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

[disneybirds]

Any Portland OR residents/experts here? Looking for a hotel(s) to bookend (arrival and departure days) my Crater Lake trip next September. Where is a nice area to stay in for just one night? I do want to visit the Japanese Garden/Washington Park area but don't have any other must dos in Portland.
Thanks.

Absolutely love Crater Lake! Hope the weather is good in September. We have been to Portland many times over the last 25+ years. Our girls loved staying Downtown at the Nines, but I am not sure I would recommend staying downtown anymore. The last time we traveled there, we stayed in a Vrbo/Airbnb but that doesn't make sense for one night. Hopefully some of the Portland residents can chime in. Have a great trip!!

 

[EACarlson]

Did our Clear biometrics this afternoon at BWI. Super easy. DH said now we are the ones getting the evil eye when we go in front of the TSA/Pre line. Now waiting for our delayed flight to Orlando.

Has anyone here really saved that much time with Clear? I've been offered trials and incredibly good rates with Clear but everytime I've flown in the last few years it looks like it would have saved me two or three minutes at most. Nothing like Pre which in the last two years has saved me at least 8 hours in TSA lines.

I have a question on Chase UR's that I'm hoping someone here might know an answer to. I'm looking at booking a hotel for a stay a few months from now using Chase UR points. The hotel I'm wanting to stay at (Opal Sands in Clearwater), is showing sold out in the UR portal, but has plenty of rooms available on their site. Is the only way to use the UR points for that stay to just do cash back at 1:1 points? I don't guess calling Chase directly to try and book it would help would it?

There are many hotels that don't offer all of their rooms to OTAs like Expedia. Their profit margins are much higher on direct bookings. If you have enough PYB eligible purchases to cover it I would use that to get the 1.5CPP and book direct.

 

[GZanta77]

Has anyone here really saved that much time with Clear? I've been offered trials and incredibly good rates with Clear but everytime I've flown in the last few years it looks like it would have saved me two or three minutes at most. Nothing like Pre which in the last two years has saved me at least 8 hours in TSA lines.

I took several flights over the summer and only once- at DTW - did clear save me any noticeable time - probably 20/25 mins. If it wasn't free via Amex, I wouldn't bother signing up.

 

[GBRforWDW]

For Grand Canyon, we stayed 2 nights on the rim, it was very cool. Took the train to GC which was kind of a waste. The train itself was nice but the scenery is pretty boring.

We did the train ride once. Definitely a slow boring ride, but a fun unique way of experiencing the GC, or the Forrest area near the canyon. You don't actually see the canyon from the train or anything. We were staying at the hotel where the depot is located, so we just did round trip in 1 day, but I would like to stay at one of the hotels on the rim. Seems like it'd be a fun experience.

 

[IFlossU]

Has anyone here really saved that much time with Clear?

Yesterday at PHX it saved us a good amount of time. Normally at Sky Harbor TSA is a breeze, and I was kind of thinking Clear would be unnecessary, but man it was a madhouse. I’ve never seen it like that before. I think it’s one of those things that may not necessarily always be a time saver, but if lines ever are crazy, it’s awesome.

 

[Alexle2007]

Has anyone here really saved that much time with Clear? I've been offered trials and incredibly good rates with Clear but everytime I've flown in the last few years it looks like it would have saved me two or three minutes at most. Nothing like Pre which in the last two years has saved me at least 8 hours in TSA lines.

It’s free and since we have TSA Pre is probably a nice complement to it since you go in front of Pre. If it wasn’t free, I wouldn’t have sprung for it.

 

[havaneselover]

Has anyone here really saved that much time with Clear? I've been offered trials and incredibly good rates with Clear but everytime I've flown in the last few years it looks like it would have saved me two or three minutes at most. Nothing like Pre which in the last two years has saved me at least 8 hours in TSA lines.

There are many hotels that don't offer all of their rooms to OTAs like Expedia. Their profit margins are much higher on direct bookings. If you have enough PYB eligible purchases to cover it I would use that to get the 1.5CPP and book direct.

It has been a big savings in ATL. The last two times I've flown out of there (Sunday nights) the TSA precheck lines have been very long. Clear gets you right to the front.

 

[hsmamato2]

Ok..... what is the difference between precheck and clear? (I assume GE is something different from both?)

 

[havaneselover]

Ok..... what is the difference between precheck and clear? (I assume GE is something different from both?)

Clear is only at big airports. Here's a good article:
https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/tsa-precheck-vs-clear-which-is-best/Basically Clear will move you to the front of the Precheck line. Nice to have but no way would I pay for it unless I traveled weekly out of a major airport.

And GE is for international travel (although if you get GE is works as your known traveler number for Precheck so you don't need GE + Precheck but Clear + Precheck or Clear + GE are good).

