Today at EPoP its time to get personal. I feel like we’ve reached that level in our relationship; it’s been 8 months, after all. Shouldn’t we reveal stuff to each other? So today, I’m going to let you in on a little secret, something I haven’t mentioned before on the blog….
I’M A TWIN!
Yes, it’s true. There is another 29 year old out there in this world (currently Spain) who shares the same birthday, same set of parents, and same upbringing as myself. Scary, huh? Luckily for my twin, we aren’t identical. You see, she’s a girl.
(quick side note: You won’t believe the number of people (at least 500 in my life) who know that I have a twin SISTER and ask me if we are identical twins. Usually, I ask them why their school didn’t offer health class in 5th grade.
When this baffles them, I remind them that “boys” and “girls” have different body parts, thereby not allowing them to be identical. It’s amazing the questions science can answer!)
And while there is one major difference between my sister and I, we tend to share a lot of the same qualities, neurosis, and quirks (for better or worse). The Chase Ink Plus and the Chase Ink Bold are very similar in this way. [The Ink Bold Card is no longer available from Chase]
One Major Difference
Danny and Arnold…more than one major difference!
The one major difference between the Chase Ink Bold and the Chase Ink Plus is that the Ink Bold is a CHARGE card while the Ink Plus is a CREDIT card.
This is an important distinction.
Since the Ink Bold is a charge card, the balance must be paid in full each month. You can not roll over a balance from month to month. You MUST pay the full amount each month.
The Ink Plus is a credit card, which means that you can carry a balance on it from month to month. I NEVER, EVER recommend carrying a balance because the interest you are paying on that balance negates any frequent flyer benefits you are getting from the card, but the Ink Plus will allow you to do so if you need to.
The Similarities
Mary Kate and Ashley…not identical, but pretty close!
Outside of the charge card vs. credit card difference, EVERYTHING ELSE about these two cards is the same. The Ink Plus has all the awesome, amazing perks that the Ink Bold has. And if you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know that I LOVE the Ink Bold, so if you guessed that I LOVE the Ink Plus, you’d be spot on. It’s an awesome, awesome card!
So instead of writing another 1,300 word love letter to the Ink Plus, I’ll just point you towards the one I wrote to the Ink Bold (it’s right here, my first public love letter) and each time you read “Bold”, substitute “Plus”. Remember, they’re twins!
For those of you who don’t feel like reading my eloquently written love letter, here is a list of the awesome perks that the Ink Plus and Ink Bold share:
Signup bonus of 50k Chase Ultimate Rewards points (transferable to United and Hyatt, among others) after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
5x for every $1 spent on cable, internet, and cellphone bills
5x on every $1 spent at office supply stores (including gift cards, which means you can buy gift cards and essentially get 5x on every purchase you make!)
2x on gas, a huge bonus when the gas is at $4 a gallon!
2x on hotels and motels
1x on everything else
$95 annual fee WAIVED FOR THE FIRST YEAR
No foreign transaction fee
There is ALOT to like about this card.
Of course, the one major complaint about the Ink Bold and Ink Plus cards is the minimum spend requirement, which is $5,000 in 3 months.
Only get this card if you can definitely hit the minimum spend requirement. $5,000 in 3 months can be steep for some people, so always err on the side of caution.
If you can’t meet the $5k requirement, there are plenty of other options listed on the Best Current Deals page.
The Big Question: Can You Get Both Cards?
Twins having their cake and eating it too!
This is an emphatic YES!
Even though these cards are “twins”, they are considered different cards by Chase and therefore you are eligible to earn the signup bonus for BOTH cards.
Final Word(s)
Psssttt….I don’t really think you have to be a twin to love a twin.
In fact, the Chase Ink Plus is such an AWESOME card and I’d recommend it to EVERYONE who thinks they can meet the minimum spend requirement, single, twin, triplet, or otherwise!
The 50k bonus is great and the bonus categories allow you to rack up tons of extra Chase UR points.
Most importantly, you’re eligible to get the signup bonus for the Ink Plus even if you already have the Ink Bold since it is considered a different card by Chase.
When you’re flying free on United or staying at uber-posh Hyatts you’ll be glad you applied for this card!
The first question I usually get asked when I begin regaling (or annoying) people with my tales of traveling around the world for free is “Are you rich?”. As soon as the chuckle escapes my lips, the person immediately follows up with “Well, is your wife rich?”.
