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

[kidsfirsttrip]

If you buy the insurance, you can get everything back in a voucher.

It looks like you would have to book flights for 2 people and then put 1 person in each room.

I’m not sure you’ll get a voucher back. I was told in the form of the original payment which would either be back to the credit card or SkyMiles refunded

Does 7/11 code as Gas on the Freedom?

As long as a gas station is attached it should. Cumberland Farms does for me

Our Hawaii flights are now officially booked! I can't believe I was able to get 4 of us first class tickets roundtrip from Boston to Hawaii on points. We are flying Delta from Boston to Maui and then United from Honolulu back to Boston. Paying cash the fights would have been about $11,000. This wouldn't have been possible without this board, so thank you to everyone who posts here.

Now I need some new cards!!

Awesome! Flying direct or breaking it up? Where are you staying? What islands?

What a way to start the morning.

Woke up to a $1,000+ [fraudulent] charge to American Airlines on my Amex Gold that I did not authorize! Because why would I put a charge directly with an airline on the Gold, when I could put it on the Platinum for 5x or CSR for 3x+insurance?

Weird woke up yesterday to $865 on mine from JetBlue - I’d use my platinum or JB card. So bizarre wonder how our info got exposed

Delta vacations questions:

1) MR transfer to DSM 1:1, right? But the deal now is thru delta vacations I get 2:1?

2) If I want to shorten the hotel stay for much less than the whole trip, how do I do that? I don't see a way online. I thought I had seen a 2 night minimum mentioned on here.

I am thinking of asking my parents to watch the kids in early May and just DH and myself go to Hawaii, instead of taking the whole family. We haven't ever gone away together alone. No honeymoon either. I just want to make sure I can cover the trip with my points before I ask. I am thinking the flight and 2 nights on points thru this promotion, and the other nights with Hilton points.

Yes 2:1 until tonight (expires 8/30)

Call to book online 2 night hotel minimum not sure if it’s 3 for Hawaii. They can hold the reservation too. 1-800-800-1504

 

[Haley R]

@Haley R The models are looking better for you. A whole house generator is definitely the best but they are expensive and the permitting and construction is much more complicated. Most people here (who have one at all) still have smaller ones.
I’ve been setting up my Charles Schwab and my direct deposit worked just fine but my husbands job takes 2 pay periods so he will get a check today. Ugh. I need to get all our bills paid before (if? Fingers crossed) power and internet goes down.

That definitely makes me feel better. I think people here aren’t worried because most hurricanes turn before they get to this area. I’m wondering if that’s why NASA chose this spot for the space center?

Our small generator should work fine. Dh said he wants to put the generator on the lanai and run the extension cords through a window. If it floods though, how do you put out a generator?

 

[afan]

Ooh I want!!! We got our AP magnets yesterday. Dh, dd19 and I all got one. I am guessing the kids won't get one. So fun!

I wish I'd gotten the reg AP magnet. I got my band when I was there so I didn't get a magnet and it's the one I really want. Bad thinking/planning on my part esp since i haven't even used that blue band.

DISCHURNERS REMINDER - Introduce Yourself v2.0
A new thread was created to talk a little bit about yourself::
DISchurners - Introduce Yourself... v2.0

Some of these have been really neat to read. And SOME of you apparently don't want us to know anymore about you. Live a little - share some info - it's good for the soul, LOL!

I forget and the reminder is never at the right time. Maybe I'll add it to my list if I remember to

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

What is the easiest bank bonus to start with? And I would like to have DD do some. Is there a problem with having us both at the same address and both doing? She would only be able to do ones where you can fake the DD if necessary. She has a PNC account, so that is a no go for her. And we both need one where you don't need a high balance. The Chase savings is out for both of us.

Discover is super easy. No DD and you can move the money back and fort to trigger the higher bonus

 

[schmass]

Awesome! Flying direct or breaking it up? Where are you staying? What islands?

Direct. I had been thinking about breaking it up with a trip to DL but DH said no. If we were going to do that, I would have been okay with economy for those flights, but since we're doing it pretty much in one shot I wanted first. Hopefully it will make it more bearable for the kids (and us!!). We will go to Maui first for 5 nights - 3 at Grand Wailea and 2 at the Hyatt. We just have a little bit left to spend on DH's Hilton card before earning the free weekend night and then we can book. Then the plan is Aulani for the next 5 nights (really, really hoping there is DVC availability!). We have been talking about going back to Hawaii for so long I can't believe it's actually happening!

 

[Limes96]

Just saw a new Amex offer, Air France, spend $1k+ get 20k bonus MR. This was on P2’s plat.

 

[Alexle2007]

Just saw a new Amex offer, Air France, spend $1k+ get 20k bonus MR. This was on P2’s plat.

I have that one on a bunch cards and there's one for the Waldorf-Conrad for spend $350 get $70 back.

 

[Jax1023]

That definitely makes me feel better. I think people here aren’t worried because most hurricanes turn before they get to this area. I’m wondering if that’s why NASA chose this spot for the space center?

Our small generator should work fine. Dh said he wants to put the generator on the lanai and run the extension cords through a window. If it floods though, how do you put out a generator?

