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

[Judique]

Well, disregard. DH was just cooking breakfast and didn't say anything for a few and then said "I really want to fly first class. Just book that first class flight that's a couple days before my meeting." I triple checked with him that he was sure and he kept saying he really wanted to try flying first class internationally once. He went and looked at a bunch of the reviews of JAL first class and thought it looked amazing and said he wanted to do it. Since you can now, as of this past week, book JAL on AA, I was able to login to his AA account and just book the trip for 160k miles. I was telling him as I was going through each step of the booking to make sure he wouldn't back out lol. He said do it, so I did! Put the $11.20 on his CSP for travel insurance (hopefully? Someone tell me about this lol). I looked it up and a one way first class ticket for this flight would be $12, 815.

So! The details:

June 8- JAL first class from JFK to Tokyo-Narita arriving on June 9! Currently looking at hotels, but I'm planning on Hyatt Regency Tokyo and Hilton Tokyo Bay. I want to spend a couple days in Kyoto too, so need to figure out something for that.

I explained to DH that even though there was first class available for return flights right now around June 18-19, there was no guarantee that would still be available by the time AA opened up their booking for it. He said that was fine and he didn't mind flying premium economy back if we needed to, he just wanted to say he flew first class once lol.

I'M GOING TO JAPAN Y'ALL!


He works for a Fortune 500 company and they always have their annual meeting the same week each year. There really isn't any reason for him to be there, it's certainly not like he speaks at or anything lol. He's just a workaholic and likes to be at that sort of stuff.

This will help balance out all those horse show quirky motels you tell us about!!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Forgot to mention yesterday's churning related redemption... a new Keurig from Bed Bath and Beyond, LOL!

Used Amex MRs for a Bed Bath gift card I'll expense the Keurig (because we were looking to purchase one anyways) and credit the "cash savings" against something travel related. I'm down to 89k MRs but that's still $890 worth of stuff at Home Depot and Bed Bath and Beyond, lol!

 

[Judique]

The Japanese salarymen are going to be very disappointed when I get on the flight in my nicest pair of Old Navy jeans lol. I guess now I need to look up stuff about lounges since I think I get first class lounge access at JFK too? I don’t know anything about lounges so I’ll have to research it.

Just looked at Park Hyatt- wow!! I’ll need to get some more URs for that to transfer. I have enough Hyatt points and then some for a four night Hyatt Regency stay in Tokyo, but I think I want to stay in Kyoto and not Osaka, so I’m definitely going to look into that more. I looked at the Ritz Carlton the other night when we were looking at a trip later in June and it was already sold out. I’ll have to check now that we’re going earlier!



Yes, 160k Miles was for two people one way in first class. It would be 60k for business per person (no business availability for our flight) and 35k per person for premium economy. I don’t know if those miles differ based on where you fly out of. This is a nonstop flight from JFK to Tokyo. It’s the same amount of miles for Haneda or Narita airports. Haneda is closer, but there was only availability into Narita for our date. There’s currently availability for Haneda and Narita in first around the time we’d like to book our return flights, so I’m hoping to get Haneda for the flight home.

The premium economy honestly looks really nice, and for 35k per person that is a total steal. I looked up several reviews of it and I’m sure I would be happy with it had I not gotten first.



Need to apply for DH today if I’m going to transfer to Hyatt points for you to live vicariously through me!



Yes! I originally wanted business honestly but there was no availability. I think it’s only showing first availability on the way back right now too. Hopefully he doesn’t become too much of a plane princess after this because I don’t know how I’ll get enough United points to get us to Hawaii next Christmas in first

Try the TWA hotel at JFK. I'm kind of thinking of doing it myself later this year. Combined with a city visit.

 

[DisneyMandC]

This will help balance out all those horse show quirky motels you tell us about!!

Haha, no kidding! DH leaves this Thursday for another luxurious Super 8 stay lol.

Try the TWA hotel at JFK. I'm kind of thinking of doing it myself later this year. Combined with a city visit.

Good idea!

