VLtone

Forgive me if I'm posting this in the wrong forum. I'm new to the site and this is my first post. I've done a bit of research already on which cards I should be thinking of applying for but ultimately the more research I do, the more confused I become.

I was able to get a new job and start December 1st which will require a decent amount of domestic travel. I'm estimating that there will probably be 1 to 4 trips per month to anywhere in the country from Philadelphia. What I'm looking for is the right card for me to obtain the best mileage/travel benefits. The research I've done thus far has indicated that a lot of the best cards may be out of reach for me because of credit score or insufficient income.

Ideally I would like to have a situation in which I'm earning the most miles possible (and be able to redeem them on international travel. We have some specific destinations in mind as well). In addition to using the card for airfare purchases I would probably be using it for hotels, car rentals and per diem costs as well as taking clients out for lunch's dinners. My credit score isn't fantastic (just shy of 700) and my income will be between $60k and $75k. However, if I were able to get a card with greater benefits by having my fiance cosign with me, we would be more than willing to do that. Our cumulative income is probably around $100k to $120k and her credit score is much higher (760).

Can anyone help? Sorry for the long post but could really use some guidance.

johndoe123

If you have no status, your best bet to start is to look at the card affiliated with the airline you intend to travel. Generally, they will offer free checked bags, priority boarding, etc, and other things to make your sanity a little more tolerable until you achieve elite status.

VLtone

If that ends up being the best choice, this may be a dumb question but if I wanted to fly to say Johannesburg, South Africa, would I need to have a CC with an airline that partners with an airline that will fly there? For example, US Airways has South African Airways as a partner. If I were to earn miles with US Air would I be able to apply them to a partner like SAA without a penalty?

This prompts a new concern as well. I would imagine it will take longer than a full year to earn the amount of miles necessary for an international flight. Will most cards mandate that you use your miles within a year?

Thanks for your help

AlexSTC

Most if not all (please correct me if I am wrong) miles don't expire. I think there is a handful that require you to use it once in a 12 month period for you to keep all miles.

What airline does your firm prefer to fly with? That would be the best airline for you to get a card with if you don't like the places the airlines flies to or the airline it partners with then get a card such as AMEX or Chase sappire that will let you transfer points to airlines. Also, don't forget your status with airlines is based on a calander year so the flights you take this year will be just for the miles and not for status so take any airlines and in Jan start to thing what airline you would like to build status with.

BankerManUSA

Welcome to FT!

In addition to picking a CC with whatever airline you'll be flying primarily, focus on an alliance as well (OneWorld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, etc.).

Most of us here accrue miles on one card and then use them to buy int'l tickets on one of the partner airlines. You'll find some airlines have better offerings for redemption and some have better options for earning. If you do some homework to find out what your most common routes will be, you should be able to figure out which FF program will maximize your earnings.

Additionally, most of the elite programs award bonus miles for FF's with elite status. So, when you pass the threshold into elitedom, you will begin to accrue even faster.

Most programs have done away with yearly expiration dates with their miles. For the most part, you have two years to redeem if there is no other earning activity on your FF account. Each new accrual will extend your mileage expiration by two years from that date. So, essentially, if you earn a few miles for regularly, your miles won't expire.

Regarding your FICO score...high 600s and $75k income is not going to make it that tough to get the right card. What will most likely happen is you'll get turned down from some of the best rewards cards and will be offered a lower tier card with either a higher APR or lower limit (or both). I would suggest trying for a card or two without your fiancé just to test the water. Go for a higher one and they will likely consider you for a lower tier if you don't qualify for the top tier. Also, most creditors will allow you to add a co-signer if they turn you down for the first application -- so follow up on your apps!

Lastly, with regards to how long it will take to earn enough miles for redemptions...that really depends on you. First of all, the rewards cards generally offer between 25,000-60,000 miles as an account opening bonus. In addition, some have spending targets that will reward you for serious spending. Most reward you for spending on their airline and will give you double miles or even triple miles for booking anything from their website. You can earn from flying, eating out, car rentals, shopping, taking surveys, hotel stays, class of service bonuses, award accelerator programs, and other crazy ways that other FTs have discovered here. It's not hard and the methods of earning are pretty ridiculously easy -- just be sure to read the T&Cs for each thing you sign up for. Also, keep an eye out for promos on the airline you fly most. If you see a promo for a routing close to yours and you have the ability to route it for business, you can even pick up some extra points there. For example, UA has a double miles promo going right now for flights from ORD/HKG (UA 895/896), Hub/LHR, and from IAH/Nigeria. If you register for the promo, fly those routes, and meet the T&C requirements, you get extra miles.

Anyways, that's a lot to start with. Good luck on finding the right program and congrats on the new job!

-BankerManUSA

VLtone

"What airline does your firm prefer to fly with? That would be the best airline for you to get a card with if you don't like the places the airlines flies to or the airline it partners with then get a card such as AMEX or Chase sappire that will let you transfer points to airlines. Also, don't forget your status with airlines is based on a calander year so the flights you take this year will be just for the miles and not for status so take any airlines and in Jan start to thing what airline you would like to build status with."

