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

[first*toright]

Where on the site can I find this?

These came as emailed offers - I haven't seen them mentioned anywhere else as being searchable.

 

[wanderlust7]

Yeah, I earned globalist last year. I thought they only did the GOH milestone awards now (all have been used up now). So I can make my Oct 2025 4 nights, potentially used with FNCs, GOH if I ask for that while I'm still globalist? What?!

Yes, you can ask to have Legacy GOH applied to points and FNC bookings. It's unlimited until end of Feb 2025, for any reservation that you can make (through calendar open). They don't work with anything that involves cash (like cash+points or suite points upgrade rates).

If you'd like to read the terms: link.

"(b) Should a such Member whose Globalist status expires February 28, 2025, or later apply to reservations or transfer via gift all of their Guest of Honor Awards, they may still make use of the legacy Globalist Guest of Honor benefit described below until February 28, 2025 (or, for any such Member who has Globalist status that – as of December 31, 2023 – expires later than February 28, 2025, until February 28, 2026)."

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Yes, you can ask to have Legacy GOH applied to points and FNC bookings. It's unlimited until end of Feb 2025, for any reservation that you can make (through calendar open). They don't work with anything that involves cash (like cash+points or suite points upgrade rates).

If you'd like to read the terms: link.

"(b) Should a such Member whose Globalist status expires February 28, 2025, or later apply to reservations or transfer via gift all of their Guest of Honor Awards, they may still make use of the legacy Globalist Guest of Honor benefit described below until February 28, 2025 (or, for any such Member who has Globalist status that – as of December 31, 2023 – expires later than February 28, 2025, until February 28, 2026)."

Thanks so much, I had read the terms after your first post but was still unsure about whether legacy GOH would apply for stays that happen after my globalist status lapses.

But then do I need to gift the FNCs to my spouse, or does legacy GOH work for reservations in my name? That would be awesome because it would be like having globalist throughout 2025 provided I book everything by February! And almost everything is booked, anyway

 

[wanderlust7]

Thanks so much, I had read the terms after your first post but was still unsure about whether legacy GOH would apply for stays that happen after my globalist status lapses.

But then do I need to gift the FNCs to my spouse, or does legacy GOH work for reservations in my name? That would be awesome because it would be like having globalist throughout 2025 provided I book everything by February! And almost everything is booked, anyway

The terms don't specifically say that GOH works after your Globalist status ends. But it's something that's been discussed and confirmed by a Hyatt rep on Flyertalk that GOH applied while you're Globalist is not taken away when you're no longer Globalist (though this discussion was before the changes).

DH is not going to make Globalist this year. I plan to Legacy GOH all our reservations next year in my name. I'm not sure if you can GOH to yourself, you'd have to ask. I'm hoping to do a corporate challenge next year, plus DH won't be traveling with us sometimes, so for us it makes sense to do it in my name.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Got my first ink denial this week, very disappointing. I currently have 3 biz cards - 2 inks and 1 SW. I can cancel the sw card in a few weeks after using the last of the upgraded boarding credits. 7/1/24 was my most recent app for CIU but before that I hadn’t gotten a Chase biz card since 5/23. Credit limits are fine. Have 4 personal cards (most recent Boundless 8/23). Going to wait for the letter and not call for reconsideration. I’m wondering if I’d have better luck with the United biz card, since I was planning to use the SUB to transfer to United anyway. If I decide to do that do you think 30 days is long enough to wait or should I wait longer? SW biz card should be gone by then also.

That is odd….Chase will also post the denial letter in your business login, not sure how long it takes to do so.
30 days should be fine to try again. You may also want to put some spend on your other business cards so Chase can see you are using them

 

[AndreaDM]

Sounds really fun! I just booked tickets for Six in August. I didn’t realize it was really short but so is my attention span so hopefully I’ll like it. Can’t wait to get back to London.

Seeing Six IN London will be fabulous! I've seen it in Cleveland and almost got tickets to see it again in London. However, I knew I was pushing it dragging DH to even one show lol.

 

[VGCgroupie]

This credit card game is rather addicting. I thought I was done, but I may just add more direct DVC so trying to see what card is best for next. Me and p2 both did CIP. I got Amex Plat biz and Gold Biz. Previously I was thinking of a Delta card. Any other suggestions on which way to go next for the biggest return?

