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

[trstno1]

Churning milestone for me this morning - I just submitted my family's 50th credit card application since I began churning in 1/2017. Instant CitiBiz AA approval for my DW using business mailer! (It was especially cool to get this application submitted just under tomorrow's deadline when business mailers will include restrictions on previous cardholders.)

I was denied for one of those 50 applications, so this is only our 49th approved card. If I very conservatively estimate each signup bonus value at $500 (it's probably significantly more than that), we have received in excess of $25,000 worth of free travel in under three years. That's pretty amazing, and I owe it all to the helpful people on this board.

I want to offer thanks to all of you for you advice and insights, and for the many entertaining distractions throughout the days. Special thanks goes to all of you moderators, and I owe particular thanks to our benevolent dictator @SouthFayetteFan for his dedication to this thread and r/dischurners, and for his help navigating the AA Biz mailers.

 

[Lain]

Thank you this is gorgeous. Unless we stay a couple of nights somewhere else we will have to do a studio but your view is stunning

This wouldn’t be a bad idea. Aulani is so expensive that we really try to prioritize spending our time on and around resort to enjoy all the activities and amenities. We’ve been splitting our stays at a Waikiki hotel (my DD is obsessed with the Royal Hawaiian, aka the “Pink Palace”) for the start of our trips as our base for doing all the touristy things, and since it’s at a chain hotel it’s on points and doesn’t really cost us anything except for parking (pricey), resort fees (grrr!) and any other room charges. Waikiki can be a bit hectic, but it’s “in town” and near shopping, dining, and major roads and highways to the rest of the island. And since this portion of your stay could be covered with points, you won’t feel too bad about leaving your room to explore the island. Aulani is in a more remote part of the island, so there’s not too much to sightsee around here and your drives to the rest of the island could be longer by 20-30 minutes. But Aulani is also much more laid back than Waikiki, so we like to unwind and relax here as a way to end our trips.

 

[Lain]

Hawaii for the weekend?????that's the life! I wish it was that close for us!!!!

I’ve learned from @calypso726 that this hobby affords us opportunities to splurge on some crazy things.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Is anyone here a discount den member for frontier? I am trying to verify the date I am looking at is part of kids fly free. Can anyone check? It fits in all the small print but I want to verify before I blow $60 on discount den.

 

[elgerber]

This wouldn’t be a bad idea. Aulani is so expensive that we really try to prioritize spending our time on and around resort to enjoy all the activities and amenities. We’ve been splitting our stays at a Waikiki hotel (my DD is obsessed with the Royal Hawaiian, aka the “Pink Palace”) for the start of our trips as our base for doing all the touristy things, and since it’s at a chain hotel it’s on points and doesn’t really cost us anything except for parking (pricey), resort fees (grrr!) and any other room charges. Waikiki can be a bit hectic, but it’s “in town” and near shopping, dining, and major roads and highways to the rest of the island. And since this portion of your stay could be covered with points, you won’t feel too bad about leaving your room to explore the island. Aulani is in a more remote part of the island, so there’s not too much to sightsee around here and your drives to the rest of the island could be longer by 20-30 minutes. But Aulani is also much more laid back than Waikiki, so we like to unwind and relax here as a way to end our trips.

Thank you. Contemplating Waikki for a couple/few nights, depending on what I see for awards rooms with points I have. Aulani cost isn't an issue for me LOL, I have points for that too . Just a question on number of days and room size. I can't book until at least end of February, so I have time.

 

[mechteach1]

thanks- the hotel room thing was something I had a feeling about.... so how do air bnb purchases code on a CSR? any insights into paying to max the savings

Looking back through my purchase history, direct AirBnB purchases coded as travel on my CSP; I assume it would be the same on a CSR.

 

[miztressuz]

Good to know the Citi blacklist was not mutual - instant approval on the CitiBiz 75k/5k public offer this morning! First Citi card in decades. In "things I don't miss" fashion it gave me the option to create a user ID and password at the end of the application which now when I try to sign in produce alternating error messages. Hopefully it resolves when I get the card, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

I did miss my cosmic symmetry by not getting a chance to apply on Fri/Sat when it would have been 1 year from approval of the Barclay one-purchase offer But close enough. Back to having an MSR finally, so from now until the card arrives it's going to hurt buying stuff.

