100,000 BA Miles Have Been Credited Into My BA Executive Club Account

By: Mr Credit Card

07/11/2011

Here’s an update for those of you who have been following up with the mega sign up bonuses that every card seems to be offering these days. Both Mrs Credit Card and myself signed up for the BA 100,000 Bonus Miles offer a while ago (two months if I recall correctly). The ways it worked was that we got 50,000 bonus miles after our first purchase and another 50,000 after we had spent $3,000 within the first month.

Mrs Credit Card was the first to get her 100,000 bonus miles because she spent into well within one month (as in before her first billing cycle). I put $3,000 on the card as well (but due to the billing cycle), I only got 50,000 during the first cycle. Well, I just got the Chase BA statement today in the mail and another 50,000+ miles were credited into my BA account. I logged onto my account and there it was (see screen shot below).

More Opportunities To Earn BA Miles

Right now, I am considering ways to add more miles to our BA account. But how much? We are in a little bit of a dilemma here. You see, we have three kids. One alternative is to use a total of 250,000 BA miles for 5 economy tickets to Asia via Cathay Pacific next year. All we need is another 50,000 miles (and that is easy to get). But the thought of flying hours (even with a good carrier like Cathay on economy seats) just does not appeal to me.

Perhaps a trip to Europe will do. 60,000 miles on a BA partner will do. That means we need another 100,000 miles (which is doable). Or Mrs Credit Card and myself could take a business flight to Europe (about 120,000 miles per seat) with a partner airline. That means we need about 240,000 miles.

How to Add More BA Miles?

Well, we have a couple of ways to achieve more miles. Firstly, we could both get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which is now offering a 50,000 sign up bonus if you spend $3,000 within 3 months. That would mean another 100,000 for both Mrs Credit Card and myself.

In addition to that, I could transfer the 60,000 bonus miles from my Membership Rewards to BA miles. And if I do it before the end of July 2011, I get 50% more miles. That means potentially another 90,000 (if I choose to). I could also borrow an additional 60,000 bonus miles from my MR because I have the Platinum Card from American Express and I could “borrow” up to 60,000 miles. That means I could actually transfer another 120,000 MR points to get 180,000 BA miles!

I’m not too sure what to do now. It all depends on where I plan to travel next year and I have to plan in advance. But the choices are wide open for me. Chances are that Mrs Credit Card and myself will apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card soon. We’ll let you know of our plans once we firm it up.

Using Credit Cards For Their Sign Up Bonus

By: Jason Steele

07/08/2011

Earlier this week, I wrote about my friend who is using his credit cards to earn money from his business travel. At the end of the post, I recommended to him that his next step should be using credit cards not just for his daily spending, but to earn large sign up bonuses.

My Friend’s Reaction

Thankfully, he enjoyed the piece I wrote and he appreciated my suggestions regarding his future travels. He wanted me to follow up on the following questions:

Can you comment on getting a card to get the miles (like the 100,000 mile bonus from BA), but then not using it afterwards? Is it worth it to get a card, get the promo miles (using it a little) and then discontinue it’s use/cancel it? What’s the effect on someone’s credit when that’s done repeatedly?

Getting A Card And Not Using It

There is absolutely nothing wrong with obtaining a credit card for a sign up bonus. I suppose someone might make a moral or ethical argument that your acceptance of a generous sign up bonus constitutes some sort of gentleman’s agreement that you will actually use the card. Although I strive to be a very moral and ethical person, I have yet to be convinced that my relationship with a bank is anything other than a standard contract. According to the bank’s terms, there is no reason why I should use their card if I choose not to. If they did need me to use the card in order to justify their sign up bonus, they would condition their offer on my spending a minimum amount. Indeed, with the British Airways card that my friend used as an example, cardholders initially received 50,000 bonus miles, but they were required to spend an additional $2,500 in three months in order to receive the other 50,000 miles. This is also an apt example in that my wife and I continue to use our cards even after we have received the full 100,000 mile bonus. This card offers an outstanding 1.25 miles per dollar spent as opposed to the single mile offered by most airline affiliated cards. Furthermore, we are both striving to earn the award companion certificate that is only received after spending $30,000.

