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

[afan]

Northern Cascades.

We would like to do 2 days in Seattle, at the beginning and end.
I would love to spend 2 days at Olympic. I have several places I would like to see there.
And just a hike or 2 at the other 2 NPs, just want to get our passport stamps.
But the drives between parks are soooo long that I feel like we need to spend more than a day at each place.

Looking at 4th of July week.

This year?

If this year, traffic should be better as a lot of people, at least right now, are still working from home, but add in a holiday weekend and as long as you aren't going on I-5 south the friday of that weekend or north the day after (all south of seattle) and you'll be ok. And if you can avoid heading to/from Rainier on a Fri/Sat/Sun it would be better, or go early.

However, you'll want to watch the snow and if things are going to be available. Our snow pack is nuts this year and that often means a late ski season with a potential opening for Memorial day, if it's not closed, and possibly the 4th. One of our meteorologists posted this earlier this evening -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1364751452728623107

With that, I'd just make sure you look at the snow pack prior to your trip so you can plan accordingly as you may need a warmer jacket than you think or different/extra shoes. Or we could get a warmer than normal spring and have a huge melt, in which case Snoqualmie falls would be a good, but out of the way, stop.

I'd also watch to see how things are, we have opened, but are no where near as open as other places and things you would expect to be open/available in/near the parks may not be or be limited. Same with accommodations, I wouldn't wait to book as long as they can be cancelled. And while it looks like we're on the right path, also know that if it gets bad again they won't hesitate to shut stuff down, and it's in regions now, not by county or by state, and you'll be in several different regions. I know for skiing they are restricted and you have to buy online, not once you get there.

The others will be able to give you a better idea on the time needed, I don't hike and can't remember the last time I was at any of those places I think hurricane ridge I was 5 or 6, rainier I've no idea but I do want to do the gondola in the summer.

 

[miztressuz]

@SouthFayetteFan bummer news bud, the 80k SW links have updated to the new 30k+CP offer. No change on the Biz card offers from what I see right now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/lr95bf/_/goo36gj

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

@SouthFayetteFan bummer news bud, the 80k SW links have updated to the new 30k+CP offer. No change on the Biz card offers from what I see right now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/lr95bf/_/goo36gj

Correct - bolding for visibility:
The 80,000 point SW Offer (all-time high) is now DEAD!

For those with links on DISchurners, PLEASE update your text on this so as not mislead anybody! Thanks!!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Nightmare that I'm wondering is related to the posts I've been seeing here yesterday and today re: Southwest: I was in the middle of looking up/booking flights to Orlando for 5/1 and the prices jumped hundreds of dollars while I was in the middle of it. Has this ever happened to anyone? Are those prices locked in now, do you think, or could they go down again?

This is my guess based on what I have seen with some of my previous flights that have been changed.....
They probably will go back down ..SW is probably now changing around flights for those dates

So, I just looked and basically all the date for the free change window have been increased tremendously. It appears that SW has found a way to keep people from booking cheap flights then changing them.
View attachment 558805

Funny, I had that happen too as I was booking my flights to HI. I was like what the heck! I know I just saw $143 and now it’s $667.

The answer to this mystery might be here: Southwest Airlines - System Maintenance Occurring Feb 24 8PM CDT to Feb 25 6AM CDT

System Maintenance Occurring Feb 24 8PM CDT to Feb 25 6AM CDT
Our system will be undergoing some updates during the evening of Wednesday, February 24 and thru 6AM CDT on Feb 25. During this time, you may see some Wanna Get Away fares be marked as unavailable for flights departing April 24 thru May 8.

This is a temporary condition and flights during this travel window that have Wanna Get Away availability will properly display again starting at 6AM on Feb 25. This may impact your attempt to shop for fares during this travel window and you may encounter errors when attempting to change a ticket during this time.

Please return after 6AM CDT on Feb 25 to try to shop or change your ticket if your travel is planned between April 24 and May 8. We apologize for the inconvenience and extend you our heartfelt thanks for your support of Southwest.

 

[snugglebug]

The answer to this mystery might be here: Southwest Airlines - System Maintenance Occurring Feb 24 8PM CDT to Feb 25 6AM CDT

System Maintenance Occurring Feb 24 8PM CDT to Feb 25 6AM CDT
Our system will be undergoing some updates during the evening of Wednesday, February 24 and thru 6AM CDT on Feb 25. During this time, you may see some Wanna Get Away fares be marked as unavailable for flights departing April 24 thru May 8.

This is a temporary condition and flights during this travel window that have Wanna Get Away availability will properly display again starting at 6AM on Feb 25. This may impact your attempt to shop for fares during this travel window and you may encounter errors when attempting to change a ticket during this time.

Please return after 6AM CDT on Feb 25 to try to shop or change your ticket if your travel is planned between April 24 and May 8. We apologize for the inconvenience and extend you our heartfelt thanks for your support of Southwest.

Ahh, that explains things.

Was wondering why we've been moved to a flight (that is absolutely horrible) that isn't showing on the schedule at all. I guess I wait to untangle this mess.

 

[ten6mom]

Yippee! Works well for paying my March mortgage payment.

I know I should know this but how do you pay a mortgage with visa gift cards? Do you literally use them to pay it online, or do you buy money orders with them, or....?

