I love credit cards so much!

[CaliforniaGirl09]

My dd spent her semester in the UK, and thank goodness did not need a Visa. She did get assistance from her school on things, but it all seemed to be very last minute, and not very detailed. We were left with a lot of questions! I was so glad there were multiple kids flying over together, so at least at first they were all floundering together.

You are lucky! The visa process for the UK was a serious PITA. Like a good lawnmower mom, I "helped" DD do hers, and I had to google to try to figure it out (and I'm a former attorney!). A friend of hers who did it herself had all kinds of problems. Even something as simple as ending date was confusing and given w/o explanation. I thought they meant the end of the first year, but it was actually the entire period that you apply for. Good thing people screenshot their applications and put them up on the internet!

You all have me intrigued since we have 6 years until DS starts college. What everyone going board to study or do? Pretty sure DS will be studying something science/math oriented since he detests writing and ELA.

My daughter goes full time in Northern England and absolutely loves it. English schools are only three years because you just take classes in your major (they call it course). You really have to know what you want to study as you have to reapply to change courses. She's studying archaeology and the difference in what she's learning there versus what she would get even at a top university here is huge. She's in her second year and all of the cases she's taken so far are just in archaeology. In a US university she would have had one or maybe two in between GE's, etc.

No! That stinks!

I'm hoping to pull it up in 3 weeks on our way to Denver. If only we were flying out of BWI where there's a kiosk!

Oh wow that stinks...I pulled it up on our flight a month ago...by logging into SWs wifi

My husband and I were both trying throughout the flight on laptops and cellphones--through the app and through the website. I tried incognito, etc. and nothing. We were foiled on a plane with no wifi at all on the way to MCO, and then no luck on the flight back. It sucked! I had DH call chase and try to get the extra 10k miles, but no dice.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Can I please get some advice?

Here are DH's cards:

Chase Ink Preferred 2/5/2018
SPG Biz Amex 4/18/2018
Hilton Amex Biz 5/24/2018
Amex Biz Green 8/7/2018
Barclay Arrival + 10/8/2018

I think he also got a Lowe's card last December So I believe he is 2/24. My plan for him is:
1) apply for CIC now
2) apply for SW personal in January
3) cancel CIP in February
4) apply for SW Biz March 1

Does anyone see any issues with this plan, or have any other ideas? TIA!

You could PC the CIP to a 2nd CIC if they'll let you. Reason to do this would be that your CIP referral link would remain active and track through to that card (if you had any friends to refer down the line). You could just reduce the CL down to a minimal amount. But otherwise, that plan seems ok to me. You are pushing 3 Chase cards (incl. 2 biz cards) in a 5 month span. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you could risk some pushback on that 3rd card in March (worst case is a denial and you reapply down the line). It looks like you're trying to earn a SW CP - what month do you first plan to use that in 2019?

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Did you go through the app? It was there every flight. In fact there was literature in the seat pockets and I wondered if there was a paper way to apply if the app didn't work? The only problem we had was MCO-DEN there was no wifi on the plane at all. I don't know if some planes don't have it or it was just down? They did make an announcement that if you already paid for wifi, you just wasted money. lol At first thought it was just for paid wifi and the free would somehow still work, but nope no wifi the whole way. I like to look at the progress of the flight tracker so I know how much longer the torture lasts and it did not work at all.

We must have cross posted, but yes, I did go through the app on two phones in addition to trying the website constantly on my laptop. No literature and the flight attendants had no idea what I was talking about! From what the Chase rep said there seems to be no way to get the bonus if you aren't on the flight ahead of time.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

After reaching out to Chase they said the first closing date will be on November 20th. I guess that means we will have a second one of December 20th this year in case we can't get the full 3K in during the next 12 days. Does that sound right?

That sounds right...

You likely don't have 12 days to meet the $3k though to get it for this month. If you don't hit the MSR 5-7 days in advance of your stmt closing date the points likely will be delayed a month. That means you want to hit that $3k in the next 6 days or so. At this point your situation "is what it is" but I would hate to be cutting things this close with a CP on the line. I'd echo that comment about looking at bank funding or buying gift cards or something that would allow you to hit your $3k ASAP (like by Monday, lol!)

 

[mmmears]

You all have me intrigued since we have 6 years until DS starts college. What everyone going board to study or do? Pretty sure DS will be studying something science/math oriented since he detests writing and ELA.

