Travel for Free: How Credit Card "Churners" Do It

Reader Comments
Back to blog

The assumption that this is good for your credit and doesn't damage you is simple FALSE and misleading to the reader. Anyone that knows anything about credit knows that whenever you apply for new credit, it is deemed as a "hard inquiry" and knocks 10-15 points off your Score. These inquiries stay on your score and history for 2 yrs, and more than 2 hard inquiries in one year has a negative impact on credit availability.
Also, a major factor in credit score is the LENGTH of your credit history. Lenders want to see loyalty and a history of payments on time to a creditor.
This article is simply misleading and false to assume a free flight is worth your credit score

John of NY 8:57AM April 17, 2013

This is a topic I learn a lot about at www.noobtraveler.com - that resource lays out in detail how this all works.

Mark of KS 10:53PM May 24, 2012

This article is somewhat misleading. If you get a card directly associated with an airline, for example Delta Am Ex, you will get miles. Other cards such as CapitalOne will give your credits that you can apply to the purchase of an airline ticket. It does not allow you to accumulate FFM with a particular carrier.

Tommy T of AR 1:15PM May 12, 2012

This article is somewhat misleading. If you get a card directly associated with an airline, for example Delta Am Ex, you will get miles. Other cards such as CapitalOne will give your credits that you can apply to the purchase of an airline ticket. It does not allow you to accumulate FFM with a particular carrier.

Tommy T of AR 1:14PM May 12, 2012