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

[havaneselover]

Yes, it is the card with lounge access. Dh is crazy enough that he might see a value in it since he flies AA so often. It's really the only type of card he'd consider since he is not into more than 1 card at a time and he loves his AmEx Plat.

If I flew a lot I could justify it. Flying is stressful.

 

[StephPlum]

I view AFs on hotel cards like a vacation savings account.

This is how I view as well. I am working my way up to getting hotel cards with FNs. As long as I can find redemptions where the AF is lower then the OOP cost, I find it worthwhile.

 

[tink1970]

Milestone Birthday Trip 7/20 update:

Today I was able to transfer from both MR/UR to Flying Blue and secure our flights from EDI-CDG-LJU...I spent quite a lot (65k FB miles!) for economy but for some reason there isn't a lot of availability on this route ...and I didn't want to route through SVO (Moscow). Then I also used many, many (155K) United Miles to have DH fly from ZAG-FRA-IAH-PNS on a mixed peasant/ business itinerary. I'd run the numbers and while I would have saved 23K united miles to fly ZAG-FRA, spend the night and then fly FRA-IAH-PNS, I didn't think the 23K would make up for DH's annoyance with overnighting...once he's headed home he wants to be there. I have no idea what/where I'm going before I fly home...my passive aggressive response to DH not getting a second CiP.

Making this relevant, the AF taxes and fees for AF were $102, United $89, and I paid with my shiny upgraded CSR so travel credit used for both.

So now we have our flights from ATL-EDI (BA first)
EDI-LJU (economy AF)
ZAG-PNS (DH, eco/business).

We only have to position to ATL and get me home, so I'm almost done!


Also cc related, Amex apparently doesn't like my having the Delta gold-I downgraded in June, so they offered me 25K miles with a 2K spend to upgrade to the Delta Plat. Since PC doesn't work against me and I have no MSR until Dec, I took it. I have no problem product changing every 3 months!

 

[Judique]

That was just my list. I didn’t include the PlanePrincess list which basically looks like mine and then some. He’s got a few cards that are getting cancelled too. We will be going AU on a couple of cards next year once we get under 5/24 and manage to get CIP and Hyatt cards.

The next challenge that determines whether or not I keep the personal Plat long term will be finding a work around on triggering the airline credit since GCs no longer work.




You crack me up!

Now lest everyone think I’m insane for all those AFs, rest assured each card gets evaluated each year. Year over year, the hotel cards are worth the fee. We have never redeemed a FN cert that didn’t outweigh the fee. The Club Carlson card doesn’t have a FN cert but does give me 40k points on every card Anniversary. We’ve used it for multiple stays in Europe over the years and it has more than paid for itself. I view AFs on hotel cards like a vacation savings account.

I’ve got decisions to make pending the outcome of triggering airline credits on the Amex Plat, Rose Gold and Aspire. The Amex Plat is closest on the chopping block. If the number of MR I earned in one year at 4x on dining outweighs the fee then I may keep it. I won’t get rid of my Aspire card as I can still make excellent use out of it between the resort credit and annual FN on a weekend. However, my plan to get and then keep a second Aspire via upgrades might change.

Nothing but love for you too @SouthFayetteFan

My thinking on these cards is along the same lines as you. Vacation savings account. I like that. And, I've never redeemed a hotel card certificate for less than double what I paid in fee. Usually it's more like triple the fee. The all time high on this is my IHG card where I paid $49 per year and redeemed for rooms costing $400-$500.

Cippy cup is my goal for next year when getting under 5/24. I hope it lasts. I already have the Hyatt card and it combined with some Cippy is a great use of UR's. I'm catching a few with my Freedom but not enough to satisfy me - I want to be able to transfer them to Hyatt.

As far as my Rose Gold goes, I redeemed $228.25 in just Amex offers, one of them being the Lowes 10% offer, according to Amex. I also got the initial $100 restaurant credit, the $100 airline gift card, and the $10 a month credit for a total of $518.25 (so far this first year) in addition to the 50K sign up bonus. I'll be renewing based on this when December rolls around - signed up in November 2018. Then I'll keep a close eye on the offers as well as the possibilities to get 4x MR's at grocery and restaurants. Since I wasn't ms'ing, my MR haul is fairly small, but I managed to pull in almost 20k just in regular spending since November and I will value that at about $200 minimum. Add that to my $518.25 to get to more than $718.25.

