They did not make it easy….but it worked. About a year ago, I received a credit card application from Chase Manhattan informing me they would give me 20,000 miles on my United MileagePlus account if I would accept their Visa credit card. The card claimed no annual fee in the first year and since I was planning a vacation later in the year and could really use the miles, it looked like a no-brainer. It wasn’t easy to avoid any costs but I succeeded and here’s how it worked.

I applied for and received the card in January 2006. I was required to make a purchase and then I would receive the miles 30 days after the purchase. I did so and when the bill came I immediately paid off the balance so that I wouldn’t have any interest fees. About 6 weeks later, sure enough the miles showed up on my account. I then called to cancel the card. I was told that if I canceled, I would have to relinquish the miles but if I kept the card for the full year I was OK. I called back in December to cancel and was told I had to wait until January 2007. In January 2007, I received a bill for a $60 annual fee. I called the Visa number and was told I could indeed cancel and that I would not have to pay the fee. The card is now canceled and it was a success. If I had waited too long though, I would not have been able to avoid the $60 fee. So, that is the game. Pay on time and be diligent about canceling and the frequent flier mileage is yours.