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

[Judique]

It looks like the 65,000 SW point links are finally dead. They went about 2 weeks longer than when the public offer was pulled.

I've been thinking of a new personal card as I'm 1/24. Looking over all the choices, pickings are kinda slim. (I already have the CSP since November). I'm down to looking at a Disney card (for annual dues) or a Freedom card. No more biz as the MSR is too high for me, unless I get a building project going, which isn't likely right now. I want to do the Hyatt card over but the SUB is too small - I got 40k first round, and the FNC doesn't cover my option at the beach. I know it's 60K but for $15K? I'd rather do that in UR's for flexibility.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Please bear with me on this convoluted question. I don’t travel internationally very often so this is all new to me -

We are flying Raleigh to Switzerland, and then Munich to Raleigh next July. For a variety of reasons, we are definitely using United miles for this trip. (Yes I know about the United excursionist perk but it would not have worked for us.)

I booked the Raleigh-Switzerland leg as soon as the schedule opened (and glad I did because our flight was 30k miles when I booked vs 64k today, a week later).

Our Munich-Raleigh flight dates should open up next week, and I’ve been looking at flights to get a feel for schedules. I noticed that all of the Munich-Raleigh flights include taxes and fees of about $160 per person.

We booked these same flights back in 2020 and paid only nominal taxes and fees, BUT we booked it as one multi-city ticket, instead of two separate one way tickets like we are now. I’m assuming that’s the difference?

So my question(s) - given my situation, any way to avoid paying those high taxes/fees? I’m wondering if I could change my existing flight to add on the Munich-Raleigh leg to make it a multi-city ticket, like we had last summer? Although I’m not sure if we would then lose the 30k rate for our outbound flights?

Thanks so much for any suggestions. I’m prepared to suck it up and pay the taxes, but didn’t want to miss an easy way to avoid that.

I don’t have an explanation for why you didn’t incur these taxes the last time you booked it. Was it the same itinerary and airline?

Here’s some info on taxes. Germany ranks up there, but not as bad as the UK.

https://www.valuepenguin.com/taxes-raise-international-airfare

 

[becauseimnew]

I've been thinking of a new personal card as I'm 1/24. Looking over all the choices, pickings are kinda slim. (I already have the CSP since November). I'm down to looking at a Disney card (for annual dues) or a Freedom card. No more biz as the MSR is too high for me, unless I get a building project going, which isn't likely right now. I want to do the Hyatt card over but the SUB is too small - I got 40k first round, and the FNC doesn't cover my option at the beach. I know it's 60K but for $15K? I'd rather do that in UR's for flexibility.

Any need for a United card? Pretty got SUB right now.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I've been thinking of a new personal card as I'm 1/24. Looking over all the choices, pickings are kinda slim. (I already have the CSP since November). I'm down to looking at a Disney card (for annual dues) or a Freedom card. No more biz as the MSR is too high for me, unless I get a building project going, which isn't likely right now. I want to do the Hyatt card over but the SUB is too small - I got 40k first round, and the FNC doesn't cover my option at the beach. I know it's 60K but for $15K? I'd rather do that in UR's for flexibility.

What about a Hilton card? I've been able to make some great bookings with HH points. Not that I've been able to enjoy any of the redemptions.....yet!

 

[iujen94]

I don’t have an explanation for why you didn’t incur these taxes the last time you booked it. Was it the same itinerary and airline?

Here’s some info on taxes. Germany ranks up there, but not as bad as the UK.

https://www.valuepenguin.com/taxes-raise-international-airfare

I went back and checked again - turned out I DID pay the Germany fees/taxes, but apparently they’ve gone up in the last year. Oh well....at least the tickets are free!

 

[MinnieMay]

1 DP shows new account date (presuming would add to 5/24?):

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/o5ikkp/_/h2p6ian

1 DP shows old account date (should not add to 5/24):

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/o5ikkp/_/h2qfqr4

You would be a good data point as well, if you can check your credit report to see what the account opening date shows as?

I checked Credit Karma and the CFF MC card shows the original date (of the CSP Visa) for both Transunion and Equifax. However, I get a FICO score on my credit union that is updated each month and, for some unknown reason, it recently went down a considerable number of points. It doesn't give you the details but now I'm wondering if that is what happened. I was initially disturbed about it but since my CK scores actually went up a point or two, I didn't pursue it. I guess I should look into it.

 

[MinnieMay]

I just looked again at my credit union and it says it reports Experian FICO. My score dropped 19 points for no apparent reason. Does anyone know of an easy way to check your Experian report for the details.

 

[wanderlust7]

I just looked again at my credit union and it says it reports Experian FICO. My score dropped 19 points for no apparent reason. Does anyone know of an easy way to check your Experian report for the details.

You can sign-up for a free Experian account. They'll push a paid account, you can just decline. Sometimes a large balance gets reported and that'll ding your score. But then it gets paid off and score bounces back.

 

[lsutigers03]

What about a Hilton card? I've been able to make some great bookings with HH points. Not that I've been able to enjoy any of the redemptions.....yet!

Which Hilton card would you recommend? My wife received a 100,000 point offer with $1,000 MSR on their no fee card.

 

[Arcades]

I've been thinking of a new personal card as I'm 1/24. Looking over all the choices, pickings are kinda slim. (I already have the CSP since November). I'm down to looking at a Disney card (for annual dues) or a Freedom card. No more biz as the MSR is too high for me, unless I get a building project going, which isn't likely right now. I want to do the Hyatt card over but the SUB is too small - I got 40k first round, and the FNC doesn't cover my option at the beach. I know it's 60K but for $15K? I'd rather do that in UR's for flexibility.

