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

[trenty]

I missed this, but I like the idea of Discover cashback to cover AFs... I will be stealing this idea to keep in my back pocket

Right now Discover cashback basically just goes to Yak n Yeti GCs

I have had the Discover It card for a little over a year and have used the cashback ONLY for travel related expenses - so far only Disney GCs for last summer's trip. I may use some this year for DVC dues but trying to cover those with free rewards (swagbucks, ebates, etc.)

 

[miztressuz]

Wondering how many people here use their URs to pay the AF on cards (or any other rewards, actually). I usually just pay the AF (I only have one right now - had more in the past). Contemplating cashing out URs through CSP next time the AF hits ($95). It would in no way wipe out my points by doing this, and I can easily add this to my budget, so it is not for financial reasons.

ETA: I could also use my Discover IT cashback bonus if that makes a difference.

If I can't earn enough from Swagbucks by the end of the year to cover it, that's my plan, use some points/cashback to offset. I suspect I'll be using all my bank bonus money on trips so I don't think I'll have any leftover to offset those line items.
We could afford to pay it too but I figure that's what all this extra "work" I'm doing is for, to pay for travel and all the costs associated with it. So I'm trying to fit it all within the extra income source so I keep the budgets separate.

 

[trenty]

We could afford to pay it too but I figure that's what all this extra "work" I'm doing is for, to pay for travel and all the costs associated with it. So I'm trying to fit it all within the extra income source so I keep the budgets separate.

That is how I am starting to feel now that I have some hefty balances - at least for my needs - in rewards. I don't even put it into my budget since it is a wash.

 

[platamama]

I've got a lounge fail going on too, although the possibility of getting dinner beforehand at least sounds good.

We've got flights on SW scheduled for next month that I wasn't really planning but I thought, awesome! We'll get to use our PP benefits for this year Total fail.
We have an hour and a half layover in MCO so I thought we were good, nope, latest a lounge stays open is 10 pm and guess when we are scheduled to arrive? 10:10
We have an hour and a half layover in DAL on the way back so I thought, great maybe lunch Nope, totally forgot that DAL is Luvfield and there's no lounges at all.
Leaving from PHL so the only "lounge" here is the MinuteSuites, so not really a lounge. You get like an hour in a cubicle for those. So no lounge at departure or arrival either.

This will learn me to chase cheap point flights rather than verifying the layovers.
I did luck out and our flight to Seattle in Sept we get close to an hour in DEN so we might be able to try Timberline

Trying to get airport lounges aligned with your departure/layover/arrival hours is a whole extra layer of travel planning to deal with, but I'd be lying if I said I don't scope this out when I'm making my flight arrangements!

When I was booking my flights (using URs) to Maui for next month, I had choices of an LAX or SFO or SEA layover (I discovered a few years ago I hate the nonstop flight in economy). I looked into which terminals have lounges, if the terminals connected airside, which airlines flew into which terminals, what the hours of the lounges were, etc... I was bound and determined to use a Biz Plat for a Centurion lounge experience, so United with SFO layover was the best fit. I get lunch in DEN, dinner in SFO, breakfast in SFO, and lunch in DEN for 3 people and I'm excited for that.

With Timberline at DEN, do you have an hour from arrival to departure? That might be cutting it close, with the time it takes to disembark and board, and if there's a wait for a table at the restaurant. Do you have other flight options?

 

[speedyfishy]

So crazy!! First, glad you got your bonus! BUT this craziness is why I'm done with AMEX...I just can't operate in a world where I don't know whether I'll get a bonus or not. I know your MS game is strong so that certainly can change things a little bit. I don't MS, so my organic spend to me is very valuable - and if I'm going to put spend on a card, I better be getting 10-40% back guaranteed. Luckily I'm back in the fold with Chase and Citi seems to like me now

The Green MSR was only $1000 so I didn’t lose out on too much, i was thinking about not even bothering with it but I’m glad I tried it out. Probably am gonna lay low with Amex for a bit now though. I’ll continue to use the Blue Biz and Gold and occasional Amex offers on others.

