squashyb

Hi guys,

Newbie to the forum and fascinated by it all - amazing information!

But why do people in the USA get soooo many more miles and mileage programs than we do in the UK? Presumably there's an economic reason, but it seems perverse that BA give a better deal to US citizens than to UK ones.

Also.... is it possible through any legit loophole to sign up for US credit cards? I travel a fair bit (leisure, mainly) and spend a fair bit of time in the US, but naturally do not have a social security number. Is there any way around that at all, or any US credit cards that would accept just a US address +- bank account?

Cheers,

Josh

T8191

And welcome to FT ... glad you're finding it useful!

BA's apparent generosity towards non-UK residents is a simple matter of getting them to fly BA instead of their own National carriers. Perverse indeed, especially for those living near a major UK airport who see all the bonuses going to some Johnny Foreigner! I think its fair to say that "Mr Reading" would tend to automatically select BA or VS for travel instead of some other nation's carrier [unless he used FT, or did a lot of independent research ]. "Hermann" would tend to use Lufthansa, and "Maurice" Air France, unless tempted over to BA with some form of perceived advantage.

As to the USA-based CC, I'd be interested in the answer to that one as well ... provided it wasn't too complicated, and that it was actually legal

Beany

As well as not having a social security number, the fact you have no US credit history or a credit score (which is taken very seriously here) and that you have no source of income in the US would make it virtually impossible for you to get the chase cc.

tooblue

A US tax number (ITIN) is sometimes accepted in lieu of a Social Security number (SSN). It has the same formula xxx-xx-xxxx and is uniquely linked to its owner. I know of non-residents who have obtained US credit cards in this way. Of course, to obtain an ITIN, you need to contact Uncle Sam at the IRS in Philadelphia but it can be done: unlike the SSN.

Raffles

It is nothing to do with BA, it is all to do with the credit card companies. Even more so than in the UK, in the US giving someone with good credit a card is seen as a license to print money. With so many Americans in financial trouble, there is a massive war on to win custom from the very few Americans left with good credit scores.

That means that the card companies are basically willing to spend $750 (what BA would charge Chase for 100,000 miles, I guess) to get you as a cardholder, even when they know the majority of cardholders will cancel their card after a couple of months. They are even so desperate they will usually give the bonus again if you re-apply 3 months after cancelling.

(There is another view here. Some argue that the card companies are driven by people who are fighting for market share at any cost, and damn the economics of winning that market share. Same as how the mortgage companies gave crazier and crazier loans. When Chuck Prince was talking about needing to "keep on dancing" or lose his job, he was right.)

It is nothing to do with BA. Chase has another product called the Sapphire card which comes with a 100k bonus that can be transferred to pretty much ANY hotel or airline programme - there are 19 options, I think. And you can have this whilst also having the 100k Chase BA card (and x2 when your partner applies as well).

Cards simply aren't as profitable in the UK (or competition isn't as fierce, take your pick) hence the smaller bribes for taking them out.

Be grateful you don't live in the rest of Europe, where credit cards are often a rarity and any sort of bonus very rare.