1. No need to visit any bank branch including Chase unless you are private banking customer. Almost all bank credit cards are treated as separate business. If you are rejected you can then ask them to look at the fact you have checking savings with them. The fact that you have a large number traveling would make me want to look at a airline ticket consolidator or equivalent. Example in PHX they have a Chinese cultural center and there happens to be a travel agent that always seems to get cheap airline fares to anywhere in Asia. Or you can spend a lot of time on flyertalk and learn more or wait for mistake fare.