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

[SouthFayetteFan]

I work for a church and we just cancelled services and all non critical gatherings for the next four weeks. We’ll start streaming the Sunday sermon this weekend. The office is still open so we can go into work or work from home if possible. But since we 100% depend on donor contributions, who knows where we’ll be in four weeks. Scary times. And it’s snowing today.

Do you happen to be the piano player?? Username checks out? Lol.

 

[WVMomof3]

Emails just went out to the kids. Just devastating. And now we’re trying to figure out how to get her moved out by 18th.

So sorry! That stinks. Feel bad for all the kids.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

@wendow I’m so sorry for your dd and the rest of the CP kids

Dh and I are at Vero now for 2 nights in a studio. We’re planning on driving straight through home Monday.

Until then, we will walk on the beach, hang out on our balcony (not the best—first floor—but not in a trafficked area), have some grown-up beverages, and eat the stuff we bought at Publix.

 

[havaneselover]

@wendow I'm so sorry. Totally stinks.

 

[georgina]

Anyone having issues with Hilton website, use the app or change browsers. I cancelled a few reservations last night and Chrome wouldn't work, app worked for 1 then broke, Firefox worked for another then broke, back to the app and got my 3rd cancelled. I think like all others their systems are just overwhelmed right now.

Hilton would not extend my FNCs, the first one doesn't expire until 7/4. Rep said they were Amex certs so I had to talk to Amex about extending them, that makes no sense to me as I've never seen anyone told that.
Maybe they're staffing new people? I have however seen a suggestion to wait until closer to the expiration date so I shall do that.

Just got an email from Hilton Honors that they are extending ALL FNC until August 31, 2021. Mine was from an AmEx also -

I wanted to follow up on the recent message you received from our CEO, Chris Nassetta. In addition to the enhancements Hilton communicated, we are extending the expiration date of the Weekend Night Reward(s) you earned as a Hilton Honors American Express Card Member.

We appreciate that you choose to travel with us and want to make sure you have the flexibility you need to enjoy the rewards you’ve earned.

For all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, we are extending the expiration date through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021). There is no need for you to do anything, as your certificate(s) are being automatically updated in our systems.

We hope this adjustment gives you some additional flexibility for your travels.

 

[ten6mom]

I have 2 kids that work for winco and I hate to shop there because of the no cc thing. They will take those visa/mc that you buy at office stores if you use them as a debit card.

Ooooh that is good to know! You mean just regular visa and mc gift cards, right? Can I get them at places other than office stores? (I never buy visa or mc gc's, obviously, or I would know this).

Sure and I think I probably have combined a few recipes over the years and have experimented a lot. It's one of those recipes you can modify to suit your needs. I try to keep it pretty simple.

I make bagels 1-2 times per week. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and is something I really look forward to. I freeze the extras and they thaw and toast well.

I am happy to PM you my address if you have extras! I love bagels. And since there is apparently no flour or sugar here... ugh

Publix in VA is going to start closing at 8 PM (I think they normally are open until 10). I wonder if other grocery stores will also shorten hours. Yikes.

We specifically went to Winco because they're open 24 hours (we were there around 8 pm) but as we exited we saw a sign that said they were gonna close down each night from midnight-0500. Hopefully to restock... but more accurately probably to clean up all the empty cardboard boxes etc after everyone leaves.

So you're saying you could potentially earn 5x+ on groceries at Winco...

Help me figure the 5x thing. Is that an Amex thing? Because right now all my spend has to be on the CIP!

My husband was the same. "I just never expected this" he kept repeating it lol. I was like, what did you expect??? We went after 9pm. I figured we weren't going to get some things anyways, just looking for regular shopping stuff, so I'd at least rather go late and miss most of the crowds

Our 8 pm trip was still quite crowded. But how clueless can they be, honestly??? Silly husbands.

Back from Chicago. I left not expecting things to go as sideways as they went. We had a good time. I hit MSR on my Hilton card. They started shutting down St pattys events for this weekend on Wednesday in Chicago. Glad I'm home so I can make arrangements for my kiddo home an extra week and Girl Scout events cancelled. We are optimistally keeping our fingers crossed that things will be back to semi normal in May.

