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

[Judique]

I agree with @amalone. My Bonvoy Biz statement closed on 2/11 and that's the day my AF posted even through I opened the card in Jan. I will say that I am very impatiently waiting for the free night to post. It has been exactly 6 weeks today and still no sign of that free night. I have been checking every day for the last 2 weeks, at least.

What date did you actually pay the annual fee? If I remember correctly somebody detailed 6 weeks after the annual fee was paid was when the night showed up. Mine showed on March 1st and I paid it that day so now I'm going to expect it around April 15.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Wonder if they will offer the chance to upgrade an existing SW business card to the Priority business ...like then did with the SW personal Priority card when it was launched

Wonder if You’ll be able to get both business cards - easy road to CIP!!!

 

[miztressuz]

I haven't paid my first year annual fee yet. It won't be due until my year ends July of 2019. I expect to pay $95. I guess I'll be on the hook for $125 in 2020.

Same here. I'm on the fence about $125. Sometimes we use certs on rooms that are about that rate (we don't tend to travel to expensive places regularly) so I'm not sure. It's rare we go somewhere that would need more than 25k per night so we probably wouldn't always get the top value out of it.

I think it's all going to come down to AmEx offers when evaluating next year. Since it's a Biz card, those 10-25% biz offers created a decent savings. Since first year was free, that was all "free" money from the budget that I can consider putting towards an AF. If we can get similar value out of it this year then we might keep it for $125 and maybe look for a nicer place to stay that year

 

[Ngwira]

ok I'm doing something similiar in June I need a night at Hyatt first too, I booked the in airport option bc we have a toddler with a carseat to haul around, but it's 12k instead of 8k..... I'd LOVE to hear the pros/cons of both of these choices for a quick nights stay- (my thoughts were simpler=better with a toddler,and I wanted to hop on ME in the morning without a lot of hassle) ...and Im thinking (reading the transportation threads) I can book ME for the next morning without any fuss,right?

So I've done both the in airport option and the Hyatt Place. Both are fine options. The Hyatt Place is a 5 minute shuttle ride to the airport and FREE breakfast. Honestly, I would save the 4,000 points and book the Hyatt Place unless you are plush with Hyatt points/UR.

 

[mhartman09]

Currently booking a flower and garden trip for Memorial Day weekend. This will be our last opportunity to use our annual passes. Fast pass window opens tomorrow. Securing our flights using points and gift cards. Pass holder rate at the Grand Floridian wasn’t too bad but holiday weekends are super expensive.

We are going then and I made all of the FP for myself, my kids, and my parents during the 74 day glitch. Then yesterday I realized it was my "official" Fastpass day so I went in to add my aunt and her friend to all my FPs and I did it at 5pm or so in the evening. I was able to add them to every single one....slinky dog, FOP, Mine train included. No issues whatsoever. So I think you'll have good luck!

We will be there beginning 5/24. I've got a single night at All Star Movies, then we're moving to Poly Club level the next morning. I totally missed out on the early FP thing a few weeks back. Wish I had gotten in on that. I thought I might be able to jump on this morning and snag some due to our single night reservation, but that was a no-go. We have family coming on 5/25 and was hoping I'd be able to make our FPs, then add them later. Oh well. Guess I'll try again tomorrow morning.

 

[miztressuz]

What date did you actually pay the annual fee? If I remember correctly somebody detailed 6 weeks after the annual fee was paid was when the night showed up. Mine showed on March 1st and I paid it that day so now I'm going to expect it around April 15.

The email doesn't make the free night contingent on the payment, but due to the timing that's just how it's working out -

"We wanted to remind you that you will receive one annual Free Night Award from Marriott Bonvoy each year of Card Membership within 8-12 weeks after your Card Account anniversary date."

So it could be it showed up 12 weeks after the anniversary date which happened to be 6 weeks after the payment. I guess we'll see what happens with your night, how long between anniversary date and posting, to see if it has any correlation to the actual payment.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Wonder if You’ll be able to get both business cards - easy road to CIP!!!

That would be great if allowed.... but if the terms are the same as the SW personal cards they will only allow one business SW card as well...

