I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Do you already have an amex and can you do a biz card there? Since it's generally a soft pull with them it's how people on r/churning have gotten a card in your situation when they couldn't wait.

We both have Amex, but only personal cards with them. If applying for a biz card (if you don’t have business cards with them already), is it still a soft pull? I have an actual business so biz cards are no issue. Just don’t want to mess up anything with our mortgage process.

 

[afan]

We both have Amex, but only personal cards with them. If applying for a biz card (if you don’t have business cards with them already), is it still a soft pull? I have an actual business so biz cards are no issue. Just don’t want to mess up anything with our mortgage process.

Should be yes. My first amex was a biz card and none of my personal or biz cards since have had a hp.

As @CyndiLouWho said one card also shouldn't be an issue esp if you explain the sub, your upcoming expenses and that you have the cash to pay just want the points. It's just way easier if you can avoid it.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Thanks, I will read that one, too. This wasn't my first choice, but DH doesn't want to take off more time from work so #1 Amsterdam and #2 Wailea were off the table. TBH I'm worried about water, salad, etc. and gastrointestinal issues in general. I've been to Mexico before but it was a long time ago and I remember barely eating anything there. I'm telling myself it's good to try new things, too, so I went ahead and booked this trip. As a bonus, the days they had available happen to line up with my DD's winter break (I wasn't even looking for this as a possibility) so that's kind of cool. She's never been there.

This is such a high end resort- you have no issues about water quality. All of the water at the resort and all other major resorts in the Cabo area have their own purification systems onsite, so you can drink the restaurant water and ice without problem. At a resort in Mexico, I always request house or tap water, but they'll happily serve you bottled water (for a fee). The room has a complimentary mini bar with several beverages. Definitely request tea- it's absolutely amazing french tea. When down at the pool, they'll set you up and bring you complimentary bottled water.
Food and drink quality at the resort is absolutely excellent, as are all of the other dining locations in my reviews. I have been taking probiotics prior to and during trips, and in general I think that helps a lot when traveling. I think any travel can be upsetting on our tummies, plus drinking lots of food we don't normally and drinking alcohol... I eat a primarily vegetarian diet (95%) of meals- I seem to recall good vegan options at the resort with special menus even.
Now if you eat at a taco truck in town, you certainly want bottled water. I think you'll be surprised at how upscale and competitive the dining scene in Cabo is. Mexico certainly has its problems- the potential scams can get tiresome, as does the constant pressure to buy things, tours, etc. But all of that is near the marina or at the airport (timeshares) for example- you won't experience anything like that whatsoever at the WA.

Message me if you want any other recommendations.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I unexpectedly decided to book a cruise for 2023 because I found a great deal. It embarks in Miami and disembarks in Genoa, Italy. I have it on hold but the deposit is due on Monday. I need to figure out the travel insurance pronto before I paid the deposit.

DH has a Chase Sapphire Reserve. I think we can get travel cancelation and interruption if we charge the cruise to the card. I assume that when I book other parts of the trip (which I do not even have planned yet - we will want to do some traveling in Italy before flying home), we would still be covered for those.

I will want some sort of medical and evacuation insurance which I don't believe the CSR includes. Should I insure only the cruise portion of the trip? Or my entire trip? How can I do that if I do not even know when we plan to fly home yet?

My parents are elderly. If we need to fly home because of their health, does anything cover them?

Added complication, DH's Aunt and Uncle want to join us on the cruise but they will do their own thing post cruise. They want to piggy back on my planning. They have an extremely elderly Mother at home. I do no know how to advise them on the travel insurance part. I may need them to contact a travel insurance broker?

Any advice? ITA!!

ETA - I need to figure our airfare home from Italy. We are open to traveling around in Italy to find the best route to the States - mostly likely to JFK. Closest major airport to Genoa seems to be Milan. DH and I currently have a combined 736k URs to use for flights home. We are a party of 4 but I can ditch my adult daughters to economy class. Any help with finding best deal on airfare will be appreciated as well.

