FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Best Reward Card for Spring Break in Mexico?
Old Jan 31, 2012, 3:32 pm
  #4  
javacodeguy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: PHL
Posts: 351
At this point, you won't be able to get the miles from any bonus in time to redeem for any travel in March. It takes almost a week from when you apply to get the card. Then even if you hit the minimum spends instantly and get the bonus on your first statement it'll be late February or early March before you get them. No miles/points card has $0 spend so it'll be at least a couple days before you hit the spend limit.

Even if you found a card that posted your points quicker and you got them mid to late February, you'll have to spend way more to redeem for travel on such short notice. Chase allows you to choose your billing date, so in theory you could make it a week or two after you get the card and spend super fast to hit the minimums. Then you'd get your points on that first statement....in theory.

Your best bet might be the Chase Freedom + Chase Sapphire Preferred combo. The points post on your first statement once you hit the spend and since you can spend the points at 1.25 cpp towards travel you can redeem for travel easily. Or you can always transfer your 80,000 points to Southwest or United and get an award ticket, but again tickets this late will be hard to find or expensive redemptions.

If I were you though, I'd just pay cash for some cheap tickets now and save my points for a trip later in the year when I find a good value award ticket. Use a good card now to earn extra points when you pay for them and you'll even earn miles on this flight.
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