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

[nickle831]

Doing the happy dance, my CSP bonus points just posted!!

I need to wait 2 weeks before applying form my next card. How do y'all pass the time? I kid, I kid I know you all just sign P2 up for a card and work on that one.
I was going to wait until July before signing up DH for the CSP (avoiding the AF before our vacation next year), but I may sign him up for the Freedom first, then by the time that comes in and we meet the MSR "he" can refer me for the Freedom.
He's a little more leery of the churning, so I have to move slow with him. The other part of me wants to ask him if we can move the $15000 in daughter's college fund for 3 months to a new bank account to sit for 3 months for the Chase bonus. Decisions, Decisions.

 

[WVMomof3]

Slightly , but it is about traveling and CC points did get her there, but if anyone is interested, my DD is writing a blog while she is abroad. Shameless mom plug, I think it is great, just not often enough! She has done some great little trips so far and has not posted about any of them yet. One of her best friends is coming to visit her this week and the next week is her spring break so I will probably have to wait awhile for the next installment.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

FYI - Southwest extended their schedule this morning for flights through November 2nd, 2019.

Here is my usual Historical Southwest Release Dates (for planning purposes) comment:

• NEXT RELEASE: 5/23/19 - travel through January 5, 2020
• 3/15/19 - travel through November 2nd, 2019
• 1/31/19 - travel through October 1st, 2019
• 11/15/18 - travel through August 5th, 2019
• 9/27/18 - travel through June 8th, 2019
• 8/30/18 - travel through April 7th, 2019
• 6/28/18 - travel through March 6th, 2019
• 5/31/18 - travel through January 6th, 2019
• 3/8/18 - travel through November 3rd, 2018
• 2/15/18 - travel through October 1st, 2018
• 11/2/17 - travel through August 6th, 2018
• 8/28/17 - travel through June 1st, 2018
• 7/27/17 - travel through April 6th, 2018
• 6/22/17 - travel through March 7th, 2018
• 5/18/17 - travel through January 7th, 2018

*The next release may be of particular interest since it covers the holiday season!

This chart could be useful to approximate when your travel time may become available for upcoming releases, however they don't always follow the exact same pattern (as you can see above).

Added to my calendar---I'll have to book dd's Thanksgiving and Christmas flights! Last spring by the time I got to her Thanksgiving return to school, all the WGA flights were sold out She got to enjoy Business Select for the first time

 

[striker1064]

any reason to keep our Bonvoy Biz with $95 AF? one of ours just came due and not keeping AF cards that don't give me AF bonus worth it

Only if you can make use of that Cat 5 cert (which is harder now with all the devaluations last month). It comes 6-8 weeks after your anniversary, so you have to pay the AF to get it.

 

[Lain]

I'm so old I remember when Southwest was cheap. I just looked at a flight from CVG to MCO for a weekend in the fall because I'm apparently nuts (#SWGE) and I can't believe how expensive those flights are. Goodness.
#TooRichForMyBlood

I was also searching around for some upcoming flights I still need to book and was shocked SW was coming up more expensive than United.

 

[elgerber]

I was also searching around for some upcoming flights I still need to book and was shocked SW was coming up more expensive than United.

Yeah, I am seeing some horrible prices/points for October. Outrageously high!

Back to the PNC funding, I lowered my CA limit to $100 before I did mine a couple of months ago. If that's why they are being rejected, doesn't that mean they will code as a CA and won't count toward the MSR?

 

[hsmamato2]

Only if you can make use of that Cat 5 cert (which is harder now with all the devaluations last month). It comes 6-8 weeks after your anniversary, so you have to pay the AF to get it.

that's up to 35k points,right?

 

[mamathompson]

I am sure since you are all so financially savvy you already knew this, but I had no idea and neither did my immediate circle. My DH was adamant we check multiple lenders for our upcoming mortgage. Our third quote was a full 2% less interest than the first one. After that, quotes 1 and 2 wanted a chance to beat quote 3. I honestly had no idea shopping around would save us so much money. I figured they would all be pretty similar. I obviously still have a lot to learn!

 

[calypso726]

Have fun!! Hope we get to see pics.

Thanks! I’ll post pics tonight from the plane if there is Wi-Fi

Wow, let us know what you think of that Residence Inn. Have a great trip!

Will do thanks!

any reason to keep our Bonvoy Biz with $95 AF? one of ours just came due and not keeping AF cards that don't give me AF bonus worth it

If you are able to use the cat 5 cert which is for a property up to 35k then yes. The Residence Inn I just booked in NYC is a 35k property and the cash rate for the night was $528. I’ll be keeping my Bonvoy business card even when it goes up to $125.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Is this the RI Midtown East? Definitely curious to hear your thoughts after you stay! I'm sure we'll be using it too, since so many other Marriott properties in NYC went up to Cat 6.

