I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[mefordis]

Let’s try this again.

You need to check if there are even bookable Business Saver awards at 70k United miles after November 2019, and if there are even 4 award seats available before you throw any more money towards this plan. Otherwise, you’ll need a crap-ton more points and miles in order to fly United than you’ve accounted for.

How are you planning to accumulate the 560k United miles, or transferable points that can convert to United miles, that you think you’ll need by October?

Are you really looking to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the next 4 months on your existing cards to earn the 276k+ United miles, or points that can transfer to United, which you think you’ll need for 4 Polaris seats, each way?

What are you points and miles totals in every program (UR, MR, Marriott, United, etc.) currently?

You’re at 5/24 until, basically, December 2019, so Chase’s cards are not even an option for you.

What, if any, credit cards are you looking to open?

The saver awards come out 11 months in advance and then disappear very quickly. So even if there were saver awards for November 2019 they have been long since gone . however I have a been looking at saver awards for 70 K each in April and early May and yes there are plenty of those unless they are as you call them phantom and not really there .

The question is whether or not 80,000 United miles is worth $1500 and I guess The answer is yes, if I can get an 80 K one way business class ticket to Tokyo. I guess I’ll find that out when I go to book in October .

As for the points accumulation, we do a lot of spending I’ll just put it that way .

 

[mefordis]

Couldn’t you have split your itinerary? Used UA miles already on your United account to book some tickets, and transferred all the household’s UR to DH’s CSR, then transfer the URs from DH’s CSR to DH’s United account and have DH book the remaining tickets?

We did that but the balance of the miles were in my account for the return trip and we needed the miles in my husband’s Chase Sapphire reserve ultimate rewards account in order to complete the miles needed, otherwise we would be laying out some serious cash for the return trip . And transferring the miles to my husbands account would’ve cost more money than I wanted to pay.

 

[mefordis]

Let’s try this again.

You need to check if there are even bookable Business Saver awards at 70k United miles after November 2019, and if there are even 4 award seats available before you throw any more money towards this plan. Otherwise, you’ll need a crap-ton more points and miles in order to fly United than you’ve accounted for.

How are you planning to accumulate the 560k United miles, or transferable points that can convert to United miles, that you think you’ll need by October?

Are you really looking to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the next 4 months on your existing cards to earn the 276k+ United miles, or points that can transfer to United, which you think you’ll need for 4 Polaris seats, each way?

What are you points and miles totals in every program (UR, MR, Marriott, United, etc.) currently?

You’re at 5/24 until, basically, December 2019, so Chase’s cards are not even an option for you.

What, if any, credit cards are you looking to open?

Wait a second I think I understand what you’re trying to say. I need to book these awards saver tickets in October 2019 November would be too late because if there were saver tickets they would be gone by then. Plus it sounds like in November they’re changing their award chart so the prices for these tickets and points could go up.

like I said in my first post I need to accumulate as many United airline miles as possible by October 2019 in order to afford what I hope will be 70 K business class flights each way . Given that, purchasing 80 K United miles for $1500 may be worth it.

 

[Lain]

The saver awards come out 11 months in advance and then disappear very quickly. So even if there were saver awards for November 2019 they have been long since gone . however I have a been looking at saver awards for 70 K each in April and early May and yes there are plenty of those unless they are as you call them phantom and not really there .

The question is whether or not 80,000 United miles is worth $1500 and I guess The answer is yes, if I can get an 80 K one way business class ticket to Tokyo. I guess I’ll find that out when I go to book in October .

Right, what I’m suggesting is search 337 days out, which is how far in advance United releases their schedule, and will put you in mid-May 2020, and if you find 70k Business Saver availability, call United to see if it’s even there, how many award seats are available at the Saver fare, and if you can book it. You’re not actually booking it. That’ll give you an idea if there’s even something to save up for.

Are you absolutely firm on flying with United? What about ANA out of JFK to NRT or HND?

As for the points accumulation, we do a lot of spending I’ll just put it that way .

