Credit Card bonuses... how get enough for that business class seat in 6 months

[titong]

I do not cancel my cards. the 4 I have I rotate according to need to keep them current. I do not cancel because canceling a card does hurt you your credit. And I have not even begun with Marriott credit cards.

The reason I choose UAL is because I already had 500,000 miles in the bank and Marriott 200,000 points. That's my zero start... and I have built on that foundation. Too UAL serves my location better than another. I could do better in other programs perhaps but I am doing just fine for my goal.

 

and Hey silversweetie... ... " Life is tough.... its even tougher if your dumb" . John Wayne

 

Yo Dan,

 

5 or 6 months ago, I got the Chase United Airlines credit card, and I got 30, 000 free miles. I have also accumulated an additional 15 thousand miles-mostly from spending on that card, and a few additional points from flying UAL. I did notice when I went online and logged into my UAL account it states that my points will expire in Dec. 2014. I thought as long as I had the Chase United Airlines credit card they never expired. Can you explain that to me?

[terry&mike]

titong, as long as you continue to accrue miles, then the miles don't expire. You'll notice that your expiration always travels ahead of you, next month when you log on it will say a Miles Expire a date a month later.

I am surprised it says December, 2014 now, as I think United miles expire without account activity for 18 months.

[Hawaiidan]

Yo Dan,

 

5 or 6 months ago, I got the Chase United Airlines credit card, and I got 30, 000 free miles. I have also accumulated an additional 15 thousand miles-mostly from spending on that card, and a few additional points from flying UAL. I did notice when I went online and logged into my UAL account it states that my points will expire in Dec. 2014. I thought as long as I had the Chase United Airlines credit card they never expired. Can you explain that to me?

 

 

As long as you charge $1 a year on the card your miles will not expire.

The expiration date is if you cease all UA or UAL Chase charges.

Lets say you have 3 cards and accrue miles on all at differing times but don't use one card except 1 time. You will not loose any mile accrued through any of the cards.

 

SO.... WANT A CHRISTMAS present to yourself? Call up today and get another explorer card...and add a name and bingo you just earned 35,000 more miles !! you now have 80,000 miles Go back and add the same name to your first card and pow... you have another 5000. 85,000 miles now

:D

Keep on track spending on the first card...only $10,000 more in charges easy in thenext 4 month and ...yes you get a 10,000 mile bonus on top of the $10,000 in points. SO....that will put you at a cool 105,000 miles:rolleyes:

Wait another 90 days.... and hello another 35,000 so your at 140,000 in 180 days from today...

[writer100]

The common refrain I hear is " well if it was that easy why doesn't everybody do it" I hear the same about the stock market too..

 

Fact of the matter less than 17% of Americans are in mileage programs and or investors . THe vast majority 83% to be exact sit on the fence and think that they would never be able to do this or that. Oh I do not travel that much, or I don't spend that much... or its too difficult.

 

They create" what if's "and doom scenarios daily... You know, it is too good to be true it isn't. Or just wait something bad will happen. And you know if you wait long enough the chances are good maybe something will. I have been doing this for over 20 years... and nothing has yet to surface.

However, in the meantime they could have made a fortune in free travel and had experiences of a lifetime.... this is not chump change . In the last decade I have received well over $100,000 in flights rooms and cruises all through my normal, routine, average household spending...and I am not rich just average middle income!! If I can you can too...

Dave, Larine,Paul and I and our partners have been enjoying the pleasures of free travel for many many years.... Isn't it time you did too?

For the record, not all credit cards are churnable. In particular, Chase cards are not. Once you have them, no more sign up bonuses, even if you cancel and reapply 3 years later. BUT many Citi cards are churnable--so long as you have great credit and show a tad of restraint--and many (all?) Amex cards are churnable after a 12 months--that is 12 months between cancellation of the Card and reapplying for the Card. Like anything else, you have to make intelligent choices. There are things I wouldn't do--and i would hope no cc'ers would try to do--like buying gift cards with a business card, collecting the (bonus) points, and then trying to credit the purchase back to your account. That really is scamming, and you could get caught and have your cc account closed, and your points deleted. But has been said here, if you live at a pleasantly pleasurable level you will inevitably generate a lot of spend--cash or check (horrors!) or credit cards. As with many things in life, you do have to plan ahead.

