[Edited 9/10/2024: Card products and offerings for some banks have changed.  Do note that card offers also fluctate.]

 

So what cards do I currently have in my wallet?  Great question – I’ll tell ya! 😉

Staple Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – I applied for this card when the offer was at 80,000 points.  If you’re just getting started in the world of award travel, and using points and miles – this is THE card to start with.  Flexible rewards currency and great transfer partners – make for simplicity in redemptions.  You can read more here about how it’s always a good idea to be earning Chase Ultimate Rewards.

I’m not working on meeting a minimum spend right now on any other (new) card, so this is the card I’m using regularly.  You can’t go wrong with earning flexible rewards currency, as your points won’t be tied up in a particular hotel or airline program.  I’m currently working on figuring out our summer 2023 plans, so this strategy aligns perfectly with that.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card – I’m not a fan of the current offer on this card, but it’s my favorite hotel card.  Compared to Marriott & Hilton, Hyatt award stays per night are a lot less, and they have a great rewards program.  This card is a keeper for me because I earn a free night annually, and we normally book Hyatt hotels.  I even have my husband book Hyatts when he travels for work (as feasible), so this helps earn more Hyatt points for family travel!

Citi Premier Mastercard – I’m not even sure how or why, but the offer on this card has been increased (80,000 points) since early summer!  Points from my husband’s card got us roundtrip flights to Seattle this past summer.  While I’m currently not using this card as actively as my Chase Sapphire Preferred, it’s one that I come back to from time to time.  This card earns 3x the points on all purchases, and also has a flexible rewards currency program with great travel partners.  I hate to admit, I’ve overlooked the Citi ThankYou Points Program in the past!

 

Strategy & Specific Redemptions

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – Earlier in the summer, we had some unexpected expenses come up.  We needed a new dishwasher and I had dental surgery around the same time.  This is a great time to apply for a new credit card, as it helps meet the minimum spend.  The offer was different when I applied (5 free night certificates valued at up to 50k points/night, so 250k points total, with a higher spend requirement as well).  I didn’t know then, how or when I would be able to use these points, but at the time – I felt that this was the best increased offer worth going for.  I’m generally wary of applying for hotel or airline-branded cards without a tentative plan because points can and do expire.  Luckily for us, I was able to secure a beautiful hotel in Morocco – for our first kid-less vacation in December – after the new addition to our family in December of 2020.  We are really looking forward to it, as it is much needed!  This is not a card I am using regularly, and I’ll most likely downgrade to a no-fee option after the one-year mark.

American Airlines AAdvantage Aviator Business Barclays Card – When I applied for this card earlier this year, the offer was increased to 80,000 miles.  Note that this is a business card, and as a small business owner – I knew I couldn’t pass up the chance to stock up on American Airlines miles.  Long-term I don’t see myself keeping this card, so will downgrade after the one-year mark.  Oh, and the points earned from this card?  They helped us book two roundtrip flights to Morocco in December!  Yup, that’s right – 2 cards, one (kid-less) vacation on points and miles, and less than $300 paid in flight taxes and fees.  Business cards also don’t count against your 5/24 status 😉

 

Player 2

So what about my husband, aka, my “Player 2” in the points and miles game?  These are the cards he holds in his wallet:

Chase Freedom Flex®:  He downgraded to this card after holding the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for the longest time.  It’s a great card, but when he got the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card – it didn’t make sense anymore as he didn’t need two premium-level cards (with premium-level fees).  When he’s eligible to apply for another Chase Sapphire card, you bet I’ll have him apply again!

Citi Premier Mastercard:  He got this card first, and as mentioned earlier – we used points earned from his card towards flights for our summer family vacation.

Capital One Venture X:  He applied for this card when the offer was at 100,000 points!  This card is now our family’s staple premium level card with all the perks we want and need for travel.  We are using the points earned from this card to fly to Europe next spring break – read more here as to why we love this card so much!

Citi Double Cash Card: There was simply one reason to apply for this card – to stock up on Citi ThankYou points that can be redeemed as cash back, or points.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card:  Applying for this card had a specific strategy behind it.  We have a trip coming up in November where a Hilton stay was the only option.  I actually got this card a few years back, but was never able to use the points as the pandemic changed our travel plans.  My account is now closed, but we will finally be using points from both our cards in November.  When we both applied for the card (though years apart), the offer was different than what it currently is.

This is a brief overview of the cards we currently hold, not taking into account cards we both have closed out in the past.  It helps to understand that different cards will have value in your travel strategy at different times.  It’s always best for your credit to downgrade to a no-fee option for a card, rather than canceling/closing out the account completely – if you don’t find value in it anymore.  Work backwards if you have a place in mind for future travel, and if you don’t – work to earn flexible rewards currency, while keeping an eye out for (other) increased offers!