I love credit cards so much!

[SouthFayetteFan]

Took me a minute to realize you meant tag So there is a person in it and they can't move and interact which means it was just me. I figured as much

Oops - gotta love autocorrect

Just like me forgetting support links

SHUN!!!.............unshun

 

[DisneyMandC]

This confirms my plan to hit as many Amex in a year as I can for DH.

To add to this, I wonder if I should just get something like BBP and I can put occasional small purchases on it... no MSR bonus to worry about not receiving, and I can always be like "oh look at the consistently small amounts of spend I've put on this." Don't know whether it would help or hurt me. I'm still closing the Hilton Biz in May regardless, but I'll keep my SPG Biz which has its anniversary in August.

 

[amalone1013]

SHUN!!!.............unshun

I even had a moment after my CIC approval... and then was like no wait, I'm good.

 

[hsmamato2]

Whoop! Didn't realize you had gotten your dh in the game!!

I think the Arrival+ also. It bought us 2 1/2 of our DLR tix last year and that was with only me having the card. With the 70k, which is really about $800+ of rewards after the spend, I could cover 4 tix if we both have the card. If dd is in dcp, that is only one tix OOP. SUCH a nice help since we may also be upgrading to AP's!

I'm considering for the last 5/24 slot for P2(just got CIP approval- still waiting on card,dang that's slow!) going for WoH and then Arrival+ since they have the 6/24 rule...

 

[hsmamato2]

BTw after my complaining yesterday...P2 SWA points posted...and..... used already! Now once the CP comes thru we'll be flush again....

 

[amalone1013]

Doc says Barclay will refund an AF for up to 60 days after it posts. Curious if anyone has any experience? DHs AF posted 3/30 last year and I'm debating closhing/eventually churning. Hes got about $200 on there now so itd be nice if I had 4.5 months to use it vs 2.5 months

 

[GZanta77]

I'm having a similar struggle! We usually fly PVD to MCO even though we are much closer to BOS. I'm trying to figure out our flights for Disneyland in November so that I can figure out if I want to keep my JetBlue card and if I want to switch my Amex airline for the credits. Flights aren't out yet for my dates, but looking at other flight schedules it looks like JetBlue would be more convenient, but we'll have the SW CP so I kind of want to take advantage of that! My AF for the JetBlue card is due at the end of the month and I have no idea what I should do!

JetBlue is my preferred airline for domestic travel, but like you I will be getting the SW CP shortly which makes the decision more difficult.....but I think I will probably keep the my JetBlue+ card but it won't see a lot of spend. My reasoning....

1. Annual fee $99 - but get 5000 TrueBlue miles which covers about $85 in flights.
2. 10% back on redemption
3. Free checked bag (although most of my JB flights are hand luggage only - this does prove useful once a year or so.)

The downside (and why it doesn't get much spend) is that there are better cards for earning TrueBlue points. For example....spending $5000 on groceries and dining will net 10,000 TrueBlue points on the JB+ card. But put that $5000 on my Amex Gold, and I get 20000 MR which I can convert to 16,000 TrueBlue points. So there is clearly no point spending on the JetBlue card other than a little just to keep Barclays content. Not to mention, that Amex has periodically run promos for 1:1 exchange of MRs to TrueBlue which makes it even better. Plus with MR's, I have flexibility and can put them into other programs when needed.

So I'll keep the JB+, but Barclays really needs to step up their game to encourage spending on their cards.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Uploading pics from WDW, part of which was solo, makes me realize even more than I knew when I was taking the pics, I've got to figure out what to do with my arms when I'm in the photo alone. As much as I'm glad to have not grown up in the age of social media and in a sorority chapter that wasn't all about the pose either being different would have helped. I can't keep doing hands on hips or one hand on hip because they all start to look the same with a different park icon behind me. Thank goodness for the rare railing to put an arm on or for the PP that had me sit in France. And Baymax has been the most awkward meet ever, he just stands there and the PP wasn't any help.

