I love credit cards so much!

[wendow]

Travel question, if our flight lands at 12:30AM on May 14th, do I book a room at the Hyatt for May 13th and sleep until 7AM? Or will Disney let us check in at 2AM for our May 14th reservation?

My aunt & uncle checked in at 1:30 am once when they joined us at WDW.

ETA: I misunderstood...No, you cannot check in that early I think.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Travel question, if our flight lands at 12:30AM on May 14th, do I book a room at the Hyatt for May 13th and sleep until 7AM? Or will Disney let us check in at 2AM for our May 14th reservation?

You book a room at the Hyatt for May 13 and inform them you will be checking in late. Then you call Hyatt like a day before you arrive to make sure it's noted you are arrive after midnight so they don't give your room away (you should be fine I'm just an extra cautious traveler). Even if Disney let you check in your room would not be ready until 3pm potentially. What would you do from 2am to 3pm?...

 

[wendow]

On your first MR earning card the bonus can take a couple of statements. On each one thereafter it posts SUPER quick... So yep perfectly normal (assuming this wasn't your first MR card)...

This is my first MR card! I'm really so surprised (and happy) at how quickly they posted

 

[gottalovepluto]

My aunt & uncle checked in at 1:30 am once when they joined us at WDW.

I'm dying to know... what was the plan if Disney told them their room wasn't ready yet?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

This is my first MR card! I'm really so surprised (and happy) at how quickly they posted

Wow - that is surprising then for sure!! Congrats on jumping into the AMEX MR game...you're in churning2.0 now hahaha!

 

[wendow]

...OK WHAT NOW??? haha.

Yup, this is me

 

[wendow]

I'm dying to know... what was the plan if Disney told them their room wasn't ready yet?

I misunderstood her!! I just thought she was debating between staying at the hyatt or getting a reservation and going on to WDW. I should learn to slow down and read better

My aunt and uncle had a reservation for the night.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Yup, this is me

The quick version is:

• Best Value = Transfer to Travel Partners
• Guaranteed Value = Schwab Plat method @ 1.25 cents each (requires a Schwab Plat)
• Decent Value if neither of the above works = Gift Cards at $0.01 each (not all gift cards cash this way)

Any other use is probably BAD...

 

[Lain]

Yup, this is me

Whatever you do, DO NOT be tempted to redeem them by paying with points on Amazon! Terrible value outside of using 1 MR to trigger those occasional Amex promos.

 

[wendow]

Whatever you do, DO NOT be tempted to redeem them by paying with points on Amazon! Terrible value outside of using 1 MR to trigger those occasional Amex promos.

Ok, since you brought it up, I am still hanging my head in shame...I had a promo for the Amazon deal recently where you had to pay with at least 1MR and get $30 off $60...and I could not figure out how to just use 1 MR. I put in 1 but amazon converted that to $1 worth which, iirc, was 143 MR. How do you just use 1MR?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Ok, since you brought it up, I am still hanging my head in shame...I had a promo for the Amazon deal recently where you had to pay with at least 1MR and get $30 off $60...and I could not figure out how to just use 1 MR. I put in 1 but amazon converted that to $1 worth which, iirc, was 143 MR. How do you just use 1MR?

I think you could have put in $0.01 instead of $1.

 

[calypso726]

Thank you all so much!!

we've decided to just transfer UA points to United for an easy booking - they actually have a flight with very similar times, so it will work great too!

The one thing I noticed with the flight is it has short 45 minute layover in Chicago and says we have to change terminals. I guess since they are setting the flight up, that will be enough time to get on our connecting flight? It does make me a little nervous, but I guess we won't have to get our luggage, etc, we'll just have to get ourselves to the new terminal.

I guess the best way to do it is just to have each of up transfer our own UA points to United from our respective Chase accounts and book separately through United's website? Is there any advantage to booking under just one of our names? Sorry - I've never booked international flights before and just don't want to mess it up!

Thanks for all the help!

PS - my mom is doing great with her cancer treatment - she's done with her chemo and is going to be starting 6 weeks of radiation shortly. Luckily she's got a lot of friends willing to drive with her each day to help share the load since they will be short treatments each day.

That is great news about your mom. Wishing her a continued recovery, healing and lots of pixie dust!

That does make it easier and also your in for less taxes. Personally, I think if a BA flight is connecting through London the taxes and fees are only worth it for a first class flight. With regards to same vs separate reservations, it is easier if everyone is on one reservation when changes need to be made or if there is a flight delay. For short layer overs, I advise checking where your originating flight is arriving from and the history on delays. For example, we used our Sky Pesos to book a 6 am flight out of Miami that connects in Atlanta with a 49 minute connection. We were ok with that because it appears that the 6 am flight is not coming in from somewhere else that day. It looks like it arrives the night before so I don't have to worry about it being delayed from another airport and causing me to miss my connection. A delay would be due to a mechanical issue but not weather related. Flight Aware and Flight Stats are 2 websites to use. If you don't already have it, look into getting Global Entry. Most of the premium cards offer a reimbursement for GE.

The quick version is:

• Best Value = Transfer to Travel Partners
• Guaranteed Value = Schwab Plat method @ 1.25 cents each (requires a Schwab Plat)
• Decent Value if neither of the above works = Gift Cards at $0.01 each (not all gift cards cash this way)

Any other use is probably BAD...