So future for Rose Gold - offers, MR's, and restaurant credits and airline credit - I'll use to pay for stuff as a gift to son - seats upgrade, drinks etc. Looks like a keeper for me, but it's different for all and the reevaluation will take place again in 2020.

 

[needsomesun]

That is an absurdly high CL from Barclays. Only because I'm curious, is this your first card from them? It's unusual for them to give such a high limit on your first card - they start you off slow.

My first Barclays (which has always totally been spelled with a K in my head) has a 14000 CL. Wonder if that will impact my ability to get another. Not that I'm sure i'd want to, I really, REALLY, hate the website.

 

[platamama]

That is an absurdly high CL from Barclays. Only because I'm curious, is this your first card from them? It's unusual for them to give such a high limit on your first card - they start you off slow.

IKR? I wonder if they are finally loosening up. They gave me 12.5K CL on my Arrival+ I opened this year...and I already have another old card with them that has a 10K CL. But I remember having to call recon on my first Arrival+ years ago and they were only willing to open it with a 5K CL if I transferred CL from the (sock drawered) Upromise I had with them.

 

[DisneyMandC]

That is an absurdly high CL from Barclays. Only because I'm curious, is this your first card from them? It's unusual for them to give such a high limit on your first card - they start you off slow.

My first Barclays (which has always totally been spelled with a K in my head) has a 14000 CL. Wonder if that will impact my ability to get another. Not that I'm sure i'd want to, I really, REALLY, hate the website.

They gave DH 14k for his first credit line too. Only gave me 1k

 

[StephPlum]

Churning successes and failures over the last 24 hours.

Stopped at OM after work last night and picked up $800 of MCGCs. They let me do 2 transactions and no preauthorization calls. Today went and tried for $800 again and got $0. This time the manager (different from the first time I went) said he had to call and preauthorize and it was declined! I had checked my CL before leaving the house as I wasn't sure if I lowered this card (CIC) and if so how much. I still had $2500 available so it wasn't that. Maybe since I just purchased $800 last night there was some type of fraud alert but I would have expected Chase to call/text in that case. I tried calling Chase but after getting through all the prompts, I got disconnected!! So I gave up and I probably messed up that store since this manager wasn't happy when I said I just purchased $800 last night without preauthorization. Maybe they will crack down more.

After leaving I realized I am an e'ee on DH's CIC card so it will now go in my wallet full time as I could have tried that one. It doesn't see any action! I may try to go back out this afternoon if time since the deal runs out today.

So after that failure, I did have success. I tried out my FD loop that I mapped out yesterday at work. 5 FDs within a 8 mile stretch on the way from work to home. I forgot to look for DG. Imagine my surprise and excitement (a little too excited) to see a DG just a few 100 yards down from one of the FDs. I was able to liquidate all the MCGCs I have. Pretty easy. Just one had to have a manager to load the serve. Not sure if for everyone or just for this one cashier (he looked young). I'll probably take that one off the list unless it is absolutely necessary. Despite driving around it was really easy and worked out fine. No waits on a Saturday morning.

 

[speedyfishy]

This time the manager (different from the first time I went) said he had to call and preauthorize and it was declined!

Who did he call? Chase?

 

[punkin]

There's been lots of discussion on the Amex airline credit still working with smallish denomination SW flights. I saw ~$102 worked for reimbursement.

I had to buy a SW ticket anyway, so I tried it - after a couple weeks, $143.98 still has not been reimbursed. So the threshold is somewhere between $102 and $148, apparently.

I just got reimbursed from Amex $68.xx for upgrading to economy + (or whatever they call it on AA.

 

[StephPlum]

Who did he call? Chase?

No, it was some VISA/Mastercard authorization number. He swung his monitor around to show me the number. I didn't write it down or anything but saw it said VISA/Mastercard. It wasn't bank specific. I'm going to call chase and see what it is all about.

 

[Alexle2007]

OMG, I have no idea the Aviator had a different website! I kept trying to setup my account on Barclays and it get kept giving me an error. After calling the # the website gave me and the gentleman saying that my card didn’t exist. I saw the small print for the Aviator website. I saved it to my favorites since I am sure I would never remember that. Now to complete $1k spend and use DH’s AU card and be done.

 

[speedyfishy]

No, it was some VISA/Mastercard authorization number. He swung his monitor around to show me the number. I didn't write it down or anything but saw it said VISA/Mastercard. It wasn't bank specific. I'm going to call chase and see what it is all about.