If you’ve got high spend, and since you’re locked out of Chase, I’m going to suggest you focus on earning some Amex Membership Rewards points and forget Chase for now. Amex MR transfers to ANA directly, and to Virgin Atlantic (“VS”) which is partners with ANA and you can use VS miles to book ANA award seats.

Check out the Japan tips thread on DISchurners for some recent discussion on transferring UR/MR to VS to book award flights to Japan on ANA.

If this route sounds ok to you, please come back for more advice before signing up for any more cards.

 

[Lain]

Wait a second I think I understand what you’re trying to say. I need to book these awards saver tickets in October 2019 November would be too late because if there were saver tickets they would be gone by then. Plus it sounds like in November they’re changing their award chart so the prices for these tickets and points could go up.

like I said in my first post I need to accumulate as many United airline miles as possible by October 2019 in order to afford what I hope will be 70 K business class flights each way . Given that, purchasing 80 K United miles for $1500 may be worth it.

No, United already announced the changes to their awards program. Dynamic pricing is already coded into flights in and after November 2019. Even if you book before November 2019 for travel after November 2019, you’ll be booking award seats subject to dynamic pricing.

 

[linzjane88]

I am back to being a good 100 pages behind but I did manage to score a sweet trip. DH has to go to Chicago for business for 10 days so I thought I would visit him at the end of his trip and come home when he does since I am his companion and his company booked him on SW. All the prices both in cash and award were crazy but I was gonna do it anyway---Then availability popped up on American getting there....FIRST availability So I transferred 17k UR's to BAwith the 30% transfer bonus and booked momma a one way trip .Slowly but surely becoming a plane princess .

I love the ability to travel at a moments notice this hobby gives us.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

DP:

I closed DH's CIP with 2600 URs pending. They just hung out pending in his account for a week or two until the statement closed last night, at which point I logged in this morning and was able to transfer them over to the other URs in his CSR.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

This is crazy to me as well! I seriously cannot believe that I was able to cover the equivalent of 18 nights at WDW with only $500 OOP in less than 6 mos. Yes, some of those nights are at Swan but my fam is very okay (and actually very excited) about that! I the grAAvy train!

18 nights?!?! Thats a really long trip!

 

[DisneyMandC]

Which personal Hilton card does everyone have that they've mentioned they receive good email upgrade offers to another card for? It's not the basic, no AF card right?

All the Hilton and Marriott card names are so confusing and change so much I can't keep them straight

 

[calypso726]

Amazing to get back to 4/24 from LOL/24!

Haven’t been under 5/24 since 2012

Went on the DVC tour and was ready to buy because he said he would check about getting me a room at the Grand Californian for my birthday trip in September. He ran my credit but I could not get the stay at the Grand Californian. Waste of a hard pull. Now I’m moping around the magic kingdom wishing I was a dvc member. One day guys one day...

Sorry to hear that. Not buying VGC when it first came out is my one DVC regret. Getting it at the 7 month window is really tough. I got lucky for our trip this December. We will go again in May but will be using Bonblah free night certs. That may determine whether or not we add on VGC points.

Me too! My strategy is to buy a gift card when there's an AmEx offer and then wait for a 25% off coupon. They are a bit pricey but I have found things there that work just perfectly for what I need -- like the pet food container (airtight seal, on wheels) that I use for birdseed. We buy birdseed in bulk so I need a big container, but I also need to be able to move it, so the wheels are perfect.

Oh that is a great idea! Thanks for sharing! I will do that next time I get a Container Store offer.

The saver awards come out 11 months in advance and then disappear very quickly. So even if there were saver awards for November 2019 they have been long since gone . however I have a been looking at saver awards for 70 K each in April and early May and yes there are plenty of those unless they are as you call them phantom and not really there .

The question is whether or not 80,000 United miles is worth $1500 and I guess The answer is yes, if I can get an 80 K one way business class ticket to Tokyo. I guess I’ll find that out when I go to book in October .

