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

[iujen94]

I feel like there were quite a few of us who booked Caribbean trips for Spring Break when SW opened those flights months ago - and had some sticker shock in the process. I’ve been endlessly stalking our Jamaica flights and FINALLY!!!! today there was a price drop! From 36k points to 29k points. So might be worth checking your flights today!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

And SSN as EIN?

Yes…they will pull your personal credit…but the card will not show on your personal credit report or add to 5/24
Make sure to use a support link from P2

 

[disneedee]

Hey there credit card peeps! So today we depart the Celebrity Flora and the Galapagos. We began collecting the points and miles for this trip back in 2020. Initially, we intended to accumulate Chase points to transfer to Hyatt and sail with Lindblad/NatGeo using the Hyatt/Lindblad partnership. When Chase introduced PYB we decided not to stay married to the idea of Lindblad via Hyatt. Therefore, we eventually decided to sail with Celebrity on their new ship, The Flora, which was specifically designed for the Galapagos. We also cashed out some MRs with Charles Schwab when it was still at 1.25 cpp and had a few Amex offers with Celebrity across several cards that offered an additional $600 back for payments towards our cruise.

We had Celebrity include the flights and let them handle it for our voyage. This was preferable over us trying to get to both Quito and then Baltra on their chartered flights both ways, along with a hotel pre night and post night at the JW. I don’t have an issue with getting flights booked with award miles, but it simply wasn’t worth the hassle vs any potential savings. This also allowed us to stick together with our group of friends. There were 9 of us traveling together. We did book a second night for the post stay since we all decided to do a tour by locals for a day in Quito.

You are picked up at the airport by a Celebrity representative and transported to your hotel. Once we arrived we were checked in by Celebrity and our rooms were ready. We were offered a local welcome beverage and there was a massage chair where we could each have a massage for a few minutes if we so chose. Each passenger is given a reusable water bottle to use and reduce the use of plastics. The pre cruise day with Celebrity includes a guided tour of Quito the following morning which was a lot of fun.

The day after our guided Quito tour we were transported to our chartered fight after breakfast at the hotel. Checked bags were picked up the night before. We didn’t have to worry about liquids on our carry ins since the flight is chartered. Lunch is offered on the flight. We boarded the ship which is lovely! The rooms are all suites with a balcony. Each passenger receives a backup to keep. It’s a very nice backpack too!

Each evening there is a briefing and there are activities to choose from for the following day. The various activities offer something for just about everyone depending on their interest, mobility etc. There is a morning activity and an afternoon one. Lunch is in between the activities and there is a snack offered after each activity immediately after tendering back in. The ship does not dock anywhere and a tender is taken to each location. Some landings are wet and some dry. We were required to wash off shoes and snorkel gear after each excursion to prevent bringing anything from one island to the next.

There were choices to do long or short walks with the Naturalist, deep water snorkeling in various locations. I wasn’t sure if I would actually snorkel since I am terrified of going into the ocean. I did it twice and am glad I did. The sea lions will swim and try to play with you. The penguins will swim next to you if you are near fish they are hunting. The sea turtles and marine iguanas swim right next to you as well. If there are birds on the rocky areas where you are snorkeling they will not fly away as you approach them. The animals have no fear of people and it is possible to get some really amazing pictures up close both on land and in the water. All my pictures were with my iPhone 11 Pro except the underwater ones. Those were with an old Fuji underwater camera. I completely forgot to bring my camera. It is my only regret, but I still got amazing pictures that I’m pleased with. I’m thankful to have had such an incredibly amazing experience.

This is NOT a relaxing type of cruise. It can be if you want to miss out on the reason you came here in the first place LOL

I would be hard pressed to decide if this trip or the Antarctica one was better. I absolutely want to book another trip to the Galapagos. We did the Outer Loop and I’d like to do the Inner Loop as well. I am head over heels in love with Blue Footed Boobies and am looking forward to falling in love with Red Footed Boobies too!

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you have a great eye for the right photo.

 

[BGparadise]

Question regarding the CIC, I was approved in Nov 22 and am thinking I want another due to the $25k limit on office supply store rewards. Is there a general rule to consider since the last approval was only a couple months ago?

