I love credit cards so much!

[hsmamato2]

@mefordis It just came up for me again not in an incognito window...

Dummy booking, payment screen, look for this on the lower right. Click it.View attachment 324081
Then a pop up window comes with the 75kpersonal. Click the biz tab as shown. View attachment 324082

thank you for that! I was getting frustrated and kept seeing the personal one which I don't qualify for! Got the biz one just fine......

 

[DisneyMandC]

D'oh... There's the $50 statement credit... in big letters... right in front of my face.

I was looking where it was located on the personal page, it's in a different spot on the business page!! I'm thinking I'll make the reservation and apply for the card on June 1.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

I'd go CIP for 3x travel...but I am not sure what CIC gets for travel.

ETA:
CIP 3x travel
CIC 1x travel
SPG Biz 1x non spg travel
Disney 1x travel (really!? can't believe 1x on Disney!)

Thanks! I used CIP

 

[vanjust14]

Thank you all so much for the info on gyft/switch. Just took a look and lots of great options. Are the e gift cards available for immediate use? Do you use the app or just the website?

I've used both the website and the app. The first two I bought weren't instant...they took about 4 hours, I believe for verification. After those first two, I started to get them right away.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

D'oh... There's the $50 statement credit... in big letters... right in front of my face.

I was looking where it was located on the personal page, it's in a different spot on the business page!! I'm thinking I'll make the reservation and apply for the card on June 1.

I'm app'ing around 6/2.

 

[gottalovepluto]

PNC looks to be running a nationwide checking bonus. $2k Visa or MasterCard credit card funding, Citi cards appear to be having issues now though so I wouldn’t use one unless you see a successful DP first. They’re always state restricted (but out of staters can sometimes still get the bonus, I did in CA last year but others didn’t). DoC speculates it may not last long https://www.doctorofcredit.com/pnc-up-to-300-checking-bonus-no-state-restriction/

 

[Lain]

Hmm so I’m thinking about changing my hotel reservation for DL in July to the Hilton Anaheim. The Hilton Honors cash rate is $124 a night, plus taxes puts us at $294 total. We were planning to stay at one of the Best Westerns (Pavillions maybe?) for $250 total. I’m thinking that maybe I could put my booking together for the Hilton and see if it triggers the $50 statement credit, 125k business card offer. I think that would be a pretty good deal. Anyone see any downsides? Anyone stay at the Hilton? The walk to DL doesnt look bad at all plus I think there’s a shuttle.

I think @Lain has stayed at that Hilton and likes it.

We actually really like the Hilton Anaheim! We've never stayed at BW Pavillions, so we have no comparison. The Hilton is a convention hotel, right next to the Anaheim Convention Center, so the decor is very contemporary with no Disney theming despite being so close to Disneyland.

The Hilton is HUGE! I believe it's the biggest hotel in all of OC. We've been put in rooms that were like a 5 minute walk to the elevators. Never again, so we always request in our reservation notes a room near, but not next to the elevators. If you stay there during a convention, some kind of tournament, or holiday weekend, the elevators do get packed and there can be a wait. The rooms are always clean. We love the beds and pillows; super comfortable. But the carpeting and upholstery in some rooms and common areas look like they could use a refresh. We've stayed in some rooms where the floor felt a little uneven. The rooms have floor to ceiling windows!

Since we're Hilton Gold members (via Amex Platinum), we always get upgraded to a high floor and occasionally we'll get a Disneyland view. If you get a Disneyland view, you're looking at DCA in the foreground, with the back of Radiator Springs and (the now retired) Paradise Pier closest to you. You'll get a view of Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout to the right and should be able to see the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty Castle in the distance. And catch the fireworks from your room (sans report or music)! However, the park does look a good distance away and you'd probably need a telephoto lens to get a good shot from your room. (We've also gotten views of the pool and the next door Marriott.)

