Has a mileage promotion won you over?
May 30, 2012, 4:09 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,474
Has a mileage promotion won you over?
When Cap 1 had their 100k offer last year, I jumped in. As usual I thought I would be on my merry way to the next card as I thought the SPG was irreplaceable. But after using the card I started warming up to it and now its my main backup card. I downgraded it to no fee version and plan to keep it indefinitely.
Any promo catch your fancy?
Any promo catch your fancy?
May 30, 2012, 4:42 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
If you mean, is there a card I didn't plan to keep but decided to, yes.
I found with Chase Sapphire Preferred:
a) I get enough double points on restaurants and the 7% annual bonus to make it nearly worth the $95 fee.
b) It gives me transfer access to United. Meaning that if I need an award ticket and it's not available on DL (which is like saying "If it's raining in Seattle") I have another option.
c) It's convenient that it has no forex fee, which is important because my wife lives in Canada. She can charge things and I can pay for them in $USD.
d) I can buy points from co-workers and save them for a rainy day, and it's completely legal (or so Chase tells me).
The only downside is that my annual spending is in the $30-35K range, and I have Amex PRG which has a spend bonus at $30K. So if I move a significant amount of spend to another card, I have to find a way to still get the Amex at $30K. What my wife spends doesn't matter (i.e. she would not put it on Amex PRG because of the forex fee) but I still have to find other, creative ways to keep my spend up.
Actually, before this, I didn't even have a Visa/MC with significant rewards. One thing I do is pay my rent with it. I can pay up to $3000 at a time, with a $20 convenience fee, so effectively I'm getting 3140 (after 7% bonus) points for $20, which is a good deal.
I found with Chase Sapphire Preferred:
a) I get enough double points on restaurants and the 7% annual bonus to make it nearly worth the $95 fee.
b) It gives me transfer access to United. Meaning that if I need an award ticket and it's not available on DL (which is like saying "If it's raining in Seattle") I have another option.
c) It's convenient that it has no forex fee, which is important because my wife lives in Canada. She can charge things and I can pay for them in $USD.
d) I can buy points from co-workers and save them for a rainy day, and it's completely legal (or so Chase tells me).
The only downside is that my annual spending is in the $30-35K range, and I have Amex PRG which has a spend bonus at $30K. So if I move a significant amount of spend to another card, I have to find a way to still get the Amex at $30K. What my wife spends doesn't matter (i.e. she would not put it on Amex PRG because of the forex fee) but I still have to find other, creative ways to keep my spend up.
Actually, before this, I didn't even have a Visa/MC with significant rewards. One thing I do is pay my rent with it. I can pay up to $3000 at a time, with a $20 convenience fee, so effectively I'm getting 3140 (after 7% bonus) points for $20, which is a good deal.
May 30, 2012, 4:43 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: AL
Programs: All of the Above
Posts: 1,374
When Cap 1 had their 100k offer last year, I jumped in. As usual I thought I would be on my merry way to the next card as I thought the SPG was irreplaceable. But after using the card I started warming up to it and now its my main backup card. I downgraded it to no fee version and plan to keep it indefinitely.
Any promo catch your fancy?
Any promo catch your fancy?
May 30, 2012, 5:04 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AA Plat, UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, US
Posts: 956
All three Citi AA cards. I wanted to close them but they generate the bulk of my AA miles.. over 100K in spending (all 3 combined). Plus Citi always waive the annual fee (on all 3 cards).
May 30, 2012, 5:46 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,474
Also if you used the SPG you would have got 125k.
May 30, 2012, 6:16 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AA Plat, UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, US
Posts: 956
May 30, 2012, 6:17 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 267
If you mean, is there a card I didn't plan to keep but decided to, yes.
I found with Chase Sapphire Preferred:
a) I get enough double points on restaurants and the 7% annual bonus to make it nearly worth the $95 fee.
b) It gives me transfer access to United. Meaning that if I need an award ticket and it's not available on DL (which is like saying "If it's raining in Seattle") I have another option.
c) It's convenient that it has no forex fee, which is important because my wife lives in Canada. She can charge things and I can pay for them in $USD.
d) I can buy points from co-workers and save them for a rainy day, and it's completely legal (or so Chase tells me).
The only downside is that my annual spending is in the $30-35K range, and I have Amex PRG which has a spend bonus at $30K. So if I move a significant amount of spend to another card, I have to find a way to still get the Amex at $30K. What my wife spends doesn't matter (i.e. she would not put it on Amex PRG because of the forex fee) but I still have to find other, creative ways to keep my spend up.
Actually, before this, I didn't even have a Visa/MC with significant rewards. One thing I do is pay my rent with it. I can pay up to $3000 at a time, with a $20 convenience fee, so effectively I'm getting 3140 (after 7% bonus) points for $20, which is a good deal.
I found with Chase Sapphire Preferred:
a) I get enough double points on restaurants and the 7% annual bonus to make it nearly worth the $95 fee.
b) It gives me transfer access to United. Meaning that if I need an award ticket and it's not available on DL (which is like saying "If it's raining in Seattle") I have another option.
c) It's convenient that it has no forex fee, which is important because my wife lives in Canada. She can charge things and I can pay for them in $USD.
d) I can buy points from co-workers and save them for a rainy day, and it's completely legal (or so Chase tells me).
The only downside is that my annual spending is in the $30-35K range, and I have Amex PRG which has a spend bonus at $30K. So if I move a significant amount of spend to another card, I have to find a way to still get the Amex at $30K. What my wife spends doesn't matter (i.e. she would not put it on Amex PRG because of the forex fee) but I still have to find other, creative ways to keep my spend up.
Actually, before this, I didn't even have a Visa/MC with significant rewards. One thing I do is pay my rent with it. I can pay up to $3000 at a time, with a $20 convenience fee, so effectively I'm getting 3140 (after 7% bonus) points for $20, which is a good deal.
Hey, It is bright and sunny today in Seattle. But I do love my new Ink Bold!
May 30, 2012, 10:46 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
The only miles promotions that impress me are with Baltic Air. Where else can you name a price, the airline books the flight, then tells you where you are going? Is that cool or what - today you either get Athens to see the Running of the Banks or Minsk, which is like a loose a turn spin on the wheel since you need a VISA ahead of time.
May 30, 2012, 11:17 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: LAS
Programs: DL PM, UA PS, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,904
I was going to close down my BA card since I only got it for the 100K pre-Avios miles for $95 (which was great). But they offered to waive the second year fee and would give me 2.5 Avios/$ for any purchases 'til 6/30/12 up to $8K total. Since I value Avios between 1.1-1.2 cpm, I couldn't pass it up. They're really useful for a few domestic redemptions I have (where fare prices are really high compared to distance).
The only time I used it beforehand was for taxes/fees on BA awards (2.5 Avios/$ compared to 2.14x with my Sapphire) and for the NYC Michelin promos (which more than paid for the 1st year annual fee). But it's a good general card for the time-being.
The only time I used it beforehand was for taxes/fees on BA awards (2.5 Avios/$ compared to 2.14x with my Sapphire) and for the NYC Michelin promos (which more than paid for the 1st year annual fee). But it's a good general card for the time-being.