Is it Worth Getting The Miles And Canceling the Card?

I can remember a time where I just felt instinctively that this is too good to be true. It just felt like I was ordering a fine meal and there was no one physically preventing me skipping out on the bill. Eventually, I realized the comparison was more like returning a product after you had received some use from it. Just as stores are willing to take the small risk that they will receive used merchandise, banks are willing to bet their sign up bonuses that you will continue to use the card. While it is rare that I will receive a sign up bonus, never use a card, and then cancel it, I have done so on occasion without guilt or remorse, just as I have returned products to the store that I later decided not to keep.

What’s the effect on someone’s credit when that’s done repeatedly?

Surprisingly, there is little effect on one’s credit from opening a card for the sign up bonus. Remember, the vast majority of your credit score is determined by your payment history and your total debt. In fact, the debt portion of your score is partially determined by your credit utilization ratio. Having more credit cards helps that ratio as being granted more credit lowers the percentage of your balance relative to your available credit. Opening many accounts does not help is you in some ways. One is your average credit history. This is a component of your credit score, albeit a minor one. You can mitigate the impact of opening a new account from time to time by keeping some accounts open over a long time frame. I have several cards that I have kept for years, both because they are good cards and because I extend my average credit history. Another way to ease this negative effect is to keep new cards open for a year as there really is no point in closing them before your annual fee is due. Even then, they may waive the annual fee if you ask. Finally, your credit score can be slightly impacted by opening many new cards in a short period of time. Another small factor in your score is the amount of new credit lines applied for in the last three months and in the last 12. By limiting my applications only to the just a few each year, I can avoid taking a hit on this measure as well. These days, I only sign up for the best offers on the best cards.

Three is no reason not to sign up for a card just for a bonus, as long as you do it the right way.

Road Warriors Seeking Cash Over Miles

By: Jason Steele

07/06/2011

As a former business traveler who is no longer being reimbursed for my travels, I am sometimes jealous of those who get to be road warriors. I watched the movie “Up In The Air” kind of like veteran watching a war movie. I have been there, I miss it, but I am not sure if I would want to go back. Last night, I caught up with a friend who has just completed his first full year on the road. My past experiences combined with my travel expertise allowed me to speak the lingo like I was sitting next to him in first class. What really opened my eyes was how his goals for travel and credit card spend differs from mine.

Cash Is Still King For Some

My mission with my travel and my credit cards is to earn enough miles to take my family on vacations at the least possible cost to our discretionary spending. Since we have family overseas, we require three international award tickets every year or two. While you can’t really call visiting family a vacation, it does help if you are traveling in business class. Three international business class award seats to Tel Aviv will run about 360,000 miles in most programs. That is quite a challenge for a non-business traveler, but I have a good streak going.

On the other hand, my friend travels domestically for business nearly every week. He really doesn’t yet see the need to earn as many travel points and miles as possible. To him, the game is all about earning extra take home money.

How He Does It

He is an Atlanta based traveler, so that ensures that he uses Delta for most flights. Yes, there is Airtran, but most Atlanta based business travelers spring for Delta in hopes of first class upgrades and international awards. He does have a Delta Reserve card to get Medallion Qualifying Miles, lounge access, and upgrade priority. He did have the misfortune of starting to travel at mid year last year, only making Gold. Nevertheless, he will soon reach Platinum this year and is on-track for making Diamond by year end.

Nothing unusual there, Atlanta is filled with Delta Medallions using their Amex to reach the next tier. Many of them are even related to me. What he told me next surprised me. He uses a fairly standard, non-Delta Amex for all his hotel and rental car purchases. By staying at Marriott hotels and renting cars from Hertz, he earns 5% cash back with their OPEN program. His goal is merely to pocket as much cash as possible and 5% of all his hotel and rental car expense can be quite a lot.

