I love credit cards so much!

[Judique]

my personal loss is the SPG program. but whatevs..... life goes on. For my next Dis trip I'm widening my view to look at lots of options, and it'll all be fun.

I'm feeling the loss less and less as my collection of Marriott points grows.

 

[AmyAnne]

I did this for our upcoming cruise. Didn't think about med evac and got a policy that covers up to $1mil. I never get for domestic trips.

I don't get trip insurance for domestic trips either, because usually at least some of the cost would be recoverable if we had to cancel. But especially for cruises, if anyone has to be medically evacuated, that cost could reach $1 million.

 

[AmyAnne]

Thanks! I wonder how far out/how close you can buy. My grandmother is not doing well and is expected to pass in the next couple weeks, unfortunately. I don't know if I should wait to buy or just see what happens or what.

I hope no one thinks I'm crass for asking about insurance/posting about this. I don't want to seem like I'm just abandoning my grandma in her hour of need. I'm one of her almost 60 grandchildren and great grandchildren, so she is very well-surrounded by family at all times!

There are all sorts of options for travel insurance. Some need to be purchased within a certain time after the initial payment and some can be purchased very close to the time of departure.

Insurance is one of the great inventions of the modern world -- it's definitely smart to think about it. We all understand it has nothing to do with how you feel about your grandma

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I have the spend $300/get $60 offer on my SPG Lux. I planned on using my $300 Lux credit for our already booked Swan stay during Spring Break. Is a Marriott GC good for all/any charges at hotels, including restaurants, resort fees, etc?

Also I booked Swan pre merger, with 5th night free on points. Any idea if there’s a way to adjust the reservation and pay 1 night with GC and the rest on points and still get a free night?

 

[calypso726]

please refresh my memory again on how fast you calculate IRL cost to UR points and how you know that?
***ETA*** so my cash price is $157/159(each way) points on JB is 10,600+10,700...
what would I expect to pay thru portal (csr) for those?

Divide IRL cost by .015. 157/.015=10,467
159/.015=10,600

**Edited to add* If you fly JB often, then I would also consider calculating opportunity lost. How many would butt in seat miles you earn by paying for the flight with UR vs the butt in seat miles you won’t get by using JB points.

 

[deide71]

That's a great fact to know...and very alarming as that means it likely has been killed with intent and won't return in a similar fashion. Chase ain't in the business of losing money lately... Might be worth sharing that over on r/churning too... BOOOO

But it doesn’t make sense...do they receive a higher commission from other travel booked? I doubt it. And while we assume they are “losing money” when we book with URs at 1.25 or 1.5 times the fact is they make their money from the merchants that take their credit cards and by interest paid by consumers when they carry a balance.
Customers like us that churn and burn cost them money in sign up bonuses and the fact that we don’t carry a balance, so making churning more difficult benefits Chase, therefore a logical decision.

Booking Disney loses them no more $$$ than any other reward booking and indeed may be MORE lucrative than other uses of URs (flights, transfers to partners, etc) to Chase or their booking partner, so why the change. Not logical.

 

[Judique]

You mean the black card made out of titanium for high spend/high net worth individuals? $7,500 initiation fee and $2,500 AF.

Yes. I got the invite back when I was working. I said I threw it out but it may be around here somewhere in the stacks of junk in my office. I'm gradually cleaning through papers since retirement.

 

[DisneyMandC]

please refresh my memory again on how fast you calculate IRL cost to UR points and how you know that?
***ETA*** so my cash price is $157/159(each way) points on JB is 10,600+10,700...
what would I expect to pay thru portal (csr) for those?

I don't have a CSR, but I think you'd be looking at about 21,000 URs if you redeemed through CSR portal. So it looks like you'd be coming out basically the same if you transferred to Jetblue or if you just pay straight with URs.

I think generally the closer you are to MCO, the better chance you have if coming out ahead transferring to Jetblue.

 

[trenty]

thru the portal..... so I look at what is avaalbe on chase travel portal,and book straight from there= JB points? using what currency? if I use the ur for the entire amount I get jb points? but if I transfer and then use the points at jb itself I get no extra points?

