Originally Posted by Stubtify

My estimate based on your credit score is that you may only get to apply for 2 credit cards here. Make them count.

I would put more focus on where you want to stay, and what hotels and hotel points/$$$ you will need to spend to do so. Put together a budget, with each item 2 different ways:

Flights: If you spend $$$ // If you spend Points

Hotels: If you Spend $$$ // If you spend points

You already have enough miles for one flight, so maybe buy the other flight with cash and focus on Hotel points? See which way ends up with you spending the least out of pocket, assuming you can only get 2 credit cards. Then try for cards 3&4 and if those come through, great. If not at least you've reduced your OOP expense the most you possibly could.

If you're doing 8 nights @$150 a night you'd be better off to just buy a flight, even if it costs you $800 as long as you can swing all those nights for free. Try to rethink the overall expenses and keep your costs as low as possible.

An Example:

Buy one ticket, redeem your current miles for another. This costs you $800 for the flight

Fly open Jaw, into HNL, then redeem 5k/7.5k delta miles for a flight to Maui, and fly home from there? Buying one flight gives you miles for these intra-island flights with what you already have in your delta account.

Apply for SPG Amex card, and Hyatt card and focus your spending for the next months there. Look for SPG C&P rates or 5 for 4 rates if you can get up to the needed point level.

It is really risky to do any of this without the miles already in your accounts, because you're "guessing" at what availability will be there when you actually go to book. If availability changes after you get your points a backup plan would be to surprise your wife with the details of the trip on your anniversary, and plan it to be at a date a few months in the future. Your wife gets to be excited for her trip for a few months and you can make sure you get to book C&P rates, and lowest award redemption levels. Trying to fit a trip into specific dates is hard enough when you already have the points, to do it like this might be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Originally Posted by redtop43

YMMV - but...

When my wife got her green card, I contacted Amex immediately and gave them her social security number. Within a month, she had a credit score in the mid-700's.

...

I suggest you contact Amex immediately. It might not work for you, but it's worth a try. (We did have to fax them a copy of her social security card.)

Originally Posted by Jesperss

I went through the same thing a year ago.

I added my wife as an AU to three cards (using her SSN) with a long credit history and within a few months she had a score of 740. ^

Originally Posted by jwchef1975

Originally Posted by redtop43

As best I could tell, Amex confused her history with mine, and showed her as having had an Amex card since 1995.

Originally Posted by Bttc

I'm guessing she was an authorized user on your Amex card. In most cases, being an authorized user gets you the whole history--from 1995 in your case--not just counting from when you got it.

Originally Posted by jgodbey

I really, really want to take my wife on an awesome vacation to Hawaii for our 2 year anniversary in February.
(we couldn't really afford anything for year 1, and honeymoon was kind of a bust as well :-\ )

My wife cannot get any CC's because she just became a greencard holder and doesn't have a credit history in the US. We're starting her off with Student CC to build credit.
- I have 2 other crappy CC's that carry a balance and do nothing else for me
- My FICO TU score is 710 (as of 8/1/12)
- My FICO Equifax score is 670 (as of 8/1/12)
- I'm concerned about the difference in scores
- I've been paying down CC debt significantly over the past 2-3 months

[B]I'm not "married" to this plan at all, I just want to take my wife to Hawaii for 10 days for very cheap! And this is all I could think of.

TL;DR - I'm a travel hacking noobie who really wants to take his wife on our first amazing trip. I already have some Delta SkyMiles. Please help!

Originally Posted by Mile-a-holic

So I sympathize: we couldn't afford a honeymoon and our first few anniversaries were within driving distance, so I really applaud your travel hacking approach. But a few questions:

1) Are you sure she'd agree that Hawaii is the best use of 130k miles? Or, would she prefer a different destination?
2) If you're carrying balances on other cards, will it mean you'll be stressed about other costs while in Hawaii? Would she/you rather go in a year when you can perhaps afford to splurge on a helicopter tour, or hop between the islands, buy a special souvenir, etc?

Is she the type that enjoys planning trips? Would she love spending two or three nights in a very upscale hotel (on points of course!) nearby for anniversary two, with the present being "let's plan a trip together anywhere for next year using miles and points?"

It's just food for thought - Hawaii is spectacular, and can be done relatively inexpensively if you rent a house or condo surprisingly. But if you're staying at a hotel, you want to be able to enjoy the pool and not be worried about the cost of ordering a drink or food, or skip things that you really want to do (whale watches, etc).

Originally Posted by particlemn

I would focus on cutting spending and paying off your current credit cards, then place that amount into savings, use the delta miles to get 1 ticket and buy the other and look for an inexpensive hotel. if you can't pay off the credit card before next februray i would wait until year 3 for the trip.