I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[wanderlust7]

I also just got this offer too to upgrade my free Hilton Amex to the Aspire, and I’m definitely considering it. If you accept an upgrade, im assuming it doesn’t count as a new card? For example, I don’t want anything to mess with my 5/24 for Chase as we’re going to apply for our first CIP soon.

The upgrade doesn't count as a new card. Have you had the Aspire before though? If you take the upgrade, it will lock you out of the sign up bonus. The best deal is to apply for the Aspire (which will add to your x/24 count) and then quickly take the upgrade offer before it disappears. But this is assuming you are okay with 2 Aspire AFs and 2 MSRs.

 

[wanderlust7]

Great fireside chat topic! I consider myself more of an opportunistic hoarder. Granted we burn through one to two million points and miles each year. As mentioned in a previous post, I am an advocate of having multiple plans to accomplish our travel goals. That requires a diverse stash of points and miles that I’ve been hoarding for a specific purpose.

I agree that each of us has to determine their risk tolerance level when it comes to advanced strategies. I’ve dabbled in some with success and have also been shut down. MSing with Blue Bird got us a travel together ticket for international first class flights redemption but also resulted in 4 Blue Bird shut downs. Despite my best efforts I can’t get approval for another Blue Bird or a Serve account. I can live with that as the shut downs weren’t a surprise.

There was a time DH and I were both LOL/24. The mere idea that can lead to a Chase shutdown if they considered us a breakout risk was enough to get myself in check. Now we are a couple of months away from being under 5/24. I will go over 5/24 again, but will not likely get to LOL/24 again.

I don’t mind hoarding my points. I understand they will be devalued. They still serve a purpose. A perfect example is Marriott. We began hoarding BonBlah points with the intention of going back to Dubai and staying at the Al Maha someday. At the time the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa was 85k per night. Then we all got Bonvoyed with peak award pricing and my plans now required me to have 100k points per night. I’ve got 5 nights booked over Christmas and am getting the 5th night free benefit. So it is costing me 400,000 BonBlah points instead of the 340,000 I’d planned. I’m ok with that. I’m still staying in a stunning all inclusive property that costs over $1400 per night for FREE.

I’m currently hoarding Hilton points too as I have every intention of going back to the Maldives and not paying any real money to do so.

Current vacation planning requires me to switch gears and go with a Plan B, C, D combo. If I had all my eggs in one basket and didn’t hoard and diversify I’d be left with the choice of canceling my plans or paying actual money.

I may be dabbling in some advanced strategies this year to replenish much of what I’m about to deplete. However, my risk tolerance is fairly low. I don’t judge others with a higher risk tolerance. If anything, I wish I was a bit braver on that front. Like other aspects of churning, we all do what is best for us. So I will continue to earn, hoard, then burn.

Love the description "opportunistic hoarder"! That's what I am too. Since starting this hobby in earnest, I haven't gotten a single card for a specific trip. I'm a sucker for "best ever". I have a general idea what I might use the points for. Then as I'm trip planning I go through which points might work out.

Have been thinking a lot about earn and burn lately. Thought long and hard about getting a Schwab to cash out MRs. I might be able to use them to book flights for summer 2021 though, so hanging on for now. My UR stash makes me nervous, but I find them easy to use through the portal, so I'll just be steadily going through them. I still can't bring myself to use them for something I can get cheaper elsewhere (before applying the CSR multiplier). Then I feel like I'm getting less than 1.5x. It seems my maximizing tendencies leads to the hoarding, lol.

 

[wanderlust7]

Almost forgot I had a PSA to share. Went to pay a bill on Plastiq today, the service fee didn't look quite right, so I clicked on details. They added on a "cross border fee". Did chat and they asked if my Hilton Biz was issued in the U.K. Umm...no. Said they'd look into it and get back to me via e-mail. So PSA - double check your fees!

 

[Mopedmom1]

I’m really stuck on our 2021 plans since 2020 is taken care of point wise. Someone tell me I’m crazy-

A DLR AP doesn’t seem that unreasonable. If we did SD/DL in May 2021, would it be crazy to do DLR in Oct and then...hop to Hawaii to take advantage of being on the west coast/shorter flight/less points? And hit DL on the way back again for good measure lol

This sounds good to me! I'm on the west coast and upgraded our tickets to AP last November. I'm using my SW CP and Marriott points and FNC's this year for 4 trips to DLR.

