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

[wanderlust7]

Thx for your help. I am so confused at this point. I do believe you may be right--the promo may have been "3 free nights, valued up to 150k points." I did make the reservation. at swan reserve. It has a box that you check called "points/certificates." Then, it shows you the total in points. I booked 5 nights for 200k points, and it shows that I get the 5th night free. I don't have the points (or free nights) yet--I meet the spend requirement when my bill is paid in early Feb. The system allows me to book the points rate before I actually have the points.
Then, I guess I will see if it shows up as points after my bill is paid, or will they send me certificates? If so, I don't really see how I can book swan reserve with certificates, since when I search for rooms using "points/certificates" there is no further certificate option.

Any advice on booking with FNC? I am honestly about to give up if I get FNC and use them some where easier down the road, and just book a different resort for Disney!

Sounds like you made a points advance booking. It holds the room for you, but doesn't lock in the points rate. The points rate can fluctuate between non-peak/standard/peak fairly often. Hopefully it stays 50k or decreases.

If you get certificates, you'll be able to see it in your account and can attach it to reservations. I'm not sure if you can attach it to an existing reservation though. If there's still availability, you can just do a new reservation and cancel the old one. In general, you can only change a points booking to an FNC if there's still award availability (it's like a rebooking). I would think points advance is the same.

 

[GZanta77]

Thx for your help. I am so confused at this point. I do believe you may be right--the promo may have been "3 free nights, valued up to 150k points." I did make the reservation. at swan reserve. It has a box that you check called "points/certificates." Then, it shows you the total in points. I booked 5 nights for 200k points, and it shows that I get the 5th night free. I don't have the points (or free nights) yet--I meet the spend requirement when my bill is paid in early Feb. The system allows me to book the points rate before I actually have the points.
Then, I guess I will see if it shows up as points after my bill is paid, or will they send me certificates? If so, I don't really see how I can book swan reserve with certificates, since when I search for rooms using "points/certificates" there is no further certificate option.

Any advice on booking with FNC? I am honestly about to give up if I get FNC and use them some where easier down the road, and just book a different resort for Disney!

From what I understand, you only get 5th Night Free when booking with points. You cannot apply FNCs and still get the 5th night free - so just be aware of that if you are getting FNCs from your credit card offer.

Once you have met the SUB, and the FNCs are issued (usually takes a few weeks) then they should show up in your Marriott account.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Well in Rona news....I go back tomorrow, but as I joke, I'm still very faintly still preggo. YAY I have to go back at this point, but interesting to see that this wants to keep hanging on, LOL. I've felt okay the last 2 days. So I guess I'm ready to go back (for 2 days, LOL). It's a new semester, so this should be interesting.

My favorite part of the changes is being able to contribute points to FNC to make them more versatile (essentially a 40,000 point deposit each year). A lot of the 40,000 pt stays went up to 45,000+ when they capped the FNCs, so this change is really nice.

I think I've been lucky. I scored a Kimpton in NOLA and the Palazzo in Vegas. But yes, the ability to top off will be nice. I need to figure out a use for my Marriott FNC before they expire. I really want to do FL for Spring Break but the flights are INSANE!

 

[Judique]

Thanks. @disneybirds also. I went ahead and booked Savannah. It is a bit further south since we will going at the end of Feb. We’ll just Uber from the airport which looks to be a short ride.

I would love to hear any recommended restaurants or to dos while there. I see Paula Dean’s restaurant is close by but heard it is not worth cost.

I wouldn't go again even if free. Just not worth it.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Definitely follow the Updated Disney Gift Card Deals and More thread here on the Dis Budget Board (it’s always among the most recently-updated threads in the forum list, so easy to find). They always post when Kroger has its 4x fuel point deals (plus lots of other awesome deals on Disney gift cards and other things). It’s my second-favorite Dis thread next to this one!

I appreciate this and @havaneslover for posting about the Gift of College at Kroger. Searching that thread briefly, it ooks roughly like the 4x fuel points might be offered once a month.
A CIC or CIU should work perfectly for my needs, which means I'll earn 75,000+7500(1x)+20000(support) = 102,500 URs worth $1500+ on spend I was already making and not receiving a benefit from. Not to mention the $377 tax savings I was already receiving. This makes it about a 26% ROI.

