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

[platamama]

End of the saga..DH approved 2hrs after application went pending. No pop up even though he has received the bonus for the Vanilla Platinum. Thought I would add this DP considering the new family language rules Amex has started implementing.

Glad to see it worked out!

 

[mmmears]

End of the saga..DH approved 2hrs after application went pending. No pop up even though he has received the bonus for the Vanilla Platinum. Thought I would add this DP considering the new family language rules Amex has started implementing.

I wonder if this would work if DH is still holding a vanilla. The plan was to go for the Schwab card a long time ago, but then they instituted the family rules and he never applied.

 

[elgerber]

For some reason this reminded me of this group

 

[afan]

For some reason this reminded me of this group View attachment 918603

One of our project accountants has a sign on her desk that says don't worry, I have a spreadsheet for that.

 

[IFlossU]

I wonder if this would work if DH is still holding a vanilla. The plan was to go for the Schwab card a long time ago, but then they instituted the family rules and he never applied.

DH currently has a Vanilla Platinum open. It’s upgraded from his Gold card. He upgraded in August.

 

[calypso726]

Well we decided to head to Vancouver Thursday night, kind of last minute for me since it was the final weekend of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Did we have tickets to the concert? Nope. We left on a wing and prayer with a healthy dose of delulu.

I absolutely hate doing last minute travel hacks because I am forced to piece together some chaotic puzzle of a trip. There were no flights to get into Vancouver that worked for us. Instead we flew Alaska Air on an award flight to Seattle. Booked a Hilton on points across the street from the airport for one night.

The next morning we flew out on Air Canada, to Vancouver also on points. I loved that they had Taylor Swift music playing as we boarded and the flight attendants handed out friendship bracelets to all the Swifties on board. Once we arrived in Vancouver we took a shuttle to the Holiday Inn Express that I booked for way too many IHG points but hotels were going for over $4,000 CAD per night and it was the only one available on points.

We never did make it past the queue for any of the last minute ticket drops despite being waitlisted for the show. So, I wound up Disneymathing my way to purchasing a resale ticket for a lower bowl front row seat Friday night and had an amazing time!

The city had a great Swifty vibe going on and it was so much fun exploring. We went to the Christmas market and traded friendship bracelets throughout the day. I absolutely loved eating at a few of the restaurants that embraced the theme of the weekend and created cocktails inspired by song titles.

Tomorrow we head back home on United for a ridiculous number of miles. No regrets though. Some of my most memorable trips are the unplanned chaotic ones involving too many miles and points just to see a show over a weekend. Merry Swiftmas to all and to all a good night.

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm trying to figure this out- HA to AkAir transfers, is this a permanent thing, or do people think it'll go away? I think Alaska air miles are more useful,considering just sending all HA miles over there....wwyd?

 

[wanderlust7]

I'm trying to figure this out- HA to AkAir transfers, is this a permanent thing, or do people think it'll go away? I think Alaska air miles are more useful,considering just sending all HA miles over there....wwyd?

HA <-> Alaska is permanent. Amex -> HA will probably go away at some point.

I did send my HA SUB to Alaska just to have it in one pot. It's not likely I'd use HA miles. Can always send it back, so no risk there.

 

[calypso726]

I'm trying to figure this out- HA to AkAir transfers, is this a permanent thing, or do people think it'll go away? I think Alaska air miles are more useful,considering just sending all HA miles over there....wwyd?

We are moving HA subs over to Alaska. I may also move some MRs to HA so I can move those to AS as well.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Hyatt Question:

I booked my parents at the Grand Hyatt Taipei for 7 nights before their flight at the end of January 2025 from TPE to KIX with 81,000 Hyatt points transferred from URs.

They are currently in the Kaohsiung area, having flown into Taiwan from HKG yesterday. They are staying with friends for about 6 weeks. Their friends offered to drive them from Kaohsiung to Taipei so that they could avoid having to take the train with all their luggage.

