App-o-Rama Example
This is an example of an app-o-rama that a blogger Grant did on March 15, 2014. He basically signed up for 5 credit cards. In case you didn't know, the minimum spend requirement is the amount of money you have to spend, and the amount of time you have to spend it, in order to get the sign-up bonus. It might seem high on the surface. However, if you do regular spending for your everyday expenses and use manufactured spending techniques (which I outline on another part of my website), then it's actually easy to meet the minimum spend requirements.
1. Citi Executive American Airlines Card
Sign-up bonus: 100,000 AAdvantage miles
Minimum spend requirement: $10,000 in 3 months
First-year annual fee: essentially $250
Application status: went to pending, called, and was approved for a $5,000 credit line
2. Chase Ink Bold Visa
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points
Minimum spend requirement: $5,000 in 3 months
First-year annual fee: None
Application status: went to pending, called, and was approved
3. US Bank Flexperks Travel Rewards Card
Sign-up bonus: 27,450 Flexpoints
Minimum spend requirement: $3,500 in 4 months
First-year annual fee: None
Application status: went to pending, and was approved a few days later for a $6,000 credit line
4. Bank of America Alaska Airlines Business Card
Sign-up bonus: 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles
Minimum spend requirement: one purchase
First-year annual fee: $75
Application status: went to pending, called, and was approved for a $5,000 credit line
5. Discover It
Sign-up bonus: $150 statement credit
Minimum spend requirement: $750 in 3 months
First-year annual fee: None
Application status: approved before he finished filling out the application
Totals
Total minimum spend requirements: $19,250 in 4 months and one other purchase
Total first-year annual fees: $325
Approved / Attempted: 5/5
Total sign-up bonuses: 202,450 miles and points (not including the miles and points earned from completing the minimum spend requirements) and $150
How Much are these Sign-up Bonuses Potentially Worth?
This app-o-rama is an amazing example of how quickly your mileage accounts can add up. Let's take a hypothetical look at how much travel he can potentially do with these sign-up bonuses:
1. Citi Executive American Airlines Card
Sign-up bonus: 100,000 AAdvantage miles
This is enough miles for a Zone 6 One World Explorer award trip in economy class. Blogger Lucky from One Mile at a Time has a post detailing One World Explorer awards here. Let's use one of his sample Zone 6 award redemptions. The itinerary starts in New York, and goes to London, Paris, Doha, Dubai, Delhi, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and back to New York.
1. Citi Executive American Airlines Card
Sign-up bonus: 100,000 AAdvantage miles
Minimum spend requirement: $10,000 in 3 months
First-year annual fee: essentially $250
Application status: went to pending, called, and was approved for a $5,000 credit line
2. Chase Ink Bold Visa
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points
Minimum spend requirement: $5,000 in 3 months
First-year annual fee: None
Application status: went to pending, called, and was approved
3. US Bank Flexperks Travel Rewards Card
Sign-up bonus: 27,450 Flexpoints
Minimum spend requirement: $3,500 in 4 months
First-year annual fee: None
Application status: went to pending, and was approved a few days later for a $6,000 credit line
4. Bank of America Alaska Airlines Business Card
Sign-up bonus: 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles
Minimum spend requirement: one purchase
First-year annual fee: $75
Application status: went to pending, called, and was approved for a $5,000 credit line
5. Discover It
Sign-up bonus: $150 statement credit
Minimum spend requirement: $750 in 3 months
First-year annual fee: None
Application status: approved before he finished filling out the application
Totals
Total minimum spend requirements: $19,250 in 4 months and one other purchase
Total first-year annual fees: $325
Approved / Attempted: 5/5
Total sign-up bonuses: 202,450 miles and points (not including the miles and points earned from completing the minimum spend requirements) and $150
How Much are these Sign-up Bonuses Potentially Worth?
This app-o-rama is an amazing example of how quickly your mileage accounts can add up. Let's take a hypothetical look at how much travel he can potentially do with these sign-up bonuses:
1. Citi Executive American Airlines Card
Sign-up bonus: 100,000 AAdvantage miles
This is enough miles for a Zone 6 One World Explorer award trip in economy class. Blogger Lucky from One Mile at a Time has a post detailing One World Explorer awards here. Let's use one of his sample Zone 6 award redemptions. The itinerary starts in New York, and goes to London, Paris, Doha, Dubai, Delhi, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and back to New York.