Based on your needs, it sounds like you will likely want a "comprehensive plan." You can usually select options for medical coverage as well as evacuation within those plans- make sure it is enough for your needs. I think some plans will cover for trip interruption for the "hospitalization or death" of a non traveling family member. You might also want to consider "cancel for any reason" coverage. You usually want to book trip insurance within 7-21 days of the initial payment, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or want the cancel for any reason coverage. You can estimate your costs and return travel date, I would think.

I like insure my trip to compare policies and you can review the details in advance

 

[IFlossU]

Hi everyone! I've played this out in spreadsheets a few ways, but it's always good to hear someone else's insight. If anyone wants to take a stab at this, here we go! We are hoping to do in Alaskan cruise in 2-3 years for a family of 5, and I'm wanting to start collecting points towards it. I'm not attached to any specific cruiseline, though I've heard good things about Princess. Here's what we currently have:

P1:
02/19 – Barclay Arrival +
05/21 – Chase Sapphire Preferred
Also has a Chase Freedom but it’s been 6 years. I don’t remember the exact open date anymore.

P2:
07/21 – Chase Sapphire Preferred
Also has a Discover it card, but it’s be 6-7 years as well.

We have a monthly spend of 2500ish. Neither of us own a business, so business cards are out. I was thinking of closing/downgrading one of the CSPs. I've heard good things about pairing a CSP with Freedom/Flex just for general point accrual. I've also heard good things about pairing Citi double cash + Citi Premier. If we go that route, I think we will downgrade both CSPs so we only have 1 annual fee card open.

$2500 month is a good amount of spend to routinely be hitting sign up bonuses. I would focus on getting a new card every 3 months especially if you can alternate between you and your husband. You’re going to be able to accumulate way more points through sign up bonuses than pairing up cards via category bonuses. I’ve only been doing this since 2019 and between DH and myself we still haven’t run out of cards to apply for every 3 months.

In regards to business cards I was hesitant to apply for them initially, but once I realized any type of side gig would qualify I routinely apply for them now. I have previously sold on Ebay and use that as my business. I would encourage you to at least keep it open as an option.

With all that said I would start by researching flights from your airport to wherever you plan to sail from. Figure out the best airlines and start looking for cards that help you get to your destination on points. Either by applying for co-branded cards, or cards with transfer partners to your airline of choice. You may want to keep your CSP’s open for that.

As far as paying for the cruise itself I’m not much help. Maybe cashing out points for a statement credit? Hopefully others will chime in with ideas. Maybe cards with a cash back bonus.

 

[hsmamato2]

I closed mine a couple of years ago. I do have a bunch of Amtrak points and I keep them alive by doing surveys. I never qualify for the surveys, probably because of age. But, I get a consolation award of 5 points which keeps my Amtrak points alive until I decide to use them. I also tried using the shopping portal and it took almost a year before those points credited. The 5 points credited instantly. The points I have will pay for autotrain and room plus car, so I didn't want to lose them during the pandemic when I wasn't buying or traveling. I'm earmarking them for possible use on my January/February Disney trip.

I'm in the process of streamlining my credit card websites, and I'm not going to be accepting any future changes that unload me to service providers that require extra monitoring. If the new service provider is acceptable, I'd prefer to get a new credit card with a signup bonus.

what portal with surveys gives amtrak points? I have a new interest in those....

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm kind of feeling bummed with IHG at the moment...for years those FN certs plus points have been an easy go to when planning random travel.... Now I'm deep diving into the website and app to try to find a use for a FN that will be expiring and coming up empty everywhere I look....when did this all change? All the decent locations that used to be easy to book are all 'no free nights'....I can find some at some out of the way places I have no interest in....am I imagining this or is it real?

 

[Judique]

what portal with surveys gives amtrak points? I have a new interest in those....

Surveypointsclub.com takes me there for Amtrak. Not certain how I actually got the link which comes as 'Amtrak' but it's my cheapest and easiest avenue. They send many emails.

