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

[palhockeymomof2]

The ongoing 'no visa $200 cards' at Staples has turned into the no '$200 MasterCard's' at Staples. Yesterday was the earliest I could easily get by the store. They had 1 card. I bought it and moved on. Meanwhile I noticed that there were a few of the Visa 200's tucked behind other cards. Maybe a dozen or so. Of course they weren't fee free this week.

That stinks, my local Staples just got restocked, they were running out towards the end of the last sale. Clerk said they are slowly getting gift cards restocked as the holidays near.

 

[afan]

I am so frustrated with Alaska Airlines. I started collecting Alaska/Hawaiian cards because everyone seemed to find these points valuable, especially for booking partner airlines on international flights. But they have been a huge bust for me.

First, I attempted for weeks to book a flight to Ireland for my daughter and husband next summer and just kept getting the error "We're sorry, we aren't able to confirm space on these partner flights, try changing dates, cities, etc." It was an AA flight. I called and they were just like, "yeah, we don't have control over the partner awards, sorry". Tried different dates, flight times, etc. Nope. So I kept waiting and then just gave up and was able to scrape together some AA miles.

Then, I lost all access to my account during the transition to Atmos. Could not get through to them with wait times around 2-3 hours. Missed callbacks. Finally after FOUR HOURS on hold yesterday they were able to get me in. Great.

Was going to use these points for a trip to New York next month. AA flights. Same error. On every flight that day. I'm going to lose it. Of course, it doesn't tell you until you hit purchase if it is going to work. It isn't like you can play around with it and try different things. And it is recommending different days and cities. Uh, no. I need THIS day in THIS city!!!

Are partner flights EVER available through Alaska? Because I am starting to feel like they are not.

According to Google, phantom availability is an issue. I wish I had realized how big of an issue because now I have all these Atmos awards that I can't even use!

Ugh. Sorry for the rant. I just need to get it out and warn anyone else counting on Atmos points for partner airline bookings. There is no guarantee that what the site says is available is actually available!

When I read about booking partners with Alaska it's always international partners.

My only suggestion with AA is to call AS. I didn't go through to purchase but looked up the same flight/date on both and AS had it for 17.5 for main while AA had it for 7.5.

I know Alaska gets love for their miles but unless I'm flying them I don't find them useful for where I travel internationally. Planning for next year I couldn't find any good redemptions for Japan/China.

Their app is also crappy post refresh, not sure why they made it worse.

 

[wanderlust7]

Reminder that there is extra 2x on all Bank of America cards today only (up to $2500 spend per card).

Just paid property tax on the Atmos Summit to meet MSR.

 

[babyready]

When I read about booking partners with Alaska it's always international partners.

My only suggestion with AA is to call AS. I didn't go through to purchase but looked up the same flight/date on both and AS had it for 17.5 for main while AA had it for 7.5.

I know Alaska gets love for their miles but unless I'm flying them I don't find them useful for where I travel internationally. Planning for next year I couldn't find any good redemptions for Japan/China.

Their app is also crappy post refresh, not sure why they made it worse.

Oh, when I called they just told me that is how it was and that partner airlines are in charge of updating it so there is nothing Alaska can do. But it was like that for weeks, so they really need to figure out a better system. And calls are taking HOURS right now. Thankfully, for that one, I got a call back.

I did finally book some flights. They were worse times for more points but at least I finally got some to go through. I have a really bad taste for Atmos points now, though.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Need a bit of hand holding and validation that I I'm making the right choice...

Need to fly from LAX to YVR in August 2026 to catch our cruise out of Vancouver.

We have luggage to check in and I have the Barclays AA Aviator.

Cash price for both AA and AirCanada is $166/pp. Miles are 15,500/pp for AA and 16,600/pp Aeroplan. Looks like miles are a horrible redemption rate for both.

I probably should fly AA regardless on cash or miles because of the waived first checked luggage with the AA Aviator card.

I have a total of 70k AA miles. I could book the 2 OW tickets totally on AA miles for 31k, which would allow for easy cancellation, since the trip is over 9 months away.

Or I can spend the cash for the tickets which I am leaning towards. AA miles are so hard to accumulate.

If I pay in cash, should I use the Barclay AA Aviator for 2x AA miles or the bizCSR for 4x URs? Does the BizCSR have the same travel/trip insurance as the personal CSR?

I am googling all these questions but you all are so knowledgeable! All the googled information is making my head spin a little!

WWYD?

ETA: CSR gives a points boost to book the airticket on AC with points. 18k/pp UR for flex which includes free checked luggage...

