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

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@Lain @SouthFayetteFan @calypso726 I need your help. I need approx. 400,000 Marriott points to fulfill a ski vacation over New Years this coming year (dd decided she wants a ski trip instead of Machu Picchu and the hotels nights in Whistler at the Westin {our preferred property as they have a kitchen so we can do our own breakfast and I can make a pb&j sandwich for lunch, plus it's at the base of the gondola} are over $1,000.00 cash).

I don't know what I'm currently at with my 5/24 count, but here's what I have:

10/16: CSR
7/19: Chase Hyatt (not sure if this counts towards 5/24 since the rule changed in the fall of 2019)
9/19: CIP (business)
12/19: Hilton Aspire
2/19: Hilton AmEx business

I could get the Bonvoy with the 100,000 bonus point offer, but making the $5,000.00 spend might be tough (I don't have any big expenses planned in the next few months). I am willing to take the hit on my 5/24 for this since the cash price is unattainable (I also have to factor in lift tickets, food and transportation and her CASI classes -- she wants to take her instructors course)

There must be a business Marriott card I could get that would get me a bonus (could probably purchase items for my business to meet the MSR).

Is there any way to get 2 business Marriott business cards? I would try this to get another bonus.

I've already booked the nights on points -- just need to earn them lol.

Alternatively I could board the grAAvy train and book the nights with the AA miles portal. I was on there and I'd just need an additional 600,000 points to book the stay with this method. Doesn't seem viable.

Would it make sense to transfer the remaining points from my UR stash (that is looking increasingly useless with the Expedia portal).

Dh will not sign-up for any cards. He is loyal to his AmEx Platinum and only wants 2 cards (he needs a Visa for gas at Costco).

 

[wendow]

Totally OT. Does anyone know what style coffee makers BLT has? I know they didn’t have the pod style last time we stayed there but wondering if they’ve upgraded. Asking for clients. Thanks!

 

[Lain]

I'd really like to do it on my gold card - 4x on grocery plus gas points.

You don’t earn gas points on VGC/MCGCs at Safeway. That might change the value proposition for you.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Totally OT. Does anyone know what style coffee makers BLT has? I know they didn’t have the pod style last time we stayed there but wondering if they’ve upgraded. Asking for clients. Thanks!

When we were there in December the coffee makers were not pod style....they had the round basket

 

[Oscar Madison]

My Fifth Third bank bonus account closing story - I went thru the drive thru and attempted to close the account. Told me I had to come in and meet with a banker. So I came in and was told the banker was busy. I waited about 10 minutes and after hearing the banker chatting about how she loved lobster I knew I was in trouble. I started browsing for ways to close accounts and came across a template for writing a letter and mailing it so I figured I go that route. I then went back to the teller and said I didn't have time to wait any longer and that I'd come back later to close the account. I then asked them to give me all my money. The teller asked another one to come over and then they told me they could close the account for me. Something about taking down my info and then having a banker do it later. I wondered why that couldn't be done earlier...HMMM...
Anyways, when I logged into my account later, it showed it was closed.
Any easier ways to go about doing this? I don't really mind the walk of shame, but just don't want to waste the time. I'm guessing I should have just went thru the drive thru and withdrew all my money first???

 

[Judique]

@Lain @SouthFayetteFan @calypso726 I need your help. I need approx. 400,000 Marriott points to fulfill a ski vacation over New Years this coming year (dd decided she wants a ski trip instead of Machu Picchu and the hotels nights in Whistler at the Westin {our preferred property as they have a kitchen so we can do our own breakfast and I can make a pb&j sandwich for lunch, plus it's at the base of the gondola} are over $1,000.00 cash).

I don't know what I'm currently at with my 5/24 count, but here's what I have:

10/16: CSR
7/19: Chase Hyatt (not sure if this counts towards 5/24 since the rule changed in the fall of 2019)
9/19: CIP (business)
12/19: Hilton Aspire
2/19: Hilton AmEx business

I could get the Bonvoy with the 100,000 bonus point offer, but making the $5,000.00 spend might be tough (I don't have any big expenses planned in the next few months). I am willing to take the hit on my 5/24 for this since the cash price is unattainable (I also have to factor in lift tickets, food and transportation and her CASI classes -- she wants to take her instructors course)

There must be a business Marriott card I could get that would get me a bonus (could probably purchase items for my business to meet the MSR).

Is there any way to get 2 business Marriott business cards? I would try this to get another bonus.

I've already booked the nights on points -- just need to earn them lol.

Alternatively I could board the grAAvy train and book the nights with the AA miles portal. I was on there and I'd just need an additional 600,000 points to book the stay with this method. Doesn't seem viable.

Would it make sense to transfer the remaining points from my UR stash (that is looking increasingly useless with the Expedia portal).

Dh will not sign-up for any cards. He is loyal to his AmEx Platinum and only wants 2 cards (he needs a Visa for gas at Costco).