My Reaction

In retrospect, it is kind of strange that I found it unusual that a business traveler might actually seek money over miles. Money is always great, and there is no doubt that 5% cash back beat just about any other reward points or miles. In fact, I was able to steer him to the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards card that will earn him the same 5% on airfare. Certainly, five cents is better than the two SkyPesos he would have earned if he charged his Delta tickets to his Delta card. In fact, the PenFed card is offering 20,000 points as a sign up bonus and earning 5% on hotel and dining between now and the end of August. The problem really is converting points to cash. They have many gift cards and other merchandise, but that is not the same as cash. I think he can book travel through them and bill his clients for that travel. This is probably the best way to convert his points to cash.

What Kind Of Cash Are We Talking About

He was able to ballpark his monthly business travel spending at $6,000. Lets say he travels ten months out of the year, so that is $60,000. If he were able to convert five percent of that into cash, he would be looking at $3,000. Remember that cash back rewards are seen by the IRS as discounts, no different than using a coupon at a store. Therefore, the $3,000 earned is kind of like earning about $5,000 or so in additional salary, so we are talking about real money here. Throw in rewards from personal spending, and it is foreseeable that his family is earning over $4,000 a year from credit card rewards.

Where To Go From Here

He is definitely on the right track, especially if he can get 5% back on airfare in addition to hotel stays and car rentals. I would stick with the Delta Reserve card, if only for the upgrade priority and the MQMs. He should continue to use his Amex to earn both OPEN savings on hotels and cards and for the Membership Rewards points. Make sure to reach Diamond to get as many upgrades as possible. Finally, always be on the lookout for exceptional credit card sign up bonuses like the now expired Capital One Match My Miles or the British Airways 100,000 mile sign up bonus. Earning tons of cash back on reimbursed travel expenses is one thing, but the next step is to earn cash and miles without even leaving home.

The Same Card Can Have Different Terms Depending On How You Apply

By: Jason Steele

07/01/2011

While some people still fill out credit card applications at retailers or at kiosks like the ones they have at airports, the vast majority of credit card application occur online. This system allows companies to make different offers to different people for various reasons. The problem is that some offers will invariably be better than others. This might work well for the banks, but as a card holder, you really should take the time to make sure you are getting the best possible offer. Here are some ways that different offers are presented to different people:

Two Different Links

Take a look at the following credit card offer:

This does not seem to be such a bad offer. I actually like the Chase Ink card for one of the key benefits that is not highlighted on this page, their Blueprint program. This innovative system allows customers to pay some charges in full without interest while carrying a balance on other charges.

Anyways, take a look at this nearly identical page:

Notice the difference? The second offer provides 5% cash back on office supplies, telephone, and cable. The first offer provide 3% cash back on some categories of spending, while the second offer is only 2% on some of the same categories including gas and dining.

This is actually an unusual case. Typically the biggest difference between various offers is in the promotional financing or bonus miles/points given out. To find the best offer, you really have to look around the Internet, including any offers you may have received by mail or through email. When you apply online, you should always make sure to capture a screen shot of the offer. It is very common for your application to be coded incorrectly and for cardholders not to be given the terms they applied for.

Targeted Offers

When you receive an offer in the mail or by email that differs from the ones that are seen online, that is called a targeted offer. Sometimes, targeted offers are really open to anyone who has a copy of the link, while others have special codes that make them unique to the recipient. As with other offers, always retain a copy of the terms just in case you never receive your promised benefits.

Variable Acceptance

A relatively new trend is for cards that list several different possible terms that could be granted to an applicant, depending on his or her credit worthiness. Typically, these varying terms have to do with interest rates or promotional financing offers. Barclay’s bank has been known to offer multiple different cards with different sign up bonuses. The problem is that they will decide which card you receive after you have applied. You are essentially wasting a credit check in the hopes that you will receive the more favorable offer. Many people are disappointed when they apply to one card with a great sign up bonus and they actually are sent a different card with a lower bonus. They rightfully feel that they have been subject to a bait and switch.

Using Cookies To Vary Offers

Cookies are electronic files that web sites store in your browser. These files can be used by companies to determine various things about the user who is visiting their site. They can then present different terms to different users for various reasons. According to this article, both Capital One and Discover have been known to do this.

Conclusions

Just like everyone visiting a car dealer will be offered a different price, so may be the case with your next credit card application. Customers need to be aware of the various ways that banks can make different offers to different people. By becoming a savvy credit card user, you can be sure that you always receive the best offer available.