I don't believe they have a preferred airline. But I will be flying out of Philadelphia which has several airlines to choose from. I believe that USAir is the main airline. As far as your statement about the calender year,

"Also, don't forget your status with airlines is based on a calander year so the flights you take this year will be just for the miles and not for status so take any airlines and in Jan start to thing what airline you would like to build status with."

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'status'. Sorry I'm a bit of a noob, this stuff hasn't really mattered to me a whole lot until recently.

VLtone

Thanks for the welcome BankerMan. So I take it that going with a specific airline CC is going to make the most sense for me based on what you just said as opposed to a card like Chase or Amex? What confuses me is that those cards indicate that you can get either 2x or 3x miles from airline travel and most airline cards appear to have 2x. I think it was the Amex Gold offered 3x for air so I'm wondering if those cards actually offer better mileage benefits.

VLtone

Also, "In addition to picking a CC with whatever airline you'll be flying primarily, focus on an alliance as well (OneWorld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, etc.)"

Would you mind explaining that a bit more? I saw a CC for Star Alliance but I didn't think that was for a specific airline.

~tc~

One thing not mentioned is that some of the credit cards are the cheapest way to get a lounge membership, which could be a big deal flying domestically if you're on Star Alliance (USAirways, United, Continental) as otherwise you won't be able to get in regardless of status level.

If you fly United/Continental, I think the Presidential Plus card is great. Lounge membership, Hyatt silver, Avis preferred, 1 RDM per $ spent, double for spend on United/Continental.com, 1000 EQM per $5000 spend, primary rental car coverage.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

There's another complicating factor. Depending on what you value most, it might not always pay to credit your flights to the program of the airline you are actually flying. For example, you can credit a flight on US to CO, UA, or any other Star Alliance airline. If you were to credit the US flights to A3 (Aegean Airlines) for example, you would earn Star Alliance elite status more quickly than if you credited the flights to US' Dividend Miles program. So you would get free checked baggage and free lounge access after achieving Star Silver and Star Gold status, respectively, with A3.

toomanybooks

You and your fiancee should get separate cards and "share" the miles/points back and forth by cashing in for one another. Probably best not to combine finances until you actually get married.

I think you should look at Sapphire and also the card of whatever airline you fly. For hotels, same deal. SPG is considered by many the best single overall card for everyday spend. I stay at Hiltons mostly and use the Hilton Amex, which gives Diamond with $40K annual spend. Also lots of Hiltons where I go and relatively few Hyatt/Starwood.

Also remember that an Amex OPEN card gives 3% cashback at Hyatt and 5% at many in the Marriott chain. That might be worth more than points.

If you fly Southwest that much and use their Visa card, you might a shot at a Companion Pass and whenever you fly for up to 2 years you could take her for free, unlimited. No international, but could be worth a lot.

VLtone

"If you were to credit the US flights to A3 (Aegean Airlines) for example, you would earn Star Alliance elite status more quickly than if you credited the flights to US' Dividend Miles program. So you would get free checked baggage and free lounge access after achieving Star Silver and Star Gold status, respectively, with A3"

I can't say I totally understand this. Why would I earn elite status more quickly by redeeming a flight with A3 than with US Air?

"I think you should look at Sapphire and also the card of whatever airline you fly. For hotels, same deal. SPG is considered by many the best single overall card. I stay at Hiltons mostly and use the Hilton Amex, which gives Diamond with $40K annual spend. Also lots of Hiltons where I go and relatively few Hyatt/Starwood."

I don't think I could individually get the Sapphire card because by myself my CC score and income is probably not high enough. As for the SPG card, it seems like that card is more sensical for hotels where I'm looking more for mileage for long trips. Or am I missing something?

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Each airline sets its own thresholds for achieving Star Silver and Star Gold elite status. With A3, 4,000 credited miles in one year gets you Star Silver; 20,000 credited miles in one year gets your Star Gold. And you get 1,000 miles just for signing up for their program.

The thresholds set by CO, UA, and US are much higher. And A3 Star Gold status entitles you to lounge access when flying domestic flights within the U.S.; Star Gold status earned with CO, UA, or US does not.

toomanybooks

Well, try to get the Sapphire and see. Not much downside.

Sapphire Preferred earns 2 points per dollar on travel expenses. These can be turned into CO/UA, Korean, or BA miles. They also have a pretty good shopping mall.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemil...card-benefits/

SPG points are valued by many at 2+ cents each. Often you can get 4+ at SPG hotels on Cash and Points redemptions. Or you can turn 20K SPG points into 25K airline miles. Very flexible. Hotel use is more valuable IMO, but a lot of people use them for miles.

It is hard to give solid CC advice without knowing how much you (and your future spouse) spend annually and the specific destinations you have in mind for award travel. For example, Hyatt points won't do you much good in Belgium, as there are no Hyatts there.

VLtone

I would estimate that I will be spending between $10k and $20k per year. The travel destinations we want to go to are fairly limitless. Primarily Africa though but also everywhere else.