Mine wasn't able to go abroad and get the degrees she wants. It's all STEM related and her dept. is picky about classes taken elsewhere. Also she's premed, and none of those classes can be taken outside the US (that's from the med schools, not her college). Study abroad wasn't that important to her and she says she'd rather get the degrees she is working on, but if you son is interested in study abroad then I'd suggest making sure he picks a program that allows it. Her college has lots of kids study abroad, but many of the courses they take are more of the general-ed/distribution stuff and she had pretty much finished up with those before junior year. All the colleges we visited had study abroad programs - it's very common and pretty cool really - but a bit tougher for STEM kids. Most (but definitely not all) of the hard science kids I know did not go abroad. Math and CS are the exception.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I tried our entire cross country flight on Monday and wasn’t able to pull it up! What was your trick? I was so bummed!

If you scroll all the way down on the "getconnected.southwest" page there is a "credit cards" link. That's how I found it the other day (although I wasn't applying, just checking it out.

 

[schmass]

You could PC the CIP to a 2nd CIC if they'll let you. Reason to do this would be that your CIP referral link would remain active and track through to that card (if you had any friends to refer down the line). You could just reduce the CL down to a minimal amount. But otherwise, that plan seems ok to me. You are pushing 3 Chase cards (incl. 2 biz cards) in a 5 month span. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you could risk some pushback on that 3rd card in March (worst case is a denial and you reapply down the line). It looks like you're trying to earn a SW CP - what month do you first plan to use that in 2019?

Thank you for this. The plan is for DH to refer me to the CIP this month, so we'd have mine for a referral link if we needed it. In that case would you still recommend PC'ing his or just canceling it? We'd be using the CP for flights starting May 3rd. I realized yesterday after looking at our travel plans for the next 2 years that maybe the CP isn't as much of a priority as I had thought. So if we didn't get it, I don't think we'd be heartbroken, but it would still be nice to have.

BTW, nice to see you back here!

 

[platamama]

I know paying your phone bill with CIP gets 3x points... would paying off my device payment plan through the website do that too?

Back in March when internet/cable/phone services were a 5x category on CF, DH paid off his device (eta:thru Verizon's website)and got the 5x bonus. Now, the CF is a personal card vs a business card like the CIP but since it's the same card issuer I would think it would code the same.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Thank you for this. The plan is for DH to refer me to the CIP this month, so we'd have mine for a referral link if we needed it. In that case would you still recommend PC'ing his or just canceling it? We'd be using the CP for flights starting May 3rd. I realized yesterday after looking at our travel plans for the next 2 years that maybe the CP isn't as much of a priority as I had thought. So if we didn't get it, I don't think we'd be heartbroken, but it would still be nice to have.

BTW, nice to see you back here!

Yeah, if you have a CIP open (and don't foresee maxing out referrals) then I'd cancel, good call!

CP is nice, but can be overhyped if you don't fly a lot on SW. That said, if you're planning to get 2 SW cards anyways for the points, might as well get the CP out of it. If CP was super important, you might consider swapping the SW Biz and the CIC cards in your plan...(unless you have some immediate use for those URs) but I'm perhaps getting nit-picky with that plan.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

If you scroll all the way down on the "getconnected.southwest" page there is a "credit cards" link. That's how I found it the other day (although I wasn't applying, just checking it out.

Yep, we saw that, but it consistently only put up the 40k offer not he 50k. I was so sick of seeing that 40k offer by the end of the flight! I went through both the regular website and the southwest connect/wifi website (as well as the app). Nothing worked.

 

[WVMomof3]

You all have me intrigued since we have 6 years until DS starts college. What everyone going board to study or do? Pretty sure DS will be studying something science/math oriented since he detests writing and ELA.

I think my DD is doing it just to say she did. lol I am pretty sure she will be no closer to graduating after this semester because it looks like the classes they offer can not help her with her majors. She was hoping to take one that helped with her minor, but it looks like that isn't happening either. Thankfully she went in with a lot of AP credits so she does have some wiggle room. I wish I had the opportunity when I was in school, so I am happy that she is able to do this.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Yep, we saw that, but it consistently only put up the 40k offer not he 50k. I was so sick of seeing that 40k offer by the end of the flight! I went through both the regular website and the southwest connect/wifi website (as well as the app). Nothing worked.

Wow, That's very strange...sorry about your luck there.

 

[Killer Fish]

That sounds right...

