I love credit cards so much! v4.0 - 2021 (see first page for add'l details)

[RhodyKP]

no questions are stupid! :] I joined their group because i know their mods, its a good thing to sign up for if your pretty new at this game but for most of us, its pretty basic stuff. Most of the information is online for free like on DoC, OMAAT, TPG, but like, when u need to find that info, u need to really search for it...
FTU's paid subscription is i think all in one, im not in their paid feature though but their program seems pretty in depth.

Thanks! I've been consuming content for a while now from here and all of those sources you mentioned, and over the past couple of years have tried a couple of times to get up to speed. I've definitely been learning a ton but still feel a bit rudderless. I do have a concrete goal for travel next year, but only a hazy idea how to reach those goals.

 

[Judique]

You guys sometimes I'm so scared to ask questions because I'm afraid they're really dumb ones. But I'm gonna ask this anyway. Have any of you ever attended a FTU (Frequent Traveler University) seminar or something like it? Is it worthwhile?

My daughter went last March in DC. I laughed at her and told her she was wasting her money. Turned out I was correct as she was already very good at navigating the points and rewards game. That said, I really can't say whether it would help someone who is just getting started.

 

[elgerber]

Just a vent. Massive internet outage in my area for the last 4 hours so far with no ETA on the restored service. Two of us work from home. Sooooooo not cool.

 

[RhodyKP]

My daughter went last March in DC. I laughed at her and told her she was wasting her money. Turned out I was correct as she was already very good at navigating the points and rewards game. That said, I really can't say whether it would help someone who is just getting started.

Thanks - since it's virtual and only costs $25, I figured odds were low that I would regret it very much if I did it and felt it wasn't a good use of my time. I'm a knitter (I know, I know, just when you thought I couldn't get any cooler) so I'm happy to sit and knit for 4 hours listening to people talk.

 

[platamama]

Thanks! I've been consuming content for a while now from here and all of those sources you mentioned, and over the past couple of years have tried a couple of times to get up to speed. I've definitely been learning a ton but still feel a bit rudderless. I do have a concrete goal for travel next year, but only a hazy idea how to reach those goals.

Ask away here! I think you said you're planning on Aulani next year with your mom for milestone birthdays? Would you both be traveling from the same airport? If so, I suggest considering a SW CP to be on your list of goals for the airfare part. Depending on if that trip is in the first half or the second half of 2022, would determine your timing of applications for SW cards for that, and you'd likely have to do a MDD. SFF has covered SW CP extensively on this thread (just use the search for "CP" in this thread with @SouthFayetteFan). You have the $200 airline credit on the Amex Plat that you could squirrel away SW travel funds (in <$100 increments, ask if you need clarification)...but they need to be used for travel within 12 months of original booking so keep that in mind and know they can only be used for flights (not early bird check in, etc).

Did you say you have AA miles? You could use those to go LAX-HNL and they're currently showing 20K one way per person. Sometimes the AAdvantage shopping portal is a good way to earn more miles, as well as the AAdvantage Dining program, and SimplyMiles to earn some AA miles too. The nice thing with points is that you can book one ways on points with two different programs if you don't have enough in just one program to cover all of it. For example you could go one way on SW points and go the opposite direction on AA miles (or UA miles, or whatever "costs" the least). I'd only do that if I could cover both ways with points or miles, because I've found that cash one way tickets are exorbitantly expensive.

Aulani is out of my wheelhouse, but surely there are folks here who can cover that part of it. The Amex travel portal can get you a 1 cpp redemption for your MRs and if you book some of the nice hotels on there some of them come with free breakfast for two, and often a property credit. Aulani isn't on there though on random dates I checked.

I've heard MS is dead in your general geographical region, but if I were you I'd pick up the prepaid $500 gift cards (VI or MC) at the grocery store with your Plat and try to pay as many of your expenses with those to rack up your MRs.

Ask as many questions as you want! We're a very friendly group.

P.S. Would your mom consider being your P2?

ETA: The fastest way to pick up AAmiles is, of course, through a SUB lol. I did find Aulani available as part of AAdvantage Vacation Packages FWIW.

 

[Albort]

Thanks! I've been consuming content for a while now from here and all of those sources you mentioned, and over the past couple of years have tried a couple of times to get up to speed. I've definitely been learning a ton but still feel a bit rudderless. I do have a concrete goal for travel next year, but only a hazy idea how to reach those goals.

well, you got a goal, most of those courses wont teach you personal goals. if u want something on the paid level, i suggest asking someone who knows this stuff and help you on the personal/private way.
of course your alternate is just to ask here and im sure someone will come around and help you out!

 

[Mopedmom1]

Just a vent. Massive internet outage in my area for the last 4 hours so far with no ETA on the restored service. Two of us work from home. Sooooooo not cool.

