I love credit cards so much!

[WVMomof3]

Southwest - Updated point valuation Math
Thank you to those that posted this unfortunate news. The change to a factor of 78 certainly affects what these points are worth on a go forward basis - here's illustrations at various price points (my cpp valuations exclude the $5.60 you pay OOP):

• $103 Fare = 6,443 points = 1.51 cpp
• $143 Fare = 9,345 points = 1.47 cpp
• $176 Fare = 11,739 points = 1.45 cpp
• $209 Fare = 14,133 points = 1.45 cpp

It's always been generally understood that you get a higher cpp on lower cost flights. This certainly still holds true. Over numerous redemptions, I had decided personally that SW RR points were previously worth 1.61 cpp. Based on this update and my general flight cost of approx $130 I would say they are now worth about 1.48cpp. In simple terms what this means is 1,000 SW points used to be worth $16.10 and are now worth $14.80.

While devaluations are never good news - it is understood in this game. If you hang around long enough these things happen to you, many times over. Southwest has had much worse devaluations than this in the past actually.

If you have a lot of SW points (I have 559,738 to be exact) this does kind of stink. I had the value of those pegged at $9,012 entering today...and now they are worth $8,284...I lost $728. But you can't let yourself look at it that way, it's just part of the game. And $8k in free flights is still pretty great!

Goodness, how do you have such a high bucket of SW points? I signed up under the 50K for both personal cards and did the 10K spend to get 110,000 points, then got point matched to the 60K offer for one card, so 120K points last year. I am now down to less than 1000 points. :-( Actually, I forgot I cancelled my Boston trip, so adding those back in, I think I am at around 15K. Plan to have my DH do the double dip at the end of this year for CP 2019-20. People need to use my support links.

 

[miztressuz]

Not exactly - all fares are based on the cash price. The higher fare buckets have a higher cash price so need more points. Might be the same number of points per $, but will still need considerably more points for the higher class fares.

Gotcha, I never look at the Business cash prices. I've looked at standard and sometimes there's not much difference between that and the WGA fare; so I knew business was more because of the perks but didn't think it'd be considerably more. On points there's no reason to pay for standard unless there's no WGA so if they were close I figure more people would pick biz due to it being "free" (it's just points after all, hehe). But if it's significant then everything should stay status quo.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Goodness, how do you have such a high bucket of SW points? I signed up under the 50K for both personal cards and did the 10K spend to get 110,000 points, then got point matched to the 60K offer for one card, so 120K points last year. I am now down to less than 1000 points. :-( Actually, I forgot I cancelled my Boston trip, so adding those back in, I think I am at around 15K. Plan to have my DH do the double dip at the end of this year for CP 2019-20. People need to use my support links.

If you pick a couple currencies and focus hard on them you'd be amazed at how many points you can earn, lol. For me it's Southwest (539k+) and Marriott (1.3million).

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Well i have my fingers crossed that this is working now. lol. thanks for looking into this for me. Last night was definitely a night i don't want to repeat. It was my first time posting on Reddit and i was lost not to mention that Reddit was acting up. thanks again to all!!!

Ok - looks like it's working now. Can you click EDIT on one of your comments that isn't showing and then copy and paste that info into a new comment on the Chase post? I think it's all good today, sorry again for the issues (It was a Reddit site-wide problem yesterday).

 

[hsmamato2]

as far as the IHG devaluation.... some of these posts have me confused.... i am getting a cert in probably August (boo) so from what I've read I'm ool for over 40k points redemptions, that's not a year away,that's a month from now all certs are devalued,right? I'm not overly concerned overall as I had no big plans anyway for redemptions (just a night by LAX for my HI trip)

 

[Lain]

It's been a wonderful weekend.

First, I got approved for the IHG which I am now not happy about, burning my 3/24 slot. I know it's not too big of a deal to most, but I am playing this very conservatively with apps.

Second, only hours after the IHG approval, we got a HUGE surprise bill for something that needs to be paid by the end of the month. I don't do surprise bills. They make me ill. This one has kept me up at night even though we have the money to pay it, and thank goodness for an emergency fund, but now I have to pay back our emergency fund. To me, that's debt, even if it is to ourselves and I don't like debt. At all.

Anyway, this bill is to the tune of $10k. I can pay for it with a cc but at a 1.87% fee.

1/17 - CSR
Summer/17 - Disney Visa
3/18 (last week) - IHG

Credit: Mid 8's

Travel Plans: Europe this summer, but that is paid for. Fall: Weekend trip to Disney but no parks, just on-site hotel and flight. Next Winter: Cruise but that is paid for, but will need flights and possibly pre-cruise stay (and if I can convince DH to do a two week vacation, a 5 bight trip before in Disney but this probably not going to happen)

We generally lean towards United because we are in a hub city and have a decent amount of miles. Most of the time have cheap(er) flights to Florida which is where we will need to fly in the next year.

