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

[afan]

UR transfers to Southwest RR 1:1, and I think only in 1,000 point increments. So you could transfer 80,000 points to SW. The SW flights should be showing up in the chase UR portal, I have never booked that way before so not sure what you would need to search.

Positives for booking directly with SW on RR points is you rebook if the flight drops and you get RR points back into your account, not a travel refund that you only have 1 year to use or loose.

Positives for booking directly with UR portal-counts as a cash booking so you should earn RR points for the flight.

You are in a hard situation as you don't have enough points to transfer to cover the flights, not sure what would be best at this point and how much it would cost to buy the additional needed points.

Southwest doesn't sell their flights on any travel portal so you can't book them through the chase portal either. It's best to transfer to SW and book that way. Not sure if it still works but I think you used to be able to call and book SW flights that way but it doesn't seem worth it since you could do it yourself.

 

[Alexle2007]

I want to book 3 seats on SouthWest I have almost 80,143 UR's from my CSP and I need 81,489 points for the flight, If I transfer my points would that cover the flight or would I need to buy more points? I am new to this, and never transferred points before and would almost be scared to transfer them..... I checked Chase for airfare but Southwest is not showing up yet. And Delta I need 110,000 or more for the flight, plus I would have to pay for bags. Any help would be great, we are going to Vegas in December.

You could make up the shortage by using the SW shopping portal, dinner at one of SW dining partners for points? You could go through Chase but SW shopping portal will post faster.

 

[GlamMistress]

A feature on the end of iTunes via Marketplace (public radio) - https://www.marketplace.org/2019/06/03/apple-itunes-breakup/

This is from tonight's 6:30 broadcast. Thought I would share.

 

[wenpop]

So how do I get 1.25 percent from my UR points? I was hoping to use them for our trip. This is harder than I thought it would be.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

So how do I get 1.25 percent from my UR points? I was hoping to use them for our trip. This is harder than I thought it would be.

Do you have a CSP or CIP? Those 2 cards are worth 1.25x when booking through the Ultimate Rewards portal.

What are you trying to use them for?

Some things I will be using mine for in the next year include car rental, hotel nights (not Hyatt--transfering points for that), activities in Rome, etc.

 

[wenpop]

Do you have a CSP or CIP? Those 2 cards are worth 1.25x when booking through the Ultimate Rewards portal.

What are you trying to use them for?

I am trying to book 3 seats on Southwest through either chase or transfer to Southwest, Don't know what the best way to do it, I can't find Southwest flights on CHase portal... only Delta, and Delta is a lot higher....

I have the CSP,

 

[Alexle2007]

So how do I get 1.25 percent from my UR points? I was hoping to use them for our trip. This is harder than I thought it would be.

There is typically a better value with booking SW flights using their points.

Let’s say the flight was $350 for 4 people. Using the 1.25 that would cost you 112,000 UR. If you book through SW using SW points for 23927 or 95,708 SW points or 96000 URs since you need to transfer by the 1000s.

You really need to do the math and with SW, it is typically better to use SW points.

 

[disfanforlife]

I am not sure why the Chase URs would not be useful for RCCL? I have the Harmony of the Seas booked for 3/15/20. I put the deposit on my Arrival + to use the bonus points I have there. I am now left with a balance of $3500. I’ll transfer that booking to Chase and use 233334 URs to pay the balance since I have a CSR that gives me 1.5 for each point. If I used the CIP points, it would cost me 280000 URs since the CIP is 1.25 for each point when using Chase travel. Boom, free Spring Break cruise! I pool all of DH and my URs on my CSR since it gives me the highest value.

How do you transfer the booking to Chase? Just wondering how that works.

 

[Alexle2007]

For all of Dr. Pepper fans (not sure if Diet is included)- https://passionatepennypincher.com/free-movie-ticket/

 

[Alexle2007]

How do you transfer the booking to Chase? Just wondering how that works.

You have to call Chase Travel and Cruises and complete the transfer form on the RCCL site to move it.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Depends on the size of the airport but to make sure my luggage made it since that would be important I'd say an hour. If you have to go through security again I might do a bit more. Also depends on if I need to eat during the connection, how much time I want to be able to wander so I'm not sitting etc.

