I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 (see first page for add'l details)

[ten6mom]

Closing the Venture X:
No other way to do it besides calling, right? (I keep remembering why I really don't like Cap1)

If I let it renew, I could use the $300 travel credit but my husband probably won't go to the hassle of applying for GE.

 

[hsmamato2]

Besides my own bucket list places, I am usually inspired by others. Often times, I didn't even know a place existed or might even appeal to me until I read someone else's trip report or see something on social media that makes me go, "WOW! I wanna go there and see/experience that place too. Wait, I can do this with points and miles?! Sweet!" Then, on the list it goes as a "to do" one of these days. Grand Hyatt Kauai was inspiration from some who had visited before on this thread. My first visit there was last year and I will definitely be back.

Sometimes, it's simply a by-product of my planning not working the way I thought it would and then I suddenly have a trip I hadn't planned on. This has happened to me several times over the years. The most recent was my dismal failure on multiple attempts to get to Cairo and back for an ABD trip next January in J seats using miles. Now, I am going to London for New Year's Eve, have a hotel room with a fireworks view and tickets to see ABBA Voyage while I'm there, then going to Cairo for the ABD using a stopover award flight out of London. On the way back home from Egypt, it seems I will be spending a weekend in NYC to see Broadway shows before catching a flight to Florida. As frustrating as it can be when Plan A or B don't work while trying to pull the trigger, these usually turn out to be my favorite trips because of the "SURPRISE" element.

I find that the majority of the travel bloggers can be quite inspirational for booking a trip. Al Maha, Ventana Big Sur, Moorea, Conrad Bora Bora, Park Hyatt NYC, Willard in DC for cherry blossom season were all inspired by the credit card points and miles bloggers. I read their trip reports and how they did it and thought, well that looks fun and I could do that too. Lots of places, have been placed on my radar thanks to them.

Reading articles on blogs after doing a Google search for something like "aspirational trips with Hyatt points" "Best value for Hilton free night certificate in US" "best use of Marriott free night certificate" and similar search parameters will yield lots of inspiration. I do that periodically and it will add a new element to my travel plans.

Hope this helps

those are awesome reminders...thanks! I'm going to start doing some more reading on the blogs etc,I guess it's something I haven't done much lately

 

[punkin]

those are awesome reminders...thanks! I'm going to start doing some more reading on the blogs etc,I guess it's something I haven't done much lately

I have a long list of places I want to go, but I seem to keep going to the same place over and over. Lol.

 

[megs1313]

How do I ask for Advice?

Well... find your flameproof suit, your courage, and perhaps a stiff drink, then use your words...

Naw, we're a friendly bunch! Just dive right in, no worries! But there are numerous things that the experts here would need to know to provide qualified and helpful advice.

1) First off, we are going to want you to list ALL credit cards you were approved for in the last 24 months. This would include all personal credit cards, store credit cards, business credit cards (but not things such as auto loans, mortgages or debit cards). If you have a spouse (aka Player 2) please also list their cards separately if they are participating in this as well.

The format you should use to do that is as follows:
MM/YY - ISSUER Card Name

• MM = Month (suggest to add a 0 before single digit months to make it look even more uniform)
• YY = Year
• ISSUER = CHASE, AMEX, CITI, BOFA, WELLS FARGO, etc.
• Card Name = The Full Card Name (including business or personal if applicable)

Example:
11/21 - AMEX Business Gold Rewards
01/22 - CHASE Marriott Personal
04/22 - CHASE Ink Preferred
09/22 - CITI AAdvantage Business
11/22 - CHASE Southwest Business
01/23 - CHASE Southwest Plus

2) Secondly we'll want to know a little bit about you. Specifically - what you spend, and what you want to earn!

• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)?
• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest?
• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of?
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program?
• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport?
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference?
• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much)
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!)
• When do you plan to take these trips? (Keep in mind that it can be difficult to earn points/miles to cover imminent travel...it's best to plan far in advance, especially with regards to international travel)
• Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends)

You DO NOT need to list all of this (or really any of this) info above to ask for advice...just know that the MORE you share, the BETTER the advice we'll be able to provide. If we feel that you have not provided us enough info, you'll often be directed back here or met with lots of questions before getting any answers.

Hello, new here and looking for a card.

We haven’t applied for a new card in over 2 years. Currently have two cards we use regularly and pay off (or pay almost all the way off) every month. We use these cards for all of our expenses. One is an Amazon visa and the other is an Apple Card. We use the points for purchases at apple and Amazon. I want a card specifically for Disney travel. We typically fly southwest to disneyworld.

I hope that’s enough info. Thanks!

