I love credit cards so much!

[Albort]

Yep, I bet you are right! I applied for it when it came back at 100k Marriott points a few weeks ago. Boo! So what does this mean? My other 5 nights post in Jan, and then I am 'gold'? No clue what I will do with that but just like the sound

yeah, ur missing nights... nights are taking a long time to post. it took 10 days for them to post my nights and points for my hotel stay at Seattle. Im still waiting on the 2nd hotel.

 

[wendow]

yeah, ur missing nights... nights are taking a long time to post. it took 10 days for them to post my nights and points for my hotel stay at Seattle. Im still waiting on the 2nd hotel.

My dh has a couple of LOCAL work conferences coming up...we are *squeee* leaving the kiddos at home and staying downtown for a couple of nights. I guess I will book Starriott to try to up my nights. I was hoping to book Embassy Suites but maybe a Marriott makes more sense. And then be very patient with the posting of nights...

 

[Albort]

My dh has a couple of LOCAL work conferences coming up...we are *squeee* leaving the kiddos at home and staying downtown for a couple of nights. I guess I will book Starriott to try to up my nights. I was hoping to book Embassy Suites but maybe a Marriott makes more sense. And then be very patient with the posting of nights...

stay Marriott... SPG employees are a bit annoyed by the merge...
lol, jk.

i spoke to one in Seattle, they say the SPG front desk has to run the new program and the old program behind it until further notice... more work for them.

 

[miztressuz]

Yep, I bet you are right! I applied for it when it came back at 100k Marriott points a few weeks ago. Boo! So what does this mean? My other 5 nights post in Jan, and then I am 'gold'? No clue what I will do with that but just like the sound

Boo Sorry, I gotta keep spreadsheets like Lain. I thought you had the biz from earlier this year, but that was only the personal then. It's coming back to me now.

They changed how the elite nights work for cards. Each card now gives 15 elite nights but starting 2019 you can only get 15 elite nights from reward credit cards in total, no matter how many cards you have. As part of that, the "new" SPG cards don't get the elite nights until 2019 to avoid the stacking this year. So that means I was wrong when I thought you'd make Gold just on CC nights.

You can earn nights even on points redemptions, so if you have any trips planned this year?

 

[platamama]

Yep, I bet you are right! I applied for it when it came back at 100k Marriott points a few weeks ago. Boo! So what does this mean? My other 5 nights post in Jan, and then I am 'gold'? No clue what I will do with that but just like the sound

Those 5 nights need to be stayed by 12/31/18 in order to add to your nights this year for Gold which would last until Feb 2020. Gold really isn't worth much - 2pm checkout depending on availability and 25% bonus on base points (Silver gets 10%), and either 250 or 500 points as a welcome gift. Free breakfast doesn't kick in until 50 nights (Platinum Elite) in a calendar year.

 

[miztressuz]

Those 5 nights need to be stayed by 12/31/18 in order to add to your nights this year for Gold which would last until Feb 2020. Gold really isn't worth much - 2pm checkout depending on availability and 25% bonus on base points (Silver gets 10%), and either 250 or 500 points as a welcome gift. Free breakfast doesn't kick in until 50 nights (Platinum Elite) in a calendar year.

Yeah, that's the other side of the coin, Gold ain't what it used to be. But we do some paid stays sometimes so our goal is to attempt to get Gold for a few more years to keep the same bonus points on those and the welcome gifts. And then in 3ish years hopefully hit Lifetime Gold (gonna take a while with no more CC nights stacking.)

But if we weren't close I don't think we'd bother trying to keep Gold. Just weep a little for the loss of bonus points. (and then try to figure out Hilton points)

 

[wendow]

Those 5 nights need to be stayed by 12/31/18 in order to add to your nights this year for Gold which would last until Feb 2020. Gold really isn't worth much - 2pm checkout depending on availability and 25% bonus on base points (Silver gets 10%), and either 250 or 500 points as a welcome gift. Free breakfast doesn't kick in until 50 nights (Platinum Elite) in a calendar year.

Doesn't seem worth it at all! We'd never hang out until 2pm at a hotel, and I doubt i fit in 5 nights before year's end. Good to know it's not worth it to try!

 

[wendow]

Yeah, that's the other side of the coin, Gold ain't what it used to be. But we do some paid stays sometimes so our goal is to attempt to get Gold for a few more years to keep the same bonus points on those and the welcome gifts. And then in 3ish years hopefully hit Lifetime Gold (gonna take a while with no more CC nights stacking.)

