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

[Limes96]

The halcyon days ended just over a year ago. Hence, all the cancelations coming up now. Before then, you could’ve applied for Chase’s Marriott Premier/Premier Plus, Marriott Biz, and Ritz-Carlton (the true heavyweight champion) cards, and Amex’s SPG, SPG Biz, and SPG Lux (collectively, the “Starriott Gauntlet”), when the SPG cards were actually worth spending on (because 1 Starpoint = 3 Marriott), gotten all their SUBs and cross-support bonuses worth over 500k Marriott points, pool them all with your P2, without any restrictions across the two issuers.

I remember when they merged last year and all the chatter here about certificates and categories and how dumb the name Bonvoy was. I remember thinking, it’s going to be a long time before I wade into those waters.

 

[LB002]

Pulled the trigger and booked the exact same flight/hotel for 1 person with 4 six day park hopper plus tickets. Flight/hotel was $433, tickets $708 each. The DP from @LB002 is a little worrisome, but hopefully I'll get the tickets by e-mail tomorrow without issue. Planning to use them Thanksgiving 2020.

I had 3k odd SkyMiles and transferred over 160k MRs. The MR transfer cost $96. If I compare to Undercover Tourist specific date tickets (for Thanksgiving week this year), I'm getting 1.44 cpp. Not apples to apples, but I probably wouldn't buy flex tickets if paying OOP. If I get the full value from the $433 as a voucher, it would up to 1.71 cpp.

I didn't buy the insurance, which was $150 (cheaper option). It showed that my fee would be $2972.70 if canceled by 9/21 (took a screenshot just in case). Tickets were $2832 total, guess that means I would lose $140.70 (no clue how that's calculated). So didn't make sense to me to spend $150 to not lose $140.70. If I was looking to get a larger voucher, then probably it would make sense.

Thank you to everyone providing DPs! @kidsfirsttrip your step-by-step guide was great. Originally, I was trying to make it work with a spring break trip (actually using the flight and hotel), but cost was just too high flying out of SFO/SJC. Being able to just buy tickets is great. This is actually my first MR redemption! Not counting using 1 point for Amazon deals, lol.

I will update re: my ticket situation. I hope it works out for both of us, and I will feel badly if not and I misled you (or anyone else) with my example. :-(

 

[Lain]

There's a new Amex Offer out for Marriott luxury brands.

Spend $500 or more, get $100 back - Get a one-time $100 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to spend a minimum of $500+ USD on room rate/room charges at EDITION®, The Ritz-Carlton®, The Luxury Collection, St. Regis®, W® Hotels & JW Marriott® from 9/5/2019 to 12/31/2019.

Offer valid only at participating Marriott Bonvoy™ properties in the U.S. and U.S. territories, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Reservations must be made online at www.marriott.com, via the Marriott Bonvoy App or by calling 1-888-236-2427. Excludes all other Marriott brands. Excludes gift card purchases. Not valid for online retail purchases or purchases of Bonvoy points. Offer only valid on room rate and room charges. Offer not valid for lodging stays that are paid for before the promotion start date or after the promotion end date. Qualifying purchase means a purchase at a participating Marriott luxury brand hotel made during the offer period with your enrolled American Express Card and which is in an amount totaling at least $500 USD as posted to your account, following conversion from a foreign currency, if applicable.

I added it to my Bonvoy Brilliant, but it was also on my Biz Plat and BGR. We'll be at the Royal Hawaiian (Luxury Collection) again over the holidays, and parking and resort fees will probably run $300+. If I have anything left of the Brilliant's $300 Marriott credit, I'll stack this deal. And hopefully another Marriott Amex Offer comes out between now and the end of the year.

 

[LB002]

I used to have all different due dates like that. Was hard to keep track of and drove me batty. I found out that you can change your due dates on the Chase site. Now I know that everything is due the same date every month. Maybe this would be helpful?

Thanks for the tip, this would be really helpful for me!!

