I love credit cards so much!

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Do you have a Delta account? Wondering because I set up a Delta account last year when I first flew with them. I've gotten 2 mailers in the last 2 months for 75K miles. Maybe if you already have a Delta card, they aren't targeting you for mailers.
You may be right. I do have a Delta account that I created when I opened the Delta CC. I've never received a mailer from them.
 


I honestly barely use that card. It has 1 small auto-pay a month just to keep activity on it. I prefer my Citi cashback card. I was interested in the Prestige for enahnced entertainment earning and the 4th night free since it seemed to have worked with Disney. I guess I will have to wait and see the new card and promo before I ask Citi if I would qualify.
Yes the 4th night free seems great and I heard works with Disney. They are limiting to using it x2 but you get a $250 travel credit too and who knows how many points so justifies fee for first year. Prob a good one to get and downgrade. I Just know nada about THANKYOU points.
 
Thank you so much, I found them!!
Awesome! Glad you were able to snag them. I was planning on using my UR for tickets and thought I had missed out too. Keep an eye out for an email from expedia after three or four days with the Disney confirmation #'s. If the email doesn't come, I believe you will have to call into the Chase travel department to have the email manually pushed to you.
 


A few random questions:

1. AA Barclay Card - is this a card that you should wait a year before closing?
2. AA Citi Business - Opened on 9/11 so can close this one and try for another. Am I correct that I have to call not to close this card?
3. MS'ing. - So recently got CIP#2. Thought I had it all figured out for spend as we were going to get a Sleep # Bed. Well after more thinking I just can't drop $5000 on a bed right now. So, not sure if we will just wait a bit or get something cheaper. But I still need to spend $5,000. I signed up for Venmo both my kids have accounts. So, I can sent them $ from my CIP Card. They put it in their bank account and then I can transfer from their bank account to mine. Is there a limit on how many transactions can be done? And I am assuming to start with some smaller transfers? What is the most I can send?
4. Renting DVC Points from a friend. Tried paying with Plastiq but was denied as can't pay person to person -even though I sent them copy of resort and emails between us but they said that was not allowed... Bummer.

All my "best laid plans" seem to be falling apart. May have to dig into PNC bank funding but that all confuses me too. At this point don't really care about any bonuses for PNC but just to fund the account and then get money back. Can I set up to transfer $ to my regular bank account? Is it kind of the same as Capitol One 360 accounts? I have a bunch of those with different names on them (Savings, School, Vacation etc).

PNC is a win/win, you get the $2000 towards MSR and the $200 bonus. I also have Capital One 360 as my main savings account. It is easy to transfer money from that or another checking account you may have. You just have to verify two deposits before being able to transfer, so it takes a few days. Although PNC does ask those credit card questions for each transfer so for now on I will initiate the transfer from Capital One. I've had two accounts where the initial credit card funding worked as the direct deposit. So all I had to do was complete the 10 debits for the bonus. After 45 days I believe you can downgrade the account and only need $500 balance to keep it fee free.
 
I know :) I think I enjoy the planning as much as the actual trip!!

I totally get this. :)

@hsmamato2 , @LynnTH , @pillow , @Mopedmom1 , @calypso726 , @mmmears , @CyndiLouWho Thanks for starting or adding to all the Alaska talk. Planning something for 2021 possible. Saving all this to go in the Alaska information I am saving.

If you want a few adventures, check out Above & Beyond Alaska (we did a private kakak to Mendenhall Glacier and then trekked up the glacier itself). They provided everything and a guide and it was fantastic. Also, DH and DD booked an excursion with Snorkel Alaska in Ketchikan - they loved it, it wasn't expensive, and it's become a fun conversation topic over the years.

Count me in for anything AA please and thank you.



Somehow in my skimming your post and in my response I failed to take in that you were definitely seeing HEA in the park and it wasn’t an either park viewing or room viewing choice for HEA. Chalk it up to my head spinning while starting the crossing of the Drake passage :sick: Holy nausea Batman!

As long as you do see it in the park then a room viewing is icing on that cake. Apologies for not reading more carefully. I was trying to keep myself distracted from the rocking and rolling of the ship. I’ll share an announcement on ship about crossing the Drake passage: “Do not place fragile items on surfaces any higher than the floor. If they are already on the floor then they can’t fall to the floor”

Current view from my window

View attachment 373344

Yikes! I hope it gets smoother.

Is that AA biz 09/11 as in 2011??

If so you don't want to close it now...the wording on the new application for that card is: This card is not available if the business already has a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® card. Bonus miles are not available if you have had any CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® card opened or closed in the past 24 months.