Fly in the day before to where, the place I'm connecting. Only if it's a city I want to see anyway, if it's TX, which I wouldn't connect in anyway because (sorry for those that like the state) I don't have any desire to go there for any reason.

Houston can have issues with hurricane's that time of year so I'd rather change in LAX because I'd be looking to avoid any potential weather delays.

Thanks! Unfortunately Houston has the best connection for Sydney from our various airport possibilities. The other options involve a stop before getting to LAX or SFO or flying to Asia and then on to Australia.

To get a second credit, your DH could also get a CSR. Or here are some other cards with TSA/Global credit that also have sign-up bonuses (from my spreadsheet I don't actually have all of them).

Capital One Venture
Bank of America Premium Rewards
U.S. Bank Altitude
American Express Platinum
American Express Platinum Business
American Express Bonvoy Brilliant

All except the AmEx Plat Biz are personal cards and will add to your x/24. And all except the first 2 have very high annual fees, which have ways to be recouped but the AmEx ones are more complicated than the CSR. They all have their caveats, so you'll want to look into more or ask here if you plan to apply for any of them.

I appreciate this list as I was just wondering today what cards have the GE benefit. I have CSR but dh doesn't have any. GE could be very handy for us later this year with Rome and (potentially) India.

Q1 and Q2--I usually schedule a positioning flight and almost always fly in the day/night before. It's not worth it to me to run through an airport or miss out on the first day of an expensive tour/cruise to chance flying out the same day. That's just me though and I'm risk adverse! Also, I don't mind hanging out in airports and requesting late check out from the hotel. (Correction-I love airports and people watching!)

Q3--impossible to predict but I never (ever) travel in September since that's when weather is typically the worst in the Gulf of Mexico. I try not to travel in Oct for the same reason but will for the first time in ?15 years this October.

Q4--unlike @afan I much prefer TX to CA so I intentionally spent 10 hours or so at IAH on my layover in March I'm sure @Lain knows where my comment is mentioning the several PP access lounges to which I didn't have access having blondely left mine at home. That said I do remember there's an AF and KLM lounge with PP access and the Centurion Lounge was busy and often crowded but the food was good and I was happy there.


That said, I know lots of people take the first flight out and have no problem connecting. You also need to consider where you're flying in from and if there will be weather. DH just came home this weekend from family in CA and he ended up spending the night at IAH (well a Marriott there) b/c there was weather in DEN which delayed his plane arriving to IAH, so then he missed his PNS flight. More than likely it will be fine flying in the day of.

Thanks We'd be flying out of PHL or EWR. I am risk averse as well, and the thought of somehow missing the SYD flight makes me feel but then again, the idea of being at/near IAH for almost 24 hours before the SYD flight is a little crazy. We are choosing to go in September or October because it will be spring in AUS, the wildflowers will be gorgeous, the weather will be warm enough for the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, and it will not yet be too hot in Uluru and Western Australia. We just need to miss the school holiday weeks at the end of September and the beginning of October if possible

I appreciate the lounge comments!

I believe there’s also the Navy Federal card that several people have that comes with it and any AU cards.

And I believe the AmEx Plat, you can get AU Gold cards for no fee that comes with the GE. I believe @wendow did that for her older girls since you need to be at least 13 years with AmEx to be an AU.

Good to know!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I am trying to book 3 seats on Southwest through either chase or transfer to Southwest, Don't know what the best way to do it, I can't find Southwest flights on CHase portal... only Delta, and Delta is a lot higher....

I have never seen SW flights on the Chase portal...fly them 3-4 times a year....always book with RR points for the flexibility.....had to transfer URs to SW for the first time this year when my Mom passed away suddenly and needed them to fly my son home...then transfer in increments of 1,000
You can transfer the 80k URs to your SW account and buy the additional points needed from SW to book your flight

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

I am trying to book 3 seats on Southwest through either chase or transfer to Southwest, Don't know what the best way to do it, I can't find Southwest flights on CHase portal... only Delta, and Delta is a lot higher....

(sorry I missed what you were doing---I was skimming repliesI had read earlier for my multi-quotes)

I'm pretty sure you can't book SW flights through the Chase portal I think you can call Chase travel/whoever the portal people are about SW. Look at what flights/times you'd like on the SW website first. And then compare the "cost" in UR with the "cost" in RR to decide whether or not to transfer UR to SW.

