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

[Chris9ty]

So our card hits one year in September I think. Does that mean we still have Gold on that card until January?

I found the terms. If you cancel your card in September then it will end the gold status.
Unless you earned it otherwise. (Or get another card.)

Hilton Honors Complimentary Gold Status
You will receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Complimentary Gold status benefit is only available to the Basic Card Member. If your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is cancelled for any reason, your complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status provided with the Card will be cancelled. American Express reserves the right to change, modify or revoke complimentary Gold status at any time. If your complimentary Gold status is cancelled, you may be able to maintain your Gold status by qualifying under the Hilton Honors Program terms. Gold status benefits are subject to availability and vary by hotel. For more information on Gold status benefits or how to maintain Gold status each year with qualifying stays, nights or Hilton Honors Base Points through the Hilton Honors Program, and for complete Terms and Conditions, visit HiltonHonors.com/MemberBenefits.

 

[Andysol]

I have to respectfully disagree with the portion of your post quoted above, @Andysol . We have taken trips with ABD, Nat Geo, Nat Hab, Thomson Family Adventures, etc. I completely acknowledge how fortunate we are to be able to afford to pay cash for these trips. However, it is huge to us to be able to earn at least 3x UR by paying for these trips with a CSR or CIP. I am an avid points chaser, and those points go towards airfare to get our family of 4 to/from these trips (most often in Coach but sometimes in Business or First if I can score saver awards) and sometimes towards hotels for pre- or post-nights around these trips. I do think we would have to cut down on the number of these types of trips we take if we also had to pay cash for the air transportation to/from. So I don't see at all how being able to afford an ABD (or similar) makes one not as interested in chasing points. Definitely not true for us....

It wasn't a knock, it was just looking at the demographics of who actually churns based on our surveys as well as who TPG's markets towards.

Example, if you're 40+, you're an outlier. If you make $160k+, you're an outlier. Around 85% of the people who churn fall between 23-39 and make $140k household or less, with the biggest bulk being in between $80-140k. That comprises 70% of the group. This is also who TPG's target demographic is.

If you fall outside of that, like many of us likely do, we still find value in it and it's worth our time. That's why we're here.

My point was; that I would wager the ABD target market is those who make over $140k household income, although I don't have their numbers, so it was just an assumption. I mean, you want to go to Japan w/ ABD? That's ~$45k for your family of 4, not including flights. Churning allows for aspirational trips that most otherwise couldn't afford.

 

[imbatman]

CC question, simply because I'm nervous. I picked up an Alaska Airline card last year. I couldn't pass it up, as it was BOGO for flights and we used them for WDW in December. The first year fee was waived. HOWEVER, there's now a $99/year fee. I'd like to close the card altogether, as I don't like card with fees. My credit is above 700. Will closing it effect it a lot?

 

[WVMomof3]

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Just want to vent - I will be a measly 8 nights away from regaining Marriott platinum elite status at the end of the year. Boo! They make it nearly impossible to gain platinum status unless you live in one of their properties - we stayed a LOT of nights this year. Too bad they don't count the 2nd room toward elite status - we would have qualified a long time ago.

We are currently sitting at 43 nights. But we had a promotion earlier in the year for stay twice and get 10 bonus nights. So that helped a lot. Have you been checking your promotions? Hoping to make it to 50 again, thought it would be easy with the 7 night certificate we have left but not sure where or when we can use it.

 

[speedyfishy]

Does anyone know if all the contemporary club level rooms are theme park view rooms. Im looking on AA vacations and they have a club level room but it doesn't specify the view.

 

[snugglebug]

And there should be a shiny new Hilton card in the mailbox today. I'm about to go find out

False alarm. Just policy info. I've been putting off purchases this week waiting on this card and I just can't anymore. I have wedding stuff to get done.

 

[tink1970]

She was up in arms about how long her kid's private school Christmas break was

When I was paying for DD's private school tuition (all lovely 7 years of it), I'd say "the more you pay, the less they attend." DD spent a lot of school holidays with her grandparents, which she enjoyed.

 

[miztressuz]

A little ray of sunshine in a terrible money week (OMGosh when does the bleeding end?!? Can't seem to earn it fast enough), Citizens $600 bonus posted! Despite all the DPs so far that one just really seems to good to be true so still just shocked it happened. $600
P2 did this when they had the public bonus listed since I wasn't eligible. Used a legit DD to not take any chances.
This is so not an option for me, so I'll be doing CapOne360 again for my targeted offer. At least 2 DPs today that it still works. I'm hoping all goes well since I won't have much recourse if not. I'm going to have lots of fingers crossed until Oct!

 

[Haley R]

I found the terms. If you cancel your card in September then it will end the gold status.
Unless you earned it otherwise. (Or get another card.)