I always look so awkward too...alone or not.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

All this talk about AMEX and where to put your spend has me thinking about my next move. I was thinking of jumping aboard the grAAvy train but I think for now my best move is to keep some spend on Barclay (to prime for arrival +) and keep spending on my amex cards. I wish we knew the magic number of how much is enough! Also feeling the spreading of my spending too thin and not sure of the answer on that one.
Current plan - spend on Barclay and Amex for me (P1). P2 can still do some damage with Amex and I’m pretty sure Barclay won’t give him another card (had to recon for arrival +). So have him just get some spend on AMEX to keep them happy.
Then in March I (P1) apply for CIU - third Chase biz. Either wait one month and apply for Hyatt and arrival + same day or maybe wait 3 months? What do you think?
In the meantime keeping P2 under 4/24 and in Chase good graces for CP 2020/21. So get him Hyatt in March and lay low with Chase. Maybe some AMEX biz cards? Thoughts?

Stats that hopefully our Lord the Dictator approves of the format!!

Me currently 5/24 will be back to 4/24 in March

03/17 AMEX spg lux (1)
01/18 CHASE sw premier (2)
01/18 CHASE sw plus (3)
05/18 CHASE Marriott premier (4)
08/18 AMEX biz gold (BIZ)
08/18 AMEX biz green (BIZ)
08/18 AMEX spg (BIZ)
09/18 CHASE ink preferred (BIZ)
09/18 BARCLAY jetblue business (BIZ)
12/18 AMEX blue business preferred (BIZ)
12/18 CHASE ink cash (BIZ)
12/18 AMEX personal gold rewards (5)
*Older cards: CSR, Capitol one venture visa, cap one MasterCard, CFx2
*09/20 will be 48 months for sapphire

P2 - DH 5/24 will also be 4/24 in March

03/17 AMEX spg lux (au) (1)
06/17 CHASE freedom (pc’d from CSP) (2)
05/18 CHASE freedom unlimited (3)
06/18 CHASE Marriott (4)
08/18 AMEX spg biz (BIZ)
08/18 AMEX biz green (BIZ)
09/18 CHASE ink preferred (BIZ)
09/18 BARCLAY jetblue biz (BIZ)
12/18 BARCLAY arrival + (5)
Also AU on my CF,and both Cap Ones (all old)
06/21 will be 48 months from Sapphire

 

[1st*toright]

i sit with a couple of places, a lot of them have transitioned over to chat platforms... telegram, slack etc.
i tend to be a bit more conservative because on how public this forum can be... the thought that @mmmears found us via google is really scary to me, haha. still glad to see @mmmears find us though...

Yes, but you have to remember that there are lots of old folks on this board who have not heard of telegram and don't have slack even if they have heard of it. You kids can use your newfangled platforms, but a little old retired lady in PA can't be expected to keep up (right, @SouthFayetteFan?).

Oh - @SouthFayetteFan - I am good with a new thread too, especially since there would be a first post that can be edited and updated by our benevolent dictator (couldn't resist) but happy with whatever the group decides.

Yep. That's the title that is going to stick.

 

[GlamMistress]

I agree that too many "currencies" can make it difficult.
I dabble in 3 currencies...MR points, Marriott points, and the US Dollar. My DW deals strictly in Disney Rewards Dollars. The US Dollar is my favorite one as it is straight forward and hassle free. MR points and Marriott are being stockpiled for travel plans in 2021 and get a lot of MS.

What cash back card do you use? Citi Doublecash? I have the Barclays Uber which I feel is very underrated for a no fee card. It's better than the Cap One Savor.

@SouthFayetteFan @Lain - regarding that Amex Reddit link - those DP would line up with my DH's recent popup. The 12-13k annual spend I felt was enough on his Delta Plat BUT we stopped using the card completely and switched back to my Pink Gold and Arrival+ for most things. So now we basically know on Amex you need to spend consistently on each card and put a decent amount on each.

I love Amex but I won't be bound by these rules. I have six Amex accounts. I typically use 2 of them regularly. I won't be changing this pattern. The only card I really care about is my pink gold anyway. I know this goes against the grain of most here but I would rather do what is easy for me and not a big bank. Managing six Amex accounts each month PLUS Chase PLUS Barclays is just too much. #RuleFatigue

 

[1st*toright]

Any ideas about further discounting a ticket transaction on Undercover Tourist?

I did the staples $200 GC thing on a couple cards, intending to use them to buy Universal tickets on Undercover Tourist. Seems that you can only use 1 payment method at a time on UT. Any tricks to aggregate Visa gift cards so that I would have more $$ on one card? Tricks to get UT to take more than one card per transaction? Not a big deal if I can't use them for my tix, I can just use them on routing spend or on my hotel room, but I was trying to come up with a way to get some kind of discount on the UT transaction.

