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

[wendow]

@Lain I am assuming you just used up your CSR credits before PCing. Did you wait long after this last travel credit hit? My fee hit 1/1 and is due on the 1/26 bill and I used all my credits up a few days ago. Do I just need to do it before the bill is due? I don't know why I am so nervous about it.

Not @Lain but I did the same with my CSR last year. I used the travel credit to buy a SW gc and then called to PC the CSR to a CFU (which I later changed to a CF). My AF had already posted and I had paid it so I was given a prorated refund. You should get all of yours back.

 

[vanjust14]

Go to bed at a decent time and your whole house up and moves on you while you are sleeping. lol Yay a new thread!!

Lol, I know right?! I thought I was up pretty late actually and still missed this happening somehow. Thanks @SouthFayetteFan , new thread looks great. Although it was a little sad to read the very last message on the old one.

 

[Eeyore2142]

Can I ask about a bank bonus? I got a code for a Sapphire banking with 60K UR. I can meet the qualifications they ask for. Any downsides or caveats I should know about before I do it?

 

[WVMomof3]

Can I ask about a bank bonus? I got a code for a Sapphire banking with 60K UR. I can meet the qualifications they ask for. Any downsides or caveats I should know about before I do it?

Someone on the last thread talked about doing it then decided against it because you will get a 1099 for the cash value of the points. So you will have to include it on your taxes. That is only downside I think. You get them for all bank bonuses, but I think they thought not worth it since this is not cash. YMMV on whether that bothers you.

 

[amalone1013]

Really, @Lain is just applying for biz cards with our info and we dpnt know because they don't show on our credit reports. Get any popups on AMEX biz cards recently?


Serious comment... do we want to link the hotel review thread in a sticky post?

Mistress of Ridiculous Redemptions

I think you need a shirt. I'd also add it to my dis signature, email signature, all social media taglines... also, I'd totally buy a shirt that said that vs those ridiculous TPG ones he was selling

 

[Tikitoi]

Yikes almost passed out because I just tried to post a question in the old thread. But glad to see the new one opened. Great job! And will definitely go back and read the beginning of this thread as well.

But was
saying...
So I received my bank account bonus from Discover

But question about some Delta gc's I've acquired. It seems I've read that there can be issues with redeeming them. I just have to book a short flight for myself and my daughter. There shouldn't be any issues using the gc's?

 

[amalone1013]

Me! I am an early to bed person and woke up and thought “I’ll make it on pg 1.” Or three...sigh...someday...

I had to give DH some crap this morning. We were going to bed around 10pm and as I went to set my alarm the boards opened (last thing I'd been doing on my phone) and he was all really, we have to read the boards before bed? I said no, I'm just setting my alarm ( hed gotten up at 3am so he was cranky) then I got up this morning and told him that it was his fault I missed the new thread and didn't post until page 4... like a peasant.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Really, @Lain is just applying for biz cards with our info and we dpnt know because they don't show on our credit reports. Get any popups on AMEX biz cards recently?


Serious comment... do we want to link the hotel review thread in a sticky post?



I think you need a shirt. I'd also add it to my dis signature, email signature, all social media taglines... also, I'd totally buy a shirt that said that vs those ridiculous TPG ones he was selling

Hotel thread is a great idea!

 

[platamama]

Well, at least I'm on this thread earlier than I was on the previous thread.

Thanks for your work on this SFF! I think the glossary is great!!!

 

[schmass]

@SouthFayetteFan Thanks for the new thread! I have to admit I was a little sad reading the last of the old one even though I was totally supportive of the new one being started! Today is my one year anniversary of both finding the original thread and opening the CSR!

 

[Chancery8]

Yikes almost passed out because I just tried to post a question in the old thread. But glad to see the new one opened. Great job! And will definitely go back and read the beginning of this thread as well.

But was asking...
So I received my bank account bonus from Discover

But question about some Delta gc's I've acquired. It seems I've read that there can be issues with redeeming them. I just have to book a short flight for myself and my daughter. There shouldn't be any issues using the gc's?

I think I remember reading on the old thread that someone was able to use 3 gc's online but if you wanted to use more than that, you'd have to call in and that process was a pain for someone.

(Haha- This is what I meant in my last posting about me not reading who's actually posting what...all I can remember is "someone" posted, which I know isn't that helpful.)

 

[platamama]

I think I remember reading on the old thread that someone was able to use 3 gc's online but if you wanted to use more than that, you'd have to call in and that process was a pain for someone.

(Haha- This is what I meant in my last posting about me not reading who's actually posting what...all I can remember is "someone" posted, which I know isn't that helpful.)

