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

[kidsfirsttrip]

For the Delta vacation packages, I am thinking about booking hotel/flight with the insurance and then cancelling for hotel in Hawaii for early 2021. Does anyone know if the expiration date on the voucher is 1 year from cancellation date or from original booking date? I have done some searching and found "one year from issue date" so that would seem to mean from cancellation date but would like confirmation of that. I am looking at Grand Wailea which is 95,000 hilton points per night for a standard room, if I have a voucher for $1500 I can get 2 nights in an ocean view room for 75,000 MR (may have a little OOP depending on actual rate + the resort fee)

Good question. You could call and ask but I’ve found the CSRs five different answers to the same question

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

For the Delta vacation packages, I am thinking about booking hotel/flight with the insurance and then cancelling for hotel in Hawaii for early 2021. Does anyone know if the expiration date on the voucher is 1 year from cancellation date or from original booking date? I have done some searching and found "one year from issue date" so that would seem to mean from cancellation date but would like confirmation of that. I am looking at Grand Wailea which is 95,000 hilton points per night for a standard room, if I have a voucher for $1500 I can get 2 nights in an ocean view room for 75,000 MR (may have a little OOP depending on actual rate + the resort fee)

Good question. You could call and ask but I’ve found the CSRs five different answers to the same question

 

[Limes96]

DH received his new Hilton Biz card. We also requested an employee card for DD. To confirm that card, you have to go online and provide your SSN and birthdate. It won’t let her complete this step because it says you must be 18. Well I guess DD will not be confirming this card. Do I need to do anything? Or just shred it and move on.

Same here, I asked for an AU card for DD16, but apparently you do have to be 18 for a biz card AU.

 

[KPK02090]

@Lain and (any others who might know), you mentioned the CSR gives you status at some car rental companies. Do you have to do anything to get the status or just book using the CSR? I hardly ever rent cars but will be at the end of September in CA, so I'm looking into my options.
Thanks.

 

[Lain]

@Lain - how about DON'T CALL THE AIRLINE ABOUT LOOPHOLES?? HAHA! Can I use that one?

Seriously, any talk about throwaway flights triggers in my mind skiplagged. Airlines hate it, and are increasingly cracking down on those who use the loophole. United is perhaps the most ruthless right now, issuing demand letters to passengers demanding compensation for damages, suing them if they don't pay up, shutting down their MileagePlus accounts. Don't talk about loopholes outside of safe spaces, and especially not to banks, credit card companies, hotels or airlines!

 

[1st*toright]

It gets a little scary with cash but you could change those flights to the least expensive flight you can find and then change them back. The scary part is changing your flight to a flight you don't want at all and hoping nothing goes wrong when you change back, haha. I would NOT want to do this kind of change over the phone though because it would be abundantly clear what you were doing. (It was no issue that you called in to do your simple change though - I'm sure they were happy to help!) Oh, and if you're already on the cheapest flight for around your dates then you've maximized the savings already anyways.

@Lain - how about DON'T CALL THE AIRLINE ABOUT LOOPHOLES?? HAHA! Can I use that one?

When I called in, they only gave me travel funds back, not a real refund, but I also didn't change the actual flight times. This was the original booking that was insane with amex credits/LUV Funds/Travel funds, so I'm reluctant to mess with it - we are also pretty locked in to specific flight times for various reasons, and if I somehow managed to screw up and not get all of us on the right flights, that would be a problem. Not worth a couple hundred bucks!

And no, I did not mention any loopholes to the nice lady on the phone .

 

[Limes96]

@Limes96 here is your answer about Amex biz min age.

Lol, too late!

 

[Lain]

@Lain and (any others who might know), you mentioned the CSR gives you status at some car rental companies. Do you have to do anything to get the status or just book using the CSR? I hardly ever rent cars but will be at the end of September in CA, so I'm looking into my options.
Thanks.

