Update Dec. 2015: Per the comments, the double application trick is effectively dead.
Note: I posted an update here about the miles posting.
Back when I first got into points & miles, one of first tricks I learned from other blogs was the infamous “two browser trick” with Citibank American Airlines credit cards in which you could get two American Airlines credit cards with a 75,000 mile signup bonus if you applied for the cards at the same time using different internet browsers. Well, I can now confirm the newest two browser trick: Alaska Airlines personal credit cards from Bank of America.
While prepping for my wife’s latest round of credit card applications, I wanted to include an Alaska Airlines credit card since they are churnable as you can get the signup bonus again and again without any issue. On Flyertalk, there was a post of someone getting approved for both cards at once so I decided to try it and report my findings. The current best offer for the Alaska Airlines credit card is 25,000 miles + $100 statement credit after spending $1,000 in 3 months with the annual fee of $75 NOT waived. This isn’t the largest ever signup bonus for this card and not necessarily an exciting offer by itself. However if you could double this offer for a single credit inquiry, this offer becomes more attractive.
Here how I got approved for two personal Alaska Airlines credit cards:
- Closed all internet browsers and opened an incognito Google Chrome window and a private session Internet Explorer (I’m sure a private window in Firefox would work as well).
- Pasted the link for the 25,000 mile offer + $100 statement credit in each browser.
- Important: On one application, I chose the Northern Lights design while on the other I chose the Classic design. I have no idea if this actually made a difference but my thinking is BofA’s computers will not mark the applications are duplicates since technically the applications are different due to the card design. I haven’t tested trying out the same design on each but I recommend doing different designs since I know this works.
- I completed the application for my wife in each window quickly to avoid possible timing out the page but I did NOT click submit yet.
- Once I got to the next page before hitting the final submit application, I quickly verified the information I entered on each was identical (with the exception of the design of the card noted above).
- I clicked submit on one application and I immediately, as quick as I could (use ALT+TAB) switched to the other application and hit submit. I did this in about a second or so. I don’t know how quick you need to be but I imagine a few seconds is fine.
- About 30 seconds later, I got the message my wife was instantly approved for both cards with identical credit lines on each card. Make sure the credit line is above $5k otherwise you will get approved for a lower level card and not receive the 25k miles.
- Since there is no minimum spending requirement for the 25,000 miles (you only need to spend the $1,000 to get a $100 statement credit), the miles should have posted a few days after approval. I applied for the cards on 1/10 and 50,000 miles posted in my wife’s account on 1/18 though the activity was backdated to 1/12. SUCCESS!
- I currently see two credit pulls from Bank of America on my wife’s credit report. They haven’t combined just yet but I fully expect them to do so within a few weeks. And if they don’t, I’m confident in my ability to call and get the pulls combined.
Confirmation of miles posting
Will this work for other Bank of America credit cards? I don’t know and I haven’t test this out to try it. Personally, I believe the offers from BofA to be pretty weak with the Alaska Airlines card as the true standout among their offers due to how valuable their points are.
What if I’m not instantly approved and I have to call the reconsideration line? I don’t know how Bank of America will react if a rep see two pending applications. They will most likely assume it’s a duplicate application but you might be able to explain why you need two cards. You could explain that you want to track different type of expenses or if you added an authorized user on one card, you want to keep the expenses from individuals on separate statements. This is a big YMMV.
Can I do this with Bank of America Business cards? Again, I don’t know and I haven’t tested it. What is interesting though is that after applying for the personal card, on the approval screen I was offered the chance to apply for the business version of the card as well. I didn’t try it out as my wife doesn’t have a legitimate business but I did have someone else try this for me. The business application was initially marked as pending after getting approved for both personal cards. After a call to reconsideration, he was approved so in total he netted 3 Alaska cards (2 personal, 1 business) in a day.
Post your results and findings in the comments!
PointsCentric 
thanks for the post! good to know, wish I’d known this when I applied for the card a month ago lol. Will prob try it for the city card in a couple of months.. Do those have different card designs too? Or will it suffice to use different email addresses?
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I don’t think there are different designs on other cards but maybe a different email address will work. I haven’t tested it but that seems like a good idea.
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[…] ago I wrote, what turned out to be one of my most popular posts so far in 2015, about how the Two Browser Trick was Back with the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Credit Card. In case you missed it, I tested whether you could apply for two Alaska Airline credit cards […]
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[…] tried the two-browser trick on 2 personal cards when I read this: https://pointscentric.com/2015/01/21/…s-credit-card/ Both went to pending review. My first time applying for BOA cards. Is the best approach for BOA to […]
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[…] the same card at the same time with Capital One. We’ve heard about such tricks with Citi and recently with Bank of America. Apparently, with Capital One it could work as well. Of course, this will all only work if the […]
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Just a data point here:
A friend of mine applied for two cards using this trick, and both were pending.
He didn’t call, and both were approved automatically with 9k credit limit in a couple of days.
Both bonus posted a day after approval.
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Awesome, thanks for the update
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Hey did both of the new cards show up in your Bank of America account automatically? I applied for 2 personal and 1 business (was approved for all 3) a few days ago, however only 1 personal is showing up in my online account.
Thanks in advance,
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Yes my two personal did. I also got two letters in the mail saying I was approved with my credit scores on them
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How about the the Frequent flyer #? Do I put mine in on only one app and leave the 2nd one blank? Or do I do both Blank and later consolidate, or do I do both with my same FF# and ONLy do a different card design?
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I did both with same FF # just different card design
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Any tracking on when the companion pass was available? I am going to try the two browser trick tomorrow but I also want to buy a ticket and use the companion pass in the next few weeks.
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They post I think at the same time miles do. So figure a week or so after you apply.
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Do you wait 3 months before you get a new alaska card? do you just lower the CL on any existing cards or close them out?
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I close mine out but others don’t and are fine. I think there is a thread on FT with some examples
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Hi Ralph,
I would like to ask about the credit pulls…did they end up combining as one credit pull or they are 2 pulls?
Thank you
Mike
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They combined into one pull for me
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[…] PointsCentric got 2 Bank of America Alaska Airlines cards […]
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I have one card with them now and would like to do the double browser signup. However, I don’t want to hold all 3, due to the annual fee. When should I cancel 2 of the cards? Do I keep my current one open so the sign up miles apply to it from the 2 new cards, and then close the 2 new ones?
Do you know when the annual fee is charged?
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I need to update this post but BofA effectively killed off the double application. You will most likely not be approved for 2x at the same time. Apply for one now and cancel them as annual fees are due
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[…] PointsCentric reports on his findings about using the two-browser-trick for Bank of America for the Alaska Airline cards. […]
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please update the post as Bank of America does not allow duplicate apps for the same card – the second app automatically goes under review and the reps cannot even access it.
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Thanks, added a note to the post
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