I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 & 2024 (see first page for add'l details)

[LynnTH]

OK first time post in this area, total newbie so please be gentle .

I currently have three open credit cards, only one approved in the past 24 months. We took advantage of the Chase SW 100,000 points offer to earn a companion pass for the first time ever in mid 2022. Current cards:

04/17 - CHASE Sapphire Preferred
12/21 - CHASE Southwest Rapid Rewards
02/20 - CHASE Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Personal

1. We pay for everything allowed on our favorite card, the CSP.
2. We always, without exception, pay the full balance on our cards.
3. We fly out of DAL and DFW, and occasionally out of IAH.
4. We prefer SW and AA FF programs.
5. We prefer Bonvoy but are open to others.
6. Currently have around 100,000 SW RR points and 100,000 Chase Rewards points

Traveling is easily our biggest interest! We have been using points and sign up bonuses to help with hotel stays during our huge road trips across the USA. We set a goal to visit all 50 states with our two kids (DD15 and DS12) before our daughter graduates from HS in 2025. This coming July we will achieve that goal 2 years early when we fly to Maui and Oahu (and using our SW CP to save $$). Yours truly is turning 50 during this trip so it truly will be the big Hawaii 5-0. I even added a couple of DLand days to the trip on our way back to Texas - I may have issues at this point.

So, with all of the above information, my first question is what suggestions/advice or recommended credit cards do you have for me now that our focus will shift much more to international travel. Europe will be our likely first choice (Ireland, London, Paris, Italy, etc.). I want to hop the pond for this trip either summer 2024 or definitely by graduation summer 2025. It would be our four pack going (myself, wife, daughter and son).

Also is there a solid all around card that has a 1:1 transfer to AA like our beloved CSP card does for SW and United?

I really want to learn more ways to use card offers and strategy to maximum benefit. Wife and I started applying individually for some credit card offers 3-4 years ago (declining spouse card option) - is this considered a good practice?

Hopefully this all makes sense - any guidance, critiques and/or help is greatly appreciated. Glad I found this forum - I have a lot to learn for sure!

My family is going on a European cruise this May. Never been to Europe so this was all confusing to me on what to get. Once we found a cruise - I then went to Google Flights and put in our info, to see what airlines popped up.

We are flying into Rome and Flying back from Athens. United showed quite a few flights, so I decided to go with that. ( I did have lots of UR's but I like to hoard them and only use them when necessary). So, Me, DH, DS23 and DD21 all signed up (at staggered times) for the United Biz Card. That way it did not affect any of our 5/24 with Chase. We each got 70,000 points SUB. This was enough for my family plus DS's girlfriend to fly to and from Europe all on points. I did have to move some points from my UR's to United but not a lot. We didn't have enough for business/1st Class but that's OK. Sure beats spending the $ for flights.

So, narrow down where you want to fly in and out of and then look to see who flies there and approx. how many points are needed. Then come back here and all these great people will give you great suggestions.

 

[StephPlum]

Jumped on the 900 Chase bank bonus. I logged in when it asked if I was an existing Chase customer and it was super fast.

i Have to clean up some old bank accounts. DH still has a Chase checking. Wishing i had closed it earlier to sign him up too.

 

[StephPlum]

Anyone open Chase accounts in branch before? I am an existing customer but not checking (thinking of the $900 bonus), I wonder if it’s quick and easy or will be long and tedious. Thanks!

I have done in branch and even as an existing Chase customer, it was slow and painful.

I just signed up on-line and logged in when it asked if I was an existing customer. I didn’t have to enter any additional info.

 

[PolyTigger]

Since you say back to gold, does that mean you got an upgrade offer? It can be worth it, depending on the amount. But if you've never had the plat before and you upgrade, that will lock you out of getting the bonus on a new plat.

Have gold and got an upgrade offer for 100000 pts

 

[BGparadise]

Cards issued in the last 24 months:



P1 –

07/21 – CHASE Sapphire Preferred

11/22 – CHASE Ink Cash



P2 – Not willing to do business cards

09/21 – CHASE Sapphire Preferred

12/22 – CHASE Freedom Flex



• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? We generally average up to $5-6K a month

• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? We always pay in full

• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? Cleveland is our home airport though we have used Pittsburgh and Columbus as well

• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? Previous balances in Southwest and Silver Elite with United. Open to others

• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? Yes

• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? No preference

• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) SWA < 5k miles; United 24k miles; CHASE Ultimate Rewards 340k

• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) Over the next 2 years we would like to pay all or a majority of our travel on points/miles. We are planning a 10 day road trip this year so would generally need to just pay for lodging.