That is so weird.

 

[Judique]

So back to points and offers. I redeemed my $40 of $200 Marriott hotel offer to buy a gift card. My $40 posted and also 1200 Marriott points, so if Marriott points are valued at .9cpp, that's $10.80 in value. Next step is to use the gift card, which I will do end of September. I'm Marriott gold and my stay for 1 night will be $193.00. How many points will the stay generate using the gift card to pay? (I realize I won't get points for the gift card itself, but the stay should generate points.) Last time I used a gift card on about $330 worth of hotel bill, daughter got the points credit. She's platinum and the credit went to her.

The reason I'm sort of curious is because I want to add up the whole picture. So far:
Hotel stay = $193
$40 off $200
$25 breakfast credit
$50 casino chips at local casino plus a shuttle ride but I'll drive my own car as I'll bet the whole $50 on one spin and get out of there.
$10.80 in points so far for a total of $125.80 perceived value for the stay. If I win with my spin, more value as I'll still cash out and leave. ($50 in fun.)
So, the points value is the next piece of info I need.

 

[havaneselover]

Is there a tracker on Amex’s website to see when the luxe $300 credit resets? Or is it just at my anniversary date? I’ve looked but don’t see it anywhere.

 

[afan]

More school shopping today. Apparently, the Sperry docksides DS got are incorrect. They need to be dark brown with dark soles. And his tan socks need to be either brown or black. Thank goodness for Amazon one day shipping so the, hopefully, correct shoes will arrive tomorrow so he will have them on Mon. Picky, picky, picky.

And this is why I couldn't do a thing like this, those rules would drive me mad and I wouldn't want to follow them. I'd push the limit every chance I had. This is why I never would have survived a "typical" sorority chapter but one at commuter heavy SF state and being in the city kept it not crazy and conformist or totally matchy matchy for rush. We have chapters lile that to and great for them but no thank you.

 

[amalone1013]

Do we think the AMEX airline credits would cover the upgraded boarding at the gate with SW? I feel like it should. This could change calculations for me...

 

[havaneselover]

Just switched our August 2020 Disney cruise to Alaska! Looking forward to exploring Seattle and seeing Alaska again. I figure I can use my two $300 Marriott gift cards for the first two nights in Seattle. Hoping my 70k aa miles will cover a night in Vancouver and one in Seattle on the way back. Will be flying bwi to Seattle on swa with points and companion pass. And maybe we can catch a mariners game in Seattle.

 

[amalone1013]

Is there a tracker on Amex’s website to see when the luxe $300 credit resets? Or is it just at my anniversary date? I’ve looked but don’t see it anywhere.

No tracker I've found but I believe it's anniversary date, as in June I had a charge a couple days before my anniversary that didn't trigger the credit then a charge 3 days after that did (pre and post cruise stays at Swolphin)

 

[platamama]

So back to points and offers. I redeemed my $40 of $200 Marriott hotel offer to buy a gift card. My $40 posted and also 1200 Marriott points, so if Marriott points are valued at .9cpp, that's $10.80 in value. Next step is to use the gift card, which I will do end of September. I'm Marriott gold and my stay for 1 night will be $193.00. How many points will the stay generate using the gift card to pay? (I realize I won't get points for the gift card itself, but the stay should generate points.) Last time I used a gift card on about $330 worth of hotel bill, daughter got the points credit. She's platinum and the credit went to her.

The reason I'm sort of curious is because I want to add up the whole picture. So far:
Hotel stay = $193
$40 off $200
$25 breakfast credit
$50 casino chips at local casino plus a shuttle ride but I'll drive my own car as I'll bet the whole $50 on one spin and get out of there.
$10.80 in points so far for a total of $125.80 perceived value for the stay. If I win with my spin, more value as I'll still cash out and leave. ($50 in fun.)
So, the points value is the next piece of info I need.

Looking at my Marriott account, I earn the 10xBase Rate (don't include the taxes in this number). Then add 25% to that for your Gold status. Then add on the 250 or 500 bonus points (depends on the Marriott brand) per stay for being Gold. Keep an eye on promos to register for...there's a 1500 pt promo now for a 2nt stay but the stay needs to be completed by 9/16/19.

I personally value Marriott points at .7cpp as a guideline but I know it all depends on the redemption property or airline miles value that you can squeeze out of a point.