Southwest Visa Gurus - Guidance Please

[KristinU]

Hello All,

I'm considering opening a SWA Visa to take advantage of the 50,000 points thing since we have a nearly $4000 vet surgery coming up next month. We have the cash on hand, but I just feel like that's a pretty big lump to not get points on and the only credit card we have is AmEx (which they don't take). And I remembered the mention of the SWA offer here on the Budget Board, so here I am.

Sooo, my questions:

1. I found a link in a previous thread www.southwest.com/inflight - if I use this not from actually in flight, will it still give me 50,000 points once I hit the terms?

2. I'm flying on SWA next week, should I just wait until I'm actually in flight?

3. The surgery is scheduled for 11/17, so turn-around time to issuance might be tight...tighter if I wait until next week vs. applying today. Anyone know what kind of turn-around time I can anticipate?

4. Is it worth it if I can only get 25,000 points vs. the 50,000?

 

[supersnoop]

1. I would expect it to work, but I don't have any recent experience.
2. I really don't think it's necessary to wait.
3. I had my cards in less than a week; maybe 5 days. I think you'll get them in plenty of time.
4. I'm certain you can get 50,000 points, so I think it's worth it.

Also, maybe see if you can find a link to the "Plus" card and see if that has the same 50,000 point promotion. If you can do both, and pay as late as you can, you could use the $4,000 vet bill to get the promotion on both cards. That would put you at 104,000 points, and, if you can delay posting until January, you're only 6,000 points away from a companion pass for almost two whole years.

 

[hsmamato2]

it's worth it- hit the link and apply -take screenshots of the offer,and all the stuff you fill out- if you have good credit and intend to just pay it off anyway to get those points I would do it in heartbeat - Just the one card is amazing benefit.
***what supersnoop said is correct,however you need to read about HOW to do that correctly if you intend to try for the companion pass. million miles secrets (.com) has a great tutorial on how to do it (EXACTLY) and you need that if you are going for two cards at once. i.e. if you try the two credit cards in your name thing, go and read before you try it,to see if you want to do that.***

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Hello All,

I'm considering opening a SWA Visa to take advantage of the 50,000 points thing since we have a nearly $4000 vet surgery coming up next month. We have the cash on hand, but I just feel like that's a pretty big lump to not get points on and the only credit card we have is AmEx (which they don't take). And I remembered the mention of the SWA offer here on the Budget Board, so here I am.

Sooo, my questions:

1. I found a link in a previous thread www.southwest.com/inflight - if I use this not from actually in flight, will it still give me 50,000 points once I hit the terms?

2. I'm flying on SWA next week, should I just wait until I'm actually in flight?

3. The surgery is scheduled for 11/17, so turn-around time to issuance might be tight...tighter if I wait until next week vs. applying today. Anyone know what kind of turn-around time I can anticipate?

4. Is it worth it if I can only get 25,000 points vs. the 50,000?

Check your inbox Kristin, I sent you a message

 

[KristinU]

Thanks guys! My head is spinning with this whole two cards and companion thing, but it seems like this is a viable thing to go after!

 

[Shea&Van]

We earned the companion pass and have LOVED it. It's been a great value for our family. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. However, I think it operates on a calendar year basis. So you'd have to earn 110k miles before the end of December to earn the pass for next year. Someone here will correct me if I have that wrong. But, we purposefully waited until 1/1 to apply for our first card. Then a few months later we did our second card and were at over 100k miles/points by the Spring. It's a matter of timing everything just right, but WELL worth it.

Good luck. I hope the vet surgery goes well.

 

[hsmamato2]

as noted above with other pp's..READ and research if you go for two cards... the dates are VERY important....

 

[KristinU]

Thanks again everyone! I'm studying the dates and how it all could shake out.

And thanks for the well wishes for my fur boy - ACL tear with possible meniscus damage, my poor baby. Typical lab, though, he's not showing any signs of slowing down with it...we only knew there was a problem because his knee started clicking and he doesn't really let anyone check it out. My two lab boys play really rough, so the vet thinks that's how he blew it out.

