Best credit card?

[cj001f]

You can cash out the REI CC dividend in July I think.

So you wait up to 18 months - great deal. Or you can spend it on REI merchandise, which is almost always more expensive than some other store, not counting Sales Tax + shipping

Airline Card? Whichever airline you fly. Consolidate your miles. They'll waive the annual fee for upper level elites. If you fly frequently for business status can be worthwhile; for redemption overseas is the means of choice - ex. Nairobi 80k miles or $2.5k cash.

If those don't work - go for cold hard cash.

[uglymoney]

My New Zealand ticket was running right at $1,625 dollars when I used my UAL card to get the same ticket for $35 and 60K miles. The United card has worked well for me since it is the only airline that offers non-stops to Denver from here, and they have numerous overseas locations to spend your miles on. Hard to find those seats though!

[cj001f]

My New Zealand ticket was running right at $1,625 dollars when I used my UAL card to get the same ticket for $35 and 60K miles. The United card has worked well for me since it is the only airline that offers non-stops to Denver from here, and they have numerous overseas locations to spend your miles on. Hard to find those seats though!

As of Q4 that ticket is 90k miles.

[uglymoney]

As of Q4 that ticket is 90k miles.

Bastards! I got in just under their radar with enough miles left to go somewhere, at least I think...

I checked the chart though, and it looks like they raised it to 80k, not 90. Still stinks.

http://www.united.com/ual/asset/MP_a...art_060622.pdf

[GiBo]

Updates? Looking to start putting everything on a card to earn miles. Southwest? United?

[Shredhead]

Updates? Looking to start putting everything on a card to earn miles. Southwest? United?

I have both. Were do you live and were to you go? The United Explorer Card is free the first year and SW's is not.

[GiBo]

I live in California. Mostly need it to visit family in Hawaii, SLC and Boise.

[A2thaK]

Since I live in Durango, the main airline is United. So, I recently signed up for the mileage plus explorer card. Now here's a little trick I figured out. If you are not signed in to your united mileageplus account, the offer to sign up is like 40,000 bonus miles (25k to sign up, 5k after first $1000, then 10k after $20k) HOWEVER, if you log in to your united account, that same offer is 60,000 miles (50k to signup, 5k after first $1,000...) Plus, you get double mioles for each United purchase, earlier boarding, and first free checked bag.

So, my wife and I both signed up for our own cards, and with our exisiting miles we were able to book an economy flight (30k miles) to Geneva and a buisness flight (50k miles) back. FOR FREE. So basically, you can get a free economy rountrip international flight for signing up for this card.

[GiBo]

Ok, I'm a bit slow. So I get a regular account and then sign up for the explorer card to get the extra miles?

[iski123]

Shit, I thought I had a good deal with the Capital One Aspire Cash (1.25% cash back) looks like they have a Cash World card... effectively 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no annual fee, min income 60k though... pretty sure they didn't check up on my income for the aspire card, anyone know what lengths they would go to to confirm the 60k income?

[Shredhead]

Since I live in Durango, the main airline is United. So, I recently signed up for the mileage plus explorer card. Now here's a little trick I figured out. If you are not signed in to your united mileageplus account, the offer to sign up is like 40,000 bonus miles (25k to sign up, 5k after first $1000, then 10k after $20k) HOWEVER, if you log in to your united account, that same offer is 60,000 miles (50k to signup, 5k after first $1,000...) Plus, you get double mioles for each United purchase, earlier boarding, and first free checked bag.

So, my wife and I both signed up for our own cards, and with our exisiting miles we were able to book an economy flight (30k miles) to Geneva and a buisness flight (50k miles) back. FOR FREE. So basically, you can get a free economy rountrip international flight for signing up for this card.

Yep. One of you should drop it now and then sign up again after six months and get bonused a again. As long as one of you on an iterniary has it, you get the free checked bag and priority boarding.

[justcuz]

Updates? Looking to start putting everything on a card to earn miles. Southwest? United?

Check out the Chase Sapphire card. Not sure what the bonus sign up is right now, but you can transfer points one to one to United and Southwest, among other things like hotels. You also get a 7% bonus on any miles you earn throughout the year. No fee the first year, no foreign transaction fees. PM me if you're gonna go this route.

[wolfelot]

I like the swa rapid rewards card. I have no fathomable idea how many free flights I have booked with it. Every single thing we spend money on goes on that card except rent, car payment Costco and student loans. With ANY card always pay off the full amount every month. Also, even if you pay off your balance every month they still make money on the transaction fee to the tune of about 2%.

[uglymoney]

http://thepointsguy.com/top-deals/

I don't really have the time right now but a friend uses this site to get cards and miles and then he cancels before the fee at the end of the year and repeat. He has been doing this for a few years and is flying all over hell for free. Be aware that United has a 'lifetime' cap on how many miles you can earn through a card starter bonus. Good place to get the latest news on what is hot right now. Earning miles through sign up bonus is much easier than through spending. He notes that his credit score has not been adversely affected by several years of card churning.

