Is United Mileage Plus-Visa a good Idea?
Nov 14, 2002 | 6:40 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ORD, AA EXP, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 594
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sosafan:
If you are a college student, you
can get the card for no annual fee.</font>
If you are a college student, you
can get the card for no annual fee.</font>
<edited for typo>
Thanks.
[This message has been edited by wannabe (edited 11-14-2002).]
Nov 14, 2002 | 6:58 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 205
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wannabe:
Sosafan, Can you elaborate? Is this the same card or a different, student, card? do you still get 1 mile per $$? Do you still get the 15k signup bonus?
<edited for typo>
Thanks.
</font>
Sosafan, Can you elaborate? Is this the same card or a different, student, card? do you still get 1 mile per $$? Do you still get the 15k signup bonus?
<edited for typo>
Thanks.
</font>
BTW,sign up for the student plus program in the mileage plus[if you are a student],they have a 10,000 mile bonus upon graduation and that combined with the 15K bonus you are getting now with this card offer, makes a nice free ticket...
[This message has been edited by bertie_jeeves (edited 11-14-2002).]
Nov 14, 2002 | 7:12 pm
#18
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Santa Monica, CA, USA
Posts: 1,013
The card with no annual fee is not restricted to students. I have one, after years of having the other one - once I got the Starwood Amex I only use the MP card when I can't use the Amex - so it wasn't worth the annual fee. I actually ended up getting 1 mile per dollar for a long time before they finally updated it to 1 mile for 2 dollars.
Nov 15, 2002 | 6:50 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 205
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Colombo:
I got the card
no annual fee
15K bonus
1$=1 mile</font>
I got the card
no annual fee
15K bonus
1$=1 mile</font>
How did u manage no annual fee???
FUSA refused to give me ANY bonus for the student card point blank!
[This message has been edited by bertie_jeeves (edited 11-15-2002).]
Nov 15, 2002 | 7:59 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Diego,CA,USA
Programs: Southwest Companion Pass American Admirals Club Lifetime,IHG Rewards Spire,HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,360
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pinniped:
First USA/Bank One is a horrible company to deal with. There are many, many threads about them on FT.
However, is paying $60 for 15,000 FF miles and an upgrade cert worthwhile? Most would say YES, this is a very good deal as far as credit-card sign-up bonuses go.
My experience: I recently got the card, paid the annual fee, and the 15K posted to my account within a month or so. I recently took advantage of a "fee-free" balance transfer to the card, and then had to haggle with First USA to get a $50 fee taken off of my account. Customer service was very unfriendly, so my United Visa and Marriott Visa are now in pieces at the bottom of my trash can, and the accounts will be closed as soon as I pay off the balance I have under a teaser rate.
First USA: use 'em for the miles and dump 'em, and don't feel guilty about it. Just be careful, because they will jam you up the minute they get a chance.</font>
First USA/Bank One is a horrible company to deal with. There are many, many threads about them on FT.
However, is paying $60 for 15,000 FF miles and an upgrade cert worthwhile? Most would say YES, this is a very good deal as far as credit-card sign-up bonuses go.
My experience: I recently got the card, paid the annual fee, and the 15K posted to my account within a month or so. I recently took advantage of a "fee-free" balance transfer to the card, and then had to haggle with First USA to get a $50 fee taken off of my account. Customer service was very unfriendly, so my United Visa and Marriott Visa are now in pieces at the bottom of my trash can, and the accounts will be closed as soon as I pay off the balance I have under a teaser rate.
First USA: use 'em for the miles and dump 'em, and don't feel guilty about it. Just be careful, because they will jam you up the minute they get a chance.</font>
Any help is appreciated
Nov 15, 2002 | 8:33 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 205
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by skofarrell:
FUSA is the pits...but the deal is too good to pass up. Get the card, get the miles, cancel the card.</font>
FUSA is the pits...but the deal is too good to pass up. Get the card, get the miles, cancel the card.</font>
Nov 16, 2002 | 11:59 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 234
I tried to apply for it. I had a FirstUSA card a while back and all the horror stories are true. They are a major pain in the behind and will attempt to do about anything to screw their customers. But, the miles thing was a good deal.
After two months and sending them a copy of my ss#, they denied my application. They said they could not verify my address (like, the one they were sending me mail at!) and insisted on an original utility bill to prove it.
