I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Haley R]

You are also now shunned - go join @speedyfishy - The Lion King show literally brings a tear to my eye, lol!

A tear to your eye??? What a softie lol

 

[kmc8826]

Soooo, what do you think are the odd of getting approved for Arrival + when I got the Barclays Biz in March? Other inquiries were car inquiries back in November? Had an Arrival + a few years ago, closed mid last year.

I think @striker1064 closed and then reopened an Arrival Plus earlier this year. Not sure if his bonus posted. I got my Arrival in September and was approved for the Biz in March. I have thought about getting DH the Biz but am a little scared of those reports of additional documentation etc. I don’t want that drama right now.

I agree. The Nemo show was so long. I like shows but that’s like a thing I do once every few years not every trip. I do love the carousel of progress, tiki room, country bears and the American adventure is my absolute favorite but everything else meh lol

We saw Nemo one time. It kind of freaked me out. I don’t know why. I barely made it through the show. It is one show I would never repeat! We never have seen American Adventure. We need to make it a priority for sure.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I agree. The Nemo show was so long. I like shows but that’s like a thing I do once every few years not every trip. I do love the carousel of progress, tiki room, country bears and the American adventure is my absolute favorite but everything else meh lol

You can be unshunned now!!

 

[Haley R]

I agree. The Nemo show was so long. I like shows but that’s like a thing I do once every few years not every trip. I do love the carousel of progress, tiki room, country bears and the American adventure is my absolute favorite but everything else meh lol

I don’t like tiki room or country bears and I’ve never seen American adventure. We want to see it but it’s never fit into our plans. I would rather be on a ride than watching a show

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

A tear to your eye??? What a softie lol

It's usually on that can you feel the love tonight part with the birds. It just hits me, lol. (Well except when the girl singer tries to do too much with it and sounds like a train wreck...)

 

[Haley R]

It's usually on that can you feel the love tonight part with the birds. It just hits me, lol. (Well except when the girl singer tries to do too much with it and sounds like a train wreck...)

Yesterday we heard can you feel the love tonight in a cafe but it was like played on the xylophone. It took me awhile to figure it out but I started quietly singing it so I wouldn’t bother the Japanese people near us lol

 

[StephPlum]

haha, with everyone recommendation, that was the first thing i booked for this entire trip LOL. So im working around my trip around it now lol. i dont even have air tickets booked!
@kmc8826 @StephPlum how does this sound? am i missing anything
Day 1: Bear Lake
Day 2: Teton NP
Day 3: Yellowstone Grand Canyon
Day 4: Yellowstone Old Faithful area
Day 5: Yellowstone Old Faithful area + Yellowstone Lake.
Day 6: Salt Lake City
Day 7: Salt Lake City

am i missing anything else in yellowstone? we are mostly a site seer and not much of a hiker(like long hikes). we just like to enjoy pretty views and take it easy approach.
TIA!

Your plan looks good. Be warned Yellowstone is huge so to ask if you are missing anything, well yes but there is no way to see everything in 3 days. That will just mean that you'll probably want to go back some day.

My strategy is always have 1-3 must dos for each day and some fillers if there is time. Then you make sure you get to your priority items.
Canyon day - Grand Canyon, Upper and Lower Falls, Artist Point, and either Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley for wildlife viewing

There are so many geysers and they are all unique but at the same time you probably don't have to go to every geyser. The geysers around Old Faithful are much different than Norris Geyser Basin or the Paint Pots. I would try to see some of each of these but you don't have to do all of them at Norris Geyser Basin if you are short on time for example.

Good research book is Yellowstone Treasures by Janet Chapple. Great maps and details on the entire park.

I am glad you got lodging in the park. Lots of people stay outside the park and make it work. That would be fine. But staying in the park (yes it is expensive for no wifi, no phones, no air conditioning) will really save you driving time and allow for more sight seeing.

Have a great trip.

 

[kmc8826]

@Albort I lost the quotes, but I think your plan sounds good. It might be worthwhile to pull up some maps so you can get an idea of distances. If you are not staying at the rooms in the parks you will need to plan on driving forth from West Yellowstone or Jackson (I guess that’s the plan).