Hilton Honors Complimentary Gold Status
You will receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Complimentary Gold status benefit is only available to the Basic Card Member. If your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is cancelled for any reason, your complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status provided with the Card will be cancelled. American Express reserves the right to change, modify or revoke complimentary Gold status at any time. If your complimentary Gold status is cancelled, you may be able to maintain your Gold status by qualifying under the Hilton Honors Program terms. Gold status benefits are subject to availability and vary by hotel. For more information on Gold status benefits or how to maintain Gold status each year with qualifying stays, nights or Hilton Honors Base Points through the Hilton Honors Program, and for complete Terms and Conditions, visit HiltonHonors.com/MemberBenefits.

Thanks for finding that. The only way I will keep the card is if they give me a retention offer otherwise I’ll close it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be referring Dh for the Hilton Biz, likely tonight.

 

[Haley R]

What’s a good price at the swan and dolphin? I’m seeing under $200 without the parking fee which I think seems pretty good! I might have to jump on it since we need one night before our SWGE preview.

 

[speedyfishy]

A little ray of sunshine in a terrible money week (OMGosh when does the bleeding end?!? Can't seem to earn it fast enough), Citizens $600 bonus posted! Despite all the DPs so far that one just really seems to good to be true so still just shocked it happened. $600
P2 did this when they had the public bonus listed since I wasn't eligible. Used a legit DD to not take any chances.
This is so not an option for me, so I'll be doing CapOne360 again for my targeted offer. At least 2 DPs today that it still works. I'm hoping all goes well since I won't have much recourse if not. I'm going to have lots of fingers crossed until Oct!

I need to start doing more bank bonuses. 2k was spent today renewing APs. I kinda wanted to wait until December to renew.

 

[amalone1013]

Those of you checking staples. The displays that hold the cards that turn apparently they store their extras in that stand. Went back today and they told me there was a 2k limit. The guy said I know we have more. He opened the display without a key. He said if I ever don’t see any out help myself and look.

Now if only I had more credit available
I could get a few more before heading home after DH surgery. Sitting here waiting.

Maybe I should try this... Is it just the little spinner, a few feet tall and only a couple cards across?

 

[speedyfishy]

What’s a good price at the swan and dolphin? I’m seeing under $200 without the parking fee which I think seems pretty good! I might have to jump on it since we need one night before our SWGE preview.

Priceline has it for $153-6 a night that weekend.

 

[amalone1013]

What’s a good price at the swan and dolphin? I’m seeing under $200 without the parking fee which I think seems pretty good! I might have to jump on it since we need one night before our SWGE preview.

You're doing Sat morning right? I booked Sun morning and am thinking of Swolphin with some of my AA miles... That looks like a pretty good price to me, I was seeing $150/$160 a night before taxes/fees for Fri-Sun

 

[Haley R]

Priceline has it for $153-6 a night that weekend.

That’s where I was looking but it’s close to $200 after taxes and fees

 

[Haley R]

You're doing Sat morning right? I booked Sun morning and am thinking of Swolphin with some of my AA miles... That looks like a pretty good price to me, I was seeing $150/$160 a night before taxes/fees for Fri-Sun

We would be staying Friday night and I was seeing around $150 before taxes as well. I think it was close to $200 after taxes and fees. To be within walking distance to HS and Epcot at $200/night seems good to me. I was seeing POFQ at like $230-250 which is so high

 

[DisneyMandC]

A little ray of sunshine in a terrible money week (OMGosh when does the bleeding end?!? Can't seem to earn it fast enough)

That's me this whole month Our overall financial situation still continues to get better, but jeez I feel like I've spent a fortune this month!! I'm looking forward to next month being a three paycheck month for both of us and DH only having one horse show close to home.

 

[amalone1013]

We would be staying Friday night and I was seeing around $150 before taxes as well. I think it was close to $200 after taxes and fees. To be within walking distance to HS and Epcot at $200/night seems good to me. I was seeing POFQ at like $230-250 which is so high

That was my thought, location would be huge. I did find one of tteh All Stars as a blind deal from Priceline, for $200 total for 2 nights... but I also have AA miles I can blow lol. I'd probably even consider cash for Swolphin at that price for this reason if I didn't have points.

 

[Chris9ty]

Thanks for finding that. The only way I will keep the card is if they give me a retention offer otherwise I’ll close it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be referring Dh for the Hilton Biz, likely tonight.

My husband reached Hilton Diamond last year through work (could have planned those point earnings better it we didn’t see him staying that many nights at the time). Now I’m spoiled by the free nights earning so fast! We are going to be so close in nights to keep Diamond for next year, trying to see how close our credit card spend is to keep it or switch cards for the benefits.

 

[Haley R]

That was my thought, location would be huge. I did find one of tteh All Stars as a blind deal from Priceline, for $200 total for 2 nights... but I also have AA miles I can blow lol. I'd probably even consider cash for Swolphin at that price for this reason if I didn't have points.

I’ll have to message Dh and see what he thinks.