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

I'm wanting to think about and plan a trip somewhere...this sounds like such a noob question but where are you all finding inspiration for planning? My usual MO back in the day was cruise the internet, land on a screaming deal,book it and go After pandemic changes,and some major life changes,I've been to my "usual" faves a couple of times(easy places like Orlando or visiting fam out of state) but my wandering nature is starting to return,and I'm wondering where the 'screaming deals' are found lately! Are there any usual places you keep up with/read that allows you to plan and use your points etc? I'm not even super adventurous,it's all domestic travel for me but I'm wanting to do something different (for me)---- just looking for general thoughts from the experts here.....(I have points in various ecosystems,mainly UR plus hotel/airline brands,and well versed in using them)

DH and I also have a long list of places we want to visit, places we’ve been and want to go back to, and then places we’ve seen on social media or travel blogs that look cool, and I’ve even gotten inspiration from you all! For instance, we just nonchalantly talked about doing Costa Rica but I had not done any research at all and did not know anything really about the country. After several reports from you guys about Los Altos, we looked into it and decided to book it as it looks like some place we’ll quite enjoy. Sometimes I don’t want to plan out an extensive, itinerary filled trip and am just looking for more relaxation, just depends what we’re wanting. We’ve done plenty a cruise and enjoyed them a lot, but I do prefer land travel at this point.

 

[happ]

I tried for the Hilton Biz even though I've had it (closed Jan 2021) since some have had success getting it again. No luck. There was a pop-up saying I've had the card before. Oh well. It was worth a try. I got approved for another CIC instead.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

I tried for the Hilton Biz even though I've had it (closed Jan 2021) since some have had success getting it again. No luck. There was a pop-up saying I've had the card before. Oh well. It was worth a try. I got approved for another CIC instead.

Did you use the DOC link? I think that's how most have had success (including myself)

 

[orangecuse]

Finally got a free cruise from Carnival! I am not seeing a match to Royal anymore though? There are some pretty cool cruises on there, but we will likely stick with Caribbean to avoid school since we have a school year trip planned for this year and next school year already. Anyone sail from Galveston- how big of a PITA is it to get their from the airport?

Churning wise- anyone get great value out of their Wyndham points?

Trip inspo- we have been doing every state park in our state this year. Thinking about venturing to conquer all the major national parks next (not in a year though lol).

 

[happ]

Did you use the DOC link? I think that's how most have had success (including myself)

Nope. I used dischurners. I guess I should have looked up past comments instead of relying on my aging brain to remember the details. Lol. Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll try again before the offer ends.

 

[IFlossU]

Hello, new here and looking for a card.

We haven’t applied for a new card in over 2 years. Currently have two cards we use regularly and pay off (or pay almost all the way off) every month. We use these cards for all of our expenses. One is an Amazon visa and the other is an Apple Card. We use the points for purchases at apple and Amazon. I want a card specifically for Disney travel. We typically fly southwest to disneyworld.

I hope that’s enough info. Thanks!

When I was in your situation I started by getting both DH and myself Southwest cards. Between the 2 cards (at the time) it was enough to fly my family of 4 to Disney World. If you’re not looking to take a deep dive into the credit card hobby I think signing up for a couple of cards for free airfare is a great place to start.

 

[Limes96]

I’ve started taking advantage of Chase’s generous 0% interest intro offer on two of our newest biz cards (CIC for me, P1; and CIU for P2). It’s been helpful to float some funds while we work through some big bills. Will this hinder our ability to get more Chase cards until we pay them off do you think?

 

[punkin]

Complete ground stop in most of the northeast! DH's plane turned back from DCA. They were 15 minutes from landing. Been online trying to book something else. Got him a first class ticket (only one left) on AA tomorrow morning. Southwest is still promising to get them out tonight. I don't trust them and will cancel the other ticket once he lands... if he lands. Thank goodness I have points on different carriers and points I can transfer in a pinch.
This was exhausting!

 

[calypso726]

I’ve started taking advantage of Chase’s generous 0% interest intro offer on two of our newest biz cards (CIC for me, P1; and CIU for P2). It’s been helpful to float some funds while we work through some big bills. Will this hinder our ability to get more Chase cards until we pay them off do you think?

Not in my experience. I’ve been floating some things too on those and successfully opened up another at least twice.

 

[elgerber]

Closing the Venture X:
No other way to do it besides calling, right? (I keep remembering why I really don't like Cap1)

If I let it renew, I could use the $300 travel credit but my husband probably won't go to the hassle of applying for GE.

log into your account, and click on the "I want to" tab. There is an option in there to close the account. Last time I closed one, it was the easiest account I've ever closed.

 

[orangecuse]

DP- P2 Platinum retention offer 20k MR for 3K spend. Kind of a meh offer, but he has gotten an offer on this card every year since he opened it. We use enough of the credits to offset the rest of the fee, so another year it is. I think it keeps Amex happy with him.

