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. Menelaus

    Menelaus The Red-Haired King
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideReal Madrid

    I easily recoup my AMEX platinum fees just on delta lounge food/drinks vs airport alternatives. Everything else is gravy
     
    racer likes this.
  2. Nashville Knight

    Nashville Knight Well-Known Member
    Donor
    UCF KnightsTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay LightningNashville Predators

    I have a bunch of work travel coming up, and I'm not flying or staying with my usual Southwest/Hyatt. Are there any good Delta or Hilton bonuses right now other than what is listed on their website? I previously had the Delta Gold.

    Delta Platinum or Delta Reserve
    Hilton Surpass or Hilton Aspire
     
  3. comrade static

    comrade static i love french fries
    Donor
    Oklahoma City ThunderPhiladelphia EaglesOklahoma SoonersBarAndGrillBig 8 Conference

    Nashville Knight likes this.
  4. Nashville Knight

    Nashville Knight Well-Known Member
    Donor
    UCF KnightsTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay LightningNashville Predators

    Thank you, still deciding between Aspire and Delta Platinum. I don't want to change all of my spending habits to hit the $4k spend.
     
    comrade static likes this.
  5. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    Just my strategy, but I usually watch and wait until I have a big expense on the horizon that I’m going to charge no matter what to knock out bonus spend then sign up when the bonus is good.
     
  6. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    Capital One taking two weeks to get you newly opened credit card is pitiful
     
    The_Baumer likes this.
  7. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesDallas CowboysDallas StarsDallas Mavericks alt

    Heavily considering cancelling the sapphire reserve in lieu of this.125k points signup bonus and better lounge access. Only thing I hate to give up is the 3% dining and travel purchases. Sapphire is probably a better card for me since I’m taking Lyft frequently and only fly about 4 times a year. But damn, the signup offer is tempting
     
  8. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    I got my Venture X in two business days.
     
    Lip likes this.
  9. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    The latest promo I saw had 5x dining and groceries for the first year on platinum, but that may have been targeted since I have the gold which has 4x on those.
     
    John McGuirk likes this.
  10. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    Hmmm. Mine didn't ship for 3-4 business days, and it's still not here yet. Now I get to figure out whether to keep waiting for it to never arrive or just cancel the first card and start the shipping process all over again
     
  11. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    BellottiBold likes this.
  12. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsChicago Cubs

    TAS likes this.
  13. Nashville Knight

    Nashville Knight Well-Known Member
    Donor
    UCF KnightsTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay LightningNashville Predators

    Applied for Delta Platinum Amex last night and was denied. I previously had the Starwood Amex -->Marriot Amex(opened in 2017) that I canceled at the beginning of COVID. I also had the Delta Gold back in 2016 and downgraded it to Delta Blue a year or two later. My first ever denial.
     
  14. LSU90

    LSU90 Well-Known Member

    Not sure if this helps anyone but my 1 year just came up on my AMEX platinum. I called to see what my options were to downgrade and was offered 40,000 points if I spend 3k in 3 months so for the most part pretty much washed the annual fee so I took it. Not sure what other retention offers are out there but figured might help others.
     
    PAHokie, TAS, bigjrock and 2 others like this.
  15. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    [​IMG]
    I see some folks are also managing to get cash credit instead of the points, even for first year cardholders
     
  16. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    I got a retention deal during covid so doubt I'll get one again
     
  17. Tommy Jefferson

    Tommy Jefferson Well-Known Member
    Nebraska CornhuskersKansas JayhawksKansas City RoyalsKansas City Chiefs

    I need to downgrade so I can apply for a couple other offers but there was someone in here that lost their entire point balance by doing it wrong. I have second-hand PTSD from their experience.
     
  18. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    Afaik you only qualify for one welcome promo per card lifetime
     
  19. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    I want an Amex, but those fucks will probably turn me down again. I'll probably downgrade my CSR for the CSP and just take their 80k
     
    PAHokie likes this.
  20. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Jumped on the 90k Amex Gold offer, which put me at 5/24. Hoping the 80k CSP offer lasts until July...
     
  21. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    I hadn't gotten a new card in 2 years and Amex hit me with the popup. I haven't done much outside a few cards for my wife recently.
     
    bigjrock likes this.
  22. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    I've had a Hilton Amex for a decade and started using it again a while back just before I got a Surpass and then hit the sign up bonus on the Surpass. So I had some good spend with Amex before the application, which is apparently what they like to see.

    I've hit sign up bonuses on three different cards so far this year with all the renovations from the hurricane.
     
  23. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    Yeah, I started spending on my Amex Delta card thinking I'd switch over soon.
     
    bigjrock likes this.
  24. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Follow up question...how long do these elevated offers generally last?
     
  25. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Is CSR still one of the best cards out there? I got one years ago on this thread's recommendation and haven't reevaluated since. Always hear good things about Amex.
     
