<\/span>There are many ways to get travel miles that can add up to free trips, but the quickest easiest way seems to be signing for credit cards with large sign up bonus.\u00a0 Many people are “churning” these cards, signing up for several at a time, earning the bonuses and then closing the cards and starting over.\u00a0 This is a really quick way to get tons of miles that can be redeemed for free travel.\u00a0 Most travel hackers recommend applying for several of these cards in one day to minimize the hit to your credit score and likelihood that you will be denied based on number of recent applications.\u00a0 The problem with this is that is that most of these huge sign up bonuses are conditional upon a spending limit.\u00a0 Most of the limits are pretty attainable, usually between $1000 and $3000 in the first 90 days after opening the account.\u00a0 Applying for several cards at once may be better for your credit score, but a $1000 spending minimum on 10 different cards is a problem for the chronically poor like myself.\u00a0 So I decided, against the advice online strangers who seem much better at this than myself, that I would just sign up for one card at a time, meet the spending minimum, then open a new card 90 days later.\u00a0 Fool proof right?<\/p>\n As you may imagine, that’s not going as smoothly as planned.\u00a0 I did a little research and found out that the <\/span>Barclaycard Arrival Mastercard <\/a><\/span>was near the top of most of the best travel reward card lists.\u00a0 It gives you 2x miles on everything you buy, 10% back when you redeem for travel, the annual fee is waived for the first year ($89 after that), and best of all 40,000 bonus miles when you spend a very attainable $1000 in the first 90 days after opening the account.<\/p>\n This card seemed like a pretty good start.\u00a0 Here’s my experience with the card so far,<\/p>\n <\/span>9\/27- applied for the card online.\u00a0 Many people get an instant approval, which is really the only way that the applying for several cards in one day thing works, but my application was pending further approval.<\/p>\n <\/span>9\/28- Checked my application<\/span> status online and was told that there was no application on record for me.\u00a0 I figured maybe it was too soon to check.<\/p>\n <\/span>9\/29- Checked again online, still no record.\u00a0 I called Barclaycard and was told that my application was still pending.<\/p>\n <\/span>10\/4- Received my rejection letter in the mail.<\/p>\n <\/span>10\/7- Called the reconsideration line at 866-408-4064.\u00a0 I didn’t know this line existed until I read <\/span>noobtravelers<\/a> article on the matter.\u00a0 The man I talked to on the phone was very helpful and got me approved right way after a couple of questions (which I had already answered in the original application)<\/p>\n <\/span>10\/11- My new Barclaycard was on its way and would be delivered to me in 7-14 days!\u00a0 Today I also found out that the card opening process dropped my credit score 21 points, taking me from an “excellent” 767 to a “good” 746.<\/p>\n <\/span>10\/21- It’s been two weeks since I was approved for this card. So, I called customer service to find out where it might be.\u00a0 I was asked to confirm my address and told the card was sent out 10\/11 and would arrive by 10\/25.<\/p>\n <\/span>10\/25- Card has still not arrived.\u00a0 I called customer service again and was told it definitely should have arrived by now and was asked to confirm my address again.\u00a0 “You said the city was Kissimmee?\u00a0 Can you spell that?”\u00a0 This is not good.\u00a0 “We have the city listed as Groveland?\u00a0 Is that ok?”\u00a0 Well, I live in a different city and don’t have my card so, “no”.\u00a0 I was put through to security where I had to change my address and was issued a new card that would arrive in 7-14 business days.\u00a0 After I told the lady on the phone that this was unacceptable, I got the card overnighted and it arrived the next day!<\/p>\n \n <\/span>10\/26-\u00a0 FINALLY GOT MY CARD!!!!!<\/p>\n \n \n![\"Barclaycard](\"https:\/\/magsonthemove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/image117-e1382933106474-510x660.jpg\")
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