Advice on getting to 200k UA miles
Feb 20, 2012 | 4:24 pm
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Usa
Programs: mgsetleGD
Posts: 297
Like the OP, a friend needs 300K to get 3 people to Europe in 2013. He has not played the CC game and is starting from scratch so he has lots of opportunities. This is my plan for him. I think you can still get the Onepass card then the explorer card. Please correct me if I am wrong. The OP may want to consider this too.
Another thing they are doing is not applying for the exact same card at the same time. This is in case a better deal comes along at least one of them can get in on it. Also, he can not do Fidelity or TD Ameritrade due to his job.
One issue is this plan is all cards are with Chase. Even if he applies 60 days apart, this will take about 8 months for the miles to post.
Husband:
One pass card 30K
Sapphire 50K
Explorer 50K
Freedom - 30K
Wife:
One pass card 30K
Explorer 50K
Sapphire 50K
Freedom - 30K
Any other suggestions are appreciated.
Another thing they are doing is not applying for the exact same card at the same time. This is in case a better deal comes along at least one of them can get in on it. Also, he can not do Fidelity or TD Ameritrade due to his job.
One issue is this plan is all cards are with Chase. Even if he applies 60 days apart, this will take about 8 months for the miles to post.
Husband:
One pass card 30K
Sapphire 50K
Explorer 50K
Freedom - 30K
Wife:
One pass card 30K
Explorer 50K
Sapphire 50K
Freedom - 30K
Any other suggestions are appreciated.
Feb 20, 2012 | 8:29 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 211
This is pretty sick. I should have done this when meeting my Ink Bold spend....
I agree with others that the Ink Bold is probably your best bet. That would give you 50K bonus points plus at least 5K due to the minimum spend requirements. Here's the really cool part: since the Ink Bold gives 5 points per dollar for office supply purchases, you can follow this strategy to meet your minimum spend and get many more points:
First, go through the Ultimate Rewards Mall to Staples. Staples sells gift cards online. With your Ink Bold, buy as many gift cards this way as you can actually feasibly use. Except for bank Visa cards, there are no shipping or service fees when purchasing these. You will get a total of 9 points per dollar for these purchases! (5X from Ink Bold + 4X Ultimate Rewards Mall). If you meet your minimum spend entirely this way, you would get an extra 5000 X 9 = 45,000 Ultimate Rewards points!
Unfortunately, Staples.com doesn't carry a great selection of gift cards, so the next best option is to go to nearby office supply stores and find their gift card racks. Buy Amazon gift cards, gas cards, etc. These will net you 5 points per dollar.
Another option, with or without the Ink Bold:
You can also do things like "Buy Ultimate Rewards Points for 1.1 cents each".
Good luck!
First, go through the Ultimate Rewards Mall to Staples. Staples sells gift cards online. With your Ink Bold, buy as many gift cards this way as you can actually feasibly use. Except for bank Visa cards, there are no shipping or service fees when purchasing these. You will get a total of 9 points per dollar for these purchases! (5X from Ink Bold + 4X Ultimate Rewards Mall). If you meet your minimum spend entirely this way, you would get an extra 5000 X 9 = 45,000 Ultimate Rewards points!
Unfortunately, Staples.com doesn't carry a great selection of gift cards, so the next best option is to go to nearby office supply stores and find their gift card racks. Buy Amazon gift cards, gas cards, etc. These will net you 5 points per dollar.
Another option, with or without the Ink Bold:
You can also do things like "Buy Ultimate Rewards Points for 1.1 cents each".
Good luck!
Feb 20, 2012 | 8:30 pm
#19
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 308
Is he comfortable getting the Ink Bold Business card? I know it has been mentioned here before (even by myself) but it really is the best, quickest way to build Chase points. This is because you can almost always get approved for business card at the same time as a personal card, meaning that you can pull in 100k at one point instead of just 50k or 30k. Something to definitely consider, and it is only my opinion, but I highly doubt that a bigger bonus will come around for it, since it is a biz card. Usually, the big offers are for the personal cards, so they can rest easy getting that card now. And if they both go it, that would really help.