 

[wanderlust7]

Wanted to chime in about Universal and the CSR. I’ve had the CSR for over 2 years and have been able to get multiple redemptions that easily justify the AF - then some. I booked a cruise last year using URs (amazing deal) and a few hotels here and there. Someone said the site is 25% more, i’d like to see that data - I have not seen or experienced that. The 1.5 redemption value is great. We do frequent tips to NYC and I booked broadway tix for a great price and I booked a cruise excursion in St. Martin for a fraction of what the ship was charging.
We did Universal this past Feb vacation (are you a fellow MAer?). I booked RPR - the rack rate was $400/night over Prez weekend. It never dropped. Book this as soon as you can. No AP discount came out for that weekend. With the CSR I paid 26,600UR/night. I just booked to go back in Oct to the HRH for 18,800UR night - amazing price. I also did the tix through UR. They offered the same prices and promotions as the universal website. I actually skipped the promo tix and paid the more expensive 4 day tix with the CSR discount which in turn made for a greater savings upon upgrading these to APs. If your not going back the promo tix would be the way to go. The savings on them alone if your a family of 4 would justify the CSR over the CSP

I love the portal redemptions with CSR. So far I've saved 33,000 URs (in my mind $330) vs the CSP/CIP to redeem. And I've got another half year to go before the AF.

That said, I have noticed that vacation rentals are often more expensive than I can find elsewhere. I think Expedia fees are just more expensive. I thought about changing our Iceland vacation rental from cash to UR, but it was 16% more (before the multiplier), so I didn't do it.

Would like to book a "free" cruise with UR, but I've been able to get at least 10% off using Cruise Compete. Not getting the best price on top of the discount holds me back. Our RCCL Alaska cruise next year is 17% off the RCCL website price factoring in the OBC. And that's comparing the nonrefundable deposit RCCL direct price (not the highly inflated refundable price), but what I booked is completely refundable. I think it's probably a group rate for it to be so much cheaper with better terms.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I opened mine July 31,18, and have not paid a fee. At the time of opening, I did not remember a waived fee at all and did not screen shot. I want my free nights so I'll be paying $125 eventually but not the first time, I hope!

Is this the SPG business card....if so I opened mine the end of last year and the terms said the AF was waived the first year and was $95 the second year

 

[tink1970]

ok I'm doing something similiar in June I need a night at Hyatt first too, I booked the in airport option bc we have a toddler with a carseat to haul around, but it's 12k instead of 8k..... I'd LOVE to hear the pros/cons of both of these choices for a quick nights stay- (my thoughts were simpler=better with a toddler,and I wanted to hop on ME in the morning without a lot of hassle) ...and Im thinking (reading the transportation threads) I can book ME for the next morning without any fuss,right?

I love the Hyattt Regency at MCO...but I like to watch people in the terminal and wander around.

Pros- I think would be one fewer shuttle schlep of child/car seat/luggage-the Regency is so very convenient...get off the plane, get on the tram, check in. Sometimes the convenience is worth 4K extra, sometimes not. Also if it's not a Sunday you can have chic fil a

Cons-more expensive, doesn't have free breakfast

I know which way I'd lean but only you know your energy level after traveling. I'm in the easier the better camp (lazy, lol).

 

[elgerber]

I love the Hyattt Regency at MCO...but I like to watch people in the terminal and wander around.

Pros- I think would be one fewer shuttle schlep of child/car seat/luggage-the Regency is so very convenient...get off the plane, get on the tram, check in. Sometimes the convenience is worth 4K extra, sometimes not. Also if it's not a Sunday you can have chic fil a

Cons-more expensive, doesn't have free breakfast

I know which way I'd lean but only you know your energy level after traveling. I'm in the easier the better camp (lazy, lol).

We loved staying there too. We just ran to McDs and grabbed breakfast and brought it back to the room while others were getting ready. Still not free, but not too horrible. The convenience and the atmosphere are great!

 

[Judique]

I swear I'm in a void on Amex offers lately: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amex-offers-marriott-bonvoy-spend-200-get-40-back/

I could use this one next week and didn't get it on any of my cards. I haven't gotten any of the cell phone or satellite offers recently, or gas, or anything else remotely useful

I got on my 18 year old MR card with the 2k credit limit! That card gets the best offers, next to Rose Gold. I'll be getting me a gift card asap and booking a room.

 

[StephPlum]

2nd CIP is in my on-line account today! I applied on Saturday. I tried calling the status line on Sunday and got a real, live person. So of course I hung up! Just called and it said approved so I checked my account and there it was.

I did cancel my CIP on the anniversary this year in Feb. Referred from DH CIP. So we should get 105K URs. I'll cancel his CIP on the anniversary and refer him. Just need to time with the MSR. Mine will take care of property tax. I might time his for fall tuition. Is it bad that I am almost sad this will be DS's last year and no more tuition to hit large MSRs?

Is PNC funding gone? I read some DPs where it was not coding as CC. I was thinking of doing that on DH's CIU though he found some "essentials" he had to have and is doing good on his own working through the MSR.

I did see the bonus tracker on DH's CIU. It looks like Chase is now on the 3 months instead of 115 days. His card was approved 3/3 and has to 6/3 (92 days) to meet MSR.