One random thought...do you have all your flights? The West Yellowstone airport is beyond awesome. It is a refuge from the 1960’s. I flew in years ago and last year went there with my dad because he had a motor home and wanted a rental car. It might be an option.

If driving from Jackson/Tetons before getting to Old Faithful which is about in the middle of the park stop at Tom Thumb Geyser Basin.

On the road there will be other pull outs to do; some are more worthwhile than others.

I assume by the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone you have seen the pictures of the lookouts? Even if you aren’t much of a hiker it is worth it to do Uncle Tom’s Trail. My 7 year old and 70 year old parents did it last year so while a lot of stairs it is doable and worth it.

I agree hotels are expensive. Only the fact that I was working on an MSR assuaged my angst last June when we were there. The Holiday Inn was about $350. There is a new Wyndham there in West Yellowstone...you could check prices on it.

We were there last year at about this same time (Father’s Day weekend and week after). @ctinct is exactly right about the weather! IIn Grant’s Village there was snow still. And one morning in West Yellowstone there was a dusting. We had went to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho on the way up so while we had shorts we wished we had more pants and jackets!

Feel free to pm if questions.

 

[elgerber]

I thought we had to wait 2 years between opening a new A+ ? Or is it just 2 years since we received the bonus? It used to be quite churnable but that changed last summer.

I got the bonus probably 3-4 years ago. I closed DH same day as mine, both were opened same time also, he got another one In January and got the bonus.

You are also now shunned - go join @speedyfishy - The Lion King show literally brings a tear to my eye, lol!

Mine too, it's my favorite of the stage type shows, I just love it. Nemo on the other hand...

I think @striker1064 closed and then reopened an Arrival Plus earlier this year. Not sure if his bonus posted. I got my Arrival in September and was approved for the Biz in March. I have thought about getting DH the Biz but am a little scared of those reports of additional documentation etc. I don’t want that drama right now.

My dh got one earlier this year, no problem, a couple months after closing his old one, but that was before he got the Barlcays Biz. That's the part I wonder if it will cause a problem.

Eh, what do I have to lose right? What's a little denial if it happens LOL. It will take a 24 spot, but in August I will be back to 2/24 if I get the Arrival.

 

[calypso726]

@Lain as always, thank you for the info on fare types (can you tell I rarely fly??). I am intrigued by @Haley R's mention of flying business class which I am guessing costs a LOT LOT more. I was looking at photos of business class seats though and I am not sure my husband I would like to be separated like that when we are awake!

In terms of real money yes it does cost a lot more but who pays for flights here anyhow? In terms of points, yes it does cost more too. This is where the purchasing power of transferred points to an airline often become more valuable than variable points that can be used to purchase travel. The flight in the photo below was on Singapore Suites. A one way ticket in first class for 1 person from JFK-HKG is currently $11,282. I would need 752,134 Chase UR points to purchase that through the UR portal with my CSR account. Or, I could transfer 250,000 UR points to Singapore Air and get the same flight as an award flight.

I recently booked an ANA in first for our trip to Japan next year. It was 120,000 Virgin Atlantic points. I transferred Amex MR points to Virgin during a 30% transfer bonus and was lucky enough to find partner availability. The cash price is over $20,000 per person. I would have needed over 1.3 million Chase award to purchase it through the UR portal.

Many airlines also have middle lie flats in business or first that are side by side with a partition. The partition can be lowered. In some cases it can turn into a double bed. Here is a pic from one of our flights last year.

Hmmm I will show him some photos and see what he thinks. The premium economy on JAL looks ok but he may really want the ability to lie down flat to sleep as he has a lot of trouble sleeping anywhere except in a bed. We shall see which one wins out!

Be careful with allowing hubbies the experience of lie flat seats. You may inadvertently create a Plane Princess like I did.

Next stop on my trip reports- South Africa Safari! (Stop 1 was the Seychelles). This one made possible with bank bonus money, sometimes cash is King!

Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa. Located in Welgevonden Game Reserve (about 3 hours from Johannesburg by car). 4 nights, $2200, 5 star luxury lodge, all-inclusive. (As a solo traveler many lodges will charge you double so you need to find one that offers a “single supplement”. This did so I only paid 150% the going per person rate and got in on a deal to buy 3 nights get one free.) ANYONE GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA GO HERE! 100%. Absolutely. If you have to give up a Disney trip to make this happen? Do it. (Did I just cause an earthquake saying that? Sorry guys.) This was literally one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I cannot wait to go back- but I need more bank bonuses first lol! I found this place off a suggestion from someone in Reddit award travel. There are lots of safari lodges to chose from so I was lost. This isn’t Kruger, but on the bright side no malaria and no extra flight needed to get there. I arranged a transfer via Mhondoro that picked me up at Hyatt Regency Johannesburg and dropped me at the airport after.

Arrival- waited at front gate of Welgevonden about 20 mins for my pickup by a Mhondoro ranger (my driver drove like a bat out of hell and I got there half an hour before I was supposed to, the ranger felt really bad I’d been waiting as they really do pride themselves on giving guests the best experience). He set up a table with homemade snacks (chocolate truffles & biltong were my faves) red & white wine, Amarula & gin and tonic.

View attachment 406325
Obviously just the necessities to tide one over for the trip to the Lodge where lunch awaits

A couple showed up (at the right time, haha) and after everyone enjoyed drinks and food we loaded into the game drive vehicle (think Indiana Jones/ Dinosaur with elevated seats as you go back but much more comfortable seats than Disney) for the hour drive across the Reserve to the Lodge. At check in they inquire about allergies and dining preferences (I said I don’t really like spicy food and the kitchen always kept that in mind for me) they even asked if I’d like to have someone from the Lodge dine with me for meals as I was alone. (At first I said no, not wanting to be a bother, but after the first night I decided yes and I loved getting to know more about South Africa and some of the people who worked there. Wonderful hosts to a solo traveler like me. For meals you dine with your family/friends/whoever you are traveling with so this was a great touch of guest service.) And then they served lunch on the Lodge Deck overlooking their watering hole...

View attachment 406329
Still not sure how they got me to leave
Each day offered a morning and afternoon Game Drive of about 3 hours each driving around the Reserve looking for animals. It’s about 90k acres so plenty of ground to cover. Lots of rhinos (they are the only Reserve in South Africa to never have had a Rhino poached), also saw elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, baboons, hippos, warthogs, zebras & so much more. Lions on the last day from a distance, they had been easy to spot the week before- had even been at the Lodge’s watering hole right before I arrived!- but while I was there the cheetahs were the ones easy to spot. It’s nature, you just don’t know! We even saw a mama cheetah feeding on her kill with her 4 cubs right by the roadway one day! They have leopards but we never saw one. Last one seen by our rangers had been a month prior. The rangers are very knowledgeable about bird and plant life (in addition to animals of course!) if that’s your thing. I’m limiting myself to 2 animal pics!

View attachment 406330
While family of Rhinos on my first afternoon game drive. Crazy close!

View attachment 406332
*sigh* the pics were inserting so well until now Anywho, over Sundowners one day the ranger calmly says something like “get in the vehicle. Everyone get in the vehicle now.” From the vehicle we see this fella coming down the road. The rangers had us stay quiet and still and the elephant walked right by and stopped a couple times next to the vehicle to smell us and moved on. Seriously close encounter. (For those wondering about safety one of the rangers had his rifle out and would have shot the elephant if he had started to attack, thankfully he did not.)

Morning drive has a “coffee break”. This “bush coffee” consists of hot chocolate mix, French Press coffee the ranger does right then & Amarula. Delicious! Gourmet snacks again, they were always a little different. One morning a couple Mhondoro chefs were at a pre-determined spot making fresh pancakes for our morning snack! Aside from pancake morning all other breaks happen wherever/whenever the ranger thinks it seems like break time (he always asked if we were ready to break before stopping) out on the Reserve. Afternoon game drive has “sundowner” break with red or white wine, beer, Amarula or Gin and Tonic and, of course, gourmet snacks enjoyed somewhere on the reserve as the sun sets...

