Which card is right for me? / AOR help

[grebel]

Yes, you are very very late to the party. Book your flights NOW. 160k is not very much for two ticket to South America. You will need between 50-80K per person in Y for the tickets. The only real options for you are BA and DL. Depending on your starting point, BA wants 59K and DL wants 60K. I doubt you will get any saver availability based on what DL did last week. So my suggestion is to look for flights this morning. Don't worry about anything else.

You may have another option with UA via ANA, but short of that you have only a few options. Normally I would advise to book summer award travel in August the previous year.

Thanks for the reply! I realize I'm really late - I only stumbled into Credit Card Sign ups, MS, etc in early December. The opportunity to go to Argentina and visit a family member was also a surprise. Still, I appreciate the suggestions!

1st question: My points are still pending. Until they actually post, there's really nothing I can do right?

There is a nice Park Hyatt in BsAs. Get the Hyatt card for each of you for four free nights. There is also one in Mendoza, a city I highly recommend. Great Andes views and wonderful wine country as well.

Thanks for the advice! I've heard good things about Mendoza, so I will definitely get this card asap!

 

[smittytabb]

Thanks for the reply! I realize I'm really late - I only stumbled into Credit Card Sign ups, MS, etc in early December. The opportunity to go to Argentina and visit a family member was also a surprise. Still, I appreciate the suggestions!

1st question: My points are still pending. Until they actually post, there's really nothing I can do right?



Thanks for the advice! I've heard good things about Mendoza, so I will definitely get this card asap!

If you and your wife both get the Hyatt card you get two sets of two nights. Also, you might consider getting the British Airways Visa. Avios are pretty great for travel within Argentina on LAN. In general I think One World is great for South America. Between AA and LAN and Avios for short hops, cannot be better. Might be hard to get down there on miles, but you might be able to do some travel within the country. If you decide to do Mendoza, you might also consider flying into Santiago in Chile. It is actually just over the Andes from Mendoza. One time I flew directly into Mendoza that way, changing in SCL. I spent a week in Mendoza and then flew on to Buenos Aires from there.

 

[Jus]

Hey guys new to this forum and semi-new to MSing. Just got into the credit card churning game. Was wondering if you guys could give me any tips about a future AoR. I know people say to try to apply on same day in hopes to minimize hard pulls and combine them, but I've also read that just applying for a cc with a good bonus as it comes instead of 4-5 at a time because there is no guarantee that it will be combined.

Planning my first AoR in a month or two. My Equifax CS ~ 740 and TU and EX CS ~ 760 as of now. Applied for and got 3-4 CC in Dec/Jan time frame. Thinking about Mar/Apr as next round

Current Cards:
Chase Amazon
Chase Marriott
Chase Ritz Carlton
Chase Sapphire prefferred
Chase Freedom
Discover IT
Amex Everday preferred
Amex Premier Gold
Capital one QS
Capital One Sony

Thinking about applying for some of the below:
Barclays US Airways 50k offer if still available
Barclays Arrival Plus
BoA Alaska Airlines
Citi Card (Unsure which one at this time)
Chase Ink
Amex SPG
Club Carlson

Would appreciate any help regarding this matter or tips on what I can maybe do better or more efficiently. Amazon and Marriott are my oldest cards so I would prefer to not close those down or my credit history will take a hit.

 

[Matt]

Hey guys new to this forum and semi-new to MSing. Just got into the credit card churning game. Was wondering if you guys could give me any tips about a future AoR. I know people say to try to apply on same day in hopes to minimize hard pulls and combine them, but I've also read that just applying for a cc with a good bonus as it comes instead of 4-5 at a time because there is no guarantee that it will be combined.