Use UR Mall
Feb 20, 2012 | 11:59 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 152
Like the OP, a friend needs 300K to get 3 people to Europe in 2013. He has not played the CC game and is starting from scratch so he has lots of opportunities. This is my plan for him. I think you can still get the Onepass card then the explorer card. Please correct me if I am wrong. The OP may want to consider this too.
Another thing they are doing is not applying for the exact same card at the same time. This is in case a better deal comes along at least one of them can get in on it. Also, he can not do Fidelity or TD Ameritrade due to his job.
One issue is this plan is all cards are with Chase. Even if he applies 60 days apart, this will take about 8 months for the miles to post.
Husband:
One pass card 30K
Sapphire 50K
Explorer 50K
Freedom - 30K
Wife:
One pass card 30K
Explorer 50K
Sapphire 50K
Freedom - 30K
Any other suggestions are appreciated.
Another thing they are doing is not applying for the exact same card at the same time. This is in case a better deal comes along at least one of them can get in on it. Also, he can not do Fidelity or TD Ameritrade due to his job.
One issue is this plan is all cards are with Chase. Even if he applies 60 days apart, this will take about 8 months for the miles to post.
Husband:
One pass card 30K
Sapphire 50K
Explorer 50K
Freedom - 30K
Wife:
One pass card 30K
Explorer 50K
Sapphire 50K
Freedom - 30K
Any other suggestions are appreciated.
Feb 21, 2012 | 5:44 am
#22
Join Date: May 2000
Location: HH Gold, Marriott Gold, PC Plat, Emirates Silver
Posts: 2,729
Another option is to substitute one card for a business card so they are only going for 3 personal cards in a year.
Feb 21, 2012 | 6:25 am
#23
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Okinawa
Posts: 2,615
I'm planning on taking a trip with my wife summer of 2013 and am aiming for 200K UA miles to get two roundtrip biz class tickets to Europe. I currently have around 50k miles from the Explorer card bonus, plan on getting another 50k via the Sapphire Preferred. After those, with a rough spend estimate I'd get to ~120k total in about a year. So, 80k short of the goal. The kicker: the wife's not so enthusiastic about signing up for new cards, so the more I can keep her from having to do so, the better.
Any bonuses I'm missing out on? Any more 100k-type bonuses coming down the pike? I appreciate the advice, thanks!
Any bonuses I'm missing out on? Any more 100k-type bonuses coming down the pike? I appreciate the advice, thanks!
Feb 21, 2012 | 6:44 am
#24
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 152
They will have to space them out at least 2 months apart. I figure the 1st 2 are easy, the 3rd may need a call and the 4th may need a call and a need to cancel a curent card.
Another option is to substitute one card for a business card so they are only going for 3 personal cards in a year.
Another option is to substitute one card for a business card so they are only going for 3 personal cards in a year.
Feb 21, 2012 | 8:46 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: most of them
Posts: 3,284
The quickest obvious way is to get her to sign up for her own UA and Sapphire cards.
But I agree that making sure you are maximizing shopping mall points for online purchases can be an easy way to multiply your points. As long as it is stuff you would otherwise be buying anyway. The UR mall has some very good bonus opportunities. The UA MP shopping mall does as well. You just have to remember to use the portals when you are shopping online. It can be a tough habit to get into though...at least it was for me, but I am a lot more vigilant about it these days.
But I agree that making sure you are maximizing shopping mall points for online purchases can be an easy way to multiply your points. As long as it is stuff you would otherwise be buying anyway. The UR mall has some very good bonus opportunities. The UA MP shopping mall does as well. You just have to remember to use the portals when you are shopping online. It can be a tough habit to get into though...at least it was for me, but I am a lot more vigilant about it these days.
