January 18, 2016

I Canceled My JetBlue American Express Credit Card and You Should Too

I know the JetBlue American Express card is not a popular card for many of us but I applied for one right before American Express instituted the once in a lifetime policy for signup bonuses since I previously had this card before my travel hacking ways. I’ve kept the card and paid the $40 annual fee since then as I was making money off this card from Amex Offers with my card and several authorized users on it. That all said, I think now is the time to cancel the card – in fact, I just canceled my own and I’ll go over my reasons for doing so.

RIP JetBlue Amex

RIP JetBlue Amex

As you might be aware, American Express lost the JetBlue contract to Barclaycard last year and stopped accepting applications for new cardholders last fall. Everyone who is a current JetBlue cardholder will have their American JetBlue card transferred to Barclays on March 21st. This is the biggest reason why I am cancelling my card as I do NOT want American Express converting my card into the Barclaycard version.

The reasoning is actually quite simple – I tend to chase signup bonuses as my preferred method for earning points/miles and if I let American Express transfer my card to Barclaycard, I will lose out on the ability to earn a signup bonus on this new JetBlue card. At some point this year, Barclaycard will begin accepting applications for the their version of the JetBlue card. I have no clue what the signup bonus will be (or if there will even be one though I think it is highly likely there will be some sort of signup bonus) but if the have a similar promotion to American Express, the signup bonus could be at least 20,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points and I don’t want to lose out on the chance to earn 20,000+ points. This may not sound like a bunch of points but as someone who lives by one of their hubs, I actually prefer to fly JetBlue domestically and especially to the Caribbean.

If American Express is transferring these cards on March 21st, you have some time to cancel before this conversion happens. However, unless you are a frequent JetBlue flyer I would just cancel the card now or if given the option by American Express, convert it to another American Express product if you are given a solid offer (this has been happening for current Costco Amex card holders). In my scenario, canceling the card now gave me a pro rated annual fee refund of $13.33. It also freed up a spot for a new American Express credit card (remember you can have only a max of 4 credit cards) which I used to apply for a 25,000 point offer on the Amex Everyday.

For me, canceling this card was a no-brainer especially when considering the above items. Interestingly, I did not get any retention offers or offers to convert but then again I didn’t push that hard and decided not to HUCA. I have to think for many of you that closing the card will be the right decision if you want to pick up some easy JetBlue points from Barclaycard once their JetBlue card application is available.

January 16, 2016

Free Points Roundup + One Deal Where It is Worth Buying Points

There a few offers out there for some free points and I’m not one to pass up any points, even Spirit points with their draconian expiration policy. Here are some free points that you should take 30 seconds or less to claim:

1. 1,000 Free Spirit Miles – I don’t fly Spirit but I do love magazines. The last time Spirit handed out miles I picked up a few magazine subscriptions and I see some current magazine subscriptions starting at 600 points so I’ll pick up another subscription. Western Horseman anyone?

Only 800 Spirit Miles!

Only 800 Spirit Miles!

2. 25 Free Hertz Gold Rewards – Register for their Winter Promotion here and get 25 points. Doesn’t get much easier than this.

Now below isn’t a truly free points gig but it is an opporunity to buy ~$42 worth of JetBlue points for only $14.99.

JetBlue

Via Running with Miles, JetBlue has partnered with Texture which is an app that delivers a variety of different magazines electronically to you on a monthly basis. JetBlue is offering 3,000 points (which are worth about ~$42) for signing up and paying for their premium service which is $14.99/month. However, you can cancel at anytime so as long as you pay for a month, you should collect the 3,000 points from JetBlue. Just set a Google calendar alert to cancel the subscription if you don’t plan on using it.

Even if you don’t ever read any magazine from Texture, you are essentially paying $15 for $42 worth of points. If you fly JetBlue, than I definitely recommend taking advantage of this.

Enjoy the long weekend folks!

January 14, 2016

My Mini January App-O-Rama – 80,000 Points/Miles + $200 Cash Back

I just completed a mini app-o-rama and I wanted to share the final results as I was not approved automatically for any of these 3 cards but #spoileralert, I ended up getting all 3 cards in the end. I post about my credit card dealings as these posts are always popular with readers but please remember just because I apply for a card (or 3) doesn’t mean you should. In fact, you probably shouldn’t as I know what I am doing and the risks associated with it. We are at different places in the miles/points games and probably have different travel goals/needs. With that disclaimer out of the way, here is what I applied for and why.

1) Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card – 55,000 miles total

Don't settle for the 30k offer!

Don’t settle for the standard 30k offer!

The offer/benefits:

  • 50,000 miles for spending for $2,000 in 3 months (check this post how to get this offer)
  • 5,000 miles for adding an authorized user
  • Additional award availability for United flights (unpublished benefit)
  • Free checked baggage & priority boarding
  • 2 United Club passes annually

This was the first card I applied for in this series of applications since I’ve been able to generate a 50k offer repeatedly but unsurprisingly I was not approved instantly (I never am with Chase anymore). I am running low on United miles and with it being 2+ years since I last got the signup bonus on this card, I wanted to see if Chase would give me my second United Explorer card without an issue. Nowadays I’ve been advising against calling Chase for reconsideration but I wanted to get this card sooner rather than later as I need to book a United award and would most likely need the extra award availability benefit to find the award space I was looking for.

I got grilled during my approximately 15 minute reconsideration call but the agent at the end offered to take a 10k credit line from my IHG card and move it my United card. This effectively forced me to close my IHG card which was fine with me. With the annual fee waived for the first year, this was a great offer for me and fit my upcoming travel plans perfectly (I even have a use for the United club passes I get with the card).

2) American Express Everyday – 25,000 points

The offer/benefits:

  • 25,000 points for spending $2,000 in 3 months
  • No annual fee American Express that keeps Membership Rewards points transferable
  • 2x Points on Supermarket Purchases
  • 1x Point on Other Purchases
Don't settle for the standard 10k offer!

Don’t settle for the standard 10k offer!

I’ve actually had my eye on this card for a while now for two main reasons. The biggest reason is I need a card to keep my Membership Rewards points active and still transferable to airlines/hotels as I plan on closing my Business Gold card when the annual fee is due in March. The other reason I wanted this card is for Amex Offers – as this is a no annual fee card, I know year in and year out I will make money off this card with Amex Offers. I will add a few authorized users to take even more advantage of the Amex Offers. I was not approved instantly but I received an email a few days later congratulating me on my new card without having to call reconsideration.

The normal public offer is only 10,000 points but I was able to generate this better offer of 25,000 points by using the infamous incognito method on this link here. It took several times across several browsers to get this offer to show but finally I tried this link in private mode on Internet Explorer and got the 25k offer. I plan on posting more about this separately but basically you should try opening a link for an Amex card in a private browser and/or mobile device as American Express is unlikely to recognize you as a current customer and thus will occasionally present a better offer. This method is reportedly working to generate a 75k offer on the Business Gold and Business Platinum cards.

3) BBVA Compass NBA Amex – $200 cash back (technically 20,000 points)

The offer/benefits:

  • $200 (technically 20,000 points) for spending $1,000 in 90 days
  • 5x points on ALL purchases during NBA All Star Weekend and the NBA Finals
  • 3x points for purchases for NBA games or purchases at NBA arenas/NBAStore.com
  • 2x points for purchases at Supermarkets and Gas Stations
  • 1x points on everything else
Sadly, I am a Knicks fan

Sadly, I am a Knicks fan

This card is a bit of an outlier for me (and from a bank I never heard of until recently) as I normally don’t focus on cashback cards but I have three very specific reasons for getting this card. The first reason is for the 5x earning ability on all purchases during NBA All Star weekend and the two weeks of the NBA finals – this will help greatly with my increased on manufactured spending/reselling margins during that time period.

Another reason I wanted this card is that this is one of the few cards you can load to Serve online and earn points for it. However, from the time I applied to the time I actually got the card, Amex cancelled thousands of Serve accounts though not mine (for now). I plan to load it monthly to earn 1,000 points (more during the 5x periods above) for $10 until I’m shut down. Lastly, I wanted this card as this is yet another no annual fee American Express like the Everyday card above and thus eligible for Amex Offers, even though it is issued by BBVA Compass. I was not approved instantly for this card but I later received an email about a week later congratulating me on my new card without having to call reconsideration (that is if BBVA has reconsideration?).

