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

[Haley R]

I wouldn’t worry about planning around school breaks when kids are still in elementary school. Take them out of school and save some money when they are young. Once they get to middle school it becomes difficult to take them out of school, and in high school it is basically impossible.
We can only travel from mid-June to mid-July because our oldest is on the varsity cheer team, during the winter breaks we can only travel for 7 out of the 14 days.
We have plans over Thanksgiving break, if the football team makes it to playoffs and she misses the game that’s 5% from her cheer grade. Last fall she had an 89% in cheer because she missed 2 football games due to travel and a basketball game, she had to cheer at additional basketball games to bring her grade up to an A, because cheer was her only B.

Don’t worry about absences in elementary school. Take the time to make family memories.

He’ll already be missing a week in May for Gatlinburg so I’d prefer to stick with his actual spring break in March.

 

[Haley R]

We enjoy the Pensacola Beach area. While it's a "beach town" it's not got a ton of high rises and I think spring breakers would be elsewhere. Beautiful beaches and water, enough restaurants and if it's a rainy day you can go to the Naval Air Station museum with the kids. There's a national seashore where you can visit a civil war era fort and if it's a Blue Angels practice day, you can take in the practice from the fort area.

We never stay in a hotel, so I can't speak to points redemption, we are either in a condo rental or camping at the National Seashore.

Pensacola is actually really close to where my parents live so maybe they would meet us there. Ds seemed to like the fort in St. Augustine so he might like that. Thanks!

 

[Haley R]

Anyone been to Jekyll Island/St. Simons in March?

 

[becauseimnew]

They give grades for extracurriculars? Have never heard of that.

Sports are a class. That’s her last class of the day.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I know you’re not using the FNC but would the 85k be easier to use if you convert to Ritz?

Hmm. It wouldn’t help this year but maybe for next year. Yellowstone in June and hotels in Bozeman are all above my 35k FNC. Is it high AF?

Sports are a class. That’s her last class of the day.

Interesting. At my son’s school, sports are extra, you have to have at least 5 classes, and C or above for all, to participate. Gym does count so I guess that’s similar.

 

[eticketplease]

Is it high AF?

Unfortunately yes, $450.

You do quite a few benefits that the CSR has as well though like the $300 travel credit which brings it down to $150 so close to what you are probably already paying for your current card.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Staying at a Home 2 Suites (it's my go to when staying with my dogs). I have a $25 gift card and a $50 gift card. Pet fee is $75. I believe at check out I am supposed to ask them to run them as Amex for the exact amount they have on them. Does that sound right? I'd really like to get rid of these. I was able to use my q3 credits on the pet fee on the way down to Florida and to prepay my room in GA on the way home. Q4 should be okay because dd is graduating so I'm thinking of using a free night certificate at the Waldorf Buckhead and overnight parking is $65.

You've probably checked out now, but that's how I remember the instructions from here. Charge as Amex (not a gift card) using exact amounts on the cards.
Please share the DP of how checkout went.

Has anyone stayed at the Intercontinental Lisbon or Porto? Thinking of booking them with IHG free nights after I meet my MSR.

I didn't stay at either but in Lisbon we stayed at the Vignette Collection Convent Square for 38-40k pts/nt. Review in my signature.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

There doesn't seem to be a downgrade option from the Amex Hilton biz card, correct? I missed the renewal cancellation time frame, which was totally my fault, and it renewed at the higher AF of $195. I'll recoup the AF if the gc hack stays around, but I had planned to cancel this one.

 

[Judique]

What's the latest info on extending expiring Marriott FNCs.
I have one expiring 10/3 that I can't use. I'm thinking I need to just cancel my Chase Marriott card since I'm not using the FNCs well.

I have my DD's friend who can't seem to manage her FNC's, so I watch for close to expiration and this weekend had her book one night while I booked two nights. She came for 2 nights and enjoyed herself with me, DD and grands! I used it last year but I was more direct this year in making sure she booked in time to actually get a room.

