I love credit cards so much!

[Ngwira]

I’ll post when I get a chance, but with the following considerations:

1. Holiday travel is expensive and award availability is snapped up almost as soon as they are available.

2. We fly from SFO, so that gives us many options for direct flights to HNL.

3. Yet, my wife insists on flying Hawaiian Airlines on all Hawaii travel, so that’s a limitation.

4. There is no getting around the fact that Christmas to New Year is the most expensive time to be staying at Aulani.

5. We have family on the island and we stay with them for about half our trip, so that’s major savings on accommodations.

6. So it’s not so much hacking a free vacation as how can I save some money on an expensive vacation with the tools I have or could access?

7. I’ll be planning next Christmas’ trip back to Hawaii in the next month or two (family keeps us coming back). I’m hoping to save more next year!



This is the pin. So awesome!

Thanks Lain

 

[wendow]

Not sure if you guys remember but I had kept my CSR (paid the $450 back in Oct) to get the 2018 travel credit. Then I PC'ed to a CFU. They had told me I would not receive a prorated refund but many of you said it would probably just come automatically. You were all right! I got a $375 credit today

 

[AmyAnne]

The only reason I plan on picking up a new Hilton card is just for the bonus points. It’s part of a plan to visit either the Conrad Nui in Bora Bora or Conrad Maldives to complete a bucket list item fir DH. Other than that, I have no use for Hilton.

Just got back from seeing Hamilton in Chicago, and I will put in a plug for the Hilton that is right next door to the theater. The hotel itself is just okay but the connected entrance to the theater more than made up for any deficiencies -- not having to wait outside before the show and being able to skip the long restroom lines during intermission were excellent perks.

 

[kmc8826]

I have the CSR $300 credit double dip but I need to spend it the first week of January. I don't have an immediate opportunity to spend the money on. Any ideas on something I can spend it on for later use? I assume gift cards don't work? Disney Vacation Accounts are dead, that is what I used last year. I guess I could be a park ticket since they never expire.

Gift cards bought through an airline should work. WDW park tickets do expire now. They changed that last year.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Helped fam mem call Chase to downgrade CSR to CFU, rep said they could absolutely not downgrade until their 1 year anniversary. Helped another fam member call recon on a CIC app they should have been approved on and rep said it had been too soon since their last card (CIP in AUG- freaking AUGUST!), will wait on letter and call again, maybe via their BRM once she gets back from her holiday vacation. So PSA: try not to call Chase this week, their holiday staff is NOT up to snuff.

 

[WDWRook]

Another idea to use my travel credits. We are considering a Disney Cruise. Got it all planned out for Jan 2019; but finances at work aren't idea at the moment so we have yet to decide to pull the trigger on the cruise. OR... I could book a cruise via my Chase points and using our $600 travel credits. I have 356,000 URs. Is that a bad use of URs?

Down side is that Chase travel site does not give the on board credit that an agent provides. Is there a way around that?

 

[havaneselover]

Another idea to use my travel credits. We are considering a Disney Cruise. Got it all planned out for Jan 2019; but finances at work aren't idea at the moment so we have yet to decide to pull the trigger on the cruise. OR... I could book a cruise via my Chase points and using our $600 travel credits. I have 356,000 URs. Is that a bad use of URs?

Down side is that Chase travel site does not give the on board credit that an agent provides. Is there a way around that?

Not that I know of. But I’d book. You can always cancel. DCL prices generally go nowhere but up. I know our Alaska cruise fare has gone up over 30% since we booked.

 

[hsmamato2]

Not that I know of. But I’d book. You can always cancel. DCL prices generally go nowhere but up. I know our Alaska cruise fare has gone up over 30% since we booked.

It's true that each cruise line has their own booking/cancel policies,right? I'm a little hesitant booking cruises b/c I am indecisive and have checked a couple of lines for their policies,and they seem to differ.

 

[mhartman09]

Decided to go for the SPG biz and was approved!! This is my first AMEX biz card, so I'm not sure how the accounts work online. For Chase, I've kept my personal and biz under separate logins. Do you guys have separate logins for AMEX biz accounts also?

 

[WDWRook]

Not that I know of. But I’d book. You can always cancel. DCL prices generally go nowhere but up. I know our Alaska cruise fare has gone up over 30% since we booked.

I know DCL gives a full refund for a 4 night cruise if cancelled more than 75 days out. Would that refund me in the UR points I used, or refund in cash?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Oh boy that’s a tough one. You can only get the Chase Marriott card if you are still under 5/24. The current SPG may or may not be available to new applicants in 2018. If I didn’t already have the SPG business card and have already had the personal one, I’d pick them up now. Amex allows a bonus once per lifetime on their cards so whatever new premium Marriott card they come up with, I am viewing as a premium SPG card since I’d be transferring the points anyway. Even if you like Marriott over SPG, SPG points transfer to a Marriott 1:3. I use them for 1:1 airline transfers. Personally, I find the SPG points the most valuable since I can transfer them to over 30 airlines.

The only reason I plan on picking up a new Hilton card is just for the bonus points. It’s part of a plan to visit either the Conrad Nui in Bora Bora or Conrad Maldives to complete a bucket list item fir DH. Other than that, I have no use for Hilton.