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Last year I booked a May 2025 Greek Isle cruise and researched potential options for our flights. When flights opened this year life got in the way, and I did not get to book our flights or see what the number of points were at that time. I resumed looking last month and everything is sky high even economy seats. I am getting FOMO that if I do not book something now that we will either not get good flights or they will be overpriced. I have searched flights from IAD, DCA, BWI, PHL, EWR, JFK, BOS, ORD, RDU, CLT, and ATL to Athens and other European cities all with little luck. We need 4 seats so that is also adding to the challenge. I am looking for suggestions and opinions on a course of action.

We have UR’s and MR’s that I was going to transfer to use for booking our flights. From my original research our best options were Air France, Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Iberia, and Emirates for Business Class but they are either too high or not available. I was not considering Delta because I did not want to use MR’s for Delta or American because we do not have many AA points.

Currently the best flight options that I can find are:

• $2,696.00 per person for fully refundable Business fares flying from JFK-Madrid-Athens on Iberia.
• $2,702.00 per person for fully refundable Business fares flying from EWR-LHR-Athens on BA metal purchased on Iberia’s website.
• 64,600 Avios + $144.40 per person for Business flying from JFK-DUB-Athens on Aer Lingus
• 56,250 Avios + $214.74 per person for Premium Economy from IAD-LHR-Athens flying on BA

Emirates will be adding Premium Economy to their flights from EWR – Athens beginning in February 2025 but I don’t know what their prices will be yet or when they will be available to book.

Should we just wait to see if prices decrease or book something now to make sure we have flights that work since our dates are not flexible? The downside to transferring UR’s to Avios and then cancelling the booking for something better is that we may not have a use for the Avios points in the future.

If we book now would 1 ½ hours in Dublin be enough time for the connecting flight to choose that one for Business or would we be better off booking Premium Economy on BA to have the longer connection time?

With Emirates adding Premium Economy on their non-stop flights to Athens would you book a refundable cash fare now on the BA flight and try to get award seats with Emirates when they are available? Would the non-stop Premium Economy Emirates flight trump a connecting Aer Lingus Business flight?

We do not have any United CC’s. Would it be worth it for P2 to get the United Explorer or Gateway CC to have access to the award availability reserved for their CC holders?

Sorry to be so long winded but I am looking for suggestions from the experts to find the best flight options to make this trip possible. Thanks for any help.

JFK-Athens at 64k is a great rate for business. You should jump on that. I don't see it getting cheaper than that. Plus there's a transfer bonus right now, 30%, so that puts each ticket at ~50k UR; it is EXTREMELY rare to find better business class rates than that.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

How did you sort through flights from the US to the Maldives? I just re-read your trip report and you said that you had worked backwards. I'm in unfamiliar territory on flights THAT far over, but am thinking - fall of '26 - US>somewhere Europe>Maldives and then back again. Perhaps position to go to the Maldives in either Greece or London (not at all sure yet and very open to suggestion).

I was working close-in, so about 45 days out, so I was really piecing things together. But if I had to do it with advanced planning, I would try to get a Qatar Airways flight. For example, ORD-DOH-MLE. Every Qatar flight is going to stop in Doha. Qatar opens their schedule about 360 days in advance. Expect saver awards to go immediately. Cost is about 85k. Recently surcharges went up.

I would play with Qatar a bit to get comfortable. Flexi fare means saver fare isn't available, so you don't want that.

Also check out the Qsuites tool on seats.aero.

If you do want to position to Europe, it will likely be more expensive, but it will also probably have more availability. Check out the Qsuites tool on seats.aero (free) to play a bit with routes that fly from Europe-Doha.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

New elevated CSP offer via support link. Others have noted on r/churning that this link has disappeared from the public page, but I was able to pull it up via support. I'll pop it over on DISchurners if anyone needs it.

 

[GZanta77]

New elevated CSP offer via support link. Others have noted on r/churning that this link has disappeared from the public page, but I was able to pull it up via support. I'll pop it over on DISchurners if anyone needs it.

View attachment 900397

Oh well - was planning to hold out until January for my next Sapphire, but as Amex has me in pop-up jail, and this offer seems too good to resist.......

Pulled up the same offer from P2 referral. Applied and instant approval.

