Alright, so I just posted a few days ago about using our Chase UR points to book most of our trip to Hong Kong...and I am already planning the next adventure. And I want to run it passed you guys to make sure I am understanding things correctly. (My test case, should be a lot easier than some of the stuff you guys are doing, lol. Not trying to do a bunch of fancy tricks.)
Goal: DH, my Dad and I want to go to Tokyo
Disneyland for a week during Nov/Dec.
I have been trying to price flights since before Christmas already, there are no deals at all for airfare to get us from Denver to Tokyo. The first option that comes up is the United N/S flight from DIA to NRT but that is $2156 per person and never seems to go on sale. Even if discounts with itineraries through the west coast, eventually come out, I would still prefer the N/S flight. United Award Saver fares are 35,000 miles each way so 70,000 per person total. Taxes & fees are $47 per ticket. I have looked at availability and even looking just 6 weeks out, for this flight there are Saver awards available @35,000. So it doesn't look like by the time we collect our bonus miles and book hopefully in August that availability would be a problem. Is this a valid expectation? (Business/FC is another story, but we are okay toughing it out in Economy).
DH has 2 Chase cards. I am AU on 2 Chase cards, Dad has 1 Chase card. (we are just babes, in this game). So no worries about 5/24.
Plan:
All three of us apply for the United Mileage Explorer Card. Current offer, expires Thursday. 50,000 pts with a $3000/3 months MSR, $95 AF waived the first year
My Dad, after he completes that MSR, he applies for the CSP (he doesn't travel/spend enough to make the CSR worth it). Current offer, I found a link that is 60,000 pts with $4000/3 months MSR but the AF is not waived, also there is 50,000 pts with same MSR but the $95 AF is waived first year.
Result:
Dad earns: 100,000 or 110,000 between the two cards, just from bonuses. So he has his 70,000.
DH and I both earn 53,000 (including original spend). Need additional 17,000 each. Currently have 31,000 UR. I am an AU on the CSR so we can transfer to either of our United accounts (correct?). I expect we can make up the 3K deficit either A. United miles from our HK trip (booked through the Chase portal, so we still get miles on United, correct?) B. Pending UR on CSR from our Disney hotel booking in HK. C. Additional spend, on either card.
So anything I have wrong or need to think about? Does the clock for the bonus points posting start as soon as you reach MSR (if we get done early) or after the 3 month period ends?
Dad doesn't want to work on MSR on both cards at the same time because he isn't confident he can reach the MSR that way (his spending is down now that my Mom is gone, but he does tend to use a CC for everything now, so he can reach the MSR one card at a time).
Thanks!