Should I apply for Continental Onepass now?
 

Background info: I'm not too immersed in the CC game, but I did sign up for a Marriott card back in August to test the waters (hurray free points). Then I tried immediately for the AA 75k cards and get rejected. So I've been on the sidelines to see if a big deal comes before end of the year. Apparently the AA deals just get worse and nothing amazing has come along.

Now I'm wondering if it's worth applying to cards like the Continental OnePass, get the 25,000 bonus miles after first use and then cancelling the card before Continental and United merge their CC programs? This way, after they start issuing a newer post-merger credit card, I'll still be eligible for that bonus?

Generally not, unless you already have a UA card.

The reason is it makes you not eligible for the United plus explorer bonus at this point, so if you wanted to get one or the other, you might as well just get the UA explorer.

Agreed. It's too late to get both (unless T&Cs change). Hold out for a better UA offer.

No
 

The CO card will become the UA Explorer card in a matter of weeks at most. So you wouldn't be able to get the card and bonus and cancel it soon enough. Also I think in threads it's been stated that anyone who got the CO after September will not get a bonus on the UA Explorer. The UA card will probably have a bigger bonus at some point too.

I just got the CO biz card as it's disappearing although it may well be converted into the UA biz card also keeping me from getting that bonus. Does anyone know when the CO biz converts and if the same same language is in the UA biz T&C?

The date in fact is 07/19/2011.

And the benefit level (including the bonus) are the same for both cards.

Does this mean anyone who got the CO biz card after 7/19 will be ineligible to get the bonus for a UA biz card in the future?

Could you advise how you know this? I just tried to cancel mine and was offered 10K miles so I kept it open. I really don't want to risk not being able to not get a untied bonus in the future.

I opened my Continental card in March.

The CO OnePassPlus becomes the UA Explorer very very soon and anyone who got the CO after 7/19 is ineligible for the bonus for the UA Explorer per the terms.

Did you mean to say : anyone who got the CO AFTER 7/19 is ineligible

hmm..interesting info...i have a CO card now..but plan to cancel before the new year..although i'm trying to wait til dec so that if I get a new chase card by then I can cancel my CO then if needed..

I wonder if CO will give me anything to keep my card open ..if i try to cancel now.

Yes. And update: I just spoke with Chase csr and the new Explorer card will not be out until "First Quarter 2012". They say anyone who closes their cards before the automatic conversion will be eligible for new bonuses, but we all know, at least on the personal, there's the 7/19 catch.

So if a 10K retention bonus is offered I'd snap it up and close in another month.

They offered my wife a 5k reward if she kept the card until 01/01/2012, but we refused and canceled the account.

I assume you DO NOT lose the CO miles in your account if you cancel the One Pass Plus card (had it over 1 year).

My understanding is not after 6 months. When I cancel I'm going to move mine over to my United account just to be safe.

Well I'm going to take the chance on my CO biz card come end of year even tho it'll only be 3 months. Hopefully rules aren't the same for it and I'll be able to one day get the Explorer biz card and bonus.