This worked well as she kept thanking me. And, she wants me to use her Hyatt night, which is more of a challenge. Meanwhile I'm offering to pay her annual fee and she says no, but I managed to pay for some food to even it out a bit. The extra nights are a bargain for me at annual fee cost.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

We booked Hermitage Bay in Antigua during an SLH/Hilton integration test period, for October. I didn't know it at the time, but turns out this property includes all food and drinks, as well as immigration assistance and transport to and from the resort. So a totally free vacation. 130k Hilton/nt.
They are closed now for some refurbishments and reached out to say that they wouldn't be opening for our stay. Pick new dates, they said. Selected new dates and they confirmed they were available. But then bc they are new to Hilton, they said, oh just cancel your reservation and rebook the new dates. Um, no, that's not how it works, lol. Their award dates are booked out til basically the end of the calendar. And I'd booked using 2 accts, 2 FNCs (one of which was expiring) and 2 nts points. They've since instituted a 3 nt min. Anyway, it took a lot of jostling and work with Hilton and SLH to get moved to the new dates. BUT...

• Upgraded to Hillside Suite with Plunge Pool (previously quoted $700/nt upgrade)
• Saved some AA points on the new dates and better days of the week
• BC it was so difficult to redo the ressie, I ended up using points. Hilton extended one FNC to January 2026
• And they are sending a Be Our Guest FNC, good at Hilton brands
• Plus no hurricane season

Anway, I lucked out with a really great Diamond desk agent who went to bat for me and consistently followed up with me over the course of several weeks to get things rescheduled. I was super lucky and I'm very very grateful.

But now DH has time off in October...

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

DH and I would like to experience more phenomenon travel (think cherry blossoms, great migration, tulips, etc). We've loved our two trips to Iceland and so I follow travel info and pics about Iceland. Showed this to DH:




Aurora and a volcanic eruption, at the same time!!!!! DH, who never, ever, ever asks for anything, said, we should go to Iceland now that we have time in October. And then he was like, let's just go see what kind of gear they have at the outlets...

So, on a whim, I booked a trip to Iceland in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights. If there's some new volcanic activity, that would be an incredible fortuitous bonus. We've only ever been in summer, so we are looking forward to some cozy winterish weather, just the two of us.

I scored The Reykjavik EDITION the one night of the month I could use a FNC.
Booked IcelandAir on the Chase Travel portal using CSR @ 46k/rt/pp (economy)
Will use up some Hilton GCs at the Iceland Parliament hotel.
Plan to explore the West Coast and Snaefelsness peninsula from a cozy Airbnb, using discounted GCs.
I requested and got a discount on car rental through Blue Car Rental, plus free driver, but I wish I could offset this cost somehow.

But a 5 nt trip to Iceland for 2 about $900 (outlet spending excluded ). And hopefully we'll get lucky enought to see Aurora. But I'm so super blessed to have a hubby like I do and I'd cozy up anywhere with him.

 

[Haley R]

Today we decided to cash out all 600k of our Amex points. Not something we ever expected to do but we don’t have big travel plans for next year that we could use them on. We still have about 600k URs. We’re planning to stick closer to home, doing more driving trips or very short flights. We mainly stay at Airbnb or vrbos. Planning to put the money in a high yield savings account and earn 5% on it.

 

[wanderlust7]

Took an offer to upgrade United Gateway to Explorer for 10,000 miles. Never got it, so I SM'd. Many replies later (forward to the right department, we're looking into it, we agree you're owed the miles pending manual deposit, still pending deposit, we've deposited the miles pending next statement)), I finally see 20,000 miles on the statement. It took almost 2 months.

I didn't ask for anything extra and they said they're depositing 10,000, so it was a nice surprise. I can finally stop checking it lol.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

DH and I would like to experience more phenomenon travel (think cherry blossoms, great migration, tulips, etc). We've loved our two trips to Iceland and so I follow travel info and pics about Iceland. Showed this to DH:

View attachment 895241


Aurora and a volcanic eruption, at the same time!!!!! DH, who never, ever, ever asks for anything, said, we should go to Iceland now that we have time in October. And then he was like, let's just go see what kind of gear they have at the outlets...

