Last updated: 10.30.2021

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The following is for those of you who are new to the mileage game, who feel like you're on to something big, but are too nervous to dive in and dismiss it as nonsense.

You'll never master the finer points of miles and points in a short period of time, but it's important to start somewhere, so I've put together a short list of things you can do today to get started.

0. A couple of caveats before we get into the article. 

1) All information on the Milemoa blog is my personal opinion and does not necessarily apply to everyone in a given situation.

For example, Person A may open and close credit cards constantly and have no impact on their credit score or overall credit, while Person B may only open 2-3 credit cards overall and have a significant impact on their credit score.

2) If you're not able to pay off your balance each month with your regular card, and you're paying interest while carrying a balance, a mileage card isn't a good option. The interest rates are so high that you'll end up paying more in interest than you'd pay in miles. In this case, you should do your best to lower your balance first.

That is, All information on this site should be used only after careful consideration of your personal circumstances. Everything is at your own risk, and you are ultimately responsible for your own actions..

So let's get started.

1. miles, points are what you collect as credit card sign-up bonuses. 

You might be thinking, "Miles and points are only meaningful to people who fly a lot or have a lot of credit card spend.

This is not true, at least in the United States.

In Korea, sign-up bonuses are minimal, but in the U.S., 50,000 miles is now standard when you get a card. This became possible after the economic crisis in late 2008, when credit card companies began to offer sign-up bonuses as a way to attract loyal customers. 50,000 miles is enough to fly from LA to Incheon and back five times, but in the U.S., it is possible to get one credit card.

So with the right combination of credit cards, it's not hard to rack up 200,000-300,000 miles in no time with just sign-up bonuses. It takes about 70,000 miles to fly US-Korea economy roundtrip, but with 200,000-300,000 miles, you can fly 3-4 times.

However, The so-called magic trick (mile-earning activity) isn't as easy as it used to be.

Card companies are also accumulating a lot of customer data and using AI to better understand whether you're a profitable or unprofitable customer, so you have to be more prepared than ever to play the game.

2. The miles and hotel points card world is a two-horse race between Chase and Amex.  

7-8 years ago, Amex was the king of high-end miles/points programs, then the trend shifted in the last 5-6 years and Chase took off, and after a few good years, Amex is back to being planted.

In other words, it's like going from Amex to Chase.

Of these two card companies, I'd say Chase is the more difficult to get a card from.

1) First of all, the 5/24 rule was expanded in 2016, which states that you can't get a card if you have more than 5 cards issued in the last 24 months at the time of your card application. (The number of cards issued includes not only Chase cards, but also mod personal cards from multiple card companies).

2) In addition, starting in the fall of 2017, the rule that you can only have one card that earns the same points is expanding. For example, if you have Chase's Sapphire Preferred card (the so-called Sharp card), you can't get the Sapphire Reserve card (the Sari card).

So, if you're new to the miles game, I'd recommend starting with Chase cards first and then slowly expanding to Amex, Citi, Bank of America, etc.

3. you've lived in the U.S. for a long time and are confident you have a good credit history

First, if you've lived in the U.S. for a long time and have a long credit history with car loans, home mortgages, etc., you'll want to try the Sharp card, Chase's flagship card, right away.

1) Sharp cards are Sapphire Preferred Cardwhich stands for The sign-up bonus of 60,000 UR points good for 60,000 airline miles makes this card a magical must-have. (Note that our partnership with Korean Air ended in the summer of 2018).

2) Next, you might want to consider some of Chase's hotel cards - Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott are all eligible for 5/24, so it's important to pick the card that you think best fits your travel patterns.

Shortcuts: Hyatt Card

3) If you're in business, consider the Ink Cash Unlimited card, which has no annual fee (usually 50,000 points during promotions), or the Ink Business Preferred card, which has an annual fee but allows you to convert UR points to air miles with the so-called Dorrance card (usually 80,000 points, 100,000 point bonus during promotions).

For business cards, there's a 5/24 check when you apply for the card, so it's not easy to get past 5/24 (but the upside is that once you've been issued, you're not on the 5/24 count).

4. you don't have a long credit history

If you don't have a long credit history in the U.S., you shouldn't try this.

If you don't have a long credit history but have more than a year, you can try Chase, but if you have less than a year, I'd recommend getting an Amex as your first card to get a solid year under your belt because Chase approvals are pretty much non-existent these days, and then you can start looking at Chase Sharp cards.

5. you have no credit history at all 

If you're new to the country and don't have a long credit history, it's sometimes tempting to keep applying for credit cards until you feel like you're a winner, which is the worst thing you can do for your credit score. If you've never had a credit card in the U.S. before, ask your primary bank, your school, or your employer to open one for you, or get a secured card that requires you to deposit a certain amount of money. You don't need to have multiple, just one.

Challenge: Create my first US credit card

Then I'd recommend getting an Amex card, which is relatively easy to get, to build up your record.

6. Amex Cards 

Amex is my personal favorite credit card company. They're reliable, and they have a pretty decent program called Membership Rewards. They come out with amazing promotions every once in a while, and the sign-up bonus itself rivals Chase. Your warranty is your best defense.

Amex cards are only eligible for one sign-up bonus per card per lifetime, so it's best to get your card during the promotion if possible.

A good Amex card to start with is the Delta Gold or Platinum card, especially during promotions.

If you're looking for an Amex card with no annual fee that you'll keep for a long time, many people recommend the Hilton card.

There's one thing to note here:** ** You'll need to be careful.

It's worth remembering that Amex also has a very notorious system called financial review, where if you open a lot of cards in a short period of time, or if Amex thinks you're too much of a risk, they'll ask for your tax returns, and they'll put you through a very rigorous detailed review. It's also worth noting that Amex nowadays says in their terms and conditions that they won't give you a sign-up bonus if they think you're too much of a risk.

7. business cards

How to avoid the Chase 5/24 while still getting the sign-up bonus. If you're in business, one of the ways to do this is to get a business card from Amex, Bank of America, or the like.

All business cards check your personal credit history when you apply, but many business cards don't go on your personal credit history.

That's why signing up for a business card that doesn't go on record, like Amex, Bank of America, or Citi, can be a way to keep the bonus and avoid the Chase 5/24 rule.

8. That's the basic information for now.

After that, the An up-to-date list of the most recent information about your cardand the rest of the Milemoa blog, and then you can start building cards as needed, without overwhelming yourself.

So let's wrap this up here.

Many of you have changed the way you think about travel and mileage points since discovering MileMOA. We'd love to hear how many miles you've accumulated since discovering MileMoA, and how you've changed the way you think about Vibrant voicesfor more information.

And as a reminder, all information on the Milemoa blog is my personal opinion and does not necessarily apply to everyone, as everyone is in a different financial situation. Please consider your personal situation before acting on any information here or elsewhere. You do so at your own risk.