 

[wendow]

I've got a lounge fail going on too, although the possibility of getting dinner beforehand at least sounds good.

We've got flights on SW scheduled for next month that I wasn't really planning but I thought, awesome! We'll get to use our PP benefits for this year Total fail.
We have an hour and a half layover in MCO so I thought we were good, nope, latest a lounge stays open is 10 pm and guess when we are scheduled to arrive? 10:10
We have an hour and a half layover in DAL on the way back so I thought, great maybe lunch Nope, totally forgot that DAL is Luvfield and there's no lounges at all.
Leaving from PHL so the only "lounge" here is the MinuteSuites, so not really a lounge. You get like an hour in a cubicle for those. So no lounge at departure or arrival either.

This will learn me to chase cheap point flights rather than verifying the layovers.
I did luck out and our flight to Seattle in Sept we get close to an hour in DEN so we might be able to try Timberline

Like @platamama said, the 1 hour in Denver will be cutting it very close. Timberline has gotten super busy. Last time we were there, wait was 1 hour.

 

[miztressuz]

Trying to get airport lounges aligned with your departure/layover/arrival hours is a whole extra layer of travel planning to deal with, but I'd be lying if I said I don't scope this out when I'm making my flight arrangements!

When I was booking my flights (using URs) to Maui for next month, I had choices of an LAX or SFO or SEA layover (I discovered a few years ago I hate the nonstop flight in economy). I looked into which terminals have lounges, if the terminals connected airside, which airlines flew into which terminals, what the hours of the lounges were, etc... I was bound and determined to use a Biz Plat for a Centurion lounge experience, so United with SFO layover was the best fit. I get lunch in DEN, dinner in SFO, breakfast in SFO, and lunch in DEN for 3 people and I'm excited for that.

With Timberline at DEN, do you have an hour from arrival to departure? That might be cutting it close, with the time it takes to disembark and board, and if there's a wait for a table at the restaurant. Do you have other flight options?

It's listed as 55 minutes but with SW usually getting in a few minutes early, if we do we might be able to squeak it out and get back for boarding since it's later at night and should be less crowded. But I just double checked their hours and I'm not sure we'd get food, depending on when they close down the kitchen for the night. Wow, double fails in one day, starting to be a rough Friday

The alternate also has a 60 minute layover in PHX, but somehow leaves an hour earlier and arrives 30 minutes later and won't have a lounge at all (as of April). So we're taking some chances at DEN as the better of the two options. Shoot, once I get this SW Biz bonus I might be booking some flights just to use up some lounge benefits. I hate paying for something I don't use

 

[Judique]

Can someone help me understand Chase's 24-month bonus policy on new Southwest cards? My understanding is that, if you've received a sign-up bonus in the past 24 months, then you won't get the new bonus. I'm interested in the 40,000 + Companion Pass promo. I received a sign-up bonus on a Business card in March 2017 and on a Premier card in May 2017. Can I earn the sign-up bonus on Plus card now?

No. You will have to wait until 24 months have passed for both cards. So probably June 2019, to be safe, plus you will have to cancel both cards before applying. You can now only have one personal of the SW cards, and the business at any one time.

You can start with the business card after March and then get the personal after May. Good luck!

 

[amalone1013]

Getting treated like criminals over car insurance claim - yay... by the other (at fault) party's insurance.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

If you have the app you’ll find them there. Scroll down to the bottom.

Ohhh...the app. No I don’t have that. I only use the website on my laptop. Do most people use the app? I guess I will download that since it would be nice to see my offers when I’m out.

 

[wanderlust7]

OK, for all us people waiting for our PNC bonus, is tomorrow finally our day? Someone said theirs posted on the last Friday, and that would be tomorrow. Please, I am tired of checking and wondering.

I am hoping today is the day! Nothing yet but it’s still early. I met the requirements Feb. 6 so if it isn’t today I don’t think I’m getting the bonus. I pushed $5000 from Chase and got the direct deposit emails but no bonus yet. My work direct deposit takes a month to activate for new accounts so even if I add that I won’t make my cut off.

