ereuter

Hi everyone. I'm been reading FT for some time, and finally registered.

I have had the doomed BA Visa card for many years, and this year qualified for SP status, thanks in part to the 10k bonus EQMs for spending 25k.

Going into the new year, I'll probably rely on this again, but I'm concerned about the fate of this card. So my question is: if you have more than one USAir credit card, can the totals spent on the multiple cards be combined to get the bonus?

I've applied for the Juniper MC, but wasn't approved right away. I have a big purchase to make in the next week, so I may have to put it on the Visa.

Thanks-
Eric

ArizonaGuy

It's per card, per calendar year. Can't combine the spend from multiple cards to reach the $25K threshold.

Some people have done this though: $25K on one card and $25K on another card, each netting them 10K PQM's. Since you can have multiple of the same card, and since this also is a benefit of the business card, in theory if you spend enough annually you could get *G just from credit cards, and your flying could get you over the hurdle for Platinum or Chairman's.

Works great if you have that much to charge in a year, easiest if you run a business or charge all your own business expenses.

ereuter

Thanks.

Juniper just turned down my application with this:

"Our records show that you already have an existing US Airways Credit Card account.A credit bureau report was not used in making this determination."

I read in another thread that this happened to at least one other person here.

Has anyone gotten to the bottom of this?

NovaEngr

That's what happened to me a few weeks ago (I was the other post). I don't get the logic. I thought Juniper would like to poach BOA cardholders.

I might have expected that when both cards were alive and well. I could have sort of understood US telling the banks to not permit double-dipping to prevent the double EQM bonus. But now that the BOA card is going belly-up next year, the logic of preventing someone from getting the card which will continue to have the DM connection escapes me. I wonder if it is a bank thing (doubt it) or a US thing (maybe, but why)?

ereuter

Did you try to transfer a balance from your old US card? I did, and I wonder if that's the problem.

I'm going to be really angry if I spend $10k on my old card and then they cancel it halfway through the year.

NovaEngr

No, I did not request a balance transfer. I'm one of those "pay-in-full" guys, so I have no balance to transfer. I would think that your desire to transfer a balance would make you more likely to get the card. Not only are you immediately putting a balance on the new card (they should like that), you're showing Juniper that you are moving away from BOA. The whole thing is puzzling. It must be a new wrinkle since some here have gotten two cards from each bank.

NovaEngr

I finally called Barclays about the automatic rejection of existing BOA card holders applying for the US Mastercard. They told me that this is not the bank's policy. It was recently dictated to them by our good friends, US Airways. US has told Barclays to reject applications from all existing US DM credit card holders. If, as we are pretty certain, the BOA Visa goes away early 2009 (leaving me and others with no US affinity card), is this not just one more dumb decision by US that will alienate good customers? Rather than let us apply now and get the new card up and running for 2009 before the BOA card goes poof (thus keeping us affiliated with US), they want us to wait until we have no US affinity card before permitting us to get a new one. Maybe then I won't bother.

If I don't have the benefit of getting 10,000 EQM from credit card use in 2009, it kind of opens up more options of where and how I might want to spend my travel dollars. US is a truly a strangely run operation. Why do I feel LCC will be a case study of bad management in MBA programs some years down the line?

kudzu

I agree, and as you had mentioned, the whole thing is puzzling....

I've had the BofA US Visa for years, and also the Barclays/Juniper US MC until the expiration of the 2-year annual fee waiver (earlier this year, as I recall). A few weeks ago, in anticipation of the BofA US Visa going bye-bye in March 2009, I applied for the Barclays US MC online, got instant approval, and the bonus Miles have shown up on my US statement:

12/18/08 12/19/08 US WORLD CARD: FIRST USE BONUS 25,000

I currently hold two US CCs again.

ereuter

I might just go ahead and cancel my BA card then. I wonder how long the whole process of canceling one applying for/receiving the other one will take. I have a bill for a new boiler that I want to charge (and immediately pay off) to get the miles.

For those who recently got the Barclay's card, how long did it take to actually receive it?

MichaelColey

I applied for both a personal and business card on 12/28 and was approved for both yesterday (on 12/31). The cards haven't come yet, but I expect them any day.

kudzu

Welcome to FlyerTalk, ereuter

About a week or so from instant approval to card receipt. I wish I could be more precise, but I'm unable to access old emails on home PC (presently at winter home) and only remember I applied around Thanksgiving week. Online record shows $79 Annual Fee charged 11/28 and first use of card on 12/3

UAzip

Didn't US itself used to encourage having both cards, saying explicitly that one could get the EQM from both cards? Where exactly escapes me, but I could swear there was a line from US somewhere that used the word "savvy".

dingo

I can't believe that US has told Barclays to turn down applicants nor that they would if told to do so. Both companies, while tied in joint marketing, are for profit and will do as each sees fit.

I have two MC's and was just approved for a business MC with Barclays...and my BofA Visa is still in my wallet too.

MissQ

I took a look at the terms & condititions, which includes:

"This offer may not be available to you if you already have a Credit Card account with Barclays. This offer may not be available to you if you already have a US Airways Visa or MasterCard credit card."

It also says:

"Barclays Bank Delaware is solely responsible for all credit and eligibility standards and determination of card issuance. US Airways is not responsible for any goods or services offered by Barclays Bank Delaware."

I didn't read the whole thing --- just tried to find some acknowledgement of the denial based on having another DM miles credit card.

What doesn't really make sense is that someone at Barclays would say "it's not our policy, it's USAirways..." Any policy they carry out is their policy, regardless of how/why it was put in place. Although the strategy does seem counter-intuitive (lots of examples posted), it is nuts to suggest that US is solely responsible for the dictate ----- you know that the bank must have gotten something out of it, or they wouldn't be doing it (or maybe that's backwards logic too :-) like those at the banks are really making decisions and running things so well... (no offense to respectable banking folks who may be reading this message).

rvolkcpa

I was concerned about the future of my BoA VISA and I contacted Dividend Miles last month. I received a reply today that was more encouraging than I expected. It indicated that the VISA is no longer issued to new members but existing members will continue to earn miles, and Signature card members will continue to receive companion certificates, club passes and earn 10K preferred miles for $25K of spending. Maybe this is why there was a big push by BoA to get new cardmembers last fall.