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

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Someone posted elsewhere about airfares rising, and they weren't kidding! When we looked at flights to St Lucia a month or so ago they were well under 600 RT, now a bit over 800. Happy I at least double dipped the BOA premium rewards airline credits before cancelling/PCing, those plus the ones from DH's old Amex Gold gave us $600 off. Local scuba group goes every other year, this is the only trip I go along as a non-diver because it is a beautiful all-inclusive resort with things I can do (in addition to sitting in a beach chair ordering frozen drinks all day!) Can't wait until June.

I'm getting upset at how much prices have jumped. I need to look at where we want to go this summer ASAP. I guess the good news is, the airline industry picking back up is good for my BF.

I also ready that rental cars will be INSANE now too. There's a huge shortage. I thought the $350 I got for Spring Break was high. But then I saw it's over $900 now! They said rental car companies cut the sizes of their fleet. And since 2021's were halted, there are no cars to buy as well.

 

[amcc]

I had some pretty scary health stuff last year that made me wonder if I would live to my 40th bday.(June 2022)
I swore if I came out ok, I would go to Hawaii/ Aulani for my 40th. I’ve been trying hard to have a plan in place to get 5 people there June 14-26,2022.
I ran it by DD who will be graduating high school that month. They don’t release graduation dates until close to June. I told her if there are snow days or graduation was late she might miss it. She was fine with that.
Now, today she asked if we could plan the trip for another time She doesn’t want to miss graduation.
I am last of my 5 coworkers in seniority so I won’t be able to take 10 days in July or August. I don’t know what to do
I understand DD wanting to attend her graduation ceremony. Just really sad I cant spend my 40th in Hawaii.
I am left with my April break 2022 which is over April or pushing back to June 2023.
Im thinking April sounds ok. That gives me even less time to get my points in place.

I'm so glad that the health scares are in the past! I understand the frustration with kids that age and I would feel just like you do. My son graduates this year (and another one in 2022) and he has started working at Starbucks. It's been so hard for me to plan any trips and not know if he will be able to go with us. I've given him the dates coming up for Disney, our summer trip, and camping and told him to block off his graduation day and baccalaureate mass day early. Can you push the it back to June 18-30? It feels that college summers will be even more complicated with jobs, internships, summer sessions, etc.

 

[georgina]

I live in a county with 11 high schools. Most of the surrounding counties use the same downtown basketball arena for graduation. Each school's date and time is not known until the spring. So I don't think this is that unusual.

Wow, Allegheny county has 43 school districts, (a mosaic of small districts) each with its own high school, although I'm sure the city of Pittsburgh has several. I think they mostly use their own stadiums and hope it doesn't rain.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I had some pretty scary health stuff last year that made me wonder if I would live to my 40th bday.(June 2022)
I swore if I came out ok, I would go to Hawaii/ Aulani for my 40th. I’ve been trying hard to have a plan in place to get 5 people there June 14-26,2022.
I ran it by DD who will be graduating high school that month. They don’t release graduation dates until close to June. I told her if there are snow days or graduation was late she might miss it. She was fine with that.
Now, today she asked if we could plan the trip for another time She doesn’t want to miss graduation.
I am last of my 5 coworkers in seniority so I won’t be able to take 10 days in July or August. I don’t know what to do
I understand DD wanting to attend her graduation ceremony. Just really sad I cant spend my 40th in Hawaii.
I am left with my April break 2022 which is over April or pushing back to June 2023.
Im thinking April sounds ok. That gives me even less time to get my points in place.

High school graduation is such a big milestone- I can see why she wouldn’t want to miss it and you wouldn’t want to miss seeing her graduate either.

At this age, it gets so difficult to coordinate trips with young adults. It’s one of the challenges of changing family dynamics- and it totally sucks. I often can take 2 kids, sometimes 3, but it’s very rare all four of our kids can go.

April seems like it would be a great time to go, and it could take some stress off of graduation month. The month they graduate, they want to go to all of the graduation parties and hang out with their friends. It’s just a special time.