 

[DaveL]

Yes the business/personal combo works, I have never applied for 2 cards on the same day so can’t help with that.
Chase has gotten stingy with business approvals for some if they have more than 1 or 2 chase business cards open.

Good to know thanks! I have two Biz cards that have been open for several years, I just sent a SM to close one of them that has not had activity on it. I'll give that a day or two to close before applying for the SW Biz. Kinda up in the air about closing the other, nice to have if I need to move credit! Like I said I have been out of this for awhile so I am back to 0/24 so hopefully that helps!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Good to know thanks! I have two Biz cards that have been open for several years, I just sent a SM to close one of them that has not had activity on it. I'll give that a day or two to close before applying for the SW Biz. Kinda up in the air about closing the other, nice to have if I need to move credit! Like I said I have been out of this for awhile so I am back to 0/24 so hopefully that helps!

I’d also check to make sure your total credit limits with Chase business and personal are below 50% of household income or aprox 75k

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Need a bit of hand holding and validation that I I'm making the right choice...

Need to fly from LAX to YVR in August 2026 to catch our cruise out of Vancouver.

We have luggage to check in and I have the Barclays AA Aviator.

Cash price for both AA and AirCanada is $166/pp. Miles are 15,500/pp for AA and 16,600/pp Aeroplan. Looks like miles are a horrible redemption rate for both.

I probably should fly AA regardless on cash or miles because of the waived first checked luggage with the AA Aviator card.

I have a total of 70k AA miles. I could book the 2 OW tickets totally on AA miles for 31k, which would allow for easy cancellation, since the trip is over 9 months away.

Or I can spend the cash for the tickets which I am leaning towards. AA miles are so hard to accumulate.

If I pay in cash, should I use the Barclay AA Aviator for 2x AA miles or the bizCSR for 4x URs? Does the BizCSR have the same travel/trip insurance as the personal CSR?

I am googling all these questions but you all are so knowledgeable! All the googled information is making my head spin a little!

WWYD?

ETA: CSR gives a points boost to book the airticket on AC with points. 18k/pp UR for flex which includes free checked luggage...
View attachment 1022573

I'd book cash with AA and save the miles. Sorry, I can't speak to the travel / trip insurance benefits of either CSR, but have you booked independent travel insurance for your trip?

 

[VGCgroupie]

The ongoing 'no visa $200 cards' at Staples has turned into the no '$200 MasterCard's' at Staples. Yesterday was the earliest I could easily get by the store. They had 1 card. I bought it and moved on. Meanwhile I noticed that there were a few of the Visa 200's tucked behind other cards. Maybe a dozen or so. Of course they weren't fee free this week.

For me it Office Depot. I called and talked to the manager. I said "why is it you always have the $200 card when they are not on sale but they go on sale and when the store opens there are suddenly none on the shelf" He swore they weren't removing them so people couldn't buy.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Hi travel brain trust - anyone else traveling next week and concerned about flight cancellations? If so, what are you doing about it?

NYT reported this morning that United’s president stated they would not cancel flights from hub to hub but would reduce regional flights. We are scheduled to fly from Harrisburg, PA next week to LAX, connecting through ORD. Would we be crazy to cancel this ASAP and rebook with a flight leaving from Philly?

I’m afraid if I do that, and our Harrisburg flight isn’t cancelled, we’ll be adding a lot of time onto our trip for nothing; but if I do nothing and then the flight gets cancelled, I’m concerned I won’t be able to get a flight leaving from Philly if everyone else is also trying to rebook.

We are heading out to LAX for Disneyland and my kids have been looking forward to it for months (as am I) - trying to keep it in perspective that there are people who haven’t had paychecks for a month and this in comparison is frivolous!

How about booking the direct flight and keeping the old flight to cover bases? I often have backup flights anyway because we've been left stranded before (mostly by AA).

I'm with @Duckbug.Ducktales -- I'd book a backup flight.

 

[VGCgroupie]

How about booking the direct flight and keeping the old flight to cover bases? I often have backup flights anyway because we've been left stranded before (mostly by AA).

For a noob who really only travels short cheapish flights help me understand this. So you pay for 2 flights or are you cancelling a backup flight at some point and being fully credited?

 

[eticketplease]

Need a bit of hand holding and validation that I I'm making the right choice...

Need to fly from LAX to YVR in August 2026 to catch our cruise out of Vancouver.

We have luggage to check in and I have the Barclays AA Aviator.

Cash price for both AA and AirCanada is $166/pp. Miles are 15,500/pp for AA and 16,600/pp Aeroplan. Looks like miles are a horrible redemption rate for both.

I probably should fly AA regardless on cash or miles because of the waived first checked luggage with the AA Aviator card.