Planning my first AoR in a month or two. My Equifax CS ~ 740 and TU and EX CS ~ 760 as of now. Applied for and got 3-4 CC in Dec/Jan time frame. Thinking about Mar/Apr as next round

Current Cards:
Chase Amazon
Chase Marriott
Chase Ritz Carlton
Chase Sapphire prefferred
Chase Freedom
Discover IT
Amex Everday preferred
Amex Premier Gold
Capital one QS
Capital One Sony

Thinking about applying for some of the below:
Barclays US Airways 50k offer if still available
Barclays Arrival Plus
BoA Alaska Airlines
Citi Card (Unsure which one at this time)
Chase Ink
Amex SPG
Club Carlson

Would appreciate any help regarding this matter or tips on what I can maybe do better or more efficiently. Amazon and Marriott are my oldest cards so I would prefer to not close those down or my credit history will take a hit.

For your first question, AOR or not.. you can't wait forever.. I say pull the trigger on your AOR day, and if you really see an awesome deal later add it on.

For your second question... your current card portfolio appears very disjointed. Do you have a goal in mind? Have you taken that first epic trip yet? I really think you should decide on what you want to achieve via points/miles and then plan around it.

 

[sound48]

Had more of a question of order of apps. I'm looking to do my applications next week. I haven't applied for any cards in over 6 months so I think I should be in decent shape. The cards I'm looking at are:

US Airways 50k
Club Carlson Business 85k
CSP 40k
Ink plus 60k
Amex gold business
Citi Prestige 60k
Discover it miles?

What makes it a little more complicated is I'll need to apply in branch for the 60k Ink (no annual fee 1st year) and Prestige offers, although both branches are within 5 minutes of my house. I'd also like to get the 100k Amex business platinum or 75k business gold offer, but it's completely dependent on who you get on the phone, or if you get lucky finding it online (I've had no luck online). I also already have a Club Carlson business I got 2 years ago, but I've read reports of being able to get a second. And I have a legitimate startup business this time, have had a relationship with US bank for about 20 years and just froze IDA and ARS. So I figure it's worth a shot.

So I'm looking for an order of apps. I'm thinking I'll do Citi last since they're usually easiest. I've had better luck with Amex then Chase, so was thinking of going Chase first, and CSP before Ink first since I'll have to call recon for Ink anyway. I know Barclay and US bank are sticklers, so I feel like they should be first. Just not sure which of the two? What order would be recommended?

 

[Jus]

For your first question, AOR or not.. you can't wait forever.. I say pull the trigger on your AOR day, and if you really see an awesome deal later add it on.

For your second question... your current card portfolio appears very disjointed. Do you have a goal in mind? Have you taken that first epic trip yet? I really think you should decide on what you want to achieve via points/miles and then plan around it.

Yea I know the cards don't really make much sense and that's why I needed some advice on how to proceed with minimal. Have not taken an epic trip yet planning on a trip just haven't decided where yet for my wife and I, there's no urgency in terms of timing. So I guess hotel and air miles is what I need to accumulate. It was only recently that I started to appreciate that there are certain cards that are better than others, prior to that I just kinda applied half hazaradly. Advice on any cards that I need to or should cancel would be great. Amazon one is my oldest then the marriott one maybe 1-2 years later on. The rest are all fairly new within the last two years. Ritz, CSP, Amex Gold, Amex Preferred were added this year. Capital one QS, Sony Card, Discover where last year

 

[Maverick17]

Yea I know the cards don't really make much sense and that's why I needed some advice on how to proceed with minimal. Have not taken an epic trip yet planning on a trip just haven't decided where yet for my wife and I, there's no urgency in terms of timing. So I guess hotel and air miles is what I need to accumulate. It was only recently that I started to appreciate that there are certain cards that are better than others, prior to that I just kinda applied half hazaradly. Advice on any cards that I need to or should cancel would be great. Amazon one is my oldest then the marriott one maybe 1-2 years later on. The rest are all fairly new within the last two years. Ritz, CSP, Amex Gold, Amex Preferred were added this year. Capital one QS, Sony Card, Discover where last year

A plan is best, as mentioned above. Some people get into this and try to go really fast. Not really a rush, other than cards that might disappear. So I would be careful, do the math, and figure out what you're earning towards. My plan is generic rather than specific. I look for points/miles for my trips to Asia, and occasional domestic flights. So I get the basics, then watch for cards with good values at the time I'm applying. Like SPG has a few times a year with a higher bonus. So does the Freedom. And so on. I do not MS since I don't have a big float right now and don't enjoy it, so I don't really worry about cashback cards.

