Mar 12, 2014, 3:53 pm
Last edit by: muji
As an additional resource for these cards see this thread: Alaska Airlines Visa
PERSONAL CARDS
30k mile offer, $75 AF, $1k spend: https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit...s-credit-card/
+2k miles if done with onboard paper application
30k mile offer with $100 credit and fee for companion ticket waived the first year, $75 AF, $1k spend: https://secure.bankofamerica.com/app...aignid=4020594
link no longer working
30k mile offer with $100 credit, $75 AF, $1k spend: https://secure.bankofamerica.com/app...aignid=4009277
link no longer working
If you are applying for a personal Alaska card, and are not an expert on applying for Alaska cards STOP, don't apply yet.
Instead, read this post. Doing that first may save you a huge amount of wasted time and frustration.
A few people in the Alaska Airlines forum have in the past received personally targeted, single-use links for a 50k offer
when they opt-in to "Partner Offers" in their Mileage Plan account preferences.
=======================================
BUSINESS CARDS
30k mile offer, $75 AF, $1k spend, no foreign transaction fees:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallb...-credit-card//
Note: There are two different earning formats for the business card, which you choose when you apply:
To avoid billing confusion later, make sure you choose the Individual Level Earning Plan if you are not going to have employee cards under the same account as your account.
Also see the Applying for Business Credit Cards [Consolidated] thread (not-BofA-specific) for general tips on applying for business cards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reconsideration # (for personal cards):
1-800-354-0401 (8am-7pm ET Mon-Fri) direct, referring agent from another BofA line called it their "credit department"
1-866-811-4108 from the Alaska Airlines Visa thread post 949
Business card Recon Line:
866-695-6598 (8-7 EST M-F from what I was told)
Biz card status line: 888 663 6262
Biz Card credit analyst line: 877 665 5022, 877 665 5023 (seems to be non-working number)
Check application status online here:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit...status-form.go
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credit Enquiries for Personal cards come from BofA. Enquiries for business cards come from FIA. Credit bureaus usually merge enquiries from the same requester made on the same day. Enquiries from BofA and FIA will not be merged.
When do the initial bonus miles post? You will get the miles after the statement closes for the cycle in which you meet your minimum spend. Usually AS points show up the Sunday evening after your statement closes, but sometimes it takes an additional week.
If there's a statement credit, when does it post?
It seems to be batch-processed. It will post automatically. Can be on the same statement or the next statement. It does not appear to be based on the statement close date.
.................................................. .................
PERSONAL CARDS
30k mile offer, $75 AF, $1k spend: https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit...s-credit-card/
+2k miles if done with onboard paper application
30k mile offer with $100 credit and fee for companion ticket waived the first year, $75 AF, $1k spend: https://secure.bankofamerica.com/app...aignid=4020594
link no longer working
30k mile offer with $100 credit, $75 AF, $1k spend: https://secure.bankofamerica.com/app...aignid=4009277
link no longer working
If you are applying for a personal Alaska card, and are not an expert on applying for Alaska cards STOP, don't apply yet.
Instead, read this post. Doing that first may save you a huge amount of wasted time and frustration.
A few people in the Alaska Airlines forum have in the past received personally targeted, single-use links for a 50k offer
when they opt-in to "Partner Offers" in their Mileage Plan account preferences.
=======================================
BUSINESS CARDS
30k mile offer, $75 AF, $1k spend, no foreign transaction fees:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallb...-credit-card//
Note: There are two different earning formats for the business card, which you choose when you apply:
- $50 per company, $25 per card (Business Level Earning Plan)
- $0 per company, $75 per card (Individual Level Earning Plan)
To avoid billing confusion later, make sure you choose the Individual Level Earning Plan if you are not going to have employee cards under the same account as your account.
