Credit Card Thread - Now with a Beginner's Guide to free travel/FAQ

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by blind dog, Apr 10, 2015.

  1. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    That's not a thing, you're fine
     
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  2. Struggler

    Struggler Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCincinnati Bengals

    I was wrong. 99% of cards don’t care when you pay.
     
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  3. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    Damn. New rules for BofA cards mostly kill off churning.
     
  4. Lip

    Lip Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan State SpartansDetroit LionsGeorge Washington Colonials

    What are they?
     
  5. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    Basically you can't get a BofA card if you've had that card in the last 24 mos. If you were to close a card, they supposedly make you wait 24 mos before you can open a new one (of the same type).
     
  6. i am a bammer

    i am a bammer Ben Eblen>Jamychal Green
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideSan Diego Padres

    Bofa deez nutz boi lmao
     
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  7. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
    Donor TMB OG
    Texas LonghornsManchester United

    Here is an Amex Platinum breakdown on my value on card, the $550 AF. YMMV, you may find less or even more value. For instance, I don't use all my uber credits each month, so I'm reducing the cash value I receive from this benefit

    • $400 - Airline Gift Cards via "$200 Credit in airline fees" benefit and calendar year double dip. Note, few airlines are compatible with this, but I use AA. Check Flyertalk for specifics and lots of data points.
    • $100 - Uber Credits. The benefit is actually $200/year, delivered as $15/month in Jan-Nov, with $35 delivered for December. The credits post automatically the 1st of the month inside the uber app and can be used for tips. I find myself using Uber more, but never have I taken an uber just to use up my available credits. Also gives you a higher status which supposedly unlocks drivers that are better (and maybe cars too, I did get in a really nice Lexus the other day fwiw)
    • $1,500 - my conservative value on 60,000 AMEX Membership Reward points, which is the current welcome offer. I took my 130k AMEX MR points and transferred them to Hilton, to cover a hotel stay that would have cost between $6000-$7000 in cash (I have since forgotten exact cash price). Also, promo periods come and go for transferring points, so read up on that. Usually a banner will appear inside of AMEX referring to the promo when one exists.The Points Guy and other credit card review sites can provide loads of ideas and valuations for 60k AMEX MR points.
    • $100- Saks 5th Ave. Credit - $50 statement credit twice per year at Saks. Nothing special, but bought a belt last year, will buy socks/underwear/etc.
    • Misc - Credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. $100 if you use GE, but again, a perk available on many cards. Could be a good idea to gift to SO/Parent/ or even a friend if you can arrange application/enrollment far enough ahead of your travel date.
    • Misc- Centurion Lounge & Delta lounges when flying Delta
    • Misc - Priority Pass (everyone has this perk now, not that significant)
    For me, this is $2,100 in value and a no-brainer for someone who is above 5/24. Use this link to apply if you are going to apply for the card and found the post helpful, but in the best interest of my fellow TMBers - you can try the incognito mode lottery on CardMatch to see if you can get a better offer. I've seen success and failure reports here and elsewhere FWIW.
    http://refer.amex.us/JORDALy37H?xl=cp20

    BTW the card is the nicest card I've seen. Significantly more sturdy and heavy than the CSR. Received plenty of comments from cashiers on its heft.
     
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  8. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesCleveland BrownsUSA RugbyTiger WoodsOhio BobcatsCleveland CavaliersCleveland IndiansOlympics

    You do some good work on here, Frank. Nice.

    Also, just bought a $250 gift card off Southwest’s site. I’ll let you guys know when(if?) the credit posts. :ohnoes:
     
  9. gordon bombay

    gordon bombay magician's alliance enthusiast
    Donor
    Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksAtlanta Falcons

    I think the $1500 for 60,000 points is probably on the high side, when valuing cards I tend to use the minimum value so I would use $600 in this case.

    The biggest perk to that card IMO is still the delta sky club access
     
  10. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    I’m not really clear what lounges I do and don’t have access to. I have Priority Pass through SPG Luxury and CSR.

    Pretty sure PP includes Delta lounges :idk:

    Are there other lounges I can’t walk into?
     
