Questions and Answers

I have:
1 amex premier rewards gold for travel, dining and groceries (4-5k monthly)
2 business gold amex for 2 separate businesses: use for gas and most business purchases(12-14k monthly combined)
1 platinum business amex for another business, but I really dont use it much, thinking about getting rid of it. I dont go to lounges, barely use wifi at airport ($500 monthly)
1 business SPG for non bonus spend, including some business(5k monthly)
1 barclays arrival, which I am thinking of cancelling
1 citi premier rewards, which I just got for the 60k bonus.
1 Citi AAdvantage Mastercard for AA (rarely use, I got it last year for the 100k bonus.

Chase hates me(divorce issues 6 years ago) so I haven’t been able to get a card from them for years.

I have a family of 5, go to Europe every 2 years, and take my family domestically 1-2x yearly somewhere. I fly to OAK/ SEA/PDX from PHX 10x yearly for work….

I like using Avios to go from PHX to OAK/PDX, but sometimes I buy the ticket, because I can’t get the flight I want. Should I cancel some cards? Should I concentrate on one airlines like AA? I kinda feel like I have been a little trigger happy with some of these cards?

[USER=876]@markreinoso[/USER]

I assume it’s because Chase hates you that you don’t have any other hotel card beside the SPG?

First consider the Amex Everyday Preferred? If you do more than 30 transactions in a month it give 50% bonus and should give 4,5 MR points for groceries up too 6K$ a year? Also 1,5 MR for all non-bonus spend after 30 transactions bonus, might be an alternative to the SPG for some spend?

[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/go/everyday-preferred/[/URL]

If you are planning on giving up the Plat Amex, why not get the Citi Prestige card instead?
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/go/prestige-lto/[/URL]
Very usefully if you have hotels stays of 4 nights.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/06/26/which-hotels-are-eligible-for-citi-prestige-4th-night-free-hotel-benefit/[/URL]

These cards would be more about earning sign up bonuses and getting status.

If you ever stay in Hiltons even for a few nights each year it might be worth to pick up the Citi or Amex cards just for getting status?

Don’t Alaska fly PHX to PDX? There is both a Alaska personal and business version of their card, might be worth it for the bonus?

Since Southwest is Chase they are out.

Since Chase also seems to run BA’s cards that is out.

[USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER] Lucky’s sign up link to the BA card is dead.

Should you ever you use Delta one of their Gold Amex card in personal or biz form might be a cheap way to earn some miles, if you cancel the card after the first year to avoid paying an annual fee.

[QUOTE=”No Name, post: 8091, member: 268″][USER=876]@markreinoso[/USER]

I assume it’s because Chase hates you that you don’t have any other hotel card beside the SPG?

First consider the Amex Everyday Preferred? If you do more than 30 transactions in a month it give 50% bonus and should give 4,5 MR points for groceries up too 6K$ a year? Also 1,5 MR for all non-bonus spend after 30 transactions bonus, might be an alternative to the SPG for some spend?

[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/go/everyday-preferred/[/URL]

If you are planning on giving up the Plat Amex, why not get the Citi Prestige card instead?
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/go/prestige-lto/[/URL]
Very usefully if you have hotels stays of 4 nights.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/06/26/which-hotels-are-eligible-for-citi-prestige-4th-night-free-hotel-benefit/[/URL]

These cards would be more about earning sign up bonuses and getting status.

If you ever stay in Hiltons even for a few nights each year it might be worth to pick up the Citi or Amex cards just for getting status?

Don’t Alaska fly PHX to PDX? There is both a Alaska personal and business version of their card, might be worth it for the bonus?

Since Southwest is Chase they are out.

Since Chase also seems to run BA’s cards that is out.

[USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER] Lucky’s sign up link to the BA card is dead.

Should you ever you use Delta one of their Gold Amex card in personal or biz form might be a cheap way to earn some miles, if you cancel the card after the first year to avoid paying an annual fee.[/QUOTE]

We normally stay in vacation rentals, I rarely stay in a hotel. But that every day preferred is a good idea!

So is alaska…but I can fly Avios using alaska, cheaper than I can using alaska o fly alaska..but availability is different!

good idea on the prestige…. thank you!

Get rid of the Biz Plat if you are not using the benefits out of it. Make sure to exhaust benefits on the card like $200 annual airline credit, $100 Global entry fee, 10 wifi passes etc. before you cancel the card. Even you get rid of this one, your Biz SPG will keep your access to the OPEN program which is huge for businesses if you happen to use any of those benefits.
Consider applying for the Amex EveryDay preferred. If you are already making large purchases in those categories (with a biz, and a family of 5, I assume you do) the preferred churns more points than the everyday. Based on your valuation you should be the best judge for Everyday Vs Everyday Preferred.

