chase IHG and Amx Hilton Honors.
We've both had UA cards in past 24 months so that's out. He needs to wait 12 mos, I need to wait just a few more. Why do Club Carlson and then wait-- because USB is so prickly? Edit--I'm reading FT thread now.
"Ink don't call in"-- does that mean he should do it in-branch for extra 20K? We do have MS opportunities of $20K quarter ( hope to add AFT and a few others) without GC buying so "spending allows" for more cards if that's what you mean and I can bump up SMGC if oppty persists plus other methods so don't think I need to be hampered by min spends.
Thanks much!
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R
RamboAroundTheWorld
Guest
Sorry, but what is B*???Some good discussion in here about CC's.
I'll throw my bumping advice in here... Always keep EX on ice.
TU and EQ can always be B*'d off your reports.
When they're gone (B*)... They're gone.
And why only keep Experian on freeze? I ask because I've just gotten rejected for too many apps recently, mostly due to Citi, and I could use a way to clean my report up so I don't have to wait it out.
I'd apply a card or two at a time as deals like the UA card become available to you again, and choose the Chase personal card for him that will get you the most bang for your buck. I also think reallocating credit is over rated unless you're looking to do heavy ongoing MS on the new card. If you want an HHonors or other Citi card, it doesn't hurt to open it now but you could get instantly approved anyway and then you wouldn't have the option to move credit. Citi Prestige has some interesting possibilities, or you could get another Exec at 50K, but otherwise Citi just isn't that exciting.
You don't necessarily have to wait after a US Bank app, just get it in early if you want one of their cards or you'll wind up unable to get one.
On the Ink, either in-branch for the extra points, or the regular 50K offer. Either way I'd let the application be processed with minimal extra interaction calling in unless he's denied.
Annie H.
Egalatarian
Thanks-- just closed Citi, couldn't move credit.
R
RamboAroundTheWorld
Guest
Alright, figured out B* myself.
Q on the people who freeze and apply with Chase - is it best to just freeze Experian or Experian + someone else? My EX report is a mess right now with over 10 pulls on it. The others aren't doing too badly, so I think I can get by.
wheater
Level 2 Member
In July my SO and I each opened Citi AA Exec, CSP, BA+, and we share Freedom (for the $200 bonus), and old Amex blue. We were denied ink cards b/c we had too many recent chase applications.
We hit the minimums on all three and have 220k AA miles, 120k UR, and $900+ BA travel credit. We are hoping to visit Kauai in March and Europe next fall. We want to know which cards we should hit next. We now live in SLC, which is a delta hub. We will probably apply in October.
I am thinking citi Hyatt for four free nights and ink. What other cards do you think we should look at?
We hit the minimums on all three and have 220k AA miles, 120k UR, and $900+ BA travel credit. We are hoping to visit Kauai in March and Europe next fall. We want to know which cards we should hit next. We now live in SLC, which is a delta hub. We will probably apply in October.
I am thinking citi Hyatt for four free nights and ink. What other cards do you think we should look at?
Hyatt is from Chase so you might be pushing it again with that and the ink. I like the club carlson visa, especially good for EU
ninjasurfer99
Level 2 Member
Looking to do our next round of apps soon. My wife and I have:
Myself:
Citi Platinum AA - 115AA miles
USbank Carlson - 122k
Old Amex Blue
Chase Business and Personal Southwest card -9k WN points
Chase United -60k points after they matched the 50k point offer
Chase Ink Bold - 70 UR
Barclay Arrival - all points already redeemed
Wife:
Chase Freedom and Sapphire preferred - 90k UR
IHG - 62k
Chase Marriott - 74k
Club Carlson - 36k
Over about 3 weeks around Xmas nad New Year we're spending 6 days in europe (Rome and Paris), 2 days in Budapest, 1 day in Kuala Lumpur, and at least 10 days in Bali. Flights are paid through to Bali, I just need to book a flight home from there (counting on Cathay Pacific First class to NY through HK) and also need to book hotel stays. I'll have my wife apply now and I'm going to wait until mid October. That's the anniversary date of my two Southwest cards - should I switch out my two Southwest cards for something else from Chase, or just cancel before the annual fee? On the same subject, should I focus on MS with the INK card to transfer points to WN or is there a better way?
Besides the end of year trip we don't have specific travel goals for next year yet but we're hoping to switch careers to afford more time to travel so I really just want to have a well rounded base. We'll need at least 20k more AA miles for the first class trip home from Bali. We can either transfer over some UR points or have my wife pick up an AA card. I'd like to have some good mileage for domestic flights since my SW account is dwindling. I was thinking too my wife could sign up for a Hyatt card- I've read you can request the diamond status match and call to ask them to hold the 60 day start date. If we can do that, we could start it before our end of year trip and stay mostly in Hyatt hotels to keep the status- is that a sound strategy?
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
Myself:
Citi Platinum AA - 115AA miles
USbank Carlson - 122k
Old Amex Blue
Chase Business and Personal Southwest card -9k WN points
Chase United -60k points after they matched the 50k point offer
Chase Ink Bold - 70 UR
Barclay Arrival - all points already redeemed
Wife:
Chase Freedom and Sapphire preferred - 90k UR
IHG - 62k
Chase Marriott - 74k
Club Carlson - 36k
Over about 3 weeks around Xmas nad New Year we're spending 6 days in europe (Rome and Paris), 2 days in Budapest, 1 day in Kuala Lumpur, and at least 10 days in Bali. Flights are paid through to Bali, I just need to book a flight home from there (counting on Cathay Pacific First class to NY through HK) and also need to book hotel stays. I'll have my wife apply now and I'm going to wait until mid October. That's the anniversary date of my two Southwest cards - should I switch out my two Southwest cards for something else from Chase, or just cancel before the annual fee? On the same subject, should I focus on MS with the INK card to transfer points to WN or is there a better way?
Besides the end of year trip we don't have specific travel goals for next year yet but we're hoping to switch careers to afford more time to travel so I really just want to have a well rounded base. We'll need at least 20k more AA miles for the first class trip home from Bali. We can either transfer over some UR points or have my wife pick up an AA card. I'd like to have some good mileage for domestic flights since my SW account is dwindling. I was thinking too my wife could sign up for a Hyatt card- I've read you can request the diamond status match and call to ask them to hold the 60 day start date. If we can do that, we could start it before our end of year trip and stay mostly in Hyatt hotels to keep the status- is that a sound strategy?
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!