 

[WVMomof3]

Oooo, I could have my own Dischurners meet at Sheraton Clearwater Beach in a couple of weeks. Pretty sure one of the other Dis’ers is there at that time my family. If we can just get through the last 10 1/2 days of school.

Me!!! I think. I hope. Lol. People plan their vacations years in advance and I can’t even commit 2 weeks out.

 

[wenpop]

There is typically a better value with booking SW flights using their points.

Yes, that is what I am seeing, if I transfer to Southwest I can book 3 seats for 81,104 or something like that, I just thought the 1.25 sounding like a good deal.

 

[Alexle2007]

Thanks! Unfortunately Houston has the best connection for Sydney from our various airport possibilities. The other options involve a stop before getting to LAX or SFO or flying to Asia and then on to Australia.

I appreciate this list as I was just wondering today what cards have the GE benefit. I have CSR but dh doesn't have any. GE could be very handy for us later this year with Rome and (potentially) India.

Thanks We'd be flying out of PHL or EWR. I am risk averse as well, and the thought of somehow missing the SYD flight makes me feel but then again, the idea of being at/near IAH for almost 24 hours before the SYD flight is a little crazy. We are choosing to go in September or October because it will be spring in AUS, the wildflowers will be gorgeous, the weather will be warm enough for the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, and it will not yet be too hot in Uluru and Western Australia. We just need to miss the school holiday weeks at the end of September and the beginning of October if possible

I appreciate the lounge comments!

Good to know!

When we went to Australia in 2000 for our honeymoon. We flew SW from BWI to LAX and then Quantas from LAX ro SYD. It was a mad dash since we had a short window plus had to get our luggage and check-in at LAX and it was in a whole different section of the airport. The best thing we did was pay for a cart to ease the transport of multiple pieces of luggage. When we return, we would NOT be going this route again. We will stay overnight and take the flight to Australia and do the same on the way home. We were exhausted! I always tell everyone though, it was 24 hours going and 23 hours coming home and it was worth every single minute. I would move there in a heartbeat!

 

[WVMomof3]

Yes, I think so. Disney and Royal Caribbean are our main vacations so I don't think it will be useful to us. I really like my Barclay card because I can redeem it on any sort of travel. It will be for my husband who is an authorized user on my card, so I don't even know if he can get his own card. Also, preferably it should be in the company name, which I don't know if I can do on a Barclay card. I will keep looking

Oh dear, definitely feel there was miscommunication somewhere. While Disney resorts are not on the portal, you can still cash out URs at 1 cent per point on ANYTHING or nothing at all. You don’t need any type of travel to redeem. They are much more versatile than the Barclay card, I think. Please read up on it more and ask more questions. And the cruise you can redeem for better than 1 cent per point, as many here have talked about today.

 

[Alexle2007]

Me!!! I think. I hope. Lol. People plan their vacations years in advance and I can’t even commit 2 weeks out.

Trust me! I know. I am still debating the middle of our trip. Hopefully we’ll run into each other there. We’ll be there 6/20-23. DS has already requested to go jet skiing one day. Last time, he and DH flew off of the ski in the middle of the ocean but, clearly, DS doesn’t care.

 

[miztressuz]

So how do I get 1.25 percent from my UR points? I was hoping to use them for our trip. This is harder than I thought it would be.

It's been reported that you can book SW flights through the UR travel group again if you call in, so you won't see then in the online portal.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chas...n-be-used-to-book-southwest-airlines-flights/
What are the cash prices looking like for your flights? Would that get you better value for the UR you have? By calling in it should be the cash price that SW is showing but you'd use your UR points at the 1.25x value. Your 80,143 points would be worth about $1,001 that way.

Usually you get a little better value by transferring them, are you able to buy some of the tickets now while you earn the last few UR/RR to lock it in for the last one?

 

[Alexle2007]

Yes, that is what I am seeing, if I transfer to Southwest I can book 3 seats for 81,104 or something like that, I just thought the 1.25 sounding like a good deal.

IThe 1.25 is a good deal sometimes but not typically with SW. The CSR 1.5 gets you closer. Definitely do the math. The only good thing with using URs is that looks like a cash booking so you get the butt in the seat miles, as others like to put it.