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

[DisneyMandC]

HA! I see an Amex Offer for spend $250+, get $50 back at Trump Hotels!

Sooo... where'd you book?

 

[DisneyMandC]

DH just saw the announcement that they'll be doing the "Dark Arts" projections on Hogwarts at Universal starting later this year and is now demanding we go back Plus we'll be going to WDW likely right before Galaxy's Edge opens (which I'm actually glad about), so it looks like we'll have to take a midwinter trip back. Twist my arm, why don't you...

 

[Haley R]

DH just saw the announcement that they'll be doing the "Dark Arts" projections on Hogwarts at Universal starting later this year and is now demanding we go back Plus we'll be going to WDW likely right before Galaxy's Edge opens (which I'm actually glad about), so it looks like we'll have to take a midwinter trip back. Twist my arm, why don't you...

Yes! I just got an email about this and Dh said “well I guess we have to go now” lol

 

[Haley R]

I just checked my Amex offers. I got the sams and at&t and we don’t use either of those stores, but of course didn’t get the Walmart one which we would actually use lol. We pay cash for our phones because we are on my FIL’s family plan. We just give him cash every three months

 

[shairpdrh]

Anyone that joined the GrAAvy train BIZ run that we had, get their cards yet?

Mine is in Informed Delivery today (I am pretty sure, got the other materials a few days ago).

 

[afan]

Jealous of all those who got the AT&T offer and don’t even have AT&T. I only got the Walmart grocery offer. Which I am unlikely to use. I haven’t had any good offers in awhile.

I didn't get any of the new offers. but it did remind me I still have staples to use.

 

[platamama]

I'm considering applying for a Frontier Mastercard. Currently they have a 40,000 bonus miles sign up. We're taking two trips this spring/summer and I'd really like to capitalize on those miles. However, I won't have $20,000 in spending in the next two months!

Is there a reason I shouldn't do this? If I could unlock family pooling, I would earn almost 10,000 miles each trip since we have to buy 5 tickets. This is one of the main reasons I'm considering the card.

It has a $79 annual fee, but if you spend $2500 in the year (which we would), you get a $100 airline credit.

@gottalovepluto raises excellent points.

I think I'm missing something with the value proposition of the card. You say you would earn 10,000 miles each trip - 10,000 miles being worth (1) one-way ticket on Frontier. So two trips = (1) roundtrip ticket on Frontier, for $20,000 spend? How much "free money" do you anticipate the Frontier card getting you for $20,000 spend?

 

[disneybirds]

Hi credit card friends! Thanks for your help a month or so ago, in helping me pick the CIP card for my first foray into the credit card world. I just topped $5k in spending today and can't wait to see those 80k URs!! (And yes, I've got this thread open on 2 different browser windows so I can double-check my acronyms!)

Anyway . . . I started reading up on what I CAN do with my URs, and thinking about what I WANT to do with them, and wanted to get some advice from you experts.

Next summer (2020), my DH turns 50. He's a HUGE WWII buff, and has always wanted to go to Normandy. So for his birthday, our big family trip is going to be London/Paris/Normandy. I'd love to find a way to use my URs to wrangle first-class plane tickets for our family of 4 to London and then back home from Paris. We will most likely fly American on the way to London, and Delta on the way home from Paris (those airlines have non-stop flights to/from our home town). Since there's only one non-stop a day, unfortunately we are really inflexible as to which flights we can take, and I'm guessing those reward flights will get snatched up FAST and/or require a ton of miles. I checked the miles needed to book those flights this summer out of curiosity and was shocked - 200k to 300k miles per one-way flight per person! OUCH. Granted, hopefully the mileage required will be much lower if I jump on it as soon as flights are released for next summer, but still - given that I'm looking 4-5 months out for those sample fares, I was shocked!

So . . . any suggestions?? My current day-to-day card is a Capital One VentureOne card (earning a measly 1.25 points per dollar). My CIP only has a $5k credit limit, and we put EVERYTHING on the credit card, so using that as our day-to-day card isn't feasible. I'm debating getting the Capital One Venture card (earning 2 points per dollar) or the CSP (if URs appear to be the way to go to accomplish my goal) as my new day-to-day card. I really don't want to get an airline-specific card, just in case we change our plans for our trip - I don't want to be stuck with a gazillion airline miles that it'll take us forever to use.

Last potentially relevant tidbit - I got the two Chase SW personal cards and a Chase SW business card early last Spring (I got the last one in February 2018, I believe) to get the SW companion pass. I'm planning on getting a SW personal and business card in February 2020 once my two-year period is up. So I need to leave room in the 5/24 rules to be able to get those. The CIP is the only other new card I've gotten in years and years.

WHEW. So with all of that, I'd love to hear any thoughts y'all may have! Thank you so much!

