I love credit cards so much!

[mmmears]

Regarding the B&R carryon, I researched and bought the expandable international sized one (years ago - they don't make the exact same model anymore) because I was tired of my bag flipping over, this was easier to wheel around, etc. DH thought I was nuts even though I didn't pay retail. We then took a trip and both he and my DD were fighting to be the one to wheel mine instead of their junky bags (which weren't all that cheap). Fast forward to our next trip and DH said he wanted one just like mine. A few years later we caved and bought a 3rd one for our DD, who travels with it all the time and loves hers. So I went from feeling embarrassed to total vindication within my family circle.

LOL. I'll get it eventually! It just hasn't been anywhere near the top of my to-do list. My wife got it last year, and has started spiting me when we travel together by going through Precheck with our DD5 and leaving me to wait in the regular line like a noob.

I can't say that I blame her LOL! I have several friends who all say it's so hard to book an appt. here that they have scheduled their appointments during trips to other states.

So you must know exactly how much time it saves. DD didn't put her precheck # into the airline page when buying her ticket to MCO when we met her there for spring break. It took her so long to get through security that we were sitting there waiting for her on the other side for at least 20-30 mins. I find MCO is one of the worst.

I think it depends where you are - we just scheduled DD's for January. You might just need to fly somewhere nice to do the interview sooner

It really does. I think we are in the worst area for this. Most of my friends who have Global have had to take time from their trips to take care of it in other areas of the country.

Like a peasant...

 

[Haley R]

They show on the portal.

ETA: i read on FT you can avoid the convenience fee (forgot the actual name) of around $19 per ticket if you go to the airport counter and purchase them. I haven’t tried it yet but will if we fly frontier. $19x6 is worth my effort.

Our airport is 2 hours away though lol. Or are you talking about buying them the day of?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

View attachment 355417
I’ll go back and check the open date on that card later. No time now.
But about the AU fee, see #4...

I sure thought there used to be a fee. Like $75 or so...this we all ordered replacement cards.

ETA: I am behind as usual

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I did not know that. I have the Premier card and have had it for several years (more than 24 months). So do I cancel it as well in order to reapply for the bonus points and apply for the Priority card? Do they have an inflight bonus for getting the Priority card? I hate to get rid of the Premier card since it has a high limit and has helped my credit score, but I was wondering if it may be worth it for the points.

I had to cancel my really old premier last month thanks to the new rule too. I feel you pain.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Our airport is 2 hours away though lol. Or are you talking about buying them the day of?

Oh, no that won't work then. Not worth the savings in your case.

 

[Alexle2007]

I've said before on here that I am a bigger US fan than WDW fan now. Shunning can commence. I do loooooove Harry Potter. I second the P2P tix. You have to ride the Hogwarts Express - very cool. Be sure to ride both ways as it is different in each direction. I love all the HP rides but Escape from Gringotts is my absolute favorite (may have ridden 10 times during my first visit). The way they have designed Diagon Alley, you just feel immersed. On the Hogwart's side, I did see the Christmas light show on the castle. I hear they now have a non-holiday show. I assume it is just as great so don't miss it.

On hotels, I've stayed at RPR 3 times and SF once. I am partial to RPR. The pool is great, easy boat ride to the park, I like the themeing. I really liked SF too but there is no FOTL passes there. I now realize I will not do US without the FOTL (I am spoiled) again. FOTL is so worth it. Depending on how long you are going, look into an AP. I've found it usually isn't that much more than the tickets I was going to buy and there can be AP discounts on rooms. The difference in price in the tickets was more than offset by the room discount. You only need one AP for the room discounts.

We did eat at 3 Broomsticks (Fish and CHips and Shepards Pie). My DD didn't think the Shepards Pie was great. Fish and Chips were good. But you go for the atmosphere! City Walk is great for food as well. It is so easy to leave the park for lunch and then return. Lots of choices. I love the BreadBox. Great sandwiches and Tater Tots! We also really liked the NBC place.

Have a great time!

I’ve seen both shows, the Christmas and “houses” and they are AMAZING! Best spot to watch the show is to say you need to use the restroom and sit on the patio at the back of restaurant. Terrific view without fighting the crowd.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Anyone familiar with DCL/Costco bookings? Someone on the cruise forums said I can pay with GCs if I book through Costco, but I am not seeing a way.
I am considering Costco for that 2020 Hawaii. No clue if we can swing it, but may as well book tomorrow in case. Costco is 8% back in a cash card plus 2% for executive membership. If I can save using GCs too, that is a decent deal.