 

[KKB]

We earned the companion pass and have LOVED it. It's been a great value for our family. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. However, I think it operates on a calendar year basis. So you'd have to earn 110k miles before the end of December to earn the pass for next year. Someone here will correct me if I have that wrong. But, we purposefully waited until 1/1 to apply for our first card. Then a few months later we did our second card and were at over 100k miles/points by the Spring. It's a matter of timing everything just right, but WELL worth it.

Good luck. I hope the vet surgery goes well.

This is not quite right.
If you are going for companion pass, you need to apply for 2 cards, both with 50K bonuses. I got plus & premium in early 2014; DH is going for premium & business soon. You then need to charge $2K on each card within 3 months to get the 50K RR points. To earn companion pass, you would also need to charge another $6K--BUT you must earn this 110K within a single calendar year to earn the companion pass. SO you would theoretically not want to charge ANYTHING until after the first of the year. This isn't QUITE right, as it actually has to do with when your billing cycle closes, NOT when you charge. SO if your billing cycle closes Dec. 15, anything charged after Dec. 15 would count toward 2016. You have as much time as you need in 2016 to charge the additional $6K, BUT the sooner you do it, the sooner you qualify for the companion pass--and it would be good for all of 2016 as well as 2017.
When we did this we charged EVERYTHING we possibly could--and deducted it from checking so we knew we could pay it right off.
Companion pass is such a value--we have 2 college students in other states. You are allowed to change your companion 3x each year. So my husband, my mother & our daughter were all my companion at various times in the 18 months we had it.
I do not know if you will get the 50K without being in flight...

 

[msmama]

I know people have moved on to talking about the companion pass, but honestly, I think it's a great card even without the companion pass. I've earned a minimum of 2 "free" trips (4 roundtrip tickets for my family of 2) since I opened the card several years ago. I love paying for flights that I HAVE to take and then having the points to go places I want to! We're going to end up with 4 trips to Florida this year (not calendar year, but 12 month time period), 2 of which we will be flying free!

 

[DebbieB]

I signed up about a month ago, got the card quickly. I knew I needed tires for the car, about $800. I've been charging everything on it. If I still need some to get to the $2,000, I'll get a Disney gift cards or grocery store gift cards.

 

[supersnoop]

So you'd have to earn 110k miles before the end of December to earn the pass for next year. Someone here will correct me if I have that wrong.

Sorry, that's wrong. When you earn any status, be it A-List or Companion Pass, you get it for the rest of the current year and the entire next year. I earned my Companion Pass in February this year, and it's good through December of next year, so almost 23 months. If you're going to go for it, try to do it as early in the year as possible.

 

[Judique]

Sorry, that's wrong. When you earn any status, be it A-List or Companion Pass, you get it for the rest of the current year and the entire next year. I earned my Companion Pass in February this year, and it's good through December of next year, so almost 23 months. If you're going to go for it, try to do it as early in the year as possible.

It wasn't exactly wrong. It just wasn't the best value in that if you do it early in the year you can have the pass for longer.

OP - call to apply and you can verify that you are getting the 50k offer. This has been excellent for us. Even the annual fee works as they give you 6000 points for that $99. I was just able to book my daughter on an MCO return to Reagan National for a little over 4000 points plus $5.60. I was going to ditch the card after the 50k points, but it's worth it to keep it imo.

 

[hrslvr142]

Definitely agree with everyone else that it is definitely worth it and easy peasy. Good luck.

 

[KristinU]

Thanks again everyone, once again I love the DIS!

Anyone who has done the two card thing - how far apart did you apply for the cards? I called last night for the PLUS card and was approved, so that's coming in 5-7 days. I have a link to the PREMIER card application - seems weird to apply the very next day, but I'd like to get a move on it so I have it available for his surgery date.

