AA credit card offer
Oct 20, 2003 | 4:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Santa Fe, MA, USA
Posts: 16
AA credit card offer
I've been reading FT for some time but never posted. I'm an "infrequent" flier by FT standards, but have managed to earn about 50,000 in AA. I just thought I'd share what happened today. I got an offer in the mail for a citibank CC that I already have. So I called citibank and asked for the offer (free companion ticket.) Although I was told the ticket was only good until Dec (no good for me), she gladly gave me an extra 5,000 miles and a lower balance transfer rate.
The first person I called was no help but I called again and ta da... free miles.
thanks!
Kyrie
The first person I called was no help but I called again and ta da... free miles.
thanks!
Kyrie
Oct 20, 2003 | 8:50 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oregon
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1MM, HH Diamond, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 4,055
Citibank has been known to grant a "retention" bonus (miles and/or reduced fee and/or reduced interest rate) when existing customers call up and ask them why they should stay.
Oct 20, 2003 | 9:55 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Independence, MO USA
Programs: AA Exec. Plat, LT Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 282
We got our annual fee bill of $50 and started to cancel the card. My wife called in and got 5,000 miles not to cancel. We'll take the $.01/mile miles.
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Gary Jones
Work is the time spent in between vacations.
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Gary Jones
Work is the time spent in between vacations.
Oct 21, 2003 | 8:20 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: United Premier, American Airlines
Posts: 896
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by elCheapoDeluxe:
Citibank has been known to grant a "retention" bonus (miles and/or reduced fee and/or reduced interest rate) when existing customers call up and ask them why they should stay.</font>
Citibank has been known to grant a "retention" bonus (miles and/or reduced fee and/or reduced interest rate) when existing customers call up and ask them why they should stay.</font>
I was bluffing, though, and had no intention of cancelling (I've earned over 60,000 miles on the card so far this year). I've gone over the 60K annual limit, but the miles are still credited, even though I'm not AA gold or platinum.
So if you plan on doing the same, practice what you're going to say first, so they don't call your bluff. Next February, I'll try the same again.
Oct 23, 2003 | 7:11 pm
#7
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Miami/Ft. Lauderdale
Programs: AA 2MM Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,350
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by gejone:
We got our annual fee bill of $50 and started to cancel the card. My wife called in and got 5,000 miles not to cancel. We'll take the $.01/mile miles.</font>
We got our annual fee bill of $50 and started to cancel the card. My wife called in and got 5,000 miles not to cancel. We'll take the $.01/mile miles.</font>
If the rep you speak with is uncooperative, never be afraid to actually go through with canceling your card. You can always call them right back and get your card "reinstated." Most cards give you at least 60 or 90 days to do so with no strings attached. This way, if the agent calls your bluff, you just go ahead and cancel.
[This message has been edited by Neal (edited 10-23-2003).]
Oct 24, 2003 | 10:58 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2003
Programs: AA lifetime Gold, SPG
Posts: 442
The free companion offer (not offered on aa.com but is a solicited offer in the mail), allows the AA World MC holder to take a companion for "free" if the paid ticket is >> $$xxx. The "free" companion must fly exactly the same flight (I keep saying "free" because you still have to pay for certain fees/taxes). The companion coupon is not transferable outside your immediate family (only to spouse/children), and the AA World MC holder's name is printed on the coupon. Also, it takes a long time for them to mail you the companion coupon, I think like 2 months. You can't make a reservation for the free companion without the coupon in hand, or at least I haven't been able to.