Again, I chuckle, and then begin explaining that I use frequent flyer miles to travel. Question three is usually “how many freakin’ credit cards do you have?”.
As I enter my second full-fledged year in the the frequent flyer mile game, and prepare for my summer App-o-rama, I figured now was as good a time as any to take stock of the cards I have.
I’ll reveal which cards I prefer to use to maximize my points, and then ultimately decide which ones are worth keeping based on the anniversary bonus they offer and the annual fee they charge.
Hopefully, this will help prove useful for the many of you out there who are facing many of the same decisions of closing or keeping open accounts and also deciding which cards you should add to your stable.
I’ll list the cards in chronological order of the date I got them.
Without giving away the answer, I will tell you to settle in and get comfortable, because the number is quite large.
Sooo….how many cards do I have?
1. Citi/AAdvantage Visa
See Best Current Deals page for further breakdown of this card, how to get both the Citi/AA Visa and Amex at the same time, which I highly recommend doing, and the application links for these cards
Signup bonus: 75k when I got it, 50k now
Date approved: July 29, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after meeting the minimum spend and getting the signup bonus.
Annual fee: $85
Anniversary bonus: Nothing
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 25%. If I call in to cancel and they over me a great retention bonus (7,000 AA miles or more, an $85 statement credit, etc) than I’ll keep it open. If not, thanks for the signup bonus but this card is history!
2. Alaska Airlines Visa
Signup bonus: 40k when I got it, 25k now
Date approved: August 8, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after making the first purchase and getting the signup bonus.
Annual fee: $75 (not waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: $99 companion pass.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 0%. If I made good use of the companion pass than this card might be worth keeping open. However, I didn’t use the companion pass this past year, so I’m assuming I won’t make use of it this upcoming year either. Plus, you can “churn” this card and get the signup bonus again, so if I’m going to pay the fee, I might as well get the extra 25,000 as a bonus again!
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred
Signup bonus: 50k when I got it, 40k now
Date approved: August 22, 2011
What I use it for: Almost all my everyday spending. I especially focus on using it for travel and dining, which earns me 2x. Since I live abroad, I use this card all the time because it has no foreign transaction fee.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: 7% bonus on all points earned, including the signup bonus.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 100%. This is my favorite card and my go-to for almost all of my spending. I love that it has no foreign transaction fee and also that it gives me 2x for travel and dining. I almost always transfer my Chase UR points to United miles, which I love. The 7% bonus is nice too, although I wouldn’t consider just that enough to keep the card open. I’ll keep it open because I love the everyday earning potential!
What I use it for: Occasionally, and sporadically, for groceries because it offers 2x on groceries and gas. However, I don’t even usually use it for airfare, which it offers 3x on, because I’d rather the 2x Chase points (for travel by using the Sapphire) than the 3x Amex points.
Annual fee: $175 (waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: None.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 0%. The 3x on airfare and 2x on gas and groceries could be lucrative for some people but I don’t really put much value Amex points because they don’t offer good transfer partners. I’d rather use my Sapphire for 2x on travel and my Ink Bold for 2x on gas and build up a nice point balance through Chase and then transfer those points to United. The $175 is too high a fee to justify the extra points I’d get for spending on groceries.
5. Barclays USAirways Mastercard #1
Signup bonus: 40k
Date approved: September 25, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after the first purchase to get my signup bonus and once every 6 months to adhere to the terms and conditions.
Annual fee: $89 (waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: 10k USAirway miles
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 100%. The 10k USAirways miles are worth over $89 for me so this is a no-brainer. I’ll whip it out every 6 months and use it once just to make sure I’m abiding by the terms and conditions, but other than that, it’ll collect dust on the shelf.
6. American Express Hilton HHonors
Signup bonus: 60k when I applied, 40k now
Date approved: November 9, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after meeting the minimum spend and getting the signup bonus.
Annual fee: $0
Anniversary bonus: None.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 75%. Normally, this would be 100%, as it never really makes sense to close a card with no annual fee. However, it is being reported that some people have had success getting this card and the signup bonus again after closing their original card. If that is the case, I may close this card so that I’m eligible to get the bonus again. If not, then I’ll just leave it open indefinitely.
7. Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa
If you apply for this card, the application page will show a 50k signup bonus. Many people have reported that Chase will honor the 70k offer if you ask them to “bump the bonus” through a secure message after applying.
Signup bonus: 70k + 1 free night in a category 1-4
Date approved: November 9, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after making the first purchase and getting the signup bonus.