Actually, that makes me wonder about adding links to one of the stickies. What do you think @SouthFayetteFan, oh benevolent dictator, could football stats share space with links to posts on the thread where people have given really good instructions on how to accomplish certain objectives, like using Delta GCs? Or is that making it too easy? I thought "someone" wrote a good post about how to save content for future reference but I don't recall any of the details.

 

[tink1970]

From yesterday's thread, I thought I'd chime in on currencies and how I use them.

I (try) to keep a stash of Skymiles, AA miles, United miles, MRs , Marriott points and FN certificates. As soon as I get URs I immediately transfer them to United OR hold them until I have enough for a night at Hyatt and transfer. They are not my holy grail. At all.

Here's how I'm spending them in 2019 (so far):

3/19 Obligatory trip to California for MIL bday

Me:
United- 50,000 miles to SFO from PNS in first
Delta-cash, eco+ PNS-SFO (* I might buy up, this is a long flight day)

DH-ECP-SFO-ECP- combination of miles/cash

Hyatt SFO- cash (*used Amex Offer and earned MRs though)
Courtyard Stockton- cash


5/19
DH to SJC (DN/N grad)

American- 50,000 AA miles biz PNS-SJC
United-49,000 miles biz SJC-PNS

6/19-aka The Great and Convoluted Grad Trip for 3 Generations

Delta-cash and miles for 3 PNS-PHL (I'm up front, DM and DD in Eco+...because I'm evil and selfish and they don't care)
PHL- Marriott free night certificate (1 room), cash (1 room)
AA -330,000 miles for 3 in biz from PHL-BUD
Marriott points, free night + cash for 2 nights in R-C Budapest (suite)
discounted DGC (about a bazillion) for 7 night ABD Danube River Cruise (2 cabins)--savings of 5%-14% IIRC
cash for MUC-PRG-MUC on AF (earned 25,000 MRs with an Amex Offer!)
cash Hilton Prague Old Town suite (no non suite avail with points)
cash Hilton MUC one night (2 rooms)
Delta-skymiles -a lot, maybe 250,000? for 2 in Eco+ from MUC-PNS
United-25,000 miles on LUF biz MUC-KRK
cash-Sheraton Krakow concierge level/suite 2 nights
United-70,000 miles Austrian Air biz KRK-ORD
Hilton-points ORD Hilton airport
United-22,000 ORD-PNS (eco)--upgrade to premium eco with bag fee reimbursed by Amex Plat airline fee

10/19 Dis Podcast ABD

PNS/ECP to ATL-TBD ETA-done, 25,000 Skymiles, ec+
waiting for a fn certificate to stay at airport or Atlanta R-C
Delta-172,000 miles from ATL-LHR
cash-? hotel tbd London
discounted DGC for 10 day Lon/Paris/DLP ABD--savings of 5%-14% approx
Delta- 50,000 miles CDG to ATL in eco+ [DH]
DH home-skymiles
United- 25,000 miles Swiss biz CDG-DUB
cash/hotels.com gc at 10% discount- FitzWilliam hotel Dublin
MR->Avios- 45,000 avios DUB-MCO (used 40% MR transfer bonus)
Hyatt points (from URs) 1 night Hyatt MCO
MCO-PNS-ETA- PNS-ATL, MCO-PNS, 42,000 Skymiles in First

12/19 Parents' Golden Ann'y DCL with the entire family (of 8!)

(pending since flights aren't out)
RT-PNS-MCO DD-cash or skymiles on delta
RT-PNS-MCO parents- cash with DM's companion fare (Amex DL Plat)
RT-PNS-MCO DH/moi- cash with my companion fare (Amex DL Plat)
MCO Hyatt x 3 - URs-->Hyatt points
DCL cruise paid with bukoo DCG 5%-14% discount

Take homes:

-I use a lot of United and Delta miles! I find United miles are easiest to earn from shopping portals/shopping portal bonuses and Miles Plus X App.

-I don't value URs for the Expedia site-instead I transfer them to United (primarily) and Hyatt for flights/hotels. I've not once found the Expedia portal price cheaper than the miles price via transfer partner (this year anyway). Obviously YMMV.

-MRs are useful to me for topping off skymiles (despite the minimal transfer fee) AND for transfer bonuses (I've used them for BA and Aer Lingus Avios)

-I pay cash when it makes sense and I don't shy away from that just to get "everything on miles." I run the numbers and pay cash when it seems like the better deal, taking into consideration Amex offers, point conversions, etc. I'll also pay for concierge/suite/etc for the perks for myself and family members.