Another Piece Of Information

By: Jason Steele

06/28/2011

There is a scene in the movie “My Cousin Vinny” where the cousin of the title character is explaining to his friend why this person was born to be an attorney. He tells the story of the time that Vinny watched a magician’s act. After each trick, Vinny would shout out the secret as to how the illusion was performed. This kind of observation, he explained, was just part of the family culture.

In my family, we have another game we like to play. We like share tips about how to manipulate companies into giving us what we want and feel we deserve. When we learn a new trick, we proudly share it with each other so that we may all benefit when the time comes. That said, everything we do is strictly legal and ethical. Allow me to share the latest trick we learned.

Informing Customer Service

Some relatives of mine were returning home after a trip overseas. Some members of the party were traveling on tickets earned from frequent flier miles while others were on paid tickets. The only frequent flier seats available at the lower mileage rates required a change of planes at JFK airport in New York, even though there was non-stop flight to their destination. At the airport, they inquired as to whether or not there was space available on the non-stop flight. They were assured that there was, however some members of the party would have to pay a change fee while others would need to contribute additional miles in order to change their reservation. The check in agent assured them that those were the correct policies.

My family member patiently listened to the agent recite the policy, and then responded, “Allow me to give you another piece of information.” My relative then proceeded to mention that the members of the party had been flying this route frequently, that they held status with the airline, and that they had been frequent customers for decades. They then politely asked the agent if it would be possible to check with her manager to see if they might be able to switch flights to the non-stop.

No DYKWIA

DYKWIA is a popular acronym on travel boards like FlyerTalk. It stands for Do You Know Who I Am. The term is always used in a derogatory fashion to refer to people who are trying to break the rules by pretending that they are extremely important. Invariably, these people have an overinflated ego and are otherwise of little consequence. The beauty of “Allow me to give you another piece of information,” is its modesty. DYKWIA is an implied threat that the low paid, front line customer service agent will have their job threaten by a pompous customer. “Allow me to give you another piece of information.” is merely a request to search their systems to for information that they can use to justify doing what the customer requests. It replaces the adversarial DYKWIA with a cooperative suggestion. In this way, the customer and the customer service agent are on the same side, battling a corporate policy that is clearly not serving the present interests company of the customer. In the above scenario, it is much more likely that the flight to New York was overbooked while the non-stop flight to my family’s final destination had plenty of space. If that was the case, everyone came out a winner. By offering “another piece of information,” my family gave the agent the leverage needed to appeal the decision to her supervisor.

How This Can Work For You

Companies are often referred to as if they were individuals. Businesses are just loose groups of people,who’s main connection to each other is through an information system. These systems cannot possibly inform everyone of everything, and it is unlikely that each person you interact with even has a chance to try to gauge your history with their employer. This is as true for airlines as it is for banks. When you call up your bank and ask them to lower your interest rate or waive a fee, you may be denied initially. By offering “some more information,” you can prompt the agent to dig a little deeper into your file and discover something that they can use to support your request.

Conclusion

As an institution, a company is only interested in making as much profit as possible, but individually, customer service agents probably just want to help you so long as you are nice to them. If they were allowed to do so, most customer service agents would probably say, as Jerry McGuire famously pleaded, “Help me help you!” By offering additional information rather than attempting to pull rank, you can do just that.

Can I Apply for an Unsecured Credit Card with Really Bad Credit to Get My Credit Score Up?

By: patton

06/27/2011

Can i apply for a unsecured credit card with really bad credit to get my credit up?

Thanks,
Yvette

Hi there, Yvette! Can I ask a question right off the top? How bad is bad? I won’t play Tim Roth in “Lie To Me” and act like I can’t deal with your problem until I get a proper answer, but it would be nice to know. With that said, we’ll kind of deal with all sorts of bad, what things you can do about it, and how to rebuild credit with credit cards. It’s a delicate process (because you could be in pretty deep), but it’s a fixable problem over the long term.