Question- how fast are you seeing Hilton points post these days? I think (99.5% sure) Ive met the min spend and previously they were insanely fast. Just wondering how long to wait before maybe throwing a few extra bucks on.

 

[mmmears]

Two ways. The last time I did it, I had to make the Aspire card my primary card in my account.

Then go to Amex connect https://www.americanexpress.com/us/network/shopping.html#All

The other method is to make the card your primary and then go run the script. Deets here:
https://milestomemories.com/this-cool-trick-lets-you-add-all-amex-offers-at-once/

Thanks so much. This is what I've been looking for (although I really don't want to make my Aspire card my primary... I will check it out though. Thanks for the links.

I haven't stayed there, but I do have a stay booked on points for next spring (I may cancel because the pts are more than I'd like to spend and I love the College Hotel where I also booked a room on points). It's very well reviewed on FT, but be aware that the bathrooms are 'open' (sink in bedroom with separate doors for toilet and shower), so may not be ideal for everyone.

Thanks. It looks a bit edgier than I prefer, but I booked a room for next summer with the hope that I'll be able to go. I guess I have time to find another place if we decide it's not for us, but it's hard to pass on those Globalist benefits.

I'm wanting to think about and plan a trip somewhere...this sounds like such a noob question but where are you all finding inspiration for planning? My usual MO back in the day was cruise the internet, land on a screaming deal,book it and go After pandemic changes,and some major life changes,I've been to my "usual" faves a couple of times(easy places like Orlando or visiting fam out of state) but my wandering nature is starting to return,and I'm wondering where the 'screaming deals' are found lately! Are there any usual places you keep up with/read that allows you to plan and use your points etc? I'm not even super adventurous,it's all domestic travel for me but I'm wanting to do something different (for me)---- just looking for general thoughts from the experts here.....(I have points in various ecosystems,mainly UR plus hotel/airline brands,and well versed in using them)

I have a list of places I have always wanted to go to and I try to balance relaxing vacations (like Hawaii) with trips to new places. Sometimes I see a friend's pics or get a recommendation from someone. Two of the last big trips I planned started with me browsing the DCL website not looking for anything in particular and stumbling on what looks like a cool itinerary. We got to see Norway (the first time) and Iceland that way, and recently just got to go to Santorini and the Parthenon in Athens (both were on my long time list of places I wanted to visit) because I found a cruise itinerary I could not resist. Amsterdam is another one of those places, and I'm trying to find a way to get there next summer.

I have a long list of places I want to go, but I seem to keep going to the same place over and over. Lol.

I do the same thing, except I tend to cycle between a few favorites.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Ugh. I may have screwed up. I thought my Swolphin reservation last week would trigger the CSR travel credit but it used my points for the deposit half of the booking only and nothing went on the card. Should I cancel and rebook without using points? My AF hit June 1, so I'm down the wire. Will it be enough time for the charge to even go through before I need to PC/cancel? I'll also need park tickets and could try purchasing through UT I guess... again, if there's time.

I think the Swolphin is really hit or miss as far as taking a deposit. On the Swolphin thread some people report a deposit is taken, others don't, and there doesn't always seems to be a consistent timing of it And that's regardless of how they've booked (points or cash). So I would do something else to trigger the credit, asap.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Hello, new here and looking for a card.

We haven’t applied for a new card in over 2 years. Currently have two cards we use regularly and pay off (or pay almost all the way off) every month. We use these cards for all of our expenses. One is an Amazon visa and the other is an Apple Card. We use the points for purchases at apple and Amazon. I want a card specifically for Disney travel. We typically fly southwest to disneyworld.

I hope that’s enough info. Thanks!

Since it doesn't sound like you always consistently pay your balances in full each month, we never advise to open a new credit card. Any points you would accrue would be wiped out by the interest you pay. It's just not worth it. There was a while back where I got really busy with life and wasn't paying my balances each month, so I know how that can happen.

 

[GZanta77]

DP- P2 Platinum retention offer 20k MR for 3K spend. Kind of a meh offer, but he has gotten an offer on this card every year since he opened it. We use enough of the credits to offset the rest of the fee, so another year it is. I think it keeps Amex happy with him.

Question- how fast are you seeing Hilton points post these days? I think (99.5% sure) Ive met the min spend and previously they were insanely fast. Just wondering how long to wait before maybe throwing a few extra bucks on.

Met my Hilton Surpass MSR on the 16th, but the spend tracker on Amex seemed to be running a few days behind - took 8 days for points and FNC to post.

 

[elgerber]

Has anyone tried the 100k cap on offer that was posted yet? I blew through the most recent Ink spend in a month (vet bill and new camper) took quick care of that LOL.