I love credit cards so much!

[StephPlum]

This might be my last set of pics from Antarctica since we are heading back to the Drake passage

Pictures were amazing!!

 

[PolyRob]

Awesome! I have a newish Citi card. Do you need to register your purchases to get the price protection?

I've found lower prices and just submitted claims by registering right then and there with no issue. Love this feature! I think it has to be within 60 days and like $200.

 

[vanjust14]

I've found lower prices and just submitted claims by registering right then and there with no issue. Love this feature! I think it has to be within 60 days and like $200.

Great, that's very helpful to know. Thank you!

 

[Albort]

Did anyone post about Southwest getting their ETOPs approved?

Hawaii is coming very very very very soon now...

 

[StephPlum]

Did anyone post about Southwest getting their ETOPs approved?

Hawaii is coming very very very very soon now...

Exciting! While I am not planning to fly from the mainland on SW, I was thinking I could use to inter-island hop and use my CP. Does anyone know if they are going to offer those flights?

 

[PolyRob]

Ok DISchurner friends...I want to ask an off topic touring plan question Since you are all the DISers I trust most...

You know I booked a contemporary resort Magic Kingdom View room - girls were super excited to hear of this for Christmas! Now I have to adjust our plans slightly...We are in this room on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night and I want to watch the fireworks from my balcony one night. Being back in the room by 8pm any night was not in my original plan. Let me give you the rundown and I'd love some feedback!!

• Wednesday - we are going to Magic Kingdom; Hours are 9am-8pm with EMH from 8pm-10pm. HEA is at 8pm
• Thursday - we are going to Animal Kingdom; Hours are 9am-8pm (no EMH)
• Friday - we are going to Magic Kingdom; Hours are 9am-9pm (no EMH). HEA is at 8pm

We want to watch HEA in the MK one night so that has to happen either Wed or Fri (we do not have a park hopper). We are going to Magic Kingdom for 6+ hours on Saturday so Friday is NOT our last park day in case that would affect your recommendation. We did see RoL last year so this wouldn't be our "first chance" at that show. We have no dining reservations or other plans that would affect these options below.

• OPTION 1 -- Wed: HEA from the room (skip EMH); Thur: RoL; Fri: HEA from the park
  
  
• OPTION 2 -- Wed: HEA from the park (then remaining EMH); Thur: RoL; Fri: HEA from the room
  
  
• OPTION 3 -- Wed: No HEA, take full advantage of EMH; Thur: HEA from the room (skip RoL), Fri: HEA from the park
  
  
• OPTION 4 -- Wed: HEA from the park (then remaining EMH); Thur: HEA from the room (skip RoL), Fri: ride until 9pm

Each option has a lot of merit IMO. I keep going back and forth between various options. I believe these are the only 4 options I can draw up...so DISchurner friends...what would you do and why??? THANKS!!!

I would choose option 1 or option 3 based on how much you value seeing RoL again.

I personally would not want to find and hold a spot for HEA on a MK PM EMH night. I've done it in the past and regretted it.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

We scoured the cheap places like Marshall’s and found a set of cork trivets like this
https://www.amazon.com/Jonas-Cork-Trivets-Set-Round/dp/B0041STFTE

Bought 2 sets (to get 2 little ones) and DH spray painted black. Voila!

LOVE THIS!! My kids have a ton of pins but somehow mine would be a “Pinterest Fail”

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I think you do as well but I edited my post to add I pay off most of my cards balances before they close so my utilization is usually 1-5%....and lower CLs on Chase cards so they are 15-20% of income

Yeah - definitely the way to go!!

Also should add...What you've achieved there is pretty awesome. You have gotten 6 cards from Chase in 15-16 months and yet are still 2/24!!!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

LOVE THIS!! My kids have a ton of pins but somehow mine would be a “Pinterest Fail”

Trust me if my DH could do this, anyone can. Lol.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Yeah - definitely the way to go!!

Also should add...What you've achieved there is pretty awesome. You have gotten 6 cards from Chase in 15-16 months and yet are still 2/24!!!

It probably helps that I have a long history with Chase..my Disney Visa is from day one and the same with their SW card

 

[calypso726]

Does anyone here know anything about Alaska Cruises? Next year will by our 25th Anniversary. (not sure how that happens when your only 30..) I always plan our vacations and DH and kids just go wherever. (Usually Disney or Caribbean Cruises) DH has always wanted to do an Alaskan Cruise - I have always been hesitant because it does not have really warm weather and palm trees. But I hear they are great. So, I was going to surprise him next year with this cruise. Our anniversary is in March but would go in June/July. I still have CSR so could book on points at 1.5 redemption. I started doing some research and just keep getting more confused on where to go. I did read not to go out of Seattle but go out of Vancouver as it is more scenic and calmer. Any suggestions would be great... Thanks.

