I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

I'm sooo behind....Updates and then back to read....

I contacted Amex about my free night w/ the Surpass. The agent in chat agreed that I should have been credited one. So he escalated my case and told me to reach out in about a week. So hoping I'm still grandfathered in.

I was also able to triple dip the airline credit w/ the Aspire. My airline of choice is Delta. FT has lots of loopholes that seem to be still working. I managed a loophole that has my daughter and I flying to RDU in April for Buffett, $25 RT total for both of us I have been debating if I wanted to keep the Aspire but I have no real trips planned this year to use the other free weekend night, or $200 resort credit. I could see me possibly trying for the card again in December some year to go for the triple dips again if they are still working.

 

[Judique]

Well, I was going to keep DH's BonBlah Biz but this is making me rethink my decision. I'm for sure going to close the SPG Biz, don't want to pay $125. ugh, what I thought was an easy decision has now become difficult.

For the Biz, I haven't paid $125 yet - won't be until September so I have time on it to think. I've already earned $150 in offers with the Lowes and Staples so it's earned it's keep for 2020 with the FNC being icing on that.

For the Brilliant, from opening (8/2018) to 8/20/19, I earned $145 in usable offers. Nothing I needed since then. That's 5 and 1/2 months with nothing. Amex, I'm counting.

 

[IFlossU]

It's like they don't want people to actually use their points. You can only get away with it for so long before people realize what's the point of earning them if they're so terrible to use.

This 100%

That's just nuts! At least the Fairfeild inn is staying at Cat 5.

I went back and looked at the list, I’m guessing if it’s not listed it’s not changing? I’m personally going to need to see 150,000 point SUB to be interested in a Marriott card at this point. Just kidding. Sort of

ETA: It appears Fairfield is the only Anaheim property that isn’t increasing

 

[Judique]

This 100%

I went back and looked at the list, I’m guessing if it’s not listed it’s not changing? If that’s the case then I guess Fairfield, Residence Inn, and SpringHill Anaheim aren’t changing. So there’s that..I’m personally going to need to see 150,000 point SUB to be interested in a Marriott card at this point. Just kidding. Sort of

And, they are pushing the 3 free nights sign up bonus. Just got that email this morning to refer my friends and get 20k in referral bonus.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Since I don't follow here all the time, not sure if this has been reported yet. I went back a few pages, but didn't see it.

Chase has officially added language that disallows self-referrals:

“You are not eligible for a referral bonus if you use your own referral URL to apply for a different card”.

Not all cards have this limitation. When you are generating a referral link, scroll to program details and check the T&Cs regarding the card you planned to apply for.

Obviously self-referrals aren't suggested, but an FYI for those that might.

 

[becauseimnew]

This 100%

I went back and looked at the list, I’m guessing if it’s not listed it’s not changing? I’m personally going to need to see 150,000 point SUB to be interested in a Marriott card at this point. Just kidding. Sort of

We upgrade DH’s SPG to brilliant, so we’ll double dip the $300 credit. We’ll get his 50k certificate in July-ish. And downgrade it in November to get the a partial refund on his fee.

 

[ASHLEYWALDRONLPN]

Hi, I am new to this forum and I am wanting to learn how to use credit cards to my advantage so that I can get free trips to Disney World. I read the stickies uptop but there is a lot of information here. So where is a good starting point to this endevor?

 

[Judique]

Since I don't follow here all the time, not sure if this has been reported yet. I went back a few pages, but didn't see it.

Chase has officially added language that disallows self-referrals:

“You are not eligible for a referral bonus if you use your own referral URL to apply for a different card”.

Not all cards have this limitation. When you are generating a referral link, scroll to program details and check the T&Cs regarding the card you planned to apply for.

Obviously self-referrals aren't suggested, but an FYI for those that might.

It was reported by @SouthFayetteFan yesterday in post # 6050.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Hi, I am new to this forum and I am wanting to learn how to use credit cards to my advantage so that I can get free trips to Disney World. I read the stickies uptop but there is a lot of information here. So where is a good starting point to this endevor?

the best place to start would be to answer the questions in the 2nd post...this way everyone can give you advice based on your situation...

 

[GZanta77]

The annual Bonbarf category changes are out, effective March 4, 2020.

