Hey Katie! Thanks for this video! Working on getting the companion pass with my spouse. I've had a personal Southwest card for years (that I plan to cancel to be player 2 in 24 months). My spouse, player 1, has the business + personal card right now. My question is, because it has been years since I opened this personal card and years since I received the welcome bonus, when do you recommend I cancel it? Should I cancel it now? Is there a length of time I need to not have a SW personal card to be able to reopen one for a welcome bonus? I also heard you recommending keeping at least 1 long-term card in the bank (chase) to keep a good relationship with the bank. Would you recommend I open a different card with Chase that I actually plan on keeping long-term, or is this not necessary for the 1 companion pass strategy? Thanks so much
Yes, ideally you'll want a long term card with Chase! For me, it's a Freedom card. If you get a Sapphire card later and don't keep it long term, you can downgrade to a Freedom card. You only need to wait 7-14 days after cancelling to apply again.
@@katiestraveltricks thanks. I opened mine a year ago and got my CP in Jan 2024. My yearly fee just hit so I was trying to decide if I hold off until the end of 2025 to cancel.
@@KatieJerew-zz7pd If the SW companion is a big part of your travel strategy then I would always keep a SW card regardless of the af, especially the SW cards that give annual points to go along with it's af.
Hi Katie! Love this new video. Do you know if my husband adds me as an AU on his oldest card (15+ years) will it take a 5/24 spot for me now?? I want to cancel my oldest card but not lose having a long credit history, lol. Thanks! ❤
In that situation, almost all banks will show that new AU card on your report as being 15 years old so it wouldn't add to your 5/24 count. The one exception I've seen is with some Amex cards (like the Gold and Platinum).
Hey Katie! Thanks for this video! Working on getting the companion pass with my spouse. I've had a personal Southwest card for years (that I plan to cancel to be player 2 in 24 months). My spouse, player 1, has the business + personal card right now. My question is, because it has been years since I opened this personal card and years since I received the welcome bonus, when do you recommend I cancel it? Should I cancel it now? Is there a length of time I need to not have a SW personal card to be able to reopen one for a welcome bonus?
I also heard you recommending keeping at least 1 long-term card in the bank (chase) to keep a good relationship with the bank. Would you recommend I open a different card with Chase that I actually plan on keeping long-term, or is this not necessary for the 1 companion pass strategy?
Thanks so much
Yes, ideally you'll want a long term card with Chase! For me, it's a Freedom card. If you get a Sapphire card later and don't keep it long term, you can downgrade to a Freedom card. You only need to wait 7-14 days after cancelling to apply again.
@@katiestraveltricks Thanks so much
Any datapoints on IHG free night posting? Want to downgrade but don’t want to lose the certificate from the Premier?
Check your IHG account for the free night, it should be there withing a billing cycle after the af.
Mine seems to post right after annual fee for IHG, so there is still time to cancel and recoup the annual fee
With the 3 card method for SW companion pass, when would you cancel cards?
At the very least, you'll want to keep 1 open to start the referral process in 2 years. So whoever opened 2 cards needs to keep at least 1 of them.
@@katiestraveltricks thanks. I opened mine a year ago and got my CP in Jan 2024. My yearly fee just hit so I was trying to decide if I hold off until the end of 2025 to cancel.
@@KatieJerew-zz7pd If the SW companion is a big part of your travel strategy then I would always keep a SW card regardless of the af, especially the SW cards that give annual points to go along with it's af.
Hi Katie! Love this new video. Do you know if my husband adds me as an AU on his oldest card (15+ years) will it take a 5/24 spot for me now?? I want to cancel my oldest card but not lose having a long credit history, lol. Thanks! ❤
In that situation, almost all banks will show that new AU card on your report as being 15 years old so it wouldn't add to your 5/24 count. The one exception I've seen is with some Amex cards (like the Gold and Platinum).
@@katiestraveltricks Thank you so much! I never even thought about it as a possibility until watching this video! Very much appreciated 😊