I love credit cards so much! v4.0 - 2021 (see first page for add'l details)

[jujubiee4]

With carrying a balance it makes the math hard to see if you can get ahead with SUB's and rewards. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently offering a great SUB of 100,000 UR that could then be cashed out at 1.25cpp if used for pay yourself back for grocery store purchases (ie purchasing Disney Gift Cards to use toward paying off cruise if it is a Disney Cruise), though that offer is currently only through the end of September. This card does have a great SUB right now and since you don't use hotel/airline rewards often it could be a good option since you have the flexibility for pay yourself back to the other categories.

Chase Freedom Unlimited currently has no interest for the first 15 months, which could be helpful if you aren't able to pay off the balance right away for the upcoming purchases. It is offering $200 cash back for sign up bonus with a $500 spend.

If you are looking for a card to transfer to, the Citi Double Cash Back is currently offering no interest on balance transfers for up to 18 months with a 3% fee to transfer.

 

[jujubiee4]

The CSP sub offer if good through September? where did you read that?

 

[jujubiee4]

Thinking of jumping on the 80,000 Citi Premier offer. I really need to sit down and figure out our Greece trip next year. We are cruising Virgin. At minimum I know I could use the SUB for $800 back on the cruise via statement credit.
Was also thinking of flying Virgin from the east coast to Europe. Nice sweet spots there.

There's a lot of good bonuses out there now and I am torn.

Is that the personal card? I had it about 5 years ago. I find Citi very easy to work with. I can't remember
how i used the points but it must have been easy . This 80k is looking tempting! You are going on the
of Virgin Lady ships? Wow I was just looking at videos of it on you tube. Please post back what you
think after sailing

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

The CSP sub offer if good through September? where did you read that?

I think they meant Pay It Back is only till Sept

 

[jujubiee4]

I think they meant Pay It Back is only till Sept

Thank you. I started getting excited thinking i might make cut off time to apply for CSP. by the way when
you downgrade don't you request to lower your credit limit. Do you know to what amount? thanks

 

[GlamMistress]

Is that the personal card? I had it about 5 years ago. I find Citi very easy to work with. I can't remember
how i used the points but it must have been easy . This 80k is looking tempting! You are going on the
of Virgin Lady ships? Wow I was just looking at videos of it on you tube. Please post back what you
think after sailing

Yes it's a personal card. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi-premier-80000-points-signup-bonus-95-annual-fee/

We are sailing on the Resilient Lady. Booked a rockstar suite.

 

[jujubiee4]

Yes it's a personal card. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi-premier-80000-points-signup-bonus-95-annual-fee/

We are sailing on the Resilient Lady. Booked a rockstar suite.

Woohoo! Aren't you stylin.. I love the pictures of that suite and the all inclusive feel of the ship.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I think it's decent. The push is on with most hotel chains to reduce value for point redemptions, so if you can get .01 or better on Marriott points you are doing okay.

I just used 320k Marriott points 3 weeks ago to book a room in Hawaii for my son for his honeymoon. They got the hotel they wanted and the room they wanted. They had already picked it before I got involved and offered to use points.

Its The Westin Maui with a premium high floor ocean front room in Ka'anapali. I can't remember the exact cash value at the time, but a resort view is now showing at $5277 with taxes and all fees. The room they will have is no longer available on points or cash and I believe the cash price has jumped up on the lesser rooms. I'm going to dump my suite night awards onto it as well, but I'm not sure if they will help. I have 10 (for 21 and 22) so not a big deal and this is the time to make things special. We booked 3 weeks ago and the first room choice was 280k and while talking about it, the choice disappeared, so we went from oceanfront to premium oceanfront at 320K.

I think we are in a 'if you snooze you lose' situation right now. Of the programs I belong to (IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, Radisson) the only one not jumping up their higher value redemptions is Hyatt and I think that hold is ending soon. I belong to a few other programs also but don't have significant points (or CC's) in any others.

And, I still can't get them motivated to get a few cards! They are saving for the house and are great candidates for a few UR's right now, or MR's or whatever.

You are so, so generous. I'm sure your kids and their SOs really appreciate the way you take care of them.

Now I wish we had gone in there when we stayed! next time....

I was thinking the same thing! I saw the sign when we were walking the beach path in Wailea, and I meant to look it up, but forgot. Next time?

DS was approved for CSP as well! Glad to get him started on his churning journey.

Mine too. He's 23 and we're planning a bit Italian adventure for next year for his engineering school graduation. We always pay for our kids flights, but they'll use points for his gf's flight and their solo excursions.

Thinking of jumping on the 80,000 Citi Premier offer. I really need to sit down and figure out our Greece trip next year. We are cruising Virgin. At minimum I know I could use the SUB for $800 back on the cruise via statement credit.
Was also thinking of flying Virgin from the east coast to Europe. Nice sweet spots there.

There's a lot of good bonuses out there now and I am torn.

Just saw some great economy flight prices ($500ish RT) to Greece, Sept 2021-Feb 2022 on multiple carriers, including British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa to name a few.