Feb 21, 2012 | 9:03 am
#26
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: PHL
Posts: 209
Last edited by kvs25; Feb 21, 2012 at 9:05 am Reason: link
Feb 21, 2012 | 11:17 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 511
Is he comfortable getting the Ink Bold Business card? I know it has been mentioned here before (even by myself) but it really is the best, quickest way to build Chase points. This is because you can almost always get approved for business card at the same time as a personal card, meaning that you can pull in 100k at one point instead of just 50k or 30k. Something to definitely consider, and it is only my opinion, but I highly doubt that a bigger bonus will come around for it, since it is a biz card. Usually, the big offers are for the personal cards, so they can rest easy getting that card now. And if they both go it, that would really help.
ink bold had targeted offers of 80k too.
I do agree that 50k is a good offer and if you need the miles now, go for it. If you are willing to wait, or travel is not imminent, maybe you will see a higher bonus offer down the line.
Feb 21, 2012 | 1:14 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 2,874
Another benefit of the Chase Freedom card is the quarterly revolving 5x points bonus categories. They advertise it as 5% cash back, but really it's 5x points that can be redeemed for cash. But if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can just transfer the points from your Freedom card to the Sapph Pref card (easily done online). This was recently explained on Deals We Like's blog:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/dealsw...chase-freedom/
Right now it's 5x on Gas and Amazon.com purchases. Starting in April it will be grocery stores and movies. July-Sept is Gas and Restaurants. Oct-Dec is Hotels, Airlines, Best Buy, and Kohl's.
It's a great way to boost your points earning, and assuming you spend $1.5k per quarter in the categories, that's an extra 24k UA miles in your wallet. One thing to realize, however, is that only $1,500 in spending each quarter is eligible for the 5x points.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/dealsw...chase-freedom/
Right now it's 5x on Gas and Amazon.com purchases. Starting in April it will be grocery stores and movies. July-Sept is Gas and Restaurants. Oct-Dec is Hotels, Airlines, Best Buy, and Kohl's.
It's a great way to boost your points earning, and assuming you spend $1.5k per quarter in the categories, that's an extra 24k UA miles in your wallet. One thing to realize, however, is that only $1,500 in spending each quarter is eligible for the 5x points.
Feb 21, 2012 | 1:33 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: UA 1K; HH Gold; SPG Gold
Posts: 63
I'm planning on taking a trip with my wife summer of 2013 and am aiming for 200K UA miles to get two roundtrip biz class tickets to Europe. I currently have around 50k miles from the Explorer card bonus, plan on getting another 50k via the Sapphire Preferred. After those, with a rough spend estimate I'd get to ~120k total in about a year. So, 80k short of the goal. The kicker: the wife's not so enthusiastic about signing up for new cards, so the more I can keep her from having to do so, the better.
Any bonuses I'm missing out on? Any more 100k-type bonuses coming down the pike? I appreciate the advice, thanks!
Any bonuses I'm missing out on? Any more 100k-type bonuses coming down the pike? I appreciate the advice, thanks!
Feb 21, 2012 | 1:53 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: most of them
Posts: 3,284
of course availability depends on lots of different factors. If you know when you want to go for sure then looking when seats first become available (330 days out or whatever) is certainly worth looking at. But inventory is constantly changing based on all sorts of things. It seems like booking way ahead or close to departure are usually more open than in the middle. But there's no hard and fast rules about it. Being flexible with dates and having alternate destinations in mind can also increase your chances. And sometimes you can look at each leg individually to fill out a trip rather than looking for only non-stops or just letting the online engine build the trip. For example, can you search IAD-FRA and then FRA-Rome to see what pops up? Or IAD-BRU or CDG or ZRH... You may need to call to book in situations like that. But it can be worth the phone booking fee to get the seat you want, or you can ask them to see if they will waive the fee if your itinerary was not bookable online.