You need to go into your Chase account > CSR Ultimate Rewards portal > Card Benefits > Special Car Rental Privileges > Enroll. Currently, you can get Emerald Club Executive Level membership with National, Avis Preferred with Avis, and I believe a 30% discount on 2+ day rentals with Silvercar.

 

[ten6mom]

WOW! I may honestly try this when I renew. My photo is absolutely disgusting and honestly looks nothing like me

I pretty much look like a booking photo/mug shot.

 

[apollodi]

You wouldn't be able to upgrade the tickets with disney until you got there so you wouldn't be able to make fast passes if that's important.

My Tickets specifically say value can be used towards tickets when they expire so I see this working. I would probably just add them to a different DME as not to confuse things and accidentally use them when you go In March. The other option would be to upgrade them to APs. With the memory maker and food discount you may come out ahead and use the AP in March 2021

Thanks! I already have an AP voucher for myself for these trips to take advantage of AP discounts (that's why we're planning 2 trips in one year, lol). At current AP prices, the AP for DH and DDs would cost more than 2 sets of separate tickets for the trips. The last price hike really changed the math on APs! So to maximize savings, since I already have a Delta package, I figure I'm best off trying to get credit I can apply directly toward the value of a future 6 day non-parkhopper ticket. Plus, that way I get flexibility if we decide to move back the March 2021 trip.

The big question is how do you apply the value of an expired ticket to a new ticket. Has anyone done this? I tried to research it last night online but couldn't find much. I think I'll call Disney today.

If you have to apply the expired ticket value at WDW so can't make fast passes, that might be an issue. BUT, to make things more complicated, each of us already has an extra AP voucher in our accounts right now. We got them before the last AP price increase and plan to activate them a few years from now for a "year of Disney," when DD3 is older. But, these AP vouchers let me book fastpasses 30 days out right now. So, even if I have to go to Disney to get the 2021 tickets, I could still book fastpasses based on the AP vouchers, right? Since AP vouchers must be activated, I wouldn't need to move them into fake Disney accounts before we traveled.

 

[Lain]

 

[jimitrout]

Thanks for all the appliance info After spending way too much time researching yesterday and today, I went with a LG front loader (a mid-range model with only a few bells and whistles) and its matching dryer from Costco. After taking into account the Costco price included delivery (so did other stores), hoses and such, installation, and removal of the old machines, we saved $500 over the prices at Home Depot and Lowe's. It seemed like everyone still had the Labor Day sales going.

Our washer and dryer are side by side in a closet w folding doors off the kitchen. Dh installed the last set when we moved here 13 years ago and swore he would never do it again because the space is so awkward.

I looked at the door seal in the LG washer at Home Depot tonight and it looks even easier to keep dry than my current front loader. Now I keep the door open and the detergent drawer cracked when it's not in use because a little bit of water remains in the folds of the seal. I haven't had any musty smells or mold issues, thankfully.

we have the same situation. Main floor, folding doors, I built a shelf and have laundry baskets underneath, but I like them higher so I dont have to reach down to change clothes, which it sounds like you would not like. I do sometimes keep washer door cracked. But I will about once a week just spray gless cleaner or even just a damp cloth going into the laundry wipe down the seal. Never had the musty smell issue that so many complain about.
Hope you like your new set.

 

[PolyRob]

Seriously, any talk about throwaway flights triggers in my mind skiplagged. Airlines hate it, and are increasingly cracking down on those who use the loophole. United is perhaps the most ruthless right now, issuing demand letters to passengers demanding compensation for damages, suing them if they don't pay up, shutting down their MileagePlus accounts. Don't talk about loopholes outside of safe spaces, and especially not to banks, credit card companies, hotels or airlines!

United loophole? I am intrigued LOL

 

[Judique]

Looking at my credit card account balances this morning:

Chase Freedom - gassed up at the Safeway gas station using my $1 off rewards. Then pumped 22 gallons of fuel at $1.25.9. My pending charge shows zero. Guess this one will show up soon, but usually I see a pending charge almost immediately.

