The Milenomics Podcast Network

Milenomics² Podcast Episode 209: Is Credit Card Churning Becoming More Difficult?

Added 2023-11-11 02:48:41 +0000 UTC

0:22 Amex Churning: Getting harder?

Cards previously with no popup (business cobranded) are showing a "have had" popup now
Gold Business showing popup as well. BAD news given the recent great offers
Silver lining: 90 day condition seems to override this popup--so churning a card you received before might be the one weird trick to keep churning!
Reconsideration calls getting tough too.
99 Employee offers may be av

7:27 Fluz Update

11:29 Bravo goes Famigo

12:11 Amex Business Checking 50k

13:09 Wyndham Reduces Vacasa Max Allowable $ Per Night

Was ~$500 per room/per night now ~$350
$500 > $350, so this is bad, especially with 1 bedrooms
1 bedrooms at $500/nt were already tough in some markets (Tahoe, Kauai)
This Means more bedrooms, which is in a weird way an increase in the cost (in points) of stays, but with the benefit of getting more space
Earning unchanged, hopeful there isn't another devaluation in a long time.

Updates:

17:48 Alaska Status Match Update

21:34 New: JetBlue Mint with Qatar Avios (OMAAT)

Distance based chart
Frequent transfer bonuses to Avios, and ability to transfer between Avios programs
Award availability can be checked Qatar’s site or w/ITA Matrix:
Routing Code: o:b6
Extension Code: f bc=i
Still seeing them release partner space no further out than 4 months
Open a Qatar account now, just in case 90 days from now you want to transfer
Update: Qatar quickly increased the number of miles required after a couple days 🙁 So much for a 'win.'

27:50 Fail: BofA Travel Rewards Visa Signature to Cash Rewards

No need for the Travel Rewards when you’ve got an Elite card
Called trying to product change but told I couldn’t
Rep seemed competent, tried both Cash Rewards and no fee Travel Rewards, computer wouldn’t allow it
Also failed on wife’s account
Others still reporting success though so it’s worth trying

What we've Been Up to:

29:50 BofA Elite Application

Submitted application with last year’s Elite card still open
“We need some additional information in order to verify your identity and will be reaching out. For expedited handling, you can call us at 888-230-6262.”
First line rep is fraud team. Says this is being handled by a credit analyst so transfers me.
2nd rep says that since I’ve got Preferred Rewards it’s handled by a different team so transfers me again
3rd rep evidently isn’t actually with the Preferred Rewards team so transfers me again
4rd rep finally fields the request, but only after strangely asking whether I’ve got her on speaker phone
Rep says she needs to “research this and get back to me tomorrow.” We’re not dealing with Amex here.
Rep calls back next day saying a senior analyst is handling my application. They should know next week.
Why on earth do they make their [supposedly] best customers get transferred around to different departments so many times? Isn’t that like the opposite of what you’d want?
Final result? Approved!

35:04 Approved gold business 125k

38:55 Applied: US Bank Leverage

40:47 Chase Ritz-Carlton $150 Retention “Courtesy Credit”

Called to request statement credit for AA upgrades (more on that later)
While I had the rep on the phone asked about retention offers
Rep checked and quickly applied $150 courtesy credit
With $300 per calendar year easy air incidental credit + 85,000 annual cert this card is a keeper. The $150 makes it even better.
Great card for $395 AF. I guess the path to getting one is to first open a Chase Marriott card, keep it a year, then upgrade to Ritz? Another 5/24 consideration. Chase really knows how to get me to keep cards open.

43:50 Puzzler: 1-Day Car Rental at a Tiny Airport