So, on a whim, I booked a trip to Iceland in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights. If there's some new volcanic activity, that would be an incredible fortuitous bonus. We've only ever been in summer, so we are looking forward to some cozy winterish weather, just the two of us.

I scored The Reykjavik EDITION the one night of the month I could use a FNC.
Booked IcelandAir on the Chase Travel portal using CSR @ 46k/rt/pp (economy)
Will use up some Hilton GCs at the Iceland Parliament hotel.
Plan to explore the West Coast and Snaefelsness peninsula from a cozy Airbnb, using discounted GCs.
I requested and got a discount on car rental through Blue Car Rental, plus free driver, but I wish I could offset this cost somehow.

But a 5 nt trip to Iceland for 2 about $900 (outlet spending excluded ). And hopefully we'll get lucky enought to see Aurora. But I'm so super blessed to have a hubby like I do and I'd cozy up anywhere with him.

Hooray, good for you! Iceland is one of our favorite places! We've only been in Winter (including Christmas) and it was one of our most memorable Christmases as our holiday lights that year were the Aurora borealis on two nights in a row. Since you're going in the cold season, you might want some hot chocolate -- highly recommend the hot chocolate at 12 Tónar in Reykjavik. It's a record store but they also serve hot drinks

I think it might be too early in the season, but if it's possible: do an ice cave tour at Vatnajökull National Park. It's fantastic! If not, a reason to go back in the deep of winter! Truly magnificent, it's like being inside an ice cathedral. Here's a picture I took of part of the ceiling:

Every year, the ice caves melt in summer and then reform when the glacier water freezes in winter, which means they are never the same and make new shapes and corridors each time.

We are planning to go back next May, Memorial Day weekend, to see other parts in the warmer season.

 

[punkin]

Today we decided to cash out all 600k of our Amex points. Not something we ever expected to do but we don’t have big travel plans for next year that we could use them on. We still have about 600k URs. We’re planning to stick closer to home, doing more driving trips or very short flights. We mainly stay at Airbnb or vrbos. Planning to put the money in a high yield savings account and earn 5% on it.

Did you do it online or have to call? How did you do it exactly?

 

[Haley R]

Did you do it online or have to call? How did you do it exactly?

Dh said he redeemed them into our business checking accounts. Since we both have a plat it was redeemed at 1 cpp. He said if you have just the biz checking account it’s 0.8 cpp.

 

[wiscbugs]

Today we decided to cash out all 600k of our Amex points. Not something we ever expected to do but we don’t have big travel plans for next year that we could use them on. We still have about 600k URs. We’re planning to stick closer to home, doing more driving trips or very short flights. We mainly stay at Airbnb or vrbos. Planning to put the money in a high yield savings account and earn 5% on it.

Just a heads-up the HYS accounts won't be earning 5% for long unfortunately with the Fed starting to cut rates.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Just a heads-up the HYS accounts won't be earning 5% for long unfortunately with the Fed starting to cut rates.

Our Discover HYSA already dropped to 4.10 I think it is...this was like a week and a half ago!

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

What's the timeline between Chase cards again? I was approved for the CIP 8/24. I'm pretty close to hitting the spend (thank you taxes, medical bills, and new tires). So I'm looking at what card to get next. I see that the IHG 5 FNC is still an option. But I also see the IHG Biz card is elevated. I'm leaning towards the Biz, (I can get either as I've cancelled both cards and it's been over 2 years for both). While I like the idea of the 5 FNC, I'm hearing people are struggling to find good redemptions. Plus, I have a lot of FNC right now, LOL. I realize in theory the 5 FNC = 300k but I think using the 200k will be easier. So when I can I go for either?

Just a heads-up the HYS accounts won't be earning 5% for long unfortunately with the Fed starting to cut rates.

Wealthfront is still showing 5%. I guess I need to transfer over more of my money from my discover account!

 

[GZanta77]

Our Discover HYSA already dropped to 4.10 I think it is...this was like a week and a half ago!

If you're a AAA member - Discover has a special 9 month CD that is still paying 5.02% (5.15% APY). Seems a lot better than their standard rates. Not sure if applicable to all regions but link ------> AAA Discover CD