-FNC keeps the same date as the card you originally got.
-When you upgrade Chase pro-rates the refund of your existing card immediately. The new Ritz annual fee is charged in full and is not pro-rated. That happens roughly 3/4 months after you upgrade. It then reverts to the original annual fee date you had with the first card.
Personally I think the best time to upgrade is when you can double dip the $300 annual credit over two years. It makes a lot more sense to upgrade in November than January for example.
I have a Brilliant issued around the end of August, and the 85k FNC posted to my account at the start of November. If I understand this correctly, in order to align my Brilliant FNC with a Ritz FNC, I should apply for a Boundless around late October / early November in 2024, wait a little over a year, then upgrade in mid-November 2025 in order to double dip the $300 credit, and then I'd get an 85k FNC starting early November 2026.
Am I missing anything? This seems like a crazy long game to play.