Don’t run the generator until after the storm is over. And be careful, people give them selves carbon monoxide poising every winter here running generators too close to the house or in an enclosed porch or something.


We run ours out the side of our house, and run an extension cord through the basement window where we have our furnace and sump pump and a small fridge/ freezer we move essential stuff to. We also run a cord through an upstairs window for a few lamps and a phone charger.

 

[Lain]

Just saw a new Amex offer, Air France, spend $1k+ get 20k bonus MR. This was on P2’s plat.

My scammer didn't have the decency to at least make the fraudulent charge with Air France.

 

[Alexle2007]

I have some Amazon items to return since I wasn't sure on DS's shoe size. I went to Amazon to do returns and I didn't see Kohl's drop-off as an option. Has anyone used the Kohl's option? Should I see it on the Amazon return order list like I do UPS Drop-off or UPS Pick-up? If not, how does it work? I did have an option to just drop at UPS and they will package and ship for me.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Direct. I had been thinking about breaking it up with a trip to DL but DH said no. If we were going to do that, I would have been okay with economy for those flights, but since we're doing it pretty much in one shot I wanted first. Hopefully it will make it more bearable for the kids (and us!!). We will go to Maui first for 5 nights - 3 at Grand Wailea and 2 at the Hyatt. We just have a little bit left to spend on DH's Hilton card before earning the free weekend night and then we can book. Then the plan is Aulani for the next 5 nights (really, really hoping there is DVC availability!). We have been talking about going back to Hawaii for so long I can't believe it's actually happening!

Awesome! When are you going again? Keep me posted on Aluani I’d love to do that trip some day! How old are the kids? I’ve stayed at the Hyatt in Maui (beautiful) and visited the Grand Wailea. Sounds amazing!!!

My scammer didn't have the decency to at least make the fraudulent charge with Air France.

Haha. It seems a weird thing to scam, like can’t they easily trace them to not using their own credit card??? Mine was JetBlue which doesn’t do gift cards and it’s an odd amount like 864.73
ETA: just another reminder to be vigilant checking statements so charges don’t slip by but ours were doozys so not sure what they were thinking!!

 

[alryan]

So, dumb question.

Those of you taking advantage of no-fee Visa gift card promotions and such- is it only those of you who are using Serve/MSing who are buying them, or are there those who are just buying them to use for other purposes? Maybe buying Disney GCs (can you do that?) or giving them as gifts or....?

Before I started loading them to Serve I bought them to use for some organic spend. Since I have the CIC that meant I was getting 5% UR on things that normally would have only got 1%. But the majority who are excited for them are using for MS. It is a free and easy way to try Serve if you are interested in that.

 

[ten6mom]

I cannot personally relate but I thought some of you might appreciate this

 

[wendow]

I have some Amazon items to return since I wasn't sure on DS's shoe size. I went to Amazon to do returns and I didn't see Kohl's drop-off as an option. Has anyone used the Kohl's option? Should I see it on the Amazon return order list like I do UPS Drop-off or UPS Pick-up? If not, how does it work? I did have an option to just drop at UPS and they will package and ship for me.

I only get the kohl’s option for certain returns. I still like UPS better though. Our kohl’s is busy and the amazon returns are in with the clothing returns. I feel like I wait forever. UPS is like under a minute.

 

[smallsy]

Barring any hurricanes, the weather will be nice and that helps with the overall feel of the trip alot! Makes crowds more bearable. And October is sooner than spring, so October wins.

If I reschedule for end of October and there’s another hurricane smack in the middle of my trip I may just give up Disney in Fall forever.

 

[trenty]

I did have an option to just drop at UPS and they will package and ship for me.

I just did this the other day. It was very easy. I brought the item to UPS, they scanned the bar code amazon gave me (right from my phone). I had the refund pending on my cc the same day! Nothing to print or package up.

 

[Lain]

Haha. It seems a weird thing to scam, like can’t they easily trace them to not using their own credit card??? Mine was JetBlue which doesn’t do gift cards and it’s an odd amount like 864.73
ETA: just another reminder to be vigilant checking statements so charges don’t slip by but ours were doozys so not sure what they were thinking!!

Yeah, mine was an odd amount too. Much too large to be just gift cards.

 

[Alexle2007]

I only get the kohl’s option for certain returns. I still like UPS better though. Our kohl’s is busy and the amazon returns are in with the clothing returns. I feel like I wait forever. UPS is like under a minute.

Thanks! I wasn’t sure since they keep advertising about their partnership with Kohl’s. I’ll just run them into the UPS Store or Staples and let them do all of the work.

 

[Alexle2007]

I just did this the other day. It was very easy. I brought the item to UPS, they scanned the bar code amazon gave me (right from my phone). I had the refund pending on my cc the same day! Nothing to print or package up.

Thanks! I like easy!

 

[schmass]

Awesome! When are you going again? Keep me posted on Aluani I’d love to do that trip some day! How old are the kids? I’ve stayed at the Hyatt in Maui (beautiful) and visited the Grand Wailea. Sounds amazing!!!

We're going in mid-July. Only 11 months to wait haha. We had been planning on going in August, but between my work schedule and when the kids start school, we decided that July would work better. DD will turn 5 a week after the trip and DS will just have turned 7.