Credit Card Programs - Are the big miles offers gone?

Searching around, there doesn't seem to be an many generous offers as last year.

Planning to buy a new computer so would it make sense to wait towards the fall to see if some better offers come along?

Card issuers have changed focus from acquiring new accounts to retaining customers. There are still generous offers, but now they are tied to minimum spending of $5,000 to $10,000. How much do you expect to spend on the system?

Not to say they will never come back, but I think things have changed from a few years ago. I agree with mia about the companies changing their strategy a bit and going after the bigger spender. However I have found that this is a great time to grab some cards that I never looked at before.

I've never had much experience with Hilton or Hyatt so I never looked into their cards. It had been about 4 months since my last pulls so the scores were good. Last month I grabbed the 60k Amex Hilton(no annual fee, $750 spend), 50k Citi Hilton(no annual fee, $1500 spend) and the Chase Hyatt(2 nights, $75 fee waived 1st year). These aren't the sexiest offers in the world, but I'm sure I can put the bonuses to some very good use. Plus 2 of them have no annual fee so I can hold onto them and show the CC companies that I am not just a churner.

Not to get philisophical, but slow periods in life are a nice time to look around and experience new things!

I racked up a lot of miles and points just over the last year or two -- Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex Platinum, Citi AAdvantage, Mileage Plus Explorer.

Computer would be between $1500-2000 probably. But I could some trips I have planned on it too.

Last month I grabbed the 60k Amex Hilton(no annual fee, $750 spend), 50k Citi Hilton(no annual fee, $1500 spend) and the Chase Hyatt(2 nights, $75 fee waived 1st year). These aren't the sexiest offers in the world, but I'm sure I can put the bonuses to some very good use. Plus 2 of them have no annual fee so I can hold onto them and show the CC companies that I am not just a churner.
Actually, the third has a negative "net" annual fee, in that the $75 fee for subsequent years on the Chase Hyatt is offset but additional free night certs. Unless you're never near a Hyatt (given their lower "footprint" than many other hotel programs), I would think you'd have a hard time not getting more than $75 value from a free night certificate.

Or did you mean that one? The Citi Hilton is not worth keeping, it's the one worth churning! :) The Amex Hilton is the Hilton card worth keeping and actually using.

seems to be mostly targeted ones for high offers.
even though Amex just had the 75k offer for 10k spend, which is pretty good, though high spending. In my case its about 1.5m of bills...

Generous offers and lower spend...

Have you done the ThankYou premier 50k for spending 2.5k in 3 months yet?
How about the United MileagePlus explorer 50k + $50 for first spend?
What about the Ritz Carlton card for 70k Ritz/Marriott points, $200/year in airline incidentals, and Lounge Club membership?

Generous offers and lower spend...

Have you done the ThankYou premier 50k for spending 2.5k in 3 months yet?
How about the United MileagePlus explorer 50k + $50 for first spend?
What about the Ritz Carlton card for 70k Ritz/Marriott points, $200/year in airline incidentals, and Lounge Club membership?

Hmm, looks like the ThankYou Premier is down to 30k points.

United MileagePlus -- I got this card within the past year with the 50k so this wouldn't be an option.

Ritz Carlton, I'll have to study but in general I don't stay at the big chain hotels.

Hmm, looks like the ThankYou Premier is down to 30k points.

United MileagePlus -- I got this card within the past year with the 50k so this wouldn't be an option.