Offhand the Swolphin is not on the list so no change there, for good or bad.

Reminder that points advance bookings don't lock in your rate anymore, just a room. If you want to lock in a lower rate now you have to have the points now. (And cross fingers they don't Bonvoy you with bad IT and charge you the higher rate later anyway. Screenshot, screenshot, screenshot, and keep an eye on your points balances)

https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change/marriott-bonvoy

Ouch...almost all hotels in the Boston area are moving up a category.....including my favorite use of the 35k FNC - Residence Inn Boston Seaport - moving up to Cat 6 which effectively kills that for me. I have a stay there coming up in March, but I think that will be that....and it will be Bonvoy to my Chase Marriott.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Other than sign up bonuses, is anyone actually bothering to try to earn points with Marriott? I know I'm not. Only accidental points hit my stash - ie - points from an offer or a hotel that is under $100 and is the cheaper and more desirable of the options available.

After looking over the list I would say they have effectively killed the 50K certificate for me. I have to get more than $150 out of it to make it viable. I paid the fee on renewal and have used the $300, but still have my 'free night'. I will now have to book it prior to March 4th to make it work for this year. The 35k FNC are still okay because they can be used for many of the less expensive hotels that are Cat 5 and below.

And this is churning 101, earn and burn!

Nope only use my Amex if there is a good offer and haven’t used my chase Marriott cards in forever. Even with a Marriott stay I tend to use CSR

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Hi, I am new to this forum and I am wanting to learn how to use credit cards to my advantage so that I can get free trips to Disney World. I read the stickies uptop but there is a lot of information here. So where is a good starting point to this endevor?

You’re going to want to do a fair amount of reading before jumping into any cards. Normally I’d send you an invite to our DISchurners Reddit group but you need to have made 10 comments to PM on the DIS. If you’d like to join you’d need to tell me your Reddit name or join at Reddit.com.

 

[GZanta77]

It's like they don't want people to actually use their points. You can only get away with it for so long before people realize what's the point of earning them if they're so terrible to use.

I think I have pretty much felt that way since the merger - really haven't bothered collecting anymore Bonvoy points, and the ones I have are becoming less and less valuable.

Its funny - 3 years ago I had rarely stayed at a Hyatt - now I find myself seeking them out as my preferred choice. So much better value with the awards - but I suspect I'm on borrowed time there too!

 

[Lain]

Looks like all the Anaheim hotels near DL jumped up a category I just canceled 1 award night at Courtyard Theme Park Entrance (40k) after I realized we can stay 3 nights at Hyatt House for 45k TOTAL!! We really like the Courtyard property, but that’s a ridiculous amount of points. Now it’s going to be a Cat. 7

Not all.

For Disneyland, it looks like a 35k FNC will still get you "standard" nights at the Marriott by the Convention Center, Sheraton Park, SpringHill Suites across from the Hyatt House, Fairfield Inn across the Park, and Four Points (even though that last one is going up a cat).

To move the Courtyard across from Disneyland up to Cat 7 is ridiculous! It's a COURTYARD!

I also noticed the Sheraton Universal Hotel next to Universal Studios Hollywood is moving up from Cat 5 > 6.

Most of Marriott's hotels on Maui are moving from Cat 6 > 7.

Lots of upward movement in NYC as well.

 

[Lain]

It's like they don't want people to actually use their points. You can only get away with it for so long before people realize what's the point of earning them if they're so terrible to use.

We still have 500k+ Marriott points from running the Starriott Gauntlet before all the restrictions made earning Marriott points so difficult. (I've been redeeming them, don't worry.)

At this point, I cannot justify redeeming Marriott points on mid-range (or what used to be) Cat 4-6 type properties. Considering many of these Cat 5 and 6 (and sometimes 7!) properties were Cat 4 or 5 not too long ago, and they're now subject to peak and off peak swings in pricing, when before there was only a "standard" points chart, I'm just not seeing the value in spending points at Marriott's mid-range hotels. Unlike Hilton and Hyatt, which waives resort fees on points stays, you're still on the hook for BS resort fees when you stay on points with Marriott, so you're not getting any extra value by booking with points and rolling those resort fees into the overall cpp redemption value. I think the only notable benefit left to booking with points is a 5th night free, but Marriott recently nerfed what that means too.

