I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 (see first page for add'l details)

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Trip insurance help. My wife is going with her mother to Hawaii in January. My MIL wants trip insurance primarily for medical transportation if necessary. Anyone I should look at besides ************.com and Allianz? I'm seeing $333 from Nationwide from ************ and $429 from Allianz, does this seem in the right ballpark? MIL is travelling on a cash F fare.

Secondary, thinking about picking up an annual policy for myself so I'm covered while travelling O.P.M. and my Sapphire insurance doesn't kick in. Does anyone have one of the policies from Allianz? $140 for something that is going to cover a hotel on a misconnect or new business clothes if United loses my bag again seems like a no brainer, is there something I'm missing?

For your MIL, those rates are very high for medical. My guess is it's actually a comprehensive plan that includes medical coverage. If you select a medical plan only, I suspect it will come down significantly. Not sure if your wife has an Amex plat, but someone mentioned emer medical evacuation is free and if I recall correctly, doesn't require having used the card towards spend.

 

[DogCat]

I just got the Bilt card on 7/1. I got the AA Red World Elite card on 6/22 and the IHG Business Premier card on 6/5. I was worried that I was pushing my luck...but I got instant approval.

I rent, so it's hard to see a downside to having the Bilt card for me. The transfer partners pair well with my other cards. The only thing to be aware of is that you must make 5 transactions each month to get the rent points. I just set up my 5 least expensive recurring transactions on the card. (Yay for $.99 Apple!)

This is an awesome DP!! Since you got the Bilt with 2 recent hard pulls (within 30 days), I'm going to conclude Wells Fargo is not sensitve to that. Therefore, I think we should apply today for the Amex Hilton Biz. Then, maybe go ahead and apply same day for the Bilt? How long did it take to receive the Bilt card? Can you have it expedited? We want to use it to pay Aug 1st rent if possible.

Thanks so much!!

 

[ten6mom]

I have OM/OD offers on two of my CIC's and also the CSP and the OG Freedom (sorry if that's old news)

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Requesting a lot of travel hack advice as I am new to the redeeming points world and have always planned trips with cash. I want to use the below stash of points plus cash...

Have 200,000 AMEX MR
Have 200,000 Chase UR

Planning for next June - preferably June 14-June 25 (give or take) - being abroad June 17-24 is a must.

3 adults 100% going.
2 additional adults possibly going (so looking for AriBNB's, VRBO's or hotel suites that fit 4 people right now). I will only be paying for flights for the 3 adults that are 100% going. The other two won't be able to travel the entire trip so they're on their own for purchasing flights.

IAH>CDG>Athens>Santorini>IAH

Want to stay around the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Doesn't matter where we stay in Athens, but I'd guess close to the Parthenon
Want to stay in Oia in Santorini
I also have a handful of United points (50k), but nothing significant

As an added headache - would love to fly on Play and hit Iceland on the way back to IAH.

Any trip reports, travel hacks, guidance and advice welcome. Thanks in advance!

You are going to all the best places! Check out my signature for Paris and Iceland trip reports.

We are headed to Iceland this summer again. Iceland is no joke as far as needing to book accommodations well in advance- you cannot wait to book hotels or airbnbs. I would just do it in the next couple of months and make sure you book refundable options. Iceland will be a nice treat after being in European cities during the summer heat. Just be sure to get out of Reykjavic and stay either in the south coast or in the Golden Circle.

Flights
Agree with the AF/KLM options. They offer a new stopover benefit in CDG for free, so that means you can continue onto Athens for no cost. It needs to be booked over the phone. Refer to the wiki on FT for an easyish guide. Iceland Air also offers a free stopover benefit, but this would be a cash flight. Check to see how much the mark up is on a one-way cash flight vs the round trip to be sure you aren't really overpaying.

Paris
Not sure of the highlights you'd like to hit in Paris, but the Eiffel Tower is not really the most central location. I personally would recommend staying near the Louvre, as you're walking distance to the Louvre and Royal Gardens, Notre Dame and the Seine. Transport to the Eiffel Tower when you want to visit there via subway, uber or taxi. If limited time, consider a tuk tuk tour to hit the highlights around Paris.

