Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Churning the AS Signature Visa ?

Has anybody tried cancelling and re-applying ?

Can you churn this card like you can the AA/Citi cards, and keep getting repeat bonusses ?

I have both platinum and signature; I had been carrying a balance on a low rate offer on the plat card, but with rates falling it's not worth doing that anymore, so I paid it off. So, now I can use the plat card for my 1k booking bonuses, I'm wondering about cancelling the signature card, leaving it a few months and re-applying.

I may stand corrected but I think you only get the bonus miles if you are a first time cardholder. However I dont know if its like a first time home buyer where you can wait so many years after selling a home and be qualified as a first time home buyer again

Well, I searched before posting, but obviously not very well, because I found the answer just a couple of threads down the page - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=801318

So it seems that probably my best option for a bonus may be to kill the signature card, and then upgrade the plat card to signature for a 5k bonus.

It's not worth getting a card and dumping it and getting another card and dumping. It makes your credit history look bad because of how short a time you had the card. The longer you have a card the better. If you don't believe me, check with credit bureau's like www.experian.com

It's not worth getting a card and dumping it and getting another card and dumping. It makes your credit history look bad because of how short a time you had the card. The longer you have a card the better. If you don't believe me, check with credit bureau's like www.experian.com

If you have decent credit, your post is completely wrong.

If you have decent credit, your post is completely wrong.

Here's from a CNN article about improving your credit.

http://money.cnn.com/2002/02/15/debt/q_fivethings_creditscore/

"Don't close unused credit card accounts near loan time. If you have several credit card accounts but are only using a few of them, you'll only raise your balance-to-limit ratio if you close the unused ones. You also shouldn't open new accounts when applying for a loan if possible. If you have a short credit history or very few accounts, opening a new credit line may lower your score since you don't have a proven track record, said Jan Davis, an executive vice president at TransUnion. What's more, a new account will lower the average age of your accounts, another factor in your FICO score."

If you have decent credit, your post is completely wrong.

Actually, it's not. It can impact your numerical credit score.

However, as to credit rating , a more general term, you may be right.

No need to cancel the first card. Just apply for a new one. I had an AS signature visa, and then signed up for another one a few months ago. Same mileage plan number as my first card. I got 20,000 miles in my account, and the $50 companion coupon as well. I did pay the annual fee. I called and cancelled the new card within a month or two of receipt, and asked that the credit limit on that card be consolidated with that of my older AS Visa. No problem.

It's not worth getting a card and dumping it and getting another card and dumping. It makes your credit history look bad because of how short a time you had the card. The longer you have a card the better. If you don't believe me, check with credit bureau's like www.experian.com

If you are worried about 10-20 points either way then don't churn. If you have an otherwise excellent credit history then IME is doesn't maek much difference - I churn 3-4 mileage cards/year, and my FICO score is high 700s. A factor is the average age of accounts - so if you have a bunch of long-open accounts then closing newish accounts helps keep the average high.

No need to cancel the first card. Just apply for a new one. I had an AS signature visa, and then signed up for another one a few months ago. Same mileage plan number as my first card. I got 20,000 miles in my account, and the $50 companion coupon as well. I did pay the annual fee. I called and cancelled the new card within a month or two of receipt, and asked that the credit limit on that card be consolidated with that of my older AS Visa. No problem.

Thanks for the input trucker ! So it seems that it may be worth trying a churn. I don't care about combining my limits - BofA give me $20k+ anyhow. I wonder if my wife can get the referral bonus on the new application.

I ran through two of the cards last year. Got the bonus miles each time. Now when I apply (and I have tried several times since then) I don't even get a rejection letter. No card, no letter, no nothing. It's as if I never applied.

Now when I apply (and I have tried several times since then) I don't even get a rejection letter. No card, no letter, no nothing. It's as if I never applied.
That's strange. I thought they had to, by law, send you a rejection letter with the reason you were declined, to prevent you from being declined over something you didn't know about (say, a false item in your credit report).

BofA cards are, in fact, churnable. Whether they'll remain so into the future is an open question.

Good to know - I'll send off another application !

That's strange. I thought they had to, by law, send you a rejection letter with the reason you were declined, to prevent you from being declined over something you didn't know about (say, a false item in your credit report).

So did I! But nope--no rejection letter or anything. I've done it at least six times. Whether or not they are running my credit I don't know as I don't have any monitoring service.

If you are worried about 10-20 points either way then don't churn. If you have an otherwise excellent credit history then IME is doesn't maek much difference - I churn 3-4 mileage cards/year, and my FICO score is high 700s. A factor is the average age of accounts - so if you have a bunch of long-open accounts then closing newish accounts helps keep the average high.



and if you didnt churn so many you would have a mid 800s :p

and if you didnt churn so many you would have a mid 800s :p

Actually low 800s even if I had zero inquiries in the last 2 years.

And so what ? Even when I was low 700s, it never made a difference to the rate on any loan (I always check). I don't push the multiples on my mortgages, and maybe it would count a little more for someone who did. But you can fix any effect completely in 2 years, so unless you expect to move house or refi in the next 2 years (not most of the population) what difference does it make ?

Actually low 800s even if I had zero inquiries in the last 2 years.

And so what ? Even when I was low 700s, it never made a difference to the rate on any loan (I always check). I don't push the multiples on my mortgages, and maybe it would count a little more for someone who did. But you can fix any effect completely in 2 years, so unless you expect to move house or refi in the next 2 years (not most of the population) what difference does it make ?

In a pissing contest, it matters... ;)

"you want me to pull it all out or just enough to win"

and if you didnt churn so many you would have a mid 800s :p

There's no prize for dieing with the highest FICO score. If you're planning on buying a house or something you shouldn't be churning, otherwise who cares if you're a 750 or 805?

EDIT: Doh, I didn't see the two previous near-identical posts... must check for a 2nd page before posting...

In a pissing contest, it matters... ;)

"you want me to pull it all out or just enough to win"

OK, I guess I was being overly defensive. The point I was trying to make is how far out of proportion people can get about maximizing their credit score.