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Not Like Other Bloggers
I am not quite like other bloggers in that I have only as of late really started to apply for reward earning credit cards with any consistency, though I have carried a few accumulated over time. My situation was unique, as my wife and I were in and out of the country for four years (mostly out) and this made our credit report look like Swiss cheese, full of holes (or in this case expanses of time).
I will apply for eight cards on one day, for which I will not likely gain approval for all of them for aforementioned reasons. Compared with other travelers and bloggers, this is an abover average application period, but my situation is less consistent than others so approvals may also be harder to come by. When starting out I recommend applying for two cards on the first go, in case one is not approved, and then slowly increase to what you feel comfortable with managing. Additionally, I would state that you should be a good credit card customer. I process everything on credit cards, and then pay off those bills with mileage earning debit cards, so the credit card companies make money from me as a consumer, and it is a fair exchange of value for both.
Before I state which credit cards I will be applying for and why, I want to let you know about a rule that another blogger instated that I will be following. Some of the cards I will discuss I may receive a commission for, if you choose to support the blog and UPGRD, we certainly appreciate it. A majority of the cards I discuss will not benefit us in any way but I only discuss cards that I would carry in my own wallet. I will not list which do and do not benefit us individually because I do not want to influence which cards you choose to apply for. Please make a decision based on your own financial situation and travel goals. Million Mile Secrets (not affiliated with UPGRD) calls it the mother-in-law rule, whereby regardless of any remuneration he might receive he will not promote a card that he would not otherwise recommend to his mother-in-law. I will follow the same – Margaret feel free to apply for any of these.
What I am Applying For
When calculating the below values I use my own system of what I would pay for a coach ticket in lieu of spending miles to ascertain value. You may value the miles more or less than I do, and should adjust accordingly. I also have calculated the net benefit to include the regular earning points (for example, spend $10,000 earn 10,000 miles), because without the spend you would not get the bonus. Thus, if the bonus is 50,000 miles after $2,000 in spend, then the benefit is really 52,000 miles because you cannot have one without the other.
Let’s get this started.
1. AA Executive – 100,000 mile bonus (CITI)
Why is everybody crazy about this card? Because it provides a ton of value back to the cardholder. We all have our own value for points, for me, I value points at 2.5¢/mile. The card costs $250 ($450 annual fee – $200 statement credit = $250). It comes with all of the priority access (boarding, check-in, security), free first checked bag, and best of all – Admirals Club access (including US Airways lounges). You also get 10,000 EQMs when you cross $40k in spend in a year, something that may be worth it for some customers. In order to get the bonus you need to spend $10,000 in the first 90 days on the card, but there are some widely published manners in which this can easily be done.
Value to me
110,000 AA miles = $2750 in miles – $250 fee = $2500 net
Link: Apply Here
2. US Airways Mastercard – 40,000 mile bonus (BARCLAYS)
My wife has had this card for awhile, we like the benefits I have discussed HERE. I think now is the time to apply for this card because you will have some options if they do choose to switch the benefits, or you may be grandfathered in as a pre-existing client if they change later this month. Further, US Airways allows you to route through Europe with a stop-over to Asia at one of the best values around so this card is a must for me. I value points at 2.85¢/mile (because of the generous routing rules). The card costs $89 and the fee is not waived for the first year. It comes with all of the priority access (boarding, check-in, security), free first checked bag, as well as two $99 companion passes and one “Admirals Club” entrance coupon. You also get 5,000 EQMs when you cross $25k in spend in a year and can redeem for 5,000 less miles when flying on US Airways (not AA) metal. In order to get the bonus you need to spend $1,000 in the first 90 days on the card, easy peasy.
Value to me
41,000 Dividend miles = $1168.50 in miles – $89 fee = $1079.50 net
Link: Apply Here
3. Hawaiian Airlines Master Card – 35,000 mile bonus – (Bank of Hawaii)
My wife has this card, and I don’t want to be alone in Pittsburgh when she chooses to redeem for her trip to Hawaii. I value these points at 2¢/mile (PIT-HNL $700 is fair). The card has an $89 fee but also comes with a one time 50% off companion fare (we will use this for the little Sherpa) and a $100 off coupon for Hawaiian flights. You can also deduct 5,000 miles off a Hawaiian redemption (40,000 miles North America Mainland – Hawaii – 5,000 miles = 35,000) which makes the free ticket to Hawaii with sign-up an option. If you have been to Hawaii and it’s been awhile, this might be a great way to make it more regular even with passive spending. You need to get through $3,000 in spend within 90 days to hit the bonus.
