I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[iujen94]

Capital One question: my P2 has the CapOne Venture One (ancient - like 20 years old) and CapOne Venture X (got it Nov 2021). Any insight whether he can get approved for/get the SUB for the CapOne Venture Rewards card?

If not, any suggestions on other (non-business) CapOne cards that he could be approved for and combine points with his existing Venture X points?

Following up on my own question - if P2 gets turned down for the Venture Rewards, can he immediately pivot and apply for the AMEX Plat, or will the CapOne inquiry/denial hurt him?

(We’ve got a $4-6k vet bill coming up - CapOne is my preference, and AMEX Plat is my backup. Just trying to figure out the best way to go about this.)

 

[jujubiee4]

I think you mean squaremouth .com? I've used that site before and find it easy to use. Smartmouth goes to a website fighting bad breath lol

I never heard of this site. I just went to it and they do have very competitive rates. I'm going to
purchase for an upcoming cruise. thanks

 

[tink1970]

Hi,

I've been reading TPG and have decided to try to get serious about the points game. I'm currently using a Barclay Arrival+ that I've had for years.

I'll have a Player 2. He'll use the card I give him, but wouldn't be into remembering which card to use for what.

No new credit card applications for the past 5 years.

We average about $6000 per month on our card and pay off monthly.

We don't fly often - Houston and Dallas are home airports and we typically choose United or Southwest

Marriott and Hilton are my go to for hotels - I have small points balances for both

We tend to rotate between Disney World, Disney Land and cruises with a random "other" every few years.

Starting to plan for Hawaii in the next couple of years. DH says he'll only go if we fly Business or First. I've started researching airlines and hotels, but I'm not committed to anything at this point and open to all suggestions.

Thanks for your help!!

Welcome!

You are in the wonderful position, if you have not applied for cards in the past 5 years, of being 0/24 in the Chase lingo.

First, the best thing to identify is your goal. It appears (but I could be misreading it) that your main goal is to fly to HI in comfort.

If this is the case then there are people who fly to HI often enough that hopefully they can help- @wanderlust7 and @mmmears immediately come to mind-they would both be super helpful in providing United assistance. American also flies to HI and I'm sure there are some people here who are experts in American.

Getting an idea of who flies to HI from DFW and IAH would be helpful, as well (skyscanner and googleflights are your best friend here). It appears AA has nonstop flights to HNL out of DFW, whereas there are no nonstop (but 1 stop) from IAH to HNL with United. You're not limited to only pursuing AA miles though-British Airways can sometimes be used (their availability is less predictable) to fly to HI, as can Alaskan Air miles. United is transfer partners with other Star Alliance partners so you could use other types of miles again with the caveat that sometimes partners don't have the same availability.

I'd decide whether nonstop is important-if so then AA might be the way to go from DFW. If you and DH are open to a connection then this allows y'all another avenue (United and its partners).

Second, after flights, I'd look at hotels-the good/popular/reasonably on points hotels book out early just as flights do so I'd decide which brand (hilton or marriott or hyatt OR an independent and work on cash back) and focus my earnings there.

Once you decided on some of these then I think other people on the board can help chime in to questions like "best way to earn AA (or United or Hawaiian air) miles," "how far out does Hilton/Hyatt/Marriott open availability," " do I need a rental car in X" etc. I could give you basic advice on credit cards but to earn towards HI, I'd be no help at all, lol (Europe yes, though ).

Hope you find some good information and again, welcome

 

[snugglebug]

If CSP bonus posted 8/27/2018, it is safe to app now or should I wait until the 28th? I'm hoping to get the card in hand soon so was thinking of app'ing today if it might be ok. P@ may be heading out on a road trip so he's going to want a card with his name on it, my current MSR cards are in my name.

I know we've talked mattresses here a lot. Casper is still the most recommended, correct? I can't seem to find a reason to go with the Original vs the Select from Costco so I'm leaning toward Costco. Costco has 2 versions though, a full foam and a hybrid. Any recommendations between those two?

 

[mmmears]

If CSP bonus posted 8/27/2018, it is safe to app now or should I wait until the 28th? I'm hoping to get the card in hand soon so was thinking of app'ing today if it might be ok. P@ may be heading out on a road trip so he's going to want a card with his name on it, my current MSR cards are in my name.

