Switching a credit card?

[Birdie dog]

I have two CitiBank cards. One is Costo and I pay it in full each month The second s a plain Citi card that I haven't used in forever, but recently used transfer checks they sent me to consolidate my last bit of debt to have all CCs paid off by the end of the year ( I spent a fortune on renovating a 30 year old house and went way past me $60000 budget).
Anyway, I currently have 1/4 of the debt I used to carry and now I'm cleaning up my credit cards.
I use Costco for shopping there and gas. I have Citibank unused but with a balance from CC transfers. I have a Disney Visa that has no balance buy has a lot of Disney dollars so it's just waiting to be used. I have my every day SW card that I use for almost everything and pay in full every month
Now, here's my question. Before covid I traveled quite a bit, and living in Charleston, SC. Flew a lot of flights on AA. I applied for their Barclay MasterCard for the free bags and after a HORRIBLE CS experience, I've already cancelled the card and would never use them again. But, I'd still like something from AA. (We own a unit at the Westin St John so just the free bags makes the card fee worth it). Citi has an AA card. I called them to ask if I could re-brand my current Citi to an AA and I was asked if I just wanted to apply for the AA card instead. I didn't know what I wanted to do so I said I'd call back. I'd like the miles obviously. But, just rebranding the card sounds easy and no new card purchases to meet requirements. (Not that I couldn't spend the $1000 a month). Any opinions on what would be there better option?

I guess in these financial times I should add that I"m an ER nurse working all I want and including OT so paying back either way, is not an issue. I'm pretty proud of myself and my almost non-exhistant CC balance as it's taken 5 years to get there and I'm not messing it up now.

 

[AlohaNow]

If I followed along correctly, it sounds like you currently have a promotional rate on your plain Citi from the balance transfer. Is that right? How would that rate be impacted if you re-branded? Could you still carry it over? You said that one will be paid off by the end of the year anyway, which means later this month? So maybe just leave it be. My advice would be to apply for the Citi AA card because one of the most bonus-y things about a rewards card is the sweet up front miles once you meet the minimum spend. It would almost seem silly to be starting on a new card and give that up. And congrats on your debt reduction!

 

[DisneyHardin]

I found that CC companies don't like to do do balance transfers within their own brand, but will if you really push.

 

[afan]

Not all cards can be product changed within their offered cards. If the csr said no then it's something citi doesn't allow and you'd need to apply for the card.

You'd probably also lose the low interest rate you hopefully have from the balance transfer, it wouldn't go to the new card had they allowed the product change.

 

[seashoreCM]

Would a thousand or fewer dollars worth of general purchases earn enough points to cover a bag that has an over the counter thirty dollar fee? That is, three or more cents of reward per dollar charged on the card?

If not then I would not consider that airline's card worthwhile for just that benefit.

Actually the needed advance number crunching is much greater; you have to figure in the annual fee of the card before applying for it.