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

[cdurham1]

I have a one way SW flight two weeks from tomorrow. I sure hope they straighten it out by then. Not a lot of plan B options to get back home. Delta is 77500 miles or $988 each, one way.

Mayne a bit off topic, but that makes me wonder - what is the longest operational problem an airline has ever survived. My initial reaction to your question is to say don't worry. If SW has a problem that lasts 2 weeks straight, they might as well hang it up.

 

[Haley R]

I booked the last of what I can book. So here's what I have so far -
4 Nights Tokyo Station Hotel with hyatt points. I know I probably won't get anything with my status and it doesn't look like it'll count for any of the brands for that free night, but I really like the location for what I'll be doing.
4 Nights Hilton Tokyo Bay
3 Nights Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, Okinawa.
Then it'll hopefully be 2 nights HKDL on property, 2 nights SDL on property and 1 night at the Hyatt on the Bund/Waldorf on the Bund
1 Night Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, will travel back from wherever I'm able to go Sat am and then stay here and fly home sunday night.

What area is the Tokyo station hotel in?

 

[becauseimnew]

I booked the last of what I can book. So here's what I have so far -
4 Nights Tokyo Station Hotel with hyatt points. I know I probably won't get anything with my status and it doesn't look like it'll count for any of the brands for that free night, but I really like the location for what I'll be doing.
4 Nights Hilton Tokyo Bay
3 Nights Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, Okinawa.
Then it'll hopefully be 2 nights HKDL on property, 2 nights SDL on property and 1 night at the Hyatt on the Bund/Waldorf on the Bund
1 Night Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, will travel back from wherever I'm able to go Sat am and then stay here and fly home sunday night.

What an epic trip!
How many days/nights are you doing?
i have 20 days planned for Japan, but I’m thinking that’s way too long of a trip. Trying to figure out how to cut it down to 16.

 

[Haley R]

What an epic trip!
How many days/nights are you doing?
i have 20 days planned for Japan, but I’m thinking that’s way too long of a trip. Trying to figure out how to cut it down to 16.

I’m not who you asked but we did 3 weeks and I could’ve stayed even longer lol

 

[SleepyatDVC]

No fee MCGCs at Staples this week, in case anyone can use them.

I also saw DOC posted about Visas at OD/OM.

We were trying to do our MSR organically. However, we may go ahead and sign up one of my parents for the CSP sooner rather than later while my referral link is still working for them at the 100K SUB and that would add another $4K of MSR within almost the same time period.

While I was discussing this (SUB and MSR) with Mom (P3), she wondered if we could use the CSP to purchase GCs (she thought of this all on her own and not by reading it on any internet forums/groups - lol) because she could use them as all her Christmas gifts to hand out as well as to tip her building condo staff.

Since there may be a shortage in Christmas gift inventory and delays in delivery, GCs for our nieces & nephews this year may be the way to go too.

Is there a primer somewhere about how to purchase these MCGC or VGS? What denominations they come in, etc?

When we have done GCs as gifts in the past, they were usually e-cards (Cheesecake Factory, Amazon, etc). What would be the safest way to send MCGCs and/or VGCs through the mail as gifts?

Thanks for any help in learning about all this.

 

[afan]

What area is the Tokyo station hotel in?

The hotel is at the actual tokyo station. I don't remember what it's called, across from the big park.

What an epic trip!
How many days/nights are you doing?
i have 20 days planned for Japan, but I’m thinking that’s way too long of a trip. Trying to figure out how to cut it down to 16.

I have 12 nights booked and need to book 5 more for HK and Shanghai, or somewhere in Japan. It ends up I think at 18 days if I don't count the day I leave since I'll be able to work like 6 hours that day. But it's also counting my first day there and I won't land until 7pm.

All depends on why you are going and what you want to see, if you think you'll go again someday. I fully expect to go back again.

 

[Haley R]

The hotel is at the actual tokyo station. I don't remember what it's called, across from the big park.



I have 12 nights booked and need to book 5 more for HK and Shanghai, or somewhere in Japan. It ends up I think at 18 days if I don't count the day I leave since I'll be able to work like 6 hours that day. But it's also counting my first day there and I won't land until 7pm.

All depends on why you are going and what you want to see, if you think you'll go again someday. I fully expect to go back again.

I looked it up to see where it was at. I’m not sure we went over that way while we were there. We went to the Tokyo dome north of there. We stayed in shibuya by yoyogi park so more west

 

[WVMomof3]

Hi there! I'm a newbie to this thread (long time reader/lurker, first time poster). Looking for some advice from you seasoned veterans as I begin my quest for credit cards. A bit of info about me based on the info listed on the first page of this thread:

I have two credit cards currently. The last one I opened was a couple of years ago:
08/2019 - Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card
My second CC is just one I got through my local credit union I opened 06/2016 (rarely use it).