Good luck on a HEALTHY and joyful big 4-0.

 

[pinkxray]

I'm so glad that the health scares are in the past! I understand the frustration with kids that age and I would feel just like you do. My son graduates this year (and another one in 2022) and he has started working at Starbucks. It's been so hard for me to plan any trips and not know if he will be able to go with us. I've given him the dates coming up for Disney, our summer trip, and camping and told him to block off his graduation day and baccalaureate mass day early. Can you push the it back to June 18-30? It feels that college summers will be even more complicated with jobs, internships, summer sessions, etc.

I think we are going to try to push it out to June 22-July 1?
I am 1/5 mammo techs in my hospital. I have been there 11 years. The other 4 ladies have been there over 40 years. I am pretty much at their mercy on if I can have those days off. I will have to beg them all to pick different weeks and offer to work their weekends or something.
Good news is 2 retire next year so hopefully I’ll move up in vacation time priority.

I have already told DD that after that trip I’m not picking vacation dates around her schedule. She is welcome to come over summer or Jan. for Marathon weekend, but I love Disney in fall so that’s when we will go without her. Her brother and sister are 4 and 6 so I only have a few more years I will feel comfortable with them missing school.

 

[miztressuz]

Another Marriott Bonvoy status question foe you experts, if you don’t mind...
DH is 7 nights away from Platinum Elite status. I have 5 free night certificates and he has 3 free night certificates. We were planning on booking 3 rooms for family members and ourself during a July trip.
Is there any way I can use at least 4 of my nights to help him achieve Platinum? (Transfer to his name, book it in both our names, etc?)
I’m trying to read in the inter webs but finding some contradictory info.

I haven't had any luck getting FNC stays to credit to his account. Then again I haven't had luck getting points stays to credit either, but I know others have so that's possible. I'm gonna try again this year but I'm not counting on the FNC nights to count.

You can't transfer to his name but you can add him to the reservation and ask to have everything credited to his account. The closest I got was using his status and perks for the night but the elite night still credited to my account.

Maybe someone else had better luck and can tell us both the secret

 

[LB002]

Random question, but I know this group loves eBags Motherlode backpacks, so maybe someone will know... is eBags discontinuing the Motherlode Jr? I had 2 in my cart and with today's sale went to buy, but all colors are sold out except gray. The regular Motherlode was fully stocked. I want to get the kids their own since DS seems to think he's using MINE on our HI trip next month. I think the regular size will be too big for a 7yo.

 

[Lain]

Another Marriott Bonvoy status question foe you experts, if you don’t mind...
DH is 7 nights away from Platinum Elite status. I have 5 free night certificates and he has 3 free night certificates. We were planning on booking 3 rooms for family members and ourself during a July trip.
Is there any way I can use at least 4 of my nights to help him achieve Platinum? (Transfer to his name, book it in both our names, etc?)
I’m trying to read in the inter webs but finding some contradictory info.

Keep in mind DH would receive elite night credit on only one room.

“Members will only earn credit for each Qualifying Night ... for the guest room the Member personally pays for and stays in, and not for any additional guest rooms...”

 

[KPK02090]

If flying Southwest with one other person do you sit next to each other when you first get on or do you leave the middle seat empty and hope no one asks to sit there?

 

[Minnie368]

If flying Southwest with one other person do you sit next to each other when you first get on or do you leave the middle seat empty and hope no one asks to sit there?

We always leave the middle seat open and sit toward the front. Unless the flight is close to full it seems like people keep heading back looking for something better. I do usually ask at the desk before boarding what % full the flight is just so I know what to expect. But chances are if someone asks for that middle seat they’ll be happy for you to offer to give them the aisle or window so that you can sit with your companion. So really it’s not much of a gamble to give it a shot.

 

[disneybirds]

Lots of trips to Atlanta in my future. DD decided on GA Tech. Thankful for a healthy stash of RR points. I'm doing my research on Hilton cards since there seem to be some decent options near campus. Now just hoping for a somewhat normal freshman year for these kids who basically lost their senior year in high school.