Next year we are planning a trip to EU. Right now our thoughts are to fly to Italy, make a few stops via rail, and then return from Denmark (All subject to adjustment). We are a family of 5 (Me, DW, DS 19, DD 12, DS 9). It would be nice to have air travel be via business class at least on the trip to EU.

I have been a part of the boards and reading this thread for over a year. Most of the time we have been in accumulation mode but now we are nearing some more significant point spending. Help desired is on 2 sides:

• On accumulation of points – I have already used $16k of $25k limit on 5% reward from CIC. Should I get another CIC or is there a better use of spend? My understanding is I would not be eligible for another sign up bonus. Generally trying to think of how to keep up the rate of point earning.
• On Spending – Mostly for flights, should we be looking at specific airlines? Should we reposition and if so where? When do I start looking for a June 2024 trip? This is the part I am most confused and concerned about achieving from a travel standpoint.

 

[lsutigers03]

As of today, DH is finally under 5/24, so he got a new CIC today to celebrate

So you can apply the day of or after hitting 2 years? DW is at 5/24 but the oldest card was applied for on 02/16/21. Am I good to apply on 02/16/23?

 

[wanderlust7]

Have gold and got an upgrade offer for 100000 pts

That's a nice upgrade offer. For a new plat, it's possible to find a 150k MR for spending $6000 offer.

What I would do (and have done in the past), is to apply for a new plat and after approval quickly take the upgrade offer (before it possibly disappears). But that does mean two $695 annual fees.

 

[becauseimnew]

Cards issued in the last 24 months:



P1 –

07/21 – CHASE Sapphire Preferred

11/22 – CHASE Ink Cash



P2 – Not willing to do business cards

09/21 – CHASE Sapphire Preferred

12/22 – CHASE Freedom Flex



• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? We generally average up to $5-6K a month

• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? We always pay in full

• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? Cleveland is our home airport though we have used Pittsburgh and Columbus as well

• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? Previous balances in Southwest and Silver Elite with United. Open to others

• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? Yes

• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? No preference

• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) SWA < 5k miles; United 24k miles; CHASE Ultimate Rewards 340k

• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) Over the next 2 years we would like to pay all or a majority of our travel on points/miles. We are planning a 10 day road trip this year so would generally need to just pay for lodging.

Next year we are planning a trip to EU. Right now our thoughts are to fly to Italy, make a few stops via rail, and then return from Denmark (All subject to adjustment). We are a family of 5 (Me, DW, DS 19, DD 12, DS 9). It would be nice to have air travel be via business class at least on the trip to EU.

I have been a part of the boards and reading this thread for over a year. Most of the time we have been in accumulation mode but now we are nearing some more significant point spending. Help desired is on 2 sides:

• On accumulation of points – I have already used $16k of $25k limit on 5% reward from CIC. Should I get another CIC or is there a better use of spend? My understanding is I would not be eligible for another sign up bonus. Generally trying to think of how to keep up the rate of point earning.
• On Spending – Mostly for flights, should we be looking at specific airlines? Should we reposition and if so where? When do I start looking for a June 2024 trip? This is the part I am most confused and concerned about achieving from a travel standpoint.

Hi and welcome.
We are also planning a trip to Europe the summer of 2024, I've done research trying to figure out the best way to get us (4 people) to Italy in Business.
I've been tracking Flying Blue (AirFrance & KLM) flights to Rome. It seems like they will release up to 7 business tickets, but you'll have a connection in either Paris or Amsterdam, they don't fly direct to Italy from the US. I'm looking for flights out of DFW, ATL & ORD, ORD has the most options (we'll have to reposition). Flying Blue has many transfer partners including Chase & Amex. Each ticket is 65K-70K miles. You'll probably need to book those tickets in late summer 2023, just depends on when you are going.
You'll probably need about 700K points for 5 round-trip tickets in business. Thankfully, you have the ability to meet the larger MSRs.
This is what I would do:
Open now: Amex Business Plat: 150K MRs/$15K MSR.
After you are done with that MSR open another CIC (you are good to get another CIC every 3 months)
P2 can get a personal Amex Plat card, 150K MRs/$6K MSR
With that you should have the 700K MR/URs you'll by this summer.
Another good tool for finding award tickets is Point.me, it will find award tickets for you and tell you which point currency you need. You can get a month membership for $1 using the code STTP, I just saw the offer on Straight to the Point's Instagram.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Just helped my mom book the last of our Ireland hotels! AHHHHH! I can't believe we have basically everything booked (well not the return flight from BOS to DTW, I'm hoping to earn my JB miles by then). I'm still wavering on paying cash for the 2 nights in Galway vs using some chase points. I just added my URs up, I have 670k now (as I just hit the spend on the CSP, so I pulled off the MDD....WOOOO!) I still can't believe we are going!