 

[schmass]

JetBlue is my preferred airline for domestic travel, but like you I will be getting the SW CP shortly which makes the decision more difficult.....but I think I will probably keep the my JetBlue+ card but it won't see a lot of spend. My reasoning....

1. Annual fee $99 - but get 5000 TrueBlue miles which covers about $85 in flights.
2. 10% back on redemption
3. Free checked bag (although most of my JB flights are hand luggage only - this does prove useful once a year or so.)

The downside (and why it doesn't get much spend) is that there are better cards for earning TrueBlue points. For example....spending $5000 on groceries and dining will net 10,000 TrueBlue points on the JB+ card. But put that $5000 on my Amex Gold, and I get 20000 MR which I can convert to 16,000 TrueBlue points. So there is clearly no point spending on the JetBlue card other than a little just to keep Barclays content. Not to mention, that Amex has periodically run promos for 1:1 exchange of MRs to TrueBlue which makes it even better. Plus with MR's, I have flexibility and can put them into other programs when needed.

So I'll keep the JB+, but Barclays really needs to step up their game to encourage spending on their cards.

Thank you for this breakdown! I had just done the math and realized that the 5000 points were almost equal to the AF, so that definitely helps my decision. And I completely agree with you - I used to put my groceries on this card but have switched to the Amex Gold for all grocery purchases.

 

[PolyRob]

JetBlue is my preferred airline for domestic travel, but like you I will be getting the SW CP shortly which makes the decision more difficult.....but I think I will probably keep the my JetBlue+ card but it won't see a lot of spend. My reasoning....

1. Annual fee $99 - but get 5000 TrueBlue miles which covers about $85 in flights.
2. 10% back on redemption
3. Free checked bag (although most of my JB flights are hand luggage only - this does prove useful once a year or so.)

The downside (and why it doesn't get much spend) is that there are better cards for earning TrueBlue points. For example....spending $5000 on groceries and dining will net 10,000 TrueBlue points on the JB+ card. But put that $5000 on my Amex Gold, and I get 20000 MR which I can convert to 16,000 TrueBlue points. So there is clearly no point spending on the JetBlue card other than a little just to keep Barclays content. Not to mention, that Amex has periodically run promos for 1:1 exchange of MRs to TrueBlue which makes it even better. Plus with MR's, I have flexibility and can put them into other programs when needed.

So I'll keep the JB+, but Barclays really needs to step up their game to encourage spending on their cards.

JetBlue is also my preferred, well at least to MCO which I do about 3/4x a year. I had considered the JetBlue Plus card so many times before finding this thread. My eyes have been opened to the other possibilities besides the actual JetBlue Plus card. I do tend to check bags for my longer trips (or if I plan on getting 20 lbs of candy at MNSSHP ). The free checked bags were the main perk I was interested in. I find that all the verbiage states you must book the tickets with the JetBlue card for all passengers on the same itinerary in order to receive the free luggage. I like the protection the CSR provides so IDK that I would want to switch and also lose the URs. There is a JetBlue business card that's identical to the Plus so I still have that in the back of my head. Just having a hard time with the idea.

My other idea includes opening an Amex (Platinum or Gold) and using the incidental airline fee credit to cover my luggage fees. Tough choices!!

 

[Alexle2007]

Yes, our kids will be 6 and 4 when we go. Our other option is to fly to Arizona for a few days before or after we go to DL and visit the inlaws. Flying from PHX would still be a long flight though. So you would recommend flying nonstop on JB for this one?

We just went to DL over the summer. My in-laws live in AZ and my SIL has going with us so we flew into PHX from BWI and drove from PHX to DL. It was a nice easy drive and pretty scenic going through Palm Springs. On our way over we spent the night in Palm Springs so we could arrive early in Anaheim, check in quickly at the Sheraton and headed to the park for the day. (We've actually done that the 2 times we have gone.)

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Thanks for sharing this. It worries me since we have 5 primary AMEX cards (and 2 AUs) and it's going to be tough to put significant spend on them all every month. DH is interested in the Aspire, but I think we are planning to take a break for a while to get him down below 5/24.

