In this update I will show you our points and miles activity for August, we’ll look at some awesome credit card deals currently available, and I’ll give a travel update.
Household Points and Miles Activity for July
- earned 104 hotel points
- earned 455 airline miles
- earned 6,122 Chase Ultimate Rewards
I was a little puzzled when I saw I had earned 455 American Airlines miles. I didn’t remember using my Citi AAdvantage Bronze card last month. Then it dawned on me: for the first leg of my trip to Europe I flew an American flight to Chicago. It wasn’t an award booking, however. I paid with a gift card I got for free with my Wells Fargo Propel card. I am so used to earning points and miles with credit card bonuses and regular spending, I forgot the original way people earn miles: from flying!
Recent ValueTactics Blog Posts
– Swissair Business Class (Airbus A321) DUB – ZRH is my review of this wonderful little flight that capped off my trans-Atlantic itinerary this summer. Swiss quality isn’t limited to watches, chocolates, and pocket knives. . . read the review to find out why!
Credit Card News
- The biggest news recently is that Chase has once again tightened the rules for getting approved for their best cards. As of a few days ago, applications for new Sapphire line cards (Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred, and Sapphire Reserve) will be denied if the applicant already has another Sapphire product. Additionally, the Chase 24 month sign-up bonus timer is now shared among all Sapphire products. This means you can’t get the bonus for both the Sapphire Preferred and the Reserve within a 2 year period. I’ll write a full post about this change in the near future.
The sign-up bonus on the Barclay Aviator Red has been increased to 60,000 American Airlines miles. The minimum spend requirement is one purchase of any amount! The card does come with a $95 annual fee NOT waived the first year. If you have the Aviator Red that was transmuted from the old U.S. Airways card, you are still eligible for this bonus since it’s considered a different product. For more details, check out MileValue’s report on the bonus increase here.- In personal news: In light of the recent Chase rule change and other changes in the past year, I decided I needed to reevaluate my current card strategy. As the restrictions on new card applications pile up, and as terms and bonuses on popular cards change, it’s getting more and more complicated to maximize the value of credit card bonuses. I won’t bore you with the details of our specific scenario, but soon I will write a post outlining some of the new challenges of making a card strategy / app schedule.
Free Travel Photo
Nicoleen and I have recently been discussing what to do with our 2 free Hyatt anniversary nights from our Chase Hyatt cards. Last spring we used them at the Andaz Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica. We were impressed when we saw that room service had taken the time to coil up our cords that were scattered around the desk!
Now you’re updated. Go employ some Value Tactics!