Essentially having one open for 7 years is fine...but if you close it you'll start that 24 month clock over, LOL!

This is good info to have. I have a very old (can't even remember how old) AA Mastercard through Citibank and I guess I'm keeping it.
 
Thank you! I’m not sure where to put a TR except maybe the “other options” thread on the ABD forum. I only really post here and the ABD area. Suggestions welcome though. I am going to post a link to some of the videos here that I made public on FB. Don’t know if it will work. But I will try. Lemme know if this works.

https://www.facebook.com/750144458/posts/10157129499699459/

https://www.facebook.com/750144458/posts/10157124963259459/

https://www.facebook.com/750144458/posts/10157125030469459/


https://www.facebook.com/750144458/posts/10157131603059459/

Love these!
 
You could always use the arrival plus to help with using the travel credit there for the “hotels” (I use this term lightly) and/or train around the peninsula if you go that route.

Alaska is hard to do on points, but there are some hotels on the UR portal. We rented an RV and just paid oop. I really need to get a travel eraser card or just MS enough cash profit for this stuff.
 
Back from winter trip number 3,928. OK, not that many. But close. This last one was a drive to Canada over Xmas with our friends to go visit her family. 4 adults and 3 kids in one car for 9 hours. Somehow it actually wasn't as bad as you might think. We did learn within the first few hours NOT to put all 3 kids in the backseat together. DD6 and my friends son who is 11 bicker like crazy...and even when they were getting along 3 kids under 12 giggling and being wild gets old! Was happy to earn a cheap Marriott night at a Residence Inn along the way too.


And as a bit of a >:(--Priority Pass decided to charge a guest fee to my CSR- they charged it today for our visit November 9th! Craziness. We had 7 people total and PP covered 6 (2 members, 4 guests). However it was just at the Capers Cafe where you order to-go basically. We did 2 transactions of <$84 because, duh, the credit for 3x28$. Not to mention that place was pure chaos that morning. How they even deciphered who was with who is beyond me. It irks me they added a guest that we didn't do or buy anything for. Part of me wants to fight it but I feel like it will be an uphill battle? . Would I contact PP or Chase? I don't even know! LOL.

Also, I just realized I didn't order my DME tags and we leave in 19 days :sad1:. I did enter my travel info today but any bets on whether I get my tags? I have only used it twice before so I don't have much experience with it.

Aaaaaand remember that time @Lain when you were like 'No! Not the BBP 20k points for 5k MSR--do the 15k for 3k MSR!' and I was all "it's fine--I can handle that MSR no prob!'? Ok well you were certainly right and I was forgetting the part where I was also working on 3k for my SW Biz, 2k for SW personal, and another 3K for the Cap1 Savor. 13k in 3 months is less fun than I anticipated! I am giving myself until the 20th before I start in with some MS'ing.

PS: I transferred my info from my beloved notebook to the Reddit Churning Tracker and started inputting my redemption since 2017, including my booked upcoming trips. In that time I have spent 909K points and miles for $18,079 worth of flights and hotel rooms :flower1:. I guess this hobby is worth it :teeth:.
 
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Since you are an expert at the AA churning and using points, any ideas for AA to China and England? I think you’ve pointed me in certain directions before, but things keep changing. IIRC award flights to LHR have high fees, so other suggestions welcome. Cathay for China, with AA miles? This confuses me every time.

Don't know if you have any interest in Delta, but might be worth considering. They use a different award structure to BA/VS etc which basically means they charge more miles but lower fees. For example, whereas BA might want 40000miles and $400 fees for an economy return to LHR, the same on Delta might be 60,000miles and $200 fees.

Where it gets interesting is if Delta has a reward seat sale. They had one in December and I was able to snag 2 return seats in Econ for just 28000miles and $181 each. Also used an Amex offer which effectively brought the fees down to $150 each.

I don't know how often Delta has these sales, but definitely good value if it works out with your plans.
 
Also just got my $200 Visa gift card from Sams, that I used my expiring $200 Dish MC for, so for $6.48 I was able to extend my $200 indefinitely.
Too bad that the job situation isn't going as well as the churning is the last couple of days.
 
@Andysol how was Ziva/zilara?

Also interested in AA. Good to know I can start with biz and no mailer. Not sure I want to waste a spot on the personal - I got a mailer for that. I think I read they are good for a bit after expiration.

