How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?

[steve dave]

sd is too nice to PI.  It is funny.

when I actually do I feel bad and try to take it back almost instantly.  in this case I wasn't trying to at all.

[kim carnes]

I've had the Citi AA 75k card for almost a year and am getting ready to cancel.  What is the soonest I can reapply for another citi AA card?

[Dr Rick Daris]

I've had the Citi AA 75k card for almost a year and am getting ready to cancel.  What is the soonest I can reapply for another citi AA card?

the unwritten rule for citi AA personal cards is 18 months from when you last applied.

[steve dave]

I've had the Citi AA 75k card for almost a year and am getting ready to cancel.  What is the soonest I can reapply for another citi AA card?

the unwritten rule for citi AA personal cards is 18 months from when you last applied.

But you can get a citi business 50k AA now and then the personal one once the 18 months from the original AA 75k application date.

[kim carnes]

So i want to rack up a bunch of Hilton points for a trip next year to the Maldives or Koh Samui Thailand.  What happens if I apply for like 3 credit cards in one day?  is that okay?  I plan on applying for the Bank of America Virgin Atlantic card (100k points), one of the American Express Hilton cards (50k), one of the Citi Hilton cards (or maybe 2?), and eventually one of the Bank of America Hawaiian airlines cards (70k points).  Should I apply for the Hilton card that gets you Axon awards access?  I'm not sure that its worth the annual fee and extra spend.  My goal is to rack up 350k points so I can stay 7 nights.

[steve dave]

So i want to rack up a bunch of Hilton points for a trip next year to the Maldives or Koh Samui Thailand.  What happens if I apply for like 3 credit cards in one day?  is that okay?  I plan on applying for the Bank of America Virgin Atlantic card (100k points), one of the American Express Hilton cards (50k), one of the Citi Hilton cards (or maybe 2?), and eventually one of the Bank of America Hawaiian airlines cards (70k points).  Should I apply for the Hilton card that gets you Axon awards access?  I'm not sure that its worth the annual fee and extra spend.  My goal is to rack up 350k points so I can stay 7 nights.

axon would definitely be worth the annual fee but the Hilton Amex (not the surpass, the regular) gets you axon with no annual fee.  yes to applying for all on the same day. 

[steve dave]

and those resorts you mentioned look amazing but the resort costs aren't crazy high.  the flights are.  need to make sure you have the airline miles in the correct program as they aren't the easiest to get to. 

[Dr Rick Daris]

yes to everything SD just said.

[kim carnes]

and those resorts you mentioned look amazing but the resort costs aren't crazy high.  the flights are.  need to make sure you have the airline miles in the correct program as they aren't the easiest to get to.

Yeah.  I'm just going to pay for the flight out of pocket.  Im expecting about 2500 for the flight but the free hotel makes it worth it.  I've always wanted to go to the Maldives but at this point I'm leaning towards Koh Samui because of the amazing view and private infinity pool.

[Dr Rick Daris]

and those resorts you mentioned look amazing but the resort costs aren't crazy high.  the flights are.  need to make sure you have the airline miles in the correct program as they aren't the easiest to get to.

Yeah.  I'm just going to pay for the flight out of pocket.  Im expecting about 2500 for the flight but the free hotel makes it worth it.  I've always wanted to go to the Maldives but at this point I'm leaning towards Koh Samui because of the amazing view and private infinity pool.

you can use points to get you close and then less out of pocket if you want.

[kim carnes]

and those resorts you mentioned look amazing but the resort costs aren't crazy high.  the flights are.  need to make sure you have the airline miles in the correct program as they aren't the easiest to get to.

Yeah.  I'm just going to pay for the flight out of pocket.  Im expecting about 2500 for the flight but the free hotel makes it worth it.  I've always wanted to go to the Maldives but at this point I'm leaning towards Koh Samui because of the amazing view and private infinity pool.

you can use points to get you close and then less out of pocket if you want.

I don't even know what credit card I would get.  The airlines that fly to these places are Qatar, Arab emirates, Cathay pacific, Thai airways.   Maybe they have point transfer programs with other airlines or something, I dunno.

[steve dave]

and those resorts you mentioned look amazing but the resort costs aren't crazy high.  the flights are.  need to make sure you have the airline miles in the correct program as they aren't the easiest to get to.

Yeah.  I'm just going to pay for the flight out of pocket.  Im expecting about 2500 for the flight but the free hotel makes it worth it.  I've always wanted to go to the Maldives but at this point I'm leaning towards Koh Samui because of the amazing view and private infinity pool.

you can use points to get you close and then less out of pocket if you want.

