I love credit cards so much!

[LynnTH]

No, it's not good enough for that. What you want is "missed connection" coverage. CSR has trip delay, but that would only cover additional expenses like a hotel if you're delayed.

You can download and read through the coverage here:
https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

Cruise line coverage is usually more expensive. Would recommend also checking on Insure My Trip.

I agree. Do not book through the cruise lines. I always book through Insure My Trip. Better coverage and less money. Make sure to get a plan within 10-15 days of booking your cruise as then any pre-existing conditions will be accepted. Have used Insurance twice. Once for DS who broke his wrist on the cruise and we had to see Dr in Mexico to rebreak and put cast on and another time I need to see Dr of Sinus Infection. You just never know what can happen. I will never cruise without cruise insurance again.

 

[wanderlust7]

Question about trip insurance and the CSR.
I'm about to book a cruise (my first one!) for January 2019. I'll be flying out of Boston to Tampa. If I use my CSR for the flights and for the cruise and there is a snow storm that delays or cancels my flight causing me to miss the cruise. Would the cost of the cruise be reimbursed through the CSR trip insurance? I was thinking I'd purchase trip insurance through Carnival, but then thought maybe the CSR is good enough?? Thoughts?

Sorry, went back and reread the coverage. It may be covered under severe weather. Regular airline delays would not be covered.

 

[NumberNerd]

Yes. Any points earned after your Dec statement closes will count towards 2019.

thank you

 

[mmmears]

Just can't wrap my head around Hilton point values. I'm waiting for the hotel in Seattle to open award space for our trip next year and am shocked every week to see I need 70k Hilton for a single night on a queen Murphy bed. Murphy bed. Oddly enough it's on par with cpp valuations so it's not a terrible redemption (~0.48) but it's just under half of our entire point balance... for one night... in a Murphy bed. I know this is totally why we have points but it's hard to reconcile using so much at once, especially since if we hadn't opened the CC we'd have not had enough points! We'd have had to wait until we did another stay to earn the rest - that would have been 5 stays/13 nights for 1 free night. I want this hotel because it's very convenient so we're willing to spend the points, it just hurts doing it

Wow. You just made me feel better about all the Hyatt points I'm planning to use in NYC. It is confusing and we also want to start collecting Hilton points. So far all I can tell is that Hyatt points are worth more than Marriott ones (at least as far as points booking vs. cash where I looked). It would be good to know what Hilton points are worth. They don't make it easy since they refuse to put the points cost on the website like other hotels do.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I got CIP last December and CIC in the Spring. I want to go for CIU soon (almost done with Amex Gold). Should I try to do CIU before canceling? Is it worse to cancel a card after one year or have two other open Chase business cards? I think my overall credit limit with Chase is okay relative to my income.

I just got CIU after Marriott Biz in January and CIP in May. Approved after three days with no issues. I originally applied with just my income on those cards, and applied with household income on this card. Credit limits are under half of household income, but are definitely over 50% of my personal income.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Wow. You just made me feel better about all the Hyatt points I'm planning to use in NYC. It is confusing and we also want to start collecting Hilton points. So far all I can tell is that Hyatt points are worth more than Marriott ones (at least as far as points booking vs. cash where I looked). It would be good to know what Hilton points are worth. They don't make it easy since they refuse to put the points cost on the website like other hotels do.

The points fluctuate based on the room cost. They aren’t set in stone in most instances. Some basic rooms seem to always be a certain price (95k for grand wailea for example) but most vary based on demand/cash price. I booked a beachfront HGI for 134k for 5 nights and they apparently realized they could jack up the prices so now it is more in the 60k/nt range for several other dates I priced out. The cash price went way up too. Our weekend trips to embassy or Hampton etc could be 20k/nt, 33k, 42k....just varies.
I guess that’s why there is no chart. The cheaper the cash price, the cheaper the points.