As their friends will be saving my parents $$$$ and headaches not only with the transportation to Taipei but by putting them up for over a month in their home, my parents want to reserve another room for them for the first 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt Taipei to thank them. They can't stay longer than the 3 nights.

There is currently availability on points. I can book the 2nd room for their friends for a total of 33,000 points for a regular 355 sqft room. Or I can book it in cash for $184.44/nt totaling $639.09 for a KingBed Premium Studio 538 sqft. It's less than $10 more per night for the larger room in cash price.

I thought it may be nice to have that extra sitting area for them to get together to chat while their friends were in town. I assume that I can go ahead and book the guest room under my Mom's name whether in cash or points so that I can see them both under her Hyatt account? Not to mention that I then won't need to deal with the back and forth of finding out their friend's legal name.

Going back and forth on the decision of points or cash (for a bigger room)...

In addition, since they are driving in, they will need to park their vehicle. I checked the hotel website and it is not very clear cut...




I can't tell if it is 24 hours of free parking each 1 night stay or for the first night. I'm leaning towards the former. Worst case scenario, they pay about $50US for each additional night. $70NTD is about $2.16US for each additional hour. I'm too lazy to try email and ask right now, maybe something before their stay. ETA: can't find their email online. May have to call one day when it is not in the middle of the night...

I had booked the rooms on points a long while ago and had forgotten the amount of points needed so when my parents called me, I told them I couldn't remember the cash price of the room and guessed that it was north of $300/night and they asked me to go ahead and reserve it at that price anyway! I'm glad I remembered incorrectly. So, paying for parking for 2 nights won't break the bank.

Anyway, just needed someone else's input on which way to go, points (no OOP) or cash (good price for a larger room as a treat for very good friends that did them a solid)? Don't want to ask DH, because he doesn't care!

 

[wanderlust7]

Hyatt Question:

I booked my parents at the Grand Hyatt Taipei for 7 nights before their flight at the end of January 2025 from TPE to KIX with 81,000 Hyatt points transferred from URs.

They are currently in the Kaohsiung area, having flown into Taiwan from HKG yesterday. They are staying with friends for about 6 weeks. Their friends offered to drive them from Kaohsiung to Taipei so that they could avoid having to take the train with all their luggage.

As their friends will be saving my parents $$$$ and headaches not only with the transportation to Taipei but by putting them up for over a month in their home, my parents want to reserve another room for them for the first 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt Taipei to thank them. They can't stay longer than the 3 nights.

There is currently availability on points. I can book the 2nd room for their friends for a total of 33,000 points for a regular 355 sqft room. Or I can book it in cash for $184.44/nt totaling $639.09 for a KingBed Premium Studio 538 sqft. It's less than $10 more per night for the larger room in cash price.

I thought it may be nice to have that extra sitting area for them to get together to chat while their friends were in town. I assume that I can go ahead and book the guest room under my Mom's name whether in cash or points so that I can see them both under her Hyatt account? Not to mention that I then won't need to deal with the back and forth of finding out their friend's legal name.

Going back and forth on the decision of points or cash (for a bigger room)...

In addition, since they are driving in, they will need to park their vehicle. I checked the hotel website and it is not very clear cut...

View attachment 918712


I can't tell if it is 24 hours of free parking each 1 night stay or for the first night. I'm leaning towards the former. Worst case scenario, they pay about $50US for each additional night. $70NTD is about $2.16US for each additional hour. I'm too lazy to try email and ask right now, maybe something before their stay. ETA: can't find their email online. May have to call one day when it is not in the middle of the night...

I had booked the rooms on points a long while ago and had forgotten the amount of points needed so when my parents called me, I told them I couldn't remember the cash price of the room and guessed that it was north of $300/night and they asked me to go ahead and reserve it at that price anyway! I'm glad I remembered incorrectly. So, paying for parking for 2 nights won't break the bank.