There's a full service Starbucks in the lobby, which is really popular and gets backed up as the morning progresses. I believe the Starbucks in the lobby is a franchise location owned by Hilton, so you can use Starbucks gift cards, the Starbucks app to earn stars, but you can't redeem stars for food or drinks, or order ahead on the app. I always wake up really early, get down there around 6-6:30 a.m., and there's no line. I'll grab coffee for my wife and me, some pastries for all of us, and fruits for the kiddo, and get ready to head out to make rope drop.

The pool area is fairly decent. There's a large rectangular pool, hot tub, and a splash area for kids. DD4 really enjoys the splash area.

We find the Hilton almost always has a better price, in cash or points, than the nearby Marriott or Sheraton, which have similar amenities. We don't think the Hilton Anaheim is necessarily the best use of HH points, though, as standard rooms can go for something like 30k HH points/night. However, Amex often has an Amex Offer for Hilton that gives $XX statement credit off room charges of $XXX. I don't remember if there are any Amex Offers for Hilton right now, but they may come around again in time for your stay. If you have the Amex Offer on several cards, ask the front desk to do a split tender and try to maximize the credits. Hilton points may be wildly inflated, but they're also easy to earn with a cash stay and all the promotions going on at any given time. When you stay at a Hilton, be sure to sign up for as many of their promotions as you can find because you can earn lots of points this way. I think we usually sign up for 2 or 3 different promotions that earn bonus HH points for every stay.

Self parking is $16/night. There are pretty hefty resort fees and taxes. That's pretty typical of the chain hotels.

My wife and I have been going to Disneyland pretty regularly since 2009 and stayed at the Hilton a lot. During that time, we've racked our brains and tried various ways to shorten our trip from the hotel to the parks and back again.

• There's no shuttle between the Hilton and DLR. There is the ART shuttle that runs throughout the Anaheim Resort area. And the Candy Cane Inn and Anaheim Majestic have grandfathered shuttles direct between their hotels and DLR.

• I think the fastest way is just to walk it. There's a side service street along the front of the hotel garage that connects to Katella, make a right on Katella, then cross the street at Harbor (in front of the CVS), all the way to DLR's eastern gateway. This takes about 10-15 minutes, and maybe another 10 minutes at bag check. Harbor in the morning is a nice walk along tree-lined streets and you'll see lots of families and couples doing the same walk to DLR. At night, it can get a little sketchier with people hawking wares, begging for change, or passed out drunk at bus stops. We've never felt like we were in any danger.

• We've also tried taking our car and parking at Mickey & Friends (since we have Signature APs with included parking), but it's about 5 minutes to the car and out the garage, another 5 minutes or more to the theme park parking lot, then it might be backed up, then you have to find parking, then down the escalator to the bag check, another 5-10 minutes, then a 5-10 minute wait for the tram to take you to DTD. This all could easily take up to 30 minutes or more.

• Another alternative is to walk across the street on Harbor into the Toy Story parking lot, which takes about 5 minutes, maybe a bit more, line up and take a Disney shuttle bus to the bus drop-off at the eastern gateway near bag check. But the walking and waiting for shuttles adds up, and I don't think you're saving much time, if any, over just walking to DLR.

• Something you can do is walk from the Hilton to DLR in the morning when you're fresh and full of energy, then take the Toy Story shuttle back at night when you're legs are tired so you only have to walk from the parking lot back to the hotel.

 

[platamama]

Oops, posted too soon. A couple posts up...

Seems to me that statement is vague: "Converted to equivalent points." Would a 1wk Cat 1-5 certificate = 6 [5th nt free] x 25K = 150K Marriott points credited to your account? That would be amazing, and I don't see that happening since currently you only get 45K points as a "refund" of the hotel portion of a travel package. At least Starwood Lurker (he's been around on FT for years, definitely legit) admits he doesn't know what the equivalent converted points would be. Guess we have to continue to wait and see...