We did the Alaska cruise in and out of Vancouver with DCL. We actually considered other less expensive cruises but stuck with DCL for one main reason. We have Platinum status with them. Some excursions are going to get booked by Platinum members before anyone else can book them. We don’t have status with other cruise lines. The cruise was amazing and I’d do it again. Maybe with DCL and maybe not. No matter what cruise line you pick, do make sure you have a balcony! I could care less if we have a balcony or not on Caribbean cruises. I think it is worth it to have on an Alaska cruise. If you sail in or out of Vancouver do spend a day or two extra exploring the city. It’s wonderful and reminds me of San Francisco as far as the vibe. There’s lots to do and we really enjoyed ourselves. We stayed at a Westin on SPG points back in 2014.

Ok DISchurner friends...I want to ask an off topic touring plan question Since you are all the DISers I trust most...

You know I booked a contemporary resort Magic Kingdom View room - girls were super excited to hear of this for Christmas! Now I have to adjust our plans slightly...We are in this room on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night and I want to watch the fireworks from my balcony one night. Being back in the room by 8pm any night was not in my original plan. Let me give you the rundown and I'd love some feedback!!

• Wednesday - we are going to Magic Kingdom; Hours are 9am-8pm with EMH from 8pm-10pm. HEA is at 8pm
• Thursday - we are going to Animal Kingdom; Hours are 9am-8pm (no EMH)
• Friday - we are going to Magic Kingdom; Hours are 9am-9pm (no EMH). HEA is at 8pm

We want to watch HEA in the MK one night so that has to happen either Wed or Fri (we do not have a park hopper). We are going to Magic Kingdom for 6+ hours on Saturday so Friday is NOT our last park day in case that would affect your recommendation. We did see RoL last year so this wouldn't be our "first chance" at that show. We have no dining reservations or other plans that would affect these options below.

• OPTION 1 -- Wed: HEA from the room (skip EMH); Thur: RoL; Fri: HEA from the park
  
  
• OPTION 2 -- Wed: HEA from the park (then remaining EMH); Thur: RoL; Fri: HEA from the room
  
  
• OPTION 3 -- Wed: No HEA, take full advantage of EMH; Thur: HEA from the room (skip RoL), Fri: HEA from the park
  
  
• OPTION 4 -- Wed: HEA from the park (then remaining EMH); Thur: HEA from the room (skip RoL), Fri: ride until 9pm

Each option has a lot of merit IMO. I keep going back and forth between various options. I believe these are the only 4 options I can draw up...so DISchurner friends...what would you do and why??? THANKS!!!

My take as someone who is at the park a lot and often has to play tour guide for people who are not. I would not opt to watch HEA from the room. It’s not like Wishes that can be enjoyed equally from the park as from the resort. You really want to see the castle close up for HEA. I have purposely brought friends or family who visit infrequently to see Wishes from Cali Grill or Bay Lake Tower. Never would I do that for HEA. It isn’t the same. That’s just my opinion.

I like RoL ok enough but only do it when I have an RoL and Tiffins dining package since you come out ahead on that if you have the short ribs LOL I have yet to take family and friends to see RoL though. It’s not enough of a highlight for me to carve out the time for it when there are better options. I’d sooner wait the line for Flight of Passage. Again this is coming from the person who looks at any line over 20 minutes and can’t be bothered. FoP is the exception to that rule of course

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

I think you do as well but I edited my post to add I pay off most of my cards balances before they close so my utilization is usually 1-5%....and lower CLs on Chase cards so they are 15-20% of income

Totally agree with this.

Anyone looking for Chase automatic biz approval lower those CLs WAY down. Got x2 CIPS (DH and I) and CIC auto approvals that way. Going for 3rd for me in March (CIU) and will lower even more.

Yours are all SSNs too?

 

[miztressuz]

So since it looks like my DH s application for a second CIP with EIN is going to either take a while with verification or be denied....and we have our insurance bill coming up in February....I decided to apply for my 4th Chase business card CIU and was instantly approved

Woohoo! That's awesome, instant approval AND 4th biz card. In awe

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Totally agree with this.

Anyone looking for Chase automatic biz approval lower those CLs WAY down. Got x2 CIPS (DH and I) and CIC auto approvals that way. Going for 3rd for me in March (CIU) and will lower even more.

Yours are all SSNs too?

Yes mine are all SSN...

