The biggest problems with CCs...
 

Hi guys,

I'm new to Miles and points collecting and preparing for my first 3 card app o rama later this month.

My biggest question for myself and other newbies is:


What are some of the biggest problems with travel/bonus credit cards in general?


I mean problems/questions like:

- Where to find the best deals?

- How to stay on top of the most up to date information?

- How to know which programs are transferrable?

- How to know what cards are more valuable than others?

- Where to get advice from?

- How to plan and put together an entire trip and figure out what cards you need?


What is the hardest part about this whole game?


I'm trying to avoid any pitfalls for myself and am thinking about putting together some resources for myself and others as I learn the ropes.

I would love to get some advice from some long time flyers and recent noobies as well.

Thanks!

Jordan

I suggest you educate yourself here by spending some time reading on this website. Answers to your inquiries will be found if you do.

The hardest part of this whole game is being unwilling to do the work to find out the answers. You're here at FT. Staying on top of information means regularly reading FT because the information is here. You will have to do some work to find it. Fortunately, not that much work.

For instance, near the top of this forum, an entire thread devoted to your first question: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...er-thread.html. You can find the best current deals in this thread. The best current deal for you? It'll depend on a lot of factors, such as the airlines most available/useful to you as well as redemption on their partners, what your ultimate travel goals are, and how good your credit is.

When you talk about transferability, I'm assuming you mean for the two major credit card points rewards programs, Amex's Membership Rewards and Chase's Ultimate Rewards. There are forums here, under http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...-partners-390/, with threads on those topics.

Which cards are more valuable than others? That's kind of like asking what's more valuable--a painting by Van Gogh or a painting by Renoir? If I despise Van Gogh or Renoir's work, there might be no value at all to me. In fact, I might find more value in the paintings of dogs playing poker. As you do more research and refine your travel goals, you'll start sorting out for yourself which programs offer you value.

You can get advice from sources other than FT, some of it more easily digested than here. A number of bloggers do that well, including the Frugal Travel Guy, The Points Guy, and Million Mile Secrets. Keep in mind, however, that the more easily digested the information, the less specific it will be for your specific travel goals. Plus, each blogger has his own travel goals, and his information, whether he acknowledges it or not, is colored by that.

There are forums here that also talk about travel destinations all over the world as well as trip reports, including information on flights, hotels, and sights seen once on the ground. It's a good idea to look at those forums. You might find that your original travel goals may change once you've seen more options. There are also individual airline and hotel forums with a number of experts at each who know how to stretch the miles and points you've earned.

You've asked a lot of questions. The truth is there are even more right, although few easy answers than there are questions. Figure that travel and mile/point accumulation has just become your new hobby. To get good at that hobby, you'll have to spend some time doing the necessary reading and research.

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Thanks for your responses.

I think my post might not have been too clear.

Those aren't actual questions that I have, they are more examples of questions every newbie runs into.

My question is, what is the hardest part of this "hobby"?

For instance, is it staying on top of the latest and greatest credit cards? How is one (whether it be FT members or BoardingArea bloggers) able to know about new promotions and keep them all organized?

Sorry for the confusion!

My deeper question is: "of the 10 things you have to learn/do to be successful, which is the most difficult for newbies"?

So is it hardest to find the best cards and know they're the best?

If so, where do the people from FT and boarding area find those deals?

Would it be helpful if there was one centralized location for all (or almost all) the CC deals?

Or is the hardest thing planning the trip for the first time? Stuff like that :)

I'm looking to create some kind of resource to tackle the biggest hurdle for newbies?

What is that hurdle?

This has been done, and was mentioned in lwildernorva's reply:

Flyertalk is a travel site, not a credit card board. Cards are fashionable, but only one technique for earning miles and points. We are well past the peak of easy earnings from cards, the issuers are offering lower bonuses, requiring higher spend, and are focused on benefits which will retain accounts rather than spectacular offers to attract new customers. This does not mean that you should not pay attention to card offers, but you need to be focused.

I suggest you establish travel objectives, then figure out which programs will help you achieve them. Don't chase after random offers, and don't be distracted by the sheer quantity of miles or points offered. Look for value.

The best offers are readily available in the different forums here, as well as on numerous blogs.

I'd say the single hardest hurdle for newbies to get is knowing what and when to apply. Unfortunately, this differs somewhat from person to person, depending on your credit score and ability to meet spend requirements.

For example, a decent little app o rama would be:

2x Citi AA cards
Amex SPG
Chase Sapphire Plus
Chase Ink Bold
Barclays US Airways

Someone with moderate to low credit, however, probably couldn't get those 6 cards. Someone with good credit could, but they'd need the income to make the spend requirements (over $20k spread over the next 3-6 months).

The biggest thing for newbies I think is patience. It's very exciting, but don't bite off more than you can chew either in terms of the credit hit or the spend requirement. Make sure you mix in cards with low or little spend (US Air, Citi forward, chase freedom, chase UA, and most of the hotel cards).

And give it time, it's a long haul thing but worth it!

Really easy question to answer, if only based on the number of unhappy newbies we find.

#1 is to figure out where the heck you want to go BEFORE getting started!

So many people show up on FT, see giant numbers like "100,000 Avios with credit card signup!" and make very, very poor choices like trying to go to London with those Avios. Or signing up for a Hilton credit card only to find the Hampton Inn they want takes all of their points for one night.

Or, just as bad, they open a brand new thread that says, effectively - "What 8 credit cards should I sign up for?!" with ZERO details. How should we know? Where do you want to go? How do you want to get there? Where do you want to stay?

It's borderline infuriating because it's so rude. It's asking people to take time out to help you when you don't know what you want. Who can be successful at that?

Compare to the precious few who post that they have read entire threads on each of the credit cards they are considering AND on the respective frequent flyer programs ...and have a plan of all the travel they want in the next 3 years. You'll find it's correlated with the level of value of the advice given.

I will give my personal answer to "What is the hardest part of this hobby?" My answer would be booking the award tickets. Every airline and alliance has its own tricks and traps, and it's difficult to learn them all without a LOT of reading FT and personal experience trying to search/book.