Why I Am Sticking With Club Carlson

Over a year ago, I wrote about my experience Churning After Midnight. For some reason, I decided that applying for credit card drunk would be fun. Well, I don't recommend doing it.

At the time, I applied for and was approved for the Chase Southwest Business & Personal cards and the US Bank Club Carlson Visa.

One year later, its annual fee time. At the moment, I am unsure about keeping the Southwest Credit Cards. However, I have decided to pay the $75 annual fee for the Club Carlson card.

For $75, I get the following benefits:

•  40,000 Bonus Points

                 

            That's enough for two nights at a Category 4 hotel.

         

•   Buy 1, Get 1 Free Award Nights

           When you redeem Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free. 

           That is why your 40,000 bonus point is worth 2 free nights at Category 4 hotels.

•  Gold Status

          Having the credit card automatically upgrades your status with Club Carlson to Gold.

          Gold Status gives you a wide range of benefits; late check-out, room upgrades, free

          internet and many others. You can see the whole list of benefits, here.

The 40,000 bonus points, Buy 1, Get 1 award nights and Gold status are the main reasons for me to pay the annual fee for the credit card. I only used the award night benefit once in 2013, on a trip to Austin. My sister and I stayed at a Country Inn and Suites and saved over $200+ by using 28,000 points for 2 nights.  

This year, I hope to use the award night benefit more often. My travels will take me to places with more Club Carlson hotels.  Plus I am sitting on a nice stash of Gold Points. I plan on sticking with Club Carlson even with their most recent devaluation.

Earlier this month, Club Carlson announced the creation of a 7th redemption level. The 7th redemption level is only going to have a few properties in it (Most in Paris, London and New York City). At the moment, I have no desire to travel to any of those area, so it doesn't really effect me. If Paris builds the restaurants in the abandon metro stations; then I might change my mind.

One of the biggest decisions in this game is the annual fees. It isn't cheap to keep all of the credit cards with annual fees. However, you can't cancel every credit card either. You need a balance. Keep some and let some go is my strategy. 

Congratulations Club Carlson for making it to Year 2!
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Whats in My Wallet & Sock Drawer

The Frequent Miler had an article about which annual fee cards he is planning on keeping. It got me thinking about my own credit cards.

Quite a few are up for their annual fee and its time to make some decisions. Do I keep the credit card and pay the annual fee or singing “na na na, hey hey good-bye,” to it. The decision is not easy, because I deduct credit card annual fees from my travel budget. They are an expense to my travel hobby/addiction. Keep to many and the annual fees can add up quickly.

Here is a list of all the credit cards in my possession and my thinking at the moment of keeping or canceling:

Keeping:

Banana Republic (no annual fee)

Hilton AMEX (no annual fee)

US Airways World Mastercard (no annual fee – oldest credit line)

Capitol One Card (no annual fee)

Chase Hyatt ($79 annual fee – free night on anniversary)

Chase Priority Club ($49 annual fee – free night on anniversary)

US Bank Club Carlson ($75 annual fee - 40,000 point anniversary bonus)

Undecided:

Chase Sapphire ($95 – 7% dividend every January – last years’s: 1500 points)

Chase Southwest – Personal ($99 annual fee, 6,000 miles anniversary bonus)

Chase Southwest – Business ($99 annual fee, 6,000 miles anniversary bonus)

Alaska Airlines ($75 annual fee, $99 companion pass each anniversary)

US Airways Premier World Mastercard ($89 annual fee, - 10,000 miles anniversary bonus)

Bye Bye

Chase British Airways ($99 annual fee)

Chase United Airways ($95 annual fee)

Delta AMEX ($95 annual fee)

Citi American Airlines ($95 annual fee)

Last weekend, I wrote that one of the keys to a great credit card is a bonus on the anniversary especially if there is an annual fee. As reflected above, those credit cards with annual fees that I am keeping offer me that anniversary bonus. I have great credit, use my credit card frequently and always pay my bills on time, I should be reward for keeping their credit in my rotation. Yes, that sounds spoiled, but every time I swipe their card, they earn money. And I swipe alot!

As stated above, one of the main reasons I let cards go is the hit to my travel budget from the annual fees. If I kept all the cards above, the annual fees would be over $1,000 or 1/3 of my travel budget. Wasting a 1/3 of my travel budget on credit card annual fee is crazy.

The decision to keep or cancel a credit card is an important part of the game. Annual fees are not going away anytime soon. To succeed in this game, one must way the cost associated with having a credit card vs. the benefits that you receive from it.

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Another One Bites the Dust

I arrived home tonight to some bad news. I received a letter from Citi Bank letting me know they are raising the annual fee on my Citi AAdvantage card from $85 to $95.

The reason for the change in annual fee, "In April 2012, we upgraded the benefits that came with your
Citi / AAdvantage credit card. These exciting benefits resulted in a change in the card's annual membership fee."

The only major benefit, I remember, is a 10% rebate of AAdvantage miles redeemed. Is that worth $10 more a year?

The change happens in May 2013 on your next anniversary. For me that is in October.

A copy of the letter I received is below:

This letter made my decision easier.... Na Na Na, Hey Hey Goodbye Citi AAvantage?

Did you get a similar letter? If so, does it change your mind in keeping this card?


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E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com