What's the word at your work? Obviously we cannot work from home. I am grateful (financially speaking) to be considered "essential personnel." I know some departments (PD) are only responding in person for emergencies (all "report" calls will be taken by phone). Will be interesting to see my emails when I go back tomorrow night.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

At least based on this they say “temporarily suspending”:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238898411526643713

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Update on my flight from Male to Doha booked with URs (after 2.5 hours waiting yesterday, then being told their system was down, being promised a call back that never came).

I woke up and grabbed my phone and called UR. This time there was an option to receive a call back, so I input my number and waited (the time was between 4 and 6 hours). After 3 hours I got a call back. All good, the network is operational today - Yay. It took approx. 40 minutes, but the flight is finally cancelled. Quatar still hasn't waived the change fee, so it cost $230.00. URs are back in my account.

While I was on the phone with UR I cancelled a hotel I booked on points in Stockholm and our flight from Oslo to Stockholm (also on UR). It happens I am now flush with UR. Plus I have a SUB coming from a recent card that I opened. Guess all these URs will give me flexibility with my travel plans over the next few years.

Next step was to cancel the BA flights from Doha to London to Miami.This wasn't much fun. Two hour hold time, agent took 40 minutes before she told me that she couldn't process the cancellation. Transferred me to another dept. and this agent was able to process the paperwork to ask her supervisor to cancel the flights and refund my Avios and cash that I paid for seats. In November BA changed the flights and apparently this change did something to mess up the booking, which is why neither agent was able to process the cancellation. At least I will get the miles and cash back.

I still have to call AC to get our Fort Lauderdale to Toronto flights cancelled (April 1st) and Toronto to Delhi to Male (April 2nd). Also have to cancel Toronto to St. Petersburg (late May) and Sweden to Toronto (early June). Hopefully I won't have to wait too long (dh is Super Elite and he gets priority call sequence).

Dd and I had the choice if we wanted to re-book our Arctic, Russia and N. Europe trip to August (this summer) or before the end of May, 2021. She doesn't want to travel overseas this summer (she doesn't feel comfortable -- she's a germaphobe), so we will go after she finishes her exams next April. Not sure when we will go to the Maldives. Maybe August, 2021 before she starts her sophomore year. Honestly I am not convinced this trip (Maldives) will happen, but we shall see.

 

[miztressuz]

Marriott sent an email with updated change and cancellation policy. Also here's what they are doing for the Bonvoy program:

...we have paused points expiration until August 31, 2020 allowing Members ample time to redeem their points. In addition, we have extended the expiration of suite night awards (SNAs) with an expiration date of December 31, 2020 by one year to December 31, 2021. Lastly, Members who currently have an active Free Night Award (FNA) expiring in 2020 as part of their credit card benefit, annual choice benefit, promotions or travel package will be able to use it through January 31, 2021. We understand that earning status for 2021 may also be on your mind. As the current situation is still evolving, it is too early for us to make any changes. We will keep you updated on all loyalty program changes through our Marriott Bonvoy member benefits website.

The FNC change works for us as we had one I was going to ask to have extended anyway.

As for change/cancel for current or new reservations:

Generally speaking, for guests with existing individual reservations, including reservations with pre-paid rates that are typically more restrictive, we will allow changes or cancellation without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival as long as the change or cancellation is made by April 30, 2020. For guests making new individual reservations between today and April 30, 2020, we will allow those reservations to be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before a guest's scheduled arrival date. Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information and for additional details about availability and exclusions.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

My comment last night has these details in it. Let me know if you can’t find it. It’s the one with the “thank you all” gif in it.

EDIT: here you go:

Huh, it seems like I should have mine by now. I think I'll give them a call today. Thanks for responding! I even saw that post, although I admit I was half asleep.

