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

[*WDW*Groupie*]

My dates aren't open yet but narrowing down hotels for Switzerland and Italy for next year (will take any recommendations for Rome, Florence, Interlaken, Lucerne and Zurich). Found this interesting on Chase Portal. They had two hotels which said you could book on Chase portal and get benefits hotel loyalty program. The current price was 1000 a night so out of my range. Maybe they've always had this and I look at much cheaper places so I never noticed.

View attachment 863149

In Lucerne we stayed at the Hotel Schweizerhol Lucern -- it was well located and really nice. I'd def stay there again.

Florence hotels are super expensive; we've stayed at the Four Seasons, which I wouldn't recommend for 2 reasons: it's expensive lol and it's a bit of a long walk from the city centre (I didn't care for the shuttle simply because I want to come and go when I please and not be tied to a schedule). I loved the Hotel Milu and would highly recommend it, but depending on when you're going it can also be expensive. Hotels in general in Florence are expensive, but it is my favorite city.

Since you're going to be so close to Zermatt and enjoy hiking have you considered adding Zermatt to your itinerary? We LOVED it there -- the pic of me on the challenging ropes course was taken in Zermatt with the Matterhorn in the background. I would really like to go back one day.

In Zurich I have stayed at the Park Hyatt which was okay -- didn't love the location since it was a bit removed from the busy part of the city centre but the hotel itself was nice. I really liked the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich -- rooms a bit dated, but the breakfast was excellent and it had a perfect location.

In Rome we stayed at the Portrait Roma and while I LOVED it it is really expensive (I have scaled back on my love for luxury hotels to be able to travel more). In October I am staying at the HH Aleph Rome Curio Collection, which looks very nice (3 nights using FNCs).

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

How is everyone using the annual $300 travel credit through Capital One Venture X?

I have no problem using up the $300 on P2's CSR card but we don't need car rentals, we are using Hyatt points for hotel stays this year, and I already purchased air tickets (via AA Citi for my parents, Amex Delta Gold for myself, and JetBlue points for my kids) already for this year. We used the branded CC for the free checked in luggage.

Only big trip I have planned this year is a staycation in NYC in August for my 55th birthday...

Any ideas for using up the CO Venture X $300. I really don't want it to go to waste and I don't want to wait until the last minute to scramble to use it... Is it ONLY for hotel, flights and/or car rentals booked through their travel portal?

TIA

I used it to book a night at a hotel and yes, must be booked through the Cap1 portal. ,

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Just thought I’d share some pics of GTNP/YNP from this past week. It snowed 6” one day We were fortunate to see 4 bears, including a grizzly eating a bison carcass, with 3 coyotes circling, a mama black bear with her cubs, and a moose right in the middle of our trailhead! Even though the weather was chilly, I would 100% go again this time of year. Once you started hiking, you’d warm up. Crowds were low and it made for a very enjoyable trip!!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Howdy Friends

I'm still so new to traveling with points so I'm trying to gain a better understanding. I only have a Chase FF and a lot of points!
I found two articles on how I might go about using points for travel, isn't it best to book through Chase? We don't have anything with Southwest, is there anything I need to signup for in order to get SW airline tickets and earn rewards? We have Amex Delta, which has been 99% our only means of air travel.

You Can Now Book Southwest Flights Via Chase Travel—And Earn Rapid Rewards Points While Doing So

How to Transfer Chase Points to Southwest

Thanks so much!

@sinnika and @TheOneWithTheTriplets - Cancer sucks! I hope you're doing well.

@StephPlum Congrats on your retirement! DH has five more years to go and has been holding on with stage 2 follicular lymphoma. There are only four stages. God is Good!

….best way to use URs to book SW would be to first open up a SW RR account on the SW website. Then you would need to upgrade to either a CSP or CSR to transfer UR points into your SW RR account and use them to book flights for you and your family.
As the previous poster mentioned if you need to cancel they remain in the RR account.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Just thought I’d share some pics of GTNP/YNP from this past week. It snowed 6” one day We were fortunate to see 4 bears, including a grizzly eating a bison carcass, with 3 coyotes circling, a mama black bear with her cubs, and a moose right in the middle of our trailhead! Even though the weather was chilly, I would 100% go again this time of year. Once you started hiking, you’d warm up. Crowds were low and it made for a very enjoyable trip!!