 

[Limes96]

I feel totally on a different track over here with my brand new Marriott biz card on its way, no December flight plans to change, no Delta tricks in the works since I already got our tickets set up for our November trip. But I decided yesterday to go for the $300 US Bank bonus. Haven’t really done bank bonuses before other than the Fidelity last summer. Both are banks I’d consider a longer term relationship with (still have the Fidelity account). Hoping with an established banking relationship with US Bank it will be easier to get one or two of their cards in the future. Thinking of trying for either their premium travel card (I forget what it’s called, but it’s at the top of DoC’s list for SUB’s I think) or the Radisson card. Not getting either just yet, just going to let the bank account stew for a while. Laying the groundwork so to speak, since I’ve read they’re a relationship bank.

 

[Lain]

Does anyone know...do the pay over time 10k MRs count towards the 1099 totals? AmEx is making it too easy to pass up on basically free MRs

I don't think this was answered.

I enrolled in 2 Pay Over Time offers last year, and when Amex started sending out 1099s for referral bonuses, the numbers on the 1099s did not seem to add the Pay Over Time bonuses. Of course, this could change in the future, but they didn't count last year.

 

[Lain]

In non churning news, I just ordered an overpriced sweatshirt for DD from Saks to use the Amex Platinum benefit. Annual fee should hit soon and once the credit clears I plan to close.

You don't want to call in for a retention offer? Word is Amex has been offering a lot of Platinum cardmembers 50k MR or $500 statement credit with no spend requirement to keep the card another year.

 

[GlamMistress]

We need to renew out passports. Where does everyone like to have their photos made for this?

 

[speedyfishy]

We need to renew out passports. Where does everyone like to have their photos made for this?

I did it at the post office. It was more money but it was just easier to get it done all at once.

 

[DisneyMandC]

We need to renew out passports. Where does everyone like to have their photos made for this?

I'm getting ready to have mine done at CVS. My local one told me it was $14.99.

 

[havaneselover]

We need to renew out passports. Where does everyone like to have their photos made for this?

Costco--I think they charge $5.

 

[speedyfishy]

I'm getting ready to have mine done at CVS. My local one told me it was $14.99.

Wow I thought CVS was cheaper. The post office charged me $15.

 

[Alexle2007]

I don't think this was answered.

I enrolled in 2 Pay Over Time offers last year, and when Amex started sending out 1099s for referral bonuses, the numbers on the 1099s did not seem to add the Pay Over Time bonuses. Of course, this could change in the future, but they didn't count last year.

Awesome! I have done 2 so far this year and 3 20k referrals so I am fully expecting a 1099 this year but it would be nice to have it lower rather than higher.

 

[GPC0321]

On August 11th I posted about getting a Disney Visa (non-fee card) offer in the mail with a fixed APR and $200 statement credit sign-up bonus. I'm well over 5/24, so the general consensus here was that I'd be denied. I applied anyway just to see. Got the message that it needed further review or whatever, called the status line and got the 7-10 day message and figured that was it.

I *still* haven't received anything written in the mail from Chase about their decision, and I just called the status line again and it still says written notification in 7-10 days of their decisions.

And I got another offer for the same card in the mail yesterday with fixed APR and same sign-up bonus.

Weird.

 

[Lain]

We need to renew out passports. Where does everyone like to have their photos made for this?

We took our own pictures against a white(-ish) wall in our home with our iPhones (as many shots as we wanted!), picked the best ones, loaded them into Photoshop to crop to the right size and positioning, printed them out and cut them. FREE! Brought them to the post office along with our application and they worked fine.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Costco--I think they charge $5.

Does your Costco still have the photo center? They took it out at the Midlothian one

 

[Lain]

In researching options to get to SYD next Christmas, it looks like going out of SF might be the best option. So awardhacker shows me the various point options but when I look that routes, I am thoroughly confused.

So let’s say I wanted to go with the direct option, how would go about that?

View attachment 432660

Didn't @tink1970 get a good deal on flights to SYD recently? I know MR transfers to Qantas now, but I don't think it's a particularly good value. You may want to check search r/awardtravel for tips.

 

[havaneselover]

Does your Costco still have the photo center? They took it out at the Midlothian one

Yes-the one in Henrico does.

 

[apollodi]

We need to renew out passports. Where does everyone like to have their photos made for this?

I used Costco last year, it was $5 and very quick.

 

[Alexle2007]

I am in the process of re-booking our Christmas flights but this is strange. I thought CP went through 12/31 but I have a flight booked for 12/31 which lands before midnight and I don’t see the option to add DS as my companion. Anyone have this happen?