Also see the Applying for Business Credit Cards [Consolidated] thread (not-BofA-specific) for general tips on applying for business cards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reconsideration # (for personal cards):
1-800-354-0401 (8am-7pm ET Mon-Fri) direct, referring agent from another BofA line called it their "credit department"
1-866-811-4108 from the Alaska Airlines Visa thread post 949
Business card Recon Line:
866-695-6598 (8-7 EST M-F from what I was told)
Biz card status line: 888 663 6262
Biz Card credit analyst line: 877 665 5022, 877 665 5023 (seems to be non-working number)
Check application status online here:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit...status-form.go
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credit Enquiries for Personal cards come from BofA. Enquiries for business cards come from FIA. Credit bureaus usually merge enquiries from the same requester made on the same day. Enquiries from BofA and FIA will not be merged.
When do the initial bonus miles post? You will get the miles after the statement closes for the cycle in which you meet your minimum spend. Usually AS points show up the Sunday evening after your statement closes, but sometimes it takes an additional week.
If there's a statement credit, when does it post?
It seems to be batch-processed. It will post automatically. Can be on the same statement or the next statement. It does not appear to be based on the statement close date.
.................................................. .................
Alaska Airlines card offers, Personal & Business [2012-2016]
Jan 15, 2015, 2:26 pm
#1201
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
So the new process is:
Call Recon, and get your CL upped to at least the $5K required for a Sig card.
Ask the Recon CSR to fill out paperwork requesting Customer Care to give you the Sig card benefits you applied for.
After that is complete, a day or so later, call CC and ask them to approve your request.
Call Recon, and get your CL upped to at least the $5K required for a Sig card.
Ask the Recon CSR to fill out paperwork requesting Customer Care to give you the Sig card benefits you applied for.
After that is complete, a day or so later, call CC and ask them to approve your request.
So the CSRs are quite willing to give me a total of $13K, after spending less than 2 minutes reviewing my account, but the computer would only give me $3K when I applied.
And my Plat card now has a CL high enough for a Sig, but is still listed as a Plat. Now I have to wait weeks or months for some high level person to consider whether they are going to change it to a Signature and give me the 25K. The only good news is I don't have to bother with paying an AF until they let me know their decision. Oh, and EXP is still only showing a single HP for the 3 apps done the same day.
Last edited by Brugge; Jan 16, 2015 at 8:39 am
Jan 15, 2015, 2:29 pm
#1202
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 585
Other than the apps I did yesterday, I haven't had a B of A card open for several months.
Yesterday, when I did the 2BM app, the 3K card was instantly approved, and the other app went to pending. Recon approved the pending card with $10K, then transferred me to a Senior Credit Analyst because they could not upgrade an already approved Plat card to a Sig card. She said she could raise the Plat credit limit but not guarantee that B of A would give me the full Sig sign up benefits.
She suggested I keep both cards open, and reapply for a second Sig card. I thought the New Apps CSR would be able to close the Plat and move the credit to a second Sig. Or at least make sure I got approved for a Sig on the new app. But no, all she did was manually fill out the same app I used online, and submit it to the computer. Which instantly approved me for another Plat card. And of course, said she couldn't do anything about turning that into a Sig, because "it's already approved as a Plat".
It appears there are only two ways to be guaranteed a Sig. Either get an instant approval for a Sig, or get a pending app, which can then be made approved as a Sig at Recon.
But the worst thing that can happen is to get an instant approval for anything less than a Sig. Because then all they can do is raise your CL to at least $5K, and petition Customer Care to give you the Sig sign up benefits. And 2 of the 3 CSRs I talked to yesterday didn't tell me they could even do that. It was only the HUCA 3rd CSR who suggested I do that.
Why with no open cards with B of A, a CR just a few points short of 800, a credit utilization of 1%, a long term credit card and checking account history with B of A, I didn't get an instant approval for a Sig card makes no sense. The Recon CSR took about 2 minutes to approve my pending app to $10K, with the $3K Plat already open, but the computer wouldn't approve me for even a $5K Sig when I applied with no B of A cards open.
Yesterday, when I did the 2BM app, the 3K card was instantly approved, and the other app went to pending. Recon approved the pending card with $10K, then transferred me to a Senior Credit Analyst because they could not upgrade an already approved Plat card to a Sig card. She said she could raise the Plat credit limit but not guarantee that B of A would give me the full Sig sign up benefits.
