I love credit cards so much!

[palhockeymomof2]

What's a good option to use a SWA credit on a canceled flight? it was booked a month or two back,(I think before the rule change) an the cheapest far- now my MIL has a credit that she prob won't be able to use by next summer..... is there a way to do something with this? can she book a refundable fare using the credit,and then cancel if she can't travel?(she isn't sure she can at all by the end date)

Unfortunately The only way to use the credit is for MIL to fly by the time the credit expires.

 

[AmyAnne]

Not an expert but I have had the card and found it very easy to use and redeem points. I don't recall there being any rules like Chase's 5/24. They will pull from all 3 bureaus so keep that in mind.

I had the Venture for a couple years and liked it. I didn’t want to pay another AF though and downgraded it to the Quicksilver no AF. Before I did that though I was able to use the purchase eraser for the down payment to a house rental. So yes easy. I have a deal now on quicksilver to do tap and pay 3 times a month and get a $10 credit. Actually figured out today can tap and pay vending machines. Yippee free diet cokes!

I've had the Capital One Venture card for a long time, so I hang on to it. I'm grandfathered in at $65 AF. It was my first travel rewards card before I discovered how much other fun there is to jump inot. I''m not aware of any 5/24 rules but I've read they are unpredictable as to who the approve. Also, they pull from all credit bureaus. I'm not sure why this is a big deal...maybe someone else can comment.
Using the rewards to "erase" charges is very easy to use. You get 2 points per dollar on everything your spend. To figure out how many points you need to erase a purchase, you move the decimal point over two spaces. For example, 50,000 points = $500. The travel category is not as expansive as Chase. For example, airport parking does not show up as a travel expense. It's the big things like car rental, hotel and airfare in my experience.

I've had the Venture for a while too. Same as you, my first travel card. Also grandfathered into the lower annual fee. But every year when my fee posts, I call in and ask if they can waive it and they do. Up until I started getting other cards in July 2017, Venture is where most of my spend went, not sure if that made a difference. Just wanted to let you know. Worth a shot!

Thanks for the feedback on this card. I have the Spark, which I use for some non-category spend because it's 2% cash back but I might cancel it in December if they won't waive the AF. I guess it's a negative that Capital One pulls from all 3 credit bureaus but I am already in credit karma's "red zone" for credit inquiries (and I am not looking for a mortgage or refinance) so I'm not sure how much I should worry about that.

 

[juju12345]

When did you get your last SW sign up bonus and do you care about getting back under 5/24?
Since they added a one SW personal card per person rule, earning the bonus on any SW card in the last 24 months stops you from getting a new one. So if that would lock you out from getting the sign up bonus for the Priority then an upgrade could be worthwhile. Otherwise, even at 40k > than 5k.

I just looked it back up and it was May 2017 when I got my current SW bonus so I would have to wait until after that next year. Seems so long to wait! Plan to wait until then and after I get that card I won’t care about staying under 5/24 anymore bc it seems like Chase keeps adding restrictions like the new 48 month thing on some of their cards. After I get the new SW card I think I’ll focus on delta/Amex for a while.

 

[hsmamato2]

Unfortunately The only way to use the credit is for MIL to fly by the time the credit expires.

ugh- thanks

 

[amalone1013]

I got another Staples Credit yesterday. That puts me at $101.74 in total credits, $77.84 on my card and $23.90 on DHs employee card... I have one more charge that is still pending from DHs employee card, at $94. I'm just going to see what happens for a bit.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I saw so many "Most Expensive Day Ever" shirts, all on what I assumed to be the dads. I get that it's supposed to be funny, but is that really how you want to immortalize your trip in photos?!

I groan every time I see those t-shirts in the parks -- always on the dads. I always figured the most expensive day ever was your wedding day. Seriously though, you're at Disney already with your family; enjoy it. The time to grumble about how much the trip costs is either before when you're still planning it, or after when you see the hit on the bank account. Don't ruin your time with your family, and all your pics with a dumb*** shirt. If these dads keep it up, their most expensive day ever is going to be the day their divorce is finalized.

LOL I don't know, I think that's pretty funny! After all, we were all just griping about the increase in ticket prices! DH loves Disney as much as I do, but I'm sure he'd find the shirt funny and would wear it in the parks. I don't necessarily consider it grumbling, just some light-hearted fun

 

[platamama]

Unfortunately The only way to use the credit is for MIL to fly by the time the credit expires.

ugh- thanks

And that is why I LOVE booking with RRs. No penalties for cancellations or changes. Points are good for a rolling two year period as long as there's some activity (dining, shopping portal, cc, travel partnerships).