I talked to a random CSR on the phone about this and there were no other options, *only* a utility bill would do. Which would be fine, if I had one. My utilities are paid by the landlord, so I never get a bill.
This is probably related to the fact that I have a fraud alert on my credit file. Possibly also because I use a private mail box service for my mailing address. But the fraud alert specifically instructs to *call a telephone number* and gives my number to verify credit applications. But they won't call. They can't even get my address right, they keep leaving the box number off.
I would like to get the miles deal, but between this and my previous experience with FirstUSA, I am giving up. I told them since they obviously didn't want me as a customer, I will continue to send my thousands of dollars a month to American Express. Unfortunately, they don't give a rat's ....
Oh, and I forgot the best part! After all this, in the final rejection letter, they say that I could have sent them a bank statement instead of the utility bill. UA miles or not, I am not wasting any more of my time with these idiots.
[This message has been edited by Feorlen (edited 11-17-2002).]
After two months and sending them a copy of my ss#, they denied my application. They said they could not verify my address (like, the one they were sending me mail at!) and insisted on an original utility bill to prove it.
I talked to a random CSR on the phone about this and there were no other options, *only* a utility bill would do. Which would be fine, if I had one. My utilities are paid by the landlord, so I never get a bill.
This is probably related to the fact that I have a fraud alert on my credit file. Possibly also because I use a private mail box service for my mailing address. But the fraud alert specifically instructs to *call a telephone number* and gives my number to verify credit applications. But they won't call. They can't even get my address right, they keep leaving the box number off.
I would like to get the miles deal, but between this and my previous experience with FirstUSA, I am giving up. I told them since they obviously didn't want me as a customer, I will continue to send my thousands of dollars a month to American Express. Unfortunately, they don't give a rat's ....
Oh, and I forgot the best part! After all this, in the final rejection letter, they say that I could have sent them a bank statement instead of the utility bill. UA miles or not, I am not wasting any more of my time with these idiots.
[This message has been edited by Feorlen (edited 11-17-2002).]
Nov 17, 2002 | 7:42 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Programs: DL GM, AA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Plat
Posts: 12,171
Not that I want to help FUSA get a customer, but I hate to see someone lose out on miles. 
I was in a similar situation as yours, and my parents address worked as "verifiable".
I was in a similar situation as yours, and my parents address worked as "verifiable".
Nov 17, 2002 | 1:07 pm
#27
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 18,252
Let me second the motion about FUSA having the worst customer service in the world. I got this card for UA miles, but calling them was such hell that I canceled it.
Half the time, I couldn't even reach them. The message would say "We are exceptionally busy now so call again later" and hang up. At 2am? If you do get through, you have to deal with their customer disservice agents who never once said "yes" to even my most trivial request.
I never missed a deadline on a single payment, so that wasn't the reason.
Half the time, I couldn't even reach them. The message would say "We are exceptionally busy now so call again later" and hang up. At 2am? If you do get through, you have to deal with their customer disservice agents who never once said "yes" to even my most trivial request.
I never missed a deadline on a single payment, so that wasn't the reason.
Nov 18, 2002 | 11:12 am
#28
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 775
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardInSF:
Let me second the motion about FUSA having the worst customer service in the world. I got this card for UA miles, but calling them was such hell that I canceled it.
Half the time, I couldn't even reach them. The message would say "We are exceptionally busy now so call again later" and hang up. At 2am? If you do get through, you have to deal with their customer disservice agents who never once said "yes" to even my most trivial request.
I never missed a deadline on a single payment, so that wasn't the reason. </font>
Let me second the motion about FUSA having the worst customer service in the world. I got this card for UA miles, but calling them was such hell that I canceled it.
Half the time, I couldn't even reach them. The message would say "We are exceptionally busy now so call again later" and hang up. At 2am? If you do get through, you have to deal with their customer disservice agents who never once said "yes" to even my most trivial request.
I never missed a deadline on a single payment, so that wasn't the reason. </font>
I've had the card for over a year now and haven't had any problems whatsoever.
Of course, I have not had any reason to contact customer service. So far, every statement has been exactly right.
Ed
Nov 18, 2002 | 7:29 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DFW
Posts: 385
A friend received this card a few months ago basically for the UA miles, made a purchase then called to cancel it after paying the annual fee. They offered him another 5,000 miles to keep it! Unbelievable making it a total of 20,000 miles for $60.