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. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
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    Florida GatorsChicago Cubs

    I was always a big fan of YNAB but they keep raising the price.

    That's all I've got.
     
    devine likes this.
  2. kinghill

    kinghill Cool American Flavour
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    excel/google sheets
     
  3. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    What a coincidence. Was coming in here to comment on my experience at the Capital One Lounge at DFW yesterday.

    It was phenomenal. Quiet. Clean. No line. 10% capacity. 3x as many food options as Centurion. BBQ sliders. Bourbon glazed meatballs with cornbread. Deviled eggs. Bruschetta. Mac n cheese with bacon. Chicken tortilla soup. Chickpea salad. Arroz con pollo. List goes on. A full pastry/dessert bar.

    Multiple soft drinks on tap that were available for self serve. Nitro cold brew. I had a frozen Irish coffee from a machine. Since I was in a hurry I grabbed a juice, parfait, and BLT from the grab & go section.
     
    #14853 DuffandMuff, Jan 18, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2023
  4. i am a bammer

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

    Do you guys daily spend with a CSR or plat? I want to do the plat if/when a big offer aligns with a spend-heavy time(maybe this summer), but I don't want to keep both and I'm going to be better off with the CSR personally.
     
  5. $P1

    $P1 Ball State #1
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Michigan WolverinesChicago CubsLos Angeles LakersChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksWest Ham UnitedBall State Cardinals

    I use a bi-weekly rolling budget on Sheets that I could share with you if you want. Requires a bit of manual work to set it up (probably about an hour I'd say), but then each 2 weeks you basically just delete a column


    It works for me better than doing it on Quicken, by comparison. But it's really just for budgeting/planning your main checking/savings vs expenses
     
    devine likes this.
  6. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
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    Michigan WolverinesChicago CubsDetroit Red Wings

    There is no centurion lounge at CVG. We’ve got an escape lounge which you can get into with Amex Plat but CVG isn’t big enough to warrant a full centurion lounge.
     
  7. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    CVG is my home airport but I've never actually been in any lounge there. It's so easy to get through security there I'm never early enough to warrant going to a lounge. I really only go to them on layovers.
     
  8. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
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    Michigan WolverinesChicago CubsDetroit Red Wings

    The escape lounge is nice to grab a quick drink before a flight especially if you’re flying Delta because it’s right by all their gates.
     
  9. Tommy Jefferson

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

    When are they anticipating more Capital One lounges? If I’m not mistaken, Dallas is the only location. The Venture X loves to advertise access there, but unless you use that one airport, it’s a useless perk
     
  10. Sportfan

    Sportfan From Six to Dumptime
    San Antonio SpursHouston TexansNew Mexico State AggiesTexas AandM Aggies

    Pfft that’s a silly qualifier, literally says “Centurion partner” and I feel like the sign outside the door said Centurion but I didn’t stop enough to notice. Yes was right across my American gate and wasn’t busy so it’s exactly as I would want it.

    There’s a priority pass lounge in A I think but since SW doesn’t want to fly direct to DAL from CVG I may never see it.
     
  11. John McGuirk

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

    Anyone know if Amex is still offering a 90k bonus for the Gold card? Bout to switch over from the Sapphire reserve
     
  12. racer

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

    I’ve got a 75k if you don’t find a 90k available
     
    #14862 racer, Jan 18, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2023
    John McGuirk likes this.
  13. Where Eagles Dare

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

    Anyone know if chase prorates their annual $300 credit? If I use all of it in January, then downgrade or cancel once the AF hits in March, will they try to take some back?
     
  14. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Thought it renews every year with the annual fee but could be wrong
     
  15. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    They advertised opening the DEN and IAD locations by the end of last year, but that hasn’t happened. Hopefully we see those open in Q1. I never use DFW, but fly thru DEN frequently, so that will be nice.

    Also interested to see what the Chase Sapphire lounges will look like. Not sure if I agree with them making the lounges open to Priority Pass members.
     
  16. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    The Plat is shit for daily spend. Other than their 5x on airfare, they don’t offer much else in terms of spend multipliers.

    A number of folks choose to combine it with the Amex Gold, which has great multipliers on most peoples common spend categories.
     
    #14866 DuffandMuff, Jan 18, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2023
    Lip, i am a bammer and BellottiBold like this.
  17. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Daily spend with CSR isn’t terrible with the dining being at 3% but I’m about to move over to the Amex Gold. Lower fee and 4% for grocery and restaurants, which is where I spend the vast majority on the card
     
    i am a bammer likes this.
  18. John McGuirk

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

    Also looked at the Amex Platinum, but just doesn’t make sense, even with all the added perks. I’ll double my benefits on Amex gold if I am running the numbers correctly
     
  19. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
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    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

     
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  20. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
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    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Love that place. Have to go to DC in a few months and was bummed that the only layovers I saw were in Charlotte or Atlanta. I don't fly a ton, but the last time had a DFW stop.
     