I know we've talked mattresses here a lot. Casper is still the most recommended, correct? I can't seem to find a reason to go with the Original vs the Select from Costco so I'm leaning toward Costco. Costco has 2 versions though, a full foam and a hybrid. Any recommendations between those two?

DD has the foam one and says it's a nice mattress, but not amazing. That's all I know, but I hope this helps.

 

[mmmears]

Welcome!

You are in the wonderful position, if you have not applied for cards in the past 5 years, of being 0/24 in the Chase lingo.

First, the best thing to identify is your goal. It appears (but I could be misreading it) that your main goal is to fly to HI in comfort.

If this is the case then there are people who fly to HI often enough that hopefully they can help- @wanderlust7 and @mmmears immediately come to mind-they would both be super helpful in providing United assistance. American also flies to HI and I'm sure there are some people here who are experts in American.

Getting an idea of who flies to HI from DFW and IAH would be helpful, as well (skyscanner and googleflights are your best friend here). It appears AA has nonstop flights to HNL out of DFW, whereas there are no nonstop (but 1 stop) from IAH to HNL with United. You're not limited to only pursuing AA miles though-British Airways can sometimes be used (their availability is less predictable) to fly to HI, as can Alaskan Air miles. United is transfer partners with other Star Alliance partners so you could use other types of miles again with the caveat that sometimes partners don't have the same availability.

I'd decide whether nonstop is important-if so then AA might be the way to go from DFW. If you and DH are open to a connection then this allows y'all another avenue (United and its partners).

Second, after flights, I'd look at hotels-the good/popular/reasonably on points hotels book out early just as flights do so I'd decide which brand (hilton or marriott or hyatt OR an independent and work on cash back) and focus my earnings there.

Once you decided on some of these then I think other people on the board can help chime in to questions like "best way to earn AA (or United or Hawaiian air) miles," "how far out does Hilton/Hyatt/Marriott open availability," " do I need a rental car in X" etc. I could give you basic advice on credit cards but to earn towards HI, I'd be no help at all, lol (Europe yes, thought ).

Hope you find some good information and again, welcome

I'm better at booking the hotels with points than the flights. But... it all depends where you're flying from, as you mentioned. I also lean towards URs and MRs since that gives the most flexibility.

 

[mmmears]

Very nice! I had that booked for my girls trip but my friends felt it was too far out plus only double beds. I currently have the Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric and Park Hyatt booked because I can’t pick! I had to book a suite at the Park Hyatt but the cpps ridiculous at 4.8 (Not that I would ever pay $4800 for 2 nights.) The HR has the lounge so free wine in The evening is nice and Centric seems to be a nice location and another brand to check off. Decisions, decisions.

Which Centric are you looking at? There are two - Mag Mile and The Loop. We stayed at the Mag Mile one using FNCs. Not a bad use for those since I struggle to use them, and a decent location, but it's just ok as hotels go. Nothing special. The PH looks nice, but of course more points. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that we stayed there in case it's the one you're considering and you have any questions. Oh, they did give us a huge suite for Globalist, but even with that it was just ok. We chose it for the location and the ability to use up our expiring FNCs and for those things it was perfect.

 

[ten6mom]

Sorry.. more Capital One Venture X Questions.

I will freeze Experian prior to applying to see if that helps.

I currently have a Capital One QS card that I got before we went to Japan in 2018. Anyone know whether that helps/hurts with approval?

I can use the GE credit for my husband since I already have it (or will have it in hand in a couple weeks) and it will be nice for us both to have it IN CASE we actually get to travel internationally together in the foreseeable future.

Question on using the travel credit/Capital One travel portal: Is it pretty much the same as Chase's travel portal, i.e. don't use it because it's a pain in the rear when things get canceled, or do you find it pretty useful? Is it just like Expedia (which I only use for price comparisons and then I go straight to the actual hotel or airline)? I just want to make sure the AF is worth it before I do something stupid. (For reference, the only AF card I currently have is the CSP which I am keeping because I do have to rent a car on occasion and I like the insurance). Also the slightly higher UR redemption rate). I just want to make sure I'm going to get use out of the $300 travel credit if I am approved.

What do you all do with the miles you earn on this card? Do you book through Capital One Travel or do you transfer them to your hotel membership accounts? I am not able to find a list of hotel/flight programs that I can transfer to... I'm sure I'm just missing it somewhere. Is there a link one of you experts might be able to provide?