As for the 35k and 50k FNCs, I'll burn them at these mid-range properties, because you have to when the value of the cert is fixed. However, I'm seriously considering strategically canceling my Bonvoy cards because these category changes along with peak pricing make FNCs useless or at best too difficult to use.

When we're traveling and any mid-range property will do, I'll be looking at redeeming at a Hyatt, since their points chart is more favorable; or even paying cash at a Hilton if the room rate isn't exorbitant, because Hilton's credit cards earn a much better return than Bonvoy's -- and Hiltons give free breakfast to Gold and Diamond members. I'll be saving my Marriott points for only high-end, Cat 7 and 8 aspirational-type redemptions where I can still see getting some outsized cpp value.

Bonvoyed!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

If anyone has hotel reservations booked with URs...my 2 for May and October in Orlando went down in points.....so if you have refundable reservations you may want to check

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Not all.

For Disneyland, it looks like a 35k FNC will still get you "standard" nights at the Marriott by the Convention Center, Sheraton Park, SpringHill Suites across from the Hyatt House, Fairfield Inn across the Park, and Four Points (even though that last one is going up a cat).

To move the Courtyard across from Disneyland up to Cat 7 is ridiculous! It's a COURTYARD!

But, but, it has a water park.
Yeah, I’m not buying it ether. I booked the Fairfield Inn over the Courtyard even when the Courtyard was still a Cat 6.

 

[Lain]

But, but, it has a water park.
Yeah, I’m not buying it ether. I booked the Fairfield Inn over the Courtyard even when the Courtyard was still a Cat 6.

Most of Marriott's Maui properties jumped from Cat 6 > 7. The Sheraton and Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki are still Cat 7s (now watch Marriott bump them to Cat 8 next year). If Marriott wants me to pay Cat 7 rates, "but, but, I could stay at a hotel that has a water park AND a beach!"

A Cat 7 hotel is 50k off peak, 60k standard, and 70k peak! I just plugged in some dates for the Courtyard across DLR over 4th of July weekend, and room rates average $359. Once it jumps a category, it'll be 60k or 70k Marriott points/night. Or you can book through the CSR Chase portal for 24k UR/night.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

A Fireside Chat on EARNING, BURNING and HOARDING...
This seems to be a topic of interest to a lot of people lately in light of a lot of doom and gloom of 2019 that brought us clawbacks and shutdowns galore! I'm going to attempt to organize some thoughts around this subject that hopefully will be helpful to a lot of you here and also spark some discussion (I'd love to hear from you all on this topic too!!)

Should I participate in [insert name here] advanced strategy (a.k.a. loophole)?

• First off...I prefer to call them "advanced strategies" instead of loopholes. I don't really like the undertones that come with the word loophole!
• "Advanced Strategies" are a part of the churning game, and we are always looking for new ways to bolster our points earning potential!
• Even back in the days before 5/24, churners would find and implement advanced strategies that allowed them to earn more points than appeared possible on the surface.

It is very important that you understand the risks of implementing any advanced strategy. Card issuers and rewards programs have been known to take the following actions in response to this: closing specific cards that were opened as a result of the strategy; closing ALL cards with that issuer; clawing back points (even if that leaves you with a negative balance); denying bonus points or future card bonuses; shutting off the ability to generate support links; cancelling award travel (flights/hotels/etc) booked using points or methods deemed illegitimate.

This sounds super scary...maybe I should avoid all Advanced Strategies???

• Well...first off...yeah, maybe you should...but that could severely limit your ability to earn enough points to travel for free all the time.
• The banks, rewards programs and card issuers will continue to find ways to restrict the ability to earn multiple SUBs. This is inevitable! Churners are not profitable...so if you aren't willing to push the envelope, you're going to find that your churning results are closer to that of a non-churner vs. a hardcore churner.

So it all comes down to risk vs. reward and knowing your risk tolerance. Each issuer and program is different as well...

