Advice on a CC plan?
 

I'm at a weird point in my mileage career and could use some (hopefully friendly) advice. I'm coming up on my one year MS anniversary and need to think about closing some cards, and maybe using my decent credit scores to open some new credit lines. Here's the relevant info I can think of:

1. Current credit estimates are scores of 838 on CS and 778 on CK.
2. My wife and I have a two year old daughter and a new one on the way; our traveling future looks very dim.
3. We don't travel very much, but would like to go back to Japan (in the next ten years) and take our parents to Hawaii in the next five years or so. Most of our other travels are my wife and daughter flying short distances, last minute, on Southwest.
4. My current cards are: CSP, Freedom, Ink Plus, Chase British Airways, Barclays Arrival, Amex Old Blue.
5. My credit is basically maxed with Chase, I had to transfer credit lines to open up my last Chase card.
6. I use my Old Blue to buy gcs and essentially earn 5% on all daily spending. My other cards are sock drawered.
7. I have 200k UR points and 125k avios gathering dust.

My plan and questions:

1. Transfer points from CSP to Ink Plus. Close CSP and BA cards to avoid AFs and to free up credit with Chase.
2. Close the Arrival card to dodge AF.
3. We are planning on buying a new car in the next couple of months, and a second car next year. Do I avoid signing up for new cards until we have both cars?
4. Since I'm focusing and getting essentially 5% cb, and don't use FF miles with any regularity, should I even bother looking at churnable cards? I will need the miles one day, but should i stockpile knowing there will likely be devaluations? Or just focus on CB?
5. If you advise to look at new cards, I'm thinking about going for the Discover It and Citi Double Cash cards, for AF free building of long term credit. My current longest credit card is 14ish years, another store card is two years, and the other six are only a year of age. I need some more aging credit, right?

If you read all of this and are patient enough to give advice, my sincere thanks to you! :)^

for Hawaii, wife and I both did Hyatt and Fairmont cards. Compiled 8 free nights total fairly easily. well worth it as it was worth over $4000 in room value

United personal and biz would add to united miles for tickets to Hawaii. may need to close BA and Freedom to open credit limits but not sure as I am having my own struggles with Chase at the moment and trying to determine if I need to close some cards to open up limit as call to recon to offer to move credit still hasn't helped with pending SW application.

jmo

BA and CSP are definitely closing to free up credit. I will look into United, had planned on using United to get to Japan, and using Avios to fly to Hawaii. Thanks for the feedback!

Advice on a CC plan?
 

Southwest Personal and Biz plus some spend will get you a decent amount of miles and companion ticket ( but as it is CY better wait until next year )

I'm gonna wait on the SW duo, as my wife is due with our second child in January. That's why I was thinking about doing two no fee cards just to build age of credit. Still not sure what to do with the impending car purchase... I suppose wait and don't apply for anything?

The rule of thumb is not doing anything crazy before a major loan. One or 2 credit cards shouldn't be a problem, though.

If you don't like/can't travel much, I wouldn't bother with miles. Focus on cashback cards, and get only as many mile/point cards that you can realistically use within the next year. Apparently, since you do use Southwest, grab all 50K bonuses as they become available (they will), and work your way into a companion certificate (or 2).

Finally, if you are taking your parents to Hawaii, consider renting a 2-3 bdrm condo. There is an abundance of opportunities, and they are very reasonable. Seriously, Hyatt and Fairmont are good and dandy, but you won't get anywhere trying to accommodate so many people.

If you live on or close to the West Coast, your UR points transferred to BA can work miracles to Hawaii. One personal piece of advice: if you want to take your parents to Hawaii, do it sooner rather than later, because nobody gets younger.

Advice on a CC plan?
 

Average age of open lines can be improved by Amex as every private card gets the open as of date as your oldest Amex Card

This is amazing advice, thank you for taking the time. I actually already have a condo picked out. We were supposed to go this April, but with our expecting a baby, we had to cancel. I had planned on using my Avios to get there.

I think I may apply for one card before the loan, and then a few after. Thanks again!!

WOW, I had no idea!!! With 14 years being my oldest card, and being Amex, I believe I would be well served by opening another AMEX card or two. If the original card gets cancelled, do all the other cards keep the same date?

Advice on a CC plan?
 

The date sticks > there are small differences ie day/month opened but he year stay the same ( for all my 3 personal Amex)

Glad I could help. :)