I don't even know what credit card I would get.  The airlines that fly to these places are Qatar, Arab emirates, Cathay pacific, Thai airways.   Maybe they have point transfer programs with other airlines or something, I dunno.

Thai is a Star Alliance partner so United or US Air miles can get you there.  Cathay is a One World airline so your AA miles will get you there.  Google Sky Team, Star Alliance and One World.

[kim carnes]

and those resorts you mentioned look amazing but the resort costs aren't crazy high.  the flights are.  need to make sure you have the airline miles in the correct program as they aren't the easiest to get to.

Yeah.  I'm just going to pay for the flight out of pocket.  Im expecting about 2500 for the flight but the free hotel makes it worth it.  I've always wanted to go to the Maldives but at this point I'm leaning towards Koh Samui because of the amazing view and private infinity pool.

you can use points to get you close and then less out of pocket if you want.

I don't even know what credit card I would get.  The airlines that fly to these places are Qatar, Arab emirates, Cathay pacific, Thai airways.   Maybe they have point transfer programs with other airlines or something, I dunno.

Thai is a Star Alliance partner so United or US Air miles can get you there.  Cathay is a One World airline so your AA miles will get you there.  Google Sky Team, Star Alliance and One World.

Interesting, I have 88k AA points and Cathay was my preference as it has the shortest flight from kc to Koh Samui at 27 hrs.

[steve dave]

check this out KC

http://millionmilesecrets.com/2012/03/27/cathay-pacific-redeem/

[kim carnes]

check this out KC

http://millionmilesecrets.com/2012/03/27/cathay-pacific-redeem/

Ill look into this, seems like a ton of work.  I tried booking the san francisco - hong kong leg on the British airways site and no flights came up so....

[steve dave]

check this out KC

http://millionmilesecrets.com/2012/03/27/cathay-pacific-redeem/

Ill look into this, seems like a ton of work.  I tried booking the san francisco - hong kong leg on the British airways site and no flights came up so....

british airways site is a POS.  it's hard as hell to get some dates to come up.  sometimes you have to go forward and then back to get the dates to pop up.  If you want me to look for routing for you I can do so.  give me your dates and departure city and I can see what I can find.  PM the dates/city if you would rather not put it in the board if interested. 

[kim carnes]

check this out KC

http://millionmilesecrets.com/2012/03/27/cathay-pacific-redeem/

Ill look into this, seems like a ton of work.  I tried booking the san francisco - hong kong leg on the British airways site and no flights came up so....

british airways site is a POS.  it's hard as hell to get some dates to come up.  sometimes you have to go forward and then back to get the dates to pop up.  If you want me to look for routing for you I can do so.  give me your dates and departure city and I can see what I can find.  PM the dates/city if you would rather not put it in the board if interested.

That would be awesome.  I want to go anytime between early February and mid-April of next year.   I'd like to fly out from kc on a Saturday and then fly back on a Monday (or whatever day allows for 7 nights depending on the length of the flight).   I also have 50k Avios in addition to my AA points if that helps.

[steve dave]

OK, couple quick options:

Using Star Alliance (United or US Air) here are some options out of chicago (you can us the same mileage to get to and from chicago at the beginning/end of this segment but it's just easier to find using Chicago instead of KC):
3/2
(SA)
 UA895  Chicago(ORD)   Singapore 
    13:20  01:30
+2 CHG  1 Economy  1 22:10
3/4
(MO)
 SQ106  Singapore   Kuala Lumpur 
 08:35  09:30 333  2 Economy  1 00:55
3/11
(MO)
 CA972  Kuala Lumpur   Beijing 
 00:30  06:40 757  M Economy  1 06:10
3/11
(MO)
 UA850  Beijing   Chicago(ORD) 
 17:25  17:35 777  3 Economy  1 13:10

Using AA miles and the same dates (and, again, starting in Chicago) you have a shitload of options:

10:35 1 Mar
ORD
 15:05 2 Mar
PVG
 American Airlines
AA0289
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 7 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
17:25 2 Mar
PVG
 20:15 2 Mar
HKG
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0369
 Economy
 
01:30 3 Mar
HKG
 05:10 3 Mar
KUL
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0791
 Economy
 
2 flight connection, total journey time: 28 hours 35 minutes.
 