Ritz Carlton, I'll have to study but in general I don't stay at the big chain hotels.
Have you looked over the list in post 1 of the following thread (in the MilesBuzz! forum, not here in Credit Cards)? It's constantly updated with the best card signup offers that people post on FT.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1177334-special-credit-card-offers-master-thread.html

Here's one big offer around right now, if you can swallow the big annual fee (that's unwaivable), and if you learn how to use Avois points effectively (ie, not on BA flights themselves because of the insanely high YQ!):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1335226-100-000-ba-avios-chase-card-150-fee.html

Hmm, looks like the ThankYou Premier is down to 30k points.http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18785261-post522.html :D

Thanks for pointing that out sdsearch!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18785261-post522.html :D

Yes Citi Premier and Chase Ink both have decent rewards. Hopefully someone will step up with a good 75,000-100,000 reward and then you'll see others follow. Until then I'll just be watching and waiting. I'm not going to chase the small fish, it isn't worth the credit pulls. :rolleyes:

Yes Citi Premier and Chase Ink both have decent rewards. Hopefully someone will step up with a good 75,000-100,000 reward and then you'll see others follow. Until then I'll just be watching and waiting. I'm not going to chase the small fish, it isn't worth the credit pulls. :rolleyes:^ I have the same approach. Watch for bigger fishes. I like Chase Freedom and AMEX HH for regular purchases.

IMHO, things are better mileage bonus wise then they have been since the days when you could churn UAL and AA cards every couple of months.

Chase has been very, very generous to me recently. 100K on Saph Pref, three INK Bolds at 50K each (one with no spend requirement), UAL Explorer at 50K and several more.

The miles are coming in faster than I can use 'em. (Note to self--gotta fly F more! :D Use more miles! @:-)).

The glass is not only half full, it is refilling itself.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18785261-post522.html :D

Ummm... hasn't this expired? :confused:

IMHO, things are better mileage bonus wise then they have been since the days when you could churn UAL and AA cards every couple of months.

Chase has been very, very generous to me recently. 100K on Saph Pref, three INK Bolds at 50K each (one with no spend requirement), UAL Explorer at 50K and several more.

The miles are coming in faster than I can use 'em. (Note to self--gotta fly F more! :D Use more miles! @:-)).

The glass is not only half full, it is refilling itself.

Hi!
how long ago was this? Was it a targeted offer?

It was late last year when, as was posted then, for a few wonderful days Chase would match a targeted 100K Saph Pref offer to those of us who had recently gotten the card with a "mere" 50K bonus.

A quick email to Chase got me the additional 50K.

[QUOTE=jatink129;18847729]Ummm... hasn't this expired? :confused:


50K was dead for a week until someone found this link. You should get the 50K. Be sure to print a screenshot.

[QUOTE=jatink129;18847729]Ummm... hasn't this expired? :confused:


50K was dead for a week until someone found this link. You should get the 50K. Be sure to print a screenshot.

Will do!
thanks!

There are just enough to keep everyones credit scores down :)

100k BA

70k Marriot

75k Amex

80k Priority Club

2 nights Hyatt anywhere in the world

50k UA card

I think SPG has their like 25k card still available, maybe it is 30k?


There are just enough offers to keep everyone busy and planning things out. Like others have said the requirements are more difficult to hit as well. I don't follow non-hotel/airline cards but there are tons of those around too. With that being said I remain busy planning my credit cards out and how to spend my points/miles.

I myself am taking a moment to strategize where I can go with what I have (and what I need to acquire to get me to the places I want to go). Nailing down specific cities/airports and hotels I want to stay at. So this is forcing me to consider things like the 25k SPG card.......the 70k marriot......or the 2 hyatt nights.

What is the 75k Amex?

What is the 75k Amex?


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-express-membership-rewards/1358602-gold-business-75k-w-10k-spend-not-targeted-expires-6-26-12-a.html

I think the issue is that once you exhaust Chase and potentially the Citi AA offers everything else is a bit flat now...

I'm looking for other cards to apply for outside of Chase (and the ones I already own) and it's been a bit hard deciding on that.

I think the issue is that once you exhaust Chase and potentially the Citi AA offers everything else is a bit flat now...

I'm looking for other cards to apply for outside of Chase (and the ones I already own) and it's been a bit hard deciding on that.

I have to agree with that. If you exhaust Citi/Chase you are left with some weird options. You have your occasional Amex bonus to go for, but for the most part you are applying for stuff like the Barclays cards then. But Chase especially has a TON of offers. Too many for me to exhaust.

