I love credit cards so much!

[peel]

I just got back from a fantastic and exhausting eight days in England. I thought I would break down our trip and how points helped pay our way!

- 70K UR for RT economy flights on Virgin, 54K coming from the signup bonus/spend on the CSP
- 3 nights at a centrally located London Airbnb flat using the 2016 $300 CS(R) travel credit and a $35 new user credit, plus a reimbursement from our traveling companion for 1/3 of the cost
- 1 night in Sheffield at a Holiday Inn using points awarded to DH through a company program
- 1 night in Bournemouth at a local hotel (paid cash)
- 1 night in Brighton at a beachfront hotel, paid for by DH’s company award points
- 1 night at London Heathrow Hilton using HHonors points (upgraded to King Suite for DH being a loyal business travel customer)

AND:
A good portion of our train ticket costs were covered when the 2017 CS(R) $300 travel credit kicked in the day we arrived


We still haven’t tapped into our 100K CS(R) UR bonus, or our 70K HHonors signup bonus. And once I recover from jetlag, I’ll be applying for two SW cards so I can hopefully start down the road of getting a Companion Pass early next year. If I’m successful, the preliminary plan is to spend the next couple of years taking long weekends to explore the US with the CP and Rapid Rewards, while accumulating more UR and hotel awards to use on a bigger trip, maybe Japan in 2019.

 

[Albort]

We still haven’t tapped into our 100K CS(R) UR bonus, or our 70K HHonors signup bonus. And once I recover from jetlag, I’ll be applying for two SW cards so I can hopefully start down the road of getting a Companion Pass early next year. If I’m successful, the preliminary plan is to spend the next couple of years taking long weekends to explore the US with the CP and Rapid Rewards, while accumulating more UR and hotel awards to use on a bigger trip, maybe Japan in 2019.

Using points doesnt seem helpful for Asia Trips now and days. You can fly to Japan for $500 rt. its 70k pts for UA rt. Hotels in Japan on the other hand, ive heard of super nice redemption there.

 

[peel]

Using points doesnt seem helpful for Asia Trips now and days.

Even if I want to upgrade to a better seat?

 

[Albort]

Even if I want to upgrade to a better seat?

its actually pretty interesting on *alliance upgrades... you only need 30k to go from economy --> first class... but u need a full priced ticket.(economy ticket for economy plus ticket price)

 

[peel]

its actually pretty interesting on *alliance upgrades... you only need 30k to go from economy --> first class... but u need a full priced ticket.(economy ticket for economy plus ticket price)

Ah, right. Well, who knows what the situation will be in 2 years.
Also, I'm much more interested in free travel than saving points for a better redemption and spending cash.

 

[rockawaybeachgirl]

Another "Hamilton" points and miles success story!

Saw this morning on a points and miles website I follow that face value seats were being sold again for Hamilton in Chicago for Amex Platinum cardholders. Jumped on and bought orchestra seats for the 1/21 performance (happens to be my birthday weekend, so that worked out!). AA Award saver availability was open for both legs, but the return flight was super cheap so I booked that for cash, then transferred some Avios from my Membership rewards and booked 2 flights for 7500 avios and $5 each!

Hotel rooms are pretty cheap that weekend, so I booked with cash at the Palmer House Hilton for $100/night. Gold status through my Hilton Amex will get us free breakfast. Since the stay is not until January, I could use my Sapphire 2017 credit to pay for it, but I'm going to save that and pay with my Hilton Amex, which gets 7x points at Hiltons. Booking through the app gets you triple points, so after app+credit card+elite bonus, I'll earn about 10k points for a $200 stay!

And my daughter and I will use TSA re-check both ways, of course....

Happy Birthday to me!

 

[calypso726]

Another "Hamilton" points and miles success story!

Saw this morning on a points and miles website I follow that face value seats were being sold again for Hamilton in Chicago for Amex Platinum cardholders. Jumped on and bought orchestra seats for the 1/21 performance (happens to be my birthday weekend, so that worked out!). AA Award saver availability was open for both legs, but the return flight was super cheap so I booked that for cash, then transferred some Avios from my Membership rewards and booked 2 flights for 7500 avios and $5 each!

Hotel rooms are pretty cheap that weekend, so I booked with cash at the Palmer House Hilton for $100/night. Gold status through my Hilton Amex will get us free breakfast. Since the stay is not until January, I could use my Sapphire 2017 credit to pay for it, but I'm going to save that and pay with my Hilton Amex, which gets 7x points at Hiltons. Booking through the app gets you triple points, so after app+credit card+elite bonus, I'll earn about 10k points for a $200 stay!

And my daughter and I will use TSA re-check both ways, of course....

Happy Birthday to me!

WOOHOO!!! Congrats on getting Hamilton tix at face value! I felt like it was a major accomplishment when we were able to get them with the Amex Plat. Great job getting saver points and using Avios to book them too! You reminded me I need to find a room in San Francisco for our Hamilton weekend. Thanks!

 

[GPC0321]

This thread has me yearning to see Hamilton! Must plan a trip once this Disney thing is over next year!

Question! If I charge purchases and dining while at WDW to my room, and then pay that off with my CSP, will that count as "travel"?

 

[Albort]

Etihad First Class "The Apartment" Taiwan > Seoul > Abu Dhabi > London > Abu Hdabi > Seoul > Taiwan $3560 Total All in
Many available dates

who is down! lol

 

[calypso726]

This thread has me yearning to see Hamilton! Must plan a trip once this Disney thing is over next year!