But if we weren't close I don't think we'd bother trying to keep Gold. Just weep a little for the loss of bonus points. (and then try to figure out Hilton points)

I think I am on to trying to figure out Hilton points also. I've yet to apply for my first card but that is probably next on my list. Currently, Hilton peeps seem happier with their program than Starriott peeps do.

 

[wendow]

Boo Sorry, I gotta keep spreadsheets like Lain. I thought you had the biz from earlier this year, but that was only the personal then. It's coming back to me now.

They changed how the elite nights work for cards. Each card now gives 15 elite nights but starting 2019 you can only get 15 elite nights from reward credit cards in total, no matter how many cards you have. As part of that, the "new" SPG cards don't get the elite nights until 2019 to avoid the stacking this year. So that means I was wrong when I thought you'd make Gold just on CC nights.

You can earn nights even on points redemptions, so if you have any trips planned this year?

No worries, next time, you will have a spreadsheet to look at, right? I could book Marriott but it would probably only be three nights, and then I would have to come up with two more nights. Which I could probably do but not sure it's really worth it. Though I do like I could earn nights even on point stays. I know one conference my dh has, the Embassy Suites I want isn't on UR's and like 5 Marriotts are on UR's.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I think I am on to trying to figure out Hilton points also. I've yet to apply for my first card but that is probably next on my list. Currently, Hilton peeps seem happier with their program than Starriott peeps do.

When my Hilton points aren’t worth anything to begin with, how can I ever be dissapointed?? I mean, there’s nowhere to go but up! Am I right?

 

[magickingdomprincess]

You can use a GC to pay SW fees.

I know this wasn't the original question, but just to add to this because I was burned by it once, you can't pay EBCI fees with a gc (unless something has changed).

 

[Judique]

So, I created a Marriott login last night with the number Chase gave me. I started the process from Marriott's page to merge. I just checked and it says I have 20 nights and am silver elite. I don't know how to see where those nights came from.

I started off with being Silver elite last week before I combined my nights.

In your account, under the activity tab you can click on the "Details" link under the nights count and it'll give you the break down.

Since I don't have accounts to combine I don't know for sure how's it's been going. But I thought if you had the SPG personal and the SPG biz your 5 nights from each combined for 10 in your SPG account, then the 15 nights from the Marriott biz should have put you to 25 for Gold Elite.

That's what I thought.

I have the spg personal & biz and the marriott biz. Seems I should have 25 nights!

Makes sense to me. I have - showing -23 nights and I have the 3 SPG's (I expect the Lux doesn't count.) But my personal is really old and my Biz was before Aug 1 so it should count. They aren't counting it - yet. I haven't called though.

I also have both Marriott cards from well before Aug 1.

So, I'm showing 5 nights from Starwood and 18 nights from Marriott = 23.

And, I'm GOLD elite. Figure that one out.

Based on my thinking I should have 10 nights through both Starwood Credit cards and 30 nights through both Marriott cards and 3 nights through the 3K (9k) spend option.

Looks like credit for 1 card each plus the spend in my details.

So, I'm thinking Gold is a match to my former lifetime Starwood status. I don't know and here I was getting ready to get those nights towards Platinum - I'm thinking 7 and right now they are saying 27.

Editing to add: Daughter has Platinum, mostly through cards. She does have some nights stayed.

 

[havaneselover]

@havaneselover
Glad y'all had such a great time! Sounds like an awesome trip!
Love your new avatar! Is that your ds? And he's 12yo!? He's so tall!

Thanks! That photo makes me so happy so I thought it would be a good avatar

Yes. He’s 13 now—but he’s a big kid. My mom says he’s like a puppy—you look at his hands and feet (size 13 now) and know he’s going to keep growing for a while.

 

[Ngwira]

Just back from WDW and wanted to report on my one night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Bonnet Creek using the Amex FHR booking feature from the Plat. I paid $199 plus tax and resort fee plus $27 for self parking at the Hilton BC next door. The FHR booking included a full buffet breakfast for me and DH and we paid $10 each for breakfast for the kids. Food at the restaurant, Oscars, was high quality and delicious with many, many options. Service at the restaurant and hotel was impeccable. The concierge emailed me a few days before our stay to coordinate anything extra we desired.