Go to your Amtrak Guest Rewards and log in and check under 'ways to earn'. It shows 'points for shopping' plus retail and specialty partners.

 

[Judique]

I'm kind of feeling bummed with IHG at the moment...for years those FN certs plus points have been an easy go to when planning random travel.... Now I'm deep diving into the website and app to try to find a use for a FN that will be expiring and coming up empty everywhere I look....when did this all change? All the decent locations that used to be easy to book are all 'no free nights'....I can find some at some out of the way places I have no interest in....am I imagining this or is it real?

I had gotten locked out of my preferred location for a few years. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I found a night for 38k points. A few days later I found another for the next night. I'm using on a Sunday and Monday, which works fine for me.

I'm no longer invested in earning IHG points as the value is so low and the nights I would enjoy have gotten crazy high, but will continue to keep my $49 card and fnc until they find a way to take it from me.

 

[Judique]

Wow I wonder if I could have done that when I was paying tuition

I hope so. When mine runs as a debit I have to put in a pin so I just put in the last 4 numbers on the card. I never bother to create a pin, but it might be a good idea.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I'm kind of feeling bummed with IHG at the moment...for years those FN certs plus points have been an easy go to when planning random travel.... Now I'm deep diving into the website and app to try to find a use for a FN that will be expiring and coming up empty everywhere I look....when did this all change? All the decent locations that used to be easy to book are all 'no free nights'....I can find some at some out of the way places I have no interest in....am I imagining this or is it real?

My guess is that this has more to do with revenge travel (high travel demand) than IHG blocking out dates. Out of curiousity, have you tried looking at really close-in dates for the properties you are interested? Are those available for FNC? That might be the way to use up that soon expiring FNC.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I really need to get to work using up my final $200 FHR credit with Amex. I'll be looking to book something for 2023. There are no current trips where I'll need it and it's so hard to book a speculative trip with Amex credit, especially late in the year. I ended up blowing a credit last year canceling a trip in the following year.

 

[elgerber]

We are in Disney but I see a new CIC in P2 account

 

[mmmears]

This is such a high end resort- you have no issues about water quality. All of the water at the resort and all other major resorts in the Cabo area have their own purification systems onsite, so you can drink the restaurant water and ice without problem. At a resort in Mexico, I always request house or tap water, but they'll happily serve you bottled water (for a fee). The room has a complimentary mini bar with several beverages. Definitely request tea- it's absolutely amazing french tea. When down at the pool, they'll set you up and bring you complimentary bottled water.
Food and drink quality at the resort is absolutely excellent, as are all of the other dining locations in my reviews. I have been taking probiotics prior to and during trips, and in general I think that helps a lot when traveling. I think any travel can be upsetting on our tummies, plus drinking lots of food we don't normally and drinking alcohol... I eat a primarily vegetarian diet (95%) of meals- I seem to recall good vegan options at the resort with special menus even.
Now if you eat at a taco truck in town, you certainly want bottled water. I think you'll be surprised at how upscale and competitive the dining scene in Cabo is. Mexico certainly has its problems- the potential scams can get tiresome, as does the constant pressure to buy things, tours, etc. But all of that is near the marina or at the airport (timeshares) for example- you won't experience anything like that whatsoever at the WA.

Message me if you want any other recommendations.

Thanks for the advice. I figured the hotel would have safe water, but I tend to be careful when abroad (even in Europe) since it's so easy to get an upset stomach when traveling. I just try to be extra careful. I booked the 2 restaurants at the hotel for dinners. It's good to know they have veggie options.

 

[amcc]

I really need to get to work using up my final $200 FHR credit with Amex. I'll be looking to book something for 2023. There are no current trips where I'll need it and it's so hard to book a speculative trip with Amex credit, especially late in the year. I ended up blowing a credit last year canceling a trip in the following year.

Same. I try to book these nearby to getaway with my husband but Miami FHR and THC are ridiculously expensive. The Keys are a possibility. Anywhere else we travel as a family, $200 for a hotel of this caliber just doesn't make a dent.