 

[miztressuz]

Anyone familiar with DCL/Costco bookings? Someone on the cruise forums said I can pay with GCs if I book through Costco, but I am not seeing a way.
I am considering Costco for that 2020 Hawaii. No clue if we can swing it, but may as well book tomorrow in case. Costco is 8% back in a cash card plus 2% for executive membership. If I can save using GCs too, that is a decent deal.

You usually have to call in to use GC's with a TA. They have to enter into their booking portal or call in themselves to apply it.

 

[linzjane88]

So while I remain in a state of not knowing what the heck direction I want to go for my next cards I will talk about nothing important.

1) I hate all you jerks that have cool CVS/Shoprite deals
2) I *really* wish Chase wouldn't be so stingy with their signup bonuses on their SW card right now. Don't they know we've reached ideal CP season?!
3) Jellyrolls is the most amazing way to spend an adults only evening and I can't wait until we go in January. It also may be where I lost track of the tab and it cost more than our dinner at Narcoosees ......
4) I have put myself on a spending hiatus for all non essentials and TOTALLY forgot about my Saks $50 credit so I bought some fancy makeup and it didn't count.
5) Wish me luck on doing a Disney giftcard run at Bestbuy! (I know what your thinking, and Disney gift cards are indeed essential)

 

[afan]

Oh poop I forgot about bags. They are included with ANA but won’t be with frontier. Frontier usually has really good deals last minute but idk if I want to wait that long. Their calendar doesn’t go out until May yet so that might be why I can’t see them on chase yet.

The only time I would wait to buy last minute was if I was traveling last minute. Especially in this case where you are going on an international vacation, you want to make sure you have flights. Also, I don't remember if you've said how much time you'll have between the flights in LA but how many flights does frontier have to LA from your airport each day? You want to make sure if something happens they have a way to get you there before your flight. This might actually be a case where I'd drive the 5 hours to a bigger airport so I could ensure there were options if something happens.

Now with that said, to do that I would actually rent a car and drive to that airport and then fly into the one closer to your home on the way back and rent a car and drive home. You don't have to fly in/out of the same airports or fly the same airline round trip. But if Frontier only has one flight per day to LA from your airport there's no way in heck I would rely on it getting me to LA simply for the worst case. The next flights could be full with them not able to rebook you for a few days. I would say the same thing regardless of the airline you were flying, if there's only one flight a day for you to get out on I would drive the extra 3 hours to the bigger airport.

 

[Lain]

Guys, 5% cash back at CVS via the Dosh app - one week only.

I see a lot of folks on r/churning using this for $500 VGCs. Apparently there's no limit on cash back. I think Dosh's minimum cash out amount is $25. I believe CVS sells Vanillas with a $5.95 activation fee. 5% of $505.95 is $25.30, which > $5.95 fee. CVS has a $2k daily limit on GCs. If you have a way to liquidate Vanillas, it's a moneymaker.

I didn't think you could buy the VGCs with a CC at CVS. hmmm....May be a busy couple days for me.

same here, no stores in south county damnit!

UPDATED:

CVS Dosh Update

Want to share before another person goes out and buys $2000 in VGC at CVS. The app has updated to state gift cards are excluded and $20 max per [transaction]. Even with the gift card exclusion, I just got $20 (Instead of $25) for a $500 VGC.

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/9kpnk2/comment/e721ymi?st=JMSEBW7U&sh=7cc8f01d

 

[disneymagicgirl]

You usually have to call in to use GC's with a TA. They have to enter into their booking portal or call in themselves to apply it.

Good to know. Thank you! I think I am going to try Costco then!

 

[Haley R]

The only time I would wait to buy last minute was if I was traveling last minute. Especially in this case where you are going on an international vacation, you want to make sure you have flights. Also, I don't remember if you've said how much time you'll have between the flights in LA but how many flights does frontier have to LA from your airport each day? You want to make sure if something happens they have a way to get you there before your flight. This might actually be a case where I'd drive the 5 hours to a bigger airport so I could ensure there were options if something happens.

Now with that said, to do that I would actually rent a car and drive to that airport and then fly into the one closer to your home on the way back and rent a car and drive home. You don't have to fly in/out of the same airports or fly the same airline round trip. But if Frontier only has one flight per day to LA from your airport there's no way in heck I would rely on it getting me to LA simply for the worst case. The next flights could be full with them not able to rebook you for a few days. I would say the same thing regardless of the airline you were flying, if there's only one flight a day for you to get out on I would drive the extra 3 hours to the bigger airport.

Frontier usually only has one flight out per day. Not only would we have to drive 5 hours but we would most likely have to pay for a hotel the night before, pay to rent a car, and the plane tickets will most likely cost more. That’s a lot of added expenses I’d rather not have to pay.

