Plans for expanding my credit card collection

Even though it seems like I have all of the best rewards card on the market, every now and then great offers appear for cards I don’t yet have.  That’s happening now and I’m nearly paralyzed with choices.  Which of the cards should I get?  Should I try to stay under 5/24?  Will I get approved for all of these cards?

Writing this post is my way to clear the fog.  As I start writing, I haven’t yet made any decisions, but I expect to have a plan in place by the end of the post.  Yes dear reader, I’m using you as a silent sounding board.  Actually, maybe you won’t be silent.  Once this is published, you’ll have a chance to reply with ideas and advice of your own.

Chase 5/24

No conversation about new cards is complete without considering 5/24.  I’m currently at 4/24, but two cards will roll off by December of this year (and so I’ll then be at 2/24 if I don’t sign up for new cards before then).

Cards I’m considering signing up for now

Barclays Aviator Red 75K Offer

Card Offer

AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard ⓘ $811 1st Yr Value Estimate 70K Miles ⓘ Non-Affiliate 70K miles after 1st purchase and paying the annual fee within 90 days $99 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: Up to 75K: 60K miles after first purchase and 15K after adding an authorized user and making one purchase on that card [Expired 2/24/24] Learn more or apply

I’m interested in this offer for a few reasons:

1. It’s a great offer with no spend requirement other than “first purchase” for the primary card and an authorized user.
2. It’s an easy way to collect more AA miles which have become my favorite airline miles.
3. I’d eventually like to get the Aviator Silver card (the single best AA card, in my opinion) and the only way to get it is to start with the Aviator Red card and later upgrade.

Morgan Stanley Platinum 125K Offer

Card Offer

The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley ⓘ $834 1st Yr Value Estimate 80K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate 80K after $8K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. $695 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 125K points after 6k spend [Expired 11/8/23] Learn more or apply

A few years ago I signed up for a Morgan Stanley Access Investing account so that I’d be eligible for the Morgan Stanley Platinum card (which requires having an investment account with Morgan Stanley).  By the time I was ready to sign up for the card, the offer had dropped and so I held off.  Now, the offer is at an all time high.  Unfortunately, Access Investing is no longer available to new applicants, but my account is still there and so I should be eligible for this card.  The great thing about this card compared to other Amex Platinum cards is that this one offers a free authorized user card.  That will be especially useful when Delta starts limiting Platinum cardholders to 6 Sky Club visits per year in 2025.

Here are some of the reasons I’m interested in getting this card now:

• Excellent welcome offer
• Unlike the other Amex Platinum cards, this one doesn’t have the “family rule“.  In other words, even though I currently have other types of Platinum cards open, I can still get the welcome bonus for this one (if I’m approved and meet the spend requirements).
• It’s the best Platinum card to keep long-term since it offers a free authorized user.  My wife and I would each get 6 Sky Club visits per year with this card (or we’d each get 12 visits if she also signs up for this card and adds me as an authorized user).

Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card

Card Offer

Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card ⓘ $504 1st Yr Value Estimate 50K miles + Companion Fare ⓘ Non-Affiliate 50K miles + Companion Fare ($99 fare + taxes) after $3K spend in 3 months $95 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 70K after $4K in 3 months [Expired 4/23] Learn more or apply

I applied for Alaska’s status match for disappointed Delta frequent flyers.  By getting an Alaska card before the end of the year, I should get matched all the way to Alaska’s top-tier MVP Gold 100K status and that status will remain active throughout 2024.

While I could sign up for the personal Alaska card, I’d prefer to get the business one since it won’t add to my Chase 5/24 count.

Reasons for getting the card now:

• The Alaska Airlines status match

Reasons for waiting:

• The current offer for the business card isn’t great.  I’d like to see 65K or 70K miles.
• I’m not 100% sure that Alaska will accept my status match submission so it’s probably better to wait until the match goes through before applying.

JetBlue Business Card

Card Offer

JetBlue Business Card ⓘ $632 1st Yr Value Estimate Up to 60K Miles ⓘ Non-Affiliate Up to 60K miles: 50K bonus miles after spending $4K in first 90 days + additional 10K miles after a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days $99 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Learn more or apply

My interest in the JetBlue card mirrors my interest in the Alaska card. I applied for JetBlue’s status match for disappointed Delta frequent flyers.  By getting a JetBlue card before the end of the year, My status match will remain active throughout 2024.

While I could sign up for the personal JetBlue card, I’d prefer to get the business one since it won’t add to my Chase 5/24 count.

Reasons for getting the card now:

• The JetBlue status match

Reasons for waiting:

• The current offer for the business card is good, but not great.  I’d prefer not to have a $15K spend requirement to get the full bonus.
• I’m not 100% sure that JetBlue will accept my status match submission so it’s probably better to wait until the match goes through before applying.

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

Card Offer
Chase World of Hyatt Business Credit Card ⓘ $756 1st Yr Value Estimate 60K points ⓘ Affiliate 60K after $5,000 spend in 3 months. $199 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. Learn more or apply

This is a card that I’m interested in getting not so much for the card’s perks but because I’m a nerdy credit card collector.  Plus, since I also have the consumer Hyatt card, I could use the two cards together to more easily earn top-tier Hyatt elite status through credit card spend.

Reasons for getting the card now:

• The current welcome bonus is higher than usual
• I’m currently under 5/24 and so it might make sense to grab this now before things change.

Reasons for waiting:

• I’ve signed up for a lot of Chase business cards recently (Ink Business Cash March 2023; United and IHG Business Cards May 2023; Ink Business Preferred July 2023).  I don’t know if Chase will keep approving my applications if I don’t slow down.
• Rumors have surfaced again that Hyatt may bring an ultra-premium card to the market.  If that happens, there’s a good chance that I’d prefer to get that card over this one.
• While the current offer is better than usual, it’s still not as good as the various Chase Ink offers.  When I’m ready to sign up for a new Chase business card it arguably makes more sense to sign up for another Ink card.

Decision Time

Altogether, I’m considering signing up for two Barclays card (Aviator Red and JetBlue Business), one Bank of America card (Alaska Business), one Amex card (Morgan Stanley Platinum), and one Chase card (World of Hyatt Business card).

The Aviator Red and Morgan Stanley Platinum cards are consumer cards that will add to my 5/24 count.  I’m at 4/24 now with two cards dropping off my 5/24 list by December.  If I add these two cards, I’ll remain at 4/24.  That’s good because I wouldn’t want to hit 5/24 before a new Hyatt card potentially surfaces.  I realize that a premium Hyatt card might not come to market at all, but if it does I want to be in position to pounce on it.

With the Alaska and JetBlue cards, I’m going to wait to see what happens with my status match requests.  If I get approved for status matches, then I’ll look to sign up for those cards.  Since the current offers aren’t ideal, I think that waiting a bit is a good idea anyway.  I just need to have these cards open before the end of the year so that the airlines will extend my status matches into 2024.

So, that leaves three cards to consider immediately: Aviator Red, Morgan Stanley Platinum, and World of Hyatt Business.  Since I’m lukewarm regarding the Hyatt business card, I guess I’ll skip that one for now.

Based on all of the above, unless readers convince me otherwise, my next two credit card applications will be these:

• AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard (75K offer)
• The Morgan Stanley Platinum Card (125K offer)

What do you think?

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