I love credit cards so much!

[Ava]

I got instant approval a few weeks ago for JB biz for me and then got it for DH a week or so later also instant. The CIP shouldn’t matter....

I may try it, the worst that can happen is she gets denied. I still haven’t gotten an email or anything about mine. Do you remember how long it took for your JB cards to arrive, or if you got an email about them beforehand? I took a screen shot of the screen saying I was approved, which had a phone number on it, so if I need to I can contact them.

Forgot Marriott is going to peak/non peak. That could def devalue the free nights to me too. When is that happening??

I don’t know if there was an exact date announced, I just remember early 2019. I want to use them in July so I’m sure peak/off peak will be in effect by then. It will definitely affect the value of the free nights going forward.

 

[platamama]

That hotel looks beautiful and the views are nice. I was told that during rainy season, you still have nice sunny mornings. The rain tends to come in the afternoons. So even if you have rain, I bet you'll still get lots of sun too. Would you report back after? We would like to go back at some point and want to file as much info away as possible.

Sure thing!

BTW, what car rental agency did you use in CR, and were you happy with it? I still haven't decided how we're getting around once we land at Liberia.

 

[Calfan]

Have you tried hiking poles? I ADORE my poles. Makes an enormous difference both going up and down. Down is tougher for me than up, and they help tremendously! I'm a big chicken when going down . . .

I am extremely devoted to my hiking poles as well! They have saved my bacon more times than I can count, but I am an admitted klutz. Definitely agree that they are a hug huge help going down. I have a problem knee as well, and they make a tremendous difference.

Which cards are you getting these offers on, the regular card, or one of the cards with the AF?

Ok, thanks! I closed our Ascends, so I won't bother to look for it

I actually got the $2k/20K points offer x2 on my no-fee Hilton card (and I have the Aspire as well), so it seems to be hit or miss as to which cards get the offer. I might have gone for a $1k/10K offer, but will probably pass on the $2k, especially if I get approved for CIP, so I can concentrate on that MSR. I’ve also got lots of Hilton points right now since I got the 150k bonus for my Aspire.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

No I think they assign your route based on what you select on your lottery form. I selected that I'd be open to hiking either direction. And I also made a note that we would happily spend an extra night or two at any of the camps if that was necessary to make the loop work. I suspect there will be some random dates that will be available in March so that you could maybe do part of the hike perhaps vs the full loop. That may be what we'll do just depending on availability. We're traveling with another couple, and I think we're all committed to hiking somewhere, so if that doesn't work, we'll figure out something else I guess. Are you gonna try for it??

Yeah, I told dh about it and he was excited! Though then he said, hey we take a guided saddle trip that would be cool ( <---my face) so I think we have a bit more to discuss

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

I may try it, the worst that can happen is she gets denied. I still haven’t gotten an email or anything about mine. Do you remember how long it took for your JB cards to arrive, or if you got an email about them beforehand? I took a screen shot of the screen saying I was approved, which had a phone number on it, so if I need to I can contact them.


I don’t know if there was an exact date announced, I just remember early 2019. I want to use them in July so I’m sure peak/off peak will be in effect by then. It will definitely affect the value of the free nights going forward.

I think I got an email that I was approved and that was it. The card came about a week later or maybe a touch longer. For the life of me I can’t figure out how to register the cards and set up an online account. Super annoying? Barclay hasn’t impressed me much!

Ok good to know. I’m eyeing Aruba next December and hoping I can get award booking at the Ritz before they go up.

 

[WVMomof3]

I’m 100+ pages behind since our 2 disney trips but wanted to comment on this real quick. We rented from Alamo via Costco Travel for our trip on the 17th. Costco provided the Alamon reservation number on our confirmation. I used that and was able to check in online using my husbands Alamo account (rental was in his name). I entered his license info (and mine as free second driver) and put in his CSR. We got there and went straight to aisle. Got upgraded to mini van since no std SUV were left. No issues at all. Not sure how different it is booking via UR portal but I’d try online check in on Alamo site vs. UR site.

It was the Alamo site that I checked in with. I entered drivers license and all the info and it said thank you you are checked in. Please go to the counter.

 

[gottalovepluto]

...Several wineries will even let you help crush their grapes for a price...