Oia
You can ferry or fly here from Athens. Ferry experiences in Greece are pretty cool. I think you can also do an overnight ferry from Athens, if that saves travel time and a hotel. We stayed in this AirBNB cave house right on the caldera in Oia, and the view is literally maybe the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's so beautiful it's almost impossible to truly explain how beautiful it is. Greek breakfasts (included) are the best and I still remember these croissants as being some of the best we've ever had. A couple nights in Oia is probably plenty. You can do the Red beach, black beach, white beach tour from near Akrotiti. No need to book in advance, just show up at the water taxis. From Oia, another cheap activity: you can walk down a few hundred steps to the small marina and enjoy a meal waterside (pass on riding the donkeys as they are abused). For sure visit the bookstore in Oia.

I recommend buying AirBNB giftcards at a discount, or you could PYB with a CSR if you buy gcs at a grocery store. I like to buy mine at a grocery store that also offers fuel points bonuses. Don't forget to use the British Airways AirBNB portal to earn 3x Avios on your AirBNB bookings.

Message me if you need any help. You are going to plan the best trip!

 

[Nala83]

This is an awesome DP!! Since you got the Bilt with 2 recent hard pulls (within 30 days), I'm going to conclude Wells Fargo is not sensitve to that. Therefore, I think DD should apply today for the Amex Hilton Biz. Then, maybe go ahead and apply same day for the Bilt? How long did it take to receive the Bilt card? Can you have it expedited? She wants to use it to pay Aug 1st rent if possible.

Thanks so much!!

I didn't ask to expedite. I was approved on 7/1 and had the card in hand on 7/5. Pretty impressive for a weekend + holiday! You also get the info immediately on approval that you need to provide to your leasing office/company, so you can set up the rent payment prior to receiving the actual card.

So far it's all been quick and easy to set up. We'll see if the rent payment goes through on schedule August 1st!

 

[hayesdvc]

I have always had a Southwest Visa Business Card. I am needing to begin to acquire Delta miles.

Looking for suggestions.

 

[mmmears]

I'm looking for lie flat seats to Europe for next summer and it's a bit early for our dates but we can't find anything reasonable at all in the weeks that were just released. Even BA which is usually not so hard to get. I haven't had any issues in the past, but would love some help if anyone has the time or inclination to advise me (just send me a PM).

I seem to never have enough MRs or Avios, LOL. I blow through them so fast. 4 people in F will do that! They do release awards in F, but they are definitely few and far between and sometimes last minute. I did 1 person, 2 people, and then the final person so it helps to have everyone on separate locators. It's a PITA otherwise to split tickets, etc. I'm gold with BA now though, which is huge, so I get a special phone number and I can open up any seat to an award for double avios as long as there is a seat on the plane. I do like being on the second floor. I know there is one plane that has tons of storage on the second floor in J, but I guess that isn't the one you were on?

The one we were on had tons of storage on the window seats (but they face backwards and I cannot do that without getting sick). DH had lots of storage. Me, I didn't even have anywhere to put my phone or glasses down for a minute. I'll have to get more info about finding F seats, but they weren't available when we booked nor when I periodically checked online. I'd fly at a less convenient time if the seats were better. I really hope they update the planes flying here.

I'm currently in the middle of a hyatt mattress run where we're actually not staying at the hotel. DH insists we go in every couple of days and mess things up so it looks like someone is actually staying there. Is this really necessary? It takes an hour out of my day to do this. Why would the hotel even care?

My DH feels the same way and will go every few days and mess things up a bit if he's doing a local mattress run.

Thank you. This might work for my younger DD.

My DD's apartment building was pushing the Bilt card hard, so she finally signed up for one. She had applied for a CSP a few months before, and that didn't seem to be an issue at all. At least someone is getting a few points for the rent now as opposed to none and her paying with a check. We haven't tried to use the points (and they don't accrue as quickly as our Chase and Amex points do), but with United and Hyatt as transfer partners it can't be too bad. She's had the card for over a year. It's kind of a pain to remember to use it 5-6 times to make sure the rent counts, so you have to be on top of that, but otherwise it seems to work well.


Also, thanks to whomever here must have used the link to her Bilt card. She was really happy this week.

 

[calypso726]

I'm looking for lie flat seats to Europe for next summer and it's a bit early for our dates but we can't find anything reasonable at all in the weeks that were just released. Even BA which is usually not so hard to get. I haven't had any issues in the past, but would love some help if anyone has the time or inclination to advise me (just send me a PM).

