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

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I only have 1 trip booked this year and it's to England / Scotland in late September solo. Flights and hotels booked using miles (hello first class on British Air to Heathrow!!!), except for 3 nights in the highlands. I used points and FNCs at the WA Caledonian Edinburgh and Hyatt points for the Franklin in London (LOVE the addition of the Small Leading Hotels in the Hyatt portfolio). *

Perhaps a trip to Banff / Lake Louise later this summer, but I'm not in a rush to book anything (will be looking at a few nights at the Fairmont Lake Louise with dd and ds).

Toying with the idea of a Backroads cycling or hiking trip to New Zealand in early 2021 (again, no rush to book this).

*based on the logical assumption that our upcoming Russia, Arctic, Norway and Sweden trip will be cancelled.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

Just called to see if I had a retention offer for Bonvoy biz - nope, none available. I'll probably cancel but I have another week or so to decide.

 

[Haley R]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

1) I’m in between the CSR or the CIC. If I’m doing no travel through the chase portal I would pick the CIC because of the 5x at office stores. We’ve gotten the most use out of our CSR though. Since we can book allegiant flights by calling chase, the CSR is nice for the 1.5x for flights to see family or to fly them here. We also booked a decent number of hotels last year with a CSR to get the 1.5x.

2) We haven’t been doing this long so I would definitely pick Japan. I doubt we would’ve gone without churning (or it would’ve been a very sad, week long trip). Churning helped us take our very first business flight with lie flat seats and paid for almost all of our hotels while in japan.

 

[pillow]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

#1 - Tough one. I do love my CSR for the redemptions. That would probably be my keeper.

#2 - Another though one. I'll say one of our Costa Rica trips. In March/April 2018, we went to Manuel Antonio, Arenal, and Monteverde. The second trip was over this past New Years; we visited San Gerardo de Dota, the Osa Peninsula (Drake Bay), Rincon de la Vieja volcano, and then the Andaz Papagayo (Hyatt). I'm hoping to get back there in 2021 - this time in September to the Caribbean side. I'm in love and a little obsessed with Costa Rica!

 

[jenmsmith]

Is anyone still planning fall/winter trips?
Still have our Washington DC trip booked for October.

I just booked Yavapai Lodge (Grand Canyon) for Christmas week, I was only able to get until the 24th on the Chase Travel Portal, but I have Bright Angel Lodge booked until the 25th. Still holding out for some Phantom Ranch cancellations that week.

I have flights and lodging for a trip to Arizona in October. Not too confident that we’ll actually be able to take it, unfortunately.

 

[mgarbowski]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!
2 Questions:
1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?
2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...
Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

1. BoA Premium Rewards. I qualify for the largest bonus, so I get 3.5% on DIning and Travel and 2.62% on everything else, as cash credits that can be applied to my card balance at any time. If I can only have one, cash is king, and no card earns more on all spending. $95 Annual Fee.
2. I got the CSP in 2016 with the great initial bonus offer and double dip travel credits. Then in 2017 I got the BoA Travel Rewards and Premium Rewards cards which had solid sign up bonuses as well. We also had WDW APs from 2017-18, and took a Christmas Week trip that was almost entirely paid for by the rewards on those cards.

 

[becauseimnew]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?
Chase Freedom for DH and CSR for me.... or is that cheating the question?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible?
When DH and I went to Disney World for 1 night, back when you were able to book with URs we booked 1 night at CR (were upgraded to CL) and bought DAH tickets using Chase travel... those were the days.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I was up early this morning -- so got an early start to my morning workout (getting out before 6:45 also helps avoid 'crowds' on the sidewalks while running). Thought I'd share a picture of the 'super moon'. It was prettier at 6:00am, but I didn't think to get a picture. Please pardon the golf course in the foreground -- it's under renovation).

 

[happ]

I called Amex retention and decided to keep my Bonvoy Biz after all. They offered a $40 credit. That's not great but it brings the fee down to $55 assuming the csr was correct about my fee still being $95 and not the $125 that I was thinking it would be. Maybe I misunderstood the language of the fee increase and I actually have one more year with the lower fee.

Update: The annual fee posted at $125 and not the $95 that the rep told me. Ugh!

 

[disneybirds]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

Both these questions are tough since it is hard to narrow down to just one!

1. For cards, I would say CSR for me and Delta Reserve for DH. I love the CSR redemptions and he enjoys his upgrades.

2. Probably our trip to Hawaii back in 2013 that started me down the points path. Stumbled on an article where you could book 3 trips from 2 Delta award tickets and I was hooked. (Note: you can't do this anymore before you start looking!). While we had many long trips thanks to points, I also love booking the occasional night or weekend at a nice place for short trips.