This is so awesome. I'm still working on our YNP plan for 2025. If you have an itinerary, please share. So far I'm just copying @StephPlum (btw thanks Steph!)

 

[2TxAgs]

My dates aren't open yet but narrowing down hotels for Switzerland and Italy for next year (will take any recommendations for Rome, Florence, Interlaken, Lucerne and Zurich). Found this interesting on Chase Portal. They had two hotels which said you could book on Chase portal and get benefits hotel loyalty program. The current price was 1000 a night so out of my range. Maybe they've always had this and I look at much cheaper places so I never noticed.

View attachment 863149

We liked The Bed and Breakfast in Lucerne - maybe a 15 min walk from the train station and close to a bus stop. Hotel Baren in Wengen (up the mountain from Interlaken) has an amazing restaurant and is just down the hill from the tram to Interlaken. Would happily stay at both again. Lucky timing on our part - the day after we arrived (early June) the local farmers were moving their cows thru town and up into the mountains for summer grazing - awesome to hear those cowbells, so SWISS!

 

[hsmamato2]

Just thought I’d share some pics of GTNP/YNP from this past week. It snowed 6” one day We were fortunate to see 4 bears, including a grizzly eating a bison carcass, with 3 coyotes circling, a mama black bear with her cubs, and a moose right in the middle of our trailhead! Even though the weather was chilly, I would 100% go again this time of year. Once you started hiking, you’d warm up. Crowds were low and it made for a very enjoyable trip!!

Beautiful!

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm eyeing those newer Hilton NLL offers, if I canceled basic Hh cc, how long owuld I have to wait to try again?

 

[FoxC63]

@wonderlust7 & @palhockeymomof2
Thank you so much!

 

[becauseimnew]

I'm eyeing those newer Hilton NLL offers, if I canceled basic Hh cc, how long owuld I have to wait to try again?

You can have more than one. You just need less than 5 credit cards.

 

[newski_mom]

good question- and do you show your pp card before or after ordering at a restaurant? I will get to use it once before that goes away......
OMG! I just saw at PHL is an option for a spa with PP???? How does this work? I see a few services listed, does this mean I can choose one from that list?

I know I'm late in answering, but at the restaurant in STL terminal 2, we usually just get a table as usual and when the time comes to pay the bill, I give them our PP card. They scan it and if there is an overcharge, it gets charged to DH's CSR. I will miss it when it's gone.

 

[hsmamato2]

I know I'm late in answering, but at the restaurant in STL terminal 2, we usually just get a table as usual and when the time comes to pay the bill, I give them our PP card. They scan it and if there is an overcharge, it gets charged to DH's CSR. I will miss it when it's gone.

thanks! one last time next week

 

[hsmamato2]

You can have more than one. You just need less than 5 credit cards.

that's so cool.... I may do this - I need a new MSR and not seeing much I can get at the moment-considering another ink but seeing dp's lately has me concerned

 

[Nala83]

I was approved for the IHG premier business card on 6/5. Any idea when the free night will hit my account?

I'm planning on cancelling the card once the AF hits, but I'm hoping to use the free night first. (I assume I just need to book the room- not actually complete the stay?)

 

[StephPlum]

I was approved for the IHG premier business card on 6/5. Any idea when the free night will hit my account?

I'm planning on cancelling the card once the AF hits, but I'm hoping to use the free night first. (I assume I just need to book the room- not actually complete the stay?)

I was approved 5/15/23 and my FNC is for 5/16/24-5/16/25. So you should get yours a day or so after 6/5/24. You can cancel the card once the FNC is in your IHG wallet and they won't claw it back.

 

[leeniewdw]

How is everyone using the annual $300 travel credit through Capital One Venture X?

I have no problem using up the $300 on P2's CSR card but we don't need car rentals, we are using Hyatt points for hotel stays this year, and I already purchased air tickets (via AA Citi for my parents, Amex Delta Gold for myself, and JetBlue points for my kids) already for this year. We used the branded CC for the free checked in luggage.

