Randy picks the best credit card plans to offer air miles cheaply
Oct 20, 2000, 9:55 am
#31
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: OH
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, Marriot Lifetime Gold
Posts: 9,539
Dingo,
In response to your question about signing up just to get the bonus, that's fine if you are aware of a few points:
1. Every time you apply for credit, whether you are approved or not it goes on your credit report and this can affect whether or not you are approved next time. Too many appls are a warning signal to creditors. Even if you close the account as soon as the miles post
2. If you do get the card and then use it once or never use it, that open line is on your credit report and can affect any future appls. Try applying for a mortgage and every card you forgot you had and the availbale line is counted in your possiblility of "going bad" on the new credit line.
Just some thoughts
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I wish I were 1,000 miles away
In response to your question about signing up just to get the bonus, that's fine if you are aware of a few points:
1. Every time you apply for credit, whether you are approved or not it goes on your credit report and this can affect whether or not you are approved next time. Too many appls are a warning signal to creditors. Even if you close the account as soon as the miles post
2. If you do get the card and then use it once or never use it, that open line is on your credit report and can affect any future appls. Try applying for a mortgage and every card you forgot you had and the availbale line is counted in your possiblility of "going bad" on the new credit line.
Just some thoughts
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I wish I were 1,000 miles away
Oct 21, 2000, 11:46 am
#32
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Southern California - UA1K, Delta GM, Starwood Gold, Hilton Gold, AA Platinum
Posts: 1,456
As good as Starwood Optima is.. there are some draw backs:
1.) They define the cycle (payment date)... so you can have a due date of the 21 of the month or the 7th.... Not the best if you are using it for business.
2.) The grace period is small.. I beleive 20-21 days... again, not too great if using it for business......
My choice is the Diners Club... since you can use points to renew (if you want).. the fee is not too bad when you can transfer points to miles on most airlines.. and you get 2 BILLING Cycles to transfer.....
Again, Diners is my choice for Business expenses... but since Diners (and not as badly AmEx) is not accepted everywhere in the US, I have the Marriott Visa as my back up (no fee the first year)..
Oh well my 2 cents
1.) They define the cycle (payment date)... so you can have a due date of the 21 of the month or the 7th.... Not the best if you are using it for business.
2.) The grace period is small.. I beleive 20-21 days... again, not too great if using it for business......
My choice is the Diners Club... since you can use points to renew (if you want).. the fee is not too bad when you can transfer points to miles on most airlines.. and you get 2 BILLING Cycles to transfer.....
Again, Diners is my choice for Business expenses... but since Diners (and not as badly AmEx) is not accepted everywhere in the US, I have the Marriott Visa as my back up (no fee the first year)..
Oh well my 2 cents
May 29, 2001, 10:30 am
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
And now Starwood is set to soon debut a new Optima card as well!
May 29, 2001, 10:39 am
#34
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC USA
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Lifetime / Annual Titanium; Massively Missing Starwood
Posts: 5,339
What are the details of this card? I don't see anything on their web site.
May 31, 2001, 7:53 am
#35
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NC, USA
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AA Exec Plat, Marriott Lifetime Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,012
This is mainly directed at Family Flyer's comments above, but maybe anyone could help me here. Most comments were directed at how great the Starwood Optima card is, but like Family Flyer mentioned, AMEX isnt accpted everywhere so the Starwood Visa would be the better call. What I want to know is what the main differences are between the those two cards (the Starwood Optima and Visa). Any help would be appreciated. I've come to realize that the $55 I'm paying a year for my CitiBank World Mastercard is too much when there's a free one out there!
Thanks!
Thanks!
May 31, 2001, 8:24 am
#36
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
Details are supposedly forthcoming in thenext few weeks, dingo!
May 31, 2001, 8:56 am
#37
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: you can't affordably get there (anywhere) from here (central MT)
Posts: 345
Is there any way to read the linked posts mentioned in this thread? With the exception of the Sunday Times (UK) article, all other links go to "page no longer available" or some similar notation.
Thanks!
Thanks!
May 31, 2001, 2:28 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Oak Park, IL
Programs: AA 2 MM LIfetime Platinum, SPG Platinum, Hilton Silver, BA
Posts: 3,585
Starwood doesn't have a visa card
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DtG
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DtG
Jun 1, 2001, 3:23 am
#39
Join Date: May 2001
Location: omaha,Ne,usa
Programs: UAL, AA, Hilton, Marriott, and Northwest
Posts: 465
Unfortunately compubanks relationship with clickrewards ended as part of the dot com fall several months ago. Then compubank was sold to net bank as well. So no longer any points available.
Also the united card allows unlimited miles for gold and 100k members.
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Robert
Also the united card allows unlimited miles for gold and 100k members.
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Robert
Jun 6, 2001, 5:27 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 10
There is one cash back credit card worth considering. The Fleet Cash Rebate Card, if you go through their terms and conditions and calculate your return, you can get a true return of 1.65%. That is about the return I get by selling earned award tickets on ebay at $400/ticket. Also it's a VISA card, so it's accepted everywhere.
You can find more detail on this card on this page. This page also has a calculator that shows you how much cash back you get based on your own annual spending level.
Here is the fleet rebate card details
You can find more detail on this card on this page. This page also has a calculator that shows you how much cash back you get based on your own annual spending level.
Here is the fleet rebate card details
Jun 7, 2001, 12:27 am
#41
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: CLT; Ex-SEL
Programs: LH, DL/NW, US, HHon, SPG
Posts: 379
The new Hilton HHonors Platinum Visa is the answer. It's free. http://www.hhonorscard.com/
Jun 7, 2001, 6:48 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,274
Since he won't disclose, I will:
ferret is selling again!
If you use his link, you are going through hotdealz.
ferret is not giving a testimonial, but driving traffic to a merchant site.
ferret is selling again!
If you use his link, you are going through hotdealz.
ferret is not giving a testimonial, but driving traffic to a merchant site.
Jun 7, 2001, 9:39 am
#43
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: SPG Plat, HH Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,015
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by scotty00:
What I want to know is what the main differences are between the those two cards (the Starwood Optima and Visa</font>
What I want to know is what the main differences are between the those two cards (the Starwood Optima and Visa</font>
There's been a lot of speculation in other forums about the changes, but nobody knows for sure. Something that definitely will not change (according to Randy) is Starwood's relationship with Amex. The new card, sadly, will not become a Visa.
Jan 4, 2002, 9:21 am
#44
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
Some folks like Amex!
Anything new here anyone?
No Fee Amtrak Mastercard ---> United or Continental Freq. Flyer Points!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000192.html
Anything new here anyone?
No Fee Amtrak Mastercard ---> United or Continental Freq. Flyer Points!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000192.html
Jan 4, 2002, 1:24 pm
#45
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by doc:
Some folks like Amex!
Anything new here anyone?
No Fee Amtrak Mastercard ---> United or Continental Freq. Flyer Points!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000192.html</font>
Some folks like Amex!
Anything new here anyone?
No Fee Amtrak Mastercard ---> United or Continental Freq. Flyer Points!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000192.html</font>