I'll trade you. Been out of power since LAST Friday. No cable, internet, or phones, and cell data and my water system are extremely spotty. I was unable to get out to civilization for four days waiting for the ice to melt and trees to be cleared. My whole surrounding area is devastated from the ice and falling trees and limbs. If I have power by NEXT Friday I will be surprised.

I am very blessed to have a generator, woodstove, amazing neighbors and the knowledge of how to deal with the situation, but I'm getting weary. This is not a one person undertaking.

 

[snugglebug]

Our street cleared today, along with a lot of snow/ice. We made it to Lowes and got the oven ordered. Price-matched it to Home Depot and use 2 Lowes Amex credits and some giftcards I had stocked up on discount. I still have some Amex offer left on one card. Each time I think about closing that Bonvoy Biz, it comes through with a good offer (mostly Lowes) that we make great use of. I would have rather had URs for the purchase, but 10% back means more right now. Downside, delivery isn't until March 3. Cooking is about to get creative.

Stores are still depleted today, but shelves should be better stocked tomorrow. Our town's water tanks were at 20% this morning, slowly getting there. Not being able to easily boil water is making things a little more difficult, but we'll survive. The sun shining today did wonders for me. Now if we could mail delivered and specifically that CIC so I can start getting bills paid that'd be just perfect.

 

[RhodyKP]

Ask away here! I think you said you're planning on Aulani next year with your mom for milestone birthdays? Would you both be traveling from the same airport? If so, I suggest considering a SW CP to be on your list of goals for the airfare part. Depending on if that trip is in the first half or the second half of 2022, would determine your timing of applications for SW cards for that, and you'd likely have to do a MDD. SFF has covered SW CP extensively on this thread (just use the search for "CP" in this thread with @SouthFayetteFan). You have the $200 airline credit on the Amex Plat that you could squirrel away SW travel funds (in <$100 increments, ask if you need clarification)...but they need to be used for travel within 12 months of original booking so keep that in mind and know they can only be used for flights (not early bird check in, etc).

Wow, thank you so much for the thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. She would be flying out to California solo from Rhode Island, and then we would be traveling together to Hawaii from California (where I live, although I've been in RI since August due to a family situation). So I think the SW CP would still be useful in that case. I won't know when in 2022 the trip will be until I have a chance to talk to my brother about whether he and his family can join us either in Hawaii or on an Alaskan cruise, in which case whichever one we did with them would be in the summer and the other one would be...don't know yet.

Did you say you have AA miles? You could use those to go LAX-HNL and they're currently showing 20K one way per person. Sometimes the AAdvantage shopping portal is a good way to earn more miles, as well as the AAdvantage Dining program, and SimplyMiles to earn some AA miles too. The nice thing with points is that you can book one ways on points with two different programs if you don't have enough in just one program to cover all of it. For example you could go one way on SW points and go the opposite direction on AA miles (or UA miles, or whatever "costs" the least). I'd only do that if I could cover both ways with points or miles, because I've found that cash one way tickets are exorbitantly expensive.

I have just under 15k AA miles. Thanks for the tips on how to earn more - I will definitely look into that (including through a SUB).

Aulani is out of my wheelhouse, but surely there are folks here who can cover that part of it. The Amex travel portal can get you a 1 cpp redemption for your MRs and if you book some of the nice hotels on there some of them come with free breakfast for two, and often a property credit. Aulani isn't on there though on random dates I checked.

ETA: The fastest way to pick up AAmiles is, of course, through a SUB lol. I did find Aulani available as part of AAdvantage Vacation Packages FWIW.

Thanks for that info! I'll check that out too.

I've heard MS is dead in your general geographical region, but if I were you I'd pick up the prepaid $500 gift cards (VI or MC) at the grocery store with your Plat and try to pay as many of your expenses with those to rack up your MRs.

P.S. Would your mom consider being your P2?

I've bought a few $250 Disney GCs since I got the Plat a couple of weeks ago, to get the 10x on grocery, but I've been afraid to go hog wild on it. I also thought there might be more risk involved in buying VGCs than in buying 3rd party GCs.

I think my mom would agree to be a P2, although I don't think she'd do it very enthusiastically. Until we got a fabulous vacation out of it and then maybe she'd be fully on board. One thing I was wondering about is whether it would raise any red flags if we were applying for cards in her name with her RI address but then asking for either the main card or an AU card to be shipped to California. That must happen, though, right? I can pretend (in my mind) that it's 30 years ago and I'm just away at school and I have no wrinkles. Oops that last part just slipped out.

 

[RhodyKP]

I'll trade you. Been out of power since LAST Friday. No cable, internet, or phones, and cell data and my water system are extremely spotty. I was unable to get out to civilization for four days waiting for the ice to melt and trees to be cleared. My whole surrounding area is devastated from the ice and falling trees and limbs. If I have power by NEXT Friday I will be surprised.