The BF and I are trying to figure out when we can pull off Vegas. I'm hoping next weekend, he wants in Feb right before we go to Playa Del Carmen, LOL. I have to say I think this year will have a ton of travel. Jan had a quickie to FL, and I'm hoping Vegas. Feb is PDC, March is Ireland. I'm still debating Hawaii or somewhere w/ the kids. There will be a summer trip to NC, LOL.

I finally got my JB Biz card. I went in and paid $1k in taxes. So hit that spend, LOL. So now w/ the MDD done and the JB Biz spend hit, I guess I need to figure out my next card. I'm back under 5/24. I'm sitting at 4/24 until August. So I guess I probably should look at what biz cards. Maybe a AA Citi card, as I can always use some AA miles. Or if Delta Plat Biz has a nice SUB some time soon, I can see if Amex doesn't hate me.

I recently posted that my dad was able to transfer his UR to me even though we are not in the same household. If you can get that to work for you, you could just transfer the UR and bank them. Those points could be considered a replacement for the points you have already used for your flights. If you want to try the transfer, she just needs your UR cc number and then she can call and ask them to transfer. I wasn't with my dad when he called but he just told them he wanted to transfer points to his daughter and they didn't ask anything else except my card number.

I wonder if I could have had my mom try to do this w/ the hotel we just booked. It was 3k difference w/ her CSP vs my CSR. But we used her $50 credit. So I think it was worth it, LOL.

So frustrated with trying to book a hotel for a soccer tournament in June. It's not absolutely confirmed the team will play yet, they are still confirming enough players are interested. I like to book asap obviously before decent hotels are booked and rates go up, but looking thru Chase portal most of the Marriott properties are non-refundable . I tentatively booked through Marriott directly but it's 60k points for middle of nowhere Wisconsin (no offense) when Chase portal would be 35k UR but non refundable. And I don't have enough points for Marriott so it's a points advance res. Ugh.

They let you book rouge? I cringed at paying $310 for a hyatt that would have been only 10k URs. Oh well. Helped me hit the CSP MSR, lol.

If I have had the IHG Premier personal card within the last 24 months can I still get the bonus for the business version?

You can have 1 personal and 1 biz. I managed to get the biz card having the premier and traveler since I got them when you were allowed both. I could do a SUB for the traveler again, but I not worth wasting my last/24 on it right now, LOL.

Received the $50 ATT Fiber offer on 3 Inks between P1/P2. I believe paying my wireless bill in the past has triggered this offer, but will report back.

"$50 back when you sign up with AT&T Fiber by making two $50 minimum purchases using your eligible card associated with this offer"

Please LMK! I have that offer too! I didn't get it to work w/ Amex Gold Biz offer. Grrrr!

 

[punkin]

I did the Amex Business Platinum offer for 200k. I am so nervous. I have never done a Bank account before. I'm not sure I understand the terms. They want 10 QUALIFYING incoming or outgoing transactions. I can't figure out what qualifies.

 

[wanderlust7]

I did the Amex Business Platinum offer for 200k. I am so nervous. I have never done a Bank account before. I'm not sure I understand the terms. They want 10 QUALIFYING incoming or outgoing transactions. I can't figure out what qualifies.

There is a tracker that will tell you you fulfilled the 10 transactions, so no worries! When I linked my external account, the verifying small deposit counted (incoming and outgoing). Pushing in $5000 was one more. Then I pushed $1, $2, etc. to $7 (so I can track it).

 

[HsimSleepy]

I have done in branch and even as an existing Chase customer, it was slow and painful.

I just signed up on-line and logged in when it asked if I was an existing customer. I didn’t have to enter any additional info.