View attachment 406344
Incredible right? Standing around with a glass of wine, eating amazing snacks... 5 o’clock at home just doesn’t measure up!
Food: 5 Star. Blew me away. After return from morning drive it’s time for breakfast (lol right? Cup of coffee and a morning snack and I’m good to go). Breakfast was a spread of fruit, cheeses, pastries & toast to enjoy while you wait for your order. They do a new menu each day with a few different choices. Your time is your own after that to swim, sleep, have a spa treatment (extra cost), whatever! Lunch is whenever you want it from like noon-2. They ask at breakfast when you want lunch so they can have your table set for you. Lunch was a variety platter each afternoon. With wine of course. Afternoon game drive an hour or so later! After that we would have cocktails at their bar/lodge area and then dinner. They give you a menu with a few options for appetizer, meal and dessert. My favorite dinner was the last night where I had Crocodile Carpaccio & perfectly cooked Ostrich Fillet with wine sauce.

View attachment 406347
View attachment 406351
A couple of the lunch platters

View attachment 406348
Ostrich fillet. Their presentations were so beautiful I almost felt bad eating them. Almost.

Things they do to improve on the guest experience beyond game drives include “Boma night” with a big fire and dinner buffet of all sorts of food where some of the staff sang songs and did some dancing. Fun and delicious! One day they did a bushwalk between breakfast and lunch where the rangers took us on foot through some bush area near the lodge. A herd of Zebra ran by, we came across a sleeping Rhino- very cool. Another day on game drive they took us to see some Caveman drawings from like thousands upon thousands of years ago (a bit of a hike to access but even the older couple were able to make it just fine).

View attachment 406350
Boma night- not like any campfire I’d ever been too!

I did discover luxury safaris involved lots of booze lol. Bush coffee, wine with lunch, Sundowners, cocktails on return, drink/s of choice with dinner. And the staff are great about top ups and refills lol. Staying hydrated is SUPER important! Obviously if you don’t drink, or only want to drink a bit that’s totally fine. They’re family friendly after all! The butlers even made a rose tonic drink for a non-drinker in my group that she adored.

This lodge has an emphasis on guest experience and to their credit I’ve never felt so catered to and the staff were incredibly nice, not stuffy at all. Lots of places say they’re all about their guests, this is the only time I’ve seen that be the reality. From the managers to the butlers to the rangers, the whole team is focused on you having an excellent experience. The butlers have hot or cold towels (depending on the weather at the time) to greet you upon return from the game drives. Housekeeping was spectacular, came through twice a day. Even the rangers were happy to chat and answer q’s. You have the same Ranger the whole time which is great because they know what animals you’ve already seen. (Or unfortunate if you were my ranger, haha. He put me up front the first day and I loved being able to chat away and ask a million questions about animals and South Africa and I decided I’d happily stay there given the chance on following drives!) It was slow season and on my last morning the other guests departed early so I had the whole game drive to myself- and they didn’t make me feel bad for only being 1 person or tell me the drive was cancelled because their weren’t enough people. (Good thing- we finally saw the lions that morning!)

Room: I booked their “standard” suite which looked awesome on its own but I got upgraded to the Honeymoon Suite which gave me my own plunge pool! It was the furthest out from the Lodge but worth it. If you’re a couple splurge on this! Bathroom had a rain shower, an outdoor rain shower & a big corner tub- it’s the first time I ever faced a bathing question behind “bath or shower?”

View attachment 406353
Balcony of the Honeymoon Suite. To the left is a view of the watering hole. A bit away but you can tell what animals are or aren’t there.

If anyone has questions about the place feel free to message me here or on Reddit!

OUTSTANDING!!!!

 

[GusGus16]

Yellowstone is now on my list to see sooner rather than later!

Exciting news on the southwest bus support links!

My refrigerator is broken-I had to throw everything out. I won't be able to use the expense for my new MSR, unfortunately. Fridge will be delivered on the 22nd

 

[ten6mom]

@calypso726 - that's a PLANE???? Wow!!!!

So with your mention of transfer points... What order do you do things in when actually getting ready to book anything (hotel or flight)? I am worried for example that I'll think I'll have enough UR points or whatever and then when I get to the point when I am ready to transfer I will be short, or something.

Is the amount of points needed (for anything) highly variable or what has your experience been? I know I have so much to learn and I am so very grateful for all the tips and advice you all are willing to share!