Thanks for the heads-up @FreeDiningFanatic

 

[Princess Michele]

JFK-Athens at 64k is a great rate for business. You should jump on that. I don't see it getting cheaper than that. Plus there's a transfer bonus right now, 30%, so that puts each ticket at ~50k UR; it is EXTREMELY rare to find better business class rates than that.

Thanks for your thoughts. Do you think 1.5 hours in Dublin is enough time to make our connecting flight? When we flew from Vancouver through Toronto to DCA last summer it took us longer getting through customs and to our connecting flight than I thought it would and I would want to make sure we have plenty of time.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

New elevated CSP offer via support link. Others have noted on r/churning that this link has disappeared from the public page, but I was able to pull it up via support. I'll pop it over on DISchurners if anyone needs it.

View attachment 900397

Ahh man, I’m not due for a CSP til March I hope this sticks around, or another great offer like this comes around.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Ahh man, I’m not due for a CSP til March I hope this sticks around, or another great offer like this comes around.

May for me

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

May for me

June

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Thanks for your thoughts. Do you think 1.5 hours in Dublin is enough time to make our connecting flight? When we flew from Vancouver through Toronto to DCA last summer it took us longer getting through customs and to our connecting flight than I thought it would and I would want to make sure we have plenty of time.

I'm not familiar with Dublin, but I'm sure others will chime in. My biggest advice to everyone is to travel with carry-on only. Excepting medical needs, I think anyone can do it.

 

[Twilghtsprkle]

Thanks for your thoughts. Do you think 1.5 hours in Dublin is enough time to make our connecting flight? When we flew from Vancouver through Toronto to DCA last summer it took us longer getting through customs and to our connecting flight than I thought it would and I would want to make sure we have plenty of time.

I had no trouble in Dublin but I got there at 5am and there was basically no one in the line yet.

The thing with Dublin is that they serve a lot of smaller US airports that don’t have customs. So they can get busy. I would clear US customs going back to the US at Dublin instead of at my home airport.

I will also say the Aer Lingus business class is pretty basic. Nothing great. Bigger seat. No pre flight drink. Very little service during the flight. If you’ve flown other airline’s business class you will be disappointed. Heck they only pack exactly the number of meals for seats so if you are in the last row no choice for you.

 

[VGCgroupie]

For those using the Amex Lowes offer and have their cards linked to Rakuten for in store purchases. I got my tracking email for my purchase within a couple hours. 400 Amex Points 200 and 200. I did 2 $100 purchases.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Currently in the EVA lounge at the Taipei airport waiting for my flight home. I contemplated doing a quick tour of Taipei but decided against it because my total layover time is 6.5 hours and I didn’t want to rush and have to worry about traffic, going through security again, etc. Probably a good decision because when we landed there was another plane at our gate so we had to sit for 15 minutes and wait for the aircraft to clear, plus it’s hot and raining here and I’m super tired.

I wanted to post some thoughts about my stay at the Umana Ugasan LXR in Bali. I had read such positive things about it on FT so I had set my expectations high. I already posted pics of my villa and it was truly lovely. BUT there were some major shortcomings which had a drastic impact on my stay.

