If your preferred hotel/airline is with a bank you don't like, do you avoid getting that card?

[Anonymous]

All the Barclays threads got me wondering, and I think this is an interesting question too. If your preferred hotel/airline is with a bank you don't like, what do you do? Would you rather just not get their co-branded card, and find ways to rack up points/miles by other means?

Barclays has been good to me. Opened in August, and at $6k my starting limit was double what I had on any card previously. And recently I got a CLI to $8.5k as well as a 4 point APR decrease. But as I open more and more accounts, I'm not sure what will happen. I have been using their card as my main driver, so maybe that's why they are happy for me. Whether they will like me long-term is what I'm wondering, however that's a subject for another thread.

In my case, I travel almost exclusively with JetBlue domestically. I've seen a few people say they won't get the JetBlue card simply because it's with Barclays, even though that's their airline of choice. You could say this is just being scared from what you read on here, but we've had enough data points to know that Barclays is a very sensitive lender. I will continue to use my Barclays card the same way I do now, and if something happens in the future then OK, so I'm not worrying about it now. But it does concern me to lose what is right now my daily driver.

Although it's rare that I fly Delta, I was fortunate enough to get my foot in the door with AmEx at 6 months of credit history. They are the only airline out of the big 3 that I fly. This is a case where I was happy Delta was with AmEx and not Chase or Citi, so it worked out for me there.

What about you? Would you avoid a co-branded card entirely if they were partnered with a bank you didn't want to do business with, such as Barclays? There's always other ways to earn points I guess...Amazon (with JetBlue), AmEx MR/Chase UR, dining/shopping portals, etc. So not all is lost.

[Anonymous]

For me, it would depend on just how good the card is (and I guess how bad the bank is).

Taking a page from MS/Bonus Chasing playbook:  if the card is good enough, so lots of bonus and/or earn potential, then go with it (and redeem/transfer as quickly as you can if needed).    Then, if the card just get closed/CLD/nerfed, you have got the maximum benefit from it anyway.

The exception would be if somehow having the card closed devestates you in some way, and, IMO, that is pretty rare.   Most of the anti-Barclays crowd seem more annoyed/insulted by the AA than materially damaged.

[Anonymous]

I would never do business with a Financial Institution I didn't like. For example, Wells Fargo can have a 10% cash back card and I still wouldn't get it. If I can't trust you, there is no relationship. It's that simple.

[wasCB14]

I might have picked up a non-Comenity Virgin America card at some point.

[redpat]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I would never do business with a Financial Institution I didn't like. For example, Wells Fargo can have a 10% cash back card and I still wouldn't get it. If I can't trust you, there is no relationship. It's that simple.

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Oh com'on 12 it's a piece of plastic you swipe you aren't marrying it, lol!

OP if you like the card and it's benefits get it and use it.  Worst case they CLD you then close it out.

These are financial institutions that give you plastic to use, I don't think I have any relationships with my CCCs.

[NRB525]

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@redpat wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:
I would never do business with a Financial Institution I didn't like. For example, Wells Fargo can have a 10% cash back card and I still wouldn't get it. If I can't trust you, there is no relationship. It's that simple.

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Oh com'on 12 it's a piece of plastic you swipe you aren't marrying it, lol!

OP if you like the card and it's benefits get it and use it.  Worst case they CLD you then close it out.

These are financial institutions that give you plastic to use, I don't think I have any relationships with my CCCs.

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If a 10% rewards card appeared, whether from WF or Barclays or it required going through affiliation steps to enable membership, everyone on MyFICO, including 12VE would be falling all over themselves to get it yesterday. 

As ltl points out, and it is quite important, Barclays is usually just making a CL adjustment and the cardholders are taking it personally, even though a CLD is NOT an account closure. If the Jet Blue card fits your travel goals, as long as you are within terms and Barclays has the account open, use the card and enjoy the benefits.

[Chris679]

I try not to listen to the noise about lenders. Many times when people complain about these things you aren't getting the whole story. If a company burned me in a way that when beyond just business then screw em. Most of these Barclay posts are about CLD that people treat like the sky is falling. Everyone year it is a different lender that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and then a year or two later they are flipping out again when that lender trims the fat.

[Anonymous]

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@redpat wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:
I would never do business with a Financial Institution I didn't like. For example, Wells Fargo can have a 10% cash back card and I still wouldn't get it. If I can't trust you, there is no relationship. It's that simple.

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Oh com'on 12 it's a piece of plastic you swipe you aren't marrying it, lol!

OP if you like the card and it's benefits get it and use it.  Worst case they CLD you then close it out.

These are financial institutions that give you plastic to use, I don't think I have any relationships with my CCCs.

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I swear Redpat if I don't like an institution I will not do business with them. I have principals and am in a fortunate position where I can pick and choose where/how I choose to conduct business. 

[Sharingan]

I'm quite fortunate that Chase underwrites most of the hotels that I frequent, particularly Hyatt and Marriott. It's is extremely unfortunate that Barclays ended up with the JetBlue portfolio, but it is what it is. To answer the question, yes the bank would matter to me. I don't do business with Wells Fargo (my disdain for this bank is limitless), Comenity, Santander, and probably several others I cannot recall at this moment. I would also re-evaluate my need for my hotel/airline cards if any of them ended up at those banks as well. Part of me being a satisfied and committed customer to a loyalty program also requires a positive feeling and experience with any of their partners that I have to engage with. Chase and Marriott both provide an extremely pleasant experience, and it absolutely contributes to me holding onto their credit card.

Also, I definitely agree with the above poster regarding the Virgin America card. That is a card I likely would have picked up a while ago if not for Comenity.

On a side note, it's also unfortunate that Comenity has the Lexus Pursuits card as well. Upscale car brand with a downscale bank underwriting their credit card.   

[yfan]

These things always come down to personal preference, travel habit, and value. If you value your Jetblue card enough that you are willing to keep Barclays happy, you will do so.

I fly once or twice a year, and I don't have an airline of choice. Just whatever offers me the best value (that means best price and timing - if a flight is super cheap but taking it means I will have to spend an extra hotel night, that's no good). I AM flying Jetblue in April though.

And for Jetblue flights at least, I have a better option. I tend to book my travel through Orbitz, and their credit card - let me tell you, it's not the most popular 'round these parts - gives me 5% on booking. Plus Orbitz gives me another 1%. Plus the miles. That's a 6% rate (plus the miles). Jetblue points seem to be valued at around 1.4 cpp, so at 3X points on the Jetblue card, that's only 4.2%. But there's a catch: I cannot use my Orbitz rewards to book flights, only hotels. That works for me since I also book hotels through Orbitz generally, and since I'd spend on both, the savings being on the hotel rather than the airline is of little consequence to me. That may or may not work for you.

The question is, what is Jetblue's value to you? Could you use another card or would you miss the rewards too much? I'll give you an example. I don't care for Barclays, but if they took over the Costco portfolio instead of Citi, you could bet I'd have a Barclay card right now.