I was told by a rep that if I knew where I wanted to go and the dates, I should apply the certificate before 8/1 since they will have to honor that going forward.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

We actually really like the Hilton Anaheim! We've never stayed at BW Pavillions, so we have no comparison. The Hilton is a convention hotel, right next to the Anaheim Convention Center, so the decor is very contemporary with no Disney theming despite being so close to Disneyland.

The Hilton is HUGE! I believe it's the biggest hotel in all of OC. We've been put in rooms that were like a 5 minute walk to the elevators. Never again, so we always request in our reservation notes a room near, but not next to the elevators. If you stay there during a convention, some kind of tournament, or holiday weekend, the elevators do get packed and there can be a wait. The rooms are always clean. We love the beds and pillows; super comfortable. But the carpeting and upholstery in some rooms and common areas look like they could use a refresh. We've stayed in some rooms where the floor felt a little uneven. The rooms have floor to ceiling windows!

Since we're Hilton Gold members (via Amex Platinum), we always get upgraded to a high floor and occasionally we'll get a Disneyland view. If you get a Disneyland view, you're looking at DCA in the foreground, with the back of Radiator Springs and (the now retired) Paradise Pier closest to you. You'll get a view of Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout to the right and should be able to see the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty Castle in the distance. And catch the fireworks from your room (sans report or music)! However, the park does look a good distance away and you'd probably need a telephoto lens to get a good shot from your room. (We've also gotten views of the pool and the next door Marriott.)

There's a full service Starbucks in the lobby, which is really popular and gets backed up as the morning progresses. I believe the Starbucks in the lobby is a franchise location owned by Hilton, so you can use Starbucks gift cards, the Starbucks app to earn stars, but you can't redeem stars for food or drinks, or order ahead on the app. I always wake up really early, get down there around 6-6:30 a.m., and there's no line. I'll grab coffee for my wife and me, some pastries for all of us, and fruits for the kiddo, and get ready to head out to make rope drop.

The pool area is fairly decent. There's a large rectangular pool, hot tub, and a splash area for kids. DD4 really enjoys the splash area.

We find the Hilton almost always has a better price, in cash or points, than the nearby Marriott or Sheraton, which have similar amenities. We don't think the Hilton Anaheim is necessarily the best use of HH points, though, as standard rooms can go for something like 30k HH points/night. However, Amex often has an Amex Offer for Hilton that gives $XX statement credit off room charges of $XXX. I don't remember if there are any Amex Offers for Hilton right now, but they may come around again in time for your stay. If you have the Amex Offer on several cards, ask the front desk to do a split tender and try to maximize the credits. Hilton points may be wildly inflated, but they're also easy to earn with a cash stay and all the promotions going on at any given time. When you stay at a Hilton, be sure to sign up for as many of their promotions as you can find because you can earn lots of points this way. I think we usually sign up for 2 or 3 different promotions that earn bonus HH points for every stay.

Self parking is $16/night. There are pretty hefty resort fees and taxes. That's pretty typical of the chain hotels.

My wife and I have been going to Disneyland pretty regularly since 2009 and stayed at the Hilton a lot. During that time, we've racked our brains and tried various ways to shorten our trip from the hotel to the parks and back again.

• There's no shuttle between the Hilton and DLR. There is the ART shuttle that runs throughout the Anaheim Resort area. And the Candy Cane Inn and Anaheim Majestic have grandfathered shuttles direct between their hotels and DLR.

• I think the fastest way is just to walk it. There's a side service street along the front of the hotel garage that connects to Katella, make a right on Katella, then cross the street at Harbor (in front of the CVS), all the way to DLR's eastern gateway. This takes about 10-15 minutes, and maybe another 10 minutes at bag check. Harbor in the morning is a nice walk along tree-lined streets and you'll see lots of families and couples doing the same walk to DLR. At night, it can get a little sketchier with people hawking wares, begging for change, or passed out drunk at bus stops. We've never felt like we were in any danger.

