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. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    Because they delayed getting those annual certs out, it appears they are giving us an extra. That’s pretty legit
     
  2. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    I may be misunderstanding this, I’m gonna all and double check
     
  3. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    Confirmed. We are all receiving an extra free weekend cert.
     
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  4. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    I guess I’m not really sure how this came about. I know when I got the card it took a while longer to get the cert than expected, is that the issue? And will that be on top of my next cert? If so, I’d be tempted to keep the card longer to use those plus points for the honeymoon next fall. Two free nights would easily cover the annual fee at one property I looked at
     
  5. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    It may be when your card renews and my annual cert was due in September, but it didn’t hit until last month. Because of that delay, they awarded me an EXTRA weekend cert, got the number and everything
     
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  6. Menelaus

    Menelaus The Red-Haired King
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    Fantastic. I am so excited to eat my face off.
     
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  7. i am a bammer

    i am a bammer Ben Eblen>Jamychal Green
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  8. The_Baumer

    The_Baumer Go Mordecai!
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    What card are you referring to?
     
  9. i am a bammer

    i am a bammer Ben Eblen>Jamychal Green
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    Hilton Aspire
     
  10. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    Email.

    After my overposting last night, I believe this will only apply to those who got the card at inception or very near. We were due our annual weekend night reward and a coding error delayed it. To compensate, the passed out another weekend cert to those affected.
     
  11. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    I feel like it's only fair that you pick up the tab on one of my honeymoon weekend nights. Let me know where to send the bill, tia
     
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  12. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    Big time false advertising on my part. :welpseeyalater:
     
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  13. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
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    What's the best way to find value with UR points as far as hotels go? Is it booking through the UR portal, transferring points to specific hotel points, or other?
     
  14. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    You can generally redeem them for more than the 1.5cpp by transferring to Hyatt
     
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  15. Menelaus

    Menelaus The Red-Haired King
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    I got 2.6cpp by doing just that
     
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  16. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Just when I think I'm getting out, Hilton pulls me back in. Started eyeing the Grand Wailea Maui for our honeymoon. For the dates I'm looking at, the cheapest rate is $540 per night excluding resort fees. The free weekend night cert would more than cover the Aspire annual fee. Standard reward stays are 95k points per night and my current balance is 203k. So I'd need to get 177k more in order to redeem points for 4 nights, which would then tack on the 5th night free, and I should also be able to stack this with my weekend night for a total 6 night stay, correct? Also, by keeping diamond I'd expect to get bumped, hopefully to a suite which is over $1k per night.

    This leaves me with a couple questions. 1) the AmEx Hilton Surpass card currently has a 150k point promo. The terms only exclude you from this promo if you have the Surpass or Ascend cards. I know AmEx can be tight though and I may not want to push my luck, so if my fiancee got this card, could she transfer her points to me? 2) this property should qualify under both the $100 credit for Waldorf Astoria as well as the $250 Hilton Resort credit. Can both these credits be stacked in a single stay?

    Edit: first question answered, just completely missed that it says there's free transfer of points and points pooling for members
     
    #11866 tjosu, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2019
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  17. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Compare portal price to transfer price

    If hyatt says a hotel is 12,000 points per night and you look on the portal and comparable hotels are 18,000 transfer to Hyatt and book. If they're 9,000, likely book that portal hotel

    I will always say that's it's not necessarily always the cheaper the better. When close I choose transfer so I'm treated better by the hotel. Status, qualifying rates, customer service, etc have value. Chase portal is an OTA and hotels dislike OTAs
     
  18. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    When it comes time to do some serious planning with my points I am going to send you a bottle of booze (or nudie magazine or whatever it is you want) and enlist your guidance and help in setting that plan.
     
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  19. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    I think I've seen this answered in here before but can't remember. Can I change my airline that I selected during the year for the Aspire? I thought they'd let you get away with it once. I selected Southwest and gift cards died shortly after so I'm looking at changing to load up on United Club passes
     
  20. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    OTOH, its once a year and period is based on calendar year, so Jan 1.
     
