I love credit cards so much!

[Ngwira]

Sounds awesome! I was just talking to my wife about how much I miss Las Vegas -- Disneyland for adults, but our little girl might be getting to an age where she might really enjoy the Cirque shows like KA, O, or even The Beatles LOVE.

How old are yours? Mine are 11 and 8 and they LOVE VEGAS. I'm most looking forward to walking the strip without enduring 120 degree heat! There is lots to do for families, it's not just for adults .

 

[Dugette]

Just thinking this through. I'll be under 5/24 in December. Was thinking I'd get the CSP (DH has CSR, which I'd transfer UR to). But now I'm wondering, since someone mentioned business cards, could I get the CIP and then still be eligible to get the CSP after that??

Also, side note, my 5/24 card falls off on December 1st. Can I apply on the 2nd?

 

[wendow]

Thank you for the reply. Very helpful, particularly regarding booking a DVC Villa (at a good rate) thru the UR Site. I think this is the missing link lol! I've read about people booking the regular resort rooms. I just wasn't sure if the prices/price per point cost via UR would be competitive with an AP discount or cost of renting DVC. Sounds like they are? I appreciate your help! Oh...you mentioned getting DH in on it, haha. So when I signed up for the Freedom earlier today, I saw there is a $100 referral...can I refer DH and get an extra $100 cash back?

I don't have an AP so not sure of those rates but it was definitely competitive with renting points especially since that cost has gone up a lot in the last couple of years and my family needs a 2-br villa.

Yes, your dh can use your referral link and get the same bonus. Don't add each other as authorized users if you can help it since that will count against you with Chase's 5/24 rule.

 

[wendow]

How old are yours? Mine are 11 and 8 and they LOVE VEGAS. I'm most looking forward to walking the strip without enduring 120 degree heat! There is lots to do for families, it's not just for adults .

OT a bit: How 'family friendly' is walking the strip? My dh had to go to Vegas like 10-12 years ago for a work conference and said he'd never want to take our family to vegas that there were half dressed women shoving papers at you (that were not fam friendly) and the billboards were bad...Is it still like that or has it changed? We seem to know a lot of families who do go so just wondering. It's so close to us. I want to go if there is lots to do

 

[wendow]

Just thinking this through. I'll be under 5/24 in December. Was thinking I'd get the CSP (DH has CSR, which I'd transfer UR to). But now I'm wondering, since someone mentioned business cards, could I get the CIP and then still be eligible to get the CSP after that??

Also, side note, my 5/24 card falls off on December 1st. Can I apply on the 2nd?

You are eligible for both the CIP and the CSP (restriction is no more than one Sapphire). I am not sure about what date you are eligible. I'd wait until Jan to be safe but maybe someone knows more about that.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

You are eligible for both the CIP and the CSP (restriction is no more than one Sapphire). I am not sure about what date you are eligible. I'd wait until Jan to be safe but maybe someone knows more about that.

I think that you have to wait until the month after you applied to be out of the 24 months. So if you applied on December 1 for a card, you would have to wait until January, two years later, before that card will have dropped off.

 

[havaneselover]

They should show it pending on the UR website. should be a big junk of your pie chart too!

Definitely not showing pending yet although the spending which got me to $4k is. Amex showed my spg bonus immediately. I guess I need to be more patient

 

[calypso726]

Made my "budget" Vegas trip happen for my family of 4 using points and miles. We are going in February 2018 for a quick 4 night trip. I had some travel bank funds ($200) in United thanks to my AMEX Platinum airline reimbursement credit so roundtrip tickets for 4 people from PHL to Vegas was $600.00 out of pocket. Used my 2 free night Hyatt certificates to book 2 nights at the Delano/Mandalay Bay in a suite. Used 60,000 ihg points from the IHG credit card bonus I just got to book a night at the Venetian /Palazzo in a Bella suite. I do have to pay resorts fees but I'll take it.

I need one more night and I have Chase UR points to burn but I don't want to book an expensive night anywhere since we arrive late that night (so kids can go to school day of flight). May just transfer points to Hyatt to book a Hyatt place for 5,000 UR.

Awesome!!! Sounds like you did a great job! I hope to go back to Vegas again. I still have no idea what to do with our IHG nights. So you just have me a great idea! Thanks!!!

Hello all First time posting here...