You could sign up for the two Amex Marriott cards - Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Marriott Bonvoy Business. Each has a 100K offer right now. Chase now has one card at 75K points but if you get the Amex, you can't get the Chase card and vice versa. You would be in good shape for points if you could get a player 2. Is DD old enough for a card?

Using your UR stash: 60K points needed for 1 night with cash for the night going up to $1300ish. That's 2 cents for each UR point. I'd do it.

There is also a Delta at 35K per night. If you are not planning on skiing on your travel day, it might be worth a few $$ to stay first night at Delta and check into Westin first thing in the morning, leave your stuff at bell services and hit the gondola from the hotel. They may not actually check you in but would probably take your stuff. Are you traveling with your own equipment or are you renting? Dragging all your stuff may be also worth paying the 60K for a non ski night.

 

[Psychodisney]

Totally OT. Does anyone know what style coffee makers BLT has? I know they didn’t have the pod style last time we stayed there but wondering if they’ve upgraded. Asking for clients. Thanks!

I think all DVC has regular coffee makers with basket filters.

 

[calypso726]

Paging @calypso726... playing around with how to book JAL flights again. I still feel like I can't find anything on BA's site trying to search, but I can find great availability from JFK to Tokyo by searching on Alaska's site. Anything weird I should know about this? Point values look about right... first class nonstop for 140k round trip, plus taxes. When I actually want to book this, I would just call AA and have them book it with our miles, correct?

Anyone else, feel free to chime on in this too. I just know Calypso is our resident expert

I find them on the BA site. However, keep in mind BA releases award availability at 355 days out but JAL doesn’t until 330 so that could be a factor. On BA, availability can or won’t show up depending on how you search. If I search for economy I won’t see first but may see premium economy and business. You have to play with it. That said, if it is showing up on AS then it should be books me with AA unless it’s phantom availability. I’d call with the flight info and try to book.

Just watched the video. I had no idea that you could get the sign-up bonus 3 times! I currently have the Aspire and the business Hilton card. Is there any way I could get another bonus w/o a hit on my 5/24 score? Don't want to sound greedy but I was reading about the Waldorf Astoria Maldives yesterday and think we *may* go there instead of the Conrad, but of course it is more points (I have enough for the Conrad currently).

Not for the same card as bonuses are once per lifetime. However, each card is treated as a different product. So you can get multiple bonuses for Hilton and you can get upgrade bonuses.

 

[Lain]

@kandb - you’ve given a lot to digest. I’ll try to offer some more thoughts in the new week.

From some of the earlier discussion, it seems you have a collection on your credit report(s), which is dragging down your Experian credit score. This could present a problem because, in my own experience, two of the major card issuers we like to discuss here, Chase and Amex, like to pull your credit report from Experian in deciding whether to approve you for their cards. Now that we know this, this could be why Credit Karma gave you a poor chance at getting the Marriott Bonvoy Business card from Amex. You’ve already gotten some great advice from @EACarlson. Take care of that collection and try to get it removed from your credit reports if at all possible. I get that you have ill feelings towards Sprint, and I don’t want to tell you how you should be spending your money especially if there’s some dispute whether it’s even owed. But it’s a ~$200 dispute! And that may impact your ability to get approved for some great offers worth many times that. Don’t burn down your house to smoke out a rat.

 

[Judique]

You don’t earn gas points on VGC/MCGCs at Safeway. That might change the value proposition for you.

Thanks for letting me know!

Actually, I just got that idea this morning as I drove by the gas bar. So, not a deal breaker. But it would have been nice to get an extra 30 cents a gallon off. The Safeway near my Costco is about 10 cents more than Costco's gas price.

I'm going by Trader Joe's over in Virginia a little later so will try another Safeway over there as there are a couple close by.

I am very close to my local Safeway but don't do most of my shopping there, as I tend to do Costco, Aldi, Giant, Safeway, and Trader Joe's with the first 4 being very close in my neighborhood, so I don't really keep up with the sales or policies.

 

[Judique]

@kandb - you’ve given a lot to digest. I’ll try to offer some thoughts in the new week.

From some of the earlier discussion, it seems you have a collection on your credit report(s), which is dragging down your Experian credit score. This could present a problem because, in my own experience, two of the major card issuers we like to discuss here, Chase and Amex, like to pull your credit report from Experian in deciding whether to approve you for their cards. Now that we know this, this could be why Credit Karma gave you a poor chance at getting the Marriott Bonvoy Business card from Amex. You’ve already gotten some great advice from @EACarlson. Take care of that collection and try to get it removed from your credit reports if at all possible. I get that you have ill feelings towards Sprint, and I don’t want to tell you how you should be spending your money especially if there’s some dispute whether it’s even owed. But it’s a ~$200 dispute! And that may impact your ability to get approved for some great offers worth many times that. Don’t burn down your house to smoke out a rat.