 

[lsutigers03]

Thinking of jumping on the 80,000 Citi Premier offer. I really need to sit down and figure out our Greece trip next year. We are cruising Virgin. At minimum I know I could use the SUB for $800 back on the cruise via statement credit.
Was also thinking of flying Virgin from the east coast to Europe. Nice sweet spots there.

There's a lot of good bonuses out there now and I am torn.

The Premier card can get $.01 per point statement credit?

 

[Laurawill]

The CSP sub offer if good through September? where did you read that?

No the grocery store 1.25 cpp redemption thru September

 

[Angrose]

I'm really enjoying your updates! We're headed to Maui 2 weeks from today! GW first for 4 nights then 5 nights at HHV. I tried booking the Calypso based on your recommendation but they were booked I'm going to keep checking though in case they have cancellations.

@iujen94 and @magickingdomprincess I am also heading to HHV in 4 weeks. I’d love to hear about both of your experiences there, particularly what tower/view you get and if you’re offered any upgrades. We booked the standard award rate w/5th night free and have Diamond status. We’ve been to Waikiki but never got down to HHV and I’ve read such mixed reviews it seems like a bit of a crapshoot.

I’ve read that the pool bars are open, in fact they are on the list of the few places that count for the dining credit, which I believe is now $30 per room per day.

 

[iujen94]

@iujen94 and @magickingdomprincess I am also heading to HHV in 4 weeks. I’d love to hear about both of your experiences there, particularly what tower/view you get and if you’re offered any upgrades. We booked the standard award rate w/5th night free and have Diamond status. We’ve been to Waikiki but never got down to HHV and I’ve read such mixed reviews it seems like a bit of a crapshoot.

I’ve read that the pool bars are open, in fact they are on the list of the few places that count for the dining credit, which I believe is now $30 per room per day.

We will be in the Hilton Grand Vacations tower (the Lagoon Tower) and have zero Hilton status. I’ll definitely give a review!

 

[wanderlust7]

We will be in the Hilton Grand Vacations tower (the Lagoon Tower) and have zero Hilton status. I’ll definitely give a review!

We stayed in the Lagoon Tower some years ago. It was really nice. Lucked out with a great view. It's close to Lappert's ice cream. We also really liked Goofy Cafe, right outside the resort.

 

[ten6mom]

I'm in the exact same position as you and just canceled mine yesterday via chat.

I chatted also! But I had a rough start because the "auto bot" or whatever asked me what I wanted, so I said "cancel my card" and it brought up a pick list: cancel card, or ask for help. Of course I hit "cancel card" and it kept showing the same list over and over! Finally I hit "ask for help" and got somewhere! They did say my card was eligible for retention offers if I wanted to call (or have them call me) but I was at work so that wasn't going to happen. Had they offered to waive the AF for the next year, I would have taken them up on that.

 

[havaneselover]

For the first time in several years, I was not woken up by a panting dog. Maybe there is something to the Eastern medicine cooling diet.

Still waiting for my fine resorts credit from Amex. And for my fluff yeah slippers (I caved) to ship so I can get my Saks credit and cancel my vanilla Platinum.

 

[FloridaNative8]

I'm really enjoying your updates! We're headed to Maui 2 weeks from today! GW first for 4 nights then 5 nights at HHV. I tried booking the Calypso based on your recommendation but they were booked I'm going to keep checking though in case they have cancellations.

Our trips will overlap at GW for your stay If you see a woman with her notes out trying to figure out what card to use to make sure we use all of our credits, with a moody teenaged boy, a feisty 9 year old boy, and a husband with an IPA in his hand - that'll be me (I'll also probably have a mai tai in one or both hands).

 

[snugglebug]

I chatted also! But I had a rough start because the "auto bot" or whatever asked me what I wanted, so I said "cancel my card" and it brought up a pick list: cancel card, or ask for help. Of course I hit "cancel card" and it kept showing the same list over and over! Finally I hit "ask for help" and got somewhere! They did say my card was eligible for retention offers if I wanted to call (or have them call me) but I was at work so that wasn't going to happen. Had they offered to waive the AF for the next year, I would have taken them up on that.

Yes, the auto bot kept going in loops. Then my chat person kept saying "close account" and I kept correcting her to card, not my AA account. No retention was mentioned to me.

 

[becauseimnew]

Anyone use the new Plat credit to buy audible books/credits? Have the credits posted?

 

[havaneselover]

Anyone use the new Plat credit to buy audible books/credits? Have the credits posted?

No but my credits for Sirius and Peacock credited fairly quickly.

 

[Shannon G]

Does anyone have experience with whether these recent changes to SW boarding number assignment for a companion pass works if the paying ticket was purchased as a Business fare that gets A 1- 15 boarding? Will my companion also be in that boarding group with me, or should I buy ECBI for her ticket? I've read that it applies to "regular" boarding assignments and to those with A-List status, but I haven't seen anything recent about whether it applies to this scenario.