That being said, I'd start your plan with the following, if you are sure you can handle the minimum spends, then add or take away as others comment or you see fit:

Do the Carlson card early before you get too many cards. They can be a stickler for lots of apps, is the rumor. I didn't have any trouble, but lots of people say that. And the US Airways is an easy 50k for 90 bucks. I'd do those two next, and don't wait too long before the US Airways card disappears. I'd add a two Citi cards in 8 days, and an AS card. Read up on Citi if you don't know what I mean by two in 8 days. I wouldn't add a Chase as you have quite a few. Give them a break for an AOR or two, unless an awesome bump in points comes out.

 

[Jus]

A plan is best, as mentioned above. Some people get into this and try to go really fast. Not really a rush, other than cards that might disappear. So I would be careful, do the math, and figure out what you're earning towards. My plan is generic rather than specific. I look for points/miles for my trips to Asia, and occasional domestic flights. So I get the basics, then watch for cards with good values at the time I'm applying. Like SPG has a few times a year with a higher bonus. So does the Freedom. And so on. I do not MS since I don't have a big float right now and don't enjoy it, so I don't really worry about cashback cards.

That being said, I'd start your plan with the following, if you are sure you can handle the minimum spends, then add or take away as others comment or you see fit:

Do the Carlson card early before you get too many cards. They can be a stickler for lots of apps, is the rumor. I didn't have any trouble, but lots of people say that. And the US Airways is an easy 50k for 90 bucks. I'd do those two next, and don't wait too long before the US Airways card disappears. I'd add a two Citi cards in 8 days, and an AS card. Read up on Citi if you don't know what I mean by two in 8 days. I wouldn't add a Chase as you have quite a few. Give them a break for an AOR or two, unless an awesome bump in points comes out.

Sounds good, thanks for the tips. One question about the Citi 2 apps in 8 days trick, would applying for same card work, like 50K AA MC then apply for it again through different link. Or should I try to go for the executive or something like that.

 

[Maverick17]

Technically it's not a trick. It's just the rules that Citi has in place for minimum time between apps. Citi has been decreasing the number of cards than can be churned, which is why I suggest getting two in a quick time-frame, before it's possibly harsher rules different than this 2 in 8.

As for which cards, some, like Hilton, you can get two of in 8 days (as of 2 months ago), but others not. The AA Plat card is now 1 in 18 months or something like that. The AA exec card has a few old links that seem to be churnable. If you're looking at AA miles, the wisdom a few months ago when I applied last was get the plat first, then exec, and you were ok. But if you get the exec first, you would be turned down for the plat because it was already an AA card. So you really have to check out each card for that and weigh against the kind of points you want.

Although FT is a pain sometimes, for sheer number of data points, it's always good to check the relevant card threads to see recent trends before you apply.

 

[fullofpaint]

So looking for some recommendations for what to apply for. just starting out, so no major amount of points on any rewards program right now. Targeting miles and reward points over cashback. Based out of LAX, but near BOS and BDL frequently as well. I'd like to do a small amount of MS on the cards. Goal is to work towards flights/hotels for a trip to (probably) Europe in 2017. Biggest worry is my credit score is only about 700 right now thanks to some screw-ups with a student loan.

Currently only have a no name card I've had since I was in high school. No rewards or anything but good age so I don't want to close it. Only other card is a Cap1 Quicksilver.

So one card I was thinking of getting was the VX Premium Visa. 15K for 1K spend. I have some points with VX already so that'd push me into Silver status. Also have a couple flights coming up soon with them, so I'd rack up a few more there. Not sure if it's worth it for just Silver though, and gold is 50K points. I don't think the points transfer very favorably to anyone else either?