2. Chase Ink Bold Visa
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points
Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a variety of transfer partners, one of which is the United Mileage Plus frequent flyer program, at a ratio of 1:1. After meeting the minimum spend requirement for his credit card, Grant will have 55,000 Ultimate Rewards points. Let's say Grant transfers his 55,000 Ultimate Rewards points to United. According to the United award chart, an award trip from "South Asia" (which includes Hong Kong) to Australia and/or New Zealand costs 17,500 miles each way. Let's say Grant books a round trip award from Hong Kong to somewhere in Australia for 35,000 miles. He can book this trip for travel dates after the Delhi to Hong Kong segment, and before the Hong Kong to Tokyo segment on his One World Explorer award.
After doing that redemption from Hong Kong to Australia, Grant would have 20,000 miles left. He can use that for a short round-trip on United, such as from Orange County to Las Vegas.
3. US Bank Flexperks Travel Rewards Card
Sign-up bonus: 27,450 Flexpoints
After meeting the minimum spend requirement on this card, Grant will have more than 30,000 Flexpoints. He can redeem 30,000 points for a plane ticket with a fare between $400 and $600, or redeem 20,000 points for a plane ticket with a fare of up to $400. I think Grant is from Irvine, CA. Let's say he uses his Flexpoints for a round-trip from Los Angeles to Bogota, on dates after he finishes his One World Explorer trip, for a fare of $400.50. I think the redemption would cost 30,000 Flexpoints.
4. Bank of America Alaska Airlines Business Card
Sign-up bonus: 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles
This sign-up bonus is enough for a round-trip award in the US mainland, Alaska, and Canada. I think the travel can be done on either Alaska Airlines, Delta, or American. Grant can book an award flight from Orange County, California to New York before he starts his One World Explorer trip. Then, he can book an award flight from New York back home after he finishes his One World Explorer trip. This would cost a total of 25,000 miles.
5. Discover It
Sign-up bonus: $150 statement credit
Grant can use this $150 statement credit to book a cheap round-trip from London to Fez, Morocco. Ryanair especially has good deals on this route. He can do this trip in between the New York to London flight and the London to Paris flight on his One World Explorer award.
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points
Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a variety of transfer partners, one of which is the United Mileage Plus frequent flyer program, at a ratio of 1:1. After meeting the minimum spend requirement for his credit card, Grant will have 55,000 Ultimate Rewards points. Let's say Grant transfers his 55,000 Ultimate Rewards points to United. According to the United award chart, an award trip from "South Asia" (which includes Hong Kong) to Australia and/or New Zealand costs 17,500 miles each way. Let's say Grant books a round trip award from Hong Kong to somewhere in Australia for 35,000 miles. He can book this trip for travel dates after the Delhi to Hong Kong segment, and before the Hong Kong to Tokyo segment on his One World Explorer award.
After doing that redemption from Hong Kong to Australia, Grant would have 20,000 miles left. He can use that for a short round-trip on United, such as from Orange County to Las Vegas.
3. US Bank Flexperks Travel Rewards Card
Sign-up bonus: 27,450 Flexpoints
After meeting the minimum spend requirement on this card, Grant will have more than 30,000 Flexpoints. He can redeem 30,000 points for a plane ticket with a fare between $400 and $600, or redeem 20,000 points for a plane ticket with a fare of up to $400. I think Grant is from Irvine, CA. Let's say he uses his Flexpoints for a round-trip from Los Angeles to Bogota, on dates after he finishes his One World Explorer trip, for a fare of $400.50. I think the redemption would cost 30,000 Flexpoints.
4. Bank of America Alaska Airlines Business Card
Sign-up bonus: 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles
This sign-up bonus is enough for a round-trip award in the US mainland, Alaska, and Canada. I think the travel can be done on either Alaska Airlines, Delta, or American. Grant can book an award flight from Orange County, California to New York before he starts his One World Explorer trip. Then, he can book an award flight from New York back home after he finishes his One World Explorer trip. This would cost a total of 25,000 miles.
5. Discover It
Sign-up bonus: $150 statement credit
Grant can use this $150 statement credit to book a cheap round-trip from London to Fez, Morocco. Ryanair especially has good deals on this route. He can do this trip in between the New York to London flight and the London to Paris flight on his One World Explorer award.
Conclusion
From this app-o-rama, Grant potentially earned enough miles and points for travel to destinations on all 6 continents, in 10 countries. The sample redemptions I gave are just a sample of what he can do with his miles and points. The possibilities for where Grant can actually travel are endless. Also note that this is the travel he can do using miles and points earned from one app-o-rama. Many frequent flyers do an app-o-rama every three months, which is four app-o-ramas per year. Imagine how much travel that is.