Got greedy for the 100,000 URs and went outside my comfort zone with DH application for a second CIP with EIN...it’s at 7-10 days so either verification or denied

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

For bank bonuses there are two separate components that get a lot of attention, the first is the direct deposit requirements but the second is in bank account funding with a credit card. In 99.99% of cases these are completely separate topics. Fortunately/unfortunately there's a little confusion popping up because PNC has for some months been counting your credit card funding as part of your DD requirements. So "Yea!" less money needed to DD, but "boo" very confusing when it doesn't work and nearly any other bank. I'd try to just keep them as separate concepts so as to not get confused later (at least that's what I'm doing )

Other than being able to use your credit card to fund some bank accounts at opening, CCs and Bank Bonuses are pretty separate. However, when you can find a bank that lets you fund an account with your CC and it codes as a purchase, it's a win-win as you'll earn free points/free MSR spend on top of the bank bonus. If it works out right it's fee-free manufactured spending But it's very important to make sure it's not going to code as a Cash Advance as not only will you not earn CC points for it, or count towards your MSR, you'll pay additional fees to the CC company which eats into the bonus. This is also where everyone putting DP's on DoC comes in handy so it's a pretty comprehensive resource for all aspects of bank bonus chasing.

As for the DD's, mostly it's trial and error to see what makes it past the automated systems and triggers the bonus for each particular bank. Again, where DoC comments and posts are very helpful since each bank is going to be different - what works for PNC doesn't necessarily work for Citizens, etc etc. Out of the gate though you could look for accounts that don't require DD's to get a feel for the amount of time and effort you want to put into it. Discover savings is a quick hit, doesn't require you to hold the money in the account for any length of time and posts the bonus super quick once you meet the deposit requirement. Since this is a savings account, no DD required, just deposit the amount for the bonus you want. 15k will get you $150, but 25k will get $200. They are also nice in that cumulative deposits works - so even though you only have 20k to play with, you can deposit the 20k and get the $150 bonus, withdrawal some (5-10k say) and then redeposit it for the last $50. Just have to time it well so it makes by the deadline. (https://www.doctorofcredit.com/discover-savings-150200-bonus-1500020000-deposit-new-exp-103117/) I had a local credit union checking account over the summer that only required debit card transactions for their bonus. I've seen less of those but they exist, can look at stuff like that while researching. Also while researching, look into hub accounts and see if there are any with current bonuses to work on. We've had CapOne360 for years and it's not been very useful until lately when it codes as DD for several bank accounts I've completed this year

Speaking of the debit transactions, for most banks just doing a small Amazon reload works. Or buying a single banana at the grocery store. Or pump a dollar of gas at self-serve stations (personally I have no time for that, but it's one of the things I've seen recommended) Or anything small that your CC rewards aren't going to matter much. Just check to see if there is any minimums to the transactions. The ones I've done so far haven't had any so I put as little as 42 cents on one to meet the requirements. If you look at it as earning $300 for $10 (or even $20) in spend, that's puts losing out on the CC rewards for those purchases in perspective; at least that helped me.

Thanks fo the details!!!

 

[Haley R]

What offer are you seeing? I don’t have any



Option 2. ROL stinks but if you don’t want to watch it I’d hit a pandora ride right before close or Everest over and over lol. Everest is much scarier and better at night too lol

Dh found out it has to be through the RMN shopping portal and doesn’t apply to gift cards...darn

 

[wendow]

Thanks! Had you had the card before? Thinking I should have read some more data points before I applied.

Yes, I opened the Arrival+ back in 9/17 (bonus received 12/17). I PC'ed to the Barclays rewards card in 10/18 when my AF posted. Applied 12/18 (about 5 weeks after PC'ing) for another Arrival+. Approved

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Anyone done this? https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi...lable-nationwide-direct-deposit-not-required/

I'm thinking of kicking off my venture into bank bonuses with this as I have the $20k now but that will dwindle in the months to come as I pay off some store cards that have 0% offers expiring.

I should be able to get the $500 bonus I think. Just wondering if anyone else has done a Citi Offer before.

 

[GusGus16]

Anyone done this? https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi...lable-nationwide-direct-deposit-not-required/

I'm thinking of kicking off my venture into bank bonuses with this as I have the $20k now but that will dwindle in the months to come as I pay off some store cards that have 0% offers expiring.

I should be able to get the $500 bonus I think. Just wondering if anyone else has done a Citi Offer before.

Just waiting for my bonus to post. You need to keep the funds in the account for 60 days and then they won't pay the bonus for 90 days after you meet the requirements, need to keep in 1500 to keep the account fee free.

ETA: looks like for the 400 bonus you have to keep 10,000 to keep fee free, would have to check how much money you have to keep tied up to keep fee free or if you can downgrade the account.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Herb Kelleher, The Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Southwest Airlines passed away today. https://www.southwestaircommunity.c...es/Farewell-to-Southwest-s-Founder/ba-p/84481

Many of us who enjoy inexpensive flights have this man to thank in part. He revolutionized the airline industry with a napkin and an idea.