Originally Posted by
stormpelt
I am a female and have little kids, and I want to manufacture spend to fly internationally (long haul) once a year with my whole family. So far, I have a toddler and a baby, but I am planning to have a large family. I also have two citizenships and I want to visit my home country at least once a year with my family. Obviously, just getting sign up bonuses won't be enough, as it takes like 70-80k delta miles for a round trip for one person from my US location to my home country location. Multiple that by several people, and you need a lot of miles. I really want to manufacture spend, but I am worried about getting detained.
If I'm out at the grocery store buying 5-10k+ worth of VGCs and MOs with my kids (toddler and baby), or if I'm flying with both of them long haul, what are my chances of getting detained for MSing? I read some posts on here where people got detained and interviewed in a room for like an hour, but like, if I have kids with me all the time, they will be crying, so how will the officers handle that? Will they call social services if I get detained, or what will happen?
I am not trolling, this is real. I want to be able to have a large family and be able to fly with them to my home country once a year. I don't want to pay $1500 per person per round trip for flights, I want to MS to get miles.
I think your expectations of MSing enough miles to fly Delta internationally once a year with up to seven people are a little too unrealistic for someone just getting into MS. The popularity of MSing, especially with the volume you are thinking, these days can and often does lead to:
- Store limitations on MO purchases via VGC or MCGC if not a complete discontinue of such practice.
- Change in store policy on purchase of VGS or MCGS limiting volume or complete complete discontinue of sale via CC.
- Credit Card shut downs
- Possible store or law enforcement detainment (This is possible, but highly unlikely. Cases of this are very few and I have yet to see any evidence or anyone ever being truly charged with anything.
I'm not trying to turn you away, but rather caution you to the problems that may arise. MS is unreliable. What worked today might get shut down tomorrow and can you handle being stuck with $5-10K in GCs if it does? These things need to be considered seriously before you take the risk. Also, to address some of this other things in your post:
Originally Posted by
stormpelt
it takes like 70-80k delta miles for a round trip for one person from my US location to my home country location. .
Unless you truly need to fly Delta, you will do better flying a different carrier where your MS'd points will get your further and possibly CCs that can be churned faster than Delta. Citibank US Airlines cards might work out well for you here.
Originally Posted by
stormpelt
I am a female and have little kids, and I want to manufacture spend to fly internationally (long haul) once a year with my whole family. So far, I have a toddler and a baby, but I am planning to have a large family. I also have two citizenships and I want to visit my home country at least once a year with my family. Obviously, just getting sign up bonuses won't be enough, as it takes like 70-80k delta miles for a round trip for one person from my US location to my home country location. Multiple that by several people, and you need a lot of miles. I really want to manufacture spend, but I am worried about getting detained.
Kids are great buffers for MSing as you look less suspicious at a grocery store with kids in hand, but it's not likely to be enjoyable for them if you do get detained. The two citizenship thing could be an issue as well since a good amount of LEOs are not properly educated on statuses such as yours. Again, more often than not you'll just get told "NO" and have to move along.
Originally Posted by stormpelt;30118424If
I want to be able to have a large family and be able to fly with them to my home country once a year. I don't want to pay $1500 per person per round trip for flights, I want to MS to get miles.
I'm sure everyone would love to fly for free year after year, but that's pretty unrealistic. Don't be disillusioned by blogs and posts you read talking about flying all over the world for free on a consistent basis. Most MSers traveling internationally are single people or couples, not families of seven. Even those who do travel internationally with families don't often do it a yearly basis with just MSing alone. It usually involves churning, referral bonuses, sign up commissions, travel hacking, points transfers, and or other factors.