It really depends on your goals, how you plan to use points and if you are or will ever be under 5/24. I will likely always be LOL/24. I am content with my current portfolio of Chase cards. Hope that helps.

I am 3/24 but will be 2/24 in March, so I could do the Chase Marriott.

I am avoiding business cards...makes me too nervous...I know there are ways to get around it, but I'm just not there mentally yet. Ha!

I just looked up offers and see:
Chase Marriott premier 80K,$3k spend/$85 annual fee
SPG AmEx 25k,$3k spend/ no annual fee
Hilton AmEx Surpass 75k/$3k spend/$75 fee (auto changing to an ascend in 1/2018)
Hilton AmEx 50k/$1k spend/no annual fee

I guess I could do the Chase Marriott now (b/c the 80k points is better than the 25k spg points) and the Hilton Surpass. Then get the new Hilton Aspire maybe when it drops next month and cancel the Surpass.
DH is hilton diamond so we stay there a lot with points he accrues from work travel. Guess him using one of these vs his CSR would really help rack up even more points. He doesn't like to get a bunch of cards in his name, so I'd get it and attach it to his Hilton account for all his charges so we would get the extra points.

Seem like a plan? DD18 tuition is due in a couple weeks, so I need to get the ball rolling so I can use that chunk to hit min spend right away.

I looked on card match and don't have the amex platinum offer for 100k...grrrrr

I generally prefer UR points, but I already have the CSP and CF. I did a sign up bonus for CFU less than 24 mths ago, so can't do that one again right now.

 

[pillow]

Decided to go for the SPG biz and was approved!! This is my first AMEX biz card, so I'm not sure how the accounts work online. For Chase, I've kept my personal and biz under separate logins. Do you guys have separate logins for AMEX biz accounts also?

I have separate logins for each card, including authorized user card. Its easy to load Amex offers that way. I think if you have all your cards under 1 login, you have to open separate browsers (???) to load Amex offers to each card.

 

[pillow]

I guess I could do the Chase Marriott now (b/c the 80k points is better than the 25k spg points)

Don't forget about the "spend" portion.

83k Marriott (80k bonus + 3k spend) = 27,667 SPG

vs

SPG 25k bonus + 3k Spend = 28,000 SPG

But I THINK you can add an authorized user to Marriott for additional points, which would push that one ahead.

 

[mhartman09]

I have separate logins for each card, including authorized user card. Its easy to load Amex offers that way. I think if you have all your cards under 1 login, you have to open separate browsers (???) to load Amex offers to each card.

Thanks for the response. I forgot about keeping separate logins for the offers. I already do that for my BCP card and DH's AU card.

 

[havaneselover]

I know DCL gives a full refund for a 4 night cruise if cancelled more than 75 days out. Would that refund me in the UR points I used, or refund in cash?

I use Costco but when I’ve booked hotel with ur and cancelled they have refunded me in ur. I would think the credit back depends on how you pay. So if you pay part ur point part credit card the refund would go to both.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I know DCL gives a full refund for a 4 night cruise if cancelled more than 75 days out. Would that refund me in the UR points I used, or refund in cash?

UR points but I've only cancelled hotels and car rentals. Even when paid part in cash, part in UR I'm refunded in the corresponding amounts of UR points and cash that were used to book it.

 

[Albort]

I have the CSR $300 credit double dip but I need to spend it the first week of January. I don't have an immediate opportunity to spend the money on. Any ideas on something I can spend it on for later use? I assume gift cards don't work? Disney Vacation Accounts are dead, that is what I used last year. I guess I could be a park ticket since they never expire.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cha...apphire-reserve-300-annual-travel-credit.html
this has a huge list on what things qualify. Check it out and pick one, then purchase! :]

Helped fam mem call Chase to downgrade CSR to CFU, rep said they could absolutely not downgrade until their 1 year anniversary. Helped another fam member call recon on a CIC app they should have been approved on and rep said it had been too soon since their last card (CIP in AUG- freaking AUGUST!), will wait on letter and call again, maybe via their BRM once she gets back from her holiday vacation. So PSA: try not to call Chase this week, their holiday staff is NOT up to snuff.

for CIC, sounds like they hit the 0/30 rule?

 

[gottalovepluto]

...for CIC, sounds like they hit the 0/30 rule?

Nope, the last card Chase card they applied for at all was a CIP in August. Their BRM put the CIC app a couple weeks ago. They've decided to wait on the letter for now.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Not sure if you guys remember but I had kept my CSR (paid the $450 back in Oct) to get the 2018 travel credit. Then I PC'ed to a CFU. They had told me I would not receive a prorated refund but many of you said it would probably just come automatically. You were all right! I got a $375 credit today

I used my TC last week. Planning to PC tomorrow. This is good news!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Another idea to use my travel credits. We are considering a Disney Cruise. Got it all planned out for Jan 2019; but finances at work aren't idea at the moment so we have yet to decide to pull the trigger on the cruise. OR... I could book a cruise via my Chase points and using our $600 travel credits. I have 356,000 URs. Is that a bad use of URs?

Down side is that Chase travel site does not give the on board credit that an agent provides. Is there a way around that?

Can you put the deposit down with the $600 credit and wait on the the rest since DCL is usually refundable? I'd just make sure if booking thru Chase portal that it still lists as refundable