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

[disneybirds]

I just made DH's Norwegian side of the family holiday treat, lefse. It's like a crepe but made from potatoes. They put butter and sugar on it and roll it up (also sold at Epcot Norway bakery). It's a major undertaking around here with several griddles and electric frying pans going. Not sure how I ended up supplying the whole family with this!

Kudos to you for making lefse for his family! My SIL's make it at the holidays as well. So yummy, but definitely time consuming. We always buy lefse at Norway and my DH eats it for breakfast.

 

[Rjw615]

DS and I are working to get the SW CP for 2020/21. Yes, I read your fire chat @SouthFayetteFan. Great work. We are total newbs for Southwest though.

DS, DD, myself and parents are flying to Seattle in late May 2020 for 7 day cruise to Alaska on NCL.

DS got a Southwest Biz($3000 MSR for 80k) and Personal ($1000 MSR for 40k). I just now realized today it will take 125000 miles instead of 11000. My fault there. We have already spent $1500 on the BIZ, its put away until statement closes on the Dec 21st. No charges yet on the personal, waiting until statement closes to it hit as well. I'm afraid we might have trouble getting the last 5000 miles, not sure, just have to pay off the cruise, hotel rooms and excursions and see where we are.

Once the points do post and if I get the 125000 miles required for the CP, how long does it take Southwest to approve the CP? Should I go ahead and book flights now and when I get the required points for CP, cancel and hopefully able to rebook? Just concerned best flights might not be available being five of us are flying.

As of right now, we should be able make up the 5000 difference, I'm guessing, that will just leave us not being able to book flights until late Jan.

Sorry if all this is confusing- just stressing

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

If she's into business cards the Chase Ink Unlimited could be a good choice.

I'll have her look into it. Thanks!

 

[tink1970]

Good news- I was able to book all the excursions I desired for my Australia/NZ trip.
Bad news- Viking Cruise Line requests payment at booking ...I was unaware and didn't have a card with an MSR. Good news-now y'all won't make the same mistake if you cruise with Viking!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I received an e-mail today that the Westin hotel I booked for my brother on Christmas day is re-branding on December 19th to a Pan Pacific property. I am going to call on the 18th and pre-pay since I have an offer on my Cdn Brilliant AmEx save $60.00 off a $300.00 stay at a Westin property. If he cancels again (he has the last 2 times he was supposed to come up) I won't be happy (I told dd she and I will check-in, relax and enjoy the breakfast I added on the 26th) or offer the night to my sister and her family.

 

[jaysraptor]

DS and I are working to get the SW CP for 2020/21. Yes, I read your fire chat @SouthFayetteFan. Great work. We are total newbs for Southwest though.

DS, DD, myself and parents are flying to Seattle in late May 2020 for 7 day cruise to Alaska on NCL.

DS got a Southwest Biz($3000 MSR for 80k) and Personal ($1000 MSR for 40k). I just now realized today it will take 125000 miles instead of 11000. My fault there. We have already spent $1500 on the BIZ, its put away until statement closes on the Dec 21st. No charges yet on the personal, waiting until statement closes to it hit as well. I'm afraid we might have trouble getting the last 5000 miles, not sure, just have to pay off the cruise, hotel rooms and excursions and see where we are.

Once the points do post and if I get the 125000 miles required for the CP, how long does it take Southwest to approve the CP? Should I go ahead and book flights now and when I get the required points for CP, cancel and hopefully able to rebook? Just concerned best flights might not be available being five of us are flying.

As of right now, we should be able make up the 5000 difference, I'm guessing, that will just leave us not being able to book flights until late Jan.

Sorry if all this is confusing- just stressing

I believe you will be really close to the required 125,000 points. 80,000 bonus for the Biz MSR and the 40,000 bonus for the personal gets you 120,000. You will also get 3,000 points for the BIZ spend and 1,000 for the personal spend. Just meeting the required MSR's + the bonuses gets you 124,000 points. You only need to get another 1,000 to get your 125,000 for the CP.

 

[WVMomof3]

DS and I are working to get the SW CP for 2020/21. Yes, I read your fire chat @SouthFayetteFan. Great work. We are total newbs for Southwest though.

DS, DD, myself and parents are flying to Seattle in late May 2020 for 7 day cruise to Alaska on NCL.

DS got a Southwest Biz($3000 MSR for 80k) and Personal ($1000 MSR for 40k). I just now realized today it will take 125000 miles instead of 11000. My fault there. We have already spent $1500 on the BIZ, its put away until statement closes on the Dec 21st. No charges yet on the personal, waiting until statement closes to it hit as well. I'm afraid we might have trouble getting the last 5000 miles, not sure, just have to pay off the cruise, hotel rooms and excursions and see where we are.

Once the points do post and if I get the 125000 miles required for the CP, how long does it take Southwest to approve the CP? Should I go ahead and book flights now and when I get the required points for CP, cancel and hopefully able to rebook? Just concerned best flights might not be available being five of us are flying.

As of right now, we should be able make up the 5000 difference, I'm guessing, that will just leave us not being able to book flights until late Jan.

Sorry if all this is confusing- just stressing

So, the good news is you are not as far away as you think. You will have 80,000 SUB pts + 1500 pts from required spend + 40,000 SUB pts + 1000 pts from required spend = 122,500 pts. You will also get 1500 pts from the spend this year but that will not help you on the companion pass. So you will need to spend $2500 additional to get the required points. Try to get them all in January so they post with your Jan statement. It does look like you will need to wait to the end of January after your statement closes, unless you already have points.

 

[Alexle2007]

Wow, AmEx is quick! My new Biz Plat has arrived! (Approved on Fri). Dell and Southwest are enrolled and now to spend the credits. Free flights to LAX for our AUS trip.

