These days in travel hacking, it’s about waiting and working towards meeting required spend for credit card bonuses or points/miles to post.  I don’t quite know why I have that am I there yet or is it there yet feeling checking almost everyday am I finished with the minimum required spend or did my points post.  I guess it’s because I am a rookie at this, but I’m also very meticulous about my finances so that might play some part in it as well.

   Currently on the waiting for post points side of the coin, I’ve already met minimum spend on is for American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card and the Everyday Preferred Card.  American Express is notoriously slow at posting your Membership Rewards (MR) points in comparison with other banks like Chase and Citi.  It seems you have to wait up to two billing cycles for points to post.  I am waiting for bonus for

• Premier Rewards Gold – 50,000 MR 
• Everyday Preferred – 30,000 MR
• Alaska Airlines Visa – 30,000 Mileage Plus points

Though the American Express MR take a long time, there co-branded cards like the Hilton Surpass Card points posted so quickly, I wasn’t even expecting it.

   On the other side of the coin,  the waiting until I meet the required spend on a credit card, I have the following bonuses I am working on getting; namely:

• Wyndham Rewards Visa – $926 to go for 15,000 additional points (already received 30,000 points for making one purchase)
• Citi Prestige Card – $420 to go for 50,000 Thank You points 
• Hyatt Visa Signature – $1000 to go for 5,000 Passport points and 2 free nights at any Hyatt
• Alaska Airlines Visa Business – $1,000 to go for 30,000 Mileage Plus points  
• AAdvantage Platinum Select – $3,000 to go for 50,000 AA points

I should be finished with these spending requirements by October though, and because I’m at limit for how many cards I personally want to apply for, my wife will likely finish out the remaining credit card applications that we will do this year.  She will apply for the following:

• Premier Rewards Gold Business Card – 75,000 MR for $5,000 spend in 3 months
• AMEX Everyday Card – 25,000 MR for $2,000 spend in 3 months
• Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card – 2 free weekend nights at any Hilton for $2,500 in 4 months

   This waiting in either case will result in 360,000 points/miles and 4 free nights to be used for practically free travel domestically or around the world.  I can wait for that!