 

[Judique]

Same here. I'm on the fence about $125. Sometimes we use certs on rooms that are about that rate (we don't tend to travel to expensive places regularly) so I'm not sure. It's rare we go somewhere that would need more than 25k per night so we probably wouldn't always get the top value out of it.

I think it's all going to come down to AmEx offers when evaluating next year. Since it's a Biz card, those 10-25% biz offers created a decent savings. Since first year was free, that was all "free" money from the budget that I can consider putting towards an AF. If we can get similar value out of it this year then we might keep it for $125 and maybe look for a nicer place to stay that year

My amex are self supporting as far as fees go! Getting ready to go to Lowes and spend 1K with the 10% offer. Just got the Marriott offer.

I did just finish a chat with Amex about not giving me 10 of 25 for grub hub. After they looked at it, my 10 is coming. It almost seems they hand do these offers - I had one for 3/2 and 3/3 and got 10 on 3/6 then nada. When they first looked, they mentioned I got it on 3/6 - I had to point out I did 2 offers, and that 3/6 specified which one I was credited for, so easy for me to see I didn't get the offer I was looking for.

 

[Judique]

Is this the SPG business card....if so I opened mine the end of last year and the terms said the AF was waived the first year and was $95 the second year

I opened it on July 31, 2019 and the terms changed on August 1, 2019 - just about 9 hours after I opened it. The offer for August 1 onward was definitely annual fee waived. I called Amex trying to get them to change my offer because I got the statement credits instead of the new points offer. My funky offer was in between points offers. I panicked and was afraid I was going to miss out on the card.....and regretted it.

 

[Calfan]

Some positive DPs this morning on applying for a second CIP with SSN with one already open and bonuses going pending. I see on DH's CIP #2 account this morning that 95,000 UR are pending (80k for the SUB and 15k for 3x on the $5k MSR)!! I also see in my CIP account that 20k UR are pending that are attributable to my referral of DH for his CIP #2!

 

[Judique]

@MrPTato - I got approved for the NFCU Flagship Visa this morning! I have a few dollars of larger spend coming up in the next couple of weeks, so of course wanted a new card.

Blew my 5/24 out of the water again. It will now be 2020 and then some before me and Chase get reunited.

May have to consider more business cards to keep me busy....

 

[palhockeymomof2]

2nd CIP is in my on-line account today! I applied on Saturday. I tried calling the status line on Sunday and got a real, live person. So of course I hung up! Just called and it said approved so I checked my account and there it was.

I did cancel my CIP on the anniversary this year in Feb. Referred from DH CIP. So we should get 105K URs. I'll cancel his CIP on the anniversary and refer him. Just need to time with the MSR. Mine will take care of property tax. I might time his for fall tuition. Is it bad that I am almost sad this will be DS's last year and no more tuition to hit large MSRs?

Is PNC funding gone? I read some DPs where it was not coding as CC. I was thinking of doing that on DH's CIU though he found some "essentials" he had to have and is doing good on his own working through the MSR.

I did see the bonus tracker on DH's CIU. It looks like Chase is now on the 3 months instead of 115 days. His card was approved 3/3 and has to 6/3 (92 days) to meet MSR.

Congrats

 

[Lain]

I swear I'm in a void on Amex offers lately: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amex-offers-marriott-bonvoy-spend-200-get-40-back/

I could use this one next week and didn't get it on any of my cards. I haven't gotten any of the cell phone or satellite offers recently, or gas, or anything else remotely useful

Yep, just checked all my cards and nada. I'm hoping it'll pop up on my Bonvoy cards later.

Kicking myself a bit over another Amex Offers snafu. I had the offer for up to $15 back on cell phone bills on several of my cards, but not on my Bonvoy Biz or Hilton Biz that would've earned extra spending bonus on it, so I waited hoping it would appear on either card. That offer is now gone from all my cards, likely fully claimed. I have to keep telling myself it was only $15.

@DisneyMandC, check again and keep checking.

The Bonvoy offer popped up on my personal Platinum after not being on any of my Amex cards this morning.

Now, do I click add to my personal Platinum despite earning only 1x MR on the spend, or wait and hope it shows up on my Bonvoy cards which will earn me 6x Marriott points on spend -- and risk losing the offer?

 

[Ngwira]

We will be there beginning 5/24. I've got a single night at All Star Movies, then we're moving to Poly Club level the next morning. I totally missed out on the early FP thing a few weeks back. Wish I had gotten in on that. I thought I might be able to jump on this morning and snag some due to our single night reservation, but that was a no-go. We have family coming on 5/25 and was hoping I'd be able to make our FPs, then add them later. Oh well. Guess I'll try again tomorrow morning.

Fastpasses done. Got slinky, Flight of Passage and Mine train.