10:35 1 Mar
ORD
 15:05 2 Mar
PVG
 American Airlines
AA0289
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 7 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
19:20 2 Mar
PVG
 22:05 2 Mar
HKG
 Dragonair
KA0897
 Economy
 
01:30 3 Mar
HKG
 05:10 3 Mar
KUL
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0791
 Economy
 
2 flight connection, total journey time: 28 hours 35 minutes.
 

10:35 1 Mar
ORD
 15:05 2 Mar
PVG
 American Airlines
AA0289
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 7 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
18:20 2 Mar
PVG
 21:05 2 Mar
HKG
 Dragonair
KA0891
 Economy
 
01:30 3 Mar
HKG
 05:10 3 Mar
KUL
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0791
 Economy
 
2 flight connection, total journey time: 28 hours 35 minutes.
 

10:35 1 Mar
ORD
 15:05 2 Mar
PVG
 American Airlines
AA0289
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 7 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
20:20 2 Mar
PVG
 23:05 2 Mar
HKG
 Dragonair
KA0809
 Economy
 
01:30 3 Mar
HKG
 05:10 3 Mar
KUL
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0791
 Economy
 
2 flight connection, total journey time: 28 hours 35 minutes.
 

10:35 1 Mar
ORD
 15:05 2 Mar
PVG
 American Airlines
AA0289
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 7 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
18:50 2 Mar
PVG
 21:35 2 Mar
HKG
 Dragonair
KA0835
 Economy
 
01:30 3 Mar
HKG
 05:10 3 Mar
KUL
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0791
 Economy
 
2 flight connection, total journey time: 28 hours 35 minutes.
 


Inbound
Kuala Lumpur - Chicago - Monday 11 March 2013
Search up to 7 days earlierSearch up to 7 days later
Depart
 Arrive
 Flight Operating Airline
 Class of travel
 
 
 

23:05 11 Mar
KUL
 06:55 12 Mar
NRT
 Japan Airlines
JL0724
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 4 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
11:00 12 Mar
NRT
 08:45 12 Mar
ORD
 Japan Airlines
JL0010
 Economy
 
Only 4 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
1 flight connection, total journey time: 22 hours 40 minutes.
 

17:45 11 Mar
KUL
 21:30 11 Mar
HKG
 Cathay Pacific Airways
CX0724
 Economy
 
 
 
Only 5 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
01:05 12 Mar
HKG
 06:15 12 Mar
NRT
 Iberia
CX0524
 Economy
 
Only 5 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
11:00 12 Mar
NRT
 08:45 12 Mar
ORD
 Japan Airlines
JL0010
 Economy
 
Only 4 reward flight seat(s) left in this class
 
2 flight connection, total journey time: 28 hours 00 minutes.
 
I'm sorry that is messy as crap but I just copy/paste and that's how it spits it out, you should be able to decipher it.

There was some business/first availability in each program as well.  The key if you use AA miles will be to find you availability for your MCI-ORD leg using AA's website and then use the BA website for the ORD-KUL leg.  Write down the segments with award availability you want and then call AA and give them the flight info.  They should be able to book for you from there.  I am happy to help with this if needed.  With AA miles it would 135k AA in First, 110k in business class, and 70K miles in economy all RT including the MCI-ORD segments.

[steve dave]

also, some of that routing includes segments on Dragon Air which sounds ridiculous and their birds apparently look like this:



 

[Dr Rick Daris]

also, some of that routing includes segments on Dragon Air which sounds ridiculous and their birds apparently look like this:



 

oh man 

[steve dave]

also, BA site protip:  it will never show availability on your dates selected.  hit "search 7 days earlier" (or later) and then hit the opposite direction and it should pop up availability.  I don't know why it does this but it always has and it's always a POS to deal with.

[CNS]

Guys, I'm jumping in.  any good deals out there right now?

[steve dave]

Guys, I'm jumping in.  any good deals out there right now?

the same stuff we've been posting for about the last few months.  AA cards, SPG standard offer, US Air 40k churnable, tons of Hilton offers via Hilton cards and Virgin/Hawaiin, etc.  Nothing huge out right now but good offers that are churnable that there is no need to wait on. 

If you or anyone else is going to get the SPG or Hilton Amex please PM me your email and I'll send you a referal so I also get 5k. 

[kim carnes]

You are a travel savant.  Is there a reason you chose kuala lampur as the end destination?   I understand that it's probably impossible to get all the way to Koh Samui using AA affiliates.

[steve dave]

You are a travel savant.  Is there a reason you chose kuala lampur as the end destination?   I understand that it's probably impossible to get all the way to Koh Samui using AA affiliates.

crap, no.  I'll do some more routing later.  I have no idea why I picked KUL.