This is what puts me off from using my AMEX airline incidentals credits for SW gcs. I think I'm going to use them toward AA gcs for this calendar year instead.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

And that is why I LOVE booking with RRs. No penalties for cancellations or changes. Points are good for a rolling two year period as long as there's some activity (dining, shopping portal, cc, travel partnerships).

This is what puts me off from using my AMEX airline incidentals credits for SW gcs. I think I'm going to use them toward AA gcs for this calendar year instead.

Agree love the flexibility booking with RR...right now I hope my son can fly home for Christmas...so I have him booked on points....but if he can’t ....I’ve book us on points to see him the week before Christmas..flying back Christmas Eve...

 

[Happy814]

Not sure which thread to post this in but this one stays the busiest so I decided to post here.

How do I use prepaid Visa cards online? Is it possible to use multiple at once? I'm trying to buy Disney GCs from BJs and I have 3 Visa prepaids from rebates and Swagbucks. Is there anyway to combine all three?

 

[mrocco90]

Hello.. planning a family trip to California next year and trying to save where ever I can. I’m thinking of applying for the JetBlue plus card with 40000 points and the Hilton card for 75000 points. We will be spending a couple days in San Diego before going to Disneyland and I figure we can stay in a Hilton hotel. Would these be the best credit cards to get or is there a better travel card? Thanks!

 

[Albort]

Not sure which thread to post this in but this one stays the busiest so I decided to post here.

How do I use prepaid Visa cards online? Is it possible to use multiple at once? I'm trying to buy Disney GCs from BJs and I have 3 Visa prepaids from rebates and Swagbucks. Is there anyway to combine all three?

u could try to buy 3 orders online... its usually easier to use 3 cards in stores by asking the cashier to do a split payment. You could "technicially" combining them by buying a bigger denominations but then u will be paying another fee for the new card.

 

[hsmamato2]

And that is why I LOVE booking with RRs. No penalties for cancellations or changes. Points are good for a rolling two year period as long as there's some activity (dining, shopping portal, cc, travel partnerships).

This is what puts me off from using my AMEX airline incidentals credits for SW gcs. I think I'm going to use them toward AA gcs for this calendar year instead.

Oh I know..... I think they booked them on one of those days when Chase site was going wonky and they tried but couldn't transfer UR's at the moment they thought they needed to get them..... I think it was when all the big changes were happening over at chase.

 

[amalone1013]

Does anyone use a specific travel purse when they go places? I have one I bought 3 years ago that is reaching the end of its life. It was one of the specific travel ones that is very lightweight. That was important to me since I tend to load my bag up with an external battery, cheap ponchos, maps, pens, maybe a camera & extra battery, sunscreen, chapstick, bandaids... I limit myself to a smaller bag size because I know I will fill all available space.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else used a specific purse just for travel or if anyone has any recommendations I should check out. My last bag was Sherpani and it lasted through 6 WDW trips, 2 DLR trips, 2 weeks in Europe, and at least 4 weekends... I feel I got my money's worth for $25ish but now the straps are fraying.

 

[elgerber]

Does anyone use a specific travel purse when they go places? I have one I bought 3 years ago that is reaching the end of its life. It was one of the specific travel ones that is very lightweight. That was important to me since I tend to load my bag up with an external battery, cheap ponchos, maps, pens, maybe a camera & extra battery, sunscreen, chapstick, bandaids... I limit myself to a smaller bag size because I know I will fill all available space.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else used a specific purse just for travel or if anyone has any recommendations I should check out.

Ha, travel bags are my addiction LOL. I have bought soooooooooooooo many and I am always looking at them. I carry really small though, I don't even carry a camera anymore. Pretty much my phone, cards, and lipstick.
I have had good luck with the eBags brand of bags, and I love how they show the purse on a body so you can get a better idea of the actual size.

 

[amalone1013]

Ha, travel bags are my addiction LOL. I have bought soooooooooooooo many and I am always looking at them. I carry really small though, I don't even carry a camera anymore. Pretty much my phone, cards, and lipstick.
I have had good luck with the eBags brand of bags, and I love how they show the purse on a body so you can get a better idea of the actual size.

I should have thought of ebags! I like when they show that photo too! It's way more helpful. I don't take my camera much anymore either... It's nice to use my phone, but a battery drain on it. After a year I'm still not used to this phone having a smaller battery than my previous one.

 

[elgerber]

I should have thought of ebags! I like when they show that photo too! It's way more helpful. I don't take my camera much anymore either... It's nice to use my phone, but a battery drain on it. After a year I'm still not used to this phone having a smaller battery than my previous one.