I just did it online, so painless, thanks!

 

[catsinawindow]

Did the online process take you long? I’m debating between online and in branch. Not a fan of putting all my personal info in a online form.

It was very, very quick. Compared to a credit card application they needed almost nothing.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Oh and all you Chase offer people suck, LOL. I have like 15 bank accounts w/ Chase. So I never get to do a bonus w/ them

 

[punkin]

There is a tracker that will tell you you fulfilled the 10 transactions, so no worries! When I linked my external account, the verifying small deposit counted (incoming and outgoing). Pushing in $5000 was one more. Then I pushed $1, $2, etc. to $7 (so I can track it).

That's excellent!

 

[georgina]

Oh and all you Chase offer people suck, LOL. I have like 15 bank accounts w/ Chase. So I never get to do a bonus w/ them

Sorry, not sorry! We got $450 bonus from Cap One and $100 from Marcus last year, Ally will be giving me $300 soon, and on track for another $100 from Marcus this year. So there are other opportunities! This is my first Chase offer to try, not sure we will get the DD to work for the checking bonus, I usually don't try the offers with direct deposit requirements because it is hard for us to fulfill.

 

[catsinawindow]

Some really specific questions for the Hyatt experts:

We are very seriously considering booking a hotel room for the 2024 full solar eclipse. We would be booking at a popular tourist destination (Niagara Falls) so I'm sure there are a million other people thinking the same thing!

1) It looks like they book 13 months out. Do people ever camp out and wait for Hyatt reservations to drop (like they do for Southwest, lol)? Am I crazy to consider booking single days one at a time if we plan to stay for a few days? Will I be able to combine the reservations after the fact?

2) Does Hyatt have blackout dates where it doesn't take points reservations? I would hope to book it with Chase UR that I transfer to Hyatt.

3) What other hotels should I consider other than the Hyatt on the US side?

4) Any other thoughts? Or people planning the same thing?

TYIA!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Re Chase bank bonus. Planning on staggering the opening of accts for P1 and P3. P2 has the most flexible payroll DD. If he does the bonus first and I set up DD into his account, will it be a problem for Chase if I set up the DD into P1's account later? Do banks care if the account name doesn't match the person receiving the payroll DD?

Sorry for the newb questions. I usually don't bite at these bank offers unless they're very good.

 

[Princess Michele]

So you can apply the day of or after hitting 2 years? DW is at 5/24 but the oldest card was applied for on 02/16/21. Am I good to apply on 02/16/23?

I am interested in the answer to this also. The oldest card I applied for was on 1/20/21. I will now be 4/24 and want to get a CIU before the elevated offer ends.

 

[platamama]

Some really specific questions for the Hyatt experts:

We are very seriously considering booking a hotel room for the 2024 full solar eclipse. We would be booking at a popular tourist destination (Niagara Falls) so I'm sure there are a million other people thinking the same thing!

1) It looks like they book 13 months out. Do people ever camp out and wait for Hyatt reservations to drop (like they do for Southwest, lol)? Am I crazy to consider booking single days one at a time if we plan to stay for a few days? Will I be able to combine the reservations after the fact?

2) Does Hyatt have blackout dates where it doesn't take points reservations? I would hope to book it with Chase UR that I transfer to Hyatt.

3) What other hotels should I consider other than the Hyatt on the US side?

4) Any other thoughts? Or people planning the same thing?

TYIA!

We saw a full solar eclipse in WY in 2017 and it was incredible. You can see the "diamond ring" photo from that trip as my avatar. There were SO MANY people who also came to see it, I couldn't believe all the people who showed up! The traffic was horrendous.

I think it's a good idea to book at 13 months out. If you book the same room type (i.e. 1 king, or 2 queens, whatever you end up choosing) then it's pretty easy to contact Hyatt a day or two before arrival to ask to stay in the same room.

Hyatt does have capacity limits for points bookings. So the sooner you book, the better your chances of getting a points booking.

I stayed on the Canada side when I went to Niagara Falls, so I don't have anything to offer on that front. Seeing a full solar eclipse is magical. It's best if you can bring a telescope and make a solar lens cover to put over it so you can watch. Definitely bring solar eclipse glasses at the very least.

ETA: Clouds are your nemesis. Looking at the path of totality, I'd be concerned for clear skies in Niagara Falls in April. Can you head to a more reliably sunny location?