 

[Judique]

Forgot to mention yesterday's churning related redemption... a new Keurig from Bed Bath and Beyond, LOL!

Used Amex MRs for a Bed Bath gift card I'll expense the Keurig (because we were looking to purchase one anyways) and credit the "cash savings" against something travel related. I'm down to 89k MRs but that's still $890 worth of stuff at Home Depot and Bed Bath and Beyond, lol!

My technique which was unintended, was to complain about my 3 year old Keurig while buying the coffee. I did not seek to complain. It just happened when a manager started talking to me about the products. He subsequently replaced both my Keurig and my Tassimo machines. For free. Whenever I buy pods it's usually BBB and using a coupon while keeping an eye open for discounted packs. Now, both machines are about 3 years old again and still working although the Tassimo pods are greatly reduced in availability. I liked their product better, but apparently the buying public preferred Keurig.

 

[snugglebug]

That makes no sense. A lot of the time, they will still ring it in to account for in their inventory but you shouldn’t be charged for it,

Exactly! And the server said "You aren't paying for 2. We added for inventory and then comped it." And I'm going what about being told the meal would be comped. I'm still paying for something that I was told would be comped.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

My technique which was unintended, was to complain about my 3 year old Keurig while buying the coffee. I did not seek to complain. It just happened when a manager started talking to me about the products. He subsequently replaced both my Keurig and my Tassimo machines. For free. Whenever I buy pods it's usually BBB and using a coupon while keeping an eye open for discounted packs. Now, both machines are about 3 years old again and still working although the Tassimo pods are greatly reduced in availability. I liked their product better, but apparently the buying public preferred Keurig.

That’s cool! Ours is 7 years old and other than me having to fix a little wiring issue with the closing mechanism it’s worked great. That issue is happening again though and I figured it was time to get a new one for my wife. (I don’t use it at all).

 

[GZanta77]

Hahaha I hated AMEX big time, until yesterday. Now we are good again LOL. If only I could get dh out of pop up jail.
That picture is amazing!!!!
Just got my UPS email that the Chase CIP is coming tomorrow

Wow....somehow I missed yesterday that you had got your Delta miles. Congrats.....so glad that battle is over for both of us.

 

[striker1064]

When’s the earliest I can get an AMEX card that won’t show up on my credit report until October? I’m 4/24 so want to grab another Chase card 10/1 but really want an aspire before we travel mid August

This is tough. Amex used to be pretty reliably 2 statements before showing up on your credit report, but more often I've seen them after one statement. I think even getting one mid-August is going to be pushing it, but that's your best shot - hope your first statement closes a little over a month away.

 

[Judique]

@calypso726 - I liked your straw set the best and as I often do when I read an Amazon link on here, I click it into my cart and may save it for later consideration. So, I had 2 small items in my cart and noted 'coupon savings $10'. Clicked that into my cart.

And as usual selected free shipping and no, I don't need prime right now and no I don't want $60 for an Amazon credit card. Turned off 'use points'.

Get to cart, it's not free shipping - had to change that again. The thing just auto changed some way to pay 7.32. Fixed that and for $20.66 I get the straws, a small tent led light, and a gear strap (total $15.67), so the straws came for $4.99! The other two items are for son and girlfriend who are going camping at Prince William State Forest in a couple of weeks - way too hot there for me! Love this armchair shopping, have more fun with it than going to actual stores.

 

[PolyRob]

No one in my family wants to split the cost of a VIP tour. I asked SO if we could just pay for it and take the teens and a 9 and 6 year old with us and he said that sounds awful. He would rather us just do it alone, but I said that’s an awful value for just two people. I really can’t blame him because the teens are all moody. My sister complained the entire time when we took her to Disney her feet hurt. My other sister and my cousin get in so much trouble when they are together. My brother tries to parent them because they are off the walls but he makes it worse. My SOs cousins probably wouldn’t want to go. lol The 9 year old tries to act like the teens and just annoys them. The 6 year old probably would be the only one without any issues lol She can be wild because she is a kid but she doesn’t do anything crazy. SO is probably right we should skip it lol maybe one day when we have kids.