I am collecting UR's for a cruise in early 2021 and will try to put together a trip to WDW later that year. I am too slow a churner to be able to hoard!

 

[Judique]

This sounds good to me! I'm on the west coast and upgraded our tickets to AP last November. I'm using my SW CP and Marriott points and FNC's this year for 4 trips to DLR.

I am collecting UR's for a cruise in early 2021 and will try to put together a trip to WDW later that year. I am too slow a churner to be able to hoard!

I hope you have those FNC's booked, in light of Marriott raising so many categories on March 4th.

 

[Ngwira]

Sweet! DH just got an email with a 150k point offer to upgrade his Hilton Surpass to an Aspire with $4k spend in 3 months. I have been waiting for this!! And our *donation* for our Cal football seat licenses is due relatively soon so it will be super easy to meet this MSR. I’ve already staked out a Hilton in Amsterdam for a couple of post nights after the ABD Rhine River cruise we just booked for summer 2021, so that free night certificate will be put to good use. And we can use the one for this year plus the $250 resort credit for our second room at the Waldorf Las Vegas for our football game weekend. Super excited about this!

My DH got the Surpass upgrade. $95 AF 150,000 hh points for 3k spend. He has the no fee card right now. I have the Aspire and love the card.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I don't want to get political here, but if you're a New York resident you might want to read a few news articles if Global Entry, Pre-Check, etc are important to you. Just a head's up to those affected.

I live on Long Island...D.M.V. offices have been a mess since this new law went into effect....
We have been talking about moving out of NYS for a while...this and the other 1/1 law releasing criminals without bail will probably speed up the process.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I only have one booked, but it no longer comes up in the system. I'm glad I booked it when I did, that's one vacation that won't be altered lol

Speaking of, what number do I need to call to get the number for MDE? I think Disney can look it up?

Glad you were able to book when you did....sorry no help with a number to call MDE...maybe try the main Disney number

 

[Mopedmom1]

I hope you have those FNC's booked, in light of Marriott raising so many categories on March 4th.

Yeah, I'm going to try to nail down upcoming dates real soon! I am really considering jumping ship, er, hotel. Our hotel needs are very modest and Marriott is making it VERY difficult to get value out of our measly 35k certificates.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

So, we have a trip scheduled for Beijing/Shanghai in October. I'm getting leery with the Coronavirus all over, but we can't reschedule yet (it's at the mercy of a group tour). They are currently rescheduling all trips through May, so we're a bit farther out to wait and see. However, we were thinking last night about what to do if China falls through. We already booked non-refundable award flights to NYC (where we were going to fly out for China). Any ideas where is another easy, direct flight perhaps, and on the cheaper side from NYC? All I could think of is Iceland, but we don't really have the desire to go there.

 

[becauseimnew]

This earn and burn has me planning to burn our BonBlah points. I'm looking at Hawaii for Thanksgiving. we have 150K points and 1 certificate. I'm looking at 5 nights. It gives me 2 options:
140K points + 1 certificate or
140K

So if I use the certificate it no longer applies the free night. Is this new?

 

[IFlossU]

I know no one can tell me what to do but sometimes wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else do the thinking for you?

Yes, yes, yes!! As much as I love planning and strategizing, sometimes I envy my DH. All he has to do is use the correct card (haha) and show up for the trip.

I’m really stuck on our 2021 plans since 2020 is taken care of point wise. Someone tell me I’m crazy-

A DLR AP doesn’t seem that unreasonable. If we did SD/DL in May 2021, would it be crazy to do DLR in Oct and then...hop to Hawaii to take advantage of being on the west coast/shorter flight/less points? And hit DL on the way back again for good measure lol

Sounds like the best plan ever

 

[WardFam]

So, we have a trip scheduled for Beijing/Shanghai in October. I'm getting leery with the Coronavirus all over, but we can't reschedule yet (it's at the mercy of a group tour). They are currently rescheduling all trips through May, so we're a bit farther out to wait and see. However, we were thinking last night about what to do if China falls through. We already booked non-refundable award flights to NYC (where we were going to fly out for China). Any ideas where is another easy, direct flight perhaps, and on the cheaper side from NYC? All I could think of is Iceland, but we don't really have the desire to go there.