I should say I don't have ANY points YET but I am working on it!

 

[smmco]

Where can I find the status of new card being made/shipped? I got approved for Amex Delta Gold Biz last Friday, waiting for it to arrive

I clicked on manage cards and then replace a card. It shows the tracking number and progress. There's also a message saying if you don't receive the card you can ask for a replacement.

 

[Albort]

Your plan looks good. Be warned Yellowstone is huge so to ask if you are missing anything, well yes but there is no way to see everything in 3 days. That will just mean that you'll probably want to go back some day.

My strategy is always have 1-3 must dos for each day and some fillers if there is time. Then you make sure you get to your priority items.
Canyon day - Grand Canyon, Upper and Lower Falls, Artist Point, and either Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley for wildlife viewing

There are so many geysers and they are all unique but at the same time you probably don't have to go to every geyser. The geysers around Old Faithful are much different than Norris Geyser Basin or the Paint Pots. I would try to see some of each of these but you don't have to do all of them at Norris Geyser Basin if you are short on time for example.

Good research book is Yellowstone Treasures by Janet Chapple. Great maps and details on the entire park.

I am glad you got lodging in the park. Lots of people stay outside the park and make it work. That would be fine. But staying in the park (yes it is expensive for no wifi, no phones, no air conditioning) will really save you driving time and allow for more sight seeing.

Have a great trip.

Good stuff! i put the geyser area as last on the list. made sure to put 1.5 days into that area alone... im hoping thats enough. My exit back down to SLC is to stay at west yellowstone and head down south in the mornings... if there was something left we missed at yellowstone, i guess we can always go back in the morning before heading south again. i really hope we be able to hit all the things! The inpark hotels will definitely help! got one a Canyon park and one at Old Faithful.
Thanks for helping me out! it made my planning so much easier!

@Albort I lost the quotes, but I think your plan sounds good. It might be worthwhile to pull up some maps so you can get an idea of distances. If you are not staying at the rooms in the parks you will need to plan on driving forth from West Yellowstone or Jackson (I guess that’s the plan).

One random thought...do you have all your flights? The West Yellowstone airport is beyond awesome. It is a refuge from the 1960’s. I flew in years ago and last year went there with my dad because he had a motor home and wanted a rental car. It might be an option.

If driving from Jackson/Tetons before getting to Old Faithful which is about in the middle of the park stop at Tom Thumb Geyser Basin.

On the road there will be other pull outs to do; some are more worthwhile than others.

I assume by the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone you have seen the pictures of the lookouts? Even if you aren’t much of a hiker it is worth it to do Uncle Tom’s Trail. My 7 year old and 70 year old parents did it last year so while a lot of stairs it is doable and worth it.

I agree hotels are expensive. Only the fact that I was working on an MSR assuaged my angst last June when we were there. The Holiday Inn was about $350. There is a new Wyndham there in West Yellowstone...you could check prices on it.

We were there last year at about this same time (Father’s Day weekend and week after). @ctinct is exactly right about the weather! IIn Grant’s Village there was snow still. And one morning in West Yellowstone there was a dusting. We had went to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho on the way up so while we had shorts we wished we had more pants and jackets!

Feel free to pm if questions.

I thought about flying into Billings or West Yellowstone but they are double price of SLC. I spoke with my dad about this and one thing that we thought of was to also visit SLC. Wasnt sure on what to do until i found the salt lake and the Coppermine so those 2 are on my list! I also wanted to take advantage of SilverCar, drive up in a very comfortable car through Yellowstone, haha.
yeah, my current total for hotel is $1400. im still missing day 1 hotel, i saw a KOA that looked interesting just south of Jackson Hole but the reviews look super sketchy. I think i might book a hotel in Victor which is around 35 mins west of Jackson Hole. Will definately bring some heavy jackets... i was able to redirect my Amex Plat biz's credit to delta. will have $300 total to use!
Thanks for helping me out! I cant wait to go!

 

[Lain]

We'll be driving. I saw a reference on the Parc 55 Trip Advisor page to parking being something like $80/night so I'll probably be trying to use something like Parking Panda to find alternate parking.

Yeah... I want to say the city-run garages around Union Square are like max $36 or $38/day.