Debating between the SPG Amex and the Plat or PRG. I'd like to use the SPG for our business purchases, so that'd be a decent steady flow of SPG points coming on, not sure if the MR points would be worth more though.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Alice]

If you haven't done a lot of apps, you could either apply for the Chase Sapphire (and hope to downgrade to the Freedom after the first year), or apply for the Freedom from the outset. Since Chase aren't approving people who've applied for more than a tiny amount of cards in the last two years, if you want their cards then it'd make sense to get them when starting out. It seems like the credit score needed for the Freedom might be slightly lower than for the Sapphire.

For AMEX, starting with a business charge card (where you have to pay off the balance in full each month) rather than a credit card might be a good idea if your score is lower.

 

[Andrew Beall]

If you haven't done a lot of apps, you could either apply for the Chase Sapphire (and hope to downgrade to the Freedom after the first year), or apply for the Freedom from the outset. Since Chase aren't approving people who've applied for more than a tiny amount of cards in the last two years, if you want their cards then it'd make sense to get them when starting out. It seems like the credit score needed for the Freedom might be slightly lower than for the Sapphire.

For AMEX, starting with a business charge card (where you have to pay off the balance in full each month) rather than a credit card might be a good idea if your score is lower.

I agree, although I would probably just apply for the CSP and Freedom at the same time since the inquiries will be combined. I would probably keep the CSP rather than downgrade unless I had an Ink Plus since it's the only way to transfer UR.

As far as Amex, I would probably go with the SPG Business for now. Unless there are some offers out there I haven't seen I don't think the Platinum and PRG offers are very high right now.

Not really sure about Virgin America, it's not a very popular card. Sort of seems like a waste to me, but it might be useful to you in your situation.

 

[sungchiahao]

Hi All, My goal is to build up flexible points for air travel between US west coast to Asia. Possible outbound airports are SEA or PHX. Destination will be Taiwan. I see this as my biggest future spending. I will also want BA Avios for short distance flights between SEA to PHX (I believe using Avios is the cheapest points to fly SEA to PHX, please correct me if this assumption is wrong.)

Application History:

Premier Rewards Gold AmEx 4/19/2015
Sapphire Preferred Chase 4/21/2015
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Cards BoA 5/15/2015
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Cards BoA 5/15/2015
Citi ThankYou® Premier Card. Citi 5/29/2015
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MC Citi 7/21/2015

I will finish meeting min spend on Citi AA this month. I don't like high AF cards like Prestige, Amex Plat, etc. What card should I go for?

 

[northwoods]

Hi All, My goal is to build up flexible points for air travel between US west coast to Asia. Possible outbound airports are SEA or PHX. Destination will be Taiwan. I see this as my biggest future spending. I will also want BA Avios for short distance flights between SEA to PHX (I believe using Avios is the cheapest points to fly SEA to PHX, please correct me if this assumption is wrong.)

Application History:

Premier Rewards Gold AmEx 4/19/2015
Sapphire Preferred Chase 4/21/2015
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Cards BoA 5/15/2015
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Cards BoA 5/15/2015
Citi ThankYou® Premier Card. Citi 5/29/2015
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MC Citi 7/21/2015

I will finish meeting min spend on Citi AA this month. I don't like high AF cards like Prestige, Amex Plat, etc. What card should I go for?

Has your AAdvatange Platinum been converted from a World to World Elite? If so, people have been reporting that you can get the bonus a second time irrespective of the 18 mo. language with Citi. Just be sure not to close your first card before your application. Alternatively, you can do what I did and check your pre-qualified offers from Citi. I had a 50,000/$3,000 offer sitting in there that did not contain any 18 mo. language (a nice insurance policy in addition to the World/World Elite loophole) and was approved with my first card open. The first card was opened in early May and converted to World Elite in late June. I met the minimum spend in late July and was approved for the second card about 3 weeks ago.

 

[sungchiahao]

Has your AAdvatange Platinum been converted from a World to World Elite....

My Citi AA is still Plat. I haven't gotten any notice that I am getting a new card. I will keep an eye out though. For the mean time, I applied for the Amex SPG personal as a non-churn card with the highest signup bonus. It should keep me busy for 2 months to meet the min spend barring any easy MS deals.