I would make a lousy entrepreneur. Never would have thought to charge tourists to stomp grapes. Grgich appears to have it down to an art form with t-shirts & memorabilia & options for even kids to participate- entrepreneurial genius.

A little Googling I learned Shramsberg takes this to the next level- with a full on 3 day harvest camp where people actually harvest the grapes for part of it. In-depth all about wine, work the harvest and a bunch of other stuff... for just under $1500/person (if you want a winemaker dinner at the end it’s an extra $145).... I’m in system shock...

 

[gottalovepluto]

Tried again to use my Marriott 7 night Cat 1-5 certificate. I now have a confirmation number and hotel booked which says it it used 45K points from my cert but I got a second odd email.

Dear STEPH PLUM,
As requested, we have cancelled your reward order. Below is a summary of your cancellation information.
Sincerely,
Marriott Rewards
Cancellation Information

• Description: 7 Night Travel Package Category 1-5 Hotels
• Certificate cancelled: XXXXxxxx
• Cancelled on: Saturday, October 27, 2018
• Reward code: 830T

Important note:
Please note that if you are cancelling a hotel reward this does not also cancel your hotel reservation for this reward stay. If you would also like to cancel your hotel reservation you may do so by calling 1-800-MARRIOTT (627-7468) or by visiting us online.

That is a weird way to say certificate redeemed. I think I remember at least one other person has redeemed their cert. Is this a normal email?

I got that too. They had to cancel my old cert in order to make my booking with the new cert even though I used it in the appropriate category. (The rep warned me about the emails.)

 

[Tikitoi]

Well no Marriott points today but I am up to 4600 because I did get 2000 two nights in a row

And I also got the AMEX offer for 20k with the required spending. I'm going to take it since I just completed the spending requirement for my JB biz account

#MakingPlans

 

[Lain]

I would make a lousy entrepreneur. Never would have thought to charge tourists to stomp grapes. Grigich appears to have it down to an art form with t-shirts & memorabilia & options for even kids to participate- entrepreneurial genius.

A little Googling I learned Shramsberg takes this to the next level- with a full on 3 day harvest camp where people actually harvest the grapes for part of it. In-depth all about wine, work the harvest and a bunch of other stuff... for just under $1500/person (if you want a winemaker dinner at the end it’s an extra $145).... I’m in system shock...

Forget hiring seasonal labor when you can charge tourists to do the work for you!

 

[WardFam]

@pillow's trip to Costa Rica sounds fantastic. There is a lot of geographic diversity in CR and so much to do just depending on your interests. Volcanos, beaches, rain forests, jungles, it's an incredible place.

I think CR has "rainy" and "less rainy" seasons, and December should be in the "less rainy" season. We are leaving for CR in a few weeks for Thanksgiving week and I'm a little worried since it will be the tail end of the "rainy" season. On this trip we're staying at just one location in Guanacaste (Hotel Punta Islita) that I got with a Marriott travel package (pre 8/18). Previously, we visited the Arenal and Manuel Antonio areas since those seem to be CR 101 trip destinations, and had a wonderful & busy time since I wasn't sure when or if we'd ever make it back and I wanted to fit in as much as I could. This trip is going to be more for relaxation since I think DH and DD need it. I'm concerned I might be bored since I usually am gogogo on vacation, but I'll bring books and art supplies.

I have been looking at this hotel for possibly a spring break trip. You'll have to give us a report when you get back!

 

[GlamMistress]

Not a Black Friday ad, but the Sam's One Day sale event (November 10) has some reduced price gift card features (Disney isn't mentioned or pictured but I'll probably go in and check this day just the same - also stack with Dosh)

https://www.bfads.net/adscan/featured-sale/Sams-Club-1Day-Sale-2018/page-16#viewer

 

[striker1064]

Y'all... the Marriott merger has been such a mess.

About 3 hours ago P2 got an email that there were insufficient points in her account for our Dolphin stay (starting tomorrow). I knew that wasn't true, because I redeemed 66k SPG points at the time I booked it in February, and that was the full cost of the trip. For some reason, the reservation ended up in her account only, and it looked like she made the reservation with 0 points.