• I spend about $1,000 a month on: groceries, gas, insurance, internet, cell phone, streaming services, various amazon purchases, and a storage unit I'm currently renting. I'm sure I'm missing something...
• I pay my credit card off each month in full. (I'm pretty debt averse. The only debt I currently have is a small-ish car loan. I could pay it off today but my interest rate is low in comparison to my rate of return on my investments. I may still pay it off soon... but currently saving for a house once the market cools down.)
• I'm fortunate to live in the piedmont triad of NC so fly out of GSO, CLT, and RDU.
• No preference to frequent flyer programs. Southwest is my favorite airline however, we've been flying mostly Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant as they are the cheapest and we typically pack light.
• Southwest does service RDU and CLT.
• No preference to hotel rewards programs.
• I have some miles with Delta/American Airlines but very few.
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? Hawaiian trip is my first goal. I hope to make it there sometime next year to celebrate my parents 30th anniversary, my mom's 50th birthday and my 30th birthday. 2022 will be a big year for celebrations! I'm always looking for a reason to go to Disney, as often as I can. We like to cruise too however, we are normally last minute travelers (in comparison to many others) and like to book when we find a good deal on something.
• When do you plan to take these trips? We're planning to go to Hawaii sometime June 2022-August 2022. My dads a teacher so it limits the times of year we're able to travel. If Hawaii doesn't pan out, an Alaskan cruise is Plan B or potentially and European cruise as Plan C depending on costs... Nothing is set in stone yet. I am planning a trip to Disney 2022 for my 30th birthday, so that's in the works too. We're pretty all over the place with travel ideas right now. Due to COVID and having to care for a few elderly relatives with various health issues in 2020/2021 we have a lot of pent-up energy to travel. Anywhere. Anytime. We just want to go... lol
• My travel party normally consists of myself, parents, and brother. I'm single and have no kids, so pretty small group of us.
• Also if it is helpful - my credit score is right around 785-ish.

I started researching credit cards a few months back but there is so much information available its starting to make my head spin. If you were just getting started out - which card(s) would you recommend? Is there any anything you wish you would have done differently?

I've got my eye on the Chase Sapphire or maybe a Delta Amex card. But really open to advice from someone with more experience.

If you are interested in the Chase Sapphire Preferred I would get it quickly while the support links on Discurners are still at 100,000 points. Since the public offer is back at 60,000 points we are not sure how long the support links will work. It might be a stretch for you at $4000 spend in 3 months though. But Chase UR points are one of the easiest to use.

 

[havaneselover]

I was reading all about the SW mess yesterday right before I fell asleep and I had the worst nightmare about my April Disney trip lol. I dreamt that SW was having the same issues and kept canceling my flight every day and we couldn't get home with a 2 year old toddler. I woke up totally stressed! I can't even imagine how people who is actually flying this weekend must feel. Hopefully your daughter gets home without incident on Tuesday.

This sounds like my precruise nightmares where I show up to the port without a passport!

 

[becauseimnew]

I’m not who you asked but we did 3 weeks and I could’ve stayed even longer lol

I’m just worried we’ll be exhausted and ready to get back to eating comfort food. The longest trip we’ve done is 10 nights. Next summer we’re going to Hawaii for 13 nights and that sounds like a really long trip.

I have 12 nights booked and need to book 5 more for HK and Shanghai, or somewhere in Japan. It ends up I think at 18 days if I don't count the day I leave since I'll be able to work like 6 hours that day. But it's also counting my first day there and I won't land until 7pm.

All depends on why you are going and what you want to see, if you think you'll go again someday. I fully expect to go back again.

We probably will go back but not for a long time.
I do plan to visit all Disney parks, maybe I need to plan a similar trip to you and just do all 3 Asia parks.

 

[catsinawindow]

I got an offer in my email to change my Amex Blue Cash Everyday card to a Cash Magnet card with a $150 statement credit for $1000 spend in first 3 months. They say the CC# and account # would remain the same. This is basically a sock drawer card for me, so it seems like it could be an easy way to get an extra $150! I wouldn't want to burn a 5/24 slot on this, though (I'm currently at 3/24). Anyone know if this would look like a new card to Chase?

 

[afan]

I’m just worried we’ll be exhausted and ready to get back to eating comfort food. The longest trip we’ve done is 10 nights. Next summer we’re going to Hawaii for 13 nights and that sounds like a really long trip.

We probably will go back but not for a long time.
I do plan to visit all Disney parks, maybe I need to plan a similar trip to you and just do all 3 Asia parks.

Once you're in Japan you're basically right there to the other 2. But China isn't even letting everyone that can live there in yet so I'm not as confident about that part.

 

[jenmsmith]

If she absolutely has to get there Tuesday, from what I've read on twitter and reddit, it might not be a bad idea to have a backup plan/flight on a different airline.

Yep. My flight from MCO to IND was canceled yesterday one hour before boarding. I booked a backup on AA while waiting in line at the SW counter. SW couldn’t rebook me until Tuesday, but let me attempt standby for the next flight. Thankfully a couple volunteered their seats and we made it back. Our luggage did not, but should be shipped by Tuesday. And we were some of the lucky ones.

