Chadguy

Hi,

A friend wants to know if they default on an AAdvantage credit card, will their frequent fliers accumulated inside and outside the credit card be taken away?

Thank you.

mvoight

Why would default on a credit card cause their miles earn outside of the credit card to be taken away, assuming there was no fraud committed against the program. Whether miles from the credit card are taken away depend on the rules of the card. I expect miles not yet transferred to AA would be the only thing affected. I would still encourage him to not default. If short of money, he should try to work out the debt with the credit card company.

JDiver

In somewhat related situations (returned merchandise usually) neither AA nor Citi have no mechanism in place to get the miles back automatically. But some members report having trouble with AA Corporate Security - AAdvantage Fraud.

(It's about miles earned and then defaulting on payment for required spending for bonuses, miles earned for merchandise not paid for through the default etc. in this instance. Use those unearned miles for an award, your plans may be cancelled - and further, your AAdvantage account could be canceled.)

In my opinion, a dumb move is being contemplated - wrt AAdvantage - and moreso FICO.

FallenPlat

Chadguy, it looks as though you've asked the same question today both about Amex points and about AA miles; and then you've also added a question about the outright sale of Amex points (assuming this were even possible).

I'm not sure what your "friend" is contemplating, but you might consider gently suggesting to him that he first review the applicable federal and state criminal fraud statutes. Better safe than sorry and all that.

Dallas49er

And then suggest that "he" don't do it. Nothing good can come of actions that have this much "pre-planning".

Chadguy

Look, that is the reason, I asked the questions. So he can see it in black and white. Thanks.

ullr

Seeing this offer: https://buymiles.aa.com/en/buygift/info

If I were to open a new AA Advantage Card ($95 fee version) I would get 50k miles upon meeting the minimum spend of $3k.

If I bought the max miles, 80k + 45k bonus for $2360 using this new card, then spent the additional $640, I would end with ~175k miles for $3k. These miles represent 5 first class lower 48 MilesSaaver tickets, which seem to have a normal cost of about $4600 for the flight I'm taking next year with the family.

What am I missing here? It seems like a simple way to 'pre-pay' for travel I know I'll be buying anyway and save about $1500. I am new at this so I am seeking your feedback.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

A one-way continental U.S. SAAver award in F costs 25,000 AA miles; a roundtrip costs 50,000 miles; and five roundtrips cost 250,000 miles.

Have you found five SAAver F award seats on the flights you want to take? And even if you have, will they still be available after all the miles post?

ullr

You got me on the roundtrip vs one way...but my wife also has 50k coming from AAadvantage bonus and we have 80k coming in the US Air merger, so we can get to 250k

Regarding availability, I don't think it is possible to predict what will be available next fall, if there is a way I'm all ears. I'm willing to accept some uncertainty in that department, our dates are pretty flexible.

Thanks for your very good advice, this is why I posted here

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"I don't think it is possible to predict what will be available next fall"

You are, of course, correct about that. But have you checked current award availability for the flights you are considering next Fall? While award availability can change from minute to minute, I think that the odds of finding five F SAAver award seats on the same flights (on any dates) would be very low. And if you can't find them this far out, I think it's unlikely that you'll find them down the road.

Do all five of you have to travel together, or can you split up into one group of two, and another group of three?

Apieinthesky

OP can, of course, get two award tickets on the same flight and pay for the rest, and same for the return. OP can also consider miles+copay options.

OP, you are correct. At SAAver levels, using miles to book premium cabin flights (particularly premium class international flights) are often a great deal when comparing the cash cost of the ticket and the "cash cost" of the miles. A factor FTers may consider is lost earning potential (you don't earn any miles on award ticket, both for redemption and for elite-status-earning purposes, which is opportunity cost).

As guv already pointed out, there is no guarantee of availability for the specific flights you want. Of course, being flexible will help immensely.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"OP can, of course, get two award tickets on the same flight and pay for the rest, and same for the return. OP can also consider miles+copay options."

Very true. But if the OP is only able to score two F SAAver seats, then he might want to reconsider whether he should purchase 125K AAdvantage miles to meet the minimum-spend requirement on a credit-card bonus offer. He could undoubtedly meet that requirement just by purchasing three F tickets for cash (at $900 each), and doing some everyday spending on the card.

I would be hesitant to buy miles unless I were reasonably certain that I would be able to get good value for them. Who knows what lies in store for the AAdvantage program (or any other FFP) in 2015?

It would also be helpful if the OP let us know whether any other carrier offers F service on his desired route. AA is not the only airline selling miles these days. And one could even meet the minimum-spend requirement on a Citi/AA card by buying UA or US miles!

coolcoil

Actually, you are only spending $2,360 to get 175K miles. I'm assuming the other $640 would have been spent anyway. Or, you could count the $3,000 spend, but add your marginal happiness from whatever you buy with the $640 to your 175K miles.

That said, assuming it's a good deal, you still have to have to factor in the risk. You're giving AA a bunch of non-refundable money now, and they are not promising you anything. Other airlines have been devaluing their miles lately and there is a chance that AA will follow suit. You also may want to consider the possibility that prices could drop since rapidly falling fuel prices could trigger a fare war.

Further, you always have some risk that you will not be able to take the planned flights because of changes in your personal situation.

Of course, your appetite for risk is a personal decision. I'm not weighing in on whether or not this is a good idea, just pontificating...

cjw5110

Hi all,

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum... couldn't figure out a better place!

So I currently hold the US Airways Barclaycard Mastercard and am quite happy with it. I am planning to redeem my miles for a roundtrip to the Caribbean next October. As of now, I have just under 75,000 miles and will likely have just shy of 85,000 by the time I book (likely in March or April).

I am considering picking up the AA Citi credit card and getting the 50,000 bonus after 3 months / $3k in spending. With all that in mind, here are my questions...

1. What is going to happen to my US Airways Mastercard once the programs merge? Will it get converted to a Citi AAdvantage card?
2. If I wait until I get the additional 50,000 miles AND for the programs to combine, I should be able to get first class roundtrip tickets (looks like for first class, it's 30k per ticket, so with 135k miles, that should cover two first class roundtrips). Is there much risk to that strategy? Namely, is it likely that award trips will be all but gone by the time those miles get credited to me?
3. Ultimately, do you think it's worthwhile to apply for the Citi AAdvantage card? I will probably take advantage of the first year without a fee and then cancel.

Thanks!

SpammersAreScum

1. It'll become a AAdvantage card, but still Barclays. Details can be found in this thread: Barclay US Airways Card Becoming AAdvantage Mastercard.

2. Availability of award seats after FFP merger is probably a valid concern, it seems to me.

3. That said, I think it's worth getting both cards for the bonuses; I just did the reverse, adding the USAir card (when the bonus got upped to 50k) to the AA card I got several months ago.