 

[miztressuz]

Just got an email from Hilton Honors that they are extending ALL FNC until August 31, 2021. Mine was from an AmEx also -

I wanted to follow up on the recent message you received from our CEO, Chris Nassetta. In addition to the enhancements Hilton communicated, we are extending the expiration date of the Weekend Night Reward(s) you earned as a Hilton Honors American Express Card Member.

We appreciate that you choose to travel with us and want to make sure you have the flexibility you need to enjoy the rewards you’ve earned.

For all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, we are extending the expiration date through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021). There is no need for you to do anything, as your certificate(s) are being automatically updated in our systems.

We hope this adjustment gives you some additional flexibility for your travels.

And no surprise, Hilton beats out Marriott FNC policy!

I'm not complaining, I think it's good of them to extend as a smart business decision to keep good will. They need anything in the Bonvoyed sea they've been swimming in. Hilton just gave more good will

 

[Artygal90]

I canceled my flight to Kansas for next week...sorry to miss out on my sister visit but she may be coming home for the duration of the semester anyway so I will hopefully see lots of her then! Those flights were EXPENSIVE points-wise - I managed to book RT flights to/from Detroit and Denver in September for almost the same points cost.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Despite the tax disadvantage, there's been a reason I've chosen to live in Maryland all these years. I've looked at homes in Virginia first time around and multiple times over my years here. There are many things I love about Virginia, but the weighted pros have always stayed on the Maryland side for me. I've lived in DC and loved where I lived but then moved into base housing and from there elsewhere. Not moving into the district anytime soon...
TBH - the areas in Va that I looked at were Dale City, Fredericksburg, Ashburn, Leesburg and when I first was looking with my husband, Merrifield right off 50. We found a home there and got talked out of it. If only I had followed my instincts - that's where I would be right now - in a teeny home in Merrifield on 5 acres. It was 'country' when I came here, lol, and family thought it was too far out.

By and large, I really love Virginia. The county I work for just likes to make it abundantly clear that they don't care about their employees sometimes. For example, my coworkers and I work a weird job where about 80% of our salary comes from state funding, and the county makes up the other 20%. Despite this, I am a county employee. However, I am entitled to state employee raises that directly affect my position. The money for those raises is sent to the county... who promptly absorbs it in their funds and doesn't apply the raises to me and my coworkers.

Wow - this is fabulous. Thank you!!

On another note regarding JetBlue . . . DH and I both applied for the business card. Whoa - Barclays! DH was approved after a 2 week wait. I was not approved, so I called. They eventually approved me for a whopping $1k line. I had to send in a copy of my driver's license, SS card, and a utility bill. Is this normal for them? 60k miles after $1k spend is worth it imo, but it was a bit of a pain.

Yup, totally standard for Barclays. They did the same to me on my Aviator Biz. You also have better luck getting a second card by closing the first card and then applying for a second card later. It makes no sense.

 

[Alexle2007]

I am so disgusted with my agency's lack of response to all of this. I live in Washington DC, and things have really progressed rapidly with no response from our leadership. I asked my director about it yesterday, and he said he couldn't issue our department guidance even if he wanted to - he's seen other directors trying to let their people work from home full time, but our agency leadership has overruled them and denied it. The leadership had a meeting late last night, so I checked my email this morning only to find "Make sure you wash your hands! Stay home if you're sick! See you Monday morning." And we have a meeting Monday afternoon about regular work stuff, where we will all be crammed into a small meeting room. Real smart there.

Not to mention, Metro will be scaling down operations beginning Monday. Trains will be running less often, which means for all of us still stuck going into work, trains will be much more crowded and we'll have to hold on to handrails since we'll all be shoulder to shoulder. Really seems like the appropriate response to a pandemic.

Given I'm new, I'm going in the office 5 days a week. Considering I ride metro twice per day, and given how many people move in and out of this city, I have almost certainly been exposed. I had a serious health issue about 10 years ago. I've been okay in the years proceeding, but ever since that happened, my immune system has been poor, and I tend to catch everything. I got the flu for the first time after that happened. I got the swine flu when that first appeared. So I'm pretty rigorous about getting my flu shot and it helps, I don't get the flu anymore. But frankly, I'm concerned about this.