• We've also tried taking our car and parking at Mickey & Friends (since we have Signature APs with included parking), but it's about 5 minutes to the car and out the garage, another 5 minutes or more to the theme park parking lot, then it might be backed up, then you have to find parking, then down the escalator to the bag check, another 5-10 minutes, then a 5-10 minute wait for the tram to take you to DTD. This all could easily take up to 30 minutes or more.

• Another alternative is to walk across the street on Harbor into the Toy Story parking lot, which takes about 5 minutes, maybe a bit more, line up and take a Disney shuttle bus to the bus drop-off at the eastern gateway near bag check. But the walking and waiting for shuttles adds up, and I don't think you're saving much time, if any, over just walking to DLR.
• Something you can do is walk from the Hilton to DLR in the morning when you're fresh and full of energy, then take the Toy Story shuttle back at night when you're legs are tired so you only have to walk from the parking lot back to the hotel.

This is awesome! I feel that Dec DL trip coming on! Did you post this in our new hotel/etc review thread?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Seems to me that statement is vague: "Converted to equivalent points." Would a 1wk Cat 1-5 certificate = 6 [5th nt free] x 25K = 150K Marriott points credited to your account? That would be amazing, and I don't see that happening since currently you only get 45K points as a "refund" of the hotel portion of a travel package. At least Starwood Lurker (he's been around on FT for years, definitely legit) admits he doesn't know what the equivalent converted points would be. Guess we have to continue to wait and see...

I was told by a rep that if I knew where I wanted to go and the dates, I should apply the certificate before 8/1 since they will have to honor that going forward.

He said he does not have the point amounts yet. He also said that hopefully that will be released in June with all the other info. Guess we keep waiting...

ETA: Here is link to the thread with all the info as it trickles out. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/sta...-loyalty-programs-will-become-one-august.html

 

[Lain]

This is awesome! I feel that Dec DL trip coming on! Did you post this in our new hotel/etc review thread?

No, but I should!

 

[vanjust14]

PNC looks to be running a nationwide checking bonus. $2k Visa or MasterCard credit card funding, Citi cards appear to be having issues now though so I wouldn’t use one unless you see a successful DP first. They’re always state restricted (but out of staters can sometimes still get the bonus, I did in CA last year but others didn’t). DoC speculates it may not last long https://www.doctorofcredit.com/pnc-up-to-300-checking-bonus-no-state-restriction/

I'd really like to do this as I am in a state that is usually not included, but I have never done this before. I do not have direct deposit available at work. Would you mind walking me through this? I saw DP's that Paypal works as a DD. So I could open the account with $2k on my CSR. Transfer $5000 from paypal (not sure how to do this exactly). Make 10 small debit card transactions. After the bonus posts, could I then downgrade to the lower fee account so I wouldnt have to keep as much in for six months?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Update on this...I am still digging for the original post for context as that will provide clarification. But Starwood Lurker is not only from the company, but is posting if official capacity.
Will keep looking for the original post that was referenced on reddit.

ETA: I need SW points for booking when flights open next week, so I am trying to decide to use SPG points for a package or URs.

Oops, posted too soon. A couple posts up...

I was looking at all of that last night. That's why I believe the 45k comment on Reddit was wild speculation. Somebody took the comment from Flyertalk and paired it to what you currently get if YOU cancel now. I believe if you cancel a 7night cert from nights and flights you get 45k for 1-5; 75k for 6; and so on. That's essentially to prevent people from booking nights and flights and then cancelling as a loophole to transfer airline points at 1:1 without staying the 7 nights. The SPG rep (at least from what I saw) didn't give credence to the 45k theory...or the 150k theory...as @platamama said, it appears intentionally vague (maybe they truly don't know yet).

The big question now is what will people truly get back if they go this route...the other problem is Marriott has a real mess on their hands.