Value to me
38,000 Hawaiian miles = $760 in miles – $89 fee = $671 net
Link: Apply Here
4. Avianca/Taca Life Miles Visa – 40,000 mile bonus (US BANK)
Avianca is a Colombian-based carrier from the Star Alliance that flies all over Latin America. Their award chart has a couple of sweet spots, like 50,000 miles in business round trip from the mainland US to Guam via Honolulu or Tokyo! These are always cheap and easy to top up as well, though they are not the easiest to redeem. But for a business class ticket to Guam via ANA, or Asiana for a little more than the sign-up bonus, I will put up with a rough call center and difficulty finding business class availability throughout. I value these points at 3.65¢/mile. Most people would think that is extremely high, however, for my specific redemption (Guam in business with a free stop in Tokyo), I feel that is fair. The card has no annual fee. You need to get through $3,000 in spend within 90 days to hit the bonus. Well worth it for me and my desire to see Guam.
Value to me
43,000 Life Miles = $1569.50 in miles (no annual fee) = $1569.50 net
Link: Apply Here
5. Starwood Preferred Guest American Express – 25,000 point bonus (AMEX)
SPG points are easily the most valuable in existence. Free nights start at 2,000 points, you still earn points and stay credit even on redeemed nights and they have a value of about 5¢/point to me. This valuation was really simple, for my last redemption, I just needed a place to stay for the night, the lowest cost from a reputable hotel chain was the Sheraton Kansas City International Airport for about $100 or 2,000 points. These points also easily transfer to many airlines and usually at a bonus rate, so it is often a better way to accumulate your favorite airline points over their credit card. With this card there is a waived annual fee for the first year, $65 after that. You of course also receive AMEX customer service and suite of resources (certainly a big benefit) and if this is your first AMEX (it will be mine if approved) it makes it easy to establish a relationship with them. Watch out for the financial review AMEX sometimes conducts, from reports I have read, they can be vicious.
Value to me
28,000 SPG points = $1400 in points (no annual fee 1st year) = $1400 net
Link: I don’t have a link for this offer, but it is widely available online.
6. Alaska Airlines Visa Signature – 30,000 mile bonus (Bank of America)
Alaska does not even serve my current city (PIT) but their partners are awesome. Until Emirates comes out with a credit card offer, this is as close as it gets. Emirates (among about a dozen other airlines) partners with Alaska and you can redeem for Cathay Pacific first as well as Emirates A380 Suite class, a personal goal for me. I value AS miles at 2¢/mile and the card comes with a $75 fee, but there is no spending requirement. You are granted the miles upon approval.
Value to me
30,000 Alaska Airlines miles = $600 in miles – $75 fee = $525 net
Link: Apply Here
7. AA CitiBusiness – 50,000 mile bonus (CITI)
I have a small business and I am thus eligible for business cards that do not count against my personal credit allowances but do use my personal credit score to obtain. I have not had a business credit card yet (I know I am living in the dark ages) but I am going to give this one a go. My top choices were either the AA card (value of points to me) or the US Airways card (value and ROUTING RULES) and to be fair, US Airways is probably much higher on the priority list for me. However, Barclays is a really tough bank to get an approval for, and I am trying for my first on the personal card with them. So I am not going to push my luck and will instead go for the Citi offer. You already know how much the points are worth and the card doesn’t add a ton of features for me, it’s all about the points. There is no annual fee, and the bonus comes after $3,000 in spend.
Value to me
53,000 AA miles = $1325 in miles (no annual fee) = $1325 net
Link: Apply Here
8. Chase Sapphire Preferred – 40,000 point bonus (CHASE)
Ultimate Rewards are the currency for this card and they are transferable in a variety of denominations to myriad of programs from hotels, to airlines and others in between. This would be my second card from Chase, the first one I got back in December (British Airways 100k offer) and I have liked the bank so far. This would be my second business card and second card in close succession from the first from Chase so I am not so confident about approval. Nonetheless, these are points I consider highly valuable and a whole new world to consider. They offer a variety of category bonuses which seems like a game I would be good at playing. No annual fee and only $3,000 in spending to get the bonus.
Value to me
43,000 Ultimate Rewards points = $1075 in points (no annual fee) = $1075 net
Link: Apply Here
Summary
I will let you know how these go for me. I do not have the assurance that I will obtain all of these, in fact, if I obtain even half I am going to have a hard time hitting the spend (assuming I get the AA Executive card). But here is the potential haul:
Value of points/miles after all costs have been considered = $10,145
That’s why I love miles and points!
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