The Bad, The Worse And The Ugly

Alright, let’s say your credit score is in the low 500’s. That’s pretty bad, but it’s not the end of the road. You are not completely disqualified from everything. (Speaking from personal experience, a friend’s credit was so low that a bank wouldn’t even give them a checking account. So, you’re probably doing better than that.) However, you do have a ways to go. If you’re in the low 500’s you probably have many outstanding debts and some charge-offs that are not pretty. We’ll get to that in a second.

You may not be doing so badly if you’re in the high 500’s. Here, your score still starts with a five, but it’s going somewhere. You should be encouraged that you can work from this place easily back into decent standing. It may take some time, but you can do it.

Other people are in the 600’s and think that that is terrible. Well, if you’ve read the two examples above you’ll see that 600 isn’t that bad. It isn’t great, and it won’t you a Ferrari, but it won’t leave you hanging either. So, it’s all about perspective.

What To Do

Well, before you even think of rebuilding your credit with credit cards, it might be a good idea to know what’s going on with your credit. You are entitled to a free credit report every year, and you need to get it, like, now. Don’t ignore the commercials and offers. Get the free one for each bureau (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to see what it says.

Most things will come off your credit report after seven years. Yep, they just fall off. It’s the most miraculous thing. That friend I mentioned, they waited out a ton of things on their credit report and their score shot into the upper 600’s in no time after the items fell off. It should be noted that companies will purchase your debts for pennies on the dollar long after the seven year time frame is up and they’ll try to get you to pay on them. This reactivates the debt, and this is yet another reason to know what’s on your credit report. Don’t get back into debts that aren’t even counted against you anymore.

The next thing to do is decide if there are any debts you can deal with to get them showing up as paid on your report. That, of course, helps a lot. They may be small, but every little bit helps. You may not have time to wait seven years for everything, so you might need to get moving on repaying some old debts.

Keep the free reports, write on them, take notes, and keep a ledger of what you’ve paid, what has fallen off, and get new ones every year. It’s a brilliant idea to manage your credit. We have a free report here that shows you how to clean up your credit reports the right way.

The Cards That Can Help Rebuild Your Credit

Orchard Bank and Capital One both have cards that offer help in rebuilding credit. Now, some of these cards are secured and others are not. You could also go to a bank like First Premier that offers secured and unsecured cards.

Secured and unsecured cards offer the same benefits–building your credit. However, a secured credit card is easier to get because it requires a deposit that protects the issuer. So, you put in, say, a $500 deposit and that is your credit line. Now, that’s pretty smart because you can get your foot in the door and you’ll likely want to keep this card in good standing. You don’t have to use this card forever, but you need to keep it long enough to get a line of credit that is unsecured.

You could progress to an unsecured card with Orchard Bank of Capital One, or you may want to do something different.

What if you get a card from a retailer for something practical? Let’s say you have to some home improvements or remodeling that is pretty important. Well, you’ve got the retailer there offering a card and savings when you open the card. Take it. The credit line will be small, enough to finish the project, and small enough that you can keep it in good standing without much problem. So, you get something you need, you get a credit line that shows up on your credit report, and everybody wins.

After that, you could move on to a bigger name card that offers a bigger credit line, and more options or rewards. That’s where you want to be going. Let’s face it, anyone can see the progression on your credit report, and seeing this progression of credit is a good thing for someone to see when you’re applying for a loan, etc.

The Bottom Line

Patience is the key. You could be starting from rock bottom, but you can rebuild your credit (not just with secured credit cards, but they do help), but you can rebuild your credit with a strategy that puts you in the right places at the times with the resources you can handle at the time. Don’t go too big at first, plan for big things in the end, and you’ll end up with what you want–better credit. Don’t be afraid of secured credit cards, there’s no shame in using them, and they lead you to a better end.

Above all, remember the three principles of great credit:

Always make your payments on time
Never charge more than 30% of your total available credit
Build up to at least three credit cards over time (wait at least six months in between applications).

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Travel Cancellation Coverage

By: Jason Steele

06/24/2011

A reader asks:

“Does Citi or Chase credit cards include travel cancellation coverage?”

