I love credit cards so much! v7.0 - 2025 (see first page for add'l details)

[StephPlum]

Is Chase making everyone call in to combine points now? Looks like I/DH will have to do that once the referral points post. Is it automated or do you talk to an operator?

 

[wanderlust7]

Is Chase making everyone call in to combine points now? Looks like I/DH will have to do that once the referral points post. Is it automated or do you talk to an operator?

I think so if you don't already have the connection set-up. You have to talk to someone. DH lost the ability to transfer to me somehow, so he had to call recently.

ETA: Forgot to add that I tried to do it by SM, which I've done many years ago, but was told had to call.

 

[AndreaDM]

Hawaiian Barclay's card question - I'm looking to book an American Airlines flight via my Alaska account using points, paying the fees with my Hawaiian card. Am I eligible for the 2 free checked bags? The terms were unclear to me, could be I'm just not comprehending it right.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I haven't been but was researching for a future trip. Hawaiian and Southwest have inter island flights ($70-$90). A bit worse now that SW charges for luggage .

DH and I each have about 10k Alaska Air miles, so I think we can use those for Hawaiian. Although SW is always an option as long as we can transfer miles from Chase.

 

[StephPlum]

I think so if you don't already have the connection set-up. You have to talk to someone. DH lost the ability to transfer to me somehow, so he had to call recently.

ETA: Forgot to add that I tried to do it by SM, which I've done many years ago, but was told had to call.

Yeah, my card is there as a transfer option but instead of the text me a code, I get call. Uggh.

 

[Mswiza]

Is Chase making everyone call in to combine points now? Looks like I/DH will have to do that once the referral points post. Is it automated or do you talk to an operator?

I have to call even to combine points between my own accounts to get a code, for my DH, they send a code via text to combine between his accounts but when we combine his to mine, (account is connected) need to call to get a code.
You have to talk to someone, it isn’t automated.
It is so irritating! Not sure why I need to verify it’s me when I am moving points that are all under the same login!

 

[chattadisser]

Is Chase making everyone call in to combine points now? Looks like I/DH will have to do that once the referral points post. Is it automated or do you talk to an operator?

I have to call even to combine points between my own accounts to get a code, for my DH, they send a code via text to combine between his accounts but when we combine his to mine, (account is connected) need to call to get a code.
You have to talk to someone, it isn’t automated.
It is so irritating! Not sure why I need to verify it’s me when I am moving points that are all under the same login!

For me it varies, sometimes I have to call and speak to someone (and its basically like I have to give the number of every card I have with them - so much fun) and then sometimes I can get a text. I've found it even differs if you logout and then back in. So it may change during the same day, and I have a card associated with the my account that I should just be able to transfer to.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Which airlines are cheap for inter island travel? Any other way like a ferry available?

We used United between the Big Island and Maui, and between Maui and Kauai. We used Hawaiian between Kauai and Oahu. Each segment was only like 40-50 min flight time max.

 

[Judique]

For me it varies, sometimes I have to call and speak to someone (and its basically like I have to give the number of every card I have with them - so much fun) and then sometimes I can get a text. I've found it even differs if you logout and then back in. So it may change during the same day, and I have a card associated with the my account that I should just be able to transfer to.

 

[Judique]

Hadn't been paying much attention so when I read these posts I decided to do a small transfer from my OG Freedom to my CSP. All Chase accounts both personal and business accounts are under the same login.

Seemed to be the same until I got to the end where I got a choice of a one time text or calling in. Chose text and finished the transaction. Now I also have 200k points on a couple of business cards. I really want to just keep them there as I have no plans to use them immediately.

Maybe I should get them all over to my CSP where I can use them at will. Right now I'll be keeping the CSP through another year unless it gets messed up as in higher fee with benefits I wouldn't use.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Maybe I should get them all over to my CSP where I can use them at will. Right now I'll be keeping the CSP through another year unless it gets messed up as in higher fee with benefits I wouldn't use.