I have just started looking into booking flights for next summer to Europe as well. We are Delta diehards/hostages, but I am trying to open my eyes to other possibilities. There are others with way more experience than me and I hope they will chime in as well, but I found you can book a Delta flight through Virgin Atlantic for way less points. URs, MRs and Citi all transfer into Virgin Atlantic. The Virgin Atlantic site is really finicky, but I was finally able to see flights from Paris back to the states today. Here is an article from today about a Delta sale that talks about Virgin Atlantic. https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/delta-flash-sale-to-europe-book-with-virgin/ On the flip side, I was able to see Virgin Atlantic flights on the Delta site that were cheaper than Delta flights. Each of the airlines has partners and sometimes it is better to book a flight through another airline on points. Looking forward to hearing how you book this trip!

 

[Natgridenergy]

AA Aviator Red personal been pending since Tuesday. I got instant approval on the Barclay AA Biz. And we wait...

 

[GZanta77]

I have just started looking into booking flights for next summer to Europe as well. We are Delta diehards/hostages, but I am trying to open my eyes to other possibilities. There are others with way more experience than me and I hope they will chime in as well, but I found you can book a Delta flight through Virgin Atlantic for way less points. URs, MRs and Citi all transfer into Virgin Atlantic. The Virgin Atlantic site is really finicky, but I was finally able to see flights from Paris back to the states today. Here is an article from today about a Delta sale that talks about Virgin Atlantic. https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/delta-flash-sale-to-europe-book-with-virgin/ On the flip side, I was able to see Virgin Atlantic flights on the Delta site that were cheaper than Delta flights. Each of the airlines has partners and sometimes it is better to book a flight through another airline on points. Looking forward to hearing how you book this trip!

The one caveat I would add to this is to be careful with taxes/fees. Typically, Virgin charges higher taxes/fees than Delta - thats the trade-off. Depends if miles or out of pocket cost is more important to you.

 

[speedyfishy]

So for me get CIU. Wait get Chase Hyatt for 2-3months. If I go arrival + and/or Schwab should I apply same day as Chase? Probably get arrival first then wait on Schwab? Or should I skip arrival and just get Barclay aa biz?

Can you do a modified double dip for your last chase spot? When I broke our 5/24 I got the CSP and Arrival+ on the same day. Then I got the Hyatt the day after.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

.

 

[Ngwira]

.

 

[Ngwira]

I wondered if it was seasonal too, but I saw a nonstop VCE-PHL last night in mid-April 2019 (since you can't check out April 2020 yet). Trouble is, it was a mid-week flight, and I don't know if your dates are fixed or flexible. Like I said before, the availability changes all the time. Best case scenario I can figure for you is if you can convince your DH to allow one layover on the way back, and you find an acceptable routing from VCE-PHL using miles. If you book that award flight, you can change the date/times/route/carrier for no penalty (within 1 yr of booking) - AA allows changes as long as the origin & destination remain the same. Then you can check back frequently and if your desired VCE-PHL nonstop becomes available, get on the phone and make the change asap.

So I am allowed to book VCE-PHL now for an April 2020 flight?

 

[Haley R]

@gottalovepluto raises excellent points.

I think I'm missing something with the value proposition of the card. You say you would earn 10,000 miles each trip - 10,000 miles being worth (1) one-way ticket on Frontier. So two trips = (1) roundtrip ticket on Frontier, for $20,000 spend? How much "free money" do you anticipate the Frontier card getting you for $20,000 spend?

$20,000 spend sounds like a ton! Am I missing something? We normally fly frontier and get rates for as low as $28 one way

 

[amalone1013]

ack my library is cutting back to 7 hoopla borrows a month instead of 10 in april

 

[Lain]

Sooo... where'd you book?

I shall make no further comments about Trump Hotels.

 

[Haley R]

ack my library is cutting back to 7 hoopla borrows a month instead of 10 in april

Lame....I’m still upset mine wants to charge me $2 every time they get a book from another library. That starts in April. I usually request books and it doesn’t tell me until I get where it’s coming from. Sometimes they buy the books new. I hope it gives me a pop up or something about charging me $2 so I can cancel my request

 

[amalone1013]

Lame....I’m still upset mine wants to charge me $2 every time they get a book from another library. That starts in April. I usually request books and it doesn’t tell me until I get where it’s coming from. Sometimes they buy the books new. I hope it gives me a pop up or something about charging me $2 so I can cancel my request

I remember you posting that. I think that's really silly.

 

[LynnTH]

Its apparently just a public offer:

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/...a-skymiles-business-credit-card/ep-dal-2086#/

It doesn’t appear to be available via self referral from what I can see (check me on that though). Annual fee is waived in yr 1 and it seems like a really good offer. When I did a delta biz card it was for 50k miles for $2k spend and I remember that being a high offer at the time. 70k for $4k seems good to me.

DH was just recently targeted for this. 70,000 points and $50 Delta Credit with $2000 spend in 3 months. So, just recently received that card and am finishing the spend. Hope we get the credit. DH had the Pop up for the Gold Card but maybe since he was targeted it will all be good. There was no pop up when signing up for this.