    DuffandMuff likes this.
  21. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Perfect! Thanks
     
  22. Lip

    Lip Well-Known Member
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    yeah but you’re wrong. A centurion lounge is a specific thing
     
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  23. Goose

    Goose Hi
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati BearcatsCincinnati RedsCincinnati BengalsReal MadridXavier MusketeersDayton FlyersTiger WoodsFC Cincinnati

    The priority pass lounge in A at CVG sucks. The escape and delta lounge are much better
     
    tjsblue and Sportfan like this.
  24. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    IIRC it's the non-"select" variety of PP, which should keep that impact down? (No AMEX folks, for example...)
     
  25. The Hebrew Husker

    Donor
    Nebraska CornhuskersSeattle MarinersColorado AvalanceWWENebraska Cornhuskers alt

    Probably been asked a million times but is there a good place to find a somewhat comprehensive list of the best cards?

    Looking for a better card for daily spend, typically just use points for cash back on the card.
     
  26. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
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    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Frequent Miler has some good resources.
    https://frequentmiler.com/best-cash-back-credit-card-offers/

    A few follow up questions:
    Are you willing to pay an annual fee?
    Do any traveling at all or just want 1 card to keep it simple for cash back?
    Any particular categories have high spend (grocery, restaurant, etc)?
     
    BayouMafia likes this.
  27. The Hebrew Husker

    Donor
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    I would prefer to not have the annual fee but that’s just based on the fact I’m not sure I’d “break even” on other perks. That said I know some cards have enough random perks that it pays for itself, so just kind of depends.

    Minimal travel, so I’d obviously take what I can get, but not someone who is constantly booking flights/hotels (2-3x a year if that). That’s why I’d lean one card/cash back.

    Highest spend would probably be groceries/dining. So a boost there would be great. Current card I have now is 2% on everything.
     
  28. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    The Capital One SavorOne card has 3% back on groceries and dining with no fee.
     
  29. Robert Randolph

    Robert Randolph Well-Known Member

    Dining aside (I use CSR as my Daily Driver) - I combo it with the Blue Cash Preferred from Amex. 6% groceries, 6% on all our streaming, 3% gas stations, and $84/year for the Disney bundle credit which practically negates the $95 AF.

     
  30. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Look into Amex Gold
     
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  31. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    LSU TigersTexas RangersNew Orleans SaintsFulhamDulwich Hamlet

    Catching up but I’m with Where Eagles Dare on this. I almost never use the Centurion or Admirals Club lounges at DFW, and at many domestic airports I prefer a restaurant to the overcrowded lounges since I’m usually traveling for work and can expense the meals/drinks. Case in point I was traveling AUS-FRA on Lufthansa and they share the United lounge which was jam packed and had free bags of potato chips and smart food popcorn, so I enjoyed one of the great food options in the terminal instead. In Delhi a couple of months ago the Priority Pass Lounge had a line of 100 people to get in, so I sat a a sports bar for my flight.

    Internationally it's usually clutch, especially on layovers or in situations where there's a welcome lounge (like Lufthansa has in Frankfurt and Munich) because I'm usually going right into the office and a shit/shower/shave/hot breakfast is key.

    My long standing hypothesis on “elite” benefits is that no one likes to feel special more than airline travelers, so if you put them in a crowded room with packaged snacks but tell them it's exclusive people will congregate there regardless. I have Admirals Club through frequent flying and Centurion/Priority Pass lounges with my Amex Plat but the places where it's truly a benefit are few and far between, though DuffandMuff has me intrigued by the Capital One lounge...
     
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  32. CoastalOrange

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

    At a previous (and current) company, if the flight is over 6 hrs, you can upgrade to business class. However, the expectation is that you hit the ground running once you land. Tried that once and never again. I even had access to my hotel room really early in the morning and was able to shower and change and whatnot, but it didn't matter as I was completely exhausted. Put me in economy or economy plus and give me an extra day. The extra night at the hotel is normally much cheaper than the upgraded seat on the flight.
     
  33. Whammy

    Whammy Donde es
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    Alabama Crimson TideVanderbilt CommodoresNew Orleans SaintsChicago BlackhawksAtlanta United

    Closing in on 1M Amex points (business cards)....what is this thread's opinion on how best to use? First class upgrades and / or tickets? Hotels?

    Have a honeymoon coming up late this year / early next and want to blow it out
     
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  34. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    Might get bashed for this, but the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) allowing all active military members to obtain credit cards without any annual fee definitely increases lounge attendance.

    I know the Delta lounge in San Diego is frequently loaded with local military. The SCRA does provide many useful and deserved benefits though.
     