Annual fee: $85 (waived for the first year)
Anniversary bonus: 1 free night at a category 1-5 each year.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 65%. This one will be a tough decision. If used right, the one free night can easily be worth up to $150, which more than makes up for the annual fee. However, I usually prefer to stay at locally run boutique hotels and hostels when I go on vacation. If I needed to “go out of my way” to use the free night, then it wouldn’t be worth it.
Odds are that I’ll keep this open, not only for the free night but also because keeping cards open helps your credit score and having this card open will give me more leverage with Chase when trying to get other Chase credit cards…Ok, basically I just talked myself in to keeping it open!
8. Chase Ink Bold Business (old version)
Signup bonus: 50k
Date approved: November 9, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after making the minimum spend and earning the signup bonus.
Annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
Anniversary bonus: None.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 0%. Now that I have the new Chase Ink Bold card (which is much better), there is no point at all for me to keep this card open.
9. Citi Thank You Premier
Signup bonus: 50k
Date approved: November 9, 2011
What I use it for: Nothing after making the minimum spend and earning the signup bonus.
Annual fee: $125 (waived for the first year)
Anniversary bonus: 1% on all Citi TY points earned through purchases (does not include the signup bonus)
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 0%. There are a few reasons I won’t be keeping this card open; the $125 is super high for a card of this (low) caliber, the anniversary bonus is of little value since I don’t put any spend on this card, and Citi TY points are not that valuable compared to Chase UR points.
Lastly, I had to fight tooth and nail with Citi not only to get this card, but also for them to credit me with the signup bonus (think 10+ emails and even snail mail letters) so needless to say, I’m not a fan of their company or their customer service.
10. Barclays USAirways Mastercard #2
This is the exact same card as #4.
Signup bonus: 40k
Date approved: April 3, 2012
What I use it for: Nothing after the first purchase to get my signup bonus and once every 6 months to adhere to the terms and conditions.
Annual fee: $89 (waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: 10k USAirway miles
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 100%. The 10k USAirways miles are worth over $89 for me so this is a no-brainer. I’ll whip it out every 6 months and use it once just to make sure I’m abiding by the terms and conditions, but other than that, it’ll collect dust on the shelf.
What I use it for: Nothing after the first purchase to get my signup bonus. However, if I were to purchase United tickets, I would use this card to get the 3x on United purchases.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: 2 free United Club lounge passes each year.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 60%. I’m completely on the fence about this one. The lounge passes are nice (and $100 retail value) but I debate how much I actually value them. Sure, its nice to have lounge access for a day, but I normally wouldn’t pay $50 for that privilege.
However, the card does also offer a free checked bag ($50 value) on United flights and like the Marriott above, gives me leverage with Chase when I go to apply for other cards. Those two reasons will probably be enough to push it over to the “keep” side, but I’m glad I have a while to decide!
12. Chase Southwest Rapids Reward Business card
Signup bonus: 50k
Date approved: April 3, 2012
What I use it for: Nothing after the first purchase to get my signup bonus.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 60%. I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m slightly leaning towards keeping this open just to have leverage with Chase. The 3,000 points aren’t enough to justify the annual fee (although it’s close), so what I’ll most likely do is keep this card open for the time being.
When I go to apply for other Chase cards, they may say I have too many accounts open with them, and that time, I’ll happily give up my Southwest account in order to get a new card and the signup bonus.
13. Chase Ink Bold Business (new card)
This card is no longer available. The Ink Plus is still available.
Signup bonus: 50k
Date approved: April 23, 2012
What I use it for: Cable, cellphone, and internet bill (5x points), gas (2x) and gift cards from office supply stores (5x) that help me earn a TON of Chase UR points. I also flip-flop the Ink Bold and the Sapphire Preferred for everyday spend items that don’t fall in those categories.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Anniversary bonus: None.
Odds of keeping it open after 1 year: 100%. I absolutely LOVE this card. The fact that I can buy gift cards at office supply stores for all types of products and get 5x for them is amazing and keeps the points continually rolling in.
The only downside to this card is the high minimum spend in the beginning (although there are tons of ways to make it easier than you think), so now that I’ve hit that, I’ll keep using the awesome earning power of this card for years to come!
Recap
As do I! If it’s a good bonus, I’m there!