 

[EACarlson]

Update - I called Hilton directly and they opened a case which was sent directly to the general manager of that Hampton Inn. The general manager then emailed me saying this: She apologizes for my inconvenience. She had the room inspected but did not find any bed bugs. Unfortunately, since I paid through a 3rd party, they cannot refund any money, but they can give me 15,000 Hilton points or send me a certificate for a free night at their exact hotel on my next trip to their little town (as if I would ever stay there again.) She wants me to pick which one I would like.

This makes me so mad. I don't believe they cannot refund me. A couple of years ago, I paid for a room using Chase but the hotel was overbooked so they not only refunded my room through Chase but they paid for my room at a nearby hotel. So I know they can do it.

Also, I found the bed bug and gave it to the front desk so why do they keep telling me they did not find bed bugs.

Thanks everyone for your advice. What should I do next? I haven't yet written a scathing review because I was thinking management would be more likely to do the right thing but now, I am so mad.

How are they supposed to refund you if you never gave them money? They only have the card for the 3rd party you booked through. You brought them one bug, they went to the room looking to determine if it was an infestation or something else, they didn't find any more so they don't believe the bug came from their hotel, they believe you brought the bug with you from somewhere. I'd be leaving a factual review everywhere you can think of.

I also hate xfinity and have only Internet. Who do you use?
I need to go into the store as they recently increased my fee from $75 to $104. Phone reps are useless, they tried to tell me the cheapest plan I could switch to is $120/month. It's $104, why would I downgrade service and increase price? We thought about trying T-Mobile for $50/mo but don't think it would work as DH is WFH and uses web based services for everything.

Since I moved this summer we now have fiber from AT&T. They have been fantastic since I got it installed. 1 gbps down and 1gbps up for less than what I was spending for 300mbps down and 60mbps up with Spectrum.

We both have Amex, but only personal cards with them. If applying for a biz card (if you don’t have business cards with them already), is it still a soft pull? I have an actual business so biz cards are no issue. Just don’t want to mess up anything with our mortgage process.

It was a soft pull for me when I got my BBP in January. I have 4 personal cards with them.

 

[mmmears]

I also hate xfinity and have only Internet. Who do you use?
I need to go into the store as they recently increased my fee from $75 to $104. Phone reps are useless, they tried to tell me the cheapest plan I could switch to is $120/month. It's $104, why would I downgrade service and increase price? We thought about trying T-Mobile for $50/mo but don't think it would work as DH is WFH and uses web based services for everything.

We ditched Comcast/Xfinity and got AT&T Fiber as soon as it was available in our neighborhood and it's been so much better.

 

[reliev]

Well see for all traveling to Japan
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...crap-daily-arrival-cap-by-october-nikkei-says

 

[DogCat]

How are they supposed to refund you if you never gave them money? They only have the card for the 3rd party you booked through. You brought them one bug, they went to the room looking to determine if it was an infestation or something else, they didn't find any more so they don't believe the bug came from their hotel, they believe you brought the bug with you from somewhere. I'd be leaving a factual review everywhere you can think of.

I know for a fact hotels can refund a room booked through Expedia. I pay Expedia and Expedia pays them. They refund Expedia/Chase and then Chase either refunds your money or restores your points. I have booked a room before when the hotel was overbooked so they refunded my room through Expedia. My Chase points were restored with no action from me. I have also had to cancel a room due to a regional weather emergency that was booked through Chase UR and past the free cancel date. I called Chase to see if anything could be done, they put me on hold, called the hotel and asked if they would refund. In that case, the hotel agreed (even though they did not have to) and my UR points were restored. So it can't be that difficult. Not to mention they ran my credit card when I checked in so they can issue a credit.

And no way do I believe them. I have since learned from a member of the college athletic team that was also staying there that one of their rooms found a bed bug - earlier that very same night! There were no available rooms for them so those 4 players had to "bunk up" with their teammates.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

We ditched Comcast/Xfinity and got AT&T Fiber as soon as it was available in our neighborhood and it's been so much better.

No Fiber here. Just Internet 50.