[Hawaiidan]

For the record, not all credit cards are churnable. In particular, Chase cards are not. Once you have them, no more sign up bonuses, even if you cancel and reapply 3 years later. BUT many Citi cards are churnable--so long as you have great credit and show a tad of restraint--and many (all?) Amex cards are churnable after a 12 months--that is 12 months between cancellation of the Card and reapplying for the Card. Like anything else, you have to make intelligent choices. There are things I wouldn't do--and i would hope no cc'ers would try to do--like buying gift cards with a business card, collecting the (bonus) points, and then trying to credit the purchase back to your account. That really is scamming, and you could get caught and have your cc account closed, and your points deleted. But has been said here, if you live at a pleasantly pleasurable level you will inevitably generate a lot of spend--cash or check (horrors!) or credit cards. As with many things in life, you do have to plan ahead.

 

As of August 2013, Citi cards for AA posted they can not be reapplied for.

Chase however remains total open to adding cards... I just got 2 new cards a few months ago... However, I do not cancel the cards I get.. that will lower your credit. So I have 4 cards and rotate them regularly charging a tad here and a tad there....

I am not promoting getting a card then 90 days later cancel it and apply for a new.

I am promoting adding a new card up to a limit you are comfortable with as often as 90 days if you so choose .

Just remember you will be paying$ 85 to $190 per card per year... for ever. But... you will be getting 2000 to 5000 miles per card . So, as I see it the $85 ot $190 is still a good deal and a business decision that works for me.

[corpkid]

Its a cool $21,245 rt to Sydney First class. 160,000 miles each way regular but only 80,000 miles saver Business in 67,500 each way.

 

So, is it worth about 2 hours of your time over 18 months to score a

21 grand ticket? :D

 

"Oh, steward, more dom perigon if you please".

 

We just started churnin'. :) First class to Sydney in the target for feb '05. Flying sucks no matter, but I'm all for making it better. :)

[writer100]

As of August 2013, Citi cards for AA posted they can not be reapplied for.

Chase however remains total open to adding cards... I just got 2 new cards a few months ago... However, I do not cancel the cards I get.. that will lower your credit. So I have 4 cards and rotate them regularly charging a tad here and a tad there....

I am not promoting getting a card then 90 days later cancel it and apply for a new.

I am promoting adding a new card up to a limit you are comfortable with as often as 90 days if you so choose .

Just remember you will be paying$ 85 to $190 per card per year... for ever. But... you will be getting 2000 to 5000 miles per card . So, as I see it the $85 ot $190 is still a good deal and a business decision that works for me.

 

Yes, I too have multiple Chase cards. But the focus of the thread seemed to be on churn, which you cannot do with Chase cards, though you can, with some sensitivity, with Citi and Amex. However you can cancel a card without with negligible impact on your credit rating, as the major determinants to your rating are duration of credit history and size of prompt payments. But in general, I certainly agree with the concept of accumulating points/miles through credit card leverage.

[RJB]

We just started churnin'. :) First class to Sydney in the target for feb '05. Flying sucks no matter, but I'm all for making it better. :)

Feb. 05, was 8 years ago. Better re think the target.

[corpkid]

Crap a digit off. '15. :) My parachute (literally) didn't open today. Had to pull my reserve and chop the main (first time - scared the crap out of me)... Probably not my day? LOL

Edited November 27, 2013 by corpkid

[writer100]

As of August 2013, Citi cards for AA posted they can not be reapplied for.

Chase however remains total open to adding cards... I just got 2 new cards a few months ago... However, I do not cancel the cards I get.. that will lower your credit. So I have 4 cards and rotate them regularly charging a tad here and a tad there....

I am not promoting getting a card then 90 days later cancel it and apply for a new.

I am promoting adding a new card up to a limit you are comfortable with as often as 90 days if you so choose .

Just remember you will be paying$ 85 to $190 per card per year... for ever. But... you will be getting 2000 to 5000 miles per card . So, as I see it the $85 ot $190 is still a good deal and a business decision that works for me.