  26. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    There’s no telling. Some can stay for a year. Others for a month. Sometimes you get a few weeks or more notice. Other times only a few days or no notice.
    For travel cards not tied to an airline or a hotel, it’s between CSR, Amex Plat and the new Venture X.

    CSR has the smallest sign up bonus currently. Amex Plat has up to 150k if you can find it, but also the highest annual fee.

    Venture X is the newest. It has some good perks and the lowest annual fee. Sign up bonus is 75k compared to 50k with CSR.

    I currently have the Platinum and Venture X. If you go Venture X, let me know and I can refer if you want. I won’t refer my Platinum because the sign up bonus isn’t as high as you can get thru other avenues.

    Also, Chase Preferred is currently at 80k. Only $95 annual fee. However, you don’t really get any travel perks.
     
    WC, bigjrock and RJF-GUMP like this.
  27. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    What are the most points you've ever had ? I've been in the 300ks before. I'm at 299k which is worth $4,494 according to Chase if redeemed for travel. That's probably historically one of my higher balances.
     
  28. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    Rutgers Scarlet KnightsArsenal

    For Chase, 600k I think .. For Amex, 500k at least .. Still sitting on a couple hundred thousand for Bonvoy & 800k American Airlines..
     
  29. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
    Donor
    Penn State Nittany LionsGreen Bay PackersChelseaHartford WhalersPhoenix Rising

    Currently have over 900k across all programs.
     
  30. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    Around 400k I believe. Sitting at 60k now. I feel broke.
     
    Lip likes this.
  31. colonel_forbin

    colonel_forbin Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Just cashed in 255k Chase/Amex/Hyatt points for flights and seven nights for a vacation next month.
     
    tjsblue, RJF-GUMP, The_Baumer and 2 others like this.
  32. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    American took at least 1m away from me iirc
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  33. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    "took away"?
     
  34. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    a few of us found a nice little loophole for a while
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  35. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Ahhh...
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  36. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsChicago Cubs

    I was probably in the 350k range between Chase and AMEX to start the year. I've spend about 120k so far this year just on Hyatts and I'm starting to feel bad looking at my chase account.
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  37. bRamonceTaylor

    bRamonceTaylor Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Weird, but cool Amex Plat data point. Delta is my $200 annual credit airline (I hardly ever use the credit). In February I had to cancel a flight that left me with a ~$200 voucher. The other day I booked a $450 flight and used the voucher to pay for part of it, Amex Plat to pay the rest. Three days later I got a $200 statement credit for it.
     
  38. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    Was this getting countless mailers? that's gotta hurt to take away 1m miles.
     
  39. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    if you make any partial payment <$250 it triggers it i believe

    lots of people just buy gift cards to pay for a ticket to get it below $250, put rest on amex plat, and boom you've used your annual credit (and can refund it into an ecredit due to no change fees)
     
    bRamonceTaylor likes this.
  40. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    on the plus side, the sting goes away when you remember you spent over 1m miles too
     
    RJF-GUMP, Lip, laxjoe and 3 others like this.
  41. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
    Donor TMB OG
    Michigan WolverinesChicago CubsDetroit Red Wings

    This is how I’ve been buying refundable tickets and stacking the refund credits for three years now.
     
  42. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
    Donor TMB OG
    Michigan WolverinesChicago CubsDetroit Red Wings

    In regards to point totals at their highest, that is probably right now. I've got a little over a million across Delta, American, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, Chase, and AMEX. Trying to blow my airline miles this summer since I have another child coming in August and probably not going to fly much at all the next two years after they're born.
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  43. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    I have like 500k delta miles because finding good uses for them isn't easy
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  44. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
    Donor
    San Diego State AztecsSan Diego Padres

    I have an insane number of Amex points right now. Need to start using them…

    had about 500k chase points between my wife and I that we used last year and about 600k Hilton points that we’re using on a trip to Anguilla next February.
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  45. The_Baumer

    The_Baumer Go Mordecai!
    Donor

    Where? I enjoy reading people’s redemptions.
     
  46. The_Baumer

    The_Baumer Go Mordecai!
    Donor

    I got it up around 900k Chase points when I first started. Sitting at 300k right now and have started with Chase cards in two player mode after lying dormant during COVID.
     
    RJF-GUMP likes this.
  47. colonel_forbin

    colonel_forbin Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Delta flights to St. Kitt’s. Two nights at the Marriott there and then five nights at the Park Hyatt. Total out of pocket is $550 after Amex credits. Would have been about $6k in cash without the points.
     
  48. Tommy Jefferson

    Tommy Jefferson Well-Known Member
    Nebraska CornhuskersKansas JayhawksKansas City RoyalsKansas City Chiefs

    Who wants to share a Hyatt referral code?
     
  49. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

  50. tjosu

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