I believe this is correct. I have never booked jet blue through the portal. However I did book my son an AA flight through the portal and he earned miles
I used UR as currency. The other day I booked him a delta flight using mostly URs and the rest in cash. Hoping he earns points on the flight.

 

[Judique]

I have the spend $300/get $60 offer on my SPG Lux. I planned on using my $300 Lux credit for our already booked Swan stay during Spring Break. Is a Marriott GC good for all/any charges at hotels, including restaurants, resort fees, etc?

Also I booked Swan pre merger, with 5th night free on points. Any idea if there’s a way to adjust the reservation and pay 1 night with GC and the rest on points and still get a free night?

It's a Marriott gift card. It lists the Marriott properties on the back. I'm still wondering if it can be used at an SPG property? If you find out anything will you please post?

 

[StephPlum]

I understand being disappointed and annoyed. But - UR's are still usable at 1.5 redemption on other hotels

I think URs still have a lot of value, particularly for flights and hotels that are cheaper at the 1.5x "cash" rate than booking awards with airline miles or hotel points, even if you can't book Disney.

Sorry to all on the loss of using URs to book Disney packages. These comments are still true though. URs are still good for booking flights and hotels (maybe Disney but definitely other places) and have plenty of transfer partners.

I keep hearing on here that the rules keep changing. I am learning you have to be able to bob and weave. You can have a plan but things change before the plan can be implemented. I missed out on the DD on CSP/CSR. Ok. I'll get just the CSR as for me it will be beneficial for the 1.5 redemption. I was peeved for a minute but can't let it totally overwhelm me. Not trying to discount anyone's feelings, just trying to say the sun will come out tomorrow. Good luck to everyone figuring out the new normal.

 

[StephPlum]

Insurance is one of the great inventions of the modern world

Being an actuary and working for a large insurance co, just had to like this!

 

[tink1970]

The Delta prices have been in the stratosphere for flights to Spain - even from big international gateway cities.

Yep, they are crazy! I think you're smart to use your skypeosos for something fun (not that Spain isn't!) and kind to share with your friends. Sometimes I don't even want to share with DH (of course I'm still mad he threw out his Amex Biz Plat 150K flier)

how much does that Centurion card cost? I can't remember as I threw away my invite.

What? You threw it out?!? Noooooooo (I might be irrationally attached to high AF Amex cards).

If you fly JB often, then I would also consider calculating opportunity lost. How many would butt in seat miles you earn by paying for the flight with UR vs the butt in seat miles you won’t get by using JB points

Good point-which is why I often pay for DH with skypesos while paying for my own seat. Well, that and skypeosos don't buy much

 

[mmmears]

San Francisco Centurion Lounge: Departing Passengers Only, No More Than 3 Hours Before Flight -VftW

The SFO Centurion Lounge is now imposing crowd control measures with the following sign:

Due to high traffic in our lounge at this time, we can only welcome Platinum Card Members who are departing and who enter within 3 hours of their boarding pass departure time. We apologize for any inconvenience.​

Departures only, and no more than 3 hours before your flight. Does not apply to Centurion cardmembers.

Well, there are two new Priority Pass restaurants in the same Terminal.

Sad news.

Sad indeed. It won’t generally affect my family since it’s a home airport and we don’t get there any earlier than that (and want to get home ASAP when we land) but it can be an issue for anyone with a layover or cancelled flights (thinking about my DD and how she ended up in the PHL lounge three times due to a flight cancellation and delay and how nice they were to her). Sad indeed.

Thanks! I wonder how far out/how close you can buy. My grandmother is not doing well and is expected to pass in the next couple weeks, unfortunately. I don't know if I should wait to buy or just see what happens or what.

I hope no one thinks I'm crass for asking about insurance/posting about this. I don't want to seem like I'm just abandoning my grandma in her hour of need. I'm one of her almost 60 grandchildren and great grandchildren, so she is very well-surrounded by family at all times!