If you add the Amex Biz Plat to the mix you can redeem for airfare at 1.54 since you will get back 35% of your MR when paying for flights. You have to have all the points first, then they reimburse 35% back to your account one to two months later.

I think you could have put in $0.01 instead of $1.

Yes, I can confirm you can use 1 MR point .01 cents to trigger those offers. We've done it several times.

 

[Alice Sr.]

They really are much harder to understand than URs...I know a bunch of people on Reddit who have jumped on the 100k Plat offer because they heard it was good and then they're like...OK WHAT NOW??? haha.

And at least one person on the Dis (insert lemming emoji)

The quick version is:

• Best Value = Transfer to Travel Partners
• Guaranteed Value = Schwab Plat method @ 1.25 cents each (requires a Schwab Plat)
• Decent Value if neither of the above works = Gift Cards at $0.01 each (not all gift cards cash this way)

Any other use is probably BAD...

Ok, since you brought it up, I am still hanging my head in shame...I had a promo for the Amazon deal recently where you had to pay with at least 1MR and get $30 off $60...and I could not figure out how to just use 1 MR. I put in 1 but amazon converted that to $1 worth which, iirc, was 143 MR. How do you just use 1MR?

How do you think you got the offer? Did you add your AMEX to payment method, or something else?

If you add the Amex Biz Plat to the mix you can redeem for airfare at 1.54 since you will get back 35% of your MR when paying for flights. You have to have all the points first, then they reimburse 35% back to your account one to two months later.

Ah was just going to say I missed that in my welcome packet but I didn't get the Biz, shoot. Can I PC in a year and transfer the MR's to the Biz?
Also one other thing I am confused/concerned about with MR's not transferring immediately, what if you transfer but the flight you wanted disappears before the transfer? Are you now stuck with MR's at a airline that you may not be able to or want to use. I could see trying to book a N/S that books before your points transfer and now I am stuck with a connecting with a 10 hour layover. Has that happened to you?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Ok I am way behind but need to stop reading and go enjoy myself at Disney World!
BTW the struggle to not put everything on CF because Disney World has Apple Pay is real. I have gift cards to cover food but yesterday I was like $20 for food = 100 Points. Score!

 

[Alice Sr.]

The one thing I noticed with the flight is it has short 45 minute layover in Chicago and says we have to change terminals. I guess since they are setting the flight up, that will be enough time to get on our connecting flight? It does make me a little nervous, but I guess we won't have to get our luggage, etc, we'll just have to get ourselves to the new terminal.

That is a bummer, you will likely fly into the UA terminal and have to run to the International terminal which doable but you have to go through security again which unless you have GE or TSA will likely be a bugger. When we went to London they boarded us on-time but made us wait on the tarmac for an 1.25 hours until the folks from the connecting flight could board. On my DD's flight to HI they had already closed the walkway door but the flight attendant was really aggressive called and banged on the door and got them on but it super stressful (the 1st leg was UA also and came in late). If it were me I would look at scheduling to an earlier flight into ORD even if I had to stay overnight. I am hesitant to speak up as I am far from a world traveler, I just know I would not take that chance.

 

[Alice Sr.]

Ok I am way behind but need to stop reading and go enjoy myself at Disney World!
BTW the struggle to not put everything on CF because Disney World has Apple Pay is real. I have gift cards to cover food but yesterday I was like $20 for food = 100 Points. Score!

I am so jealous, I am right behind you but every day seems like a weeeeeeeeeeeek!!

 

[CoP Luv]

The one thing I noticed with the flight is it has short 45 minute layover in Chicago and says we have to change terminals. I guess since they are setting the flight up, that will be enough time to get on our connecting flight? It does make me a little nervous, but I guess we won't have to get our luggage, etc, we'll just have to get ourselves to the new terminal.

Are you flying United or Lufthansa to Europe? If so, they depart from Terminal 1 (the United Terminal) and not the International Terminal (Terminal 5). Sometimes, shorter, regional United flights (I think you are coming from STL???) arrive in Terminal 2. If that is the case, going from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in O'Hare is easy and you don't have to go back through security, as long as you don't exit the secured area.

 

[tink1970]

Yup, this is me

I of course love them for Delta...but this is a pretty thorough article-https://upgradedpoints.com/redeem-amex-membership-rewards-points-for-max-value/

 

[wendow]

How do you think you got the offer? Did you add your AMEX to payment method, or something else?

@gottalovepluto posted about it here on the board:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/30-off-60-on-amazon-with-amex-mr-targeted.3665582/#post-58841229

I did have my Amex added in as a payment method already on Amazon and I'd been using it to pay for some of my purchases. Not sure if that mattered or not.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Ok, since you brought it up, I am still hanging my head in shame...I had a promo for the Amazon deal recently where you had to pay with at least 1MR and get $30 off $60...and I could not figure out how to just use 1 MR. I put in 1 but amazon converted that to $1 worth which, iirc, was 143 MR. How do you just use 1MR?

I'm trying remember I believe you type in 0.01, which means 1 cent, and Amazon calculates out how many MRs that is, 1. (Ah, @SouthFayetteFan has you covered! Need. Coffe...)