 

[ctinct]

Hoping some of you travel experts can help. I have never been on a cruise so I have a lot of questions. I want to do an Alaskan cruise and then follow up with my own land tour in 2021. I was thinking of a 7 day northbound cruise ending in Seward or Whittier. I really want to use URs to pay for this so no Disney.

How do I pick a cruise line? Any recommendations? Should I just pick the best itinerary? I am looking at cruise critic but there is so much info there it is hard to get through it all. I'd like a smaller ship, ok with an older crowd as it will be me and DH (50s). We're not big drinkers or need tons of entertainment. We're going for the scenery and ports.

I think I need to book a year or so out to get a good price. Do I book myself and then transfer to Chase? I almost feel like I need a TA since I am clueless, but then I can't transfer to Chase to use URs (right?).

Thanks for any help.

Just getting home, so this may have already been mentioned. I know you’re a big fan of national parks. Be sure to pick a ship that cruises Glacier Bay. They limit the number of ships in there. It is absolutely stunning—the highlight of our cruise.

 

[ctinct]

Planning a new trip and anxiously awaiting AA to release mid-November flights. DD wants to see the Music Man in NYC (Hugh Jackman) and she has a school holiday (Diwali) mid-November. Music Man tickets are pricey and not many seats to choose from, but next year is my last year with her before college. Hoping to get Residence Inn Midtown East with points again since I know the location well.

I’d love to see The Music Man, too, but you’re right, it sure is pricey.

Maybe I missed it, but did you post what your daughter thought of Phantom of the Opera?

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

I’d love to see The Music Man, too, but you’re right, it sure is pricey.

Maybe I missed it, but did you post what your daughter thought of Phantom of the Opera?

I'm a big Broadway nerd too! Love Phantom. Music Man is definitely pricey. We're waiting for the box office to open so we can save some money that way. Buying online adds at least $50 to our bill.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

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[SouthFayetteFan]

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[ten6mom]

The Aspire seems especially popup prone. I think you only have 1 Amex? I've noticed people who have only 1 or 2 cards seem more susceptible, maybe because Amex has less history to go off of. If there are other Amex cards you want, you could try for that. Then as you're close to meeting MSR, try again for the Aspire (at that point it'll look like you have more overall Amex spend). Keep putting spend on your first card too. No guarantees that it'll work, but that's what I'd try anyways.

I do just have the one, the Hilton Biz.

I guess it can't hurt to try for another, since I the goal is Hilton Points. And since I'm about to meet MSR on the CIP, I'll need something else to use to earn points of some sort.

I think the other Hilton cards are all personals, too, so I just need to see what's best for HH points.

Any specific recommendations?

 

[georgina]

Kudos to you for making lefse for his family! My SIL's make it at the holidays as well. So yummy, but definitely time consuming. We always buy lefse at Norway and my DH eats it for breakfast.

I don't even like it. I'm Irish and we like our potatoes, but this does nothing for me! DH and the kids all like it, perhaps you have to start them early. Mailed some off to DH's sis and bro.

Had a really weird day. DH woke up to a dead battery and had a very important appt, so he took my car and I had to call AAA and have it jumped and then go buy a new battery. (Who knew Buick SUV's have the battery in the floor behind the front seat?) Then later I was driving it and hit a rock (instant flat) so had to call AAA for the 2nd time in one day! We knew the tires were old and need to be replaced, was hoping to wait until I had an MSR, oh well. I'm on my 2nd Great Lakes Christmas Ale as solace!

 

[ten6mom]

I do just have the one, the Hilton Biz.

I guess it can't hurt to try for another, since I the goal is Hilton Points. And since I'm about to meet MSR on the CIP, I'll need something else to use to earn points of some sort.

I think the other Hilton cards are all personals, too, so I just need to see what's best for HH points.

Any specific recommendations?

Quoting myself since I just went and looked.

Any risk of applying for the Surpass today since I just got the popup last night?

 

[Alexle2007]

Quoting myself since I just went and looked.

Any risk of applying for the Surpass today since I just got the popup last night?

I think I would try something other than a Hilton card, unfortunately. It’s all really just guess work. My DH only has a Bonvoy Biz, then got the Hilton Biz then Hilton Surpass and just recently the Biz Green without any problems. But others have problems getting a Hilton.

 

[ten6mom]

I think I would try something other than a Hilton card, unfortunately. It’s all really just guess work. My DH only has a Bonvoy Biz, then got the Hilton Biz then Hilton Surpass and just recently the Biz Green without any problems. But others have problems getting a Hilton.

Well shoot. I really just want the Hilton points!
In that case... any specific recommendations for a non - Hilton Amex so I guess I can earn some MRs? Or try to at least?

 

[tink1970]

Well shoot. I really just want the Hilton points!
In that case... any specific recommendations for a non - Hilton Amex so I guess I can earn some MRs? Or try to at least?

Remember, MRs can transfer to Hilton, often with a bonus so an MR card could be a HIlton point earner (and then add Raukten as an MR earning portal...). If you're okay with a business card my first recommendation for an MR earning biz is the Blue Biz Plus. I don't know if it even offers a SUB right now but it has the lowest AF -$0 AND it's 2x MR on all spend up to $50K.

The Green Biz is another low SUB-15K I believe (public offer) and the AF of $95 is waived for the first year so it's a 0 AF for year one. Both of those are good if you want to dip your toes in the MR environment.

If you want a personal then the personal gold has a higher fee (?$250) but 4x MRs at grocery/restaurants or the rebranded green isn't bad (although the AF isn't waived as it is for the green biz).

All are good options, although the BBP is my favorite biz and the gold is my favorite personal (likely just because it was available in pink for a while).

 

[DisneyMandC]

Just saw this and was reminded of last week’s conversation