If you’ve been tallying the cards up mentally, you’ll see that I currently have a total of 13 cards. Many people ask me how I manage to have all those cards and not get confused, but if you break it down, you’ll see that I have:
2 that I use for everyday spending (Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Bold)
1 that I pull out very occasionally (Amex Personal Rewards Gold)
10 that basically go unused after making the minimum spend
In reality, I’m not juggling 13 cards, but really only 2. Most of the time I’ll carry one of them and my wife will have the other. Pretty simple.
People also always ask me how I keep track of all of them and how I know when to cancel them.
I employ a simple system that even a caveman could understand; I use a really basic Excel spreadsheet (feel free to EPoP Credit Card Tracking Template) which lists when I need to cancel each card.
Additionally, if you do App-o-Ramas it is easier to keep track of your cancellation dates because a bunch of the cards fall on the same day! Yet another perk of the AoR!
Lastly, here is the breakdown of which cards I will and won’t keep after the 1st year and pay the annual fee for:
4 On the Fence- Chase Southwest, Chase United Explorer, Chase Marriott, Amex Hilton
5 Definitely Closing- Citi Thank You Premier, Chase Ink Bold (old), Amex PRG, Citi/AA Visa, Alaska Airlines Visa
As you can see, having a large amount of open accounts doesn’t have to be scary or difficult to manage. Pick a few cards that you prefer to use for everyday spending and then supplement them with cards that you’ll use for the signup bonus and then close after a year.
That way, it only takes a tiny bit of brain power and small amount of organization to keep you on top over everything.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
Unfortunately the Chase Ink Bold card is no longer available from Chase.
The information in this post is still relevant when applied to the Chase Ink Plus card, which is almost identical to the Ink Bold.
The Chase Ink Bold is one of my absolute favorite cards, and is a no-brainer for any business owner.
Why?
Here are the top 6 reasons that the Ink Bold has stolen my heart.
But first, the details:
The Details for the Chase Ink Bold
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
No interest charges because you pay your balance in full each month.
Earn 5X points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services.
No foreign transaction fees.
Direct access to a live service advisor anytime.
1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs with no transfer fees.
$0 Intro Annual Fee for the first year, then $95.
Click here to apply for the Chase Ink Bold
Why I Love the Chase Ink Bold
Reason #1: 50,000 point signup bonus
With a sign up bonus of 50k points, this is one of the largest available bonus out there.
You’ll get 50k after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
50k points is great in any situation, but its even better when its earning you….
Reason #2: Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
If you are not familiar with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I suggest you get acquainted quickly because they one of the most valuable currency out there in the frequent flyer world. The Ultimate Guide to Ultimate Rewards will answer all the questions you may have about these awesome points!
These Chase UR point have tremendous value because they can be transferred to a ton of partners, both airlines (United, Southwest, Korean, BA) and hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Ritz-Carlton).
All of these transfers are at a 1:1 ratio and they all transfer instantly, a huge plus if you have a penchant for waiting until the last minute or need to take advantage of a deal quickly.
My favorite transfer is to United because you’ll never pay a fuel surcharge when using United miles and they are part of Star Alliance, which not only has good award availability but also has partners that fly to anywhere in the world!
Chase points are my personal favorite and I earn them at every possible opportunity. Start earning Chase UR points now and you’ll never look back!
Reason #3: 5x on cellphone, cable, and internet bills
If you’re the .01% of Americans that don’t have either a cellphone, cable, or the internet then this won’t excite you as much as 99.9% of us who do.
I LOVE this perk of the Ink Bold because it’s so easy to do. Simply change your cellphone, cable, and internet bills over to be paid by your Ink Bold card and you’ll automatically receive 5x Chase UR points for every $1 you spend. Set it and forget it!
This is an especially huge score for people who pay for a family cellphone plan with a bunch of phones or have 1,000 cable channels and pay pretty hefty bills each month. When I last lived in the States I was paying about $200 a month between my cellphone, cable, and internet (a fairly normal amount I think).
By putting this spend on the Ink Bold, I’d pull in 1,000 UR points a month, 12,000 a year. All for doing nothing! Free and effortless points? I’ll take that any day!
Reason #4: 2x on gas
I’ve yet to run in to a person who has said “You know, I just really love paying $4 a gallon for gas.” I know, I know, hard to believe, right?
The truth is, paying that much for gas SUCKS. Unfortunately, we better get used to it.
Most other developed countries have been paying this much and more for years now, and if we are being realistic, it’s obvious that the gas prices in America are never going to go back to anything close to what they were pre-Katrina.
