Upcoming app: CSP or BA Avios
Oct 3, 2012, 2:53 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 193
Upcoming app: CSP or BA Avios
Have mostly domestic travel coming up. Which is best to shoot for? Based out of RDU so most BA redemption would come through AA use. (correct me if I am wrong). Is it time to finally get the Sapphire Preferred or rack up some BA sign up bonus points instead. Don't plan to spend on BA card beyond bonus offer.
Last edited by Jpr0930; Oct 3, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Oct 3, 2012, 3:39 pm
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2003
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The answer might depend on your spending patterns and intended use of the points/miles earned. For example, if the vast majority of your spending will be on travel and/or dining, you would earn more points with the CSP card (2 points/$1 for travel/dining) vs. 1.25 Avios for all spend with the Chase/BA card (except for spending on BA, which earns 2.5 Avios/$1).
And you have many more transfer/spend options with the CSP card, versus the Chase/BA card.
The answer might depend on your spending patterns and intended use of the points/miles earned. For example, if the vast majority of your spending will be on travel and/or dining, you would earn more points with the CSP card (2 points/$1 for travel/dining) vs. 1.25 Avios for all spend with the Chase/BA card (except for spending on BA, which earns 2.5 Avios/$1).
And you have many more transfer/spend options with the CSP card, versus the Chase/BA card.
Oct 3, 2012, 3:46 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 193
Spending on the BA card won't go beyond meeting the spend and I likely won't keep it beyond first year. I it is purely for miles. CSP I will get no matter what, I just trying to decide if I should get this time around or wait. Are avios easy to redeem on AA domestic? Are they considered a valuable currency to have around?
Oct 3, 2012, 4:21 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 240
Spending on the BA card won't go beyond meeting the spend and I likely won't keep it beyond first year. I it is purely for miles. CSP I will get no matter what, I just trying to decide if I should get this time around or wait. Are avios easy to redeem on AA domestic? Are they considered a valuable currency to have around?
I would also wait out for the BA card to offer 100K miles again. So if you really have no other card to try, then CSP may be a better bet since they are unlikely going to bump it to 100K anytime soon. If you don't mind churning, try getting US Airways card over and over again at 40K miles each churn instead.
Oct 3, 2012, 5:55 pm
#5
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You should be able to redeem Avios for any AA MileSAAver award seat; Avios cannot be redeemed for AA AAnytime award seats. Note that BA uses a distance-based system, and charges for each flight flown, unlike AAdvantage, which uses a zone-based system which does not charge extra for connections.
Originally Posted by Jpr0930
Spending on the BA card won't go beyond meeting the spend and I likely won't keep it beyond first year. I it is purely for miles. CSP I will get no matter what, I just trying to decide if I should get this time around or wait. Are avios easy to redeem on AA domestic? Are they considered a valuable currency to have around?