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

This has been a week! My 16yo had Harry Styles on Monday (hello spend $550 spend). I had Jimmy Buffett last night. I was supposed to be on a flight at 7am today to head to NJ for my sister's 40th. Well Weds night my nephew went to the ER for some weird swelling. He ended up being admitted. My sister called to tell me she was cancelling her party, and at the same time United texted my flight was cancelled. They rebooked me on the noon flight but I called and got a refund. I think I've hit the "add a cardmember spend" offer I got w/ my Amex Everyday. So I've now hit all my current spends. Time to look for a new one. I think I'm leaning towards a CIC. I was going to do the MDD, but that puts me at 6/24 when I do that, so I'm thinking I'll just do the INK cards for now. I think my insurance posts in October. So that would be a nice chunk out of a spend. And I think my winter taxes would fall in the 90 days time period too.

I have a question for IHG experts..... I'm wanting to use a free night before it expires, but website says reward night not available on the day I chose....is that it? blocked out or is there anything else I can do to check? thanks

You can try calling them. I think it's up to the hotel how many Reward rooms they allow a day. Otherwise watch and see if one opens.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Does anyone have any Freeport excusion suggestions? I know there isn't a tremendous amount to do there, and so this is one of our ports that I want to have something booked for. We are a very active bunch!

 

[chattadisser]

Has anyone here really saved that much time with Clear? I've been offered trials and incredibly good rates with Clear but everytime I've flown in the last few years it looks like it would have saved me two or three minutes at most. Nothing like Pre which in the last two years has saved me at least 8 hours in TSA lines.

I agree with others that if it's free it's great. I used it during a free trial period and thought it was awesome. I've thought about getting it again as it would be fairly inexpensive with the offers out there but unless you travel regularly thru the airports its in, its probably not worth it. Or if you frequented one of the large venues (stadiums) that use it. If I had season tickets at one of the stadiums that uses it, I would pay for it. Pre-check to me is just as good most of the time.

 

[afan]

I had a Starbucks offer on my aspire that expires 12/31 and had added it. I just saw one on my Hilton biz for the same 15% but expires 11/4 and was able to add it.

Am I correct in thinking that since it let me add both and they have different expiration dates I can use both?

 

[AndreaDM]

I had a Starbucks offer on my aspire that expires 12/31 and had added it. I just saw one on my Hilton biz for the same 15% but expires 11/4 and was able to add it.

Am I correct in thinking that since it let me add both and they have different expiration dates I can use both?

I used the 10% off Disney one on both my CFU and CSP, redeemed both and I think they even had the same exp date.

EDIT: Yours are AMEX right? Mine were on Chase cards, so might be different.

 

[Alexle2007]

I had a Starbucks offer on my aspire that expires 12/31 and had added it. I just saw one on my Hilton biz for the same 15% but expires 11/4 and was able to add it.

Am I correct in thinking that since it let me add both and they have different expiration dates I can use both?

Correct. They are different offers.

 

[afan]

Correct. They are different offers.

That's what I figured with the different expiration dates.

 

[djmeredith]

If I book flights with URs directly through the Chase portal, and then have to cancel (assuming the terms allow refund), is the refund given as UR credits?

 

[ahale08]

SUB points count towards the calendar year the bonus posts, so you would have to apply for the business card and then at least one personal card to get a CP strictly from SUB points. The Companion Pass is good from the time it is earned through the end of year, plus the following year. So, unless you need it for travel this year, it's better to earn it in or around January of the following year so that you have two years of the pass.

If you want to use your November heating oil spend towards the companion pass, then get the business card now and consider getting the personal card in November or even double dipping two personal cards (with the second application being submitted the next business day after approval on the first) and splitting the payment. Typically, you can only get 1 SW personal card because of the one per family restriction, but applying on consecutive days can sometimes avoid the restriction. Of course, you would effectively only have 1 year of the companion pass if it clicks in during 2021.

If you don't hold the CSP, I recommend getting the 100,000 UR bonus with your heating oil spend and then getting the Companion Pass in 2022-2023. UR can be transferred to SW for double value after you have the CP.

Hey there! I was just reading this and the last line about UR can be transferred to SW for double value caught my attention. I just got the Chase Sapphire card and have the 100,000 bonus UR. I also have a SW RR account and would love to know how I transfer UR to RR for double value? Thank you!

 

[elgerber]

If I book flights with URs directly through the Chase portal, and then have to cancel (assuming the terms allow refund), is the refund given as UR credits?

My AA flight last year, was refunded as a credit with AA, not UR"s. I will never use that credit, so not so great for me.

 

[havaneselover]

Thinking of ordering couches from maiden home (will cost about $6k) plus some purchases for my bath renovation but I have no msr currently. Just finished my retention offer on my cs platinum. I’m either at 2 or 3 in 24 months. I want to save room for a sw personal and business card and already have 4 chase business cards (I can cancel one). Just not sure what to do.