You can make it like a pre-honeymoon activity Can you cash out some of those MRs?

I would pick highlights in every park and do all of SWGE! Nothing like getting driven all around property and even parks through backstage areas. Definitely a great experience!

 

[speedyfishy]

You can make it like a pre-honeymoon activity Can you cash out some of those MRs?

I would pick highlights in every park and do all of SWGE! Nothing like getting driven all around property and even parks through backstage areas. Definitely a great experience!

I definitely want to do it one day, just $3800 is basically what it would cost for four nights and tickets at the Grand Californian in September. So is it really worth that? My MRs right now are going towards wedding expenses. I need about 6k more. And then next year my ABD. Need about $4000 worth.

 

[nickle831]

I got shredder happy and accidentally sent my new Serve card through the shredder.

 

[amalone1013]

Realized the target by me does contactless payments, yay!

I stopped at Staples to use my Chase offers, 10% and 15%. Checked Dosh and it's not there anymore, or I was gonna try and put one card on DHs account. Oh well. My staples only sells $50 gift cards so I was just going to do that, then in the moment was like wait! I can split payment!

So I grabbed 3x$50s, $75 on each card. Contactless payment for the 500 UR deal means I'm earning about 7 UR per dollar.

$150 minus $17.50 in Chase offers, 1050 URs... and guess what, got a Dosh notification for $2.25 lol. So 22% or 26% depending on how you calculate it

 

[Lain]

@calypso726 - I liked your straw set the best and as I often do when I read an Amazon link on here, I click it into my cart and may save it for later consideration. So, I had 2 small items in my cart and noted 'coupon savings $10'. Clicked that into my cart.

And as usual selected free shipping and no, I don't need prime right now and no I don't want $60 for an Amazon credit card. Turned off 'use points'.

Get to cart, it's not free shipping - had to change that again. The thing just auto changed some way to pay 7.32. Fixed that and for $20.66 I get the straws, a small tent led light, and a gear strap (total $15.67), so the straws came for $4.99! The other two items are for son and girlfriend who are going camping at Prince William State Forest in a couple of weeks - way too hot there for me! Love this armchair shopping, have more fun with it than going to actual stores.

I also ordered @calypso726 ’s straws on her recommendation. They look compact enough that I can take them around with me, and maybe I’ll even be able to convince my wife to try out the other one. And $4.99 shipped is not bad! I have Prime, so shipping was free.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I'm one of those weirdos who drinks coffee with a straw too. Not a germaphobe though, I do it at home too. I do it to avoid coffee stains on my teeth and also lessen the risk of burning my mouth with coffee that is too hot

My coworker is just all about being dramatic about it. Although I can’t imagine doing it at home. I just pull a Disney coffee cup out of the cabinet, pour, drink.

Same! No coffee stained teeth for me

I’ve never gotten coffee stains on my teeth

 

[Ngwira]

Try the TWA hotel at JFK. I'm kind of thinking of doing it myself later this year. Combined with a city visit.

You are giving me ideas lol. We fly Emirates out of JFK next April!

 

[Ngwira]

Haha, no kidding! DH leaves this

Good idea!

Congrats on booking your first class award!

 

[smmco]

This is tough. Amex used to be pretty reliably 2 statements before showing up on your credit report, but more often I've seen them after one statement. I think even getting one mid-August is going to be pushing it, but that's your best shot - hope your first statement closes a little over a month away.

I got the Gold 5\31. It’s not on my credit report yet.

I just received my MR pending points from last month before statement close. I also just received my sub. I didn’t get the sub when I met spend. I also didn’t have to wait until statement close like I was told in chat. I made spend July 5. Statement closes July 29. I really wasn’t expecting the spend points until statement closed.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

So I’ve been quiet lately. Seems like a summer thing, just busy with many things! We leave around 3pm today for a little Hershey trip so I’ll continue to be quiet until Wednesday. Hope everybody’s churning continues to go well!!

Have a great time!