I sometimes carry a small phone charger. At Disney though we take a midday break, so I just charge it while we are in the room.

 

[AmyAnne]

Finally got our three separate resort reservations for 2019 linked in MDE this morning. The website was having major issues yesterday, and they had spelled my mom's name wrong I guess for her tickets, even though the confirmation showed her name spelled correctly, so I had to get that fixed. Looks so pretty having everything in there! I think I am going to splurge and get Memory Maker for this trip. That way we won't be trying to hand off a bunch of different phones for pictures or having one person send everyone else a photo.

I'm sure the real fun will begin when I'm trying to book ADRs and FPs for 6 people... at least we're going in mid-September when it hopefully won't be as bad.

Can you explain about the need for linking the reservations--is it because you made them with different MDE accounts? I have two separate room reservations for our December trip (I wanted the dining plan for one room but not the other) but I made them both from my MDE account so I'm wondering if I need to do anything else with them? I have been able to make dining reservations for all of us but the FP window is opening in a few days and I want to make sure I will be able to make FP reservations for everyone.

Also, if you can't get a reservation for 6, try making one for 4 and one for 2. I have had to do this several times and we have always ended up getting seated together, although I am prepared for the possibility that we might not. Actually some days it might be better to have a little alone time after being together pretty much 24/7.

 

[Calfan]

Not about cards, but at this point I trust the posters here more than on the DCL board. Has anyone done the DCL Baltic cruise and also the DCL Norway/Iceland/Scotland one? We loved N/I/S and I'm wondering if the Baltic holds up to that one or if it's too close to the same area or not as good. I'd appreciate your take on this. Thanks!

@CaliforniaGirl09 and @Calfan family and DH and I were on N/I/S. I believe @CaliforniaGirl09 also did the DCL Baltic cruise.

Yep, @Calfan and I did N/I/S and the Baltic’s back to back a couple summers ago. We were on the ship for 23 days! Had a great time but the NIS is one of my favorite DCL cruises ever so it’s hard to compare We did The ABD add-on with the Baltic cruise and it was a big disappointment for me so that may have tempered my enthusiasm a little also.

Yeah N/I/S is tying for out top trip ever with another we did 6 years ago (on our own). So yes, I'm asking if the Baltic holds up in comparison, with the other cruise as a tough competitor. And also the ABD add-on. I'd like to hear your thoughts on both the cruise and what went wrong with ABD. St. P is the main draw on that cruise (for me at least) but maybe it's time to fly west instead of East and try something completely different. I really liked the DCL part, too, even though we were so exhausted we didn't do all that much on the ship.

I had a lot of thoughts, lol, it may take you some time to read them all, but I did a trip report. https://www.disboards.com/threads/2...ics-with-abd-add-on-updated-complete.3427323/ I thought @Calfan did one also but I couldn’t find it. She liked the ABD part better than I did, but we were both very upset that we had a trip of 49! Way way too many people.

I'm going to read it now. And I think I did read it back when I was thinking about booking the N/I/S cruise which we loved, but of course I paid closer attention to that part of the TR at that time. Thanks for the link!

I just finished it. I didn't pay too much attention to the ABD stuff when I read it before since it wasn't an option for us on the Iceland cruise. But wow thank you for the TR. It's definitely not something I could justify (cost wise, etc.) so I appreciate the honest feedback. The cost was staggering (and I bet it's much more now) even compared with our excursions on our cruise - which included 4 private tours. I'm not a fan of the big bus tours and it was so great to be able to move as quickly as we wanted or stay longer in one place if we were enjoying it. It did cause me to spend a lot of time planning, however.