-Yikes, I need to get on flights to ATL for Oct trip and home from MCO around the same time (ETA-DONE!).

-Living in Paradise with a small airport has the drawback of needing to take positioning flights. That said, in a way I can use different currencies and be flexible with my flights. I'm viewing that as a positive.

 

[Judique]

Touche! Thank you When I say Ridiculous Redemptions, I was thinking more along the lines of flying from FL to SanFran to see Hamilton, flying to London for the weekend to see the Harry Potter play, flying to Scotland for a long weekend to see the Fairy Pools, flying to NYC for the weekend to see the Harry Potter play there, flying to DC for the weekend to see Hamilton again, flying to DC for the weekend because cherry blossoms, blowing half a million points on one flight to try out Singapore Suites etc.

I think Antarctica or any other real vacation is something that is a reasonable goal or bucket list place. Most folks would save and earn lots of points and burn the points to fulfill these types of vacations without anyone batting an eye. It's a reasonable thing to do. Meanwhile, I'll throw gasoline and light a fire to any number of points on a whim. I've had people IRL tell me I'm crazy and that wasting that amount of points for those things is stupid with regards to some of the aforementioned point redemptions. Therefore, I can only imagine that some in our DISchurner family here may think the same thing too, but are polite enough not to voice their opinion in writing. Maybe not. In any case, that's ok. I'd sooner wear wear those sentiments as a badge of honor than be shamed by it. So bring on the points, because I've always got something absurd in mind, gasoline and a lighter at the ready!

What is reasonable for you may be a stupid idea for them, or they might be ultra conservative.

You have what I would call the 'freedom' to do as you wish with your income and assets. Just the two of you, and you don't sit in front of the TV 'every' weekend. You are of to do something that many people would plan for a year or two, and that would be their only experience.

Carry on and enjoy life! It seems that you can afford your lifestyle. It would be a whole lot different if you were looking for 0% offers and were switching banks every 12 months. It's my assumption that that is not the case - we are on an internet board after all!

Some of us may also be following our dreams and not sharing as much for the simple fact that it attracts attention from friends and relatives in just that way - some would say you are crazy and start with the judging and others might try to cash in. You seem to be above and beyond all that and more power to you.

And meanwhile, we are all getting older. Live life while you can and also while you still want to do these things. As I've gotten older I'm just not as interested in some things and maybe a little bit intimidated by other things. And I'm not that old when I look at the 80 Year olds still out there traveling around the world, maybe even on credit card points. So have fun and let it keep your life interesting.

 

[striker1064]

Weirdly, P2 just got a "Selected for You" CSP offer under her account. I'm unclear on how these offers work. The most recent DoC DPs (from May) state that a fixed APR DOES bypass 5/24. This is a fixed APR offer. So, two questions:

Anyone know if it still bypasses? I'm willing to be the DP here.

I'm guessing this does NOT bypass the 48 month Sapphire rule? She got a CSR bonus October 2016 so not even close to being outside the 48 month window.

EDIT: Interestingly, I also have the CSP offer. I've had a CSR, but I upgraded to it and did not receive a bonus. But my last Sapphire bonus was a CSP in March 2016. Bleh.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I'm here!! Wake up this morning to three pages on the old thread, plus this one's already up to four!!

Still no Citi AA Biz in my mailbox today... $137 on my CFU this morning at the vet that I was hoping to put on that card instead!

 

[tink1970]

ridiculous TPG ones he was selling

Hey, I love my Travel is My Sport sweatshirt I got from him during one of his fund raising events. Because...travel IS my sport

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I welcome any and all feedback on the first 3 sticky comments.

1) Is a welcome message of sorts - can edit, add, or eliminate if necessary
2) Is what we need to give good advice - are we missing anything there?
3) I tried to not get too crazy with the glossary (it needs to be readable...) If anything super important is missing let me know. If you think anything is confusing let me know. Should anything be removed as it's just not used often enough?

For glossary SM should be in there. We mention SMing a lot

 

[CyndiLouWho]

People gonna wake up tomorrow and find themselves on page 10 saying WHAT HAPPENED!!

Well I got here in time for page 4. But I was only gone 8 hrs. Went to the old page and was like, why can I not reply Doh.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Someone on the last thread talked about doing it then decided against it because you will get a 1099 for the cash value of the points. So you will have to include it on your taxes. That is only downside I think. You get them for all bank bonuses, but I think they thought not worth it since this is not cash. YMMV on whether that bothers you.

Any idea if the UR bonus they give you for a new mortgage is treated the same? With a 1099?