I'm just starting to research "manipulating" credit cards for points/rewards. Have a few questions... First of all, I've done this to some extent but not as thought out and strategic as most of you all We opened a Disney CC a few years ago for that bonus. DH and I each have business US Bank cards that let us earn 3x points in certain categories (we utilize that a good bit). Opened an SPG amex for the bonus points last spring, we got 5 nights at dolphin out of that and have earned more. The primary cards we use (US Bank CC), I redeem for those points for US Bank Rewards Card. $250 rewards card for 30k points. Our points add up faster because of 3x categories. We try to run a lot thru the cards. I would say we get a $250 card every 3-6 months just depending on use.

I'm thinking there is probably a better card to be using, or I need to keep swapping just to earn the bonus points. However, the more I research the more confused I get.
Need a little guidance...and I think the main hangup is this: we don't fly, so we don't need points for airfare and the best cards/rewards/bonuses seem to be for travel.

Additionally, we normally rent DVC at DW, do a condo or house at beach or mountains...so even hotel stays aren't that beneficial. I mean we could make it work, but when we go to the mountains as a family we would prefer a cabin over a hotel room.

As far as flying....here's where we're at. We are an 8hr drive from DW. We have flown once, found if we have a flight with a layover (even just a quickie) we can drive in almost the same time. Wouldn't mind if we could get a direct flight. We would fly out of CLT (Charlotte). Southwest looked like a good card for points but they don't do direct flights from CLT to MCO. American Airlines does direct flights but I've seen not so good things about trying to redeerm their rewards for flights. We don't need to fly anywhere else (one day I want to get to Hawaii, but that's long-term, DH wants kids to be older).

Maybe there is a way to use airline points for other rewards but still for a good value? Or wWhat is a good card/cards for earning points on business and everyday purchases that provide a good redemption value (for gift cards or cash back)?

I actually just signed up for the chase freedom for myself. I'm curious about the Chase Rewards and what sort of things you can redeem for? I was thinking of also applying for the sapphire preferred or business ink, I was reading on points guy that you can move points back and forth and they work together well??

Anyway, sorry this post is so long! A little overwhelmed and need to be pointed in the right direction TIA

Hi and welcome to the thread! You are correct and you definitely get more bang for your buck (points) by redeeming for travel. That said, there are some nice cash back cards out there. Freedom is great for the rotating category bonuses. Citi Double Cash is great for non bonus categories since you get 1 point per dollar for your purchases and then and additional point per dollar when you pay your bill. Ive heard good things about Discover It. Amex has a no fee business card that earns 2x and can be used for cash back and travel.

 

[Ngwira]

OT a bit: How 'family friendly' is walking the strip? My dh had to go to Vegas like 10-12 years ago for a work conference and said he'd never want to take our family to vegas that there were half dressed women shoving papers at you (that were not fam friendly) and the billboards were bad...Is it still like that or has it changed? We seem to know a lot of families who do go so just wondering. It's so close to us. I want to go if there is lots to do

We went in June and walked the strip during the day and it was fine! There were a few "showgirls" out, but their attire was similar to actresses performing in Broadway style shows. Because of the extreme heat, we didn't explore the strip as much as we'd like but since this trip is in February, I'll report back and let you know. Seriously, so much to do, eat, shop, rides, shows etc. SO FUN! Utah, California and Arizona are a few hours away so if you're into national parks/nature, you can rent a car and go. Hoover Dam is 45 minutes away. I sound like an advert but it was one of our BEST family vacations.

 

[Ngwira]

[Double post.

 

[Ngwira]

Awesome!!! Sounds like you did a great job! I hope to go back to Vegas again. I still have no idea what to do with our IHG nights. So you just have me a great idea! Thanks!!!



Hi and welcome to the thread! You are correct and you definitely get more bang for your buck (points) by redeeming for travel. That said, there are some nice cash back cards out there. Freedom is great for the rotating category bonuses. Citi Double Cash is great for non bonus categories since you get 1 point per dollar for your purchases and then and additional point per dollar when you pay your bill. Ive heard good things about Discover It. Amex has a no fee business card that earns 2x and can be used for cash back and travel.

Yeah, I love that so many hotel brands are partnering with Vegas hotels. In addition to Hyatt partnering with Mlife/MGM and IHG partnering wth Venetian and Palazzo, Wyndham just partnered with Caesars so if you have 15,000 wyndham points, you can book a night at Caesars.

