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

[Alexle2007]

Got the email to choose my Marriott suite night awards for 2022. Now I'm wondering if I should have picked elite nights as that may have been a credit for getting 2023 Platinum status. It's done now, so I'll know in a year, I guess.

Also, I found where I could buy Marriott gift cards on their website. Not that I want to.

Are you a year ahead? My email says 2021.

 

[afan]

Check and see if the card is eligible for the 5% offer. Sure would be nice to get 5% on your spend!

Thanks for reminding me! Got not available, via a popup. Guessing I might need to actually activate the card first.

 

[wanderlust7]

Thanks! I thought my account balance was off but I used a bunch last night to book Hyatt Ziva Cancun for Aug. 25k for all-inclusive seemed like a great deal.

Nice! Would like to go sometime. Are you paying an additional 12.5k for your DS? With 2 kids, I was thinking might as well get another room.

 

[Judique]

Are you a year ahead? My email says 2021.

I already have the 2021 awards, which expire Dec 31, 2021. Those awards arrived in 2020, when I earned for 2021.

The ones I picked through the email expire Dec 31, 2022. The email does say 2021, which is when I earned my 2022 status. The 2022 date showed when I picked them but doesn't show on my account yet, because, I would assume, I'm still in the 2021 time frame for usage of the awards earned in 2020.

Right now my status is set to expire Feb of 2023.

 

[LB002]

I would keep both...actually just did for our vacation last week since all rentals were sold out in Orlando and had the same concern since we landed late. Turns out there were plenty of cars in the lot, so I cancelled the other reservation

Can you just cancel? Or not show up? I do still have some anxiety that there won't be a car for us. Or we'll somehow have to pay $$$. Maybe I'm just burned by my Hawaiian Air BOS/JFK runaround and extra costs...

 

[LB002]

I called Aulani today to ask about the Underwater Explorers (intro to scuba in Rainbow Reef) and it's not currently open. They said to call back April 1, more things are opening up then.

DH has to work while we are there and he said he would like a cabana or lanai so he could work from there. Of course, everything is booked. Maybe we'll luck out with a day-of cancelation.

I read today that HI vacation demand is outstripping capacity and Honolulu is the #1 domestic destination right now. (Which feeds my car rental stress, LOL).

 

[Alexle2007]

Nice! Would like to go sometime. Are you paying an additional 12.5k for your DS? With 2 kids, I was thinking might as well get another room.

Doesn’t look like it and I have him on the reservation.

 

[wanderlust7]

Doesn’t look like it and I have him on the reservation.View attachment 565275

Hmm, interesting. Did you select the age since default is <1? I couldn't get any points booking to come up with 3 people unless I do age <3. Was thinking it's necessary to call to add so they can charge the points.

https://thepointsguy.com/reviews/hyatt-ziva-cancun/
Extra person charge on the award chart:
https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/en/rewards/free-nights-upgrades.html

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Can you just cancel? Or not show up? I do still have some anxiety that there won't be a car for us. Or we'll somehow have to pay $$$. Maybe I'm just burned by my Hawaiian Air BOS/JFK runaround and extra costs...

With Costco I had a reservation with Avis and Alamo...went to Avis they had the SUV, then immediately cancelled Alamo...

 

[sinnika]

DH, DS and I are going to Frankfurt, Germany for Christmas and New Years. I’ll be flying there October 31st and DH and DS will be flying December 23rd from Houston. We all planning to fly back Jan 1st. United has flights but reward points are limited since I’m sure this is high season. DH does not want an economy seat but there don’t seem to be much options. Do more reward seats ever open up, or are we stuck with purchasing airfare? I have 200,000 UR points to use and was hoping for premium economy at 45,000 points per flight.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

I may be in the minority here- I understand that. But I get why the covid talk was all moved off this thread a while back. I haven’t gotten the vaccine and don’t plan to at least for now. I’m not looking to discuss it but it’s getting to be a lot of reading through more posts about that than anything else. I say this respectfully and I appreciate the help I’ve gotten through here and I’ve learned so much but when you’re busy as a lot of us are I just don’t have the time to keep reading about the vaccine, schools, etc. Is there still a covid discussion thread on DISchurners?

ETA: I know people like to have a place to discuss it so maybe I’ll just start checking over on the news thread on Reddit.

I am with you. And as a teacher I know it shocks many that I'm not getting it. My BF got it this week in MI before it opened to the masses. I could have gotten mine back in Jan. I guess I'm the gambling type. Not to mention, my good friend was one of the first to get the vax and still got Rona last month.


Our flight for ATL leaves today at 6pm. I finally cancelled the 48 different hotel options I had booked, but I kept the 2nd car rental, LOL. I'll cancel once we get the SUV. I didn't realize how early we leave on Friday morning next week. Our flight departs at 7am. The BF was kinda making fun of me. We land tonight at 8pm (so today is a wash) and leave at 7am next Friday. But I explained I got 3 RT on Delta (DTW-ATL) for $97/ea. When I played around w/ flights, I couldn't really come close to that. Esp since my good friend added me to her Hilton benefits. I'm getting cheap hotels by the airport today and next week. And even our 5 nights on the beach in Daytona is only costing $475! She keeps joking that she's going to keep working on the side for Hilton until we can do our 50th in Maldives over the water for $50/nt, LOL. She's honestly made me want to look into a side gig at Hilton!