I’m almost done with PGR MSR and arrival +. I’ll be 5/24 when PGR hits my credit report. I’m FOMOing over Hyatt and unsure of my next move but think it’s best to hold out until March when I’m 4/24 and go for CIU (third Chase biz). Then get Hyatt and then I’m unsure. Would you just do a bunch of apps and screw 5/24. DH i will keep below.

I did the PV Hyatt Ziva (No Zilara there). I can't compare it to Jamaica (haven't been). So compared to other Hyatts that I've been to:

Beach wasn't as pretty as Cancun's (What is?) but incredibly private. Cliffs on both sides, so you could only get in through the guarded gate and Hyatt itself. So no wristbands and beaches had no other tourists there. Very clean and waves broke very close to shore so great bodysurfing with no undertow. Boogie boarding would be ok on a calm day, but stick to body boarding on rougher days, otherwise you'd snap your foam pretty easily.

Food was better than Cabo but still just "better than average". Asian and italian weren't great for me. Brazilian steakhouse was average. Mexican was great. Breakfast was the standout. Never did the buffet. Can't stand them at Disney, can't stand them out of Disney.

Pools were small, hot tubs were not hot (none were). But because it is by far the smallest of the Hyatt Zivas I've been to (maybe half the size or smaller), it was more than adequate. No waits anywhere even though they were 100% occupancy.

As for PV itself: I've been to Los Cabos, Cancun, Cozumel, Progresso and Playa del Carmen. While the Gulf side is certainly the prettiest beaches, PV beaches were decent enough. But PV itself is vastly prettier than the other locations IMO. Very reminiscent of Hawaii with an ocean on one side and mountainous jungle on the other- but significantly less developed. I never leave Mexico ready to go back, but PV had me ready to go back. The food in the (large) town was jaw-dropping amazing and better than anywhere else in Mexico I've been as well.
Also much more family friendly with very little partying compared to other Mexico cities/beaches.

-----

Regarding your 4/24 and 5/24- It's up to you. Its only a 10k drop on the Hyatt, so not a massive deal. Maybe if DH can get it now @60k, and refer you when you're ready for it after the CIU, you can still makeup that 10k from the refer? Chase Biz is so lucrative, and if you still havent hit a ton of AMEX Biz (and are hitting Citi AA Biz w/ mailers), you're more than fine delaying busting over 5/24. You can only get what you can get, ya know? If you can't MSR $140kish a year or have it organic, you wouldn't be able to maximize life post-5/24 anyway.
 
Not anymore. Only one 10 %
If you hold the biz and personal you are supposed to get 20% back in points on all bookings. For our family of 4 it’s pretty close to the CP benefit and I prefer JB to SW (and more nonstops from Boston). I haven’t used the points yet so that’s a bummer it’s a hassle getting them back. Usually JB is pretty good so that’s a bummer!
 
If you haven't gotten an AA biz in the past then you don't need a mailer for the first card :)
I have the Barclay's Aviator Biz and Citi AA Biz; just gotten this year. So I would need a mailer now if I want to churn. I do have the one personal mailer but no personal cards yet...

I have gotten the AA Citi Business (which now needs to be cancelled). This is nice because I can just use Plastiq and pay Mortgage with these.
Yes, I used my AA Citi Biz the same way. Easy to knock out MSR that way.

You may be right. I do have a Delta account that I created when I opened the Delta CC. I've never received a mailer from them.
That might be it. I don't have the CC, just the account. I think last year in the early part, the Delta CCs had some high bonuses. Maybe just wait and see?

If you want a few adventures, check out Above & Beyond Alaska (we did a private kakak to Mendenhall Glacier and then trekked up the glacier itself). They provided everything and a guide and it was fantastic. Also, DH and DD booked an excursion with Snorkel Alaska in Ketchikan - they loved it, it wasn't expensive, and it's become a fun conversation topic over the years.
That sounds like fun... for the adult kids if they come. I am not too sure how much trekking up the glacier my knees can do. Snorkeling in Alaska? I have to google that now.
 
Anyone else get the email from AMEX about the VIP Package available at Coachella. Only $1800..LOL
 
I was there in 2018 also- it's incredible. Not a "churning" destination as only the Marriott in Anchorage is points friendly (but who wants to stay in anchorage for more than a day or 2?). But still worth a trip for sure.
My churning philosophy is to travel more but it doesn't have to all be free. I have a travel budget and this allows me to stretch it. So I'm sure every now and then I'll have a trip that is more OOP. So this won't bug me too much. It's been on the bucket list for awhile. Though Antarctica is now up there even moreso after seeing @calypso726 's pictures.
 
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