FTR 787

the other point about the Freedom notwithstanding, are you sure about this?

I thought this was the recommended path for say kids to get on their parents cards as AU to start building up their credit history and profile. or for other folks who had no credit history and might be denied for anything other than a basic student/starter CC.

OliverB

Thank you again, bribro!

It seems like UR points are primarily used for air miles and transfers to flight rewards; unless of course you're loyal to Hyatt, Marriott, or IC chains. I think I saw that Ritz was an affiliate, which might ocassionally be useful for our travel purposes.

I don't want to fly too far off-topic but why do you suggest the Barclay Arrival for booking hotels in the manner in which I've described above; what would be the advantage with the Arrival for this particular purpose?

I suppose we'll just stock up on United miles with this new Sapphire Preferred card and not have to worry about buying flights for a while. Could you please explain the savings and benefit in transferring to airline partners vs. using the UR site? It sounds like (from your above post) that there shouldn't really be any reason to ever do the latter.

I appreciate all the help!

bribro

I remember reading how that used to be the case, but recent changes to credit scoring algorithms have reduced the positive effects of being added as an AU. Perhaps someone else with deep knowledge of credit scores can chime in.

OliverB

I certainly plan on applying for a proper card, however I think being added as an AU on a higher status card like CSP would do me well in developing credit history and allowing me to apply for a halfway decent personal card with rewards as opposed to the stock standard BoA Visa or whatever crapola I'd otherwise be applicable for with my current status. I've had cc offers that I could have been accepted for, but other than credit builders, they were essentially useless and didn't meet any of my needs. I think at the very least, being an AU on this card (and with the kind of usage intended) will lend a bit more status to my credit score and allow me to apply for a decent mid-range card of my own in a few short months.

OliverB

Are UR point transfers always best for long haul international routes or are they fairly consistent across the board? Would they serve me just as well for short domestic flights; ie. CA to WA, OR, TN, LA, FL, GA, etc. with United? Would it be more efficient to just purchase cheap fare in these instances and save the UR points for trips to Europe and Asia?

mikex163

I do not believe that "status" matter a bit. What matters is credit limit, utilization rate, age of account, etc. CCs like CSP are more likely to have higher credit limits, so they are good from that perspective; but there are plenty of no-status CCs with lots of credit as well.

bribro

The best uses for UR points are international premium cabin flights (F or J on United/Singapore/Korean), last-minute domestic flights (United), expensive/last-minute domestic short haul routes (Y on AA/AS using BA Avios), and high-end Hyatt hotels.

wise2u

best new card for Canadians is Amex, if they had one in Canada then their credit rating will show for American Amex as well...then after holding a US amex for a while your US credit will be established, and make chase, citi, discover, and Barclaycard easier to get.
If you never had Amex in Canada I would suggest getting a bank loan for a car or a store credit card to pay off large appliances. These will help build US credit quickly.

KrnGrs

As I am also a AU on the CSP, I looked into the same issue.
The benefit guide just states:

Who is eligible for coverage?
You, a person to whom a United States (U.S.) credit card has been
issued (“Cardholder”) and your name is embossed on the card. You
are then covered as the primary renter of the vehicle and any additional
drivers permitted to operate it under the terms of the rental agreement
(“Authorized Person”) are also covered.

Since your name is on the card, I think it applies to you as well. Else, you can always ask Chase!

OliverB

Great! Thank you for that info!

OliverB

Unfortunately I've always been with Visa. I've been thinking of taking out a bank loan though. I wonder if it makes a difference whether it's a long term loan or if it's paid back in a month? I may opt for a department store card as well.

OliverB

Couldn't I use UR points for bookings through Expedia or other similar affiliated reservation services through the UR Mall to book stays at hotels like Viceroy? I tend to mostly fly on low tier tickets in economy class and already have ample miles stacked with most frequent flyer programs, so I'd like to figure out how Chase would benefit me most for the type of travel that I do most frequently. I almost always chose to stay in historic hotels or independent properties with local character and in contrast to how I fly, generally book into top tier rooms. I have an upcoming stay at The Avalon in Beverly Hills for example, and anticipate a very high UR point accumulation by then as I've got about 40k in travel expenses to be put on the card over the next 3-4 months. Given my particular travel habits, what do you recommend? It seems like a waste to hold a very high UR point balance but still be paying top dollar for expensive hotel suites. I don't mind shelling out for econ. tickets or transferring miles to UA for comped flights but the cost pales in comparisson to hotels, which are my priority. Is there any way to utilize my UR points to cover general travel costs that aren't linked to the usual airlines, Marriot, Ritz, etc? Even without maximizing potential of my points, is there a viable way to do what I'm asking? If not through the Saphire Prefered, then through a more ideal card that might be better suited in terms of bang for buck and flexibility to redeem nights at hotel stays in most cities?

Thanks for you help!

bribro

OliverB, based on your spending habits, I think the Barclay's Arrival card is your best bet. If you're booking through Hotels.com, for example, you can use the Arrival card through the Mr. Rebates portal for an extra 5% cash back instead of the UR Mall/Chase Travel portal.

shakim

I moved to US from Canada myself 2.5 years ago. Used a secured card for almost a year before i got a couple store charge cards with horrible credit limits ($300 - $500). But then, since April I've had these:

Sapphire Preferred
Freedom
Amex Gold Premier
Hilton Suprass
US Airways
Ink Plus
Marriot
Alaska
Hyatt
IHG
Club Carlson

These are all visa signatures as well with the exception of the 2 amex cards and US airways (mastercard).

Anyway, point is, if you've been here as long as me and opened up a bank account when you moved, which you probably did, i mean why wouldn't you? And had a secured card that you were using... how come you weren't able to get a CSP even?

I have been with chase for my checking count since I moved, so I don't know if that has helped maybe, since most of my cards are from chase.