 

[Ngwira]

Made my "budget" Vegas trip happen for my family of 4 using points and miles. We are going in February 2018 for a quick 4 night trip. I had some travel bank funds ($200) in United thanks to my AMEX Platinum airline reimbursement credit so roundtrip tickets for 4 people from PHL to Vegas was $600.00 out of pocket. Used my 2 free night Hyatt certificates to book 2 nights at the Delano/Mandalay Bay in a suite. Used 60,000 ihg points from the IHG credit card bonus I just got to book a night at the Venetian /Palazzo in a Bella suite. I do have to pay resorts fees but I'll take it.

I need one more night and I have Chase UR points to burn but I don't want to book an expensive night anywhere since we arrive late that night (so kids can go to school day of flight). May just transfer points to Hyatt to book a Hyatt place for 5,000 UR.

I transferred 2,000 Ur from Chase to book Hyatt Place Las Vegas for 4,000 points plus $50.00 cash. The place has a free shuttle from the airport which saves me the $50 super shuttle fee we paid in June. There is also a shuttle to the strip which is nice as we planned to just uber it to the Delano. Best part is checkout is noon, instead of 11:00am like most strip hotels, so we can sleep in a bit after arriving late the night before.

 

[mejo]

Any suggestions on how to tell if you have applied for 5 in the last 24

 

[Albort]

OT a bit: How 'family friendly' is walking the strip? My dh had to go to Vegas like 10-12 years ago for a work conference and said he'd never want to take our family to vegas that there were half dressed women shoving papers at you (that were not fam friendly) and the billboards were bad...Is it still like that or has it changed? We seem to know a lot of families who do go so just wondering. It's so close to us. I want to go if there is lots to do

The strip during the day is pretty good and not as packed as night time. these days you dont really see a lot of half dressed women. although im not sure what you mean by that. there are a ton of girls usually head to clubs though wearing pretty short skirts. i think the thing that id avoid the strip at night are the drunk peoples.
That being said, avoid fremont street too. i think more nude performers there.
Staying south of the strip may be a good idea. its usually pretty quiet out there and if you want some fun for the kids, Escalabur(however u spell that) is a great place to go. They have a huge arcade downstairs and a medieval show too!

Definitely not showing pending yet although the spending which got me to $4k is. Amex showed my spg bonus immediately. I guess I need to be more patient

hmm, thats weird. you sure u made the minimums? all the bonuses i got, after i reach MSR, the bonus points show pending in my UR account.
Amex SPG... hehe, they just changed their policy saying you probably wont see your bonus until after awhile... just changed today

Any suggestions on how to tell if you have applied for 5 in the last 24

run your credit report and count is probably the only way. depending on who u want to apply for and where ur located, run the report for that specific credit bureau.

 

[Lain]

How old are yours? Mine are 11 and 8 and they LOVE VEGAS. I'm most looking forward to walking the strip without enduring 120 degree heat! There is lots to do for families, it's not just for adults .

Ours is 4. LOL. And I'm thinking about taking her to Vegas! But seriously, I think she'd really love some of the Cirque shows. We've been taking her to movies in the theaters for over a year now, and she's very good about sitting still and staying quiet, and then totally gushing about what she'd just seen after the show.

OT a bit: How 'family friendly' is walking the strip? My dh had to go to Vegas like 10-12 years ago for a work conference and said he'd never want to take our family to vegas that there were half dressed women shoving papers at you (that were not fam friendly) and the billboards were bad...Is it still like that or has it changed? We seem to know a lot of families who do go so just wondering. It's so close to us. I want to go if there is lots to do

When we were last in Vegas about five years ago, there were a lot of male and female hustlers on the Strip pushing flyers for scantily clad shows and services but it seemed targeted not at families. You can't entirely avoid that kind of stuff as they advertise all over in newspaper and magazine racks; billboards aren't too bad -- PG-13 at the worst. I didn't notice too much of that around the Fremont Street Experience in downtown, even though Downtown LV has a reputation for being even seedier than the Strip. Great lights show and entertainment. Of course there are street performers all over the Strip and Fremont Street.

Practically speaking, half the year Vegas is too hot for us to walk around or stay outside for long, and we tended to drive from resort to resort for whatever we had planned. Parking is (mostly?) free so it's an easy choice. You don't see much of the seedy side of Vegas if you're mostly in an air conditioned car, garage, or resorts.