And my Away bag is arriving today. Can't wait!

So excited for your daughter! Best wishes for the next adventure!!!

 

[Judique]

I haven't had any luck getting FNC stays to credit to his account. Then again I haven't had luck getting points stays to credit either, but I know others have so that's possible. I'm gonna try again this year but I'm not counting on the FNC nights to count.

You can't transfer to his name but you can add him to the reservation and ask to have everything credited to his account. The closest I got was using his status and perks for the night but the elite night still credited to my account.

Maybe someone else had better luck and can tell us both the secret

I managed to do it with my daughter on cash nights where I paid/made the reservations and then tried to 'give' her the elite nights. This included an amex offer. It turned into a big mess. I was charged. She was charged. Amex credited the offer twice. Eventually it ended with her getting the credit and me paying the tab. I will never try this again. Way too many phone calls to get the charges straightened out.

Point stays should be easy if you transfer the points to him and then make the reservation in his name to begin with.

 

[havaneselover]

I’m excited about sw offering soda again. And I don’t know what it is about the snack mix (not anything I would buy) but I always look forward to it. On Sunday we had turbulence so no service and I really missed it.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

DOC is reporting the SW change window is open again....haven’t had time to test it

 

[iujen94]

DOC is reporting the SW change window is open again....haven’t had time to test it

THANK YOU! I can confirm. Just booked and changed flights between April 21 and May 2. Change wasn’t available for a pre-existing flight I had booked for May 19.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

DoC posted again about retention offers on Am Ex NAF cards. I chatted for both me and DH on our BBPs. I got a $50 statement credit + $100 for $2000 MSR in 90 days on mine. Stackable with the $25 off $500+ purchase offer. Nothing for DH.

I saw the post on DoC too, and gave it a shot on the NAF Hilton Honors. I got 10,000 HH points on both mine and DH's cards (did it through chat).

 

[MarBee]

I haven't had any luck getting FNC stays to credit to his account. Then again I haven't had luck getting points stays to credit either, but I know others have so that's possible. I'm gonna try again this year but I'm not counting on the FNC nights to count.

You can't transfer to his name but you can add him to the reservation and ask to have everything credited to his account. The closest I got was using his status and perks for the night but the elite night still credited to my account.

Maybe someone else had better luck and can tell us both the secret

Keep in mind DH would receive elite night credit on only one room.

“Members will only earn credit for each Qualifying Night ... for the guest room the Member personally pays for and stays in, and not for any additional guest rooms...”

Thank you! I didn’t realize that point stays wouldn’t be credited or that multiple rooms at a time could not be. Ugh. Throwing a wrench in my plans now!

 

[afan]

DoC posted about the rumor of the plat af going up.

This will make it a hard pass for most depending on if they add to it. I'd planned to suck it up and pay the af this year and then ask for a retention or cancel next year. This makes me think I should try for the retention now, af hit last week and just cancel it next year. But I'll travel more next year so their lounge access makes it more useful then than now. So many decisions.

 

[Psychodisney]

DoC posted about the rumor of the plat af going up.

This will make it a hard pass for most depending on if they add to it. I'd planned to suck it up and pay the af this year and then ask for a retention or cancel next year. This makes me think I should try for the retention now, af hit last week and just cancel it next year. But I'll travel more next year so their lounge access makes it more useful then than now. So many decisions.

I'll most definitely take a pass. Last years added benefits kept me on board for now. But at those rumored rates, no way.

 

[becauseimnew]

DoC posted about the rumor of the plat af going up.

This will make it a hard pass for most depending on if they add to it. I'd planned to suck it up and pay the af this year and then ask for a retention or cancel next year. This makes me think I should try for the retention now, af hit last week and just cancel it next year. But I'll travel more next year so their lounge access makes it more useful then than now. So many decisions.

ouch... as long as they increase the benefits it might be a keeper, but ugh. The CSR is still the better premium card IMO.