I love credit cards so much!

[amalone1013]

I just looked and I got this too! Actually DH got this through his account. I didn’t get one. He’s the one with the MC I used a lot through Plastiq for the promotion this summer.

I was able to get a $150 Mcgc At Meijer this week for $10 off. So $145.95 oop. Maybe I can use that for this.

You should be able too. I think I'll have DH get one and make his car payment...

 

[Haley R]

Sometimes it's the same line, often it's different but quicker than the normal line. It seems to vary airport to airport, terminal to terminal.



It sounds like it might be more trouble than it's worth with that kind of drive. Yes, the customs lines can be very long (they were when we landed at SFO in August). But I doubt it took people 3 hours to get through them. But GE can save you time for pre-check domestically (MCO especially since those security lines can be a mess). We fly domestically more than internationally, but still like that we have it. For us the interview was a pain - took forever to get our appointments (3 all on 3 separate days), about an hour to get to the airport, paying for parking, etc. But we are glad we did it since we do fly a minimum of several times a year. Only you can figure out what it's worth to you.

I’m thinking it’ll be too much work trying to schedule them together and drive to get the interview. I’m assuming Dh would have to take work off and I think we would be better off just waiting in the customs line.

 

[afan]

The last thing I want to do at an airport is stand in a long line, either before I get on the plane or after I've been on it. If I've been traveling for several hours I just want to be somewhere away from all the people on the plane and in the airport. I would do what I needed to do to get GE so I'd have it much quicker when I landed, I was through in less than 10 minutes including my extra screening thanks to the meat sniffing dog. Had another flight landed before ours, which happens at large airports, I can't imagine how much worse it all would have been going through the regular line. Plus you generally get to breeze through TSA which is worth every penny and minute.

This is also coming from someone that did the almost 2 hour drive up to near the Canadian border for my nexus interview and over 2 back because of traffic. I could get an appt within a week doing this vs months to do it in Seattle. It also let me stop at Firehouse Subs on the way home because we don't have one close by. I'd have driven further if I'd needed to and at this point I just wanted to get precheck before my flight to WDW.

 

[Haley R]

Honestly, I'd just wait through customs. The only location in CO is an hour from me and I wouldn't drive that far unless I thought I'd be doing several int'l trips to make it worth it.

I think we will wait in customs. This will be our only international trip because we will start thinking about a family after.

 

[Haley R]

I saw this was answered but wanted to add that after we got it we went into each of our FF accounts with every airline and added the number to our profile.



That's not a bad plan. My advice for travel hacking aifare, especially business and first class is to start planning 2 years out. This gives you one year to get the points you need accumulated. That way they are in place so you can book your flights 330~ days in advance.



I've seen some long lines but not any that looked 3 1/2 hours long. Just make sure that if you have a connection when you come back in to the US that you have plenty of time to clear customs, get your luggage and check back in to the connecting flight.

We won’t have any connecting flights when we get back. It’ll be nonstop from LAX to Tokyo. Then we will most likely stay the night and fly out the next day.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I can second the gum thing. I used to cry every time we went on a plane when I was little because of the pressure. I have really bad ears and had tubes in my ears as a kid. My dad always brought gum and would sit and chomp with me. It helped some but there would be times my ears wouldn’t pop until after being in the airport for an hour.

I can sympathize with you...my daughter had the same issues....was born with a cleft palate and had tubes put in her ears when she was 3 months old...we tried everything...gum...swallowing, ear planes...I thing they were called....nothing really helped...she still has pain sometimes now as an adult but not often thank goodness

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Her credit limits are 80-90%. Her Hyatt and CSP being the higher limits.

I would definitely reduce them to maybe 30% so you leave room for the CIP

 

[Haley R]

I can sympathize with you...my daughter had the same issues....was born with a cleft palate and had tubes put in her ears when she was 3 months old...we tried everything...gum...swallowing, ear planes...I thing they were called....nothing really helped...she still has pain sometimes now as an adult but not often thank goodness

Mine has gotten better over time, too. I learned that I can plug my nose and gently blow until my ears pop and that helps a lot. I’m sure as a kid I would’ve damaged my ears trying to do that. I can still remember I was that kid screaming on the plane because my ears hurt so bad.

 

[Haley R]

The last thing I want to do at an airport is stand in a long line, either before I get on the plane or after I've been on it. If I've been traveling for several hours I just want to be somewhere away from all the people on the plane and in the airport. I would do what I needed to do to get GE so I'd have it much quicker when I landed, I was through in less than 10 minutes including my extra screening thanks to the meat sniffing dog. Had another flight landed before ours, which happens at large airports, I can't imagine how much worse it all would have been going through the regular line. Plus you generally get to breeze through TSA which is worth every penny and minute.

This is also coming from someone that did the almost 2 hour drive up to near the Canadian border for my nexus interview and over 2 back because of traffic. I could get an appt within a week doing this vs months to do it in Seattle. It also let me stop at Firehouse Subs on the way home because we don't have one close by. I'd have driven further if I'd needed to and at this point I just wanted to get precheck before my flight to WDW.