  35. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    1st/business class on international flights are where you get the most value value with Amex points. Hotels seem pretty average imo, but I'm not an expert in MR conversions.

    You can also cash them out with a little maneuvering at 1.25 cpp currently.
     
    Whammy likes this.
  36. Whammy

    Whammy Donde es
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    Alabama Crimson TideVanderbilt CommodoresNew Orleans SaintsChicago BlackhawksAtlanta United

    When you say cash them out, you mean using at statement credits / giftcards or a notional value based on a redemption to a flight / hotel?
     
  37. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    Sale on LM purchases rn - up to a 165% bonus.
    You could fly *A biz between US and Europe for like $800. Confirm availability first!
     
  38. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    Chase is offering a promotion to pay yourself back with Aeroplan points at 1.25 cpp for travel purchases. So you would need to:

    1. Sign up for an Aeroplan account
    2. Apply and get the Chase Aeroplan card and link it with your Aeroplan account
    3. Make travel purchases (rental cars, hotels, etc) with your Aeroplan card.
    4. Transfer your MR points to Aeroplan
    5. Pay your travel charges with your transferred Aeroplan points at 1.25 cpp
     
  39. Whammy

    Whammy Donde es
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    Alabama Crimson TideVanderbilt CommodoresNew Orleans SaintsChicago BlackhawksAtlanta United

    Thanks - these are Amex points, but good to know for Chase
     
  40. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    You can transfer your Amex points to Aeroplan, then use them to pay travel stuff from your chase card, see #4 in that list.

    Kind of convoluted, so it may not be worth it for you, but it is an option.
     
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  41. WC

    WC Bad Company, ‘til the day I die.
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    Aeroplan is partnered with both cards/companies, so you can send Amex points to Aeroplan and pay for Chase expenses.
     
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  42. Whammy

    Whammy Donde es
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    Alabama Crimson TideVanderbilt CommodoresNew Orleans SaintsChicago BlackhawksAtlanta United

    Got it - makes sense, thank you
     
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  43. Det. Frank Bullitt

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

    Haven't checked Amex MR travel partners but you should be capable of doing a handful of days in Tahiti/Bora Bora or Maldives exclusive of local transfer flights without having to pay out of pocket. As with any redemption, you'll be best served if you compare dates/airfare classes/room types to maximize your value.

    We did Moorea and Bora Bora (Tahiti) and would recommend it completely unless you have to spend thousands in cash.

    My write up is somewhere in here but the cliff notes:

    73% of the legwork was done by a couple hundred thousand MR points. United flights in Premium Economy + Hilton suites.
     
    #14893 Det. Frank Bullitt, Jan 19, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2023
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  44. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    yeah a hotel should be a fraction of the cost of the difference between Business and Economy. For me it's just time. I don't want to leave home just after noon on Saturday to be there for a Monday meeting if I can help it.

    my company used to have a policy that if you chose Economy over Business on flights over 6 hours you could get 25% of the difference paid out, which was a win/win. Nearly everyone did that since it was a $1000-$1500 bonus every time you flew internationally. Wish they still had that.
     
    CoastalOrange likes this.
  45. The Hebrew Husker

    Donor
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    Quick glance I’m debating between the Amex Blue and the CapitalOne SavorOne. Thinking the AmexBlue perks might offset the $95.00. Will do a little more research later though and see if there’s any referrals for whatever I go with.
     
  46. bRamonceTaylor

    bRamonceTaylor Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Probably doesn’t help you with DFW being your home base, but anybody else flying through AUS, the Delta lounge is new and I think pretty nice (hokey Austin cliches and all).

    I fly for work every 4-6 weeks and will show up early to get in there to take conference calls that bump up against my flight. Never had a wait to get in or any trouble finding somewhere to post up. Other than long layovers, that’s the only time I go into a lounge.
     
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  47. LeonardWashington

    LeonardWashington Leader of Tuanon
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    Has anyone else had issues with (or simply hate) the Chase travel portal?

    I was looking at hotels tonight and the prices are almost always higher on Chase than on other sites like hotels.com or even the hotel directly. Also, the search function is terrible and crashes often. I have this issue every time I use it. I've tried using different browsers and still have the same issue... it just seems like a very shitty website.

    It seems better when searching for flights, but for hotels it is about as bad as I've ever used. Wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences?
     
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  48. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
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    Florida GatorsChicago Cubs

    Yes.

    So I transfer my points to Hyatt and use Hyatts exclusively
     
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  49. Uncle Tupelo

    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCleveland Browns

    Yep, UR points are transferred out to Hyatt like 90% of the time.

    I feel like the portal used to be decent value for lower tier hotels and economy domestic flights, but its trash now.
     
  50. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
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    Florida GatorsChicago Cubs

    I've never spent a UR point on anything but Hyatt.
     
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