The resort fee included two drinks at Peacock Alley which is their lounge. Since we don’t drink alcohol , DH and I used it on fancy coffees in the morning before we hit the gym. Gym was well stocked with cardio and weights. I also had a $100 spa credit which I used to buy high end makeup as we went to AK that day and didn’t have much time to spend at the resort. It rained so no pool or lazy river usage either.
We were upgraded to a suite with a balcony that had a view of three fireworks shows at MK, Epcot and HS. Check out was at 4pm the following day instead of noon.

Would highly recommend staying there, especially if using Amex FHR for the extra perks.

 

[tink1970]

Editing to add: Daughter has Platinum, mostly through cards. She does have some nights stayed.

Mine seems off, as well.

I have: 15 mights from SPG (10 nights in bed + 5 nights for SPG biz) + Marriott 6 nights but nothing, nada for Marriott personal and R-C personal (I'd think they both would earn 15 so 30?). So I should have 51 which maybe I do since I'm platinum right now?

Unfortunately Marriott's systems aren't completely go yet so by the time I figure it out it will be 2019 and I'll be back at Gold?Silver?Rock?

 

[MrPTato]

So, I created a Marriott login last night with the number Chase gave me. I started the process from Marriott's page to merge. I just checked and it says I have 20 nights and am silver elite. I don't know how to see where those nights came from.

Mine says I have 5 nights yet have not stayed anywhere (Marriott/SPG) in the past 2 years. Unless it gave me nights for the SPG Biz back in March.

 

[MrPTato]

Anyone seen this message when logging into their rewards account?

 

[Alexle2007]

I should’ve updated you on my stay after I came back! But you can’t go wrong with PF Chang’s! I ate there when I was in town in April for work. We ate a couple different places this time, but honestly weren’t impressed. We went to Repeal Burgers and while the food was pretty good, the service was terrible. We went to another place for breakfast that I can’t remember the name of and I thought it was downright gross. I hope you’re enjoying your trip! I wish I’d stayed at that Courtyard again instead of the one at 25th. It was fine, but the one at 37th is definitely quieter.

It was our 2nd PF Chang’s stop since we ate the one in Richmond on Sat night. I now need to restock my PF Chang’s GC since we used the last of them. But I did earn a free entree through the rewards program It is definitely quiet and a beautiful sunrise over the ocean this morning that we enjoyed from our balcony. The beach was pretty empty yesterday. The ocean was nice except for all of the bugs in it and DS kept flipping out when he saw them since he hates bugs so we enjoyed the pool instead.

 

[Ngwira]

We flew out of Phl using SW. I found $87 fares- PHL to MCO back in April. Centurion lounge in Philly was excellent, but crowded. We flew back into BWI as I wanted to use JetBlue points from the credit card. JetBlue has no direct flights to PHL from MCO so we flew into BWI. I used Amtrak points to get us back to Philly. We stopped by the Club at MCO in terminal A on our way to BWI. It was fine. Just snacks and drinks, no full meals like the Centurion lounge.

Lyft got us from philly to South Jersey. First time flying JetBlue and I loved the free wifi and live tv. Caught up on People’s court and Judge Judy on our 2 hour flight back..lol. Free checked bags for everyone in my party since I hold the JetBlue plus.

Headed back to WDW in November for MVMCP and F and W but it will be our last trip until 2020. We are headed to NYC to see Hamilton and Nevada(Vegas!) and Utah for Spring Break and Toronto and Niagara for summer vacation next year. I used a combination of cash fares/ points and hotel points for both trips. We will return to the world in 2020 after Star Wars opens.

 

[1st*toright]

Oh, so much Starriott confusion. My nights seem to have come over correctly, although the SPG biz nights are showing up as paid nights instead of credit card nights. I had the old Marriott card (cancelled just before all the new card nonsense), so I had 15 anniversary nights from that. Got my SPG Biz early in the year, so my 5 nights were credited immediately (thought about getting the lux for the nights, but saw that they wouldn't credit until 2019 and wouldn't stack). I've got a bunch of paid stays and some points stays - including 2 nights from my stay on 8/17-19 that have posted, although I don't see my stays listed anywhere in my activity.

So they have me as Platinum, which it correct. I have some more stays booked this year, and may make it to Platinum Premier, depending on how things go.