@GettingBetter2015 wrote:
I just received my Discover It and AMEX BCE this week and I want to reap the rewards and use the cards in the best way possible. Hubby travels some for work and has a trip coming up this week, so I added him as AU on both accounts to help take advantage of these offers. His work actually started making him book his own airfare, so I had him put the purchase on the Discover because we hadn't got the AMEX in the mail yet. His work will reimburse us next week for the cost. I told him that when he's in Orlando next week, I want him to put all his reimbursable expenses on these cards so that we get usage and are able to pay them back off quickly. Is there anything else we should be doing? They are smaller limit cards of $1000 each, so I really want to get the best usage out of them to possibly help with a good CLI after the accounts have aged a bit. Any insight is greatly appreciated!
Which airline is this flight with? DH should sign up for all of the major airline frequent flyer programs, Delta, AA, United, consider also Southwest, JetBlue, even Alaska if that is somewhere in the trip list. Try to concentrate airline ticket purchases with one airline. Not only does it gather the miles in more useful lumps, but then he has the possibility of earning some level of frequent flyer status, depending on miles flown in a single calendar year.
If you go to the Citi website, what turns up for the Credit Card Prequalification under Travel? AAdvantage? ThankYou Premier?
How long have you had the BCE? Using that heavily, running it up near the limit, then paying down might result in an automatic CLI. No assurance it will, but AMEX likes to see usage (as do all card issuers).
Have you considered applying for the AMEX Green? There is no sign up bonus, but with the card you don't have a credit limit, it is a charge card. It earns MR points, which can be stored for later along with a PRG app. The PRG 50,000 point offer is intermittently available, sometimes hard to find, so you want to wait until that specific offer comes up, not take the 25,000 points offer. Only one points bonus per card in a lifetime, and all that.
Which hotels is DH staying at? There again, apply for all the major hotel loyalty programs: SPG, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, even Wyndham and IHG if those properties are in the mix. At least gathering the points from the properties keeps them available for later use, possibly combining with a CC app bonus.
Rental cars? Does the employer offer something like Hertz gold status for free? Look into all the travel support options that might be available from the employer.
With the company reimbursement for these expenses, that is a good way to earn points in the program that makes the most sense, a primary airline and one or two hotels if he can narrow the usage down to those. With flights and stays, the points will add up quickly. As your credit profile improves, watch for the better sign up bonuses, don't app right away but act when the bonus gets a temporary boost.