[GiBo]

Since I live in Durango, the main airline is United. So, I recently signed up for the mileage plus explorer card. Now here's a little trick I figured out. If you are not signed in to your united mileageplus account, the offer to sign up is like 40,000 bonus miles (25k to sign up, 5k after first $1000, then 10k after $20k) HOWEVER, if you log in to your united account, that same offer is 60,000 miles (50k to signup, 5k after first $1,000...) Plus, you get double mioles for each United purchase, earlier boarding, and first free checked bag.

So, my wife and I both signed up for our own cards, and with our exisiting miles we were able to book an economy flight (30k miles) to Geneva and a buisness flight (50k miles) back. FOR FREE. So basically, you can get a free economy rountrip international flight for signing up for this card.

I tried this. Signed up for mileage plus, signed on, clicked on the explorer card but the offer is only for 40k. Am I missing something?

[jfost]

I tried this. Signed up for mileage plus, signed on, clicked on the explorer card but the offer is only for 40k. Am I missing something?

tell them your "friend" A2thaK says you get 50K miles... that'll get their attention!

[CaliBrit]

Chase diamond preferred. (note I have read nothing of this thread).

[murph]

I don't know, but at this point I'll take just about any one. I didn't get a card in college when they're throwing them at you, which was in retrospect, an actualy mistake. And now, I've gotten rejected from several card companies because I have no credit. Well, of course, I'm 23.

*sigh*

Insane, isn't it? I had the same problem when trying to buy a house, not enough lines of credit. Sorry for being responsible....

[murph]

Obviously AMEX Black. That shit is baller.

In seriousness, I use Fidelity Rewards Visa. Gives me cash back I can dump directly into my Fidelity stocks. I don't need a rewards points system that lets me buy golf clubs and speakers for my iPod and other skymall crap.

[nfaust]

Shit, I thought I had a good deal with the Capital One Aspire Cash (1.25% cash back) looks like they have a Cash World card... effectively 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no annual fee, min income 60k though... pretty sure they didn't check up on my income for the aspire card, anyone know what lengths they would go to to confirm the 60k income?

Have you shopped around more for better rates?

I use:
Amex Blue Cash Preferred ($75 annual fee)
6% cash back at US stand-alone supermarkets
3% cash back on gas at US stand-alone gas stations and select major department stores
1% cash back on all other purchases
Plus $150 bonus if you spend $1k in first 3 months

And a PenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards
5% cash back at gas stations
0.25% cash back on all other purchases

I use the Amex for everything except for gas, which is what I use the Penfed Visa for. There's also a free Amex Blue Cash card, but you only get 3% back on groceries. (You need to spend >$2500 on groceries annually to cover the $75 fee on the preferred card).

I used to only fly like once a year, so at the time, cash back made the most sense for me, but it may be time to re-evaluate what's out there.

Edit: I was off on my maths. You need to spend $2500 on groceries annually for it to make sense to use the preferred card. A nice trick though is that you can buy gift cards (for amazon, gas stations, best buy, etc) at the grocery store and still get your 6% back. Bad news is as of January 2013, you'll only earn cash back on the first $6k of groceries purchases annually.

[A2thaK]

I tried this. Signed up for mileage plus, signed on, clicked on the explorer card but the offer is only for 40k. Am I missing something?

Maybe the cancelled the 60k bonus. I signed up for it in Aug, and two of my buddies did in Sept. I would try calling the United Explorer card number and ask for it. Say something along the lines of you had seen it for 60k but don't now. I bet they will give it to you.

[alpinevibes]

I am liking my Chase Saphire Preferred. I got 50k points at signup, 2 points per dollar for travel/restaurant at least and all points can be transferred 1:1 to any airline milage program or used to book trips through Chase's program with a 20% discounted price on points (ie. miles).

[Shredhead]

http://thepointsguy.com/top-deals/
Be aware that United has a 'lifetime' cap on how many miles you can earn through a card starter bonus.

Do you know what the cap is?

[funkendrenchman]

I tried this. Signed up for mileage plus, signed on, clicked on the explorer card but the offer is only for 40k. Am I missing something?

I just tried it and got 50K to sign up after $1000 in the first three months.

[ate'em]

I need to get a second credit card and want to make the most of it.

What do I want?
No foreign transaction fees
Minimal annual card fee
Visa or Mastercard, no Amex please

Airline miles are a game I have never been able to play well. I dont fly a lot, and when I do, I need specific flights to oddball destinations, leaving from small Colorado airports with limited airline choices. So I am skeptical about the airline miles, but hearing about you all flying to Europe/New Zealand/Hawaii for free sounds good for sure. Make it simple and I'd be there in a hurry.

I checked out ThePointsGuy and FlyerTalk, and it was all a bit beyond my non-frequently-flying understanding.

Right now I get 1% cash back on everything from my USAA Platinum, so that's my baseline for rewards. They do charge a foreign transaction fee though.

Whats the best thing going right now?
thanks