Sorry to be slow to respond...While I wouldn't say that the Baltics cruise was on par with the N/I/S cruise (which I have commented before is probably my favorite of the 12 DCL cruises I have done, along with British Isles), I'd still say it is a great cruise and not too similar or duplicative of N/I/S. In fact, I felt like they were totally different cruise experiences. The N/I/S cruise was much more about scenery and outdoor activities and adventures than the Baltics, which is much more of a cities experience. I happen to love more active trips and also a focus on doing things outdoors, which is why I think the N/I/S cruise was such a standout for me (and Norway and Iceland are both stunningly beautiful). But I also really enjoyed the Baltics, and it was definitely epic to be on the ship for 23 nights. Like CaliforniaGirl, I think the Baltcis cruise ended up being a little more of a less satisfying experience because of the very subpar experience with the ABD add-on. Mostly that was because of having 49 people on that add-on, which still makes my blood boil. Just WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE. But I also thought the ABD add-on wasn't as efficient as I would have hoped, and which was supposedly one of the advantages of doing the add-on (e.g., sending us back to the ship in St. Petersburg in between daytime and evening activities, which meant having to clear Russian immigration twice -- we should have just stayed in St. P!). But the Baltic capitals are amazing cities, and I loved seeing them. My favorites were Stockholm and St. Petersburg. If we had done private tours instead of the ABD add-on, I think the experience would have been much much better and that cruise would definitely be up there among my favorites.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I just finished it. I didn't pay too much attention to the ABD stuff when I read it before since it wasn't an option for us on the Iceland cruise. But wow thank you for the TR. It's definitely not something I could justify (cost wise, etc.) so I appreciate the honest feedback. The cost was staggering (and I bet it's much more now) even compared with our excursions on our cruise - which included 4 private tours. I'm not a fan of the big bus tours and it was so great to be able to move as quickly as we wanted or stay longer in one place if we were enjoying it. It did cause me to spend a lot of time planning, however.

I'm sure the cost is even more staggering than it was then (ABD always goes up), and I thought it was a *horrible* value. By far the worst of any of the 6 ABD's I've done (Japan will be our 7th). I really felt as if I was on a bunch of city tours that would't have cost more than $40 a person through DCL. I think we would have had a much better, more "VIP" experience doing the DCL exclusive Port Adventures on our own. I was so frustrated seeing the DCL group taking pictures where we couldn't. I heard the night event (princess ball) at Catherine's Palace was amazing. I've also heard people on various boards rave about Anastasia private tours. If I were doing it again, I would probably use them. But you are right. The planning on cruises like this is a lot of work.

Does anyone use a specific travel purse when they go places? I have one I bought 3 years ago that is reaching the end of its life. It was one of the specific travel ones that is very lightweight. That was important to me since I tend to load my bag up with an external battery, cheap ponchos, maps, pens, maybe a camera & extra battery, sunscreen, chapstick, bandaids... I limit myself to a smaller bag size because I know I will fill all available space.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else used a specific purse just for travel or if anyone has any recommendations I should check out. My last bag was Sherpani and it lasted through 6 WDW trips, 2 DLR trips, 2 weeks in Europe, and at least 4 weekends... I feel I got my money's worth for $25ish but now the straps are fraying.

I'm embarrassed by how many travel purses I have, LOL. I seem to always be looking for the "perfect" one for each situation. It's kind of like my carry-on bag problem. My top three were a Tumi crossbody that I got on sale (used that one for years until my daughter took it over; here's a recent incarnation but I think I got mine 75% off in one of Tumi's great holiday sales: https://www.tumi.com/p/canton-crossbody-01099662065/ ), a Vera Bradley crossbody purse/wallet that I use when I go on hiking trips as it fits well in my backpack https://www.verabradley.com/us/prod...2840219?Ntt=VB-PDP-BAGS-CROSSBODY-BAGS-PDP-VB , and a convertible backpack/purse from Mulberry for city touring that I got at Heathrow (love airport shopping for expensive bags, LOL): https://www.fashionphile.com/mulberry-natural-leather-cara-delevigne-convertible-satchel-oak-215293 The Vera Bradley is also great for going out in big cities at night as I can easily put the thin crossbody strap under my coat, making it much harder to be robbed/pickpocketed.

 

[mmmears]

I groan every time I see those t-shirts in the parks -- always on the dads. I always figured the most expensive day ever was your wedding day. Seriously though, you're at Disney already with your family; enjoy it. The time to grumble about how much the trip costs is either before when you're still planning it, or after when you see the hit on the bank account. Don't ruin your time with your family, and all your pics with a dumb*** shirt. If these dads keep it up, their most expensive day ever is going to be the day their divorce is finalized.

I just laugh when I see this stuff. We had a short DCL shuttle bus running from downtown Reykjavik to the ship on this summer's trip. DD and I got on the bus back to the ship and a couple sat down behind us. The wife was saying that she and kids wanted to do a bit of last minute shopping at the port and they guy started ranting (but in a funny way) about how it the cruise was really expensive and that they would be ok if they didn't actually buy something in EVERY SINGLE shop they saw on this trip. And wasn't her Icelandic Horse stuffy enough? And that pretty soon there wasn't going to be any money left. We were trying so hard to not burst out laughing during the 5 min drive, and then finally laughed after we got off the bus and walked into the shop. DH kept asking what was so funny (he couldn't hear it on the bus). The guy was so funny I could see this being some sort of stand up routine. The wife didn't see the humor and just listed off all the things that they still wanted to buy.