 

[platamama]

I finally got my replacement $500 vgc that was fraudulently drained back in September. Loaded my Bluebird with it today so it's all resolved and out of my hair. But the WM ladies were giving me such attitude about loading my card ("oh you can't load a card with another card," and these are the same people who have done the transactions for me many times in the past), I don't know if I will continue doing it. I asked if only cash was allowed to load it or could I use a debit card, and the head lady (who had grumbled something about people using their reward cards lol) said if I had a PIN I could, so I said I had a PIN, and the whole transaction was processed like it always has been. so they're just making stuff up. Ugh. I may have to try going to that WM at different times of the day. I really don't feel like driving 25 minutes to go to a different WM.

 

[Albort]

National Parks people, is 8 days reasonable for Washington's 3 NPs?

I've been searching high and low for the perfect itinerary to hit all 3 parks but have come up empty.

we spent 3 days at Mt Rainier, stayed at the skii resort (Crystal Mountain) which was nice. spent 2 days in Seattle and one in Everest for Boeing plant visit.
we skipped the other NP due to timing, we were only there for 6 days.
highly recommend renting silvercar, it was nice having a beefy car with the sunroof going around Mt Rainier.

 

[DisMommyTX]

Does anyone else feel like they are the only one not going to Hawaii.

Me too. We have fully booked then had to cancel two separate trips to Hawaii in the past 10 years. At this point I feel like it's some mythical dreamland of volcanos and dragons that doesn't really exist.

 

[lsutigers03]

Correct - bolding for visibility:
The 80,000 point SW Offer (all-time high) is now DEAD!

For those with links on DISchurners, PLEASE update your text on this so as not mislead anybody! Thanks!!

As long as you got in before now you're still good for the 80k deal right? Even if it was after the official end date?

 

[havaneselover]

I know I should know this but how do you pay a mortgage with visa gift cards? Do you literally use them to pay it online, or do you buy money orders with them, or....?

I take them to Food Lion and buy money orders ($0.46) in $500 increments. Then I take the money orders to Chase and they apply them to my monthly payment.

 

[smallsy]

We also had some SW craziness happen to us. DH had been tracking flights for a potential end of April WDW trip. He checked Tuesday, flights looked good, booked the resort, then Wednesday morning ALL of the cheap flights were gone for our departure date. We ended up deciding to shift our trip by a couple of days instead of waiting to see if SW would be sorted out.

Now I just need to get caught up on how to do Disney since I didn't think we'd be going this year.

 

[miztressuz]

As long as you got in before now you're still good for the 80k deal right? Even if it was after the official end date?

With Chase your welcome offer goes by what you applied for. So if you applied when the offer showed the 80k deal, that's what is locked into your application, even if you get approved later. And even if it was after the official end date.

 

[becauseimnew]

Southwest prices are back to normal.

 

[iujen94]

To everyone taking advantage of the 5x gas on Freedoms in February - don’t forget to fuel up one more time over the weekend! (And don’t forget Circle K is still an extra 4% back on Dosh!)

 

[Judique]

Looking at Sapphire benefits this morning. Has anyone used Sapphire Dining? It's powered by Tock and you sign in through your Sapphire account.

It takes you to the option to make a reservation or to do pickup. Menu options show points and dollars. It appears as if you can use UR points to pay, but since I didn't create an account with Tock (not ready for that) I couldn't tell. It's also giving 10x points until June, which is what made it look interesting to me - order pickup from a better restaurant and get 10x UR's.

The restaurants are country wide and include some that I would use in the greater Washington, DC area, so I would like to know more.

 

[Judique]

And on to other Chase offers: I used my Sapphire to order Panera through Door dash.

I had a Panera offer and a Door dash offer on that card.

So far they've honored the Panera offer.

DD also used Door dash to get something else at a different restaurant the next night, and it used my Sapphire to pay.

Now I'm waiting to see if Door dash is going to credit.

 

[Alexle2007]

Does anyone have any recent experience with United 1st class? How is the United Club? How was the flight experience? I am thinking about for our flight from BWI to HNL next month.

 

[havaneselover]

Paid Geico with amex bbc today—broke into three payments to maximize my offer, still need a new card but waiting for sw to renew and points to post so I can cancel it and only have two chase business cards.

And did we ever figure out if paying taxes with chase business cards was going to be a problem in the future? That’s the majority of my credit card spend. I know the main charge is from the irs so I’m not sure that would be considered a third party.

 

[IFlossU]

I finally got my replacement $500 vgc that was fraudulently drained back in September. Loaded my Bluebird with it today so it's all resolved and out of my hair. But the WM ladies were giving me such attitude about loading my card ("oh you can't load a card with another card," and these are the same people who have done the transactions for me many times in the past), I don't know if I will continue doing it. I asked if only cash was allowed to load it or could I use a debit card, and the head lady (who had grumbled something about people using their reward cards lol) said if I had a PIN I could, so I said I had a PIN, and the whole transaction was processed like it always has been. so they're just making stuff up. Ugh. I may have to try going to that WM at different times of the day. I really don't feel like driving 25 minutes to go to a different WM.

I can relate. I purposely chose different times of the day so I wasn’t always running into the same people. Which also allowed me to find some associates that were very friendly, or alternately indifferent. It seemed to make my trips easier. With that said I haven’t stepped foot into a Walmart since November. It’s been nice, and now I’m not sure if I’ll ever go back. Maybe