Question
Hello,
I've noticed some people saying that churning the Citi AA MC cards was nice, but that their card of choice is still the Starwood Amex. May I ask why?
It seems to me that the ultimate outcome would be to open a Citi AA account, use the MC (since it's accepted everywhere, while Amex's acceptance ratio is lower), and then churn extra Citi AA MC's into the same rewards account.
Why would you get the Starwood Amex..?
Also, what are the relative difficulties of being approved for either card? I have recently moved to the US from Canada so my credit history here is rather short...
Thank you for any clarification.
Answer
Welcome to Flyertalk
I would advise you to read, read, and read some more. People here know the different programs better than some or most of the people in CS. Starwood is by far the best card for $/Rewards. As a fellow immigrant to this still GREAT and OPPORTUNITY-FILLED land, welcome to the country that is the envy of the world as far as earning points/miles.
To establish a good credit score/earning score:
Pay utilities on time.
Get a gas card.
Establish a credit score of 720/750 or above.
SPG points can be transferred to most programs at a 25% bonus. If there is a miles/point currency then SPG is the USD.
Welcome to America and FT. :)
Answer
Thank you for the reply. I've been reading all over this site, and I'm definitely excited about the possiblity of free trips with churning, though I have to wait until I get a mortgage around next summer before attempting anything... :(
The reason I was wondering is that in my experience Amex isn't accepted at enough places to make it universal, so even though the SPG is a better point-earner, it can only be a secondary card (correct me if I'm wrong on this). Paying for two cards' annual fees doesn't seem to make sense since my expenses aren't high enough to generate enough points to justify this =\
And by "get a gas card" you mean to get one on top of a point-earning CC?
Answer
The Citi AA cards are better for churning. I think we can agree that the Starwood card is better for earning (getting miles by spending.) It has a lower annual fee than the AA cards, offers double points at Starwood properties, and essentially earns 1.25 pts/$1. You can transfer the points into several FF programs, including AA.
As far as AMEX acceptance: I've been using AMEX cards for about a year now, and have never run into a place that accepted Visa/MC but not AMEX (in the US.) I live in a small midwestern city. Even the mom & pop restaurants take AMEX here. There are exceptions (Sam's) but I find they are few and far between. The Starwood card would never have to be a secondary card for me, but of course, always carry a Visa/MC backup.
You may consider the Starwood card for spending, churn the AA cards (no need to pay an annual fee) and get another Visa or MC for backup for the (IME) rare cases where AMEX isn't accepted. You'll certainly want Visa/MC backups if you travel abroad at all.
Answer
Starwood points are the most valuable, although Chairman/Thank You Network is competitive.
And I get AMEX Plat for FHR.
Answer
Well my debit card from BoA is visa-compatible, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. I just don't want to be paying more than one annual fee :)
And in order to start churning, you need to have an active AA account right? How do you keep it active without having a current CITI AA card?
Answer
You can have an AA account with or without the credit card. It's separate. The CC can be linked to an existing account, or a new AA account can be created on the app. Canceling an AA credit card does not cancel your AAdvantage account.
Answer
Ah, my bad then. Then it really does make sense to just get the Starwood Amex (I was assuming that a CITI MC was a must either way).
Thanks for the help guys!
Answer
Also, what are the relative difficulties of being approved for either card? I have recently moved to the US from Canada so my credit history here is rather short...
Try this:
1) utilities, cell phone bill in your name
2) apply for a secured MC from Citibank (put $ into a CD account that represents your credit line -- this money will be repaid to you 1.5yrs later with added interest)
3) open a Citibank checking account
4) apply -- once eligible -- for some store cards (approx 9 months later)
5) pay all the bills on time
6) use the online application through Citibank's website to apply for the AAdv credit card (approx 12 months later)
-- hopefully, you'll be successful!
Answer
Welcome to FT read these:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/search.php?searchid=166275