 

[Haley R]

Just can't wrap my head around Hilton point values. I'm waiting for the hotel in Seattle to open award space for our trip next year and am shocked every week to see I need 70k Hilton for a single night on a queen Murphy bed. Murphy bed. Oddly enough it's on par with cpp valuations so it's not a terrible redemption (~0.48) but it's just under half of our entire point balance... for one night... in a Murphy bed. I know this is totally why we have points but it's hard to reconcile using so much at once, especially since if we hadn't opened the CC we'd have not had enough points! We'd have had to wait until we did another stay to earn the rest - that would have been 5 stays/13 nights for 1 free night. I want this hotel because it's very convenient so we're willing to spend the points, it just hurts doing it

In other news, dropped off hubby's car for inspection today. On the way he wonders if it's finally time to get hit for brake replacement. Sigh. It is! because we don't have a MSR to meet right now! cuz we can't think in advance!
So a hit for over $500 today. If he'd have mentioned this when I made the appointment two weeks ago I could have set the Disney card plan into motion. We didn't even need to cancel his Disney card I don't think, he's got an offer for the Premier card upgrade with a $50 statement credit. Probably could have taken that then referred him to the no AF version again. One charge to meet MSR, get the $200 off the brakes and make $100 in Disney money. It's been in my back pocket for when we needed to make large purchase we can't otherwise wrangle a discount on. (He's 3/24 and by the time we're interested in more Chase cards he'd be back to 3/24 so plenty of room.) Instead we'll get 2% back on my "new" Discover (although I'm rapidly approaching the end of the first year) as I don't think we have any better options. Whoop de doo

We are saving up Hilton points for our Japan trip. The room we want is 86k per night I think but it’s a king bed with views of the ocean and it’s a themed room.

 

[Oscar Madison]

Walmart doesn't even show up for me. Must be regional. boo.

I got a RMN email for $20 off $50 online at Home Depot...great deal for anyone who needs to do a home improvement project. Today only!

Walmart shows up at the top of my Dosh app, but nothing nearby.
I bought a leaf blower from HD that I had in my cart at Amazon. Hoping it all works with the $20 cash back, as it didn't go thru right away like most of my RMN in store cash back offers did.

 

[Scrappygrrl]

1- you can apply for your own SW card

2- how did DH apply for the CIP...did he use his name exactly and his SS number as a sole proprietor ...with Chase asking for additional info it sounds like he may have used a different business name. He can reapply for the CIP after 30 days using the correct info

OOHHHH, I think he used the blog name as his business name. So he just has to use his exact first name? D'oh!

 

[Oscar Madison]

Oddly, the flights are the same price with or without the promo code. Weird.

Yes, those never seem to apply to my preferred airports...

 

[Lain]

Marriott Rewards MORE To Shut Down On November 15th, 2018

RIP Marriott Rewards MORE. You gave me points for my iPhone X purchases when every other shopping portal excluded it; and you didn’t claw back the points when I had to return them.

 

[Alexle2007]

OMG, now that I have used my Saks credit, they flood my email daily. It’s ridiculous. Not just one or two but probably 5-6. Seriously, it is out of control! I guess I need to go in an unsubscribe.

 

[miztressuz]

OOHHHH, I think he used the blog name as his business name. So he just has to use his exact first name? D'oh!

Exact full name. The first and last name has to match with nothing extra. To make it easy we just duplicate what we put in the Name fields in the Business Name fields. (hubby uses a middle initial, he made his business name first m. last to match just to be sure)

 

[mmmears]

The points fluctuate based on the room cost. They aren’t set in stone in most instances. Some basic rooms seem to always be a certain price (95k for grand wailea for example) but most vary based on demand/cash price. I booked a beachfront HGI for 134k for 5 nights and they apparently realized they could jack up the prices so now it is more in the 60k/nt range for several other dates I priced out. The cash price went way up too. Our weekend trips to embassy or Hampton etc could be 20k/nt, 33k, 42k....just varies.
I guess that’s why there is no chart. The cheaper the cash price, the cheaper the points.