You likely don't have 12 days to meet the $3k though to get it for this month. If you don't hit the MSR 5-7 days in advance of your stmt closing date the points likely will be delayed a month. That means you want to hit that $3k in the next 6 days or so. At this point your situation "is what it is" but I would hate to be cutting things this close with a CP on the line. I'd echo that comment about looking at bank funding or buying gift cards or something that would allow you to hit your $3k ASAP (like by Monday, lol!)

Is there a FAQ somewhere for the bank funding process?

Think I found it on DOC.....looks like just need to fund it and leave it there for 6 months?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Here's a comment worth checking out on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DISchurners/comments/98uiop/discussion_thread/e9autr0/

Please take the time to give it a quick read.

Edit: If anybody has anything to add to that discussion (similar experience, suggestions or thoughts)...please share a comment over there.

 

[Lain]

New Biz Gold (RIP BGR) page is up.

• No MR points welcome bonus.
• Welcome offer is up to 1 year free of G Suite Basic for 3 users and up to 1 year of ZipRecruiter Standard in the form of statement credits.
• $295 AF not waived.
• 4x MR on the 2 highest spending categories each billing cycle:

• Airfare purchased directly from airlines
• U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
• U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• U.S. purchases at restaurants
• U.S. purchases for shipping

• Addition of restaurants to the 4x MR categories.
• 25% points rebate when you book a flight using Pay with Points.

So glad I and others got this card yesterday.

Per this comment on DoC, I’m not sure current BGR cardmembers will be automatically upgraded to the new Biz Gold benefits:

Talked to Amex about what it means for current cardholders and was told I had the option to upgrade to the new card, but would be charged the annual fee.

“I have checked and I see that your current card annual ,membership waived off for first year, however if you upgrade your card in New business Gold card, the annual member ship fee will be billed from your next month statement once you upgrade it.”
​

ETA: Some discussion about this over at Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/9uyo5w/comment/e9akiw6?st=JO8ZSEIN&sh=b768fbdc Seems more than a few people think Amex is treating the BGR and new Biz Gold as different products and you have to upgrade (and pay the AF) to get the two 4x categories and 25% MR rebate on flights paid with points. Even if you’re interested in the new 4x categories, I would not make any change until you’ve gotten the welcome bonus on the BGR.

 

[platamama]

@amalone1013 I got an email from Bradsdeals for a KA 6qt 575W stand mixer for $249 in silver, red or black. That's the one I have and that price is amazing.

 

[Psychodisney]

I tried our entire cross country flight on Monday and wasn’t able to pull it up! What was your trick? I was so bummed!

Bummer. Was the inflight app working on your flight? There was a credit card tab on the opening page of the entertainment page.

On another note, they had an awesome selection of free movies. You need to download the onboard player app.

 

[wendow]

Having some serious regrets that I didn't go ahead and refer my dh for the BGR before the new card came out I'm not sure what I was thinking. By the time I really was processing all this late last night, the old card had been pulled.

@SouthFayetteFan and anyone else who would like to chime in - I'm working my way to cashing out my MR's through Schwab. I've gotten the BGR, BBP, green biz & vanilla plat. I currently have 150k MR's and will have another 100k very soon from the Plat. What other MR cards should I go after. I have some other Amex cards too so I'm worried I'm nearing my limits with them. I have both spg per & biz, BCE & Delta gold biz. Closing the BGR 1/19.

 

[AmyAnne]

You all have me intrigued since we have 6 years until DS starts college. What everyone going board to study or do? Pretty sure DS will be studying something science/math oriented since he detests writing and ELA.

Two of my kids spent several semesters/summers in China for the language experience. The other two studied history and political science.

Aside from the academics, study abroad has a lot of intangible benefits, like increased maturity and increased awareness of other cultures. I will say that if your kid does not need a specific academic program, it's much easier to do a study abroad that is sponsored by the kid's home school. Many colleges send their own professors for the semester, and/or have a long-standing relationship with a foreign university. No reason to reinvent the wheel unless that program isn't a good academic fit.

 

[Eighty8Keys]

I know paying your phone bill with CIP gets 3x points... would paying off my device payment plan through the website do that too?

I paid off the remaining balance on my device with my CIP 10 days ago and got 3X points. I'm with AT&T and it came through as AT&T*BILL PAYMENT.

I just checked my account to make sure of the points and noticed that my 80K bonus point are pending! In theory I knew I was getting them, but to actually see them there was a jolt.