TrollingJay

Just happened upon this site, read just a little, and it immediately sparked an interest in something I've considered (but not acted on) for quite some time....getting new cards to benefit from the incentives. Only problem is...don't really have a clue as to the best way to approach.
I have great credit....800+ and currently have 3 credit cards
Boa visa travel rewards (I recently got this to avoid foreign tx fees while overseas) This is the one I currently use for everything.
Boa visa cash rewards
Skymiles AMEX (Just keep this for 1st bag free and early boarding on Delta)
I always pay balance in full at end of month and never carry a balance.
Looking for the best way to approach this and best cards to start with. Maybe something were I can consolidate into common rewards program.
Should I just use to get the sign-up rewards/points and then close prior to annual fee? Any and all tips would be appreciated from you seasoned folks!
Thanks

mike2200

Have you looked at this thread in the credit card forums were this is posted?
"The special credit card master thread"
This thread is meant to list all current special credit card offers for airlines and hotel program and provide names of non-airline/hotel programs. This will help those who would like to apply for only special offers without going to each forum

garykung

Welcome to FT.

Great credit does not mean issuers will have to approve applications. It simply means your chance of approval is higher in general.

It will be specific based on the person. You must provide more information.

For example, it will sound stupid if you fly DL exclusively and live in ATL and the suggestion is to apply Citi AA card.

darthbimmer

I'll give you a high level answer, Jay.

The best way to earn points is to look for attractive sign-up offers. Typically these award anywhere from 30,000 - 80,000 bonus points (depending on the program) after you meet some initial spending requirement. Points hounds will cycle through different cards, meeting the bonus target on one and then applying for the next. In some cases it is possible to apply for the same card repeatedly. This is called "churning". Churning has gotten tougher, though, as most banks have including terms limiting how often you can get any one bonus.

Definitely read through this forum and the related forums for banks like Citi and Chase. There are literally hundreds of relevant threads expanding on details, tips, and tricks for earning more points.

TrollingJay

Thanks for the replies. When I say Newbie....I mean Newbie This is all so new to me.
I have no loyalty to any one airline or any one hotel brand, when I travel I like to fly direct if possible but I always look for the best deals. I don't use cash, I use my card(s) for everything, even a cup of coffee. I always pay the full balance each month. Looking to capitalize on the opportunity that so many of you on this forum have seemed to master.
Again, all input is truly appreciated.

nwflyboy

A few general tips...

1. Think about your goals. Have some realistic goals, and come up with a strategy that helps move you towards those goals.

2. Take your time, start slowly, don't go crazy, and don't get carried away - it's easy to make costly mistakes when you're starting out. Spend a lot of time reading Flyertalk and learning. Be skeptical about sources of information - bloggers, for example, have an inherent conflict of interest (they do not necessarily have your best interests, and in fact, are often less than completely honest - they make their living by getting you to click their links for credit card applications, which colors their advice - sure, you can get some information from them, but do not trust them - the best links and the best informations is always here on FT).

3. Dirty Little Secrets: Accumulating the miles & points is the easy part. Actually using them (and getting a reasonable value out of them) is the hard part. You will see stories about extravagant first class flights, 5-diamond resorts in exotic destinations...replicating those may or may not be realistic for you, and all of this does require some effort. You want one seat to anyplace, and you can go whenever there's a seat open, maybe on short notice? That's not hard. You want to pick where and when you want to go? It gets harder. You want to take along a spouse? Harder. Bring the kids? Oh boy, much harder. You want to go to a popular destination during high-demand season? Good luck. Any of these things can be overcome, but the more of them you try to overcome at the same time, the more difficult it becomes. Overcoming all of them is often simply not possible for most of us (we have jobs, homes, vacations that need to be planned in advance, etc.). Of course, those who profit from getting you to sign up for their links won't tell you that.

You might want to think about what your goals are (take the wife and 3 kids to Paris in July? Go by yourself to Paris in January? those will be very different). Then go look at what it would take to do that - don't just look up the "cost" in miles/points (that number is just a best-case scenario, often impossible in the real world), then go and check seat availability for the flights you want - this is often a real eye-opener for those new to this.

Finally...keep in mind that Things Change. Generally, the changes are not good - most programs devalue every year or two, restrictions are added, things get harder. Be prepared to be disappointed. Be aware that there are millions of people now "playing this game", it's widely known, and that means more people chasing fewer seats, deals get killed quickly, and generally more opportunities close than open. Sitting on a pile of points is not a good strategy, they tend to become less valuable and less useful with the passage of time. Use them as quickly as you can.

All that said, it definitely still is possible to get good benefits by putting in some effort. But you gotta do more than a little homework. Be wary of what might appear to be spoon-feeding.

Hope some of the above is helpful. Good luck and have fun.

garykung

Then you should not be brand-specific. Instead, a general purpose reward card (like Chase UR, Citi TY, AMEX MR, etc.) will be best fit you.

Spend smart. For example, if your cup of coffer is Starbuck, then you should check its reward program as well (as you can earn reward while still using your credit card).

+1

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"For example, it will sound stupid if you fly DL exclusively and live in ATL and the suggestion is to apply Citi AA card."

Not necessarily. It does not matter what the OP's current flying patterns are; what matters is where he wants to go with his miles. On some routes, AA (or UA) might offer better -- or lower cost -- award availability than DL.

garykung

I guess you did not read the context of my words.

The key is justification. If OP is flying DL exclusively and suddenly wants a F experience with BA, then applying for a Citi AA will justify such want.

It will be stupid if OP decides to invest on AA without justification.