I am very blessed to have a generator, woodstove, amazing neighbors and the knowledge of how to deal with the situation, but I'm getting weary. This is not a one person undertaking.

Oh my gosh that is a lot to deal with. I'm sorry you are going through that.

 

[Judique]

Thanks - since it's virtual and only costs $25, I figured odds were low that I would regret it very much if I did it and felt it wasn't a good use of my time. I'm a knitter (I know, I know, just when you thought I couldn't get any cooler) so I'm happy to sit and knit for 4 hours listening to people talk.

For $25, it's not much of a risk. My daughter attended a 2 day thing.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Unless I missed an announcement - JetBlue seem to have quietly extended their schedule thru Jan 15, 2022.

Managed to snag some reasonably priced flights home after our New Years cruise.

Thanks for sharing - popped this on the news thread on DISchurners too! Tangentially related, Southwest has not announced anything yet for their next extension. It feels way overdue for them to at least communicate the date!

 

[DisMommyTX]

Looking at AAdvantage cards for my mom. She is a one card per year kind of churner. Only interested in points for free flights. The Aviator Red World Elite and Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard look very similar. I'm thinking one this year and the other next year? Is there a preferred order to them? One harder to get, at an unusually high bonus, or likely to go away soon? Please also confirm that these are like SW cards where the points go into your AA account and can be used after closing the card. Any other pitfalls to be aware of? Thanks!

 

[trstno1]

I just posted a question in, "What Card Should I Get Next?" on r/dischurning. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[happ]

Looking at AAdvantage cards for my mom. She is a one card per year kind of churner. Only interested in points for free flights. The Aviator Red World Elite and Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard look very similar. I'm thinking one this year and the other next year? Is there a preferred order to them? One harder to get, at an unusually high bonus, or likely to go away soon? Please also confirm that these are like SW cards where the points go into your AA account and can be used after closing the card. Any other pitfalls to be aware of? Thanks!

The miles go into your AA account and you can use them after closing the card. Unlike SW, be aware that they'll expire if there is no activity in the account for 18 months. It is easy to have activity though. I make some purchases through their shopping portal to keep mine alive.

 

[becauseimnew]

Looking at AAdvantage cards for my mom. She is a one card per year kind of churner. Only interested in points for free flights. The Aviator Red World Elite and Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard look very similar. I'm thinking one this year and the other next year? Is there a preferred order to them? One harder to get, at an unusually high bonus, or likely to go away soon? Please also confirm that these are like SW cards where the points go into your AA account and can be used after closing the card. Any other pitfalls to be aware of? Thanks!

The Citi cards tend to be easier to get, I would start with that one. I don’t track bonuses on those cards but I think 60k is the standard bonus. And yes, the bonus post on your AA account.

 

[StephPlum]

Just went through to see what taxes would look like and we'll owe this year. What service are people using to pay fed income taxes? I haven't owed in a while so I'm a newbie when it comes to paying Inc tax with a CC.

Now that the new card is in hand, I am ready to pay my taxes.

Checked and PayUSATax is 1.96% fee, 1040Pay is 1.99%, IRS site states 1.96% fee. Looks like 1.96% wins. Any other cheaper options? I don't see a free option on IRS for my income level.

 

[Minnie368]

Still debating on whether or not to call recon on my denied CIC app. I applied on 2/4 and was denied with these reasons- You have too many active accounts or too much available credit, Too many recent requests for credit, Credit report shows too many recently opened accounts, New Chase business card recently opened. My last Chase biz account was opened in 4/20 and one before that in 1/20. Credit score 811. Anyone feel like it’s worth my time calling? I’m also concerned about future approvals at this point since I’m under 5/24 and it had been 10 months since my last chase biz app and I had a 90 period with no account inquiries from anyone. I used ebay sales for the business. Any thoughts?

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Still debating on whether or not to call recon on my denied CIC app. I applied on 2/4 and was denied with these reasons- You have too many active accounts or too much available credit, Too many recent requests for credit, Credit report shows too many recently opened accounts, New Chase business card recently opened. My last Chase biz account was opened in 4/20 and one before that in 1/20. Credit score 811. Anyone feel like it’s worth my time calling? I’m also concerned about future approvals at this point since I’m under 5/24 and it had been 10 months since my last chase biz app and I had a 90 period with no account inquiries from anyone. I used ebay sales for the business. Any thoughts?

What is your Chase CL personal and business vs household income...Chase usually does not like to extend more credit if it’s close to 50% or $75k
Do you have other business cards that you can offer to move CL from to the new card ?

 

[Minnie368]

What is your Chase CL personal and business vs household income...Chase usually does not like to extend more credit if it’s close to 50% or $75k
Do you have other business cards that you can offer to move CL from to the new card ?

My CL have all been lowered so that it makes up maybe 20% of total income. I think I’m just going to call because what is there to lose, I just don’t know what to say my reasons are for wanting this card when I have two other biz cards already that I barely use.