Sorry for all the questions.. I'm just not sure I'm ready to drop a significant AF on this card unless it's easy to take advantage of the perks.

Thank you!!!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I am not able to find a list of hotel/flight programs that I can transfer to.

Found this
https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/venture-miles-transfer-partnerships/
I think the miles work like URs in that you can use them as a statement credit or book thru their portal. I don't actually have the card. (FWIW I have booked thru chase portal for activities and hotels and canceled/rebooked multiple times without issue. Would not recommend for flights)

 

[djmeredith]

If CSP bonus posted 8/27/2018, it is safe to app now or should I wait until the 28th? I'm hoping to get the card in hand soon so was thinking of app'ing today if it might be ok. P@ may be heading out on a road trip so he's going to want a card with his name on it, my current MSR cards are in my name.

I know we've talked mattresses here a lot. Casper is still the most recommended, correct? I can't seem to find a reason to go with the Original vs the Select from Costco so I'm leaning toward Costco. Costco has 2 versions though, a full foam and a hybrid. Any recommendations between those two?

I am not up to speed on the Casper advice here. However, I have an 11ish yr old Tempurpedic that is worn out and have been searching for a new one for over a 1.5 yrs now. The TP was great when I got it but it has been worn out for at least 2 years now. I tried the Saatva and Wink and returned both. I tried the Purple hybrid in store before I left on my trip and was impressed. I am seriously considering the Purple Hybrid 3, but I hate the thought of spending that much. However, my time away from my terrible mattress has convinced me I need something new asap.

 

[disprincessbear]

So this is a very general question - if you had no specific plans and just wanted to build points for some future trip, what would you do? I’m looking for a travel rewards card to use mostly for hotels because we typically drive over fly. I don’t have a favorite hotel chain. We currently have a CSP and a Chase Freedom. I’m not sure if I should just keep using the CSP or if I would be better off getting something like the Marriot Bonvoy to use as well. We do not have a specific timeline or location in mind, this is to simply start building up points toward a future vacation (maybe Disney, maybe the beach, maybe Yellowstone… no plans yet ).

 

[wanderlust7]

Welcome!

You are in the wonderful position, if you have not applied for cards in the past 5 years, of being 0/24 in the Chase lingo.

First, the best thing to identify is your goal. It appears (but I could be misreading it) that your main goal is to fly to HI in comfort.

If this is the case then there are people who fly to HI often enough that hopefully they can help- @wanderlust7 and @mmmears immediately come to mind-they would both be super helpful in providing United assistance. American also flies to HI and I'm sure there are some people here who are experts in American.

Getting an idea of who flies to HI from DFW and IAH would be helpful, as well (skyscanner and googleflights are your best friend here). It appears AA has nonstop flights to HNL out of DFW, whereas there are no nonstop (but 1 stop) from IAH to HNL with United. You're not limited to only pursuing AA miles though-British Airways can sometimes be used (their availability is less predictable) to fly to HI, as can Alaskan Air miles. United is transfer partners with other Star Alliance partners so you could use other types of miles again with the caveat that sometimes partners don't have the same availability.

I'd decide whether nonstop is important-if so then AA might be the way to go from DFW. If you and DH are open to a connection then this allows y'all another avenue (United and its partners).

Second, after flights, I'd look at hotels-the good/popular/reasonably on points hotels book out early just as flights do so I'd decide which brand (hilton or marriott or hyatt OR an independent and work on cash back) and focus my earnings there.

Once you decided on some of these then I think other people on the board can help chime in to questions like "best way to earn AA (or United or Hawaiian air) miles," "how far out does Hilton/Hyatt/Marriott open availability," " do I need a rental car in X" etc. I could give you basic advice on credit cards but to earn towards HI, I'd be no help at all, lol (Europe yes, thought ).

Hope you find some good information and again, welcome

@alisonthorn I'm no help for flights since we've only done Southwest to Hawaii with points.