If you want to use the Chase travel portal, you want to get as much over there as you can before 10/26. What's on the card will still redeem at the better of 1.25 or the Chase points boost (when available) for a couple more years. Anything earned or transferred after that date redeems at 1x if there isn't a points boost on the offering.

Of course, if you aren't using that 1.25 as one of your redemption options, who cares

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

We're back. We flew out Saturday afternoon (4pm) and managed to all get D1 to Munich. Though I will say the FA on the side my son and I were on was a joy, . My BF was given 6A, I was given 6B and my son 6C. My son wanted the window (we were on the 767-400). The FA came over and first was upset we weren't the paying passengers who I guess were assigned those seats originally. Then she looked us up and down and said, Oh, you're non-rev and kinda rolled her eyes. She slacked BIG time on service. Not that we expected or asked for a lot, but she was too busy chatting up other passengers to take our orders, or bring us food/drinks. My BF on the other hand had FAs who brought him everything under the sun, nonstop drinks and snacks, etc, LOL. Oh well.

We all really slacked on sleep Friday night, hoping to sleep on the plane. That didn't happen. The cabin was kept WAY too hot. Plus as soon as we got on the flight I had to book everything (hotel, tours, train tickets, set up the esim, etc). That is the real joy in non-rev. Well first was would we get D1 (we had all decided it was D1 or we would pivot to Frankfurt). Then it was a race to book everything. So the first 2 hours were spent with me freaking out (and eating). When we landed we managed to figure out the train/subway situation. I used my Marriott FNC (35k) certificate that was expiring this month on the Aloft Munich. I used my Delta Stay credit for the other 2 nights (plus $290, LOL).

When we landed we couldn't check into the hotel. So we left our bags and headed out to do stuff. Day 1's plans were supposed to be the museum, maybe some of the buildings/gardens. We found ourselves at the BMW museum. It was hot....so hot. And crowded. SOOOOO very crowded! And I hit my wall, hard and fast. I was lightheaded, and exhausted and miserable. After making it through, we headed back towards our hotel. We needed food, which if I remember we got in the station (McD for me and the boy, the BF got some kind of sausage). Luckily the hotel had a room for us. When we got to the room we noticed it was HOT. Sure it was cooler than outside, but it was much warmer than the hallways. I managed to pass out on the bench in the room, while my BF had them come try to "reset" our AC. After a nap for all of us, we decided to venture back out. We managed to catch the Glockenspiel. At this point, my BF was already thinking of going home on Tuesday because of how bad this all was. We walked around for a bit, but again, it was HOT, and so crowded. We headed to a beer hall to try and get some dinner. But now my son had hit his wall. He was over the crowds and the heat and didn't like anything on the menu. So we left. We found an Italian restaurant. The idea was to just split a pizza between my son and I. I don't think the waiter understood and bought us both one. Considering they were $30/ea I wasn't too happy. Then of course there was the bottles of water, as well. The place had no A/C. It was miserable and cost us well over $100. At that point we decided to call it a night. We headed back to our hotel room where it was still UNGODLY hot. We managed to switch from the 5th floor to the 1st floor, and I think that helped us get a "cooler" room, but it was still hot.

Monday we had our castles tours. We got to see Neuschwanstein and Linderhof and stopped in Oberammergau as well. The bus had decent AC, lots of snacks and water too. Our guide was very knowledgeable and VERY into Ludwig LOL. I think my son was annoyed that she talked so much. But we redeemed the trip on Monday a bit. Plus the delta one seats didn't look great for going home Tuesday. We already had the room for the night, so I pushed for us to stay. Plus my 16yo wanted to get his first "legal" beer. So we all agreed to push forward. We got the boy KFC (which he said was nasty) when we got back from the tour (which was 10 hours) and then he passed out in the room, while the BF and I tried Augustiner Keller (which wasn't too far from the hotel). I ordered a "steak". It was white, and certainly not beef! I'm a very picky eater, and was upset there was no chicken to really be found! And then even more upset the "steak" wasn't beef. The BF ordered the white sausage but wasn't impressed. But he did like the beer, LOL. It's also crazy water is more than beer (which I don't like beer).