As for the points accumulation, we do a lot of spending I’ll just put it that way .

Honestly, I would not be looking at United to fly to Japan unless I had bazillions of United miles and nothing better to do with them. They are following Delta’s footsteps and awards may wind up as high as 300,000 or more per person.

You can get a RT flight on ANA with MR points transferred to Virgin Atlantic or to ANA directly. You can transfer UR points to Virgin Atlantic to book ANA as well. There is also the option of AA miles to fly JAL to Tokyo. Since it seems that you are over 5/24 then Chase cards are not an option anyhow.

I would look into Amex MR earning cards or Barclay and Citi AA cards.

 

[DisneyMandC]

18 nights?!?! Thats a really long trip!

I think she may have said before that she got two rooms, so I'm guessing just 9 nights total

 

[elgerber]

Well Tweeting AMEX got me nowhere. Just contact from someone there, who says they calculate my spend as being met on 5/22 and they cannot do anything until 12 weeks from that day. Then she said it's showing $2950 of my spend not counted yet, so she thinks maybe those charges are under review. Good lord. I don't think I will ever see these miles, and being I spent over $7k, if I don't get my 80k miles I will be done with Amex.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

You guys have been busy last two days.

Check your freedom accts just received a 5% for using chase pay at specific retailers online up to $300

 

[speedyfishy]

Sorry to hear that. Not buying VGC when it first came out is my one DVC regret. Getting it at the 7 month window is really tough. I got lucky for our trip this December. We will go again in May but will be using Bonblah free night certs. That may determine whether or not we add on VGC points.

They offered to put me on the waitlist for VGC. Are you on that? I think it was $260 a point tho LOL

 

[wendow]

18 nights?!?! Thats a really long trip!

It's 9 nights but with two rooms...so it's the 'equivalent' of 18 nights

 

[Lain]

Honestly, I would not be looking at United to fly to Japan unless I had bazillions of United miles and nothing better to do with them. They are following Delta’s footsteps and awards may wind up as high as 300,000 or more per person.

You can get a RT flight on ANA with MR points transferred to Virgin Atlantic or to ANA directly. You can transfer UR points to Virgin Atlantic to book ANA as well. There is also the option of AA miles to fly JAL to Tokyo. Since it seems that you are over 5/24 then Chase cards are not an option anyhow.

I would look into Amex MR earning cards or Barclay and Citi AA cards.

 

[calypso726]

They offered to put me on the waitlist for VGC. Are you on that? I think it was $260 a point tho LOL

No, I’m willing to go resale and have a different UY and separate contract for VGC if we ever decide to buy and the price is right. I’d consider direct if the timing works out that we get the current UY points before our UY month comes around. The difference in pricing could be negligible under those circumstances.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

DH swa Card came today! Go figure since I’m not home. Could have used it today at kings dominion with the girls.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

They offered to put me on the waitlist for VGC. Are you on that? I think it was $260 a point tho LOL

Ouch prices keep going higher. I so want to get another contract but not with these high prices.

 

[mefordis]

Right, what I’m suggesting is search 337 days out, which is how far in advance United releases their schedule, and will put you in mid-May 2020, and if you find 70k Business Saver availability, call United to see if it’s even there, how many award seats are available at the Saver fare, and if you can book it. You’re not actually booking it. That’ll give you an idea if there’s even something to save up for.

Are you absolutely firm on flying with United? What about ANA out of JFK to NRT or HND?



If you’ve got high spend, and since you’re locked out of Chase, I’m going to suggest you focus on earning some Amex Membership Rewards points and forget Chase for now. Amex MR transfers to ANA directly, and to Virgin Atlantic (“VS”) which is partners with ANA and you can use VS miles to book ANA award seats.

Check out the Japan tips thread on DISchurners for some recent discussion on transferring UR/MR to VS to book award flights to Japan on ANA.

If this route sounds ok to you, please come back for more advice before signing up for any more cards.

Thanks! I called and the April 22 11am flight had at least four 70k mike seats available.