[Offers contained within this article may no longer be available]
Per Reddit, two new credit offers (one from Alaskan Airlines and the other from United) have just rolled out as we roll into the month of June and one of them is one of the best ever offered (although it’s targeted). Here’s a look at the two offers and some insight into whether or not you should apply.
Alaskan Airlines 30,000 miles
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card is now offering a 30,000 miles sign-up bonus after you make $1,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days. Many are attracted to the extra 5,000 miles being offered for this card, however, the another offer for 25,000 miles and a $100 statement credit is still available as well.
The latter offer grants you the 25,000 miles upon approval so there’s no spending required for the bonus. If you do get around to spending $1,000 within 90 days of opening the card, you’ll get a $100 statement credit. That statement credit can more than offset the annual fee of $75 which is not waived the first year.
Which offer is best for you depends on whether or not you want to bother with the spending requirement and what kind of value you plan on getting out of the miles. For example, Alaskan miles can be redeemed on partner airlines like American Airlines and Delta. If you can redeem your Alaskan miles for over 2 cents per point, then those additional 5,000 points you get from the 30,000 miles offer would bring more value than the $100 statement credit. On the other hand, maybe you’re not keen on paying annual fees and you’d rather have the statement credit offset the $75 annual fee. It all comes down to personal preference.
Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card 70,000 miles
The Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card is now offering a 70,000 miles sign-up bonus for $3,000 worth of spending within the first 90 days.
This is a targeted offer so you’re going to have to be a bit lucky to receive it. To my knowledge, this is the highest bonus ever offered on this card (the standard offer is only 30,000 miles!). I would definitely jump on this offer if I received it. 70,000 miles can go pretty far with United — it’s enough to get you round trip business class tickets to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America, and it is just 10,000 miles short of earning you a round trip business class ticket to places like Hawaii. The value of those 70,000 miles could easily surpass $1,400 when redeemed for premium fares.
If you happened to have already applied for this card in the past 90 days you should definitely send a secured message to Chase requesting a match for the offer. If you’ve actually received an offer for the 70,000 miles you should have no problem receiving the match but even if you haven’t received the offer you might get lucky and get matched anyway.
Keep in mind that this is one of the co-branded cards subject to the new 5/24 Rule. However, some targeted offers (those that come in the mail providing you with an application code) allow you to circumvent the rule. Personally, if I was over 5/24, I don’t think I would apply for this card unless I received an application code, as data points suggest you may get denied.
Chase Ink Plus 70,000 Ultimate Rewards
And just as a bonus, here’s a reminder about the Chase Ink Plus offer.
This offer was already out but has since been extended for the length of the summer season until August 20, 2016. I think this a superb offer since the annual fee is typically waived the first year. However, the offer is only available in branch (subject to certain exceptions). To read more about this offer click here.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