American Express Optima card: I've had a credit on this card for the last couple of months. Reduced it down to about $12.
Two and a half weeks ago I went by Firehouse subs, and used the rest of a gift card (MCard) to pay the first half of my order.
The remainder owed was $9.75. (I have the receipt) So I pulled out the Amex and paid expecting it to use up most of my remaining credit. This posted as pending, New Merchant.
Store has been open all summer, so I watched the charge to see if my MR's would post or not, since I had a credit. The charge completely disappeared. Gone. Not on any statement, not pending, not posted. Plus my credit is still there.
I am completely baffled by Amex's accounting system. I will leave the credit there and watch to see if the charge comes back and uses it up. This is not the first error for even this year.

In 'offers' news, I got the luxury hotels Marriott offer $100 off $500, and I'm almost tempted to go get another gift card = 3000MR's but these offers seem to be very regular since the merger and I have a couple gift cards right now. On the other hand, I do have the $300 credit from the lux and the $25 offer....might be worth it.

 

[bernina]

My Tickets specifically say value can be used towards tickets when they expire so I see this working. I would probably just add them to a different DME as not to confuse things and accidentally use them when you go In March. The other option would be to upgrade them to APs. With the memory maker and food discount you may come out ahead and use the AP in March 2021

Since you’ve already loaded your tickets to MDE, what is the expiration listed? Is it 12/31/2020?

 

[apollodi]

For the Delta vacation packages, I am thinking about booking hotel/flight with the insurance and then cancelling for hotel in Hawaii for early 2021. Does anyone know if the expiration date on the voucher is 1 year from cancellation date or from original booking date? I have done some searching and found "one year from issue date" so that would seem to mean from cancellation date but would like confirmation of that. I am looking at Grand Wailea which is 95,000 hilton points per night for a standard room, if I have a voucher for $1500 I can get 2 nights in an ocean view room for 75,000 MR (may have a little OOP depending on actual rate + the resort fee)

Both of the reps I talked to said it was 1 year from cancellation date, and that the travel just has to be BOOKED by that date. The trip itself can occur after voucher expiration. So, let's say you book the trip on 9/5/19 and cancel on 10/10/19. The expiration date of the voucher would be 10/10/20 (or maybe 10/9/20). As long as you booked the Hawaii trip by 10/10/20, you could travel in 2021.

But, I could not find anything in writing confirming that. Hopefully the reps are correct! I would definitely double-check and make sure you are told the same thing.

 

[jimitrout]

I was at that game! I was a medical intern, and we got free admission for ourselves and a few guests if we worked the game. I took some Nebraska fans - at the time, Nebraska was ranked #1 and had something like a 25 game winning streak. My friends didn't enjoy the game much, but I became an ASU fan for life. That was also my first time watching Pat Tillman play. What a great game.

that game was tough for us Husker fans. I remember alot of fumbles and a couple safeties. Jake Plummer had a banner day. Scott Frost and Ahman Green not so much. Husker fans not used to getting beat let alone shut out back then. Unfortunatly, we have gotten used to it now, but hoping for better days ahead. This Saturday another team that puts a bad taste in my mouth ... Colorado. GBR!

 

[Lain]

Lots of folks are transferring points to Delta. I also know a lot of you travel to the UK often. Maybe this can be of use to some of you:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/delta-flash-sale-u-k-on-sale-starting-from-20000-miles/

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

They actually say 1/14/21, 14 days of you activate 12/31

 

[shairpdrh]

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.

Have all of the retention offers been for the personal version? I am deciding what to do with my business platinum and this would be my first attempt at a retention offer.

 

[Lain]

Have all of the retention offers been for the personal version? I am deciding what to do with my business platinum and this would be my first attempt at a retention offer.

Yes, the 50k MR retention offers have been on the personal Platinum and other personal varieties. The Biz Plat has been seeing meager ~10k MR offers.