50,000 US Airways/AA miles for $89, and how to use them!

[johnny847]

So Guizmo has started a thread about this card, but I feel like I have more information to offer to warrant a new thread. Mods, if you don't think so, feel free to merge the threads or something.

I got the US Airways Mastercard from Barclaycard. It comes with a 50,000 mile sign up bonus, but NO minimum spend requirement. All you have to do is make one purchase, and then pay the annual fee of $89. So you're essentially buying 50,000 miles for $89 and a credit inquiry.

Reasons you should get this card:
1) No minimum spend requirement! Easy way for people who have never started the miles game to get started.
2) This card will not be available to new applicants sometime soon (at least by the time the US Airways and American Airlines Merger completes). Hence, if you miss this opportunity now, you will never be able to get this card again.
3) Second quarter of next year, US Airways miles will become American Airlines miles. They have a great off peak award chart, such as Central and Northern South America for 30k miles round trip 1/16-6/14 and 9/7-11/14, Europe for 40k round trip 10/15-5/15, and Japan and Korea for 50k round trip 10/1-4/30. In these examples, the off peak season is about half the year or more!
4) AA is part of the one world alliance, and they have off peak awards for flights on their partners for Southern South America for 40k RT 3/1-5/31 & 8/16-11/30, Hawaii for 35k RT 1/12-3/8 & 8/22-12/15, Europe for 40k RT 10/15-5/15, and Japan, Korea, and Mongolia for 50k RT 10/1-4/30.
5) American Airlines allows for one way redemptions (US Airways doesn't, but that won't matter once the miles programs merge into AA's).
6) While you hold the card, you get a 5000 mile discount on US airways redemptions. Sometime next year, this will change to a 10% on AA redemptions.
7) If your desired itinerary requires more than 50k miles after the cardholder discount, then you can also get the Citi AAdvantage Masetercard for another 50k miles (but that will require $3000 spend in 3 months - which is easily done through some manufactured spending techniques. See the Southwest companion pass thread for some discussion of that)

Once your miles post to your US Airways account, they won't be clawed back. That being said, I highly recommend waiting until about month 10 or so to cancel. The internets inform me that credit card companies highly dislike this practice.

Also, if you do get this card, make sure there's activity in a rolling 6 month window, or the card will be cancelled.

If you're interested in this offer, PM me your email so I can send you a referral.

[AK]

Newb question: do the miles get lost if I sign-up, get the miles, and then close the card? I'm just getting started with travel hacking and I know getting 50,000 miles for basically 100 is pretty good.

I'm pretty sure that the miles can't be forfeited. They just get devalued over time as prices increase.

[johnny847]

Yes. Once you get the miles posted to your frequent flyer account, you're good. If you call a CSR, they may scare you with how they phrase things, but what they're really saying is that you'll lose any miles accrued during the current statement cycle that have not posted to your frequent flyer account.

It's generally recommended that you don't cancel a card within the first couple months though - you tend to get on the bad side of the CC company, and they may not approve you for their future cards. However, plenty of credit card churners cancel around month 10 or 11, and have had no problems.

This is definitely among the best deals! With no minimum spend requirement, it's a great way to get started with minimal effort =)

[AK]

Thanks for the feedback. I signed up and got approved.

[Rpesek6904]

Is it too late to do this now?

I'm new to this as well. My wife and I just signed up the CitiAAdvantage with a 50,000 bonus on two separate cards. We made the minimum spend on one of the two cards. So now I'm wondering if I can open another one or maybe this barclay card is a good move?

[johnny847]

It's still ongoing.

I'd go for both. The US Airways card will not be open to new applications in mid March, last I heard. Hence, you'll never be able to get these 50k US Airways miles, which will become AA miles and will combine nicely with your AA miles from your Citi card. Also, since this US Airways card only requires just one purchase, no minimum spend amount, and payment of the annual fee, it's very easy to fulfill the requirements.

If you want to sign up for the card, PM me your email and I'll send you a referral link.

[flamingo25]

Coincidentally my husband just signed up for this card while on a US Airways flight. Thanks for the helpful info! Sorry we couldn't use your referral link though.