I love credit cards so much!

[CyndiLouWho]

Pretty much same for us. We open and close the parks and rarely take a break. We didn’t when our kids were little but our youngest is now 7 and he can keep up just fine. I’m sure as we age our touring may look different but our vacations (and especially Disney) are more go-go-go! We come home utterly exhausted but having had an amazing time !

My sister doesn’t understand how this can be fun. Admittedly we don’t usually close the parks when they are open until midnight but we are almost always at RD. We rarely break during the day so after a couple days, DS begs for pool time, so we give him an hour or so in the am then head to the parks. That’s usually it for resort time. Lol.
Our upcoming trip is 5 nights at Swan, 2 nights off property with 6 day PH. The 2 days off property were supposed to be Disney Springs (which we’ve been to once in 5 trips) and Disney outlet and pool time. But the 6 day PH was only a couple bucks more so...we’ll do a half day the last full day. DS wants Epcot and Illuminations our last night.

 

[miztressuz]

My 2019 IHG unrestricted free night just posted. It did overlap so I have 2 nights in my account right now. Trying to decide if I see if 2018 can still be booked for a date after expiration and use them together for a later trip. Downside to that is if we have to cancel I lose my night. Bit of a gamble.
We have a quickie trip to Vegas we're debating, and if we decide to go I can try for the Palazzo - which had been my plan for the next trip out there, until IHG went cheap and restricted them That's very tempting but so far SW points pricing has not been favorable so that's a gamble too... thinking about it, I guess that's fitting...

 

[GZanta77]

If you actually fly on your miles, the Barclay is better. I have both but I'll be ditching the Citi Biz. Barclays offers 10% back on miles. So a RT flight to my BF should normally be 25k RT. But normally one of the many tiny airports near him (or DTW) is a reduced mileage airport. The Barclays gives 10% back. So that 25K flight costs me 15,750! Citi Biz doesn't give 10% back.

Good point - but for my situation, most of my travel for the next year is already booked, so have already received the 10% back - and getting the Citi AABiz was a step towards replenishing our miles. I expect there may be an opportunity to apply for the Barclays AAviator in the future if the 10% is still going.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

All this WDW talk makes me want to take a trip but we're not planning on going until March 2020

(We borrowed some 2019 points to go in August with our girls. That was an unplanned trip! We used the rest of our of 2018 points when dh and I went last January for a week, scheduled around client visits. And I used to think 320 points would be more than enough )

 

[Lain]

Debating on whether I want to keep the SPG Biz or the Lux. Not sure I want to keep both, but I could potentially. This would also box me out of another Amex credit card since I’m at 5 already unless I can be the unicorn and get magically approved for a 6, which would be the BBP. Was going to cancel the SPG Biz to get down on AFs (the irony is, as I was debating applying for the Schwab card today LOL).

I’ll definitely be canceling my Marriott Biz in Feb, but curious what you (and others who have both the SPG Biz and Lux as well) are considering.

I'm at 4/5 Amex credit cards so that makes things a little easier.

My plan currently is to keep the SPG Biz (opened 10/17), Personal (4/18), and Lux (8/18) at least past the first year to bank the FN certs (and not get on Amex's bad side). We'll also keep DW's SPG Biz (opened 3/18) for another FN cert and to try rehabilitate her history with Amex. I'm definitely going to cancel my Marriott Biz (opened 2/18) in or after 2/19, in large part to free up a Chase biz card slot and some CL, but will try to wait until the FN cert posts for that account. (I'm trying to get back under 5/24 for another run at Chase cards by around March.) I also have a Marriott Premier Plus (opened 8/18) that I may or may not keep for another FN cert each year.

If all goes well, this lineup will get us 5x 35k FN certs and 1x 50k FN cert this year. It also helps that I know what I'd do with at least the 35k FN certs.

In the short term (next year or two), we have trips planned or in discussion to Disneyland and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood. There are a lot of Marriott hotels around Disneyland that cost 35k (the Marriott, Sheraton Park, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites) and the Sheraton Universal costs 35k right across the street from USH. We'll see what effect peak and off peak pricing will have on the points pricing. I'm willing to pay the AFs as I think I can get greater value from the 35k FN certs than the ~$95 per card.

I have a less clearer idea what to do with the 50k FN cert, but with a $300 Marriott credit on the Lux maybe I'll just use the FN and the credit on a nice weekend somewhere.

I'll almost certainly be canceling my Hilton Biz in 6/19.

The open Amex credit card slot will go towards opening a BBP, and I'll work my way through the Hiltons eventually. With Chase hopefully back in the mix, I plan on taking things a little slower with Amex this year.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Easy to get 3x on giftcards with your name on them if you really want to MS. I’m downgrading my SOs CSR and CSP and just keeping CIPs.