The Answer:

Some Citi Cards offer travel cancellation coverage but none of the Chase cards do. The Citi cards that feature this coverage include the Thank You Premier, Thank You Prestige, Thank You Preferred, and the Platinum Select AAdvantage (American Airlines) cards. This policy is offered by the Virginia Surety Company. Citi provides no description of this policy on its website, they only say that it is secondary and that further details are provided after you receive the card.

I looked up the web site for the Virginia Surety Company. Their brochure mentions their trip cancellation policies that they sell. Here is their description:

Travelers will be reimbursed for unused, nonrefundable cancellation charges imposed by the travel group and/or airfare cancellation charges for flights joining or departing traveler’s land arrangements due to sickness, accidental injury or death.

While there is no way to know what all the restrictions are, you can be sure that there are many. First, you can expect them to exclude pre-existing conditions. This means that you can’t just book a cruise for grandma on the belief that if her current health issues don’t subside she will be reimbursed for the trip. Furthermore, these policies often exclude people not traveling with the cardholder, another reason not to rely on this policy when booking a trip for another person. This is merely scratching the surface of all the possible limitations and exclusions. It would be easy to imagine receiving a document full of several pages of fine print, especially for a coverage like this that is included for free with a credit card.

When you make the decision whether or not you need to purchase a separate travel cancellation policy, be sure to thoroughly read through the entire document. Most travelers know very little about the insurance policies that they purchase, and those who are receiving some sort of insurance from their credit card as a a benefit know even less. In this case, Citi earns much of the blame for failing to make the details of the policy available on their website. In the end, the blame will be irrelevant if they can legally deny your claim based on the written policy, even if you have not read it.

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The Latest News In Wireless Payments

By: Jason Steele

06/23/2011

I can foresee a world where an actual credit card is a relic akin to rotary phone, but we are not there yet. There are several wireless payment systems that are being developed, but we are a long ways away from a clear standard.

Some use wireless communication between a card and a terminal, while others rely on a smartphone to magically transmit your account information. Here are a couple of the latest developments.

Paying With Sounds

One of the more interesting ideas I have heard in a while is this system where payments are made with sound. Like a dog whistle, this system would use sounds that are out of the range of human hearing. Unlike other systems being developed, this payment method may be backwardly compatible with your existing phone. This system, called Zoosh:

…involves software that utilizes the speaker and microphone in a handset to send and receive audio signals with another device, similar to the way early modems exchange data by sending tones through the handsets of desk phones cradled in coupler devices.

I guess I can see this working, so long as they solve the problem of electronic eavesdropping. On the other hand, I am having trouble seeing how this is easier that swiping a card.

Chip And Pin Gains Steam In The United States

Right now, the most popular wireless payment system is Chip and Pin. This system where you waive your card and provide a PIN is wildly popular throughout most countries not named “America.” The sad result is that American travelers are bewildered when their cards are not accepted in Europe. This happens at the places you would least like to have trouble paying; public transpiration, automated gas pumps, and vending machines. These machines are unattended and the hapless American tourists are left to scratch their heads wondering if machine is broken or if they have merely failed to comprehend the instructions clearly written in Bulgarian.

Slowly, some banks are stepping in to fill the demand for a credit card that will work in these situations. US Bank has become the first major bank to offer a card with Chip And Pin technology.

U.S. Bank is pleased to be the first issuer in the United States to provide dual interface EMV cards that can be conveniently used anywhere whether it be a chip-card reader with a merchant overseas or a contactless payment terminal or magstripe reader here in the United States, said Cliff Cook, chief marketing officer for U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions. While we believe EMV is important for our international travel cardholders, we are committed to driving contactless mobile payments in the United States.

This feature is offered on its otherwise unremarkable FlexPerks card.

Where Are We Going?

It would be nice to have all my credit cards stored in my cell phone’s memory. Every time I use one, it would be able to tell me my current balance on the card and the next payment due date. I would also like to see some quick details about the credit card rewards offered or the foreign transaction fees levied. In this way, developers could easily build applications that would automatically select the best card for the merchant I am visiting. Ideally, I would pay with the card that has the furthest due date, or the highest rewards.