Day 3 was supposed to be Salzburg. But we decided it probably wouldn't be enjoyable for anyone. Plus my BF really wants to do Eagle's Nest and we couldn't pull that off. So we were going to just tour around Munich. We started w/ an American breakfast. My son was so upset there wasn't a bagel to be found anywhere. Oh and that McD didn't have sausage biscuits. So we went to Mr. Pancake, LOL. We were close to the Olympic Park so we headed over there. That's when we discovered the swim hall. And that anyone could visit it. My son was begging us to go, so we headed back, got our suits and towels and spent the afternoon at the pool there, LOL. He was excited they had all the diving boards open and just before we left, they opened the platform. So they both got to go off the 10m platform. After that fun we decided to hit up 5 Guys, LOL. In my defense, the food sucks in Munich, LOL. We tried to head out to the Siegestor and then the gardens, but my body hit its limits (and again, so freaking hot). Not to mention the Arch was under repairs and had a tarp up. UGH. So we headed back to pack up.

The way home, there were 28 Delta 1 open, so we had no problem getting a seat. We had a little time so we hit the lounge. Of course my 16yo had to go take a shower, because why not, LOL. We all got a little food, he snuck his last legal beer (at 9am) and we headed to the gate. This time I was 6C and my BF got 6B (my son got 6D). Since D1 was so empty they let DS swap to 7D which he liked the configuration of the seat better, LOL. I will say, 6C SUCKED! it was soooo narrow! I did not like the foot well at all either! I thought about trading rows, but figured out how to drop the side of my seat and made it more comfortable. I can see why my BF didn't sleep at all on the way to Munich. I finally got to have CHICKEN for our departure meal. I think we all slept several hours. They kept the cabin nice and cool. And the FAs were amazing this time. Mine kept bringing me more champagne. I don't really like to drink while flying, but I mean, champagne....free, LOL. Oh and I will say I busted out the compression socks for this flight. GAME CHANGER! I have been swelling recently on longer flights (like to the west coast). The socks did great.

So in a nut shell. We flew to German to swim, eat American food, and see the castles, LOL. My son is sold on Michigan even more now, LOL. I don't think I can ever do a long haul outside of D1! And jet lag is real. Even w/ sleeping a good amount on the flight home, I hit the wall when we got back. I think I'm pretty much back to normal now.

All in all, I spent about $1k. The aloft location was great, the AC was not. We have all decided Europe will only be spring/fall/winter. Or we'll be researching what the crew hotel is (as we assume they must have great AC). Part of me feels like we wasted so much time and opportunity. But then I remind myself, we have the ability to just do crap like this. While $1k isn't cheap ($580 of it was the castle tour), having "free" tickets makes trips like this more doable and less stressful to "see everything". We did what worked for us.....We gave up Vegas for this. I had palazzo booked from the Black Friday deals. But we were just there in May, and we're going in December for Zac Brown (and maybe Nov for New Kids). So I was okay pivoting our plans. 3 of us can now say we've been to Europe. I felt terrible my daughter had to stay home because she is starting her big girl job. But she would have hated every single second!

And if you made it through this novel, you should atleast get castles, LOL.


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I just LOVED Germany. Just loved it. Which BMW museum did you do? I'm guessing the one in Munich. We went in October '16 and did the BMW museum in Stuttgart and I was fascinated. Thanks for the trip report - I just love seeing the castles and loved Neuschwanstein (I need to go there again too). I am itching to go back and have been looking at flights!

So DS has decided his graduation trip (2027) will be to Hawaii (& mom will likely add a couple days at DLR on the way back.)
Please explain like I'm 5 all about Hawaii vacations.
I'm thinking 7 nights. Is that an appropriate amount?
Which islands do people prefer? Inter-island travel, is it easy or should we stick with one island? DS is a history buff and has mentioned Pearl Harbor for sure.
What sites or activities do people love? Preferred areas/hotels?
I have bookmarked previous posts here mentioning hotels and such but am open to any/all information and recommendations.

