Originally Posted by
ch1tty
Here are the options that I am thinking about:
1) Keep flying United for business to keep my 1k, but open some AA cards for the points and fly AA for personal trips.
2) Open up those same cards I already have or had, but in my wifes name and then I get added as an AU.
3) Stop staying at Marriotts and switch to one of the other brands and get the cards for whoever I pick.
(1) is a good idea, if you're redeeming for business or first class on AA or partners, since you won't miss the elite benefits that way.
(2) is there a need for you to be an AU? you may or may not want those cards to show on your credit report, depending if you need account age or utilization more. You'd be surprised how infrequently anyone looks at the name on the credit card, especially in the US.
(3) are you unhappy with Marriotts? A lot of us follow a similar strategy for hotels as airlines: stay with one chain on business to max out the perks there, but grab credit cards for others to use for redemptions when the primary program is not available or economical. Marriott is a good choice as a primary program for most people, if you have enough nights for Gold status and you're happy with it.