Rapid Travel Chai

I’ve started each of my conference credit card talks the past couple years asking if you are part of the Chase 5/24 tribe or not.

If you are in the 5/24 tribe, then you are subject to the whims of Chase. What is to ensure that when those 24 months tick off that Chase doesn’t move the goal posts? Maybe 5/36? Or 3/24?

What has puzzled is so many points travelers have treated 5/24 as immutable gospel.

Those who have aged their Chase Sapphire Reserves for 24 months in the hope of a quick cancel and reapply for a new bonus found that Chase had the exact same thought. Here is the Sapphire Preferred-Reserve 48-month rule. (I understand some working links for those cards do not yet have that language, though 5/24 still applies.)

The Chase Sapphire Reserve itself is an odd premium travel card. It has simplicity going for it (good for millennials), strong airline and hotel transfer partners (good for savvy travelers), good protections/insurance (good for fine print readers), though relatively few travel benefits and no card anniversary incentive.

Chase invested a ton in customer acquisition and wants those annual fees to keep coming in. Chase doesn’t have the emotional allure of Centurion Lounges to rationalize the big annual fee. Here’s a rare major publication article written by someone who really knows this space. A highlight is Mr. ‘Get Both!’ The Points Guy suggesting to not keep chasing card bonuses.

This is a good time to weigh whether the cost of bank monogamy justifies the uncertain rewards.

If you are not part of the Chase 5/24 tribe, there’s a big world out there.

In the past 12 months I’ve slowed down from my usual pace though still added 12 cards, only 1 from Chase. On my rough 90-day schedule I’ll go for a few more in September.

Here is one traveler’s non-Chase cards this year to get you brainstorming.