• They've tried to avoid public backlash throughout on this so they probably want to give a fair number of points back
• However if they announce they'll refund at say 150k for the CAT1-5 package...then people would probably abuse the heck out of that loophole.
• Once they announce how a refund will work, will they stop letting people book them until August (that doesn't seem like a great idea on one of your preferred redemption methods)
• What if somebody has applied the cert to a reservation far in the future and then has to alter that or cancel?

I'm sure this isn't fun for them to figure out. I hope they can find a way to do the right thing without getting exploited. (My fear on the abuse is that they have to backtrack on a good decision...or further devaluation becomes necessary because they are losing money on the rewards program).

 

[DisneyMandC]

I'm app'ing around 6/2.

I can't imagine what your stash of Hilton points will look like afterwards since you already stay Hilton frequently! I think I'll do mine 6/1 and then probably DH's on 6/27 since we are still working on our CIP and CIC spends too. I'm $2000 into the CIP spend already though. The Hilton cards should be fairly easy for us since 90 days from either card will run into our DLR trip, so we can put expenses from that on them as well.

We actually really like the Hilton Anaheim! We've never stayed at BW Pavillions, so we have no comparison. The Hilton is a convention hotel, right next to the Anaheim Convention Center, so the decor is very contemporary with no Disney theming despite being so close to Disneyland.

The Hilton is HUGE! I believe it's the biggest hotel in all of OC. We've been put in rooms that were like a 5 minute walk to the elevators. Never again, so we always request in our reservation notes a room near, but not next to the elevators. If you stay there during a convention, some kind of tournament, or holiday weekend, the elevators do get packed and there can be a wait. The rooms are always clean. We love the beds and pillows; super comfortable. But the carpeting and upholstery in some rooms and common areas look like they could use a refresh. We've stayed in some rooms where the floor felt a little uneven. The rooms have floor to ceiling windows!

Since we're Hilton Gold members (via Amex Platinum), we always get upgraded to a high floor and occasionally we'll get a Disneyland view. If you get a Disneyland view, you're looking at DCA in the foreground, with the back of Radiator Springs and (the now retired) Paradise Pier closest to you. You'll get a view of Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout to the right and should be able to see the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty Castle in the distance. And catch the fireworks from your room (sans report or music)! However, the park does look a good distance away and you'd probably need a telephoto lens to get a good shot from your room. (We've also gotten views of the pool and the next door Marriott.)

There's a full service Starbucks in the lobby, which is really popular and gets backed up as the morning progresses. I believe the Starbucks in the lobby is a franchise location owned by Hilton, so you can use Starbucks gift cards, the Starbucks app to earn stars, but you can't redeem stars for food or drinks, or order ahead on the app. I always wake up really early, get down there around 6-6:30 a.m., and there's no line. I'll grab coffee for my wife and me, some pastries for all of us, and fruits for the kiddo, and get ready to head out to make rope drop.

The pool area is fairly decent. There's a large rectangular pool, hot tub, and a splash area for kids. DD4 really enjoys the splash area.

We find the Hilton almost always has a better price, in cash or points, than the nearby Marriott or Sheraton, which have similar amenities. We don't think the Hilton Anaheim is necessarily the best use of HH points, though, as standard rooms can go for something like 30k HH points/night. However, Amex often has an Amex Offer for Hilton that gives $XX statement credit off room charges of $XXX. I don't remember if there are any Amex Offers for Hilton right now, but they may come around again in time for your stay. If you have the Amex Offer on several cards, ask the front desk to do a split tender and try to maximize the credits. Hilton points may be wildly inflated, but they're also easy to earn with a cash stay and all the promotions going on at any given time. When you stay at a Hilton, be sure to sign up for as many of their promotions as you can find because you can earn lots of points this way. I think we usually sign up for 2 or 3 different promotions that earn bonus HH points for every stay.

Self parking is $16/night. There are pretty hefty resort fees and taxes. That's pretty typical of the chain hotels.

