Guys

Is it just me or are the offers drying up? I'm looking for any airline programs to earn AA or Avios. Also, does Starwood have any current program?

Thanks

I have noticed that, too. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that credit card issuing banks have met their annual quota for new accounts and will back off the crazy promos. Maybe in the New Year they'll jump start the nice promos again.

The whole year was quite bland compared to last years bonanza.

One of the biggest changes seemed to be the big increase in spending required to get the full bonus. This was discussed early in the year though. I believe Chase said they were cutting back their CC marketing budget which translates into smaller and/or tougher bonuses.

Not to take pleasure in the drought but it is kind of good news for someone like me who is rebuilding scores after a spring AOR.

Chase went out and head-hunted some Amex VPs and handed Amex a loss of market share over the last yr+. Now, all have gone to higher spend requirements to help pay down the acquisition costs. Amex still throws out a 75K bone once in a while because they dont know what else to do to compliment Chase's extended portfolio that now reaches far and wide.

What we can all hope for is that both Amex and Chase extend their partner aggreements and increase the point transfer incentives.

And it sure would be nice when/if they take down all that stupid "you're in" wallpaper bannering that covers ever square inch of some airport terminals. Sure would rather they can take all that banner marketing expense and put it into partner programs and new big sign up bonuses in 2013.

Just make sure you're looking in the right place for hot offers. While everything else realted to credit cards is discussed here, the hottest offers tend to be posted in the mIlesBuzz! forum, not necessarily (also) here. And in that fact, that's where the master thread for hot offers is (iwth them summarized in the first post):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...er-thread.html (in MilesBuzz!)

Starwood has a short-term increase of their standard offer a month or two ago (30k vs the normal 25k), but it didn't change the $5k spend (in 6 mos) requirement for that. If you can't manage that high a spend on just one card, then the SPG offer "devolves" to just 10k (because that's all you get without fulfilling the $5k spend requirement in time).

AA has the "usual" 50k + 50k for those who haven't applied for any AA personal card for 12 to 26 months and who apply for both the Visa and the Amex at the same time (using the two browser type trick or clearing cookies between the two apps):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ey-appear.html (also in MilesBuzz!; read post 1 and its links first, then the last few pages, if you don't have time to read more)

And if believe that AA and US will eventually merge , then there's also this for the long term:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...5k-benies.html (once again in MilesBuzz!)

If memory serves me, there have never been other CC programs to earn AA miles or Avios than Citi and Chase BA.

The Chase still has 50k down from 100, and the Citi 50Kx3 offers are still valid. How long has it been since your last application?

SPG 25K bonus is still there for both personal and business, and since they've changed the TOC, you can now have it every 12 months after closing the previous card. So, I'm guessing, we're still good.

No more App parties app_rama from us now. It is closure- rama from card companies. So many people's cards getting closed. App party vs close party.

Sorry to hear other FTers are having a drought.

IMHO, things are great.

Wonderful opportunities with Chase INK cards in many varieties--so far got around 400K Ult Reward Pts this year.

And, back on the AA merry-go-round with two new cards with 50K bonus on each.

Read FT with close attention to this thread and I think you'll find plenty of opportunities.

The miles come in faster than I can use 'em. Going to have to drop Biz for F to increase consumption. ^

PS Here is the link I neglected to include above in this post. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...er-thread.html

I'm earning as many miles from thoughtful spending (and "spending") on cards as I am from sign-up bonuses this year.

Last year was amazing. 100K BA (before Avios), 75K AA x2, US Grand Slam w/ 40K card, Sapphire Preferred 100K.

Your memory does not serve you at all. Try to find a new one.

SPG Amex has for ages allowed earning 1 SPG point/$ on its card, and then transferring 1:1 (and for bigger transfers at an even higher ratio) to AA.

Diners Club US (Club Rewards program) used to transfer to AA 1:1 also, but discontinued that after the sale of DC US from Citi to BOM. (Discontinued for personal DC US cards; still available for corporate DC US card holders.)

And various other hotel programs also have card where you can earn the hotel points and transfer to AA, though none of them at the same ratio as SPG (or as Diners used to have). The best of the no-fee cards (and in fact the best of the MC/Visa non-Citi cards, fee or not) is the WyndhamRewards card from Juniper/Barclays, which effectively earns 0.8 AA miles/$.

Nah, my memory is fine, I just misspoke. I was talking about sign up bonuses (the thing I'm kinda obsessed with). Of course, there are options to transfer miles, sorry about that.