What is my best option for a MSR for $10k that I can wipe out in one swipe?

Unfortunately, Chase business cards are out because of the IHG card. For all Chase business cards, you need to have had 0 applications in the last 30 days.

I'm thinking about the Amex Platinum Business card if you can get a 100k+ Membership Rewards points offer. The big reason is the Amex Platinum Business allows you to earn 1.5x MR on charges of $5,000+. This will also get your toes wet into the world of MR, which can be very useful for booking airline travel, whether by transferring points to partners or redeeming points for paid flights with a 35% rebate on the Amex Platinum Business.

The standard offer is 75k MR points (broken up into 50k MR after $10k, an additional 25k MR after another $10k in 3 months). This public offer is terrible because of the high spend, low rewards. Unfortunately, higher offers on Amex business cards are targeted to accounts, by mailers, or online ads; and although /r/churning subreddit has a code sharing thread that's supposed to share mailer RSVP codes, posters often ask for compensation in return. DoC has posts here and here about how to call into Amex to request the higher offers (for Amex Platinum Business, it's usually 100k MR after $10k/3 months, which is perfect for your situation). Of course, if you've been conservative about applications, you'll have to toughen yourself up and get some numbers and a story straight to apply for a business card over the phone.

The Amex Platinum Business does carry a hefty $450 AF, but it comes with $200 in airline fee credits that can be redeemed for gift cards with Southwest, AA, and Delta (in certain denominations per transaction); $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA Pre✓ credit; automatic Gold status at Hilton, SPG/Marriott; access to Amex Centurion Lounges at DFW, IAH, LAS, LGA, PHL, MIA, SEA, SFO, and Priority Pass lounges (although CSR's access is better).

If you're not comfortable with the AF on the Amex Platinum Business, you could use the above method to apply for the Amex Business Rewards Gold with a 75k MR offer after $10k/3 months (check the above DoC link for details). This card carries a $175 AF, which is waived in the first year.

Neither card will report to your personal credit report, so you won't be burning a */24 slot on either.

ETA: a few additional thoughts -- before applying for an Amex card, make sure your bill accepts Amex cards directly or the bill is of a type that you can use Plastiq to send a payment. Also, if you have until the end of this month to pay the bill, there might be a small window to get a CIP or CIC at the end of April as long as it's been more than 30 days since your IHG application, then ask Chase to expedite the card to you. This may be risky because business applications can go pending for a few days before approval.

 

[peel]

as far as the IHG devaluation.... some of these posts have me confused.... i am getting a cert in probably August (boo) so from what I've read I'm ool for over 40k points redemptions, that's not a year away,that's a month from now all certs are devalued,right? I'm not overly concerned overall as I had no big plans anyway for redemptions (just a night by LAX for my HI trip)

Right, and even some 40k hotels are being excluded.

 

[Albort]

I'm thinking about the Amex Platinum Business card if you can get a 100k+ Membership Rewards points offer. The big reason is the Amex Platinum Business allows you to earn 1.5x MR on charges of $5,000+. This will also get your toes wet into the world of MR, which can be very useful for booking airline travel, whether by transferring points to partners or redeeming points for paid flights with a 35% rebate on the Amex Platinum Business.

targetted offer is 150k!!!!!!!

 

[Lain]

targetted offer is 150k!!!!!!!

Well, yes. But I've not seen a dp of anyone getting the 150k MR offer over the phone. Most positive dps seem to get 100k/$10k and more rarely 100k/$5k.

 

[Calfan]

Some highlights from DoC this morning:

(Targeted) AmEx Offer: Amazon, Spend $50+ & Receive $20 Statement Credit/2,000 Membership Rewards

(Targeted) Plastiq 10% Back In Fee Free Dollars On New Recipients In April

Doesn't look like I'm targeted for either. Hope you guys have better luck!

Not targeted for the Amazon offer ): And still no Apple Pay offers on any of my Amex cards. Double frownie face. BUT, I did just use an Amex offer of $50 off $250 at Saks and went through the MileagePlus shopping portal which was offering 10 miles per dollar spent at Saks today, so that feels like a win!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

So anytime a program says new stuff is coming I figure it's not usually for the better. But I'm thinking this may not be as bad as it looks. So yes, it does suck that I still only earn 6RR/$ on Wanna Get Away but need 13x that to redeem them. However, if all fare classes are going to cost the same points (practically) do you get any benefits by booking the higher classes with points? If you get the same benefits that come with that fare class using points the same as cash, that seems like it might be ok sometimes.
If that's the case it seems like they just devalued the higher classes, as with all things being equal, everyone's going to pick the higher class fares to redeem.
I'm cheap so I don't know, the only time I've ever booked a standard fare was through work for a trip so I didn't pay for it (it was nice getting those points for free though! ) and we're not picky about most things so I always pick the cheapest fare option when paying points.
(Which is why one time we flew BWI-FLL with a layover in TPA both ways... but I got 2 RT flights for about 10k total) Well strike that 'always' I guess, we're getting older now and there are certain things hubby won't do anymore, like 6 or 7am flights, so I should probably start saying 'usually' instead