Only big trip I have planned this year is a staycation in NYC in August for my 55th birthday...

Any ideas for using up the CO Venture X $300. I really don't want it to go to waste and I don't want to wait until the last minute to scramble to use it... Is it ONLY for hotel, flights and/or car rentals booked through their travel portal?

TIA

I ended up using it for some 1 way Delta flights. One RDU-LAS for part of it (cheap flight), then the rest to defray about half the cost of 2 flights from RDU-BOS before we head to DUB. These were flights we were going to take anyway, so was nice to make use of it that way.

 

[StephPlum]

In Lucerne we stayed at the Hotel Schweizerhol Lucern -- it was well located and really nice. I'd def stay there again.

Florence hotels are super expensive; we've stayed at the Four Seasons, which I wouldn't recommend for 2 reasons: it's expensive lol and it's a bit of a long walk from the city centre (I didn't care for the shuttle simply because I want to come and go when I please and not be tied to a schedule). I loved the Hotel Milu and would highly recommend it, but depending on when you're going it can also be expensive. Hotels in general in Florence are expensive, but it is my favorite city.

Since you're going to be so close to Zermatt and enjoy hiking have you considered adding Zermatt to your itinerary? We LOVED it there -- the pic of me on the challenging ropes course was taken in Zermatt with the Matterhorn in the background. I would really like to go back one day.

In Zurich I have stayed at the Park Hyatt which was okay -- didn't love the location since it was a bit removed from the busy part of the city centre but the hotel itself was nice. I really liked the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich -- rooms a bit dated, but the breakfast was excellent and it had a perfect location.

In Rome we stayed at the Portrait Roma and while I LOVED it it is really expensive (I have scaled back on my love for luxury hotels to be able to travel more). In October I am staying at the HH Aleph Rome Curio Collection, which looks very nice (3 nights using FNCs).

We liked The Bed and Breakfast in Lucerne - maybe a 15 min walk from the train station and close to a bus stop. Hotel Baren in Wengen (up the mountain from Interlaken) has an amazing restaurant and is just down the hill from the tram to Interlaken. Would happily stay at both again. Lucky timing on our part - the day after we arrived (early June) the local farmers were moving their cows thru town and up into the mountains for summer grazing - awesome to hear those cowbells, so SWISS!

Thanks for the recommendations. Off to research. Location is top for me, balanced with price. Not going to pay $1000 a night for the best location. But not going for the cheapest in a bad location. Luxury hotels just don't appeal to me. Maybe I'll change as I age but clean, safe and close to transpo and attractions are my top criteria.

I did have Zermatt on my list but I don't know how long I want to be gone. I'll be retired so it isn't a matter of PTO but rather me getting tired of staying in hotels and eating out. I know as I type it is sounds silly. But two weeks is about my limit of being away from my own bed. I think if I could find one spot to do day trips from and rent an apartment/AirBnB then I'd stay longer. This is the first (hopefully of many) international trip(s) so I'll probably just dip my toes here and plan on returning for everything I missed.

 

[Nala83]

I was approved 5/15/23 and my FNC is for 5/16/24-5/16/25. So you should get yours a day or so after 6/5/24. You can cancel the card once the FNC is in your IHG wallet and they won't claw it back.

Great- that's even better. Thanks!

 

[lsutigers03]

Has anyone joined IHG's business rewards program and made a point transfer for free? I signed up P2 but when I try to make a transfer to my account they are charging the normal $5 per 1,000 points. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

ETA: My account was also registered with the business rewards program and I can transfer points for free from my account but I want to transfer from P2's account so I can easily manage our bookings.

 

[Nala83]

Interesting dp of sorts, given all of the recent Chase Ink denials. I have 3 Inks open- most recent opened last September. They are all sock drawered at this point while I work on other spends. I got an offer in my account saying I was already approved for the Business Preferred card.

So they are actively recruiting sometimes yet denying other times? It seems very random!

I wish I could take the offer. 100,00 URs would be nice, but I can't swing the $8000 spend.