• AMERICAN EXPRESS: notably the most hardcore when it comes to taking adverse action against churners retroactively. Shutdowns are more rare with them, but claw-backs are their favorite. And they will put you on a list as a "gamer"...and it's hard to get off that list!
• CHASE: most commonly noted as the issuer that will shut you down...but it's pretty easy to avoid this fate. Don't get cards too fast, don't attempt to get cards if you're well over 5/24, don't apply for multiple cards with them on the same day... Chase is also known for rarely (never?) clawing back points and they frequently have issued warnings in the past to people who have done something that they feel was an abuse of their programs.
• AMERICAN AIRLINES: the new sheriff in town who will shutdown your miles, your hopes, and your dreams... enough said there...

So you've decided to implement one of the numerous advanced strategies...what should I be thinking about now?

• If you're playing in a fairly safe space...(i.e. you did 1 MDD)...don't panic. As the saying goes: "Act like you've been there before!"
• Hoarding points earned in a legitimate fashion brings with it the risks of devaluation but the risks of losing your points to a claw-back are far less and if you have a specific redemption in mind, then by all means hoard away until you get there!
• That said...IF you are in deep, and you are PRINTING points faster than you can use them using some of our favorite advanced strategies...you gotta do something about it!
• Hoarding points earned in this fashion is NOT a good plan! First off, your large points balance could put a clear target on your account when they come for the "abusers"... Secondly, as long as said strategy continues, you can replace the points you have today in a mere number of months! So stop looking for the optimal redemption, stop waiting for the perfect trip to pop up...find a way to convert those points into something of value in your pocket and just do it!
• I'm not saying you should cash out to $0 every month, but don't be the person who gets shutdown with 2 million miles and you never used a single one of them!
• If you're earning more points than you can use, and you don't see a clear path on how to cash them out or convert them to some cash-like value, it might be time to move in a different direction and diversify your points.

So should I "Earn and Burn" like everybody says?
Oh yes, the old r/churning mantra "Earn and Burn"... look, don't let ANYBODY (even me) tell you what you should or should not do with your points!!

I had this crazy stupid goal of having a million URs last year...and so I went for it... and in retrospect it was stupid because I should've been cashing them out...BUT it made me happy to see it once and I don't regret it!

I have a stash of over a million Marriott points, I attempt to keep my Southwest stash above 500k at all times: I'm certainly not earning and burning those currencies.

• Marriott is my safety stash, I totally acknowledge it will be devalued over time and I'm ok with that - I like knowing that in any circumstance (random stop-over trip, long weekend trip, wedding hotel needed, unfortunate death of a loved one, etc.) that I can get a convenient free hotel! That is what it's there for and it serves me well! I never earned those points hoping for some aspirational safari in the jungles of Africa...they are doing exactly what I want them to do!
• Southwest is my ticket to all of my travel dreams! They fly exactly where I want to go, non-stop! Have I lost some value over the years with devaluations...sure! But keeping a significant stash of SW points ensures that I will have MANY years of free flights at my disposal even if all of my SW points earning strategies dry up!
• Some of you might be chasing something aspirational...maybe an awesome trip to Hawaii! Well, you aren't going to earn all of those points overnight... so you're going to have to hoard some until you get there...and that's ok!!

So there are two examples of where my points strategy flies in the face of "earn and burn" and a third strategy where hoarding might be required. But to my earlier comment, if you are hoarding points that you are earning using one of the more dangerous "advanced strategies" you might be playing with fire...

So what does this all mean @SouthFayetteFan?? You know what...I truthfully don't know!

These are just the ramblings of a crazy churner guy who has been at this game for almost 7 years...

What I can tell you is that if you are in this game deep enough to implement an "advanced strategy" then you better be able to think for yourself!! Nobody here can tell you if "you're safe"... Nobody here can tell you if you should pull the trigger on that next card. They can tell you what THEY did...they can tell you WHY they did it... but they can't tell YOU what YOU should do! So earn and burn my friends...or earn and hoard...do whatever you think is best! But understand your risks, understand your goals, and make logical decisions!

I think this could be an awesome discussion point for our thread in the next few days. I'd really love to hear what others think on this topic. How are you earning, burning and hoarding in this strange churning world we operate in here in 2020...

I'll also mention as a side note that the days of openly bragging of your "advanced strategy conquests" on the internet should probably be over...those types of comments are probably best left to DISchurners and other more private settings.

Thanks in advance to anybody willing to share some thoughts on this important topic!!

 

[DaveL]

Went and picked up some cookies tonight!