Positioning to another airport for departure can open up options. Another suggestion would be positioning your destination instead and then taking a cheap flight or train to where you really want to go.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Do you happen to remember how many points you needed for the 5 nights at the Swan Reserve?

I had to check the res. It is 6K more per night, so total was 56K. I have seen Swan and Dolphin both available using the FNCs with no extra points needed.

Check your dates carefully if you're planning. When I checked prices for our spring break time, Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve were all 66k-70k points, meaning the certificates could not be used. Also, rates fluctuate. If you are going during high season you may not be able to use FNCs. OTOH, off season would be a great use.

 

[Limes96]

Also, thanks to whomever here must have used the link to her Bilt card. She was really happy this week.

That would be me, …well my son to be more precise but you know what I mean lol. But that was just yesterday. Does it show up that quick? Or maybe somebody else did too. YW!

 

[mmmears]

That would be me, …well my son to be more precise but you know what I mean lol. But that was just yesterday. Does it show up that quick? Or maybe somebody else did too. YW!

Positioning to another airport for departure can open up options. Another suggestion would be positioning your destination instead and then taking a cheap flight or train to where you really want to go.

I've been trying to do just that. We booked a cruise out of Southampton but would like to go somewhere else before we get to London. Have been looking at Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Iceland so far with no luck. I'm pretty much open to going where the good flight takes us, but I'm not finding those flights. Thanks for the advice though - I figure there is something I haven't tried that may work. I'd prefer something close enough that I could take the train to London, but I'm also open to other places. Usually it's easy to find something on BA from here (not my first choice) and even that seems to be unavailable (for less that a ridiculous number of points or dollars of course).

 

[djmeredith]

I'm looking for lie flat seats to Europe for next summer and it's a bit early for our dates but we can't find anything reasonable at all in the weeks that were just released. Even BA which is usually not so hard to get. I haven't had any issues in the past, but would love some help if anyone has the time or inclination to advise me (just send me a PM).

I booked lie flat to Europe for Aug 2022 and May 2023. I found that 6ish months out seemed to be the sweet spot for finding good deals on lie flat seats. I started watching several airlines at about 7-8 months out to get an idea of what to expect. As someone else mentioned, repositioning can make a big difference. That is what I did both ways in May. It wasn't ideal on the way home because you are ready to be home, but I would definitely do it again for a good deal.

Check your dates carefully if you're planning. When I checked prices for our spring break time, Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve were all 66k-70k points, meaning the certificates could not be used. Also, rates fluctuate. If you are going during high season you may not be able to use FNCs. OTOH, off season would be a great use.

It definitely depends on dates. Marriott allows you to add up to 15K pts and these are 50K FNCs.

 

[newski_mom]

Can someone explain repositioning to me? I'm looking to fly to Europe for a cruise next summer. We've only flown international two times - once to Germany and once to Australia. Both were in 2018 and we flew United both times by transferring points from Chase. All flights were 30,000 pts each way. I know things have changed since then, plus I will have more options besides UR if necessary. (I was just getting into CC churning then and the easy route worked for me).

Anyway, we'll be flying from STL and don't need first class seats. Right now we're looking at either London or Barcelona to cruise from. The cruises would be last part of June into July if that matters.

Is there a good place to search to see what all is even available or how would you go about figuring where to position from? Most flights to Europe from STL tend to layover in Chicago, New York or Washington DC.

 

[wannabee]

I am also planning flights to Europe next summer. I finally have enough UR to lay flat... I hope-- our dates are not open yet but have seen several flights that could work in the weeks leading up, Fingers crossed.

 

[lsutigers03]

I am also planning flights to Europe next summer. I finally have enough UR to lay flat... I hope-- our dates are not open yet but have seen several flights that could work in the weeks leading up, Fingers crossed.

Where in Europe are you going and what is the point cost? DW and I went to London last year and we loved it. We only had three days to tour the city so we want to go back for a longer trip and I want to fly there in lie flat seats. I would also like to go to Paris on the same trip to visit Disneyland Paris. I’m curious of the best ways to get there.

 

[hsmamato2]

AAdvantage shop portal...ARGG!!! I hate it! twice now my purchase hasn't tracked,is this just me? I'm just trying to keep my point alive....

