Based out of Nashville, so typically fly Southwest with the occasional Delta or AA flight. Have had the SW Chase card forever. Looking at either the Amex Platinum or the Capital Venture X Travel a couple nights a month for work, but typically don't leave time for lounges and don't have many layovers. Try to stick to Hertz and Marriot/Hilton/Hyatt products. Any reason one card would be better than the other?
Venture X doesn’t partner with any of those hotels. You can transfer amex points to Hilton and Marriott, although the value isn’t always the greatest. Chase is the only one that partners with Hyatt.
I convinced myself to go Amex. I was wanting something that got me some sort of automatic status with hotel/rental cars. With Amex, I know I’ll use the Uber, digital entertainment, hotel and airline fee credit. Used Wammy’s 150k bonus, so it seemed like it made sense. May not keep it past a year or two, but think I’ll get good value out of it
Sounds like you’ve already made your move, but the Venture X does come with Hertz Presidents Circle (their top tier).
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Is the 48 month rule still in effect for the C sapphire cards? We need to open a couple of cards between my wife and I. I have the reserve, open since October 2018 and she has the preferred (not sure when she opened). Thinking of downgrading my reserve to a non-sapphire and then opening a preferred (or reserve, I guess?) to put some major expenses on. we’d also open a second card, and It send like the venture x is still a good one?
Yes, 48 months from when the bonus was earned, I believe. So you should be good. My Venture X gets pretty much all my spend besides restaurant and grocery stores. And their travel portal uses hopper. That alone saved me a few hundred bucks on my last flight, plus the travel credit. Link below. https://capital.one/3LZmSyl
Heads up my personal Amex Plat referral has been maxed out for the year, please use someone else’s if you are looking for one. Have personal Gold, and biz Plat + Gold referrals if anyone needs them
The more I think about it… they really are going to have to nerf to altitude reserve right? 95% of places take Apple Pay since Covid . Its likely to be our keeper card.
Currently have the Amex platinum and the annual fee just hit. I would like to go to the Amex delta reserve. Do I have to downgrade to the green to keep my points and reduce the annual fee. I am probably going to be cashing a big chunk out in the next couple of months. Can I downgrade to the green cash out my points then cancel?
Open up a no-AF Blue Business Plus card to keep your MR points. I have a link if you go down that road.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently at 80K sign up bonus. That's high for that card, although not the highest it's ever been at 100K a couple years ago. According to Doctor of Credit, the 80K sign up bonus will be going away soon. I have a referral if you're so inclined https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6m/OV3EFZAUSP I would say right now, as far as travel cards, Amex Plat has the best sign up bonus. Capital One Venture X is the best for long term use IMO. The Chase Reserve sign up bonus with that annual fee is a no go for me currently. Some things to think about: do you frequent airline lounges? If you're often in airports with a Centurion Lounge and/or fly Delta, then the Plat could be ideal. Chase just opened their first lounge last week in Boston. We've learned that the Reserve will have access, not the Preferred. Priority Pass will get one visit per year. The Capital One Lounge will open two more locations this year in addition their one in DFW. One other thing I'd like to add: the Venture X doesn't have great hotel partners. Chase gets Hyatt. Amex gets Hilton/Marriott, although not great value. Just something to think about.
If you and your wife are looking to stay with Chase, I would consider running through the Chase Ink business cards. You can get 250,000 points combined from the Ink Preferred, Ink Unlimited, and Ink Cash bonuses and transfer them to your CSR or CSP.
Can someone coach me through what I should or should not do different? I work healthcare and wife is a teacher - middle class. Do not travel for work at all, or very often anyways. We have 2 credit cards. Citi Costco that gets 4% cash back gas 3% restaurants and hotels. We use this exclusive for gas and food purchases. Then we have chase freedom (rotating 5%) that we use for everything else. Pay them both off monthly. I used to cash in my cash back for chase every 6 months just to my bill, but now have started accruing points - currently 155k. Should I try to change cards? What’s my play here? Just keep on? Can I really get more travel out of 155k points than just 1500 dollars applied to a bill? TIA from a cc ignorant person.
Amex Blue Cash Preferred might be slightly better on groceries 6% and the referral bonus is pretty good. Here’s my referral link if you want. Does carry a $95 annual fee.