I am so, so grateful.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Well in Rona news....I go back tomorrow, but as I joke, I'm still very faintly still preggo. YAY I have to go back at this point, but interesting to see that this wants to keep hanging on, LOL. I've felt okay the last 2 days. So I guess I'm ready to go back (for 2 days, LOL). It's a new semester, so this should be interesting.

Just wanted to add that many people continue to test positive way after their quarantine is up. Improving symptoms is the best indicator of whether one is infectious or not. While one may continue to show positive on rapid or PCR tests, there is a huge difference between continuing to shed virus and shedding virus which is infectious. Glad your symptoms are resolving.

 

[miztressuz]

Thx for your help. I am so confused at this point. I do believe you may be right--the promo may have been "3 free nights, valued up to 150k points." I did make the reservation. at swan reserve. It has a box that you check called "points/certificates." Then, it shows you the total in points. I booked 5 nights for 200k points, and it shows that I get the 5th night free. I don't have the points (or free nights) yet--I meet the spend requirement when my bill is paid in early Feb. The system allows me to book the points rate before I actually have the points.
Then, I guess I will see if it shows up as points after my bill is paid, or will they send me certificates? If so, I don't really see how I can book swan reserve with certificates, since when I search for rooms using "points/certificates" there is no further certificate option.

Any advice on booking with FNC? I am honestly about to give up if I get FNC and use them some where easier down the road, and just book a different resort for Disney!

You booked it the right way. If you had certificates attached to your account you would have seen the option to use a certificate for any eligible night during the confirmation process. Since you don't have the certs yet they didn't show you the options.

I believe you can edit your reservation once you get the certs and that option should pop up. (I know I've seen it before on reservations I made with points when editing but it's been a while) However, as @GZanta77 mentioned, you'd lose the 5th night free benefit. So 5 nights would be 3 FNCs + 100k points.

IIRC seems like the certificates show up around a week after meeting spend (or the statement close where spend was met) and isn't dependent on payment.

 

[elgerber]

OK interesting tidbit, or at least I thought it was. Have to go to Nashville soon, and flights are awful. So I booked one leg with Delta miles, the cheap leg, and the outrageous return flight through Cap One, to use my travel credit (it used all but $1 of it LOL. I wanted the last weekend in Feb, as that first leg on Delta was less miles, but the return flight was $59 more and I didn't want it to be more than the credit. Well I looked just now, and the return flight in Feb is now the same price as the March flight. I went to my trips on Delta, and lo and behold, I could switch the flight for the week before, easy peasy, as if I had booked with Delta direct!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

IHG is offering a 20% point discount for elites on reward stays through March 13th! If you have stays booked during that time period, I'd recheck them!

https://viewfromthewing.com/20-discount-redeeming-award-stays-at-intercontinental-holiday-inn-etc/
ETA: Looks like this is right now being offered to co-branded cc holders, but may open up to a wider audience.

 

[elgerber]

IHG is offering a 20% point discount for elites on reward stays through March 13th! If you have stays booked during that time period, I'd recheck them!

https://viewfromthewing.com/20-discount-redeeming-award-stays-at-intercontinental-holiday-inn-etc/

I saw this earlier, and it said it was targeted. It wasn't offering me any discounts earlier today.

 

[wisconsinmom]

I got approved yesterday for the SW Business card. Any clue on how long it has been taking to arrive? I'm having some car repairs done a week from Thursday and I'd like to use it so it counts toward the MSR.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I saw this earlier, and it said it was targeted. It wasn't offering me any discounts earlier today.

I edited my post, thanks for clarifying- looks like it is being offered to those holding a cobranded cc. When I'm logged in, I do see the discount. Sounds like it might be extended more widely in the coming days.

https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-rewar...ard-stays-makes-free-night-certs-more-useful/

 

[becauseimnew]

I got approved yesterday for the SW Business card. Any clue on how long it has been taking to arrive? I'm having some car repairs done a week from Thursday and I'd like to use it so it counts toward the MSR.

7-10 days

 

[wanderlust7]

I got approved yesterday for the SW Business card. Any clue on how long it has been taking to arrive? I'm having some car repairs done a week from Thursday and I'd like to use it so it counts toward the MSR.

