Travel Themed App-O-Rama (final results - Updated Dec. 1, 06)

Credit Profile:
25 Years Old, 7 years credit history, $50K/year income, single, rent

Gameplan:
Hit as many creditors as possible for 2-3 cards each, hopefully get the sign up bonuses then transfer the limits onto one card from which I can get a 0% BT offer.

Potential Problems:
I was past due 60 days 3 years ago (not my fault but direct loans will not budge and I can't prove otherwise to the credit bureaus) but have since been approved for all the cards I currently own

Recent Move (2 months ago) = Address Problem

Credit Bureaus not showing me as being employed

Fico:
~700

Cards I own:

Chase Cash Plus (Original Limit: $500, CLI Increased to: $4,500 limit-no hard pull) - 10% utilization, 1 Year
Bank of America Plat: (Original Limit: $2,000 CLI Increased to: $4,500 limit) - 0% utilization, 2 1/2 Years
Bank of America Choice Privledges: (Original Limit: $4,000, CLI Increased to: $8,600 limit) - 0% utilization, 4 Months
Citi AAdvantage ($8,500 limit - Does not report CL, CLI Increase denied without hard pull) - 0% utilization, 10 Months
+
Student Loans:
Direct Loans $26,000
Citi Loans $10,000
AES: $8,000

Cards I applied for in the following format (Cards appear in the order I applied for them):

Issuing Bank & Card Name, Bonuses offered (including 0% BT), Application Status, Credit Limit

1) Chase United, 25,000 miles & 0% APR for 6 months, Deferred ->Approved, CL: $10,000
2) Juniper US Airways, 25,000 miles + 0% BT offer for 6 months Instant Approval, CL: $7,500
3) Citi AAdvantage Business, 20,000 miles, Deferred ->Approved, but citi needs proof of address, CL: Unknown
4) Juniper Midwest, 30,000 miles + 0% BT offer for 6 months (FYI: $69 annual fee) - Deferred ->Denied: "Sufficient Credit with Juniper"
5) Bank of America USAirways Signature, 25,000 miles + 0% APR for 6 months, $40 card offers ($90 annual fee), Deferred ->Approved, CL: $8,000
6) AMEX Starwood, 10,000 Starwood Points, Instant Approval, CL: $3,000
7) First USA Bank NWA Worldperks - 20,000 miles (FYI: $90 annual fee), Deferred ->Approved, CL: $10,000
8) Citi Pimier Pass Elite, 15,000 TY Points (30,000 when matched by flight points) + 0% BT w/ no BT fee, Deferred ->Approved, but citi needs proof of address, CL: Unknown
9) Chase Sony Card, $100 statement credit & 0% for 12 months, Deferred ->Approved, CL: $0, had to move Balance from other cards to open
10) AMEX Delta Gold, 17,500 Miles, Deferred ->Approved, CL: $2,400
11) Discover Miles Card - 12,000 "miles" (good for $100 credit & 0% BT for 12 months w/ NO BT FEE & $40 card offers, Deferred ->Approved, CL: $5,000
12) Bank of America Platinum Plus, Free Ipod + $50 statement Credit, Deferred ->Approved, CL: $0, had to move CL from other cards
13) Chase Marriat, Category 1-4 Free Night voucher + 15,000 points good enough for another free night & $40 from cardoffers, Deferred ->Approved, CL: $5,000
14) Citi MTVU Card, 5% on restaurants (hoping Citi will think I'm still enrolled seeing as I am a recent graduate) & $33 Cardoffers, Deferred ->Approved, but need to confirm student status, which I will be unable to do
15) Juniper Spirit Airlines, 25,000 miles + 0% BT for 6 months, Deferred ->Denied: "Sufficient Credit with Juniper"
16) Providian/Wamu, Access to credit score + 0% APR for 12 months, Instant Approval, CL: $750
17) (Tiger Direct) AMEX Business Gold, $150 Gift Card + $100 Statement Credit + 5,000 points (to be transfered into miles), Deferred ->Approved, CL: None, Cha

New Credit so far: $48,950 + Citicards that have yet to come in

Summary:
3/17 for instant approval
15/17 total approval rate

The instant approval rate had me worried, however after the fact I must consider this app-o-rama a major success.

I think the Spirit Onyx card is also through Juniper.

I believe there is a US Air card offer through Juniper for the annual fee waived for two years. Search here or Flyertalk for it.

The Juniper Travelocity card might also be looking into. I don't know what Juniper's deal is when you AOR cards, although I've heard they like to limit the number of cards you get and they like very low risk users (which I don't know if you really fit the profile of).

AMEX SPG or HHonors? There's a big HHonors bonus offer right now (40k points bonus plus some 10k stay bonus or something like that).

I would definitely apply for the Citi Business AAdvantage card while you are at it, just tell them you are a sole proprietor.

You have some pretty low lines already and some significant installment balances on top of the one 60 day late, so I'm not sure how this will go for you.

Whats the age on your current cards?

Try to bump up your CLs before you start. Try to get CLIs online from Citi & BofA (saw a thread w/a link for BofA online CLI somewhere). And call Chase and ask for a CLI WITHOUT doing a hard pull.

I was gonna say you should get a Citi Premierpass Elite (15k bonus pts) and some other Citi card (that offers 10k bonus pts) so that you would have enough to get a free domestic airline ticket (25k required, right?).. but you already have 2 Citi cards picked, and yea, I'd rather go to Europe too. Than again, with all the travelling you plan to do, a Premierpass might do you good with its flight pts bonus thing.

AMEX SPG is good too. 20k starwood pts = 25k airline miles for a lot of carriers. you should check it out.

i don't think you're a student (make $50k a year?)-so you can't get the mtvu card.

Khabibul35 said: Just graduated, plus I heard they don't enforce the student rule.They asked me for a letter from my registrar when I applied last month.

charliek said: Try to bump up your CLs before you start. Try to get CLIs online from Citi & BofA (saw a thread w/a link for BofA online CLI somewhere). And call Chase and ask for a CLI WITHOUT doing a hard pull.


Chase is the only one I have had a problem with the pulls. They refuse me everytime and tell me that a hard pull is necessary for ANY credit increase. Bastards

Did you consider applying for Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa Card? Link

The United Visa bonus is up to 25K I believe. Why don't you sign up for the United Business Visa as well and get another 25K bonus.

Try disputing the account with the neg on it the day before the app-orama. Apparently others have found that if you have a dispute open on an account that nothing regarding the account will show up on pulls at that point. Combine this with a couple of pulls from yourself to make sure it is off the record before app-o-rama for better success