Yes, you can get more value out of 155k points than just the cash back value, but you have to be somewhat savvy with the airline/hotel points ecosystem, and to really take advantage you need to pick up some cards with annual fees. If you don't travel often, it probably isn't worth the hassle and I think you are fine to just continue on with free cash back cards. It sounds like you have a pretty good card lineup, but you could likely add another card or two to max out your points a little more. If you want to stay in with Chase, I would add the Freedom Unlimited, which would give you 3% cash back on drugstores and 1.5% cash back on everything else (plus 3% on restaurants but you are already covered there). They have a $200 sign up bonus right now, my referral link is below. I think there are 2% unlimited cash back cards if you want to go outside of chase. Earn $200 cash back with Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex credit card. I can be rewarded, learn more. https://www.referyourchasecard.com/18p/7YOGUWOVZL
Amex gold has 4% on groceries and restaurants but prob not a better situation that what you have right now
Had to google. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/united-no-notice-award-devaluation-prices-increased-by-33/
Cosign. Burned through a lot of points trying to avoid paying Need to get a one way ticket to Cancun but even that is spicy right now
$16k MQDs year to date for this guy. Thankfully I’m not paying, but the other day I booked an economy ticket from ATL to Wichita and it was $700 dollars. Preposterous stuff.
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Jesus. How many MQMs and segments is that? I don’t know how to check what I did in 2022, but bet it was like 20-25 segments, no idea on actual butt in seat MQMs but a fair amount I’d guess since most of my flights are between Austin and Boston/NY/SLC. That was the most I’d ever flown in an year and it wiped me out.
55 segments so far 91k MQMs but a good bit of that is rolled over. Assuming I keep pace (hopefully not) I should hit Diamond pretty easily. Delta 360 probably out of question as I’m in Atlanta and don’t approve travel on behalf of others.
I got a pop up saying that I’m not eligible for the welcome offer based on my history with AMEX, the number of cards I’ve opened and closed in the past, etc. Dammit.
$2750 per ticket to Thailand for my honeymoon, Amex points are at 0. Have gone t Had the same thing happen with the Delta cards recently
Sooooo...what did y'all do to get the pop-up? I have 6 Amex cards, 5 of which I've opened in the past 2 years, 3 of those 5 are business cards. I probably need to close a couple of them out, but want to be careful not to end up in pop-up jail.
Wasn’t able to get around it. I have six as well, two business cards, but only 4/6 I’ve gotten in last few years so not sure why they refused me
I don’t have a ton of AMEX cards but have been churning for the last 6-7 years so maybe it’s the number of cards I’ve opened in that period? I’m honestly clueless on what I did apart from that.
Doesn’t Amex not allow sign up bonus for at least 7 or so years after getting your first? I know they have the lifetime language, but it’s not strictly enforced.
I’ve never had Platinum or Gold and am getting that message. In researching online, people have mentioned that they’ve been able to apply after receiving it by waiting a while. I’m not losing hope but it’s a blow to my strategy.
Trying to book a trip to St. Martin in the Caribbean. I have Chase Saphire Reserve. None of the hotels I've wanted to go to anywhere in the Caribbean have taken my chase points. So I just booked the hotel in St. Maritn without using points. Then I went to book the flights and even though there are flights for when I'm trying to go through both American and Delta, Chase won't let me use my points. I called customer service they said it has something to do with those airports. Sounds like trying to use chase points for small airports in small countries is just problematic. So basically I can't use chase points for any of this trip. My question is whether this is universal for other credit cards or are there other cards like Amex that are better about transferring points in terms of having more hotels where you can use them and better about using points for booking flights?
Amex green offer now 60K points + 20% back on travel purchases for 6 months. I want it, but feel like I don't reeeally need it
Surprised about the flights. Not surprised on Hotel. A lot of smaller, independently owned hotels in these type of locations typically dont accept reward points travel through a third party. May have better luck with Amex.
I'm considering "paying myself back" through Chase because my points are worth like $4600-$5550 that way but only worth like $3500 if I just cash them out. Is there any reason not to do it this way? I just booked a $5k hotel on the card so I'm definitely down to get some credits against my outstanding credit card bill. Another question, it will only let me "pay myself back " for 12 transactions at a time. Can I do 12, then start another order and do 12 more?