 

[Haley R]

I’m just worried we’ll be exhausted and ready to get back to eating comfort food. The longest trip we’ve done is 10 nights. Next summer we’re going to Hawaii for 13 nights and that sounds like a really long trip.

We probably will go back but not for a long time.
I do plan to visit all Disney parks, maybe I need to plan a similar trip to you and just do all 3 Asia parks.

I totally understand that. I hadn’t been anywhere longer than 7 days before our trip. I’m an extremely picky eater and I never had trouble getting food but I knew going in that it wouldn’t be like home. It’s a long time to be away from home but there is so much to do and see in Japan. We weren’t sure if we would be back

 

[hsmamato2]

AA experts ...looking for quick answer here as im stuck with a quick decision (aaaargh) when booking on points, it says it can’t be changed once booked- but it can be canceled and miles reinstated if I change my plans...is this true or am I missing something important? Is there a time window I could cancel if needed?

 

[hsmamato2]

Yeah....... what timing I have.... I’m so wanting this Tuesday flight to visit family to work out...see previous post I’m considering alternate plans (aa) but tbh I’m in freakout mode here..... or possibly flying later this week is smarter?

 

[becauseimnew]

AA experts ...looking for quick answer here as im stuck with a quick decision (aaaargh) when booking on points, it says it can’t be changed once booked- but it can be canceled and miles reinstated if I change my plans...is this true or am I missing something important? Is there a time window I could cancel if needed?

That is true, I think you have to cancel 24 hours before the flight but don’t quote me on that. I’ve canceled several AA award flights, COVID really changed the way airlines do business.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Once you're in Japan you're basically right there to the other 2. But China isn't even letting everyone that can live there in yet so I'm not as confident about that part.

We were in planning stages for a China trip when DS graduates 8th grade, he's in 7th now. I've given up on it because I'm not sure how much will change in the next 18 months. Jealous of your 18 days. I really want to stay 3-4 weeks but my job limits me to 2 weeks. Another reason for a new job.

AA experts ...looking for quick answer here as im stuck with a quick decision (aaaargh) when booking on points, it says it can’t be changed once booked- but it can be canceled and miles reinstated if I change my plans...is this true or am I missing something important? Is there a time window I could cancel if needed?

Yes, you can cancel as long as it says it's cancelable. I've cancelled and rebooked our flights to London for next spring break probably 5-6 times. No issues and miles were back in my account in minutes.

 

[kmhowell]

Welcome to the credit card sign up bonus black hole I also got sucked into a few months ago. . You will get some valuable advice on this forum. Not really from me, but I will watch the advice you get and learn, too.

If I were in your shoes, I might start looking at flights to Hawaii and compare cash cost versus points on different airlines (including spending hours trying to figure out what transfer partners you could use).

Then, I would look at hotels in the area and compare cash cost versus points there, too.

Depending on if there are any obvious good use of points for either air or hotel, I would let that guide me on what kind of card to go for.

You missed a sweet spot for the CSP bonus. That would have been a fairly flexible, easy default first card at 100k.

You don't have a ton of time or spend to get too much of a bonus done by when you need it.

If Chase still has 100k British Airways avios sign up, you might want to consider that, too, for their American Airlines partnership. I don't think CLT to Hawaii is a sweet spot for that, but it is worth making a BA login and comparing points needed between the two.

Now, someone else can give you actual good advice.

If you are interested in the Chase Sapphire Preferred I would get it quickly while the support links on Discurners are still at 100,000 points. Since the public offer is back at 60,000 points we are not sure how long the support links will work. It might be a stretch for you at $4000 spend in 3 months though. But Chase UR points are one of the easiest to use.

Yes I feel like I've just fallen into a rabbit hole I can't seem to find my way out of... Thank you both so SO much! Thanks to your tip about the referral link still offering the 100,000 points, I was able to find one and apply. Fortunately we're about to do a kitchen remodel and going to be buying new appliances, so I should be able to get $4K spend in the first 3 months. Great timing! I can't thank you both enough. I will definitely take that advice and start to look at flights/hotels to compare cash cost vs points. I appreciate your tips!

 

[cdurham1]

Yes I feel like I've just fallen into a rabbit hole I can't seem to find my way out of... Thank you both so SO much! Thanks to your tip about the referral link still offering the 100,000 points, I was able to find one and apply. Fortunately we're about to do a kitchen remodel and going to be buying new appliances, so I should be able to get $4K spend in the first 3 months. Great timing! I can't thank you both enough. I will definitely take that advice and start to look at flights/hotels to compare cash cost vs points. I appreciate your tips!

If you were able to get a 100k CSP link still to work, then you have taken a lot of headache out of it. UR points are so flexible. Remember, you can just book stuff through the Chase travel portal and get 1.25 cents/point with the CSP. So, without any work at all, you can book $1,250 worth of travel. You can probably get a decent more amount of value by using transfer partners. Just be prepared to pull some all nighters in front of the computer researching to squeeze out another 0.5 cents/pt of value. I personally think it is fun, but that isn't normal.