 

[Lain]

Bummer. I just found out the Starbucks across from Aulani is a franchise location, not corporate owned, so they won’t be accepting stars and probably won’t get mobile ordering. [But they do accept GCs and payments in the app.]

 

[Lain]

I was fortunate in that my gold card received the 15% off at US Supermarkets. That will help me buy the $100 master card with $10 off at Safeway, plus an extra $5-$6 in groceries.

I think you mean “$100+.”

 

[Alexle2007]

I was fortunate in that my gold card received the 15% off at US Supermarkets. That will help me buy the $100 master card with $10 off at Safeway, plus an extra $5-$6 in groceries.

You know you can use it on Variable MCGCs, right? I did one for $500 last night without any problem.

 

[LynnTH]

Are any of you familiar with the Sakura Business Debit Card? Miles to Memories posted a link to get this Debit Card (no hard pull) and it comes with $200 loaded onto it... Just wondering if anyone here has done this?

 

[Judique]

Ditto! Checked the app like two times this morning before I realized it was a holiday.

The yard waste disappeared so I guess they didn't get the holiday after all.

 

[Judique]

You know you can use it on Variable MCGCs, right? I did one for $500 last night without any problem.

Yes, but I'm not ms'ing so I'm doing a hundred here and there for a few free $$. I don't want to collect more than I'll easily spend right now.

 

[Judique]

I think you mean “$100+.”

Yes, 100+.

 

[babyready]

Can't help you on giftcards or how long it's good for, but I think I had the same SUB, also several months ago. Definitely 40000 points and I can't remember if it was $200 or $250 AA credit. But I did have a legit AA flight and it credited almost immediately.

Oh, that is helpful to know that it just credited immediately. Now I have to figure out if it still works with gift cards and remember how much of a credit I have!

Thanks!

 

[needsomesun]

Applied yesterday for CIU, approved today. Needed some more URs and we have (unfortunately) a lot of large spending coming up. More than I need for DH's new SW biz. One being a new ride on lawnmower. Ours died it's final death this week. But served us well for 12 years. It had "fallen off the truck" at home depot (literally) and had a dented seat and steering wheel. They sold it for $400 and gave DH a new seat and steering wheel to put on himself. After that steal, we're a little sticker shocked at how much new ones really cost.

Also, DH started a new job a few weeks ago with a lot of travel. Which we book ourselves and get reimbursed. Now to figure out the best cards for all of this new stuff. Jet blue and delta seem to be the best for most of his flights, neither of which we usually fly. Jet blue might be more useful for us for points. Unsure if jet blue CC would be useful. And they tend to stay at Marriotts (easier for him to stay where everyone else is, but he does have a choice) and we're usually hilton people. Time to dust off the old SPG biz card (now bonvoy)?. Or stay with CSR instead? Or a new marriott card? Any marriott or jet blue experts? Any favorite car rental places? We are not loyal to any company for that, usually book whichever is cheapest for family vacations...

 

[elgerber]

Oh, that is helpful to know that it just credited immediately. Now I have to figure out if it still works with gift cards and remember how much of a credit I have!

Thanks!

Also double check how long it's been since you opened the card, as the credits usually have to be done in the first 90 days or so

 

[miztressuz]

Also double check how long it's been since you opened the card, as the credits usually have to be done in the first 90 days or so

I think working in @babyready 's favor is most if not all of the dummy booking offers from Citi give you 12 months for the statement credit. But if it was something like the Delta offers, you could be out of luck since those are within the same 90 days.

 

[elgerber]

.

 

[StephPlum]

aha.....thank you for the info! good to know..... is it like a costco photo id,where it's grainy and B&W,or does it actually look like you?

It is B&W but it does look like you. Better quality than the Costco photo ID. It isn’t actually printed but just shown on the screen.