This seems like a misfit of cards but I’m actually quite happy with this round of applications. If you noticed, I only applied for cards that had higher than normal signups as I always want to maximize my points/miles – if you are going to get hit with a credit inquiry, might as well make it worthwhile.

In summary, I acquired two no-annual fee cards that I plan on keeping so this will help with the average of my accounts. They are both eligible for Amex Offers so I will continue to make money off them as I’ve racked up hundreds of dollars of savings on my other Amex cards with Amex offers. The United card is good for a quick infusion of 50k miles and I can see myself taking advantage of the extra award availability for United credit card holders.

Lastly, in case you’re wondering these 3 credit cards were my 41st, 42nd and 43rd credit card I’ve had in my own name. And my actual FICO credit score right before I did this series of applications? An outstanding 805 which goes to show if you are know what you are doing, this hobby won’t just fund your travels – it can give you a near perfect credit score.

Actual FICO Score on 12/18/15

Actual FICO Score on 12/18/15

*As always, no affiliate links were used in this post*
January 11, 2016

Monday Musings: RIP Serve/Bluebird, Recommended Blogs, Last Call for Hilton Status Match & More

Monday Musings have returned after a two week hiatus. As a reminder, Monday Musings is a weekly series where I rattle off a few thoughts I have that mostly relate to points/miles, travel and I might highlight other posts/news/nuggets I found interesting from the past week. For those that are football fans and read Peter King’s MMQB, think of this as similar to his “A Few Things I Think I Think” section.

1. Let’s get the big news from Friday out of the way since I haven’t commented on it – the massive, widespread Serve & Bluebird shutdowns. This day was inevitable as this manufactured spending method lasted a lot longer than I ever thought though I am surprised how quickly the end came about with absolutely no warning signs. This was “easy” MS for many and with its demise, I see a few ways this plays out with how people proceed.

  • Turn to reselling – I agree with this post that reselling is the new more “mainstream” MS item for 2016.
  • Network/Join a MS group – The best MS methods are underground and will never see the light of day on the blogs. It won’t be easy finding them but networking your way into a group will present itself with the best MS opportunities.
  • Retire – Personally, I think there will be a lot of people who loved the ease of Serve/Bluebird who won’t look for additional MS methods unless another similar easy approach comes up (such as Redbird a few years ago).

Goodbye Bluebird

Adios Bluebird/Serve!

I should note some people still have access to their accounts (myself included) as you either didn’t heavily MS on it or didn’t load it online with a credit card. The timing is sort of funny for me as I literally received my new BBVA Compass NBA card on Saturday which can load Serve online. I guess the play is to hit it as hard as possible before I’m shut down? I’ll be the guinea pig and report back how long I’m able to keep my account alive.

2. Adding to the MS troubles this week, the limits on the Nationwide Buxx have dropped to the point where it makes no sense to continue using this as a viable MS method. You used to be able load $500 a week from your credit card for a $2 load fee and you could easily liquidate it by paying your Citi credit card or withdrawing from certain ATMs. The limit has now dropped to $200 with the same $2 load fee so this is another “easy” MS avenue that is now basically dead. Last week was a rough week for MS’ers.

And goodbye to you too NW Buxx!

And goodbye to you too NW Buxx!

3. I’m catching up on some older items but this post from Mile Nerd is a must read – What To Look for In a Blog in 2016. He makes a solid case on what to look for in a blog and I’m honored to make his recommended list. He only listed a handful of blogs, all of which I have been reading for years and I agree with him they are must follows.

4. Today (1/11/16) is the last day for the Hilton Status Match. Instead of emailing Hilton, you can now do this online at this link. If you have top tier status at another hotel chain, I highly recommend matching to Hilton even if you don’t have any Hilton stays planned. I matched my wife’s account even though I doubted she would have any Hilton stays but something came up and she will be using it for the first time in April. So lesson learned – always match when available.

5. Sometime later this week or next, I plan on posting on my latest App-O-Rama and some cards that hit the chopping block. These posts are always popular with readers even though I’ve made the argument you shouldn’t follow what I do since we are in different places with respect to the points/miles game and most likely have different travel goals. Either way, keep an eye out for these posts.