She suggested I keep both cards open, and reapply for a second Sig card. I thought the New Apps CSR would be able to close the Plat and move the credit to a second Sig. Or at least make sure I got approved for a Sig on the new app. But no, all she did was manually fill out the same app I used online, and submit it to the computer. Which instantly approved me for another Plat card. And of course, said she couldn't do anything about turning that into a Sig, because "it's already approved as a Plat".
It appears there are only two ways to be guaranteed a Sig. Either get an instant approval for a Sig, or get a pending app, which can then be made approved as a Sig at Recon.
But the worst thing that can happen is to get an instant approval for anything less than a Sig. Because then all they can do is raise your CL to at least $5K, and petition Customer Care to give you the Sig sign up benefits. And 2 of the 3 CSRs I talked to yesterday didn't tell me they could even do that. It was only the HUCA 3rd CSR who suggested I do that.
Why with no open cards with B of A, a CR just a few points short of 800, a credit utilization of 1%, a long term credit card and checking account history with B of A, I didn't get an instant approval for a Sig card makes no sense. The Recon CSR took about 2 minutes to approve my pending app to $10K, with the $3K Plat already open, but the computer wouldn't approve me for even a $5K Sig when I applied with no B of A cards open.
But, last month when I applied for my latest Alaska card... for the first time, this method failed. After submitting the application, the agent did not offer to transfer me to an analyst and told me I would get a response in 30 days. So, after 2 days, the online application status showed approved. It turns out they did approve me for $5K... unfortunately, they took it from an account I didn't want touched. There is noway to fix that without another inquiry. At least I got the card I wanted.
I may have to rethink the way I apply for BofA cards for the next time.
Jan 15, 2015, 3:28 pm
#1203
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
My strategy for BofA cards has been the phone call method (the only bank I don't apply online). Since I have plenty of credit with them, I know I won't get instant approval. What's always happened for me is after the agent submits my application, he/she then tells me I will be transferred to a credit analyst to get a final decision. After reviewing everything, the analyst then asks how much credit I want to move from my other accounts so he/she can approve the Alaska acct. I always move at least $5K to get the signature card. I've liked this strategy because it's the easiest way to get to an analyst and get the application approved with a CL I want.
I've done that before with Citi, moving CL from an EXEC I've only had for a couple of weeks, and am about to cancel, to a new EXEC app. The Citi Recon CSR doesn't bat an eye about moving CL from a brand new card to an app for the exact same card. However, I don't know how B of A would react to that. Anyone have any data points?
Jan 15, 2015, 3:35 pm
#1204
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Completed the $1K spend four weeks ago but still no $100 credit. This would be the second such credit, both for cards acquired last year. The T&C mentions a longer period for posting the credit (4-6 weeks?), but reading here and IME it shouldn't take that long. Anybody here had problems with the $100 credit posting?
Jan 15, 2015, 3:37 pm
#1205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Jan 15, 2015, 3:38 pm
#1206
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
And which recon line did you call?
Based on reports on this thread, I called the Spanish line, and the CSR happily approved me for $8K. Then he offered to transfer me to a Senior Credit Analyst to deal with my problem with the Plat card. So it doesn't seem like the B of A policy has changed, maybe just that CSR didn't feel like bothering. Perhaps he got up on the wrong side of the bed that day.
Jan 15, 2015, 5:20 pm
#1207
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 585
Did you try HUCA a few times?
And which recon line did you call?
Based on reports on this thread, I called the Spanish line, and the CSR happily approved me for $8K. Then he offered to transfer me to a Senior Credit Analyst to deal with my problem with the Plat card. So it doesn't seem like the B of A policy has changed, maybe just that CSR didn't feel like bothering. Perhaps he got up on the wrong side of the bed that day.
And which recon line did you call?