You can call or SM to have it expedited. Then it'll come in about 2 days.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

That's a good question. It probably is since it's not term. But that would make sense just wasn't expected. This years taxes are awful with the rental house sale so I won't have to worry about it until I do my 2022 taxes, someone else can deal with it this year

When I sold my rental house in 2020, which I inherited, I paid H&R Block to do my taxes. Too confusing for me. I will do our taxes myself this year but I needed someone else to figure out cost basis for sale of something I didn't buy in the first place..

I got approved yesterday for the SW Business card. Any clue on how long it has been taking to arrive? I'm having some car repairs done a week from Thursday and I'd like to use it so it counts toward the MSR.

48 hours after approval I SM'd to ask them to expedite. Got the card 2 days later. Also received the original card another 3 or 4 days after that.

 

[afan]

When I sold my rental house in 2020, which I inherited, I paid H&R Block to do my taxes. Too confusing for me. I will do our taxes myself this year but I needed someone else to figure out cost basis for sale of something I didn't buy in the first place..

I also kept things simple when it was a rental and never depreciated anything or stuff like that. When I talked to the guy on the phone several months back it seems like he may be able to do something with some of that stuff. I also need him to look at last years return since I put money in my IRA so I wouldn't need to be taxes and then ended up getting money when they didn't make you pay for insurance since I had marketplace for a few months. I just want to make sure that I got all I should have. I also have NC state taxes I don't want to deal with.

 

[elgerber]

I edited my post, thanks for clarifying- looks like it is being offered to those holding a cobranded cc. When I'm logged in, I do see the discount. Sounds like it might be extended more widely in the coming days.

https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-rewar...ard-stays-makes-free-night-certs-more-useful/

I will look again later. I have two IHG cards and it still wasn’t giving me the offer although I need to use my free nights anyway so I don’t lose them.

 

[elgerber]

OK interesting tidbit, or at least I thought it was. Have to go to Nashville soon, and flights are awful. So I booked one leg with Delta miles, the cheap leg, and the outrageous return flight through Cap One, to use my travel credit (it used all but $1 of it LOL. I wanted the last weekend in Feb, as that first leg on Delta was less miles, but the return flight was $59 more and I didn't want it to be more than the credit. Well I looked just now, and the return flight in Feb is now the same price as the March flight. I went to my trips on Delta, and lo and behold, I could switch the flight for the week before, easy peasy, as if I had booked with Delta direct!

And to add LOL I just got an email from Cap One telling me Delta changed my flight.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I will look again later. I have two IHG cards and it still wasn’t giving me the offer although I need to use my free nights anyway so I don’t lose them.

That's awesome that you have those FNC- maybe the 20% will get you in a better hotel than the 40k would have! I didn't click through any link just when straight to IHG, and I'm already logged in (desktop). When I'm searching, I'm selecting "reward nights" in the rate section and then this is how the rates appear.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I am way overthinking this one night stay, but I was hoping some of you might have experience with the different Hilton's in Orlando. We are flying in for Princess weekend from the West Coast and land after midnight (12:35 am). I suspect we won't get to our room until at least 1:30 or 2 am. I didn't want to burn DVC points on that first night so I planned to just add a night somewhere. I'm now kind of regretting that decision since this is already a split stay, but I digress ...

Anyway, it looks like my cheapest Disney option is about $200 for All Star Movies. Not a bad option, but then I realized I had Hilton points and could use those for a stay either near the airport (just to get to bed sooner and leave first thing in the morning) or stay near Disney and maybe get free breakfast, an upgrade, and a late checkout with my Diamond perks. We don't have any real plans on Thursday except to go to the Expo and hit a park later, so hanging around and enjoying a lazy breakfast and being able to come back to our room after the expo would be great with a potential late check out.

I found a standard award for 50,000 at the Beuna Vista Palace Disney Springs Area and thought that would be great, but then I read some pretty negative TripAdvisor reviews, including that Diamond perks at that property were very limited.

There was a standard award at the Waldorf but it was pretty steep (I want to say 80k), which seemed silly for such a short stay and getting there so late.

So what would you guys recommend? Any good Hiltons either at the airport or at Disney Springs that have great Diamond perks? Any favorite Hilton properties? There are too many to choose from, LOL.