I've not been feeling great most of the week, a dry cough started yesterday, and I woke up this morning with shortness of breath and body aches. But I don't have a fever so I don't have an excuse not to go in the office.

Our agency head is an appointed, out of touch crony billionaire, so I expect nothing less. He's never in the building, so he doesn't have the capacity to understand or care about his employees.

Ok sorry, rant/vent over.

Wow, just wow! My agency, who just significantly reduced telework, kind of got their act together and released a plan that allows parents who have children out of school to WAH or if you have the virus to WAH and rolled back to the previous telework provisions. But that wouldn’t help you with no kids. You’d think our federal agencies would be setting an example but nope.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I'm glad you found her a flight. DD's plane just took off from LHR. It's awful that they have to basically evacuate and can't finish out the year.



I suspected this was coming so we booked a flight for today, but those were hard to come by a couple days ago.

There were actually a number of flights when we looked on Friday. I'm sure it's crazy now. So glad your DD's flight is off. I'll be on pins and needles until my DD's takes off. I'm so sad for them, too.

My dd's good friend is boarding at Seven Oaks in the UK. One of his housemates was diagnosed yesterday and the school (as of last night) was going to stay open . She said he's convinced he's going to get it since it's one of his best friends that was diagnosed and they did pretty much everything together. It's sad because his parents (my friends) live in Switzerland, so I don't know how difficult it would be for them to get there and look after him if he were to get sick.

Oh no. Such a bummer. I will cross my fingers that her friend doesn't get it. I know a lot of other uni's are still open. We have another friend who is doing his masters outside of London and he's hunkering down.

Emails just went out to the kids. Just devastating. And now we’re trying to figure out how to get her moved out by 18th.

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear this. Hugs for you and DD.

 

[Eighty8Keys]

Do you happen to be the piano player?? Username checks out? Lol.

I’m the bookkeeper I’m also a piano player, just not “the” piano player.

 

[Oscar Madison]

40+ minutes and counting on the chase travel line hoping to get my points back on UO tickets.
Playlist Update
It's a Beautiful day- U2
Life is a highway - Rascal flatts?
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty (personal fav)
All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
? - Kenny G (quality)
Unchained Melody - unknown piano player (halfway thru this song it went to Kenny G
It's all accentuated by the terrible speaker system and pausing during the song to get your hopes up that someone is ready to help.

 

[tink1970]

What's the weather like in September vs October?

As others have said, hot and humid in Sept and slightly less hot and still very humid (which is worse) in October. I've lived in Florida for almost 20 years and I DO NOT TRAVEL during late Aug-Nov1 since that's traditionally the busiest storm season and no one cares about my house and pets as much as I do. That said, lots of people roll the dice during that time and have wonderful trips, whereas others do not and are stuck worrying about transportation, accommodations, etc. Only you know what your risk tolerance threshold is.

 

[disneedee]

Ooooh that is good to know! You mean just regular visa and mc gift cards, right? Can I get them at places other than office stores? (I never buy visa or mc gc's, obviously, or I would know this).



Help me figure the 5x thing. Is that an Amex thing? Because right now all my spend has to be on the CIP!

the CIC gets 5X points on office supplies stores. Staples frequently run sales on MC or Visa gift cards with no activation fee, and Office Depot is doing one this week at $15 off $300, which covers the cost of the activation fee. These sales are very popular with the MS group. I took a break from the CIP madness to get a CIC. 50,000 URs isn’t bad. And now I can buy gift cards and get 5% back!

 

[afan]

Did some shopping at the empty compared to a jornal saturday outlet mall. And you know things are qyiet when the one McD's basically has no drive thru line when it'd normally be into the street.

Couple more stops but chipping away at my plat msr.

Oh and if anyone is looking for a nee kitchen apron, @SouthFayetteFan , bed bath and beyond has a mean girls one that says on Wednesdays we wear pink. Courae the apron was blue which was weird, no it's almost a hot pink