My wife and I have been going to Disneyland pretty regularly since 2009 and stayed at the Hilton a lot. During that time, we've racked our brains and tried various ways to shorten our trip from the hotel to the parks and back again.

• There's no shuttle between the Hilton and DLR. There is the ART shuttle that runs throughout the Anaheim Resort area. And the Candy Cane Inn and Anaheim Majestic have grandfathered shuttles direct between their hotels and DLR.

• I think the fastest way is just to walk it. There's a side service street along the front of the hotel garage that connects to Katella, make a right on Katella, then cross the street at Harbor (in front of the CVS), all the way to DLR's eastern gateway. This takes about 10-15 minutes, and maybe another 10 minutes at bag check. Harbor in the morning is a nice walk along tree-lined streets and you'll see lots of families and couples doing the same walk to DLR. At night, it can get a little sketchier with people hawking wares, begging for change, or passed out drunk at bus stops. We've never felt like we were in any danger.

• We've also tried taking our car and parking at Mickey & Friends (since we have Signature APs with included parking), but it's about 5 minutes to the car and out the garage, another 5 minutes or more to the theme park parking lot, then it might be backed up, then you have to find parking, then down the escalator to the bag check, another 5-10 minutes, then a 5-10 minute wait for the tram to take you to DTD. This all could easily take up to 30 minutes or more.

• Another alternative is to walk across the street on Harbor into the Toy Story parking lot, which takes about 5 minutes, maybe a bit more, line up and take a Disney shuttle bus to the bus drop-off at the eastern gateway near bag check. But the walking and waiting for shuttles adds up, and I don't think you're saving much time, if any, over just walking to DLR.
• Something you can do is walk from the Hilton to DLR in the morning when you're fresh and full of energy, then take the Toy Story shuttle back at night when you're legs are tired so you only have to walk from the parking lot back to the hotel.

Thank you so much, this was a great review!! Yeah, I think this pretty much settles it that we'll go with the Hilton. I was already planning to pay cash for a hotel anyways and with the rates there plus the new Hilton biz card, it's kind of a no brainer. We won't have a car so no worries on the parking! And it sounds like walking might be the best option for us. That's good to know on the Toy Story shuttle though. I'll check Hilton's website on promotions too to see if we get anything extra for our stay. Thank you!

 

[Lain]

Thank you all so much for the info on gyft/switch. Just took a look and lots of great options. Are the e gift cards available for immediate use? Do you use the app or just the website?

Well that is the million dollar question. I had issues at first with gyft where they'd take awhile to process the card...like 2-12 hours. Drove me nuts. After I had a purchase history they got much better. Now 99% of the time if I buy a GC when I am standing in Home Depot I get it immediately and use it for checkout.

In theory, that's how it's supposed to work. You buy the eGift card on the app, and it should be available immediately. But new users have reported gift card orders canceled or delayed, likely, due to anti-fraud prevention algorithms. @DaveL is going through this hell right now. @disneymagicgirl went through it. A lot of these gift card apps are super sensitive to large purchases or frequency of purchase early on. It gets better as you establish a history or pattern of purchases. I had a few orders held up when I first started using Gyft, but I almost never have problems anymore. I almost always use the app, not the website.

 

[miztressuz]

He said he does not have the point amounts yet. He also said that hopefully that will be released in June with all the other info. Guess we keep waiting...

ETA: Here is link to the thread with all the info as it trickles out. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/sta...-loyalty-programs-will-become-one-august.html

Off hand that seems like the worst way they could have done it in terms of amount of work needed to compute "equivalent". Unless they go easy and be generous and just give you the max value in points But I don't see that happening. But likewise I can't see them only giving the current cancel value either; so far they've been pretty fair with the changes to keep loyalists happy and that wouldn't keep anyone happy I don't think. I mean that's the goal of a loyalty program is to keep people loyal... not sure how loyal I'd feel after that.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I was looking at all of that last night. That's why I believe the 45k comment on Reddit was wild speculation. Somebody took the comment from Flyertalk and paired it to what you currently get if YOU cancel now. I believe if you cancel a 7night cert from nights and flights you get 45k for 1-5; 75k for 6; and so on. That's essentially to prevent people from booking nights and flights and then cancelling as a loophole to transfer airline points at 1:1 without staying the 7 nights. The SPG rep (at least from what I saw) didn't give credence to the 45k theory...or the 150k theory...as @platamama said, it appears intentionally vague (maybe they truly don't know yet).