The alternative is a world where my credit card information is on my phone, but I see few real benefits. I don’t have to carry the cards in my wallet or swipe them, but is that such a big deal? I am sure I will still have to carry a wallet with ID and other information, so slimming down by a few cards is hardly a revolution. Nevertheless, I will stay on top of these trends and let you know where it is all going every step of the way.

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Why I Don't Need Lounge Access

By: Jason Steele

06/22/2011

One of the big perks being offered by credit cards is lounge memberships. The Delta Reserve card has their SkyClub access included. The Amex Platinum card has access to American, US Airways, and Delta lounges. Many cards have the Priority Pass membership which is mostly just a discount.

While these offers are tempting, the truth is that I have only been to a handful of business lounges. I have never paid for access and I don’t have a credit card that gets me in. At the same time, I can only think of one time that I wanted access but didn’t have it. Here is why:

Things I Have Been Telling People About Miles

By: Jason Steele

06/21/2011

I have been doing some socializing lately, and when I tell people that I write about miles, they all have ton of questions. Usually their interest peaks up when I tell them about all the places I go to for free.

So Here Is What They Ask Me:

1. What Is The Best Credit Card To Have. Short answer: Starwood Amex. Having a Starwood card is like having a master key to the airlines system. Using Starwood points, you can get free air and hotel pretty much anywhere. The points can be converted to frequent flier miles in dozens of programs while they can also be used for redemptions at Westins, Sheratons and other Starwood brands. Best of all, there are no capacity restrictions or blackout dates.

My long answer has to do with what they are trying to get out of their credit cards. If they are looking for great sign up bonuses and free trips, there are still some ways to get 75,ooo miles from American Airlines using the Citi cards. If you know where to look on FlyerTalk, you can find the links along with instructions on how to get two sign up bonuses at once. A couple doing that can quickly and easily earn 300,000 miles total. That will them some nice vacations to Europe and the Caribbean in business class.

2. I Have Lots Of Miles, But I Can’t Find Awards, What Should I Do With Them? One person I spoke to had a ton of US Airways miles from credit card spending. Sadly, they have terrible award availability when you look online. The problem is that their only awards that they show online are on US Airways flights. The real value in those miles is in partner awards. US Airways is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes great carriers like Air Canada, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Turkish, as well as so-so companies like United and Continental. The only way to book partner awards is to call them, but you are better off searching for the space yourself using the ANA website of the KVS Tool.

3. How Do I Get To XXX For Free? Well, you could get the aforementioned American Airlines credit cards for their sign up bonuses. Another current promotion is with US Airways where they are selling miles for half price. You can 100,000 miles for $1,500. That will get you a business class ticket to Europe or South America for less than the price of coach. Again, the biggest problem here is the difficulty in booking partner awards with US Airways.

4. Should I Get This Credit Card? As someone who is always looking for a good credit card deal, I have finally concluded that I am not getting any more credit cards unless the sign up bonus is worth at least $750. In the last year, I have gotten the a Southwest card that had a free round trip and $500 worth of gift cards, a Capital One Venture card that gave me $1,000 cash back, and the British Airways card that had a 100,000 mile sign up bonus. Simply put, I am beyond the point where I would bother with a card for less than $750 or 75,000 miles. You can show me whatever card you want, but I will patiently wait for something better and I will almost certainly find it every few months. That said, I already have the best travel rewards card (Starwood Amex) and one of the best cash back cards, (Capital One Venture Rewards).

5. How Did You Get Such A Cheap Rental Car? Hotwire. It is not an auction or a bidding thing, you know the price before you go in. You also know that they only deal with the top five agencies with offices at the airport. I end up with cars for about $25 a day, including all taxes and fees. That said, I always score the best price and I don’t even have to play the coupon code games. The biggest problem is that, unlike other rental reservations, we can’t cancel or change this. I did miss out on a chance to share car expenses with family members once when we realized they arrived before me. We couldn’t change the person or the time on the rental. Next time, we will try to book last minute.

6. Can You Help Me Find An Award Ticket To XXX? Yes, that is what I do. You don’t even have to run into me socially to get me to help you. I write about travel here and at other sites, and I am always looking to help people with travel and write about the experience. Drop us a line here at AskMrCredit card and we will get you to where you want to go!

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