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i just got a 3x cli on my bce on day #65. so for fun i looked at the preapprovals. and i'm approved for all the airplane and hotel cards that they have. deltas, hiltons, marriots, bonvoys, etc. are any of them a genuinely useful card?
how long is it usually to see preapproval on normal cards like cashmagnet, everyday, bcp, or the charge-cards?
They are useful if you fly delta, stay at Marriott or Hiltons and can recoup the AF thru the benefits.
For me, it would take a crow bar to pry my Delta or Marriot out of my hands, but it's because I fly delta, stay at Marriott and I come out in the green on the AF.
Imo, these are not cards just to have bc you can. You will either pay them (AF) to keep the cards, or they will pay you to carry the cards.
i don't know much about the individual airline and hotel cards. i don't really understand the point of them when there are 3 chargecards with travel rewards.
i like that the gold charge earns a lot of points at both restraunts and grocery stores. but to get the most of that one, you have to fly at least once a year don't you? since they give a baggage fee perk and that's how you justify paying the AF.
how much do you have to spend on one of these cards to have enough points for a 2 week vacation?
The Aspire is the boss when it comes to AF vs benefits (at least the 1st year for me). Big sub will get you 3-4 nights in their Hilton properties. Airline credit which is every calendar year so if you sign up now, you'll get it twice before the 2nd AF hits. Unlimited Priority Pass lounge access +2 guests. Those are the most useful for me. Depends on your travel patterns. You can always downgrade to the no AF Hilton card after enjoying the benefits the 1st year. Bottom line, it's the most easy card for me to get the benefits I wanted vs cards like the CSR...
I think that it depends on if you're overall looking for your next card to be cashback or points, but, as others have mentioned, the Hilton Aspire is a great card.
The $450 AF is a little steep, but I think that it provides great value. Yes, if you're not particularly loyal to a specific airline then the airline incidental credit can be somewhat difficult to use, but you could always use it for an seat selection/upgrade on a flight and a lot of food/drinks? Maybe partially for Delta Skymiles Select if you fly Delta a bit?
In my opinion and depending on where you use it, the free weekend night certificiate alone makes up for the AF of the card. If you travel at least once a year, the card makes sense since you can also use the Hilton property credit at most places. I plan on using these, along with the SUB, to book a graduation trip to Southeast Asia The downgradability to the no AF version of the card also makes if useful for keeping your credit history alive if the card doesn't make sense in the future.