We have purchased trip insurance for overseas trips and our Alaskan cruise. Once you pass the 14 day (or so) mark after booking they put in a no preexisting conditions clause. You can pay extra to get around that - we have had to do that - but it’s not at all cheap. If all you’d miss was one party I wouldn’t bother. I’ve only used this on trips that cost the price of a car. And the cruise we took my DM on since I wanted to make sure she had med evac. I don’t think it’s heartless at all. I think you’re trying to be there for your family if needed and that’s very caring.

TL/DR - the insurance naught cost more than you’d lose if you couldn’t go on this one so it depends what you’re looking for.

 

[Judique]

Okay. I checked my AU's account and sent her off to buy me lunch and a $300 Disney gift card at Best Buy.

But, I also found another $300/$60 Marriott offer on her AU's card account. I added it and may try another gift card. But, this time I read through the whole thing and it says room charges only and gift cards excluded. Was that always there? Anyone remember? I did the offer on my Lux. This offer is on the SPG personal or as they describe it - the consumer card.

I know it was also on my SPG personal account, but disappeared when I used it on the Lux.

 

[hsmamato2]

Divide IRL cost by .015. 157/.015=10,467
159/.015=10,600

**Edited to add* If you fly JB often, then I would also consider calculating opportunity lost. How many would butt in seat miles you earn by paying for the flight with UR vs the butt in seat miles you won’t get by using JB points.

thanks!!! I have flown jb excactly twice(including this upcoming trip!) so not much use there..... I just want this one-off trip usage at this point....ETA however... it appears based on these numbers that transfer would cost me 21,300- and portal would cost 21 067 plus I get points....I think I'm gonna choose portal! thank you all!!!

 

[DisneyMandC]

We have purchased trip insurance for overseas trips and our Alaskan cruise. Once you pass the 14 day (or so) mark after booking they put in a no preexisting conditions clause. You can pay extra to get around that - we have had to do that - but it’s not at all cheap. If all you’d miss was one party I wouldn’t bother. I’ve only used this on trips that cost the price of a car. And the cruise we took my DM on since I wanted to make sure she had med evac. I don’t think it’s heartless at all. I think you’re trying to be there for your family if needed and that’s very caring.

TL/DR - the insurance naught cost more than you’d lose if you couldn’t go on this one so it depends what you’re looking for.

Yeah, if I purchase trip insurance through Disney, it would work out to be the same cost as my MVMCP tickets. Several previous posters made the comment that instead of canceling, Disney will let you rebook a trip with them, which I would definitely be willing to do. I'm going to see how things shape out over the next two to three weeks and make my decision.

 

[Artygal90]

It appears CIP portal wasn't down to "fix" it as no Disney resorts are showing up still this morning.

Boooooooo

Yeah just checked CIP and CFU portals again. No Disney resorts on CIP. All of them show up on CFU (and I think I might have seen Port Orleans pop up on the CFU portal yesterday, not CIP. Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up). I think @SouthFayetteFan said on Reddit it was just their regular Saturday night website maintenance but I was still hopeful...

On the bright side, USO hotels and tickets are still showing up in the CIP portal. So that's good. For now...

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Okay. I checked my AU's account and sent her off to buy me lunch and a $300 Disney gift card at Best Buy.

But, I also found another $300/$60 Marriott offer on her AU's card account. I added it and may try another gift card. But, this time I read through the whole thing and it says room charges only and gift cards excluded. Was that always there? Anyone remember? I did the offer on my Lux. This offer is on the SPG personal or as they describe it - the consumer card.

I know it was also on my SPG personal account, but disappeared when I used it on the Lux.

The offer on my Lux says ‘excludes gift cards’

 

[afan]

Is it really against the rules to post about the companies? I understand that DIS blocks links to certain websites and so typing one of those websites will be replaced with asterisks, but I have not understood that to mean that discussing the company is against the rules. My assumption is that it's a ban on posting the link to the website, not on discussing the company at all, but if that's incorrect, please let me know.

If they block the link that means you shouldn't go around it and type out the name of the co. There's not a ton of companies or TA's that are blocked, but they are and that's the perogative of the Dis. I've seen people get warned by mods for spelling it out when they said the sote was blocked. It's why you'll often see people suggest to google things and give a small hint how to find them. I see it most often on the resorts board but it's a rule throughout.