  11. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
    Donor
    Oklahoma State CowboysHouston AstrosHouston TexansTiger Woods

    You can find the list of lounges on the PP website. I haven't seen any Delta lounges included in the places I've used it
     
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  12. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
    Donor
    Oklahoma State CowboysHouston AstrosHouston TexansTiger Woods

    I'm interested in this answer as the $250 airline fee credit is one of my big sticking points on the card. My main two airlines are SW and United and United doesn't do those gift cards anymore per flyertalk
     
  13. gordon bombay

    gordon bombay magician's alliance enthusiast
    Donor
    Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksAtlanta Falcons

    PP does not include Delta.

    In general, PP lounges are few and far between. For example, I have had PP now for 10+ years and I have used a PP lounge less than 10 times total.
    They just aren't conveniently located and are most often not at hub airports/terminals.
     
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  14. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    ATL: Minute Suites and some lounge in the international terminal I’ll never visit.
    [​IMG]
     
  15. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    the difference between Amex Plat lounges and PP is Amex Plat gets you Delta lounge access when flying Delta and gets you into Amex Centurion lounges
     
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  16. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    Good to know I’ll need to add an AmEx Platinum in the future.

    Couple more business cards, then I’ll use your Hyatt card referral, then the AEP and I’ll be good for a while.
     
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  17. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    now that we're traveling basically once a month lounge access is a really tough perk to lose, especially living by a delta hub and connecting largely through places that have Centurion lounges which are a step above every other lounge I've been to

    get to check out Philly's tm
     
  18. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
    Donor
    Oklahoma State CowboysHouston AstrosHouston TexansTiger Woods

    Gf has been to the lounge in the international terminal and I think she liked it. The PP usage is hit or miss domestically for me at least. The only place to use it in Denver is a restaurant in the SW terminal that stays pretty busy but the food is worth it. Many airports the lounges are in the international terminal and getting to them can be difficult or not feasible, O'Hare being one of them
     
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  19. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    PDX priority pass perks are pretty nice, but it's just money to use at different restaurants/a liquor place. Mostly just grab a bunch of bottles of water and snacks.
     
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  20. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    Nice post, Det. Frank Bullitt

    Three points:

    1. Good on you for the note about people possibly doing better elsewhere without the referral. Glad that's where this thread is still at even though it's gotten a little busier
    2. That rate on your MR is wayyyy high to me. 60,000 is maybe $1,000 to me at most. $1,500 is definitely not conservative
    3. Agree with your overall premise. IDK if I ever get the card but it's a good one
     
  21. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesCleveland BrownsUSA RugbyTiger WoodsOhio BobcatsCleveland CavaliersCleveland IndiansOlympics

    No PP lounges at Cleveland, but $28 off per person(cardholder and a guest) on your bill at Bar Symon is pretty nice.
     
  22. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersTennessee VolunteersBarcelonaUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamLiverpool

    Might have to look into this route once they finish the Centurion lounge in CLT.
     
  23. gordon bombay

    gordon bombay magician's alliance enthusiast
    Donor
    Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksAtlanta Falcons

    If you have a centurion lounge at your home airport I wouldn't hesitate to get the amex platinum. Those lounges are very good.
     
  24. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    for me, without doing any fancy math besides the annual fee being $150 after travel credits and uber credits, the amount I save by grabbing food in the lounges and crushing a few good bourbons during layovers makes it more than worth

    unlimited Bulleit pours during a 4 hour layover gets dangerous though, will have to pace myself tomorrow to not be too drunk before an 8hr flight
     
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  25. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Colorado BuffaloesOakland RaidersFulhamLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Used this a couple weeks ago at the Capers market there. Only spent like $25 on lunch between two of us so the lady told us to go pick out stuff from their market to add up to the $56 credit. Got $30 worth of some nice salamis and drinks for free. I think I actually prefer the new PP trend of restaurant credit over actual lounges.
     