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Question regarding the CIC, I was approved in Nov 22 and am thinking I want another due to the $25k limit on office supply store rewards. Is there a general rule to consider since the last approval was only a couple months ago?

Are you under 5/24? Have you had another Chase applications in since November, 2022?

 

[djmeredith]

DP for UR transfer to Bonvoy. It took about 60 hours for my points transfer this weekend. Made the transfer on Chase Friday night after 9 pm and they didn't post until this morning around 9:00.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Question regarding the CIC, I was approved in Nov 22 and am thinking I want another due to the $25k limit on office supply store rewards. Is there a general rule to consider since the last approval was only a couple months ago?

General guideline is 1 chase application every 90 days or so..also Chase CLs under 50% of household income or under around $75k….you also need to be under 5/24

 

[Minnie368]

I am probably going to be closing two amex card accounts this month. Are any of the current offers on their co-branded cards particularly good right now?- because I know these cancellations may land me in pop up jail. Already have schwab plat, gold, biz plat, biz green, Hilton biz, Hilton no AF, BBP. Had and since have closed delta biz. Would be most interested in Hilton and Delta. Marriott just seems like the points don't go far. As far as the MR cards, I don't know that any of the ones I haven't already had are worth their AF.

 

[BGparadise]

Are you under 5/24? Have you had another Chase applications in since November, 2022?

I believe I am 1/24 with my last personal card being CSP 7/21

 

[Maryrachel713]

Do I get the companion pass via straight miles listed in my RR account? I haven't reached my SUB yet, but those points show up there and are part of the total I believe.

I ask because I was one of the many who got a surprise road trip from SW so I am eligible for 25k bonus miles. Those will count towards my CP too right?

 

[Liquidice]

Thought this might be useful information if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card like I do and weren't so keen on paying the $650 annual fee (up from $450 last year).

The ~44% increase in annual fee was too much, so I called AMEX to cancel as my annual fee was set to charge me today. AMEX wouldn't budge on giving me a credit or promotion to lower the annual fee, but they offered to downgrade me to the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card which I politely declined as it is $250 and not really worthwhile imho. They then offered me the "Marriott Bonvoy card", which is an unadvertised card. It is a $95 annual fee and essentially the same as the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card but from AMEX. It earns 6x Marriott points per $1 spent and 2x Marriott Points on all other purchases. You get 1 free night award (35,000 point room or lower) and Complimentary Marriott Silver Elite Status (worthless) but can earn Gold if you spend $35k or more in a calendar year. You also get 15 Elite Night credits per year. It lacks the 3x on the first $6k spent on grocery, gas stations and dining, but I have another card for that already.

Here is a link to the details of the card, you can't apply for this card directly only downgrade from another Marriott AMEX card to this: https://global.americanexpress.com/card-benefits/view-all/marriott-bonvoy

Since I didn't have to cancel and apply for a new Chase Marriott Boundless card I am pretty happy.

I already stay enough at Marriott hotels to earn Platinum each year, so the Boundless "upgrade" wasn't worth it to me, nor was the switch from $300 Marriott credit to $25/month on restaurants.

Hope this helps someone who was trying to figure out what to do.

 

[hsmamato2]

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I am alive and well. Quite busy, still churning, and glad things have continued to thrive here in my absence. Hope you all are doing well! Thanks to @miztressuz for creating the new thread and for all you fabulous peeps for making this the best thread on the DIS! Best wishes for a great 2023 churning year to all of you!

@SouthFayetteFan nice to hear from you!

 

[Haley R]

Have any of you been to peppa pig land? We’re thinking about trying legoland Florida with ds and can’t decide if we should drive over for the day or stay the night and do peppa pig the next morning

 

[havaneselover]

Thought this might be useful information if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card like I do and weren't so keen on paying the $650 annual fee (up from $450 last year).