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  21. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    marcus can you post a screenshot of whatever communication (one email?) they sent you or a link with it?
     
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  22. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    I stupidly still have credit to use this year
     
  23. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    bummer. Serves as a reminder for everyone else to do some prep/planning for the weeks to come. (including spending your Saks credit for the Amex Plat holders out there)

    I would check the corresponding FlyerTalk thread related to SW credits on that card.
     
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  24. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    2A8E9C53-D8E3-433A-8491-51F71D0CBF9D.png
     
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  25. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    The word usage of “the” might seem confusing, but it is an additional night.
     
  26. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Sounds like people have had success buying cheap one-way flights on SW and then canceling later. Might give that a shot later today
     
  27. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Not sure who has many delta points but they have some solid redemptions to Europe and Asia.

    ATL-London is $1,000 round trip for 30k points, so like 3.3c a point.
     
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  28. momux

    momux AFAM Scholar
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    We stayed about a half mile away from that hotel and had a brunch and spa day there the day we flew out.

    Really beautiful property. You guys will have a blast.
     
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  29. Zebbie

    Zebbie Hey Mike, guess what I have in my underwear?
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    Stayed there about 6-7 years ago - that hotel is awesome, I highly recommend it
     
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  30. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    You absolutely can stack your 4+1 stay with your free weekend cert. Might have to be a different reservation, but who cares.

    I wouldn’t count on getting bumped there, but it could happen. That’s one of the few that I’ve read may not bump as freely. Still, people rave about that hotel.

    Your fiancé can send you those points or pool points, absolutely.

    It took me some time to figure out the $100 credit, but I do not think that they allow usage of that credit on point stays, only paid ones...which...none of us will use. Still, $250 credit works at Waldorf. Also, keep checking your card offers because Waldorf does pop up in there. Like I added a $50-off after spending $250 offer last year when it nicely timed up.
     
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  31. momux

    momux AFAM Scholar
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    I’ve been out of this CC game since the Chase Saphire Reserve deal a few years back. Had a kid and haven’t traveled much at all so we’ve just been using the Citi double cash card for rewards.

    Anything great out there right now? We are planning a Costa Rica trip pretty soon so some travel point offers could do the trick.
     
  32. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Where will you fly from? Specific airline?
     
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  33. momux

    momux AFAM Scholar
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    AA is the usual but could be delta for this specific trip.
     
  34. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Can get some quick AA miles from their Citi cards
     
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  35. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Deal, especially since I don't have my own travel to plan anymore :(
     
  36. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    a
     
    #11886 ohhaithur, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2020
  37. momux

    momux AFAM Scholar
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    Yeah looks really solid. Annual fee waived for the first year and you get 50k miles for 2500 in spend. Probably going to sign up today.
     
  38. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    The Barclays is even easier but you do have to pay the AF.

    Conventional wisdom is that you do both on the same day
     
  39. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    :feelsbadman:
     
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  40. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Even if we don't get bumped a room level, we'd be looking at 6 free nights on a minimum $3500 hotel stay. If we go that route then I'm most definitely keeping the Aspire another year
     
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  41. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
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    Used Amex Plat credit to get into the United club at LAX on Monday. Best airline lounge I’ve ever been in. (Note: only been in three).
     
  42. Zebbie

    Zebbie Hey Mike, guess what I have in my underwear?
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    you get shut down by AA or still waiting to hear?
     
  43. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Not looking forward to that CSR fee coming through soon
     
  44. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Going to try this again next year.
     
  45. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    If you have one big trip within the coming year, especially to a high end resort, re-up that card (if you prefer Hilton, of course)
     
  46. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    A
     
    #11896 ohhaithur, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2020
  47. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    A
     
    #11897 ohhaithur, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2020
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  48. WC

    WC Bad Company, ‘til the day I die.
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    Damn, rip
     
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  49. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    I have nothing to say except that I am sorry. Maybe I will send you a beer or something from Charleston just to try and help some.
     
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  50. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    Rutgers Scarlet KnightsArsenal

    Shite. Getting auto transferred on the line or canceled awards?
     
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