 

[Albort]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

for both me and @calypso726, we would both agree our CI+ is the one and only CC we would keep for the lifetime. haha.

i think churning enables me to fly J class a lot more often than i would. Lounges def spoil me and my family.
also being able to stay at Hyatt all over the country has been a big benefit in this churning world.

 

[becauseimnew]

But I'd keep my NFCU Flagship Visa.

Can I ask why?

 

[Hoosier John]

Still waiting on my replacement CIP since the one I received 2 weeks ago didn't have a CVV or expiration date so obviously couldn't use it. I'm learning patience if nothing else this spring.

Don't know if you keep old CCs, but that's a collector's item (like a mis-minted coin)

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

1. BoA Premium Rewards. I qualify for the largest bonus, so I get 3.5% on DIning and Travel and 2.62% on everything else, as cash credits that can be applied my card balance at any time.

I thought I was pretty good with PenFed Cash Rewards with 2% on everything and no AF (or possibly PenFed Platinum Rewards with 5% fuel, 3% grocery, 1% else). But now I'm liking mgarbowski's BoA Premium Rewards (I prolly don't qualify for that though)

 

[Limes96]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

1. Hard to narrow this down between CSR, Amex Gold, and Amex BCP. In the days when travel was actually possible, I’d pick CSR. Times like now with no travel possible, BCP. 6% back on groceries is pretty awesome.

2. Our biggest points redemption I’m in the middle of canceling now - Europe May/June this year. I imagine that would have been my favorite. But since I can’t pick that, I will say my favorite thing about churning has been being able to visit my son in Nashville whenever I want and not have to pay actual money for the hotels when I go.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

Wow! Tough question #1. I think CSR but it just really depends on the circumstances.
#2. We are not HUGE churners but we did take 3 of us to Europe a few years back on points ( aer lingus) and stayed in several hotels in Ireland, France, England, Germany on points so that was pretty helpful on the bank account.

I assume Q#2 the event had to have already happened? If not, we just got a companion pass early in 2020 and that was earned by churning. That will open up a whole new set of trips when we get to go.

 

[tink1970]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

1) my BBP- it's a solid 2X MRs with no AF so I put all of my nonbonused spend on it and no AF? Yes please! That said, the (rose) gold amex is a very very close second...

2)DH and I recently flew to Australia on Qantas in First Class (on AA miles), stayed at the Park Hyatt Sydney (UR points->Hyatt) ...stayed at the Hilton Auckland ( HiltonHonors points) and flew back in Virgin Australia business class (MRs paid with Amex Biz Plat so 35% refunded and counted as cash for Delta medallion purposes). Now the entire trip wasn't on points/miles but some of the most amazing parts (Qantas/PH Sydney) were. It's going to be a very very hard trip to beat.

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

1) I think I'd hold onto my CSR.... but it's a tough call between that and my CIC! My CSR for travel/dining is super helpful, but the 5x at office stores really helps in almost all other situations, specifically those no-fee VISA giftcards, whenever i can grab them!

2) My family's trip to South Africa/Zimbabwe last year. My husband and I were able to get our flights on points (and introduced my parents to the CSR which enabled them to get 1.5 of their flights for free!), and we were able to use our vast store of Bonvoy points to get rooms for ourselves, my parents, and my brother on the bookends of our trip in a very nice hotel. DH and I even got upgraded to the Penthouse suite, which remains the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in! It felt nice to have our churning benefit not only us, but our family too.

 

[WVMomof3]

Marriott is extending current elite status through February 2022. And while they had already paused expiration of points through August they have extended that out to February 2021.

https://viewfromthewing.com/marriot...om&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=MilesFeed.com

 

[havaneselover]

Making progress on SW Biz MSR. Just ordered my coworker tea drops for his birthday. With estimated tax payments pushed out, I may just settle for 70,000 RR points for $5,000 instead of trying to get the 100,000 RR points. It would be nice if Chase pushed out the three months (like Amex) and six months to make the spending, but I'm not counting on it.

 

[wanderlust7]

How about we redirect to something completely on topic!

2 Questions:

1) If you were told you had to close ALL of your CCs and could only hold ONE card...which card would you hold, and why?

2) Tell me about your favorite trip that churning has enabled. Where did you go? How did churning make it possible? etc...

Let's flood the thread with fun on topic comments that can encourage everybody during these tough times!!

I would keep the CSR until I spent down my URs. Then probably the Costco Citibank (4% gas, 3% restaurant/grocery, 2% Costco). If we can do 2 player mode, then I'd look for a non-category one that's higher than 1.5%. Although I'd be loathe to give up my old US Bank Cash+ that has had 5% utility as a selectable quarterly category for a while.

So far, I've mostly used churning to supplement trips. So favorite churning trips so far would be aspirational ones I wouldn't have done without churning. That would be the weekends trips to Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay and the Ventana Inn.