The ~44% increase in annual fee was too much, so I called AMEX to cancel as my annual fee was set to charge me today. AMEX wouldn't budge on giving me a credit or promotion to lower the annual fee, but they offered to downgrade me to the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card which I politely declined as it is $250 and not really worthwhile imho. They then offered me the "Marriott Bonvoy card", which is an unadvertised card. It is a $95 annual fee and essentially the same as the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card but from AMEX. It earns 6x Marriott points per $1 spent and 2x Marriott Points on all other purchases. You get 1 free night award (35,000 point room or lower) and Complimentary Marriott Silver Elite Status (worthless) but can earn Gold if you spend $35k or more in a calendar year. You also get 15 Elite Night credits per year. It lacks the 3x on the first $6k spent on grocery, gas stations and dining, but I have another card for that already.

Here is a link to the details of the card, you can't apply for this card directly only downgrade from another Marriott AMEX card to this: https://global.americanexpress.com/card-benefits/view-all/marriott-bonvoy

Since I didn't have to cancel and apply for a new Chase Marriott Boundless card I am pretty happy.

I already stay enough at Marriott hotels to earn Platinum each year, so the Boundless "upgrade" wasn't worth it to me, nor was the switch from $300 Marriott credit to $25/month on restaurants.

Hope this helps someone who was trying to figure out what to do.

I had this card for a few years before I canceled. The 35,000 point certificate isn't very useful to me these days.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Do I get the companion pass via straight miles listed in my RR account? I haven't reached my SUB yet, but those points show up there and are part of the total I believe.

I ask because I was one of the many who got a surprise road trip from SW so I am eligible for 25k bonus miles. Those will count towards my CP too right?

When you are signed into your RR account there is a tracker showing how many miles you have accumulated towards a CP…

 

[Liquidice]

I had this card for a few years before I canceled. The 35,000 point certificate isn't very useful to me these days.

Yeah what I was mostly looking for was the 6x Marriott Points for every $1 spent at Marriott hotels. I travel a bunch for work (enough to hit Platinum after the 15 Elite night credits you get from the card) and then the rest of my Marriott stays for vacation tend to be on points. The point certificate might come in handy every once in awhile though, like if I stay at Flamingo Crossing near Disney World for example you can get a room there for 35k or less.

I just didn't want to pay $650 a year for what essentially amounted to me using the card to get 6x Marriott points and 10 extra Elite night credits. I think the 6x points is worth the $95 annual fee over the No annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold card with 3x points (or using my Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3x points). I usually get enough from the AMEX offers to more than cover the $95 annual fee too, although I guess I could switch to Blue Cash Everyday with a $0 fee and still get the AMEX offers.

What do you think?

 

[jujubiee4]

I feel like there were quite a few of us who booked Caribbean trips for Spring Break when SW opened those flights months ago - and had some sticker shock in the process. I’ve been endlessly stalking our Jamaica flights and FINALLY!!!! today there was a price drop! From 36k points to 29k points. So might be worth checking your flights today!

How does this work if you paid for a flight for someone else? Can you still get refund/difference?

 

[jujubiee4]

I feel like there were quite a few of us who booked Caribbean trips for Spring Break when SW opened those flights months ago - and had some sticker shock in the process. I’ve been endlessly stalking our Jamaica flights and FINALLY!!!! today there was a price drop! From 36k points to 29k points. So might be worth checking your flights today!

Never mind I just went into the acct and changed it. Got the credit. Thank you so much!

 

[iujen94]

Update on the AT&T Biz Fiber AMEX offer and using it for non Biz Fiber bills - I had tried to pay my wireless bill first, and it showed up on my statement as “AT&T FASTPAY” and never triggered the offer. I just paid $50 on our internet bill, and it showed up as “AT&T HSIA BUS E-EVR,” which is apparently what you want to see to trigger the credit. I suspect there may have been user error when I paid the wireless bill - my Chrome has been really funky about incognito mode since my son added a “profile” (hooked to his school account) to the Chrome on my computer. I suspect the school doesn’t allow incognito searching, and that that undermined my attempt to open the link in an incognito browser. Fingers crossed this one works!

Edited to add: within minutes I got the email confirming I had used the offer!

 

[lsutigers03]

And the CIC doesn't count against Chase's 5/24 and it doesn't pull on your personal credit, right? Considering pulling the trigger here too. Somewhat hesitant/nervous!

If you apply as a sole proprietor and use your SSN they will pull your personal credit. The card won't report to your credit which is why it doesn't count against your 5/24 status.