Long story short, I've been on the phone with Marriott for over 2.5 hours. I've been called a liar for saying I booked under my SPG account. They eventually fulfilled the reservation, but they took away all 140k of P2's Marriott points to do it! It took another hour of sorting that out before they finally resorted her points. It took me sending them the original email confirmation, plus a screenshot of my Marriott account showing the previous SPG number, plus a screenshot of my previous SPG activity, to prove I had booked the account and the points were taken to do it.

What a disaster. I don't understand how this stuff is happening. Dolphin better be awesome.

 

[Albort]

Y'all... the Marriott merger has been such a mess.

About 3 hours ago P2 got an email that there were insufficient points in her account for our Dolphin stay (starting tomorrow). I knew that wasn't true, because I redeemed 66k SPG points at the time I booked it in February, and that was the full cost of the trip. For some reason, the reservation ended up in her account only, and it looked like she made the reservation with 0 points.

Long story short, I've been on the phone with Marriott for over 2.5 hours. I've been called a liar for saying I booked under my SPG account. They eventually fulfilled the reservation, but they took away all 140k of P2's Marriott points to do it! It took another hour of sorting that out before they finally resorted her points. It took me sending them the original email confirmation, plus a screenshot of my Marriott account showing the previous SPG number, plus a screenshot of my previous SPG activity, to prove I had booked the account and the points were taken to do it.

What a disaster. I don't understand how this stuff is happening. Dolphin better be awesome.

yeah... SPG turned trash after marriott took over... I saw someone with 2.2 million points expire for inactivity as well. he was freaking out... lol

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Y'all... the Marriott merger has been such a mess.

About 3 hours ago P2 got an email that there were insufficient points in her account for our Dolphin stay (starting tomorrow). I knew that wasn't true, because I redeemed 66k SPG points at the time I booked it in February, and that was the full cost of the trip. For some reason, the reservation ended up in her account only, and it looked like she made the reservation with 0 points.

Long story short, I've been on the phone with Marriott for over 2.5 hours. I've been called a liar for saying I booked under my SPG account. They eventually fulfilled the reservation, but they took away all 140k of P2's Marriott points to do it! It took another hour of sorting that out before they finally resorted her points. It took me sending them the original email confirmation, plus a screenshot of my Marriott account showing the previous SPG number, plus a screenshot of my previous SPG activity, to prove I had booked the account and the points were taken to do it.

What a disaster. I don't understand how this stuff is happening. Dolphin better be awesome.

Wow - I’m glad you got it sorted out.

Pre-merger in my opinion...Marriott was great, SPG was great. Post-merger...it’s such a mess. So many issues that seem to mainly start with poor IT and devolve into poor customer service. How did 2 good companies become so bad together!

 

[disneybirds]

Ohh would love to hear any recommendations on Napa...is on our bucket list

It has been a long time since we went to Napa, but we hit the big wineries like Mondavi and Sterling. We really enjoyed Frank Family Vineyards. Chateau Montelena Winery is beautiful and was in the Bottle Shock movie (which I would recommend). I wish I could remember more, but we tried to only hit 3 wineries a day. It was a fun trip!

 

[disneybirds]

Also note sunset times. It gets dark fairly early there. The sun sets a little earlier in December vs March - not hugely different but something to take into account. We found ourselves getting up REALLY EARLY to get as much daylight in as possible. Sunrise is 5:30ish or something like that.

Good info to know. Might be a deal breaker with two girls!

 

[bernina]

It was the Alamo site that I checked in with. I entered drivers license and all the info and it said thank you you are checked in. Please go to the counter.

Frustrating! You might want to call them, maybe they couldn’t verify a piece of information or something along those lines. Alamo is usually pretty quick but last week at MCO the counter lines were long. Good luck!

I found this on the Alamo site also.

————————

How can I "Skip the Counter"?
Many of our top locations offer "Skip the Counter" after you check in online.

Here's how it works:

• When you "Skip the Counter," you don't need to visit the counter or kiosk. You can go straight to your car!
• This optional service is offered free of charge at select locations in the Online Check-In process. Check if your location qualifies for "Skip the Counter."
• To "Skip the Counter," you will be required to confirm your protection options, agree to the Rental Agreement Terms & Conditions, and enter a valid credit card. (No charge is made until you return your vehicle.)
• Certain restrictions apply. View requirements.