I need to check dischurners about this. Is it gift card mall or something else? And the fees involved must be outweighed by points, right?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

If you actually fly on your miles, the Barclay is better. I have both but I'll be ditching the Citi Biz. Barclays offers 10% back on miles. So a RT flight to my BF should normally be 25k RT. But normally one of the many tiny airports near him (or DTW) is a reduced mileage airport. The Barclays gives 10% back. So that 25K flight costs me 15,750! Citi Biz doesn't give 10% back.

Is that still the case? I thought that was dropped from all cards. Citi used to offer that as well but looking at both Barclay and Citi websites, I see no mention of that perk.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I changed hotels for my upcoming trip today. I just got the magic bands in the mail. Now doing online checkin for the new hotel. I can click that I don't need bands, right? The bands from the original reservation will work fine with the new reservation?

 

[elgerber]

I changed hotels for my upcoming trip today. I just got the magic bands in the mail. Now doing online checkin for the new hotel. I can click that I don't need bands, right? The bands from the original reservation will work fine with the new reservation?

Yes bands are linked to you not your hotel . Or you can pick different colors and change them up to match your outfits.

 

[GZanta77]

Is that still the case? I thought that was dropped from all cards. Citi used to offer that as well but looking at both Barclay and Citi websites, I see no mention of that perk.

Existing Barclay AA cardholders still get the 10% - but may have been ditched for new applicants?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Existing Barclay AA cardholders still get the 10% - but may have been ditched for new applicants?

Well crap, maybe I’ll have to keep mine.

 

[GlamMistress]

Well crap, maybe I’ll have to keep mine.

DH and I both got the Barclay Aviator in mid- August. Made the 1 swipe, paid fee, got miles. Redeemed for RT economy + to Barcelona. Got the 10% mileage discount. 54k RT to Spain is a screaming deal I must say.

 

[alryan]

If you can still find the URL could you please post it or PM me. I still need to purchase 2 Tickets.

Here is Disneyland, https://travel.chase.com/things-to-do/disneyland-resort-tickets.a181752.activity-details?srp=true&rfrr=LX.IS.OtherThings&eapid=0444-70501&pageNumber=1&endDate=2019-05-03&location=Anaheim, California&startDate=2019-04-26&eapid=0444-70501. The only thing I'm wondering about it the start by date.
Here's DisneyWorld, looks like this one you can update the date. https://travel.chase.com/things-to-do/walt-disney-world-resort-theme-park-tickets.a181079.activity-details?srp=true&location=Orlando,+FL+(MCO-Orlando+Intl.)&startDate=2019-03-16&endDate=2019-03-23&pageNumber=1&rfrr=LX.IS.OtherThings

Hope that works!! At first I didn't think it was going to work, because I still had to log in to Chase, but it did still take me to that page.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

DH and I both got the Barclay Aviator in mid- August. Made the 1 swipe, paid fee, got miles. Redeemed for RT economy + to Barcelona. Got the 10% mileage discount. 54k RT to Spain is a screaming deal I must say.

I booked flights to Vancouver and got the 10% back but I thought it was going away. Gotta do more research

 

[speedyfishy]

I need to check dischurners about this. Is it gift card mall or something else? And the fees involved must be outweighed by points, right?

GCM go through ebates. Giftcards.com also works and u can get airline miles if you want instead of cash. Just placed an order for $3000 worth got $30 back from ebates total fees were $46. But I’ll get 9000 URs on the purchase.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

I changed hotels for my upcoming trip today. I just got the magic bands in the mail. Now doing online checkin for the new hotel. I can click that I don't need bands, right? The bands from the original reservation will work fine with the new reservation?

Keep the bands you have. You can order new ones and both will work. Depending on the date of your trip you might just have to pick them up at the front desk.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Well crap, maybe I’ll have to keep mine.

But the cap is like 10k AA miles. Is the AF worth that to you? To me it isn’t, but if you really need that extra 10k AA miles I could understand it.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Has anyone gotten credit from chase for the staples with the no 3rd party disclaimer buying only Disney gc?

 

[GZanta77]

I booked flights to Vancouver and got the 10% back but I thought it was going away. Gotta do more research

Question is - can you get enough use of the 10% back to justify the annual fee? That's assuming you have status or other AA cards to get free bags/priority boarding etc.

ETA: @gottalovepluto beat me to it - but am inclined to agree, not worth the AF to me on an otherwise meh card

 

[disneymagicgirl]

GCM go through ebates. Giftcards.com also works and u can get airline miles if you want instead of cash. Just placed an order for $3000 worth got $30 back from ebates total fees were $46. But I’ll get 9000 URs on the purchase.

thank you!

ETA: How often do you purchase? Monthly average?