Hello all:

I’d like to get two round trip tickets from Saint Louis, Missouri to Montreal, Quebec sometime this summer.

1) Assuming that meeting the minimal spending is not a problem, what is the best CC application/usage of points strategy? Presently I have about 200,000 UR (from Chase Ink), 50,000 AA miles (from Citi), and $400 credit (from Barclay Arrival).

2) Suppose I have an AA (or UA, etc) gift card and I order a ticket via AA website. Will I be able to use the gift card if I end up flying not with AA itself but with one of its partners?

Thanks in advance,
Nik