Yeah I’m not willing to do that lol. Drive 3 1/2 hours both ways just to save myself 2 hours of waiting? It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Not to mention we would have to pay $100 for one of us, plus gas to get there, and possibly a hotel or multiple trips if we can’t get the interviews on the same day.

 

[hsmamato2]

I have/had all 3 and decided to upgrade my Plus to the Priority for 5,000 bonus points. I will be closing my Premier this month and my Biz next month after receiving my anniversary points. I think upgrading is worth it with the increased benefits it offers...$75 travel credit, 4 upgraded boardings, increased anniversary points. I do not need the other cards since I have the priority and do not feel the fee is worth it. I will lower my overall CL by closing and will be ready to apply again for CP in the future.

I went for this offer, especially since the AF is waived. My plan is to use them for Southwest flights. I read you can get 1.25 cents per point with Southwest for booking over the phone. Plus with the companion pass, this is an even greater value for no AF. Once you have your flight booked through Citi, you can add the confirmation number to your southwest account and add companion pass. I haven't tried it yet but it seems like it should work!

I didn't know I could book swa with citi.... it's not a transfer partner, so I assumed I couldn't! so I'd have to call and book thru their portal for swa?

 

[tink1970]

I'd stay off my phone in case there are rules against it and there are cranky agents.

 

[Haley R]

its okay... you have a few options. Since you said you dont have a GE enrollment center, you could... show up early at LAX and do your enrollment there. That way, on your way back, u will have GE and from LAX-->home, you will have precheck then. You will just not have TSA Pre from home airport --> LAX. Another things u can do is trying mobile passport. its similar to like GE...

https://mobilepassport.us/
Is this what you’re talking about? It says it’s free. Why wouldn’t everyone use this?

 

[Haley R]

I'm not sure you're allowed to be on your phone in those lines; there are some strict rules about photography and you don't want to make the immigration people angry. So books, yes, kindle maybe, I'd stay off my phone.

Oh wow seriously? I don’t have a kindle because I read on my phone using the kindle app. Might have to play I spy with Dh or *gasp* talk to him

 

[Albort]

https://mobilepassport.us/
Is this what you’re talking about? It says it’s free. Why wouldn’t everyone use this?

yes, its only available to US citizens. i think u still wait in line(different?). GE... u can get through customs in less than a minute lol.
im not sure, never used it. that came out after i got GE.

 

[Judique]

Same for me! I'm just waiting for the points to hurry up and post so I can cancel and avoid the fee. Fee hit 10/1, payment due 10/22 ($0), points will post 10/25 (confirmed by calling). I'm antsy seeing the $99 sitting there but we will be fine to get a full refund. With my Plus card my points posted first so I wasn't so antsy.

Do we need to actually pay the fee if the points post? I understand it would be refunded, but would it be possible to just cancel or will it be impossible to cancel with the charge on the account?

 

[tink1970]

Might have to play I spy with Dh or *gasp* talk to him

Don't worry, there's usually some obnoxious person or group to provide entertainment

I couldn't function without my kindle but I have old eyes so the huge font size is perfect for me. I seriously take it everywhere with me

 

[miztressuz]

Do we need to actually pay the fee if the points post? I understand it would be refunded, but would it be possible to just cancel or will it be impossible to cancel with the charge on the account?

You can cancel it for full refund within 30 days of the charge being billed. I take that as the day the charge posts, someone can correct me if it's tied to statement date like Amex. You can cancel it with the charge on there, they'll refund it and your next statement will have 0 due. My AF posted 8/1, statement closed mid august, so payment of the fee due 9/7. I cancelled 8/30, statement credit for the refund went up within a day and showed I had no payment due on 9/7 anymore.

 

[platamama]

Guess I didn’t read that closely. I remembered that some people were able to use them last promotion.

Yep, I did that. I loaded MCGC onto Masterpass and then used the Masterpass promo for zero fees.

This one looks like you get charged the 2.5% fees up front, and are relying on Plastiq to credit you FFDs on Nov 1. So you won’t know up front if you’ll be getting FFDs come Nov., and you don’t have any recourse to claim FFDs since you violated the terms of the promotion by using a prepaid card.

 

[Judique]

You can cancel it for full refund within 30 days of the charge being billed. I take that as the day the charge posts, someone can correct me if it's tied to statement date like Amex. You can cancel it with the charge on there, they'll refund it and your next statement will have 0 due. My AF posted 8/1, statement closed mid august, so payment of the fee due 9/7. I cancelled 8/30, statement credit for the refund went up within a day and showed I had no payment due on 9/7 anymore.

That's how I needed to hear it! Thank you! But did you get the points?

 

[amalone1013]

Trying to decide how much I want the $8 back for Safeway coupons that didn't ring up correctly, which I didn't notice until after I had gotten home...