 

[PolyRob]

The Lion King show literally brings a tear to my eye, lol!

It's usually on that can you feel the love tonight part with the birds. It just hits me, lol. (Well except when the girl singer tries to do too much with it and sounds like a train wreck...)

I was going to reply that I completely understood and was going to mention a specific scene... and it seems we are triggered at the same time

 

[platamama]

BIG SOUTHWEST SUPPORT CLICK NEWS!!
You can now generate a support link from ANY Southwest Card to ANY other Southwest Card.

AND for the first time (ever?) you can now generate support clicks to SW Business cards for the 60k Offer!! Unfortunately the personal cards all still point to the lower 40k offer. The "big" news part of this is obviously being able to generate support for a SW biz card. If you have a personal SW you can now get 70k SW points out of just one application by having a spouse use the support link OR "self-supporting".

If you generate the support click it goes to a landing page where you can choose to apply for ANY Southwest Card.

Any old Southwest support links will not update to this new format as they won't include the "226f" portion of the link.

Also be aware that this new link appears to ALWAYS land on the SW Plus card no matter which card generated the link. On mobile you'll see the cards listed top to bottom. On Desktop you'll see them listed from left to right. You have to make sure to select the business card tab THEN say apply now.

Special thanks for @palhockeymomof2 for checking one detail on this for me too

So cool!! Thanks for letting us know! I updated mine to reflect that too.

 

[wintotty]

I clicked on manage cards and then replace a card. It shows the tracking number and progress. There's also a message saying if you don't receive the card you can ask for a replacement.

Thank you so much! I saw mine being shipped today!

 

[mmmears]

@kidsfirsttrip - fantastic review, and it looks like an amazing trip! Thanks for sharing. I want to go there now.

We wont have a car there, and only plan on renting one for the day to see Valley of Fire/Hoover Dam, so no real use for the free parking either. We're in Ohio, so not close to AC. I've been researching what else I can match the status too, just for grins and giggles.

I'm not a Vegas-loving person, but the time we spent driving over to Hoover Dam and touring it was by far the highlight of my time there. I hope you enjoy it!

Are connections at that time bad too?

Sorry, but yes. At least in my experience. We had one last year when I was trying to avoid United and flew with VA to MCO. Think crowded, hot, delayed flights. There were so many people crammed into those waiting areas that there was nowhere to stand and nowhere to sit - even on the dirty carpet. It was unpleasant enough that I'd rather just fly United and avoid it.

I did do a search for 2 and 3. 3 guests are allowed, but the room rate goes up about $250/night (extra person fee?).

Usually that means a larger room, too. I was just wondering if that was the issue because whenever I look at any PH and put in 3 people I can't find any awards rooms.

Is this standard for all Park Hyatt's? I don't understand a hotel room only being for 2. I guess I will cross them off my hotels list, since we usually need room for 8

I've only looked at 5 or so, but it's what I'm finding when I look for 3 people. It's pretty standard in Europe to have trouble finding any room that sleeps 3-4 (but it's possible), but it was also the case when I booked the PH in NYC a few months ago. I could only get a "free" room for 2. At the PH in Paris we had to upgrade to some kind of mini-suite (which was just a large room really) so they would let our child (who was 13 at the time) be in our room. For 8 people in Europe I'd be looking at AirBnB.

We saw Nemo one time. It kind of freaked me out. I don’t know why. I barely made it through the show. It is one show I would never repeat! We never have seen American Adventure. We need to make it a priority for sure.

Whaaaaat??? American Adventure is a "must do" for my family. Every trip to WDW. It's pretty cool and I like it more than the Hall of Presidents. AA is also a lovely place to go during the heat of the day - the theater is huge and nicely air conditioned. I might have a few friends who go there for a quick nap.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

So cool!! Thanks for letting us know! I updated mine to reflect that too.

I’ve been checking every so often to see if the 60k offer for personal came to support links... and today I noticed this weird language about “any SW card” including biz cards. Of course I broke the news first here - then took it to r/churning. LOL! I also tagged DoC on Twitter so perhaps I can be the primary source of major churning news...

(I’ll try not to let it go to my head...but it may already be too late for that)