• The a/c in the villa was set at 78 degrees and guests cannot change it (unless they want it hotter). I told them it was waaaay too hot for me and they sent eng to ‘check’ it; I was told everything was fine. But I persisted because I can’t sleep in an oven. So the front desk sent 2 eng guys who spent upwards of 45 mins in the villa and on the roof so that the temp on the thermostats (3 in total) could be lowered.
• They are SUPER stingy with upgrades. I checked the HH website before I arrived and all room types were showing as available. But when I arrived I was told the hotel was fully occupied. Two days later they offered me an upgrade, but due to some miscommunication on their part I turned it down (it had shade by villa pool all day — I wanted all day sun and had discussed this with them a few times). So I had to pack and then unpack
• Next day I was offered an upgrade to a panoramic ocean view and the view was amazing, so I took it. But that entailed packing and unpacking yet again. But….
• The a/c at the new villa had the thermostat was set at an absurd 84 degrees (does anyone enjoy sleeping in a room that hot? But I digress). So a call to the front desk for eng
• But eng could not get the thermostats below 78 degrees after 3 lengthy visits. At this point the front desk thought it might be better to ignore me than to deal with the issue, but if I can’t sleep then no one is going to be happy lol. I had already arranged with the front desk to have them call me prior to eng coming to my room lest I be in my bikini by the pool when they arrive.
• So I am in the shower after spending the day by the pool and thought I heard someone in the room. To discover that eng was in the bedroom WHILE I WAS SHOWERING (there is no door to the bathroom from the bedroom — it’s a large open area). No whatsapp, no doorbell, nada and this was with the DND on, mind you it was daylight so I didn’t have the deadbolt engaged. I was too mad to call the front desk, so had to wait an hour or so to gather myself. Their response was along the lines of ‘we thought you wanted the temp adjusted’ and never acknowledged their egregious behavior (I don’t blame eng — I’m sure it was the front desk that sent them).
• The gym also had the temp set at 80 degrees and despite asking at least 6 times for it to be turned down it never was.
• No beach club — apparently it won’t be ready until November. If one wants to go to the beach you would have to pay to use a private beach club with a few hundred strangers
• There is construction surrounding the resort — a new condo complex being built beside (adjacent to the spa) and a new road (or road construction) down to the beach. If one wants a villa with daytime sun you are going to get a good dose of construction noise to go along with it (it didn’t bother me, but something to be aware of)
• Nothing was left at turndown and no welcome amenity in the room (this was the only hotel that I stayed at the didn’t offer anything and that includes the Bali Novotel airport hotel)
• There is nothing within walking distance and nothing worth visiting in Uluwatu except the Temple on the cliff. That involved a nail-biting half hour ride on the back of a scooter in each direction.

For comparison I stayed at 5 hotels over the past 28 days and all but the Umana had the thermostats set at 66 degrees. I have no idea why the Umana thinks that 78 degrees is a comfortable temp to sleep in. Ugh. Suffice it to say that I won’t be returning there.

There were some good things. The staff at Commune, their main restaurant, was amazing as was the food. I had a massage which was maybe one of the best I’ve ever had. Despite the gym being 1,000 degrees it was very well-equipped with modern equipment. And the Japanese toilets in the room were amazing (if I ever custom build a house every bedroom en-suite will have one).

I had a macaque troop visit me in my upgraded villa one day — here’s an an action shot with the view in the background)

.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I left the Conrad Centennial this morning and it was amazing. I paid US$270.00 / night which is incredible value for this stunning property. I took the MRT from the airport to the hotel and arrived shortly after 2pm. They assigned me an executive king on the executive floor (executive rooms are the same size as regular rooms, but on higher floors). I could see the Merlion from my room (it was in the distance, so no pics, but it was nice to watch the crowds gather there). I had afternoon tea on my first tea and it was okay, nothing to get excited about, same for the evening food.

The staff at the property were all outstanding. My room was kept spotlessly clean and well-stocked for my entire stay. The bed, pillows and linens were sublime. Shower pressure was fantastic. Location was great — 2 mins walk from the Circle line, 10 mins walk to a few other lines, but you can walk indoors. I only took a taxi once in 5 days and that was because I had been out all day, it was super hot and I was tired. I’d definitely stay here again and have plans to in January with ds on our way to Japan!

The only problem is Oscars, the restaurant where they have breakfast, always had a huge line. I mistakenly thought it must be because the food was good, so my second day I decided to eat there instead of the executive lounge. I waited a half hour in line and the food was mediocre at best. Yesterday I went to Ya Kun for kaya toast, served with coffee and eggs and it was delicious — kaya toast is MUST eat in Singapore; Ya Kun has huge lines for a reason (but the line moves quickly). I can’t wait to eat there again in January! If you’re HH diamond Oscars isn’t a problem because one can dine in the exec lounge. Even w/o HH status you can just go to one of the bakeries across the street or walk 5 mins to Ya Kun and have kaya toast every day (when in Singapore, right?).

I came down with a horrible cold / flu on my second day so never visited the gym. I’m still fighting through it. I did peek in from the pool deck and it looked sufficient with a few treadmills and some free weights.

When I first arrived in Singapore I was trying to change my flight home because I didn’t think I could fill 5 days there. But once I settled in I fell in love with Singapore. Most mornings I’d have breakfast in the executive lounge, then spend a few hours by the pool before exploring for the remainder of the day / evening. If anyone can schedule a few days here as part of a trip to Japan I’d highly recommend it!




Supertree Grove with Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background.