Hawaii -- I love Hawaii. I've been to all four (4) islands and Maui (Kaanapali area) is my favorite while Kauai (north shore) is my husband's favorite. Hawaii is really about choosing what you love to do, and doing it. If you're into food, Oahu and Honolulu might be for you. If you're into adventure Kauai (Waimea Canyon and the Kalalua trail) might the be the island that you fall in love with. If you have the opportunity to stay on all four islands for the '27 trip I'd say go for it! Visit (and stay in) Volcano on the Big Island and eat mochi in Hilo, and make sure to spend time on the beaches on the west side (stay on the north west side there).

One thing I will note, and I cannot believe that I have to write this, but if you plan to stay on the north shore in Kauai - stay in Princeville or anywhere on higher ground. We were there for the tsunami warning a few weeks ago and were staying in Hanalei Bay. It was honestly no joke having to evacuate, and having to sit in traffic, and not knowing what would come once 7pm arrived (and it was dark). It was one of the only times in my life that I felt concerned for my family's life.

Let us know what you plan -- so many good folks here with so many different variations of Hawaii trips under their belts.

 

[havaneselover]

Terminal 3 in LHR—My Lounge is very nice. I didn’t realize the Centurion Lounge charged for guests (which is pretty asinine that you can’t take even one guest at no cost).

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Looking at my spreadsheet, I guess I didn't realize (or remember) that I went 5/24 in April when I jumped on the FNC w/ Hilton. I have one drop 8/23 this month. And my next isn't until 2/26. I guess this is why I've been doing cards for my DD, LOL. I do have some spends coming up. I guess, I can gamble and see if I can get another Delta Gold Biz. Otherwise I'll need to figure out if there is a biz I want. Are there any great business offers out there?

Question, we'll be able to fund my son's hockey this season via CC. It'll be through Delta's matching program, so I think the card will need to be in my BF's name. If I was to go for an Ink (I'll only have 2 open at that time), can I get an employee card for him? That doesn't affect his 5/24 right? I think that might be the smartest option, unless a great card becomes an option for him to get instead.

I just LOVED Germany. Just loved it. Which BMW museum did you do? I'm guessing the one in Munich. We went in October '16 and did the BMW museum in Stuttgart and I was fascinated. Thanks for the trip report - I just love seeing the castles and loved Neuschwanstein (I need to go there again too). I am itching to go back and have been looking at flights!

We did the BMW museum in Munich. It was so crowded and hot, we really just walked through it and didn't look at much at all. I think my son spent more time a few days later looking through the store in the HQ building, LOL. Looking at the weather now, it would have been much more tolerable. There's probably a reason there were a ton of Delta One seats open, LOL. Germany has never been on any of our radar to visit (Ireland, Italy, Greece maybe Amsterdam, and France). But 3 of us have an Europe stamp now.

 

[lsutigers03]

DW has an Amex personal plat being delivered tomorrow. Right now Staples.com has no fee on $200 Visa gift cards. Would Amex not count the spend if I bought a few? I know they hate gift card spend for a MSR but just curious if anyone has done a little bit.

 

[Judique]

If you want to use the Chase travel portal, you want to get as much over there as you can before 10/26. What's on the card will still redeem at the better of 1.25 or the Chase points boost (when available) for a couple more years. Anything earned or transferred after that date redeems at 1x if there isn't a points boost on the offering.

Of course, if you aren't using that 1.25 as one of your redemption options, who cares

Wow! I think I read this and then totally forgot it. Thank you so much for giving me the 'get moving'! I did redeem for the Drury Disney Springs for 1 night on one of my upcoming trips and got the 'boost'.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[Princess Michele]

So DS has decided his graduation trip (2027) will be to Hawaii (& mom will likely add a couple days at DLR on the way back.)
Please explain like I'm 5 all about Hawaii vacations.
I'm thinking 7 nights. Is that an appropriate amount?
Which islands do people prefer? Inter-island travel, is it easy or should we stick with one island? DS is a history buff and has mentioned Pearl Harbor for sure.
What sites or activities do people love? Preferred areas/hotels?
I have bookmarked previous posts here mentioning hotels and such but am open to any/all information and recommendations.