This is exactly what I was thinking when I read it. Now seems may as well go for the Business Select flights since they aren't much more. Or in the very least, there won't now be any issues when WGA fares are sold out, because it will now be a much smaller amount more points to do Anytime or Bus Select. Am I reading this wrong? Also, if more people are booking Business select now, imagine how far back the rest of everyone will get pushed for boarding numbers! When does this start? Doesn't appear to be reflected on their website yet.

Some highlights from DoC this morning:

(Targeted) AmEx Offer: Amazon, Spend $50+ & Receive $20 Statement Credit/2,000 Membership Rewards

(Targeted) Plastiq 10% Back In Fee Free Dollars On New Recipients In April

Doesn't look like I'm targeted for either. Hope you guys have better luck!

Me neither. boo.

 

[vanjust14]

Southwest Just Made It More Expensive to Redeem Points for Its Cheapest Fares

https://thepointsguy.com/news/south...itorial&utm_campaign=FACEBOOK-100000207263198

Ugh, this stinks. I always book the cheap fares, and I'm waiting for the December flights to be released to book my flight on points! Boo. Glad I have my May flight booked already.

 

[wendow]

Also, if more people are booking Business select now, imagine how far back the rest of everyone will get pushed for boarding numbers!

This is what I was thinking also! Though you do still have family boarding. We have aged out of that.

 

[wendow]

Some highlights from DoC this morning:

(Targeted) AmEx Offer: Amazon, Spend $50+ & Receive $20 Statement Credit/2,000 Membership Rewards

(Targeted) Plastiq 10% Back In Fee Free Dollars On New Recipients In April

Doesn't look like I'm targeted for either. Hope you guys have better luck!

Nope, none here either. I truly did not expect the Amazon offer either. Seems highly targeted and I shop off Amazon almost daily. They don't need to throw me any bones

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

This is exactly what I was thinking when I read it. Now seems may as well go for the Business Select flights since they aren't much more. Or in the very least, there won't now be any issues when WGA fares are sold out, because it will now be a much smaller amount more points to do Anytime or Bus Select. Am I reading this wrong? Also, if more people are booking Business select now, imagine how far back the rest of everyone will get pushed for boarding numbers! When does this start? Doesn't appear to be reflected on their website yet.

It will never make sense to book the higher fare on points. On a more expensive WGA the spread won't be as much but in many instances the higher fare classes will still cost 2x or 3x as many points as a WGA (i.e. 9,345 WGA; 30,894 Anytime; 33,143 BizSelect).

 

[DisneyMandC]

Hotels.com just followed up on my dispute regarding my award nights by saying that they've contacted the hotel and that the hotel claims I never stayed there and was a no show. This is despite the fact that I emailed hotels.com a copy of my credit card statement showing I was charged $140. So now I'm trying to figure out whose head I should bite off via a phone call this afternoon... the hotel, or hotels.com.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Hotels.com just followed up on my dispute regarding my award nights by saying that they've contacted the hotel and that the hotel claims I never stayed there and was a no show. This is despite the fact that I emailed hotels.com a copy of my credit card statement showing I was charged $140. So now I'm trying to figure out whose head I should bite off via a phone call this afternoon... the hotel, or hotels.com.

I assume that the $140 was the cost for two nights. Hotel policy is just to charge for one night if you are a no show. I would call the hotel and demand a $70 refund, since according to them, you didn't stay at all.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I assume that the $140 was the cost for two nights. Hotel policy is just to charge for one night if you are a no show. I would call the hotel and demand a $70 refund, since according to them, you didn't stay at all.

I just called the hotel and apparently because I just happened to use a credit card with DH's name on it, they transferred the whole reservation into his name ??? So I guess now I'm contacting hotels.com again.

ETA: I made the reservation in my name and checked in under my name, just happened to swipe DH's card when I got into the lobby.

 

[Judique]

Some highlights from DoC this morning:

(Targeted) AmEx Offer: Amazon, Spend $50+ & Receive $20 Statement Credit/2,000 Membership Rewards

(Targeted) Plastiq 10% Back In Fee Free Dollars On New Recipients In April

Doesn't look like I'm targeted for either. Hope you guys have better luck!

Well, check your accounts again in a day or two. I checked for the 'Shipt' offer when someone reported it and it wasn't there. Today it's on my SPG account. Same with the Lowes offers - they came in later for me.

 

[hsmamato2]

ooooh... @SouthFayetteFan isn't going to like this...

This I missed however!