I had to follow this advice against my will when I had a similar dispute with Verizon over phone lines. I did not let it go to collections because I did not want anything negative on my reports, and it still burns me many years later that I paid them money I felt I didn't owe them. But - I have the satisfaction of knowing that neither myself or my whole family has given them a dime since, so I may not have won the battle but I did feel as if I won the war.

 

[StephPlum]

My Fifth Third bank bonus account closing story - I went thru the drive thru and attempted to close the account. Told me I had to come in and meet with a banker. So I came in and was told the banker was busy. I waited about 10 minutes and after hearing the banker chatting about how she loved lobster I knew I was in trouble. I started browsing for ways to close accounts and came across a template for writing a letter and mailing it so I figured I go that route. I then went back to the teller and said I didn't have time to wait any longer and that I'd come back later to close the account. I then asked them to give me all my money. The teller asked another one to come over and then they told me they could close the account for me. Something about taking down my info and then having a banker do it later. I wondered why that couldn't be done earlier...HMMM...
Anyways, when I logged into my account later, it showed it was closed.
Any easier ways to go about doing this? I don't really mind the walk of shame, but just don't want to waste the time. I'm guessing I should have just went thru the drive thru and withdrew all my money first???

Uggh. I need to close my 5/3rd account as well. It only has 1500 in it so I haven't been motivated to move faster. Liked that I could close my Chase accts through SM. Wish they were all this easy

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

@kandb - you’ve given a lot to digest. I’ll try to offer some more thoughts in the new week.

From some of the earlier discussion, it seems you have a collection on your credit report(s), which is dragging down your Experian credit score. This could present a problem because, in my own experience, two of the major card issuers we like to discuss here, Chase and Amex, like to pull your credit report from Experian in deciding whether to approve you for their cards. Now that we know this, this could be why Credit Karma gave you a poor chance at getting the Marriott Bonvoy Business card from Amex. You’ve already gotten some great advice from @EACarlson. Take care of that collection and try to get it removed from your credit reports if at all possible. I get that you have ill feelings towards Sprint, and I don’t want to tell you how you should be spending your money especially if there’s some dispute whether it’s even owed. But it’s a ~$200 dispute! And that may impact your ability to get approved for some great offers worth many times that. Don’t burn down your house to smoke out a rat.

This doesn't really fit...but I just gotta use an Office gif when I see the opportunity:

 

[DisneyMandC]

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[SouthFayetteFan]

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[WVMomof3]

Made the mistake of telling DH about the mattress talk here and the Casper offer on the AMEX as he is complaining about his back aches and pains. He says just do it already. I don't know that I can pull the trigger. lol I did just finally submit my taxes and am getting more back than I originally thought. Either I did something really smart, or I am going to jail for tax fraud. haha So I could justify it with the extra back on taxes. And I do admit, it definitely is time. Decisions, decisions.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

My Fifth Third bank bonus account closing story - I went thru the drive thru and attempted to close the account. Told me I had to come in and meet with a banker. So I came in and was told the banker was busy. I waited about 10 minutes and after hearing the banker chatting about how she loved lobster I knew I was in trouble. I started browsing for ways to close accounts and came across a template for writing a letter and mailing it so I figured I go that route. I then went back to the teller and said I didn't have time to wait any longer and that I'd come back later to close the account. I then asked them to give me all my money. The teller asked another one to come over and then they told me they could close the account for me. Something about taking down my info and then having a banker do it later. I wondered why that couldn't be done earlier...HMMM...
Anyways, when I logged into my account later, it showed it was closed.
Any easier ways to go about doing this? I don't really mind the walk of shame, but just don't want to waste the time. I'm guessing I should have just went thru the drive thru and withdrew all my money first???

If you withdraw all the money, you can close by message. If it has a balance they won’t close online. So transfer it all out, then message.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Made the mistake of telling DH about the mattress talk here and the Casper offer on the AMEX as he is complaining about his back aches and pains. He says just do it already. I don't know that I can pull the trigger. lol I did just finally submit my taxes and am getting more back than I originally thought. Either I did something really smart, or I am going to jail for tax fraud. haha So I could justify it with the extra back on taxes. And I do admit, it definitely is time. Decisions, decisions.

Don't know if you saw my post on the last page but there's 10% off Casper until tomorrow with code COZY. There's the Amex offer and a 10% offer on Chase too, in case you don't hit the amount on the Amex offer.

 

[striker1064]

Don’t burn down your house to smoke out a rat.

Pretty sure if there's ever a rat in the house, the whole thing is going down. All of it.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Don't know if you saw my post on the last page but there's 10% off Casper until tomorrow with code COZY. There's the Amex offer and a 10% offer on Chase too, in case you don't hit the amount on the Amex offer.

OMG now you’re tempting me. I took a quick peek and we only need a queen which would be about 1k which wouldn’t qualify for the Amex offer. But 10% off from Chase and Casper? There’s a store 10minutes away. Hmm