$4/gallon is here to stay.
So you have two options:
Nothing screams sexy like a Prius!
Get a Prius
Get the Ink Bold
While paying $4 a gallon might suck, getting 2x UR points for every $1 you spend at the pump can help ease the pain. You’ll receive 2x for the first $50,000 you spend each year on gas, so unless you’re dropping a grand a week on gas, all your gas spending will net you 2x/$1.
And if you are one of those unfortunate souls spending $50,000 a year in gas, then at least the Ink Bold will net yourself 2 roundtrip business class tickets to Europe just for using your Ink Bold!
Reason # 5: 5x at office supply stores
While this perk is not (quite) as effortless as moving your cellphone, internet, and cable bill over to your Ink Bold it can be still be beneficial for some people.
Many people with their own business need office supplies, and some people drop some major money on them.
Hello 5x!
Also, a lot of people forget that office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot also sell big ticket electronics, like computers and tablets. If you’re going to be buying an item like that (or even better, multiple ones), buy them there and rack up the points!
Reason #6: No foreign transaction fee and no annual fee for the first year
If you don’t already have a card with no foreign transaction fee, you should definitely add one to your wallet. Most credit cards will charge you 3% when you use it overseas, something that can add up very quickly.
Don’t let that vacation put you in the poorhouse!
Getting the Ink Bold solves this problem by charging you just the cost of your purchase, even when you are out of the country.
The Ink Bold also waives the annual fee for the first year, which is icing on the cake!
You’ll have a whole year to decide whether the perks of the card make it worth paying $95 for the second year, which for me is a resounding yes.
Final Word(s)
The Chase Ink Bold is undoubtedly a great card; not only does it have a pretty sweet signup bonus but it also has some killer perks that really allows you to rack up Chase UR points in a hurry with very minimal effort.
I would highly recommend it to anyone as long as they can make the $5,000 minimum spend in 3 months.
Click here to apply for the Chase Ink Bold
Want to profess your undying love for the Ink Bold as well? Have another card that is first in your heart? Haikus, soliliqoys and good old fashioned love letters accepted in the comments below!
The Free Flight Primer is a series of posts which will show, step by step, how to earn and then redeem frequent flyer miles.
I’ll be providing links to tools and websites that are helpful, tons of screenshots or video tutorials of various steps that may prove confusing, and of course, my own thoughts and opinions on the process.
I’ll also be providing a real-life case study using an actual client to better illustrate the process.
Parts 1-5 have focused on picking a destination and finding availability to that destination. Now, it’s time to shift our focus and actually begin getting you the miles you need to fly for free. If you’ve been following the Free Flight Primer and already have a stockpile of miles, great! But for most newbies, building up your miles balance is a crucial step. Let’s jump right in.
Step 1: Determine How Many Miles You Need
You did this back in Part 1, so I’ll just recap it quickly. If you want to re-read the full version, go here and scroll down to Step 3. The best place to start is milez.biz, which will give you the amount of points needed to fly to your destination across almost all airlines. Consider the following:
What airlines did you find availability on in Parts 3-5?
How many people are flying?
What cabin class do you want to fly?
Case Study: Remember Rob, our case study? He’s looking to fly from New York to Rome in late September. We found good award availability with OneWorld for the dates he wants, he is flying with his wife, and they are looking to fly economy. By looking at milez.biz or at the AA award chart we know that it will cost him 60k roundtrip per person, so he needs 120k AA miles.
Step 2: Determine What Credit Cards Will Get You Your Miles
Credit card signups are far and away the best way to earn miles quickly. There are other ways to pad your balance (which we will discuss later) but to get your free flights, you’ll need to apply for a credit card or two (or three, or four…). So now the question becomes which one?
If you are completely new to the game, I’d recommend you read my Tips For Picking the Right Card page, which gives you a simplified, general overview of what to look for in a credit card. On top of those considerations, we now must also look at our specific scenario and what airlines we are looking to fly.
Two basic recommendations:
1. If you are looking to fly OneWorld, by far the best sign up bonus available is the Citi/AAdvantage cards.
2. If you are looking to fly Star Alliance, there are a few Chase cards that make sense for you. Since Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Bold [No longer available], and Chase Ink Plus are all good options.
In addition, the Chase United Explorer card is another good option.
Case Study: Rob is flying OneWorld, so he needs 120k AA miles. He already has 38k in his AA account, meaning that an extra 100k would put him over the 120k mark we need for him to fly to Europe and back.