For hotels, if you want to stay at the Grand Wailea on Maui, you can consider the Amex Hilton Aspire. You'll get a free night certificate a couple months after opening the card and each year after your card anniversary. It comes with a $250 resort credit that you can use there. Current bonus is 150k, so if you and P2 both get it, you can get 5 nights at the Grand Wailea. Standard awards are going for 110k/night now (there is no cap on the free night cert as long as it's a standard award). The certs currently can be used any night of the week, but the weekend restriction may come back.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai is also very nice. The Hyatt card SUBs aren't great. Assuming you aren't going for status, collecting Chase URs is better since those transfer 1 to 1. You'll need a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Reserve, or the Ink Preferred (business card) to transfer.

 

[wanderlust7]

Is there an easy way to see how many referral points you’ve made with a particular AMEX card in a calendar year? And if that card is tapped out, then another AMEX (same holder) can generate the referrals and get the referral points, correct?

Not easy since under Points Summary, the support points will be a line item but it won't be tied to a card. You can probably figure it out from the monthly points total for the card. The line item won't show up when you filter to that particular card, but the points will be in the total. Easy way would be to put it on your spreadsheet.

Yes, you can use the support link from another card. The max is tied to the card, not the card holder.

Following up on my own question - if P2 gets turned down for the Venture Rewards, can he immediately pivot and apply for the AMEX Plat, or will the CapOne inquiry/denial hurt him?

(We’ve got a $4-6k vet bill coming up - CapOne is my preference, and AMEX Plat is my backup. Just trying to figure out the best way to go about this.)

Amex isn't known to be inquiry sensitive. If he has other Amex cards, they likely won't even do a hard pull. So it should be fine.

 

[tink1970]

So this is a very general question - if you had no specific plans and just wanted to build points for some future trip, what would you do? I’m looking for a travel rewards card to use mostly for hotels because we typically drive over fly. I don’t have a favorite hotel chain. We currently have a CSP and a Chase Freedom. I’m not sure if I should just keep using the CSP or if I would be better off getting something like the Marriot Bonvoy to use as well. We do not have a specific timeline or location in mind, this is to simply start building up points toward a future vacation (maybe Disney, maybe the beach, maybe Yellowstone… no plans yet ).

How long ago did you earn your CSP bonus? If it was >48 months, I might consider cancelling it, waiting for a month or so and getting another. Or you could get a Chase Freedom Flex or Freedom Unlimited if you find yourself maxing out the 5X category each quarter and spend a lot in gas/pharmacy/dining out-not a huge bang for your buck but something-plus right now both have 5x back on gas for the first 12 months you have the card up to $6000 in gas spend. In addition to the rotating categories, they both offer 3% on pharmacy and dining spend-not bad for a no AF card.


If a hotel card is more for you, I'd wait a bit to see how the release of the RUMORED new Marriott cards (one from Amex/one from Chase) goes-they usually have strong sign up offers to generate interest in the card (*that said if you like premium cards and have an upcoming Bonvoy stay, you might want to get the Brilliant before they change the $300 credit at a Bonvoy property to the less thrilling $25/month dining credit and raise the annual fee).

If you're open to Hilton properties then Amex offers 4 different types of cards and they can be very helpful for stays (I keep a biz Hilton to generate points for one specific hotel-the Boston Logan airport Hilton-for unexpected stays). There are experts here who know how to maximize the expensive AF Aspire, others who have the mid level Biz/Surpass and there's even a no AF Hilton!

Capital One is developing a strong following and they transfer to less discussed (on this thread) programs like choice and Accor but I'll defer those discussions to someone who is more familiar with C1.

These are just suggestions-of course there is also the American Express Membership Reward eco-sphere as well as Citi and its Thank You Points but if you're under 5/24, I'd probably stick with Chase for simplicity.

 

[wannabee]

We enjoyed Rome but it was so hot. (I will never go to Europe in July or August again.) Margutta 19 in Rome was a very nice small hotel in a good location about a block away from Piazza del Popolo. The Flamino metro was close, just on the other side of the piazza. We were on the top (4th) floor and had a nice terrace overlooking the hotel's back garden. We stayed in a classic suite, which was a large room with a sofa sitting area. Breakfast was included and it was a nice mini buffet that also included eggs to order. I used points for all 4 nights but did have to pay taxes of about $73. The staff were all super nice. I splurged on the Vatican after hours happy hour tour, and it was worth it. Our tour guide took us through the Vatican Museum and then when the museum was closed to the public, we had private (small group) access to the Sistene Chapel. After that, it ends with wine and cheese/hors d'oeuvres in the Pinecone Courtyard bistro. I splurged big time on a private tour of the Colosseum/Roman Forum that included the underground and second level. It was worth every penny. The driver picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel and we had our own guide who was extremely knowledgeable and nice. It was brutally hot, but we really enjoyed it. Another crazy boarding process for our flight to BCN, but at least both of our flights were close to on time and our luggage made it both times.