Based on reports on this thread, I called the Spanish line, and the CSR happily approved me for $8K. Then he offered to transfer me to a Senior Credit Analyst to deal with my problem with the Plat card. So it doesn't seem like the B of A policy has changed, maybe just that CSR didn't feel like bothering. Perhaps he got up on the wrong side of the bed that day.
This was the first time that a BofA application by phone did not go immediately to a credit analyst.
Jan 16, 2015, 3:52 am
#1208
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Jeff is Deaf
Posts: 541
So the CSR apparently filed the paperwork, then called me back today and read me 20 seconds of legalese. All I got from that was that it would be somewhere between 2 weeks and 8 weeks until I find out if my Plat is being changed to a Sig. B of A has already posted both cards to my account webpage. One reads as a Sig with a $8K CL, and one a Plat Plus now with a $5K CL.
So the CSRs are quite willing to give me a total of $13K, after spending less than 2 minutes reviewing my account, but the computer would only give me $3K when I applied. And my Plat card now has a CL high enough for a Sig, but is still listed as a Plat. Now I have to wait weeks or months for some high level person to consider whether they are going to change it to a Plat.
The only good news is I don't have to bother with paying an AF until they let me know their decision. Oh, and EXP is still only showing a single HP for the 3 apps done the same day.
So the CSRs are quite willing to give me a total of $13K, after spending less than 2 minutes reviewing my account, but the computer would only give me $3K when I applied.
And my Plat card now has a CL high enough for a Sig, but is still listed as a Plat. Now I have to wait weeks or months for some high level person to consider whether they are going to change it to a Plat. The only good news is I don't have to bother with paying an AF until they let me know their decision. Oh, and EXP is still only showing a single HP for the 3 apps done the same day.
Jan 16, 2015, 5:39 am
#1209
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BOS
Posts: 588
I finally got my credit, with a post date of yesterday. Met spending 1 month before. Didn't have to contact them.
Jan 16, 2015, 12:45 pm
#1212
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: EWR, SLC, SGN
Posts: 1,113
So everyone, including yours truly sometimes, wants to work the loopholes in the rules (double apps, cancel before fees, family member addresses, etc); then when the banks use the rules to their advantage it's shady. Right.
It's a game. Tug of war. Push and pull as best you can. But don't be a sore loser.
Jan 16, 2015, 1:09 pm
#1213
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: LHR
Programs: AA
Posts: 773
So everyone, including yours truly sometimes, wants to work the loopholes in the rules (double apps, cancel before fees, family member addresses, etc); then when the banks use the rules to their advantage it's shady. Right.
It's a game. Tug of war. Push and pull as best you can. But don't be a sore loser.
Jan 16, 2015, 1:23 pm
#1214
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
So everyone, including yours truly sometimes, wants to work the loopholes in the rules (double apps, cancel before fees, family member addresses, etc); then when the banks use the rules to their advantage it's shady. Right.
It's a game. Tug of war. Push and pull as best you can. But don't be a sore loser.
Jan 16, 2015, 2:38 pm
#1215
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
The reason I'm especially steamed about this is that B of A did the exact same thing to me last year applying for a different card. I was not doing a 2BM app, I was not intending to avoid the AF, I was using my own address. Just a totally normal, straightforward app for a card I intended to keep and use for at least a year. It took half a dozen phone calls and waiting around 2 months to get the card and benefits I applied up for.
It's clearly bait and switch. The small print on the app says something like 'if your credit isn't good enough for a Sig card, we may offer you a lower level card'. Well AMEX recently gave me a targeted offer for a Bus Platinum card, which comes with a $450 AF. If my credit is good enough for a preapproved AMEX Bus Plat, it's (darn) sure good enough for a AS Sig.
The people this will hurt the most are the unsophisticated non-FT, non-MS, non-travel hackers. They won't know how to go about getting the offer they applied for, as they most likely won't even know what a Recon department is, much less the phone number.
For us it's a tug of war, and we either know enough, or can get the advice we need from FT, to win that battle nearly every time. But for people like chrisremo's SO, (if they don't have a FTer at home to offer advice) it's just a large Corporation taking advantage of the ignorant.