We did the Big Island, Kauai, and Oahu on our 2024 trip. Each island is different and we enjoyed each one. We stayed for 1 week on Kauai, 1 1/2 weeks on Oahu, and only 4 nights on the Big Island near Volcanoes National Park. I would research the islands to see what each has regarding history besides Pearl Harbor and the Punch Bowl on Oahu to see what your son might be interested in. If your family would prefer a different island than Oahu you could always fly into Oahu and spend 1-2 nights to visit Pearl Harbor and then fly to the other island for the rest of your stay or reverse the order and do Oahu last on your way to DLR.

We really loved Volcanoes National Park and would like to visit again to see what we missed as well as other parts of the Big Island. I would also like to go back to Kauai. I was not as impressed with Waimea Canyon as I thought I would be after making the long drive. I think I had built it up to be more like the Grand Canyon.

I love the nature part but he loves history. I have been to more history museums than I care to because he enjoys them. Thanks for the info!
ETA Which airlines are cheap for inter island travel? Any other way like a ferry available?

We used SW for our inter island flights because we were using 2 CP's and the free bags. The cash prices for Hawaiian and SW were about the same. If prices were equal I would use whichever has the times that work the best for you.

There are no longer ferries between the islands.

 

[mmmears]

So DS has decided his graduation trip (2027) will be to Hawaii (& mom will likely add a couple days at DLR on the way back.)
Please explain like I'm 5 all about Hawaii vacations.
I'm thinking 7 nights. Is that an appropriate amount?
Which islands do people prefer? Inter-island travel, is it easy or should we stick with one island? DS is a history buff and has mentioned Pearl Harbor for sure.
What sites or activities do people love? Preferred areas/hotels?
I have bookmarked previous posts here mentioning hotels and such but am open to any/all information and recommendations.

I think everyone will have a different opinion because it all comes down to what you like to do when you viit and what kind of scenery you prefer. We go not infrequently, but tend to stick to one island these days and mostly just spend our time relaxing. I always wanted to visit Pearl Harbor so we went to Oahu for a long weekend last year - Pearl was great, but I don't like Oahu in general. To much traffic, etc. So I'd say go for a couple of days to visit and then head to another island. Maui and Kauai are family favorites, but I also like the Big Island (Hawaii). Kona is very stark and black (it's all the lava) so if you want something very lush and tropical Kauai is a better bet. But the Big Island has Volcanoes National Park which is pretty amazing. Maui is good all around - nice scenery, gorgeous beaches, and a decent balance of things to do along with some lovely natural spots.

As for hotels, we tend to lean towards the Grand Hyatt on Kauai and the Andaz and Grand Wailea on Maui (all on points). I used my FHR credits in Oahu and stayed at the Halekulani which, in my opinion, is a quiet little oasis surrounded by an area filled with a lot of people and noise. YMMV

 

[VGCgroupie]

DW has an Amex personal plat being delivered tomorrow. Right now Staples.com has no fee on $200 Visa gift cards. Would Amex not count the spend if I bought a few? I know they hate gift card spend for a MSR but just curious if anyone has done a little bit.

Some do it. For me it is not worth the risk and worry over it. Amex claws back points more than other card issuers.

 

[IFlossU]

DW has an Amex personal plat being delivered tomorrow. Right now Staples.com has no fee on $200 Visa gift cards. Would Amex not count the spend if I bought a few? I know they hate gift card spend for a MSR but just curious if anyone has done a little bit.

In my experience Staples reports level 3 data to Amex. Buying the gift cards isn’t a problem, but I wouldn’t include it towards the bonus spend.