Whoops, brain fart on my part. I wrote 12 months, but I meant over the course of "3 months". Several here seem to be insistant on getting the $2k spending in the first month. :confused:

Yeah, there's a bit more pressure wrt this deal than average. In fact, I was talking with my mom about her new card last night and she advised me that she doesn't have plans to spend $2k during the next 3 months. I floated the perkstreet idea by her, but she was not impressed... so it looks like some coins are in her future (yes, I will probably have to do the legwork).

I like a lot of folks would like to get the deal taken care of as soon as possible. 2K is easily reachable in a month using most everyday expenses/travel/bills...etc. I met the requirement, Chase owes me the miles -others have received all of their miles - why would I want to wait to get them? Especially since it seems there may be a glitch that won't fix itself given others having banked all of the miles. It has nothing to do with whether or not I may choose to use the miles now or later. They are a commodity and I'd like to have them on hand at the earliest possible opportunity in case I would happen to need them. Just for reference I don't usually wait 45 days to inquire about the status of a check I'm expecting either.

the sooner you get them, the sooner you can spend them. plus, declining time value of miles, etc. :D

Just Applied for It
 

I just applied for it using the link on Page 1 (RedSox)..so hopefully I get the 100K miles cuz now, when you click on the link to the card from siging up for their FF membership, it boasts only 30K miles.

:cool: My message was "response via US Mail within 15 days." Link to application still working as of 12/13.

It came up on Fatwallet, couple people have done it and had it coded as a purchase, not a cash advance:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/fina...uery=employees

In lieu of dollar coins, gift cards, gold, etc. you can pay personal and estimated tax with the card, 2.49% fee -- $49.80 on $2000.

I applied from Australia... same message.

I took screen shots of the 50k + 50k offer.

It was 1:45am 12/14 EST when I finally submitted my application.

I had to create a yahoo.co.uk e-mail account as my gmail.com didn't seem to work, nor any other e-mail's I own that ended in .com or .net

Won't get to activate the card until I get home to the US after Christmas (IF I'm approved) Should be interesting.

--Russ

Ok, forgive me for asking such a simple question, but I've read 30something pages and can't read 70 more tonight.

I know BA charges much higher fees and surcharges for using miles than, say, AA. Am I correct in my understanding that there's no way to use BA miles on AA on TATL flights? e.g., JFK-FCO? So I'd be paying a couple hundred dollars worth of fees on each ticket?

Just trying to figure out the true cost and value of these points, especially where my credit score comes into play.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8703e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

You should be able to use BA miles for AA TATL, as long as you are not flying an AA flight between the U.S. and the U.K. So, for example, the AA nonstops between JFK and FCO, CDG, BRU, ZRH, etc., should all be redeemable with BA miles. Or you could use the BA miles on Iberia, and connect (or stopover) in MAD en route to your destination.

Edited to add: The italicized language appears to be incorrect. See posts 1501 and following in this thread. But BA miles can still be used on non-AA partner carriers (Finnair, Iberia, Aer Lingus) for TATL travel. My apologies for posting incorrect information.

More ideas for spending
 

I prepay a lot of things in order to meet minimum card usage without having to keep track of a lot of smaller purchases.

Some examples - I prepay electricity, cable, phone/internet and natural gas - all of which I'm going to have to pay sooner or later anyway. Since vet bills are another huge expense in our home, I prepay our vet as well if it serves my purpose. Cable, phone, and vet are free of any user fees. Electricity & natural gas companies in our state only allow a maximum of $500 to be charged at a time, with flat $3.45 "convenience" fee. I can charge several $500 charges if I want, but each one costs a flat $3.45.

This has always worked really well for us & makes us look good to the utilities & the vet at the same time! ^

Do you just call them up and say you'd like to make a prepayment? That sounds like the easiest/safest thing to do.

Thanks guv. That helps a lot.

benjiem1, Natural gas & electricity I do on their respective websites. That's just the way I started & I'm not sure if I can do it by phone. Cable & phone/internet I do by phone, but again, that's the way I started & I've (lazily) never explored any other way. The vet obviously I do in person at the office, and it has the added advantage that when I want to leave quickly with one of our many pets, I don't have to wait my turn checking out because the staff knows I have a credit balance & I just pick up my receipt at the next visit. I used to charge our real estate & motor vehicle taxes & our water/sewer (as well as those of any friends & family who would let me) but a few years ago our town started charging a percentage fee for the privilege, so I quit that. If you review every one of your monthly expenses, you may find others where prepaying is a no brainer. If there's a fee involved (like my $3.45 for 500 miles) you just have to evaluate whether it's worth it to you. ^

Are you sure it is only US-UK flights?

My understanding is all TATL flights you cannot use BA miles to fly AA and vice versa.

Upthread many pages ago someone already investigated his intention to fly to India using AA but via TATL - he got informed by BAEC that is not allowed.

On a side note, for those newbies who keep asking award redemption questions, Please go to BA forum there is an EXCELLENT Sticky about BAEC program and most everything you keep asking, is listed in that Sticky by sections. You will get a much better understanding by reading the BA forum Sticky.