Anyway, just needed someone else's input on which way to go, points (no OOP) or cash (good price for a larger room as a treat for very good friends that did them a solid)? Don't want to ask DH, because he doesn't care!

That works out to be about 1.9 cpp, which is okay for Hyatt, but not outsize value. I'd probably go with the cash rate for the bigger room. Plus your mom would get Hyatt points for the cash rate, more if she pays with a Hyatt card.

Did you make Globalist? If you do Guest of Honor, parking is free on award stays (assuming it's operated by the hotel).

 

[GZanta77]

Hyatt Question:

I booked my parents at the Grand Hyatt Taipei for 7 nights before their flight at the end of January 2025 from TPE to KIX with 81,000 Hyatt points transferred from URs.

They are currently in the Kaohsiung area, having flown into Taiwan from HKG yesterday. They are staying with friends for about 6 weeks. Their friends offered to drive them from Kaohsiung to Taipei so that they could avoid having to take the train with all their luggage.

As their friends will be saving my parents $$$$ and headaches not only with the transportation to Taipei but by putting them up for over a month in their home, my parents want to reserve another room for them for the first 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt Taipei to thank them. They can't stay longer than the 3 nights.

There is currently availability on points. I can book the 2nd room for their friends for a total of 33,000 points for a regular 355 sqft room. Or I can book it in cash for $184.44/nt totaling $639.09 for a KingBed Premium Studio 538 sqft. It's less than $10 more per night for the larger room in cash price.

I thought it may be nice to have that extra sitting area for them to get together to chat while their friends were in town. I assume that I can go ahead and book the guest room under my Mom's name whether in cash or points so that I can see them both under her Hyatt account? Not to mention that I then won't need to deal with the back and forth of finding out their friend's legal name.

Going back and forth on the decision of points or cash (for a bigger room)...

In addition, since they are driving in, they will need to park their vehicle. I checked the hotel website and it is not very clear cut...

View attachment 918712


I can't tell if it is 24 hours of free parking each 1 night stay or for the first night. I'm leaning towards the former. Worst case scenario, they pay about $50US for each additional night. $70NTD is about $2.16US for each additional hour. I'm too lazy to try email and ask right now, maybe something before their stay. ETA: can't find their email online. May have to call one day when it is not in the middle of the night...

I had booked the rooms on points a long while ago and had forgotten the amount of points needed so when my parents called me, I told them I couldn't remember the cash price of the room and guessed that it was north of $300/night and they asked me to go ahead and reserve it at that price anyway! I'm glad I remembered incorrectly. So, paying for parking for 2 nights won't break the bank.

Anyway, just needed someone else's input on which way to go, points (no OOP) or cash (good price for a larger room as a treat for very good friends that did them a solid)? Don't want to ask DH, because he doesn't care!

I would agree with @wanderlust7 - and do the cash rate. It is not that much more and given the circumstances you outlined - the larger room would be a nice touch.

As for the parking - wording is not great, but I would interpret that as free overnight parking for each night of stay. An email to the hotel should hopefully confirm.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

That works out to be about 1.9 cpp, which is okay for Hyatt, but not outsize value. I'd probably go with the cash rate for the bigger room. Plus your mom would get Hyatt points for the cash rate, more if she pays with a Hyatt card.

Did you make Globalist? If you do Guest of Honor, parking is free on award stays (assuming it's operated by the hotel).

I would agree with @wanderlust7 - and do the cash rate. It is not that much more and given the circumstances you outlined - the larger room would be a nice touch.

As for the parking - wording is not great, but I would interpret that as free overnight parking for each night of stay. An email to the hotel should hopefully confirm.

Thank you both for helping me decide. I didn't pull the trigger on Globalist this year.

Can Mom get the Hyatt points for the cash stay if she has another room on points?

Wonder if I can use my Hyatt card to pay for the room? Or maybe go ahead and use her CSR card. She still has about $260 of the travel credit available that can help offset the cash price of the room.