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  26. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    lounges being relatively quiet and relaxed with comfortable seats is clutch with any sizable layover, but for home airports i like the credits to do what you did
     
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  27. Zabka

    Zabka Well-Known Member
    Donor

    PDX does offer the Alaska Lounge through PP, but I agree the other three restaurant/distillery options are the way to go...or you can hit all four before your flight. It's pretty funny that the distillery has whisky flights priced at $28 specifically due to that being the PP limit, and the Capers Market used to sell bottles of wine for $28 for the same reason. Back in the day you used to be able to fly into PDX and swing by the market and grab a $28 bottle of wine on your way to baggage claim. They have since banned bottle sales as well as supposed to require you to show your boarding pass as proof of a day of outbound flight.
     
    #9127 Zabka, Jan 8, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2019
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  28. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    not a huge deal but Hyatt is shaving 10k off their bonus

    https://onemileatatime.com/hyatt-credit-card-60k-bonus-ending/

    didn't know if you saw it the other day posted in here
     
  29. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    I remember that being mentioned. I just don’t want to close out my fifth slot before knocking out a couple more business cards.
     
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  30. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    Congrats on the success!
     
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  31. Houndster

    Houndster Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG

    The World of Hyatt card maybe the flimsiest piece of plastic I’ve ever held in my hands. Kinda makes a guy feel like a poor until I think about all the free hotels I’m getting.
     
  32. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    Thanks,it feels pretty awesome. I booked my flight home for over 10 cpp :mulletsmug:
     
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  33. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
    Donor TMB OG
    Texas LonghornsManchester United

    Some of the redemptions (via point transfers) are absolutely worth $1500+ based on cash price of say.... some of these business class flights, but neither of us are 'wrong'.
     
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  34. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    I think MR has the highest high-end redemptions among Citi, Chase, Amex but I just took umbrage with your "conservative"

    There are some great ones out there...especially if you do first class
     
  35. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    think my next major redemption will be the ANA transfer for Tokyo business class flights
     
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  36. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

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  37. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

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  38. PAHokie

    PAHokie Can't a bitch living say I bought her Michael Kors
    Donor
    Virginia Tech HokiesPittsburgh PenguinsAtlanta Braves

    So I’ve hit CSR min spend and I have only two cards opened in Thebes last 2 years. What should I get next?

    Plans for this year are a London-Amsterdam-Copenhagen trip in June and a trip to Maui for the Maui invitational in November.
     
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  39. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    Any hotel preference? Airline loyalty?

    Chase ink business is still best pure bonus hunting. I have a referral but about to hop on plane.
     
  40. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    Hyatt or CIP or something else. Do you have lots of points anywhere?
     
  41. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    Probably the CIP. I would give you a referral, but Lyrtch beat me to it. I'd go with his whenever he gets a chance. Hyatt is a good card too, and the big bonus is ending today. I believe ohhaithur posted a referral link above.
     
  42. PAHokie

    PAHokie Can't a bitch living say I bought her Michael Kors
    Donor
    Virginia Tech HokiesPittsburgh PenguinsAtlanta Braves

    Not sure I want to get into the business card realm. At the moment only real points I have are UR from my CFU and CSR. No real loyalty major use of any hotels or airlines. Don’t travel a ton, but looking at one big trip a year going forward.
     
  43. i am a bammer

    i am a bammer Ben Eblen>Jamychal Green
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideSan Diego Padres

  44. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    oh noooo

    non-referral 60k still exists today
     
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  45. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    So what are the good business card bonuses out there? Only two I’ve already picked up are CIP and SPG Lux business.
     
  46. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    You trying to do the southwest double dip?
     
  47. i am a bammer

    i am a bammer Ben Eblen>Jamychal Green
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideSan Diego Padres

    Quite tempted to do this despite the fact I have no trips planned
     
  48. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    I need points I can use for hotel stays: Hyatt or Marriott (don’t think Hilton has shit in Greece.)
     
  49. BrickTamland

    BrickTamland You're not Ron...
    Donor
    Florida State Seminoles

    And I’m 4/24
     
  50. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    Hilton biz is at an all time high with dummy booking. CIC, CIU,marriot, United, southwest, AAviator biz, Citi AA biz.

    Edit: sorry I forgot your not eligible for marriot bonuses right now.