Rather than cancelling the AA 100K card, downgrade that to a Citi Double Cash card. It is a great no annual fee card.

As others said, Prestige is a great option too.
If you don’t mind a CB card, consider the Discover cards. They are great 3% CB Cards and if you use those “miles” for National car rental certs you are eventually doubling your value. Cheers!

[USER=876]@markreinoso[/USER]

Was not suggesting you put much spend on the Alaska cards, think of it as getting 50K Alaska miles for 150$ plus the cost of a cup of coffee or your preferred hot beverage on each card.

If you ever fly on a paid Y ticket with somebody there also the Coach companion fare.
[URL]http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/frequently-asked-questions/faq-companion-discount-code.aspx[/URL]

And you can get the bonus more than once.
[URL]http://www.doctorofcredit.com/list-of-churnable-credit-cards/[/URL]
Just don’t go over board
[URL]http://www.doctorofcredit.com/alaska-airlines-shutdowns-transfers-no-af-multiple-applications-what-you-need-to-know/[/URL]

Good suggestion from Phatmiles on AA 100K card.

Finally consider getting the no-fee Citi TY Preferred card at some point.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/go/typreferred20k/[/URL]
If you combine your Citi accounts this should keep your TY points alive even if your cancel the other TY cards.
[URL]https://www.thankyou.com/helpTopic.jspx?itemId=10153#10027[/URL]
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/28/can-you-combine-citi-thankyou-rewards-accounts/[/URL]

[QUOTE=”No Name, post: 8112, member: 268″][USER=876]@markreinoso[/USER]

Was not suggesting you put much spend on the Alaska cards, think of it as getting 50K Alaska miles for 150$ plus the cost of a cup of coffee or your preferred hot beverage on each card.

If you ever fly on a paid Y ticket with somebody there also the Coach companion fare.
[URL]http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/frequently-asked-questions/faq-companion-discount-code.aspx[/URL]

And you can get the bonus more than once.
[URL]http://www.doctorofcredit.com/list-of-churnable-credit-cards/[/URL]
Just don’t go over board
[URL]http://www.doctorofcredit.com/alaska-airlines-shutdowns-transfers-no-af-multiple-applications-what-you-need-to-know/[/URL]

Good suggestion from Phatmiles on AA 100K card.

Finally consider getting the no-fee Citi TY Preferred card at some point.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/go/typreferred20k/[/URL]
If you combine your Citi accounts this should keep your TY points alive even if your cancel the other TY cards.
[URL]https://www.thankyou.com/helpTopic.jspx?itemId=10153#10027[/URL]
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/28/can-you-combine-citi-thankyou-rewards-accounts/[/URL][/QUOTE]

wow, thats great! So you churn regularly? I have a hard time cancelling my cards, but I am starting to do so. I am going to look for the alaska card…

[QUOTE=”markreinoso, post: 8138, member: 876″]wow, thats great! So you churn regularly? I have a hard time cancelling my cards, but I am starting to do so. I am going to look for the alaska card…[/QUOTE]

No I don’t.

The right Miles and points strategy are individual and there is no one size fits all approach.

In general I consider Alaskan miles too valuable a mile currency that I would even consider doing it and risk a blocked account, just because I know how it’s done does not mean it’s best choice for me.

And then there is the fact that Alaska may charge you the full price of your ticket if they block your account. If you are only using them for not very expensive short domestic trips that’s one thing. Don’t know about you, but I would not like to be the person ending up with the bill for 4 segments on EK F or something similar?

Especially since Alaska has no limited on how many mile they will simply sell you, except the points.com limit of 4 transactions a card per month.

Now that I have hopefully not scared you away from the Alaska cards, signing up when you have never had the cards or have not had them recently that is totally different thing. Even if you never intend put more spend om them then a pack of gum and intend to cancel after the first year is over, or possibly downgrade to another card no-fee card from BoA. And then some time later getting a new pair of card and doing the same thing.

You did read the part about applying for both cards plus any other BoA cards you might want on the same day so it goes on one credit check? Forgot which article that was.

Just don’t go overboard. I know it’s tempting, but this is a marathon. Not a sprint.

[USER=876]@markreinoso[/USER]

You might want to give that Barclays arrival a second thought by way, since vacation rentals are your preferred way of staying from what you have posted here and on the comments on the arbnb blog post.
[URL]http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-cards/airbnb-earn-credit-cardbonus-travel-rewards/[/URL]