 

[wanderlust7]

Thank you both for helping me decide. I didn't pull the trigger on Globalist this year.

Can Mom get the Hyatt points for the cash stay if she has another room on points?

Wonder if I can use my Hyatt card to pay for the room? Or maybe go ahead and use her CSR card. She still has about $260 of the travel credit available that can help offset the cash price of the room.

Yes, you can earn points on up to 3 rooms. The elite night credits is only for the room you stay in.

Not sure if you can use your Hyatt card. Probably easier to just use her CSR.

 

[hsmamato2]

HA <-> Alaska is permanent. Amex -> HA will probably go away at some point.

I did send my HA SUB to Alaska just to have it in one pot. It's not likely I'd use HA miles. Can always send it back, so no risk there.

Ok thanks!

 

[KPK02090]

Not CC related - but this is such a knowledgeable group I feel like someone will have advice. I want to buy my teens Celtics tickets as a Christmas present. Prices are crazy, not to mention the fees on Ticketmaster. Are there any tips or tricks for getting tickets to sporting events? Like do prices go down as it gets closer to the day or would they go up? Is one third party seller any better than another or are they all the same? Thanks.

 

[afan]

Not CC related - but this is such a knowledgeable group I feel like someone will have advice. I want to buy my teens Celtics tickets as a Christmas present. Prices are crazy, not to mention the fees on Ticketmaster. Are there any tips or tricks for getting tickets to sporting events? Like do prices go down as it gets closer to the day or would they go up? Is one third party seller any better than another or are they all the same? Thanks.

Going in person is really the only way to avoid fees. That means either at the arena/stadium or a team store that's not at the stadium.

Otherwise it's a 3rd party site and resellers which may save you some but there's always some risk there.

A possible option if they do the same, though the Mariners are the only team here that I know does it. They sell gift cards but not just at their store. I can buy them at the grocery store. I think they can be used for tickets directly through the teams website along with stuff at the stadium.

 

[wanderlust7]

Back from WDW and Universal. Stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek using our timeshare points and a night in the middle at Royal Pacific using the last of the Delta Vacations credit from the pre-pandemic 2 cpp deal. Last 2 nights were at Conrad Orlando. I put up a review here.

Used FNCs and Aspire credits for hotel dining. Had hoped to use up a third Aspire credit, but it didn't work out. So booked a prepaid nonrefundable rate at Hilton Tokyo Bay. Took a couple days for them to charge it, it credits. I hate booking nonrefundable, but had no other way to use the credit.

Flights were with Alaska SFO-MCO (one of the few direct options). DD and I on cash (gasp!) with a companion ticket. DS was with Alaska miles, pretty pricey at 65k roundtrip economy, but it was over Thanksgiving break.

Tried to go to The Club at MCO Sunday after Thanksgiving. Waitlist came through 1 hour and 20 minutes later lol. Glad we didn't wait.

MVMCP tickets, LL, WDW dining were on GC averaging about 16% off. WDW tickets were with the 20% Tripadvisor deal a while back and 9.09% TCB. Universal tickets were with a 15% off support coupon, but I couldn't get a portal to work (coupon errors out).

Mostly took Uber around. Lucky they gave me a 20% off 10 ride coupon right before. Plus I had stored up Uber GC from Staples using the biz gold credit.

Had a great time. Tried not to do too much. Express Pass worked very well at Universal. Tron is DD's new favorite ride. We rode it twice during the party (causing me to miss the fireworks boo). She wanted to ride it again during our MK day, but line was long. I told her we can ride it in Shanghai.

Sunset at Conrad Orlando:

 

[Budzooka]

Thank you so much! Instant approval.

Seems like an insanely easy SUB to meet. Almost TOO easy!

I jumped on the bandwagon today and immediately approved for Barclays AA card!

 

[djmeredith]

The Barclays MSR is so easy to meet, so I decided to go for more American miles and applied for the Citi AAdvantage Biz with a 75K SUB. Instant approval with a $3K credit limit.