I have a total of 70k AA miles. I could book the 2 OW tickets totally on AA miles for 31k, which would allow for easy cancellation, since the trip is over 9 months away.

Or I can spend the cash for the tickets which I am leaning towards. AA miles are so hard to accumulate.

If I pay in cash, should I use the Barclay AA Aviator for 2x AA miles or the bizCSR for 4x URs? Does the BizCSR have the same travel/trip insurance as the personal CSR?

I am googling all these questions but you all are so knowledgeable! All the googled information is making my head spin a little!

WWYD?

ETA: CSR gives a points boost to book the airticket on AC with points. 18k/pp UR for flex which includes free checked luggage...
View attachment 1022573

Regardless of holding the card I thought all international flights gave 1 bag for free?

 

[eticketplease]

For a noob who really only travels short cheapish flights help me understand this. So you pay for 2 flights or are you cancelling a backup flight at some point and being fully credited?

Yes you would book a fully refundable fare or one that you could get the points refunded back to your account and hope your first one works

 

[VGCgroupie]

Yes you would book a fully refundable fare or one that you could get the points refunded back to your account and hope your first one works

I should really expand my travels farther than west coast to Florida . One day.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I'd book cash with AA and save the miles. Sorry, I can't speak to the travel / trip insurance benefits of either CSR, but have you booked independent travel insurance for your trip?

That is what I am leaning towards! Thanks!
Yes, we will have an annual travel insurance policy through Allianz for 2026.

Regardless of holding the card I thought all international flights gave 1 bag for free?

I'd have to dig into this. I guess I didn't count a flight to Canada as an international flight! Lol. But if I book AA, I guess it will be irrelevant for me.

 

[afan]

I'd have to dig into this. I guess I didn't count a flight to Canada as an international flight! Lol. But if I book AA, I guess it will be irrelevant for me.

I don't think it does. I booked a flight to Montreal using aeroplan and I'm pretty sure picked the option that included a checked bag. Just double checked and their standard economy award doesn't include a bag so I'd make sure when you price the flight you are looking at the bag fees.

 

[ten6mom]

If you had to fly (not till September) from PHX to YOW (Ottawa), would you prefer to fly United or Air Canada? (No status with either). Those appear to be the only options.

If your connection options were ORD, IAD, and EWR (this is what I see on the United site), which would you choose (or not choose)?
I don't fly much and certainly not to/through any of those (well technically I've been through ORD once).

Would it make a difference if at the time of travel I'd have access to a United Club (one time pass)?

 

[Judique]

For me it Office Depot. I called and talked to the manager. I said "why is it you always have the $200 card when they are not on sale but they go on sale and when the store opens there are suddenly none on the shelf" He swore they weren't removing them so people couldn't buy.

Without me asking the carousel was opened up and the guy at the register pulled open each box looking to see if there were any cards that had not been hung up. I think I was already too late to get whatever they put out. Sale started Sunday, I was looking on Wednesday.

 

[havaneselover]

Hi travel brain trust - anyone else traveling next week and concerned about flight cancellations? If so, what are you doing about it?

NYT reported this morning that United’s president stated they would not cancel flights from hub to hub but would reduce regional flights. We are scheduled to fly from Harrisburg, PA next week to LAX, connecting through ORD. Would we be crazy to cancel this ASAP and rebook with a flight leaving from Philly?

I’m afraid if I do that, and our Harrisburg flight isn’t cancelled, we’ll be adding a lot of time onto our trip for nothing; but if I do nothing and then the flight gets cancelled, I’m concerned I won’t be able to get a flight leaving from Philly if everyone else is also trying to rebook.

We are heading out to LAX for Disneyland and my kids have been looking forward to it for months (as am I) - trying to keep it in perspective that there are people who haven’t had paychecks for a month and this in comparison is frivolous!

I'm very stressed out about going RIC to RSW through BWI on 11/26 (the flight from BWI to RSW on SW is at 8:20). I booked a Wednesday night flight because I used a lot of dd's vacation time up when we went to Norway. I so don't want to go at this point but my mom's counting on our visit. I also really wanted to get a puppy (things have been super lousy lately and I'm convinced a puppy will make things a little better) but I can't get one because of this dumb trip.

 

[eticketplease]

I don't think it does. I booked a flight to Montreal using aeroplan and I'm pretty sure picked the option that included a checked bag. Just double checked and their standard economy award doesn't include a bag so I'd make sure when you price the flight you are looking at the bag fees.

Sorry I should have been clearer.

When booking on the big US carriers (AA, Delta and United) even in economy you generally will receive one bag on international flights.