Thanks for explaining. I guess it makes sense, but it sure makes it hard to plan. I was looking at a Hilton at JFK but then just decided to splurge and move to the city early since Hilton wanted too many points for just an airport hotel IMHO. Since we are transferring URs or MRs to the hotel accounts Hyatt seemed to be the better deal for us, so I have yet to try using points at a Hilton.

 

[wareagle57]

Anyone have the Discover It card? I'm trying to find the best way to max out the 5% bonus this quarter. I'm a new member, so Discover will match my cashback at the end of the year so it is really 10%.

I'm thinking of buying the BJ's online membership, which costs $10. I'm told Disney gift cards are 8% off right now, but I can't see the price as a non-member. Can anyone confirm this, and that online only members can purchase them? I can buy from Sam's for 4% off, but even with the $10 I would spend, BJ's comes out ahead.

 

[miztressuz]

Wow. You just made me feel better about all the Hyatt points I'm planning to use in NYC. It is confusing and we also want to start collecting Hilton points. So far all I can tell is that Hyatt points are worth more than Marriott ones (at least as far as points booking vs. cash where I looked). It would be good to know what Hilton points are worth. They don't make it easy since they refuse to put the points cost on the website like other hotels do.

Hilton uses a dynamic pricing model so there isn't really a set price per se. For this hotel though for every day within 2 months of our date it's 70k and as dates are added they start with 70k. Most places I look at I see an average of 35-50k per night in the middle brand names, some can drop to 20-30k in off peak. I think the general consensus is .5 cpp is a good/average redemption rate.

We are saving up Hilton points for our Japan trip. The room we want is 86k per night I think but it’s a king bed with views of the ocean and it’s a themed room.

See that I can get behind. That would make sense and while it's a lot of points I could see myself spending it for that. This is just a standard room in a very convenient location that is not serviced by many other hotels. AFAIK other than being new and convenient there's nothing special about it, but I also am not planning on paying the cash rate they want so points they will get! I'll just hope pricing fluctuates in the meanwhile, I have another 10 months to go.

 

[GlamMistress]

Anyone have the Discover It card? I'm trying to find the best way to max out the 5% bonus this quarter. I'm a new member, so Discover will match my cashback at the end of the year so it is really 10%.

I'm thinking of buying the BJ's online membership, which costs $10. I'm told Disney gift cards are 8% off right now, but I can't see the price as a non-member. Can anyone confirm this, and that online only members can purchase them? I can buy from Sam's for 4% off, but even with the $10 I would spend, BJ's comes out ahead.

I'm tagging @Livelovedance here - I believe she does the Discover/BJs thing.

 

[GlamMistress]

So for all the DVC owners in this thread - I executed my contract and need to send my escrow funds along. The contract says overnight the check. Can't I just regular mail it? It has 7 days to get to Florida. Did everyone else always overnight?

 

[miztressuz]

Anyone have the Discover It card? I'm trying to find the best way to max out the 5% bonus this quarter. I'm a new member, so Discover will match my cashback at the end of the year so it is really 10%.

I'm thinking of buying the BJ's online membership, which costs $10. I'm told Disney gift cards are 8% off right now, but I can't see the price as a non-member. Can anyone confirm this, and that online only members can purchase them? I can buy from Sam's for 4% off, but even with the $10 I would spend, BJ's comes out ahead.

Sorry to say but looks like you missed the 8%. The online only membership will allow you to buy gift cards through the website. The standard discounts are 2-4%. The best discount is $100 cards for 95.99 (4%).

 

[mmmears]

Hilton uses a dynamic pricing model so there isn't really a set price per se. For this hotel though for every day within 2 months of our date it's 70k and as dates are added they start with 70k. Most places I look at I see an average of 35-50k per night in the middle brand names, some can drop to 20-30k in off peak. I think the general consensus is .5 cpp is a good/average redemption rate.

Thanks, this helps. I hope your rate does go down by the time you need to stay there. I just gave up waiting for the one I was looking at. It was nothing special either but I thought we'd be getting in late and could save points by staying there but now we're getting in earlier anyway so it makes more sense to go into Manhattan anyway. I'm splurging there and staying somewhere we wouldn't be willing to pay cash.