Question! If I charge purchases and dining while at WDW to my room, and then pay that off with my CSP, will that count as "travel"?

Yes.

 

[peel]

Instant approval for both SW personal cards last night--with insane credit limits--Companion Pass, here I come!

 

[GPC0321]

Go, peel!

I have yet another question, and it deals with my SW card.
After I secure our tickets for next December's trip, I plan on cancelling my SW Premier. I like the card a lot, but I see no reason for me to have both it and the CSP. Since the CSP is more flexible with how I can use the UR points, it's the card I'll keep. Don't need to have two annual fee cards.

Anyway, my SW card has $7k credit limit. I know Chase let me transfer some of my Freedom's credit line to my Freedom Unlimited (since I use the FU more than the F). Would they let me move some of the SW's credit line to the CSP?

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

WOOHOO!!! Congrats on getting Hamilton tix at face value! I felt like it was a major accomplishment when we were able to get them with the Amex Plat. Great job getting saver points and using Avios to book them too! You reminded me I need to find a room in San Francisco for our Hamilton weekend. Thanks!

Ok, how did you do this through Amex platinum? Were you just lucky and you paid with Amex platinum or did you use the benefits to get them (which is what I'm assuming you did)?

 

[WVMomof3]

Instant approval for both SW personal cards last night--with insane credit limits--Companion Pass, here I come!

Did you go through referrals or just the normal 40k links? I think I want to do this next, just new to the credit card game and nervous about having so many cards.

 

[peel]

Did you go through referrals or just the normal 40k links? I think I want to do this next, just new to the credit card game and nervous about having so many cards.

I used referrals for the 50K bonuses.

 

[Ngwira]

My bonus Amex MR points finally posted on my PRG card. I have 60,000 MR points and am almost halfway to the 3k minimum spend to get 100kMR on my platinum card. Haven't tried to transfer anything out so don't know if they are "frozen" since I applied through the leaked Thanksgiving link.


I have no immediate plans for them so I'll let them sit. I plan to use my 100,000 UR points from my CSR to transfer points to Southwest for flights to DW in 2018.

 

[calypso726]

Ok, how did you do this through Amex platinum? Were you just lucky and you paid with Amex platinum or did you use the benefits to get them (which is what I'm assuming you did)?

Amex platinum cards have a concierge service. I missed out on the pre-release of tickets for Amex card holders. By the time I found out there was a release for San Francisco's Hamilton show and got on line in the queue, I was number 58,000 something or other Of course, they sold out of early ticket sales way before my turn in line. General ticket sales were scheduled for the following week. I decided to call Amex Platinum concierge service since they are supposed to be able to obtain hard to get tickets, reservations etc. for their customers. I explained to the agent that I could only do a Saturday show since I'd be flying in from Florida on Friday night after work and flying out Sunday morning after the show. He was able to find me two seats for me and DH and two center seats for our friends that also didn't get in the queue on time in the row behind us. Mezzanine center area works for me. So, yes to both questions. We used the benefits and also paid with the Amex Platinum card

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Amex platinum cards have a concierge service. I missed out on the pre-release of tickets for Amex card holders. By the time I found out there was a release for San Francisco's Hamilton show and got on line in the queue, I was number 58,000 something or other Of course, they sold out of early ticket sales way before my turn in line. General ticket sales were scheduled for the following week. I decided to call Amex Platinum concierge service since they are supposed to be able to obtain hard to get tickets, reservations etc. for their customers. I explained to the agent that I could only do a Saturday show since I'd be flying in from Florida on Friday night after work and flying out Sunday morning after the show. He was able to find me two seats for me and DH and two center seats for our friends that also didn't get in the queue on time in the row behind us. Mezzanine center area works for me. So, yes to both questions. We used the benefits and also paid with the Amex Platinum card

Ohhh ok, lol, I'm way behind the ball on this. I had pretty much given up on getting tickets and didn't even realize there was a pre-sale or whatever for Amex holders.

I guess I could try calling the concierge but I imagine that time has passed too. I admit I'm really tuned into the points related benefits but not so much the event related benefits on my cards because I almost never use them.

 

[calypso726]

Ohhh ok, lol, I'm way behind the ball on this. I had pretty much given up on getting tickets and didn't even realize there was a pre-sale or whatever for Amex holders.

I guess I could try calling the concierge but I imagine that time has passed too. I admit I'm really tuned into the points related benefits but not so much the event related benefits on my cards because I almost never use them.

Doesn't hurt to try. I am generally more into the points and miles in this hobby. Once in a while though, the benefits of cards I may be holding at the time will come in handy. Like this time. Amex Plat benefits that we have used besides concierge now, include Global Entry reimbursement, the $200 airline credit, Gold status with SPG and Hilton, Centurion lounge access, Fine Resorts and Hotels benefit which gives us a complimentary upgrade, early/late check in/out, $100 spa credit and free breakfast for 2 each night which wound up being worth $320 when we stayed at the Wynn in Vegas last month. Really awesome bennies we've taken advantage of considering we only got the card to pick up 100,000 membership reward points.

 

[Albort]

close to the end of the year... gotta hit my max on my freedom! so bought $200 of tmobile gc and $300 of sams club gc...

any of you guys doing some maxing out on certain cards?