The big question now is what will people truly get back if they go this route...the other problem is Marriott has a real mess on their hands.

• They've tried to avoid public backlash throughout on this so they probably want to give a fair number of points back
• However if they announce they'll refund at say 150k for the CAT1-5 package...then people would probably abuse the heck out of that loophole.
• Once they announce how a refund will work, will they stop letting people book them until August (that doesn't seem like a great idea on one of your preferred redemption methods)
• What if somebody has applied the cert to a reservation far in the future and then has to alter that or cancel?

I'm sure this isn't fun for them to figure out. I hope they can find a way to do the right thing without getting exploited. (My fear on the abuse is that they have to backtrack on a good decision...or further devaluation becomes necessary because they are losing money on the rewards program).

I don't think it will be the 45k either, I just found it interesting they were planning to do this at all with outstanding certificates. I assumed (and I am not knowledgeable about marriott at all) that they'd map the outstanding certs to the new packages. I am tempted to buy a package/SW points now and just take what they give for the hotel points later. I assume it will be a fair amount and I'd rather have points I can redeem towards a stay with 5th night free than a 7 night cert anyways.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Off hand that seems like the worst way they could have done it in terms of amount of work needed to compute "equivalent". Unless they go easy and be generous and just give you the max value in points But I don't see that happening. But likewise I can't see them only giving the current cancel value either; so far they've been pretty fair with the changes to keep loyalists happy and that wouldn't keep anyone happy I don't think. I mean that's the goal of a loyalty program is to keep people loyal... not sure how loyal I'd feel after that.

I can’t figure out why they don’t just “convert” the certs into the new chart. To me that is fair, and allows for no abuse loophole. AND then people could upgrade or downgrade their cert if necessary to match their desired property in the new chart.

The only reason I can come up with for why they aren’t doing this is their IT and systems can’t handle it properly...

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I can't imagine what your stash of Hilton points will look like afterwards since you already stay Hilton frequently! I think I'll do mine 6/1 and then probably DH's on 6/27 since we are still working on our CIP and CIC spends too. I'm $2000 into the CIP spend already though. The Hilton cards should be fairly easy for us since 90 days from either card will run into our DLR trip, so we can put expenses from that on them as well.

I think we currently have like 350k, so not all that impressive, but we also have an outstanding 5 night beachfront ressie for October. We do the beach for 5 nights twice a year on points and I occasionally use points for hockey/soccer tournaments if the cash price warrants, so although he earns them fast we go through them quickly too. Good thing we have his 125k and soon to by my 125k on the way to boost us up for Hawaii 2019.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I don't think it will be the 45k either, I just found it interesting they were planning to do this at all with outstanding certificates. I assumed (and I am not knowledgeable about marriott at all) that they'd map the outstanding certs to the new packages. I am tempted to buy a package/SW points now and just take what they give for the hotel points later. I assume it will be a fair amount and I'd rather have points I can redeem towards a stay with 5th night free than a 7 night cert anyways.

Haha - we were typing similar things at the same time. That’s an interesting comment you bring up about the points vs. 7 nights. If it is truly a fair number then booking a nights and flights now is a win for people in that situation. I know we’ve had folks here debating doing a nights and flights but only using 5 or 6 of the nights. This will be interesting to see how it plays out (and I don’t even have any certs in hand right now and no plans to acquire any...just interested as a student of the game and churning historian LOL)