I have to agree with that. If you exhaust Citi/Chase you are left with some weird options. You have your occasional Amex bonus to go for, but for the most part you are applying for stuff like the Barclays cards then. But Chase especially has a TON of offers. Too many for me to exhaust.

Chase almost exclusively pulls Experian. So if one froze the experian report, would Chase automatically use the other agencies?

Just got a targetted AMEX platinum 100k offer in the mail. Took it. :D

I think the issue is that once you exhaust Chase and potentially the Citi AA offers everything else is a bit flat now...

I'm looking for other cards to apply for outside of Chase (and the ones I already own) and it's been a bit hard deciding on that.
Up to 500k HHonors points from Citi HHonors Visa cards is flat??? :confused:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1219687-50-000-citi-hilton-hhonors-visa.html

Ok, that's not 500k per offer, but that card is churnable, and at least for some people two-at-a-time -- using the same two-browser-type-trick as for Citi AA -- every 65ish days, so dividing 365 by 65 I get 5 double apps per year theoretically possible, while means 10 apps, which means 500k total per year if you can churn this card to the maximum. And even if two-at-time doesn't work for you, 250k per year is not so bad, is it?

Doesn't churnability have to be taken into account to determine how good an offer is? :confused:

[QUOTE=jatink129;18861301]Chase almost exclusively pulls Experian. So if one froze the experian report, would Chase automatically use the other agencies?

No, Chase would not automatically use the other agencies. You need to call the reconsideration number and let them know you had a freeze and if they can check the other credit bureau.

I have done this several times with success. I have frozen all accounts and only release one when I apply for a CC. Reason for frozen accounts is fraud many years ago.

[QUOTE=jatink129;18861301]Chase almost exclusively pulls Experian. So if one froze the experian report, would Chase automatically use the other agencies?

No, Chase would not automatically use the other agencies. You need to call the reconsideration number and let them know you had a freeze and if they can check the other credit bureau.

I have done this several times with success. I have frozen all accounts and only release one when I apply for a CC. Reason for frozen accounts is fraud many years ago.

Thanks a lot. Would they ask me the reason for the freeze? And if they did, would saying "suspicion of fraud" be enough?

Also- Once frozen, they would not have access to that report AT ALL...?

So, basically the only reason to do this is to avoid too many inquired on one report. It doesn't help in anyway to get many credit cards. Right?

Here's a WSJ article from yesterday that may be of interest:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444840104577549482698764626.html?m od=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_second

Chase almost exclusively pulls Experian. So if one froze the experian report, would Chase automatically use the other agencies?

Just got a targetted AMEX platinum 100k offer in the mail. Took it. :D


Well in Ohio Chase pulls TU. I purchased myfico tu report and it seems Chase and Citi pull from there.I also dont think the big offers will be gone,but the spend will be higher to make sure the CC offers are better targeted towards more affluent spenders who will continue using their cards well after the intro bonus.

[QUOTE=metoo;18866303]

Thanks a lot. Would they ask me the reason for the freeze? And if they did, would saying "suspicion of fraud" be enough?

Also- Once frozen, they would not have access to that report AT ALL...?

So, basically the only reason to do this is to avoid too many inquired on one report. It doesn't help in anyway to get many credit cards. Right?

1. When I apply online, I would call Reconsideration number within 15 minutes to half hour and ask if they receive my application form and can pull up the credit report. If not, then I tell them to pull up (the one I want CSR to see) and let him/her know I don't want to pay for all 3 to unfreeze so I unfroze one. I tell them I have had credit card fraud years ago so I have a freeze on credit reports

2. once froze, no access to the reports for ANYONE except yourself

3. Chase will know how many credit cards you have with them...I usually apply for a new one when i know there will be an annual fee coming up and I want to cancel. For example, i applied for the PC 80k not too long ago. My Southwest will have the annual fee coming up next monthso I asked to have the CL of 10k or 12k (can't remember) to be split up with the Chase freedom I already have and rest go to PC card. Yes, to avoid too many inquiries from one credit bureau.