And in case anyone is curious here's my plan for the companion thing, feel free to critique:

11/17 charge $1800 on card one (they require 50% payment at admission - surgery estimate is $3600 - $3800)
11/18 charge $1800-1900 on card two (but stay under $2000, paying cash if needed)
wait until the billing cycle closes and pay these both off fairly close to the due date in hopes that the points would hit in 2016
then wait until mid December to start making additional purchases to hit the $2000 and then hit the additional $6000

 

[supersnoop]

Anyone who has done the two card thing - how far apart did you apply for the cards? I called last night for the PLUS card and was approved, so that's coming in 5-7 days. I have a link to the PREMIER card application - seems weird to apply the very next day,

Actually, it's best to apply all at once. Each inquiry and new line of credit can lower your credit score, but it takes a few for the effect to hit. Some folks will do an "app-o-rama" to get 10+ cards in a single day. If you wait between them, you risk being declined due to all the new inquiries.

 

[KristinU]

OK, cool, thanks!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Thanks again everyone, once again I love the DIS!

Anyone who has done the two card thing - how far apart did you apply for the cards? I called last night for the PLUS card and was approved, so that's coming in 5-7 days. I have a link to the PREMIER card application - seems weird to apply the very next day, but I'd like to get a move on it so I have it available for his surgery date.

And in case anyone is curious here's my plan for the companion thing, feel free to critique:

11/17 charge $1800 on card one (they require 50% payment at admission - surgery estimate is $3600 - $3800)
11/18 charge $1800-1900 on card two (but stay under $2000, paying cash if needed)
wait until the billing cycle closes and pay these both off fairly close to the due date in hopes that the points would hit in 2016
then wait until mid December to start making additional purchases to hit the $2000 and then hit the additional $6000

We applied one right after the other, and both were approved. We have companion pass through 2016, plus you can take a lot of Southwest flights with 110,000 points. What I love best about points, is that I now have the flexibility to book a flight at a higher pricepoint and wait for it to drop, then just rebook it. Points are automatically refunded to your RR account. Much better than having to use a $ credit within a certain amount of time.

 

[Jaime4004]

I know people have moved on to talking about the companion pass, but honestly, I think it's a great card even without the companion pass. I've earned a minimum of 2 "free" trips (4 roundtrip tickets for my family of 2) since I opened the card several years ago. I love paying for flights that I HAVE to take and then having the points to go places I want to! We're going to end up with 4 trips to Florida this year (not calendar year, but 12 month time period), 2 of which we will be flying free!

We don't fly very often and we've had this card for years. But we were finally able to cash out the points for the 5 of us to fly to orlando in Nov! It'll take many years, but i'll keep it around to do it again. It would be quicker if I didn't use other cards, but recently have been using Disney to get $$ for the trip, and around fall we usually use Amazon for $$ for xmas gifts.

 

[bjscheel]

And in case anyone is curious here's my plan for the companion thing, feel free to critique:

11/17 charge $1800 on card one (they require 50% payment at admission - surgery estimate is $3600 - $3800)
11/18 charge $1800-1900 on card two (but stay under $2000, paying cash if needed)
wait until the billing cycle closes and pay these both off fairly close to the due date in hopes that the points would hit in 2016
then wait until mid December to start making additional purchases to hit the $2000 and then hit the additional $6000

About the bolded- it doesn't matter when you pay, the points will post a couple of days after the cycle closes. With charges in mid-November I'm afraid those will probably post in 2015. At least your bonus points will be in 2016 if you keep under $2000 in 2015.

Our first go round DH and I each got a card so we did that kind of wrong. As I learned more, I cancelled his card and later got another one in my name so we'd only rack up points in one account for better efficiency. DH uses one so it is mostly business expense and I use the other for mostly household expense. The newest card posted the 50,000 bonus in early 2015 and we actually earned companion pass as of this month! The other 60,000 came from purchasing semi fuel (lots of it!) along with other business and household expenses, e-Rewards surveys (about 1200-2400/month), special bonus from fuel purchases this fall, anniversary points, and 5000 bonus for upgrading my Plus to Premier. We'll probably only fly once while we have companion pass, but hey, it's probably a savings of 18,000 points or so to WDW this summer.