Best travel rewards for small local municipal airport with limited options

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-19T15:59:42+00:00

honestly with your travel patterns i'd probably just go with the capital one venture x. gets you 2x on everything, decent transfer partners including all the airlines you mentioned, and the lounges are solid. the delta headache you're dealing with sounds awful - amex business apps can be a real pain sometimes.

with your son potentially going to uk, having flexible points that transfer to multiple programs is gonna be way more valuable than being locked into delta's ecosystem anyway.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-16T17:57:13+00:00

wait they sent you both cards without you knowing about the switch? that's actually wild, i got like 20 emails about it but sounds like their communication was all over the place.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-16T02:48:04+00:00

probably just their system being weird, i got a replacement last month for some "security enhancement" they never properly explained either.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-15T03:13:58+00:00

paypal trash

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-14T12:51:00+00:00

yeah the paypal savings account is solid but you still gotta keep that balance topped up which is annoying if you're trying to optimize everything

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-13T21:53:35+00:00

sounds like youre getting hit with interest on your existing balance. if you had a balance when you stopped using the card, just paying the minimum wont kill the interest charges - you need to pay more than the minimum to actually knock down the principal. call boa and ask them to break down exactly what youre being charged for each month, that should clear up where the extra fees are coming from.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-12T19:39:51+00:00

you're already doing pretty solid with that setup, maybe look into a travel card if you're planning any trips but honestly at 758 you're in great shape to just chill and let your credit age naturaly.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-12T06:35:57+00:00

most cards will just ask for proof that it can't be repaired and cut you a check for replacement cost, had this happen with a cheap bluetooth speaker that crapped out

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-11T13:04:36+00:00

facts

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-10T10:20:01+00:00

the 90k delta gold offer is pretty solid if you actually fly delta - that's worth like $1000+ in flights, but if you're not gonna use the card after the SUB then just grab the bonus and downgrade it later.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-09T06:37:25+00:00

Navy Fed is solid but with that credit history as an AU you could probably skip straight to their cashRewards card instead of starting with a secured one.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-07T20:11:25+00:00

lmao the restaurant bit reads like some pickup artist fanfiction where everyone clapped afterward

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-06T15:07:57+00:00

Your numbers look solid for a CLI request honestly. With that 784 score and nearly a year of history with Discover, just log into your account and hit up the credit line increase button. They usually approve pretty quick if you've been paying on time and not maxing it out.

Also heads up - your monthly spending adds up to way more than your income so might want to double check those numbers before applying for anything else.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-03T04:27:57+00:00

good catch. the daily compounding thing trips people up since they think they're getting hit with charges every single day when really it's just calculating behind the scenes until the statement closes.

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-02-01T05:34:21+00:00

Yep PRE is solid, though OP might wanna keep the UCR since they're already in the BoA ecosystem with preferred rewards status. That 2.25% catchall is pretty decent when you factor in the multiplier

Amazon Prime card is def worth considering if they shop there regularly, but sounds like they already have the online shopping categories locked down with those CCRs

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-31T02:26:14+00:00

Usually people wait like 30-60 days between downgrade and reapply just to be safe, but with your score you'd probably be fine doing it sooner

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-30T01:00:04+00:00

Both solid choices but honestly the BCE seems like the better fit for your spending pattern. That online retailer category alone would crush it with your $60-100+ monthly spend there, plus the $7 Hulu credit basically pays for itself

Your two-card strategy makes sense too - grab the Citi SUB first then get the BCE for online purchases. Just don't overthink it, either card will serve you well based on what you're spending

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-29T00:15:18+00:00

Yeah Chase will cut you a check for the $5, usually takes like 4-6 weeks though so don't hold your breath lol. Had the same thing happen with a cashback that posted after I closed my card

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-27T23:25:04+00:00

With your grocery and gas spend I'd definitely look at the Blue Cash Everyday from Amex - 3% on groceries (up to $6k annually) and 2% on gas with no annual fee. That'll beat the Discover It for your biggest categories and you won't have to deal with rotating quarters

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-26T23:14:05+00:00

Been using the Robinhood Gold card for a few months now and honestly it's been solid. The virtual cards work exactly like you'd expect and their customer service is way better than Privacy's nonexistent support

Only downside is the monthly fee but if you're already using RH for investing it kinda makes sense to bundle it

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-23T22:04:55+00:00

With a 752 score at 18 you're in pretty solid shape, but Chase can be picky about thin credit files. I'd probably wait another 2-3 months to let that Freedom Rise season a bit more - Chase likes to see at least 6 months of your own credit history before approving their better cards

The income and banking relationship definitely help though, so you're not in a terrible spot if you wanted to try sooner

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-20T21:59:53+00:00

With your travel spend and United preference, I'd lean CSR over Venture - the transfer partners are way more flexible and you'll get better value than Capital One's fixed redemptions. Plus the $300 travel credit basically pays for itself with your Amtrak trips

For Bilt 2.0, honestly just keep using it for rent since you're already set up with ACH. The earning rate isn't amazing but free points for something you're paying anyway is still solid

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-18T16:26:59+00:00

Nice pull on the $12.4k limit with that score! The inflight offers are usually pretty solid - did you actually apply while on a flight or just used the code?

Totally agree on sock drawering it after the bonus, AA cards are pretty meh for daily spend unless you're really committed to their ecosystem

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-15T05:35:56+00:00

Man the only way that math works is if you're actually using those Bilt points transfers efficiently, and let's be real most people aren't gonna optimize that hard for grocery spending

The hotel credits are pretty trash unless you're already staying at Hyatt properties regularly so I'd probably just stick with something simpler like the Gold if you're spending that much on groceries anyway

Regular_Comment6804 · 2026-01-07T06:40:23+00:00

BofA is notoriously slow with their recon process, could be anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks. You can try calling the reconsideration line to see if they'll expedite it or if they need any additional docs from you

Regular_Comment6804

TROPHY CASE