Yet another apporama thread - goal of Italy trip
Aug 27, 2012, 8:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 41
Yet another apporama thread - goal of Italy trip
So my wife and I are planning a trip to Italy in the April-May timeframe of 2013 on points. I think I have our points needs figured out, but would like anyone's advice on a better way to get there\faster way to get points to meet our goals;
currently have:
10K HHonors, silver status
73K Priority Club
30K SPG in a week from now
50K AMEX MR in about a week
Need:
80K AA points for CVG>VCE or 200K points for first class - this would be awesome but we can live without it. I've found that we want to fly AA, not BA over the atlantic to avoid fees. Still not sure what the fees will end up at, hoping the $150\100 credit on the AA card\s will apply to that.
150K HHonors, 3 nights 5* Venice hotel
8K SPG, 2 nights in Florence away from city center
75K PC, 3 nights in Rome awaay from city center
We last applied for cards in mid-june, so we'll be going again in mid-Spetember. Last apporama was for AMEX MR Gold (50K) 25K AMEX SPG, AMEX Blue $250, 80K PC Visa.
Seeing as how the next apporama after this will likely have to be small due to credit pulls and in January, I'm trying to get the bulk of our needed points this time around. After meeting spend requirements after January, it may be tight actually getting the points before the trip. I do have 2 targeted offers for 35K Citi TY points after 2K spend in 3 months, but I'm not sure there's much value in that.
Next apporama:
Me:
2 x American Airlines 50K cards (1 Citi Business\1 personal card is the best?) - gets us there in coach
2 X Hawaiian airlines (140K HHonors)
Wife:
2 X AA cards (same as me - any potential issues here with applying for 4 of these cards between the 2 of us?) - this gets us in first class
Marriott Visa 70K
This totals $14K in 4 months in spend and gets us the points we need, but I'm very open to suggestions on better ways to get there or to get more hotel points for nicer stays while there. We think we can do the $14K fairly easily without any 'alternate methods' of spending.
My credit score is about 758, wife's is higher.
currently have:
10K HHonors, silver status
73K Priority Club
30K SPG in a week from now
50K AMEX MR in about a week
Need:
80K AA points for CVG>VCE or 200K points for first class - this would be awesome but we can live without it. I've found that we want to fly AA, not BA over the atlantic to avoid fees. Still not sure what the fees will end up at, hoping the $150\100 credit on the AA card\s will apply to that.
150K HHonors, 3 nights 5* Venice hotel
8K SPG, 2 nights in Florence away from city center
75K PC, 3 nights in Rome awaay from city center
We last applied for cards in mid-june, so we'll be going again in mid-Spetember. Last apporama was for AMEX MR Gold (50K) 25K AMEX SPG, AMEX Blue $250, 80K PC Visa.
Seeing as how the next apporama after this will likely have to be small due to credit pulls and in January, I'm trying to get the bulk of our needed points this time around. After meeting spend requirements after January, it may be tight actually getting the points before the trip. I do have 2 targeted offers for 35K Citi TY points after 2K spend in 3 months, but I'm not sure there's much value in that.
Next apporama:
Me:
2 x American Airlines 50K cards (1 Citi Business\1 personal card is the best?) - gets us there in coach
2 X Hawaiian airlines (140K HHonors)
Wife:
2 X AA cards (same as me - any potential issues here with applying for 4 of these cards between the 2 of us?) - this gets us in first class
Marriott Visa 70K
This totals $14K in 4 months in spend and gets us the points we need, but I'm very open to suggestions on better ways to get there or to get more hotel points for nicer stays while there. We think we can do the $14K fairly easily without any 'alternate methods' of spending.
My credit score is about 758, wife's is higher.