 

[Narnia_girl]

Can someone explain repositioning to me? I'm looking to fly to Europe for a cruise next summer. We've only flown international two times - once to Germany and once to Australia. Both were in 2018 and we flew United both times by transferring points from Chase. All flights were 30,000 pts each way. I know things have changed since then, plus I will have more options besides UR if necessary. (I was just getting into CC churning then and the easy route worked for me).

Anyway, we'll be flying from STL and don't need first class seats. Right now we're looking at either London or Barcelona to cruise from. The cruises would be last part of June into July if that matters.

Is there a good place to search to see what all is even available or how would you go about figuring where to position from? Most flights to Europe from STL tend to layover in Chicago, New York or Washington DC.

St. Louis is my home airport too (heading there today) and it's not a great one for international flights. We flew to London in October and I booked Virgin Air using Ultimate Rewards from Boston to London. To get to Boston I booked cheap Southwest flights and made sure we landed several hours early. You may want to plan for the day before to make sure you arrive in time for your international flight.

Returning home I booked British Air (UR) from London to Philadelphia. I had a 3 hour layover before my cheap Southwest flight back to St. Louis. That proved not enough time as the flight was slightly delayed (20 mins) but customs was an hour-long line and then BA lost our luggage (temporary but long enough to delay us further). We ended up missing our Southwest flight and had to get a hotel for the night.

Some good advice I read was work backwards: Start searching flights from London or Barcelona and see where they fly into the US. Then you know what your options will be to head out. So if you see there are a bunch of flights from London to Atlanta you can try to book your own positioning flight there for your international flight. And as you can see from my last trip you don't have to use the same city coming/going.

Good luck!

 

[EACarlson]

Do I need to possibly reserve all 3 times? Should I email/call Avis and explain I'm non-rev on 3 different flights? LOL. Normally I don't worry w/ Costco bookings. I do have a costco booked as a backup I guess.

You're Priceline booking, which is really just an Avis booking with a discount code, should be treated just like you would a Costco booking, which is really just an Avis booking with a discount code. The 10 and 2 should be fine, I'd be a little concerned about the 11pm. If you're not going to make the earlier flights it might be worth a call.

For your MIL, those rates are very high for medical. My guess is it's actually a comprehensive plan that includes medical coverage. If you select a medical plan only, I suspect it will come down significantly. Not sure if your wife has an Amex plat, but someone mentioned emer medical evacuation is free and if I recall correctly, doesn't require having used the card towards spend.

She's not just worried about medical, she's also worried about getting cash back for her flight and hotels if she can't go. A $4,000 Delta voucher isn't going to do her any good since she will never fly again after this. No Plat yet, may add one later this year for the trips we have and are hoping to take.

Can someone explain repositioning to me?

You book a separate ticket to self connect to a cheaper or available flight. You look at what routes are cheaper for your destination, or have the plane type you want, or whatever else and then figure out how to get there. For me, I might reposition from Milwaukee to Charlotte, or JFK or Boston where paying for my separate flight and a hotel can still be cheaper than what the airlines are going to charge me if I buy it all on one ticket.

 

[Jayunit09]

I just started my chase trifecta journey. I got approved for all three CFU, CFF and CSP all within 2 weeks. I will refer my wife to all 3 when the time comes, then downgrade my CSP.

My main question is. With all my focus on those three cards from now on, should I keep my capital one venture (not the X) since I am grandfathered in to the $59 annual fee? I’ve had the card for 8 years. I would downgrade it to the captial one venture one, which I am already approved for on the website.

Keep it or downgrade? I do use TSA precheck, so the card does get me that but it is more to keep the card open than to renew precheck for $70 every 5 years.

 

[wannabee]

Where in Europe are you going and what is the point cost? DW and I went to London last year and we loved it. We only had three days to tour the city so we want to go back for a longer trip and I want to fly there in lie flat seats. I would also like to go to Paris on the same trip to visit Disneyland Paris. I’m curious of the best ways to get there.

I am going to fly either to Paris or Geneva. I am hoping fly from Lafayette but can also leave from Baton Rouge, New Orleans or Houston, I have seen one way flights on United as low as 125k each Business class. We plan to fly back from Barcelona and will use my Delta points- probably just economy on way back as those flights are much higher points.