Bermuda is beautiful and easy to get there from New York, but it’s pretty expensive once you get there.

 

[IFlossU]

I’m definitely an earn ‘em and burn ‘em kind of gal. Granted I am new to this so I have very few to actually burn but there are so many places I want to take my family that I can’t imagine ever hoarding my points. I will say though, after reading about @Alexle2007 upcoming trip to Australia, I can potentially see hoarding points for a trip like that. Amazing!

 

[tink1970]

A Fireside Chat on EARNING, BURNING and HOARDING...
This seems to be a topic of interest to a lot of people lately in light of a lot of doom and gloom of 2019 that brought us clawbacks and shutdowns galore! I'm going to attempt to organize some thoughts around this subject that hopefully will be helpful to a lot of you here and also spark some discussion (I'd love to hear from you all on this topic too!!)

Excellent points and topic discussion.

Everyone is different but I'm definitely of the earn and burn mentality for most of my currencies while trying to maintain a "bank" of one transferrable, flexible currency-and that is always in flux.


For intstance, right now my DL skymiles are low (and they usually always are unless I'm stockpiling for a specific redemption), as are my United Miles and URs. My Hyatt points are about to get a bump later this month and I'm sitting on a comfortable (for me, not for y'all million points folks) stash of MRs for emergencies (or more likely an irresistible redemption, lol). In the summer, after getting a new card (or three) for DD's tuition, I suspect my URs, MRs and another currency (TBD) will leap. Once I make plans for 2021, some of those will fall. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I try to remain flexible and open minded about currencies while acknowledging that my needs and the loyalty programs change (looking at you, Marriott!). The game is always changing so I completely agree with @bernina and @calypso726 that having back up plans is essential. If it weren't for this hobby I wouldn't travel as frequently and well as I do so I feel that my way works for ME. Everyone is different of course but reading, keeping current with rules, knowing my risk tolerance all keep me in the game and enjoying it.

 

[miztressuz]

This earn and burn has me planning to burn our BonBlah points. I'm looking at Hawaii for Thanksgiving. we have 150K points and 1 certificate. I'm looking at 5 nights. It gives me 2 options:
140K points + 1 certificate or
140K

So if I use the certificate it no longer applies the free night. Is this new?

Correct, to get the 5th night free it has to be all points. It's not new.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Bermuda is beautiful and easy to get there from New York, but it’s pretty expensive once you get there.

Thanks for the suggestion! We've never been, but it has me thinking... maybe a cruise even. I'll have to look into Bermuda and some other caribbean destinations. I've heard Turks & Caicos is gorgeous...

 

[punkin]

I also earn and burn. This year I got a decent ppm value for my trip to europe in business class and one decent value in economy, but then did a very bad value MR points redemption to snag a cheap economy fare in November. However, I now have 3 international trips for 2, for which I paid an amex platinum fee (and I managed to get the value of that mostly reimbursed through various credits) and 4x about $100 for various chase cards (plus taxes for under $200 combined). Not bad imo!

 

[Joyful2018]

anyone know if Tripbound.com codes as travel on the CapitalOne Venture?

 

[alryan]

@SouthFayetteFan Another great Fireside Chat!! One of the reasons I always like to read every page because you never know when you might get great information. I could say the same about @Lain, @calypso726, and @miztressuz. I know there are others who give out good information, but when they take the time to write out full page posts everyone should be listening. You never know what you might learn.

I am definitely and earn and burn churner, and will get cards in other currencies just because it is a good sign up and to diversify. I hope I don't end up regretting it like @bernina, but I think for my style of travelling it will work for me. When we think of where and when we want to travel, nothing is a must do. So we could have 4-5 destinations in mind and then I can figure out how my points can make it happen. I really don't get hung up on redemptions. In fact most of the time I don't pay too much attention. For example I was hoping to get enough AA points for a trip to Europe for my family of five. When that fell through I booked a two bedroom condo for my friends and me to get away for a long weekend. It was around 1cpp.

I don't have a lot of organic spend so if I didn't pursue the advanced strategies I wouldn't have enough points to do much of anything. I've also added in MS to enable me to get more points. I know that it is only a matter of time before something will change and I may have to change my strategy, but until then I'll keep going with those advanced strategies.