 

[Psychodisney]

Are you a year ahead? My email says 2021.

Mine was like Judique's. Expires 12/31/22. I went with the suite nights....but probably won't use them.

 

[Judique]

Mine was like Judique's. Expires 12/31/22. I went with the suite nights....but probably won't use them.

Yes, for the most part I'm just not staying at high dollar options with great suites to enjoy.

For instance, if I book the cheapest view on points at the beach in summer - it's city view, no balcony. My status by itself will get me a balcony, but I can forget a high floor ocean view suite. They 'might' give me the ground floor ocean front.

Now, if I happen to book there -and the nights I would want have been raised to cat 7, 70k points, I'll try, since using up the night really won't matter even though I'm almost sure there is no value.

Suite night at RI or Aloft or Fairfield....that's a why bother?

Having traveled and stayed with daughter to this hotel class, I've seen what is offered. Not much.

I guess I could do a staycation in DC. Daughter did one Xmas 2019 and it was too cold for me so declined to go, but she did get a suite with her soon to expire suite night. I'll check the weather around Xmas if I still have them.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Received an email from SW to register for A list status for travel through 6/30/21

 

[sinnika]

DH, DS and I are going to Frankfurt, Germany for Christmas and New Years. I’ll be flying there October 31st and DH and DS will be flying December 23rd from Houston. We all planning to fly back Jan 1st. United has flights but reward points are limited since I’m sure this is high season. DH does not want an economy seat but there don’t seem to be much options. Do more reward seats ever open up, or are we stuck with purchasing airfare? I have 200,000 UR points to use and was hoping for premium economy at 45,000 points per flight.

So I was able to book economy seats on 30,000 United miles, and can get an economy plus seat for about $200 more each way. So DH and I are booked roundtrip and I got DS a one way in case he wants to stay an extra week or more in Europe with his sister and her DH. Maybe they can make a trip to DL Paris since they are huge Disney fans!

 

[havaneselover]

Went ahead and made five $500 estimated tax payments with my BBC. Will finish it off with my BoA Biz MC once my statement closes. Still can't even do my taxes because I have on K-1 and I'm gone the next two weekends. Thank goodness for the extension.

And my stairmaster is operational again so I'm back to working out at home. Next time it has issues, it's getting replaced.

And signed a contract for a puppy to be born in May. One of the three litters was sired by a close relative of my current dog so I'm hoping for a puppy from that litter. Dogs will be ready mid-July. My mom has accused me of replacing dd (heading to college early August) with a puppy.

 

[LynnTH]

Entirely possible I’ve been living under a rock but fwiw CDC links to this website now for finding shots and it even allows you to search your area by type!
https://vaccinefinder.org/search/

Thanks for this. Very helpful. MN is opening up Vaccines to all 16 and over on March 30th. Very excited. DH is scheduled for his shot tomorrow (he has Type 1 Diabetes so is able now). Hoping to get the whole family done in April....

 

[AndreaDM]

I have an odd question. Hosting my DD's grad party at our country club in June. We typically just pay those dues/charges through our bank since the club charges a 3% cc processing fee. However, this will be a large bill and IF they process the charge as a *restaurant/dining* charge, that will be worth it to get the 4x points on my Amex. But I have NO clue how those charges are categorized. Guess I can ask, but I'm sure they will think I'm weird for asking that lol.

 

[Alexle2007]

Went ahead and made five $500 estimated tax payments with my BBC. Will finish it off with my BoA Biz MC once my statement closes. Still can't even do my taxes because I have on K-1 and I'm gone the next two weekends. Thank goodness for the extension.

And my stairmaster is operational again so I'm back to working out at home. Next time it has issues, it's getting replaced.

And signed a contract for a puppy to be born in May. One of the three litters was sired by a close relative of my current dog so I'm hoping for a puppy from that litter. Dogs will be ready mid-July. My mom has accused me of replacing dd (heading to college early August) with a puppy.

How nice! I kind of wish Puggles had a playmate. He is very social and is always looking for my neighbor’s Yorkies to play with. But I will not cave since I am already realizing how difficult it is to go on vacation since we got him.

 

[Judique]

I have an odd question. Hosting my DD's grad party at our country club in June. We typically just pay those dues/charges through our bank since the club charges a 3% cc processing fee. However, this will be a large bill and IF they process the charge as a *restaurant/dining* charge, that will be worth it to get the 4x points on my Amex. But I have NO clue how those charges are categorized. Guess I can ask, but I'm sure they will think I'm weird for asking that lol.

Do you ever just use a credit card for something to eat there or is all automatically charged to your account? You could look back on your statements and check for category?

Some places have dues being charged the CC fee and dining not. We ate at my niece's club several times paying our own check and no CC processing charge, but I know places can be different.