ETA: I agree that there's lots to do even if we're not the young-jet-off-to-Vegas-to-party-for-the-weekend types anymore. We were big into catching all the Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas. We loved to eat at all the different restaurants, too, and the celebrity chef driven restaurant scene has really exploded in Vegas over the last ten years. But there's everything from old time joints, buffets of all sizes, fancy restaurants, tourist magnets like the World of Coca Cola and Serendipity 3. I think there are a fair amount of rides too, like the roller coaster in New York, New York and thrill rides at the Stratosphere. There's a pretty cool aquarium at Mandalay Bay. @Albort reminded me of the great medieval Tournament of Kings dinner show at the Excalibur. And if you like Disney theming, you'll love some of the theming at resorts like the Paris, the Venetian, Caesar's Palace, and even New York New York, the Bellagio, and the Luxor.

 

[Albort]

When we were last in Vegas about five years ago, there were a lot of male and female hustlers on the Strip pushing flyers for scantily clad shows and services but it seemed targeted not at families. You can't entirely avoid that kind of stuff as they advertise all over in newspaper and magazine racks; billboards aren't too bad -- PG-13 at the worst. I didn't notice too much of that around the Fremont Street Experience in downtown, even though Downtown LV has a reputation for being even seedier than the Strip. Great lights show and entertainment. Of course there are street performers all over the Strip and Fremont Street.

Practically speaking, half the year Vegas is too hot for us to walk around or stay outside for long, and we tended to drive from resort to resort for whatever we had planned. Parking is (mostly?) free so it's an easy choice. You don't see much of the seedy side of Vegas if you're mostly in an air conditioned car, garage, or resorts.

haha... speaking of that, i took one from one of them just to see what exactly they were advertising... Then i got chased down by 10 of them trying to give me their fliers... my friends had a good laugh at me surrounded by them...

 

[Lain]

Any suggestions on how to tell if you have applied for 5 in the last 24

You can sign up for Credit Journey, which is Chase's free (--if you're a Chase customer?) credit monitoring service. One of the line items in the report they provide is how many new accounts you've opened in the last 24 months.

 

[mejo]

Ahhh thank you, I have 4 so I guess I won't be trying for a companion pass this time

 

[Albort]

Ahhh thank you, I have 4 so I guess I won't be trying for a companion pass this time

if your at 4, your in the perfect spot. you can apply for 2 cards pushing you up to 6/24.

 

[Ngwira]

Ours is 4. LOL. And I'm thinking about taking her to Vegas! But seriously, I think she'd really love some of the Cirque shows. We've been taking her to movies in the theaters for over a year now, and she's very good about sitting still and staying quiet, and then totally gushing about what she'd just seen after the show.



When we were last in Vegas about five years ago, there were a lot of male and female hustlers on the Strip pushing flyers for scantily clad shows and services but it seemed targeted not at families. You can't entirely avoid that kind of stuff as they advertise all over in newspaper and magazine racks; billboards aren't too bad -- PG-13 at the worst. I didn't notice too much of that around the Fremont Street Experience in downtown, even though Downtown LV has a reputation for being even seedier than the Strip. Great lights show and entertainment. Of course there are street performers all over the Strip and Fremont Street.

Practically speaking, half the year Vegas is too hot for us to walk around or stay outside for long, and we tended to drive from resort to resort for whatever we had planned. Parking is (mostly?) free so it's an easy choice. You don't see much of the seedy side of Vegas if you're mostly in an air conditioned car, garage, or resorts.

ETA: I agree that there's lots to do even if we're not the young-jet-off-to-Vegas-to-party-for-the-weekend types anymore. We were big into catching all the Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas. We loved to eat at all the different restaurants, too, and the celebrity chef driven restaurant scene has really exploded in Vegas over the last ten years. But there's everything from old time joints, buffets of all sizes, fancy restaurants, tourist magnets like the World of Coca Cola and Serendipity 3. I think there are a fair amount of rides too, like the roller coaster in New York, New York and thrill rides at the Stratosphere. There's a pretty cool aquarium at Mandalay Bay. @Albort reminded me of the great medieval Tournament of Kings dinner show at the Excalibur. And if you like Disney theming, you'll love some of the theming at resorts like the Paris, the Venetian, Caesar's Palace, and even New York New York, the Bellagio, and the Luxor.

In addition to resort fees, the strip hotels are now charging for parking, unless you have status....