Which also brings me to the "are we diluting our points?" thought. We only had MRs (with AA when a place didn't accept AMEX), but now we have URs and Marriott and Hyatt as well I'd rather have one or two large stashes of points than spread it out too thin and not have enough to redeem for something big. But it took us about 5 years of organic spend to replenish our URs for those J class seats to Europe, and since joining this group we have amassed that much and more, and in less than 6 months!

Decisions, decisions...

I think for me, if I could replenish URs at a fast enough rate, I'd be fine with those. So far, thats all I have redeemed, that I recall. Well, actually I redeemed SPG points for a travel package, but thats dead.
Problem is, without sign up bonuses, it is hard to earn fast enough. I'd be right back to where I was before I joined this thread, which was SW card/CP, Hilton from DH travel, Hertz from DH travel, and everything else to chase. Not that it is bad, I had free flights all the time, and 2 weeks at a hilton resort a year, but I got way more free travel this year after participating in this thread and expanding my horizons.

 

[GZanta77]

JetBlue is also my preferred, well at least to MCO which I do about 3/4x a year. I had considered the JetBlue Plus card so many times before finding this thread. My eyes have been opened to the other possibilities besides the actual JetBlue Plus card. I do tend to check bags for my longer trips (or if I plan on getting 20 lbs of candy at MNSSHP ). The free checked bags were the main perk I was interested in. I find that all the verbiage states you must book the tickets with the JetBlue card for all passengers on the same itinerary in order to receive the free luggage. I like the protection the CSR provides so IDK that I would want to switch and also lose the URs. There is a JetBlue business card that's identical to the Plus so I still have that in the back of my head. Just having a hard time with the idea.

My other idea includes opening an Amex (Platinum or Gold) and using the incidental airline fee credit to cover my luggage fees. Tough choices!!

If you are not concerned with 5/24 or have sufficient open spots - it may be worth applying for the JB+. For $99 you will get 40000 TrueBlue points, and you will get 10% back on redemption plus the other benefits. Protection on the CSR is a fairly moot point for me as ~75% of my JetBlue bookings are reward travel.

I would guess you could get somewhere in the region of $750 - $800 of value out of it, and then can decide whether you want to keep it beyond the first year.

ETA: If you can only do one, and have to choose between JB+ and Amex Gold/Plat...then I would probably choose the Amex if you can get a good offer.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Any ideas about further discounting a ticket transaction on Undercover Tourist?

I did the staples $200 GC thing on a couple cards, intending to use them to buy Universal tickets on Undercover Tourist. Seems that you can only use 1 payment method at a time on UT. Any tricks to aggregate Visa gift cards so that I would have more $$ on one card? Tricks to get UT to take more than one card per transaction? Not a big deal if I can't use them for my tix, I can just use them on routing spend or on my hotel room, but I was trying to come up with a way to get some kind of discount on the UT transaction.

Couldn't you just do each ticket in a different transaction. Or 2 tickets per transaction? Then use a different visa GC for each purchase.

 

[schmass]

JetBlue is also my preferred, well at least to MCO which I do about 3/4x a year. I had considered the JetBlue Plus card so many times before finding this thread. My eyes have been opened to the other possibilities besides the actual JetBlue Plus card. I do tend to check bags for my longer trips (or if I plan on getting 20 lbs of candy at MNSSHP ). The free checked bags were the main perk I was interested in. I find that all the verbiage states you must book the tickets with the JetBlue card for all passengers on the same itinerary in order to receive the free luggage. I like the protection the CSR provides so IDK that I would want to switch and also lose the URs. There is a JetBlue business card that's identical to the Plus so I still have that in the back of my head. Just having a hard time with the idea.

My other idea includes opening an Amex (Platinum or Gold) and using the incidental airline fee credit to cover my luggage fees. Tough choices!!

My experience has been that just having the card got me free bags even if I didn't book with the card. I booked flights to Hilton Head in early January with another card (probably my Disney visa since that was the only card I used at that point!) and then when I checked in for the flight in June, we automatically got the free bags.

 

[1st*toright]

Couldn't you just do each ticket in a different transaction. Or 2 tickets per transaction? Then use a different visa GC for each purchase.

Important piece of information - the tix I'm getting are 2 days park hoppers and cost $275 each! Highway robbery, I tell you, but I'm the sucker who wants to buy them...