 

[Alice Sr.]

Is rainy season over by Christmas time? I specifically avoided the rainy months and went at the end of March. But you might be ok in late December. Something to double check though.

We flew into San Jose and rented a car (used Southwest points). Driving was a little tricky due to poor signage, but we had a GPS and managed ok. They also have shared shuttles as a way to travel if you don't want to drive. But for 4 of us, a rental car was cheaper + we like the freedom.

From San Jose, we drove to Manuel Antonio National park. Stayed here 3 nights (2 full days) and booked with UR: https://www.fallsresortcr.com

In Manuel Antonio, we did a park tour also booked with UR. It was inexpensive and very worth it (got to see wildlife we would never have spotted on our own). The beaches in Manuel Antonio National park are beautiful + its so much fun to watch the crazy monkeys!

On day 2, we drove up the coast and did horseback riding on the beach - also booked with UR. We were the only 4 on the tour and it was TERRIFIC! http://www.theridingadventure.com

Its a beautiful country; the people are friendly. And its fairly easy to travel on your own. I highly recommend!

Thank you for this, I would love to do this but worry about the condition the horses are in (we had a bad experience).

Thanks---same here regarding kids out of the house and losing weight When you win a lottery, are you able to choose your route? I expect remaining open dates are quite difficult to grab once lottery winners select their dates.

You choose your 1st, 2nd and 3rd option if I remember correctly. We were contacted for our 2nd choice but did not accept for reasons I don't recall now.

Rumor has it at self check out a gc purchase over $100 requires staff to override the purchase. You’d probably be fine. But to be safe I’d ring it up as 2 separate purchases - gc and spaceheater and gc alone.

Ok thanks, I would not qualify for the RMN $5 which is fine. I just don't to get stuck on some black list like happened with Paypal.

My DH got that in 2017, it's a really good deal. He cancelled it this year since he didn't get a retention offer to keep it...

When you find award tickets available, I recommend booking one way awards for you and your DH. AA currently does not impose a penalty for changing dates/times of your award ticket as long as the origin and destination remain the same, so you could change the dates of travel (within 1 yr of original booking & pending availability of awards) for no fee. I also recommend that you book the two of you together at a time, i.e. both of you one way and both of you the way back, and use your account for one direction and your DH's account the other direction (since you can't pool points without a fee). That's because the penalty to cancel an award booking and redepositing miles with AA is $150 for the 1st pax and $25 for subsequent pax on the same record locator. If you book all legs individually per pax and have to cancel, it would cost you a lot more to do that. Most of these fees are waived if you are an Elite flyer with AA....

I did not know that, almost as good as SW.

Wow - I’m glad you got it sorted out.

Pre-merger in my opinion...Marriott was great, SPG was great. Post-merger...it’s such a mess. So many issues that seem to mainly start with poor IT and devolve into poor customer service. How did 2 good companies become so bad together!

I agree, it is poor IT which leads to overwhelming the call center/reps and poor customer service. The problem is that the bigger you are the harder it is to keep up. WDW experienced this in 2014.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Y'all... the Marriott merger has been such a mess.

About 3 hours ago P2 got an email that there were insufficient points in her account for our Dolphin stay (starting tomorrow). I knew that wasn't true, because I redeemed 66k SPG points at the time I booked it in February, and that was the full cost of the trip. For some reason, the reservation ended up in her account only, and it looked like she made the reservation with 0 points.

Long story short, I've been on the phone with Marriott for over 2.5 hours. I've been called a liar for saying I booked under my SPG account. They eventually fulfilled the reservation, but they took away all 140k of P2's Marriott points to do it! It took another hour of sorting that out before they finally resorted her points. It took me sending them the original email confirmation, plus a screenshot of my Marriott account showing the previous SPG number, plus a screenshot of my previous SPG activity, to prove I had booked the account and the points were taken to do it.

What a disaster. I don't understand how this stuff is happening. Dolphin better be awesome.

I haven’t even summoned up the level of patience I will need to address my travel package, so I haven’t bothered calling. It is all unbelievable, really. They should be ashamed. It would’ve been better to just leave the two separate.