Step 3: Apply for the card(s) and start making the minimum spend.
After getting approved for the card, every card has some requirement to meet before you get the miles in your account. For some cards, this is simply “after first purchase” meaning that you can buy one thing, no matter what, and you’ll get the miles.
For other cards, you must spend a certain amount in a certain time frame (i.e. $2,500 in 3 months). IF YOU DON’T HIT THE MINIMUM SPEND, YOU WON’T GET THE MILES. Always, always make sure you can hit the minimum spend.
Since you have already found the flights you want, the sooner you make the minimum spend, the sooner the miles post to your account. The sooner the miles post to your account, the sooner you can use them to book your flight.
See the pattern? The sooner, the better. Every day you wait is another day that the flights you wanted could be snatched up, so while I don’t advocate going out and spending just to spend, if your travel is coming up fairly soon, then I’d suggest making the spend as quickly as you feasibly, and responsibly, can.
Morals of the story:
1. Plan ahead if possible. It is going to be very difficult to go from 0 miles in March to booking a 100k worth of flights for travel in May. Not impossible, but difficult. Even if you do make the minimum spend and your miles post quickly, the award space that close to the travel date will most likely be gone.
2. If you do find yourself in the above situation and are under the gun to get miles, be flexible with your dates. Something may not be open on the Saturday that you want to leave, but it might be available on Tuesday. Make sure to check all options.
Case study: Rob’s wife applied for both the Citi/AA Visa and Citi/AA Amex using the two browser trick (now dead). She was instantly approved for both. She has met the minimum spend on the Visa and is now working on the minimum spend on the AmEx.
Step 4 (if necessary): Transfer the Points
For some cards, the miles you earn will go directly to your account with that airline (for example, the Citi/AAdvantage card earns you American Airlines miles). For other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred. you’ll need to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to the airline of your choosing (such as United). This can be done online and if you are transferring Chase or American Express points, the transfers are instant (the only exception to this is if you are transferring AmEx to ANA, in which case it usually takes 48 hours). If you a transferring Starwoods points, be aware that they can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks.
Case study: Rob and his wife will not need to transfer points, since they are earning AA miles using the Citi/AAdvantage cards and will also be redeeming AA miles for their tickets.
Step 5: Earn Miles Through Ways Other Than Sign Up Bonuses
While signup bonuses will give you the bulk of your points, you can also pad your mileage balances in a variety of other methods. This is especially helpful when a signup bonus leaves you a few thousand points shy of the amount you need for an award ticket. For example, let’s say you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the 50k signup bonus but you need 60k for your roundtrip ticket to Europe. If you are smart, you could end up with these 10k just by meeting your minimum spend.
Shopping Portals
The easiest way is to use shopping portals. I document why you should use them in this post and then show you how to use my personal favorite, the Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall, here. To highlight our above example, if you went through the Chase UR Mall and spent $350 at Groupon, which was running a 30 points/$1 promotion, you’d already have your extra 10k.
I’ve harped on it continuously in other posts, but if you aren’t using shopping portals than you should start considering it, at least for the online purchases you already make.
“Regular” Spending
Each card, in addition to a sign up bonus, will offer some sort of mileage earning for using it. For most cards, it is 1 point/$1 spent, although some offer special bonus categories where they’ll give you 2 points/$1 or even 5 points/$1 spent. For the Chase Sapphire, you’ll get 2x points on travel and dining, meaning that if you used it only these two categories to make your minimum spend of $3,000, you’d end up with an additional 6k points above your sign up bonus.
If you only have one card, it makes sense to use it in lieu of cash as much as possible. You’ll be earning miles and not paying anything extra. If you have more than one card, start being cognizant of which cards give bonuses in what categories and tailor your usage accordingly.
Case study: After the sign up bonus, Rob will have enough AA miles to make his trip. The AA cards only offer 1/$1 for all categories, so after meeting the minimum spend, he’ll have an extra 5k AA miles in his arsenal.
Step 6: Sign up for Award Wallet to Track Your Points
The more involved you get in this game, the more confusing it can get to remember what points you have with what airlines. Why not use a free product that does all hard work for you? Award Wallet will store your account balances for all types of airlines and hotels (except AA, which has blocked Award Wallet) and will update automatically once you set it up. I can’t think of a single good reason not to use it, and recommend it to everyone I know.