I almost forgot to mention the Biz class seats on Air France. We had a layover for 3 hrs in ATL and we spent our time in the Terminal F lounge. Food was decent. It was fairly crowded but we had no trouble finding seats. The biz class was a surprise for my nephew, so it was fun seeing his reaction when we boarded. FAs were very nice. We are both very picky eaters. I skipped the entree and had the express dinner so I could get to sleep. He chose the chicken entree, but they never brought it to him. We thought they were still in the middle of the entree service but they were brining out desserts. I told him to ask for it, but by that point he said he didn't want it anyway. That was the only hiccup. As a former Delta flight attendant (left in 2005), it was interesting to see how less formal the first/biz class service now is. I know part of it is a result of the Covid changes. We watched a movie during dinner then we both tried to sleep. They had a decent selection on the entertainment system. I slept pretty well for a few hours (with a little help from a prescription sleep med). On the way back, I had a very tight connection in CDG because we arrived late, so I didn't get a chance to enjoy the flagship lounge. I did pop in there to check it out and grab some snacks.

Flight back from CDG to DTW was long but the FAs were great. Having GE was great. Our flight must have been the last international arrival at DTW because there was literally no one else at the border patrol/customs. They have lots of GE kiosks and it took me all of 45 seconds to do my scan. I highly recommend GE. I had a 3 hr layover so I went to the lounge. The Michigan men's basketball coach and some of the players came in. Coach Howard was sitting across from me 3 feet away. My nephew had also run into the Clemson men's basketball team in Paris at a McDonald's at midnight. He is also a college athlete, so he struck up a conversation with them.

A random observation: you cannot access Hulu while in Europe. So be sure you download anything you want to watch while traveling there. We used ATT's international plan which is $10 per day (max $100 per billing cycle). Thanks to everyone who has provided advice over the last 2 years! I hope to pay that help forward, so please feel free to ask any questions.

How did you book your business class on Air France?

 

[elgerber]

For the Venture card, I booked a one way flight through their portal to use the credit. I haven’t used it for anything else. I was looking at car rentals when I used it but they were wayyy high and you still had to pay a bunch. To use the points you can charge whatever travel to the card and then just erase the charge with your points. I got it for the killer bonus they offered at first I don’t know if I will keep it. I doubt it.

 

[djmeredith]

How did you book your business class on Air France?

I transferred UR to Flying Blue and booked directly with AF. I did two one-way bookings and each way was 55K per person.

 

[tink1970]

We enjoyed Rome but it was so hot. (I will never go to Europe in July or August again.)

LOL, I've said that several times and yet somehow end up back there when it's hot! I'm glad you enjoyed it and if you're considering returning, Paris is lovely in October and Rome in December was magical. DH and I are going to Croatia in March and keeping our fingers crossed it's not too cold and not too hot. As I age I start feeling more and more like Goldilocks with weather

AF forgot to serve DD the arrival meal when we flew back this summer in business, too. It struck me as odd but fortunately she's pretty laid back about those things. I don't think they're back up and running 100%.

 

[djmeredith]

LOL, I've said that several times and yet somehow end up back there when it's hot! I'm glad you enjoyed it and if you're considering returning, Paris is lovely in October and Rome in December was magical. DH and I are going to Croatia in March and keeping our fingers crossed it's not too cold and not too hot. As I age I start feeling more and more like Goldilocks with weather

AF forgot to serve DD the arrival meal when we flew back this summer in business, too. It struck me as odd but fortunately she's pretty laid back about those things. I don't think they're back up and running 100%.

OMG, I literally say the same thing about being Goldilocks! I am sure Rome is beautiful in December. When I was a flight attendant, I worked a trip to Paris 2 days before Christmas Eve. Walking along the Champs Elysees with all the lights and very few people was magical.

 

[djmeredith]

Update on the DLP Premier Access refund request. They responded yesterday almost immediately, which was weird since they never answered my first inquiry. They said they are processing the refund.