I don't think there's any predictable pattern to the PNC batches. At least that was the conclusion from DoC comments/DPs. My DH's did post the last Friday of January, but mine was on a Wednesday. Mine took over a month, which is on the long end, but fairly typical it seems. I wouldn't worry until you see people posting that they got the bonus and you didn't.

 

[apollodi]

Has anyone tried bringing their child into their GE interview, when the child is not also applying for GE? DH has to schedule his GE interview. We live 2.5 hours away from the nearest interview location, so he's thinking of doing it in Chicago as a stop on the way to a trip to Wisconsin (he's driving). But, he will have DD5 with him. Can DH bring DD5 along to the interview, even though DD5 is not applying for GE? I searched on the internet and it looks like he can, but wanted to see if anyone had tried this. I'll also probably contact Customs and Border Protection and ask them.

 

[lynzi2004]

Got to experience a side bonus to the churning game yesterday. My one year old DS decided my phone would be a fun object to throw into the toilet! Not good...was dreading having to tell DH. But then I remembered our cip came with insurance since we pay for them through our business. They are going to give me $500 towards a new one ($100 deductible). Not great but better than nothing. It was an iPhone 6 with a cracked screen so I was due for an upgrade. Besides an upgrade will help me meet MsR on a new card! Lol

Any suggestions on which phone to upgrade to? Needs to be iPhone as I don't like Android based operating systems.

 

[Happy814]

Ok, why can I find Universal Hotels on Expedia, but not through the UR portal for the same dates??

 

[wendow]

Ok, why can I find Universal Hotels on Expedia, but not through the UR portal for the same dates??

Because @SouthFayetteFan brought it to Chase's attention that the Universal hotels were still on the portal and Chase is determined to take away all Orlando fun

 

[Judique]

Getting treated like criminals over car insurance claim - yay... by the other (at fault) party's insurance.

That's why some people hire attorneys or go through their own insurance.

I was rear ended in 2015 and handled my own claim and after the other company figured out I wasn't going to go away fast, they started to get ugly. They switched reps on me three times. Stand your ground.

 

[Happy814]

Because @SouthFayetteFan brought it to Chase's attention that the Universal hotels were still on the portal and Chase is determined to take away all Orlando fun

 

[StephPlum]

Wow, 57K! If these drug companies can afford to do this why can't they jus tsell the meds for cheap to begin with?

But seriously if they can do it for $5 how do they get off charging $2400? I hated insurance companies, drug companies, healthcare and I work in healthcare. The makers of Ensure sell the stuff for about $10/6 bottles here. Wholesale cost is about $2/24 bottles. Obscene. Our hospital will sell it to employees for about $2.50/24 bottles. I tell any employees I know that need it to let me know and we will order for them. It’s terrible, and food/nutrition is small, no tiny, potatoes compared to drug companies

I am a little biased since I work for an insurance company, so I don't give them the entire blame. Our entire health care funding system is screwed up. I got a little insight from a 60 Minutes story a few months ago. The drug companies give consumers a break through these programs and then bill the insurance company a large amount.

So in my case, I only paid $120 OOP but my insurance company paid $35K and the drug company ate the rest. Who knows what the cost really is or if my insurance company is subsidizing others without insurance. Like I said, the entire funding system seems screwed up. Right now I am benefiting and sorry to say, I am ok with that. Given this stuff is keeping my DH from going blind, I'd pay the $57K if I had to but it is nice not to have to worry about needing to.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

question - where do you find the Chase Offers? I have only seen them when they email me about new offers and I follow the link and get to the offers. When I log into my Chase account, I can’t find them.

I’ve only been able to see them on the app...

 

[wendow]

I'm just kidding about @SouthFayetteFan being at fault lol! I really have no idea why the hotels aren't showing up. There is clearly some discrepancies between what Expedia has and what Chase will allow us to book with UR's on Expedia.