Im staying here April and will report back. My neighbor swears by it for his go to business hotel in nyc.

 

[WVMomof3]

I clearly don’t know much about technology. Lol. Thought I could post DDs blog on the sly. And she texts me with did you post my blog on your Disney board? Um, yes I did, my friends want to know about your travels. Had no idea she could tell that I posted it. She didn’t tell me to take it down, so I guess it is ok.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Ugh! Come on already! Maybe you need another Tink, You’re approved!

Omg please!!! Still waiting!!

 

[amalone1013]

Lol I’d rather take the 30 minutes of sleep. I could see Dh getting up for it though. I plan to be up around 6:30 or so already just to get to the park an hour early. I guess that depends how early it opens

Sometimes I like to just grab a muffin or granola bar or something to tide me over, that way when we get to the park we can do a few things then stop for breakfast. Especially if there's a few minutes' walk or something, I eat it while we walk. I'm not familiar with Tokyo so I don't know what kind of 'travel' to the park that Hilton has.

 

[miztressuz]

I am sure since you are all so financially savvy you already knew this, but I had no idea and neither did my immediate circle. My DH was adamant we check multiple lenders for our upcoming mortgage. Our third quote was a full 2% less interest than the first one. After that, quotes 1 and 2 wanted a chance to beat quote 3. I honestly had no idea shopping around would save us so much money. I figured they would all be pretty similar. I obviously still have a lot to learn!

Good for you, that's great! Definitely shop around for everything, the worst someone can say is 'no'. It's great that both companies are interested in beating it, some will say 'oh well, good luck to ya' but most will want your business and can work with you. Then you get the best of both worlds, the interest rate you want with the company you prefer. As always just make sure the terms are similar so they aren't getting it back on the backend, but interest rates, insurance, service contracts, all kinds of stuff are usually flexible. Yay! for saving money wherever it comes from

 

[WVMomof3]

Ah ha, I found you, I thought I read someone asking about a SW AF refund. I don't remember if you got an answer but I just saw a DP today on r/churning getting an AF refund outside of the 30 days.

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/c...central_thread_week_of_march_14_2019/eiinzez/

It's not guaranteed, but encouraging. Have to weigh if not getting the refund is worth still cancelling I guess. Although they should be able to reactivate it if it doesn't come through, I think. Then at least you'd have a shot at next years anniversary points before cancelling (if it doesn't throw off any other plans).

Edit: oh, forgot, there's a small bit of language in the r/churning post - just a warning for our more genteel folks before they click. (just a 3 letter word, I'll be honest, took me a couple reads before I even noticed it... I am not amongst the genteel crowd... )

Thank you! Was able to close card today and get fee refunded. Fee posted on Feb 1st.

 

[amalone1013]

I was going to write something and now that I am caught up...

 

[Tikitoi]

Same. We barely touched our CF for Q1 other than gas, and we live right by everything so we don't buy much gas. DD drives further than either of us combined and she drives a civic that sips gas. I have too much MSR to work on to put much on the CF and the SUB's are far more valuable to me. So, I just don't get that excited about CF categories anymore. Kind of sad but also very exciting !

Same for me for Q1. I put myself on a cc diet knowing I'd have a big MSR coming up. So even going into Q2 I will be limiting my spend on my CF. But at least I'm halfway through that 5k spend. Once this MSR is complete I will get excited over CF categories again...

 

[punkin]

So DH's new Bonvoy Amex just came and it's on SPG cardstock. He needs to use it at Marriott hotels to meet spend. It works just like a Marriott card would, right? Same bonuses? It's just so confusing.

 

[jujubiee4]

Yes we are staying at the Hilton. Dh and I both got Hilton cards: him a Hilton honors and me a Hilton biz card. With those points and points we’ve earned from other stays we have enough to cover a little over 5/6 nights and we are staying in a king celebrio ocean room. We also get breakfast included since my card gives me gold status. We don’t really plan to take advantage of breakfast though since we’ll be in the parks

Is the free breakfast only available on the Hilton business card?

 

[Lain]

So DH's new Bonvoy Amex just came and it's on SPG cardstock. He needs to use it at Marriott hotels to meet spend. It works just like a Marriott card would, right? Same bonuses? It's just so confusing.

The last I read, the new Bonvoy designs will be going out to new applicants later this month. Current cardholders will get replacement cards with the updated designs later (I read as late as May?) It's the same card. All the pertinent info is in the chip or the magstripe. And you'll get whatever bonus you applied for, provided you meet the terms.

Personally, I plan to use my purple cards until they expire in 2022-24.