 

[havaneselover]

Good to know. Thank you! I think I am going to try Costco then!

I’ve booked my last two Disney cruises with Costco. I call Costco and they call dcl and apply the gift card. It’s easy.

 

[afan]

Frontier usually only has one flight out per day. Not only would we have to drive 5 hours but we would most likely have to pay for a hotel the night before, pay to rent a car, and the plane tickets will most likely cost more. That’s a lot of added expenses I’d rather not have to pay.

That's understandable but what will you do if there's a mechanical issue with the plane and your flight is cancelled and you can't get to LA for 3 days with frontier from your airport which would make you miss your flight to Japan? Then you'd have last minute flights out of the your airport or the farther airport. There's a lot more money on the other end of your trip than using UR's to book southwest or a rental etc.

I'm sure things will work out but I wouldn't chance it and would spend the extra money to make sure I had options to get to LA if something were to happen. At least out of a bigger airport with Southwest they may have another flight or at least can get you there via a connecting flight more likely than a smaller airline.

What other airlines fly out of your airport, or what airport is it? There may be better options than Frontier simply because they have more flight options even if you do have to connect in Denver, SLC or PHX.

 

[WVMomof3]

I got tired of replacing luggage every year and did some research on the brands that were recommended by frequent travelers. I wanted something that was durable, with great zippers, and with a super easy for wheeling about. I was pretty close to deciding on a Briggs & Riley carry on that was about $549. Since I'd never paid more than about $100 for checked bags I was having a hard time accepting the price tag. I also saw that many flight attendants and frequent travelers swore by the TravelPro Magna 2 Platinum carry on. Ebags had this one for $254 and I considered it a compromise. I now have it in checked size, domestic carry on and international carry on. Needless to say, I am quite happy with the luggage and anticipate it lasting for many years.

We are headed to Halloween Horror Nights this weekend. I know it will be super scary because we are taking TEENAGERS I am looking forward to riding Escape from Gringotts since it is open that night. I have yet to ride Hogwarts Express since I haven't been back to US besides HHN since it was built. I suppose when I ease up on the travel schedule a bit we can spring for an AP at US. We love Harry Potter too!

I guess if I ever get fancier and do lie flat seats or shower on a plane I will need to upgrade my Target bag. lol Right now it totally fits in on my Southwest flights. One day I may grow up! I think I may need to wait for the kids to fly out of the nest so we have extra money then we can upgrade from beer to champagne travel.

While I can do coasters of any kind, one thing I can not do is haunted houses! Halloween Horror nights does not tempt me at all! But let me know how it is in case I decide to grow up in this regard also.

 

[trenty]

There's a link for the Explorer card's 50k in-flight offer here. I shared this with @trenty when it first popped up, and I believe her DH applied for it successfully using the link.

Yes. The link did work for DH.

@WVMomof3 I also received a targeted mailer myself twice since then, and will apply soon. My targeted offer is 50,000 bonus points. When I log into my United account the same offer appears for me. Waiting until right before the offer expires to apply - hoping for maybe a better offer.
ETA - I see @Lain mentions possibly being targeted if one uses MPX. I have used it more than a few times since creating my United account and was targeted.

 

[WVMomof3]

In the beginning of August I did the Southwest shopping promo. I thought I did something wrong because I never got any bonus points. I finally got the email that they posted, 2 months later. Had no idea it would take so long.

 

[WVMomof3]

Yes. The link did work for DH.

@WVMomof3 I also received a targeted mailer myself twice since then, and will apply soon. My targeted offer is 50,000 bonus points. When I log into my United account the same offer appears for me. Waiting until right before the offer expires to apply - hoping for maybe a better offer.
ETA - I see @Lain mentions possibly being targeted if one uses MPX. I have used it more than a few times since creating my United account and was targeted.

Thanks! Off to create my account.

 

[Alexle2007]

I guess if I ever get fancier and do lie flat seats or shower on a plane I will need to upgrade my Target bag. lol Right now it totally fits in on my Southwest flights. One day I may grow up! I think I may need to wait for the kids to fly out of the nest so we have extra money then we can upgrade from beer to champagne travel.

While I can do coasters of any kind, one thing I can not do is haunted houses! Halloween Horror nights does not tempt me at all! But let me know how it is in case I decide to grow up in this regard also.

My brother, his wife and son do HHN multiple times and I can guarantee you there is no way I would be going! I saw a show once where they were hiring for some of attractions and it was things I would rather not see- people caged in with snakes and mice, no thanks! This is where I would take Disney and Not So Scary instead