If you have never held an Amex Platinum card, I would strongly consider the Resy offer of 125,000 MR for $6,000 spend, plus 15x on Shop Small Restaurants (my area in SWFL has quite a few so I imagine most places do) up to $25,000 in the first 6 months. I grabbed the card when it was 10x groceries, but the sign up bonus is even better now. With all the credits, the annual fee was manageable. Alternatively, the Resy Gold card is 60,000 MR on $4,000 spend, plus 20% off of restaurant purchases in the first 12 months up to $250 (wipes out the annual fee entirely).

My favorite personal card is the Hilton Aspire. 150,000 HH for $4,000 spend and Diamond Status. Very easy to use the $250 airline credit via Delta using the $50 e-gift card payment system and very easy to use the $250 resort credit, which pays for the entire annual fee. If you ever stay at Hiltons, even if you don't get the upgrades, you get the best multipliers.

Third would be Delta Gold since it's a value proposition. 70,000 miles for $2,000 spend, plus a $200 statement credit with a Delta purchase in your first 3 months. A $50 gift card would trigger this leaving you +$200 with no annual fee, and you could use the gift card later in conjunction with a Platinum or Aspire Delta purchase to trigger the $200/$250 airline credit on those cards.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Which Hilton card would you recommend? My wife received a 100,000 point offer with $1,000 MSR on their no fee card.

That is a great offer!

 

[iujen94]

Anyone who signed up for CFU during the 5x on grocery promotion....do you remember the details? I think it’s for the first year, but I can’t remember the dollar cap. And I can’t find any reference to it on the Chase app, although I am still getting 5x on groceries.

 

[wanderlust7]

Which Hilton card would you recommend? My wife received a 100,000 point offer with $1,000 MSR on their no fee card.

The Aspire is my favorite Hilton card. You get a free night certificate a couple months after opening the card. They don't make you wait until the first anniversary like the other hotel cards. They can be used at any Hilton as long as there are standard awards. Usually weekends only, but now any night through 2022. I love the aspirational properties, so the Hilton FNC are my favorite.

Hilton FNC > Hyatt 15k FNC >>> Bonvoy 35k FNC

I value Hilton points at 0.4 cent per point, so the 150k SUB is worth $600 to me. I'd value the $250 airline and resort credits at $200 each, and the FNC at $300 (you can use different numbers). I used my FNC at the Grand Wailea, so it was actually worth much more than $300. So $600+$200+$200+$300-$450 AF comes out to a $850 SUB. Not even counting the potential to double dip on the airline or resort credit (resort credit is more difficult since it's tied to the anniversary year).

The no AF Hilton SUB would only be worth $400 to me, plus there's a Hilton $100 credit, which I'd value maybe at $80? So a $480 SUB. Not quite as worth a 5/24 slot. But it can be part of a strategy to play the Hilton upgrade/downgrade game.

 

[LynnTH]

DP - Both DS22 and DD20 signed up (per mine and DH's Referral links) for the CSP. Both were instantly approved!!

DS22 also has Chase Freedom and Chase Disney - Freedom is over a year old and Disney from March. (had a few other card that have since been cancelled). He just graduated from college and has a full time job.
DD20 has the Chase Disney from March Also and only Chase Card, but I'm sure it helped having this. Other card she has is Discover, which she got at 18. Currently working 2 jobs but will not be working during the school year. Put down yearly salary based on current income if she continued to work full time (didn't figure she would get approved otherwise and still was not sure if it would go through)

DD's Tuition is due in August/September so going to use both of these cards for that. That will give both kids an easy $1000.

 

[MinnieMay]

Anyone who signed up for CFU during the 5x on grocery promotion....do you remember the details? I think it’s for the first year, but I can’t remember the dollar cap. And I can’t find any reference to it on the Chase app, although I am still getting 5x on groceries.

Yes, mine was 5% for the first year, up to $12,000 total grocery store spend. (on my CFF)

 

[iujen94]

Yes, mine was 5% for the first year, up to $12,000 total grocery store spend. (on my CFF)

Thanks! That’s what I was thinking too. I’ve still got a way to go!

 

[MinnieMay]

Thanks! That’s what I was thinking too. I’ve still got a way to go!

Me too. I wish they would put a tracker in the app.

 

[iujen94]

Me too. I wish they would put a tracker in the app.

On the app you can click “see all transactions” and then “spending summary.” You can filter by date range plus category. We are lucky that we got our CFU in late December, so if I filter for groceries in this calendar year, my number is pretty accurate.

 

[MinnieMay]

You can sign-up for a free Experian account. They'll push a paid account, you can just decline. Sometimes a large balance gets reported and that'll ding your score. But then it gets paid off and score bounces back.

Thanks! I just got an account and my Experian score was higher than the 2 scores on CK. It is 39 Pts higher than the FICO on my credit union. I have no idea what FICO score the credit union looks at. Also, my CFF opening date is showing the original date of my CSP approval so all 3 bureaus check out.

On the app you can click “see all transactions” and then “spending summary.” You can filter by date range plus category. We are lucky that we got our CFU in late December, so if I filter for groceries in this calendar year, my number is pretty accurate.

Thanks so much! I have been trying lately to figure out how best to maximize my 5X on my CFF and also 5X on my CIC and this tips makes it easy to track the CFF.

 

[Psychodisney]

Was that the second offer, May 15 to Aug 15? I added it and did maybe 1 gas charge, then moved on as I had a similar offer on Hyatt and IHG. I've used the Hyatt one most, but really just for gas to get the 5%. I maxed the first Disney offer and Hyatt offer to get my 7500 points for both and mostly skipped the IHG. The follow up offer was almost strange.

Yes, that's the second offer. I've been using the 5x on gas on my SW card which is worth more to me than the Disney or Hyatt promo. I did max the first offer on SW, Hyatt and Disney.