Mile Nerd

On Friday, my mom called to ask me a credit card question. I felt bad after I answered it with some crankiness. Funny thing about human nature…you patiently answer questions every day but end up focusing on that time you had a bad attitude. We were all noobies once and have to get answers somewhere. I hope you all feel comfortable asking me anything. So I’d like to share 10 common noob questions I get asked on a regular basis…

• What do I use my Chase points for?
  (Also, what do I use American Express points for?)
  It’s important to get to know the transfer partners. For Chase Ultimate Rewards, the best option is almost always to transfer them to miles/points. Some of my favorite transfer options are Hyatt and Southwest. I also like United, British, Korean, and Singapore Airlines. Get to know the full list of partners. With your Ink and/or Sapphire credit cards, you’ll rack up the Ultimate Rewards points quickly. Really, it’s all about these mile/point partners. The only non-transfer option I ever use is an occasional car rental.

  As far as Amex Membership Rewards points go, the list of partners is definitely less impressive. But on a very positive note, they offer transfer bonuses a few times every year. I usually wait for one of those promos. British Airways points have usually been my favorite choice. Delta has never been a transfer option I cared about personally.

  You should also be familiar with the Citi ThankYou transfer partners.

• Why do you love Starwood points so much?
  I totally get why you guys ask this. The Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) credit card is always high on my list and doesn’t seem to offer many points. But it’s important to know the value of these things. Look at Pesos, Rupees, or any other weak currency. What might appear to be a big number aint worth much when it comes time to spend. SPG points are very, very valuable. Yes, they transfer to airline miles. But booking hotel stays is always my favorite use of these. There are so many killer values at 3,000 Starwood points per night. And their cash + points offers are some of the best you’ll ever find. Get to know Starwood…it’s hard to find points more valuable.

• So what’s the deal with the Southwest Companion Pass?
  Ah, you mean the best thing going in the world of domestic travel! Basically, earn 110,000 Southwest points in a calender year and it’s yours. Transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards don’t count towards the 110,000. But points from Southwest credit cards do. So if you were to get 2 of those with the 50,000-point promo, you’d be in great shape. The short version of the companion pass is this…your companion will fly free with you on any Southwest flight (paid or points). The post about it is here.

• What am I supposed to do with British Airways Avios points?
  For the most part, the ideal use of airline miles is for international travel in Business or First class. It’s simple. Saving 15 grand is hard to beat. Way, way too many of you are wasting valuable miles. For example, a guy I won’t name just told me about his 50,000 mile roundtrip from LA to New York. If he paid for it, that was a $500 flight. Those miles could have been saved for more valuable uses. But if you don’t want to pay for domestic flights either, what do you do? Southwest is one option. There are many others. The best choice is often British points. For example, LAX to Hawaii is 25,000 Avios for the round-trip. A recent post is here.

• I didn’t get an American Express bonus from a credit card I applied for? Why?
  Simple. Amex screwed us. I’m guessing you’ve had that exact credit card before. If so, you can no longer get a sign-up bonus from the same card EVER AGAIN. Read the wording on your Amex applications, as you might still be able to get away with it occasionally. For the most part…no dice. This was a general guideline I posted a couple years ago (well before the Amex policy change). For now, Chase and Citibank haven’t joined the nonsense, but both do seem to be getting more strict. Remember, noob friends, we’re only talking about the same credit card product. For example, a Marriott Personal card and a Marriott Business card are different products. A Chase Ink Bold and an Ink Plus are different. My Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus are different products. And on and on.

• How come Barclays started hating me?
  I don’t know your exact situation here, but I do have an educated guess. Why? Because I’ve been there too. Barclays showed me nothing but love…and then suddenly decided to slam their doors in my face. Translation: they completely stopped approving me for cards. Yes, even with a higher credit score than ever. The solution that worked for me was showing some spending on my Barclays cards. I took them out of the drawer, started using them again, and I’m back in business.

• Do you still believe in applying for credit cards every 91 days?
  Yes and no. It isn’t the the only method that works. The 91-day thing is still very common. Others have a more random application schedule. This question is usually about doubt and confusion. Look, this is how it usually goes…there’s a fear to start applying for cards, that lasts for a while, then a couple “test” applications take place, maybe a little mistake is made, then people start settling into a rhythm, rack up the points, take a trip, feel relaxed, maybe get sloppy and miss a payment, get mad at themselves, get denied for a card, get frustrated, then start calling reconsideration departments, get more organized, earn more points, etc. The point is that everyone tends to find their own style with this stuff. And it’s not an all-purpose method for everyone. If you can’t handle credit cards, you shouldn’t apply for them. If you can’t pay bills or remember due dates, this isn’t for you.

• This seems complicated. I don’t have time for this stuff. How do you?
  Well, I’m not independently wealthy. If you are, I wish I had your bank account and maybe it would be a different story. But I don’t have that luxury. I want to travel in style, and that means making the time to earn miles and points. It’s actually not that bad if you don’t have a blog to write. Just stay organized. Keep a very detailed spreadsheet tracking everything and this soon becomes a regular part of your day. Know when to apply for cards, when you have to meet spends by, when to close cards, etc. Yes, I regularly close cards with annual fees…usually right before the 1-year mark. Remember,  stay organized!

• What do you think about manufactured spending?
  Again, it takes a little time and a lot of organization. It’s a good time to be in the world of miles and points. You shouldn’t struggle to meet any spends right now.

• Can you help me book a flight from _____ to _____?
  Please know I always respond to every email I get from the blog. If you ever write to me and don’t hear back, make sure you check your spam folder. I love doing everything possible to help. But I just don’t have the time to book flights for people. Those can be very complicated requests and there are many people better at it than I am. If you do decide to hire someone, my recommendation is in the right sidebar. The better idea is to read…learn…study…keep with it…and you’ll keep getting better. Like any of this stuff, it’s just a matter of putting in some time and eventually getting more comfortable.