alpenrose

Hello:

I have been a good customer of USBank for eight years now, but finally have to admit that their service is getting on my nerves! I will be closing down a small credit card that has accumulated about 23,000 points. How can I first use these points for a future air ticket application? In other words I don't have a trip planned yet, but can see one coming up in the near future and would like to have a gift card, or a prepaid non dated coupon of some sort before I close down the card. Also, while I am here with all you wonderkinds-- any suggestions as to favorite credit card to switch to for 2015? Thank you again for your time and thoughts they are a treasure!

braffy

It would be helpful if you would tell us what kind of credit card/points you're talking about.

sdsearch

If you're referring to USBank's FlexPerks, peruse the gift cards that are available, but I don't think there are any airline gift cards among them, just typical store gift cards. To redeem FlexPerks for airlines, you have to use the FlexPerks site, so you have to still have your FlexPerks card at that point.

The main thread for USBanks's FlexPerks is:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...er-thread.html

(in the Credit Card Programs forum).

If it's FlexPerks you have a question about, you should ask there (where people familiar with FlexPerks hang out), not in a new thread in another forum.

If it's not FlexPerks, please explain what the name of the point program is. Thanks.

sdsearch

As to what card to switch to:

Assuming you want something similar but better, many people seem to consider Barclay Arrival / Arrival+ to fit that description. Again, there's a thread specific to that in that same forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...l-credits.html

But any such card from any bank is going to have the same restriction: You have to use up the credit card points before you close the card, and you have to use them up on travel, not on gift cards for travel.

The only kind of credit cards where you can cancel and not lose points/miles are those credit cards that earn real airline miles or real hotel points which are deposited every month (every statement) to the airline program or hotel program (and thus don't stay with the credit card). But, of course, most of those programs are specific to one airline (and its partners) or one hotel. All "any airline" programs are credit card specifc, and you have to keep at least one card in that program open all the time to be able to use them.

mahasamatman

Or ones where you can transfer, like Membership Rewards.