The FlyerTalk article you cite (though unreferenced by name) is in slight error, as there are citi cards that can be reapplied for, depending on your history with citi and various other factors. But for the general public, you are correct. In terms of applying for new cards, if you have the self-disciplne required, you can apply for different variations of the same card--persona card. business card of the same type--24 hours apart.And since differemt banks use different credit bureaus, you can, with care, avoid the churning label. One thing to remember about the bank's credit agencies is they pay not a whit of attention to your net worth, total assets, or any other figures which might suggest credit worthiness. They deal only with credit card behavior. And I can assure you that Chase in particular totals up the gross amount of credit you have with them, and if you have multiple cards they will likely lower your credit limit (though not your credit rating) to keep your credit within limits they ordain.( Which I found by turn insulting, aggravating, and ultimately wryly amusing.) Novices who want more information about this subject might, in addition to The Points Guy, check in with The Boarding Area, and View from the Wing, to name just two of the many blogs devoted to this subject.

[Hawaiidan]

To promote higher credit limits is to make a large charge say 10K to 20K of a 30 K limit card and then pay it off 2 weeks after charge, which is 2 weeks before it is due. ( Like when you pay for a cruise)

Second I rotate my cards so that I only charge 10% or less of that cards limit leaving 90 to 95% available.. on a $20,000 I keep it under $1000 a month

On a $10,000 limit I keep it under$ 500 to $700 charge. Banks seem to observe what portion of you limit you routinely use and very low use coupled with an occasional charge almost to the limit pleases them.

 

The result is that every year I get a kick up in my credit limit . All my cards are with Chase 4 for UAL and 2 for Marriott.

 

Marriott is about the largest and most diverse hotel brand in the world. Recently they partnered with UAL where you can use UAL miles1:1 for Marriott points and likewise use Marriott points to exchange for UAL miles at 80% Thus using one airline system and one hotel system you can interchange you accrued miles/points and apply them as needed. Maximum effect with maximum availability as you will see below.

 

 

Finally UAL will be increasing it miles effective Feb 1 2014. Delta will also do this Feb 1 and June 1 for its sky-pesos ( so described because of their relative value) I recent study printed in frequent flyer last year showed that your chance of getting an free international coach, or business seat on UAL were at 80-85% whereas Delta was at 16% and AA at 35%

This makes the argument for a one card that touts all airlines and hotels moot because percentage wise your only going to be able to use it in reality with 1 airline. So why not just start out with that premise.:

[April29]

How timely !

 

I read this yesterday:

 

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/free-business-class-tickets/

[orchestrapal]

How timely !

 

I read this yesterday:

 

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/free-business-class-tickets/

 

Thanks. Good article.

[Paulchili]

How timely !

 

I read this yesterday:

 

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/free-business-class-tickets/

 

It's an informative article but I personally would never "waste" a card application for mere 30K miles. Both Chase and Citi periodically (but regularly) offer 50K miles (or more) with their CCs and that would be my lower limit for application. In the past Citi had offers of 100K and 75K miles/card and Chase also had 100K miles offers.

IMO, that is the time to apply.

[pacheco18]

It's an informative article but I personally would never "waste" a card application for mere 30K miles. Both Chase and Citi periodically (but regularly) offer 50K miles (or more) with their CCs and that would be my lower limit for application. In the past Citi had offers of 100K and 75K miles/card and Chase also had 100K miles offers.

IMO, that is the time to apply.

 

Agree with Paul

I never do it for less than 50K

 

I am going to repeat -- because I already see misinformation being posted here.

 

Subscribe to thepointsguy.com and read all his instructional archive materials.

He is the guru on churning cards and maximizing points for free trips. No one on these boards can teach us what The Points Guy can.

[JimandStan]

No one on these boards can teach us what The Points Guy can

Whoever CAN she mean? :eek:

[pacheco18]

Whoever CAN she mean? :eek:

 

Not sure if you are being facetious.

[JimandStan]

Not sure if you are being facetious.

 

Yes Ma'am

Facetious as charged, Ma'am

...but I do love yanking those chains :rolleyes: