I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[kmc8826]

Am I foolish not to upgrade my Disney Visa to the Premier one?

I just received a letter in the mail for the same $50 credit after 1 purchase promo. This is now Chase's 4th attempt to have me upgrade (previous attempts were all e-mail). I've been holding out hoping a better one would eventually come. I originally downgraded January of '17 and really only use the card if there is a room discount or if I am on property for the character meets. Dining and travel are going on my CSR. I don't currently have a grocery or gas card, but is an additional 1% worth changing for? I am using my Citi dividend for gas because its currently 5% for the quarter and all my other charges are being used for the CIP MSR. I guess I feel like its an unnecessary PC and call to Chase. Why couldn't $100 be offered or waive the AF in addition to the $50 credit? Thats more enticing lol

See and I feel foolish for not downgrading mine to the regular from the Premier! I don't use it that much but when I do (like just booked the Illuminations package at Rose and Crown) it is nice to know getting the 2%. Are you still thinking you might get a direct DVC contract? If so, you might want to have the card in place. On my direct I put half on the CSR for the three times the points and half on the Disney so I could have some time to pay it off (with the 6 months 0% APR). The slight possibility that I might buy a few more direct points is what keeping me with the Premier instead of downgrading right now.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

So the 2/90 rule for Amex.....is that their cards, or ANY cards? What about business cards?Got the SW Priority in-flight 12/03/18 and the SW BIZ 01/05/19. Would I be good to go for the SPG personal before 02/12/19?

It’s just their cards....your SW cards don’t count...

 

[NewbieMom]

No, ≠. If you got the Marriott Biz and the SPG Personal, you should still be eligible for an upgrade offer on the SPG Personal to the SPG Lux, if available. I believe a few people here took upgrade offers on the Personal to the Lux last August-ish. Upgrade offers tend to be targeted though, and I think the upgrade offer bonus varied in the points offered.

Good to know. Thank you so much for your help! I'll think about it over the next week or two, and put in my apps around 2/8.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Ok, thank you, I am Platinum so I will try the number you listed (I don’t remember the number I used!)

I am still a ways out but thought I would try now anyway. I just was afraid with the changes coming in Feb that they might change the ability to extend. (I know that seems illogical, but “changes” always make me nervous in this game!) Stay is not til Nov, currently expires Sept.

Thanks for the info though, it’s all good to know! And I will try that number.

If you log in to your account, there’s probably a Platinum support line number listed. The first person I talked to months ago said she couldn’t see a way to extend the cert, it was too early. I’m not sure why you would have to wait. It seems risky to me, because if my cert wasn’t extended yesterday, I don’t have time to use it before it expires in March.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Lol why would your order go to Florida

My Kohl’s order went to Texas once. Twice I’ve gotten other people’s orders. Once, 2 pair of men’s shoes. The other time, I ordered a train set for DS and got 2. There were 2 packing slips in the box. One train set belonged to someone else. Poor kid probably didn’t get his Christmas present. Kohl’s shipping sucks.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I got a Travelpro Maxlite Rollaboard (22")

How does this work? Even though the suitcase is listed as 22”, the actual dimensions are listed as 9.5 x 15 x 23 inches. Which is too big for most US carriers who require 22x14x9

This is a huge pet peeve of mine with Denver. I traveled out of DEN 2-3 times a year in college, always carry on only because that was when the checked bag fees started to hike up. So if they offered to gate check bags because of a full plane, I always volunteered. saved me from trying to wrestle it into an overhead bin. Drop on jetway, pick up on jetway, no wrestling, win-win. Well, ever since I started traveling with DH, they send everything at Denver to the stupid baggage claim Now we've been burned too many times (and we don't even check often to begin with - but I'm more okay with it going home since I figure I can live without lost luggage easier at home than on a trip).

In China, gate checking our stroller resulted in us picking it up in baggage claim. Kinda defeats the purpose of a stroller in the airport. In PHX, DSs carryon was checked at the gate as “too big”. To be fair, the flight to Flagstaff was practically a puddle jumper.

 

[Tikitoi]

@Tikitoi You have gotten some great ideas from other posters about your layover in Boston! I agree with the suggestions of a Duck Tour and Faneuil Hall. The Duck Tour will give you a great overview of the city and Faneuil Hall has always been one of my favorite places to go in town. Not sure if you have young kids, but there is also a carousel very close to Faneuil Hall. The T is very easy to use and if you go to MBTA.com there is a Trip Planner that makes it even easier!

Yes lots of excellent ideas. Definitely will be going to Faneuill Hall. Will check MBTA.com and decide how to get there. Whether it still be uber depending on how light our carryons are.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Hoping someone can answer this question for me! Dh has the SPG AmEx -- we've never used the free night certificate on renewal. Can we get the certificates from previous years or do they "expire" (we've never asked for one before)!

I’ve called Marriott many times to ask them to extend the expiration and they always give me an additional 12 months from the date I call. YMMV though of course

 

[miztressuz]

Thanks..looked again and the rate says 50,000....then lowered to 45,000 so maybe it’s off peak

Hm interesting, I haven't looked since the other week, I wonder if they are starting to roll out already. Or maybe it was a sale? I know Marriott used to do sales on points booking we got to take advantage of a few times.

Well, DH decided to apply for the SW business card in the business name and he was instantly approved! We actually are an LLC not an S-Corp so that may have made a difference.

Good to hear!!! I always feel bad when the folks here with legit businesses get hung up but others of us with pseudo businesses sail through. Glad it worked as it should this time

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Man I can't live like this, lol. 3 FPs and an ADR and I'm good. DH will not do the world without hopping. We go wherever the spirit takes us.

We usually have a loose plan and hit rides with short waits, sometimes multiple times. Then head to the next area, rarely backtracking or crisscrossing the parks. I have literally divided MK into right side and left side (castle is center) and done them on different days. When it starts to get busy, we hop to a second park, which is usually where I have booked FPs. But we can totally be spontaneous. One year, last day we get up and FPs are all in MK. Only half day since we flew out that evening. DS says I don’t want to ride 7DMT, I really want to ride Test Track. Dumped the MK FPs, picked up TT and whatever else I could find in Epcot and off we went. Still had a great time, no problem.

 

[Psychodisney]

UM rarely closes. See my last comment about a student suing them, LOL. Where are you located?

I’m in the northern suburbs of Chicago. My DD is at UM. She only has one class on Weds that she says is a 10 minute walk. Interesting story about the law student...we’ll see what happens!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

That's great to hear. I thought people were saying 6-8 weeks!

I think it depends on which card. I think someone mentioned 6-8 weeks after paying AF on Lux Card. So essentially you have to pay the high AF to get the 35k cert. But who knows with Marriott, all the merger stuff has made for all sorts of glitches.

 

[MarBee]

DH applied for CIP today. He got a “we are reviewing and will get back to you.”
Does he having anything to worry about? He has one other business card (SW business from chase), credit score over 800, and is at 3/24.
Anyone else who has gotten this message- how long does it take to get the response? (If he doesn’t get this one I want him to get the Marriott card in preparation for some larger purchases we have coming up.)

 

[Albort]

DH applied for CIP today. He got a “we are reviewing and will get back to you.”
Does he having anything to worry about? He has one other business card (SW business from chase), credit score over 800, and is at 3/24.
Anyone else who has gotten this message- how long does it take to get the response? (If he doesn’t get this one I want him to get the Marriott card in preparation for some larger purchases we have coming up.)

Call the status line. varies on everyone... my turned 2 weeks immediately, others have waited 3-5 days.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Well, I've been teaching now 20 years. I remember back in 1994 it was so cold they cancelled school during finals (it was my senior year). I had snowdays teaching but never a cold day till maybe 8-10 years ago. That was the first "polar vortex" we had. Since then we MAYBE get 1 cold day a year. I guess the temps this week will be as cold as it was back in 1994. -20 is the threshold most districts here pick, having to do with the time spent outside at a bus stop and frostbite. Today we're off as they were anticipating 6"+ to start at 8am....well it's 11:30 and there's not really any snow yet, parents are PISSED, LOL. But I don't think anyone will ***** about school off if we get the -30 to -40 they say is coming.

Oh and I'm in SE Michigan (Detroit area). I hear Chicago might get -60!

Our suburban Chicago school district closed today due to snow, a PIA though probably a good call as roads were awful this morning. My commute to work was double, but I don’t take the expressway. Some of those were reporting over 2 hr travel times into the city this morning. For Wednesday, Chicago Public Schools have already announced they will be closed. High of -14 predicted, low -25 to -30 but windchill to -60. Our school district has not made any announcements yet for the rest of the week.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

In contrast, here, in the Twin Cities, schools closed for snow, and we got 4-6 inches. What a joke. When I was a kid we NEVER got off of school for snow, unless maybe it was at least 12-15. And then Wednesday it's almost certain to be closed again, with a high of -13 and morning windchills near -50. Again, school was never closed for cold when I was a kid either. My dd's senior year, they lost like 6 days due to those types of temps, it was nuts. Some parents are annoyed by it, but then you have the others who are freaking out if it's going to snow at all, or be below zero at all, and they haven't closed schools. Hello...Minnesota!

Do you guys plug in cars for those really cold days? I think one of our issues in Chicago for Wednesday will be getting cars to start if it -15 or 20. Then if you do get it started, drive to work and leave it out in an unprotected lot all day, you might have trouble starting it.

 

[havaneselover]

Our suburban Chicago school district closed today due to snow, a PIA though probably a good call as roads were awful this morning. My commute to work was double, but I don’t take the expressway. Some of those were reporting over 2 hr travel times into the city this morning. For Wednesday, Chicago Public Schools have already announced they will be closed. High of -14 predicted, low -25 to -30 but windchill to -60. Our school district has not made any announcements yet for the rest of the week.

Oh, goodness. Stay warm and safe!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Yep! Our snow was about 6-8 today. All local schools were called off. When my kids were school age, they never decided until that morning! Now, they make the call the night before. Win some, lose some. I’m expecting closures on Weds and Thursday here too. My sons job site will be closed Weds too. Half of my patients canceled today. I’m hoping U of M will close on Weds. I hate to think about the college kids walking in that wind chill!

I got the call at 5 am today. I was not happy for multiple reasons.

 

[mmmears]

Yes lots of excellent ideas. Definitely will be going to Faneuill Hall. Will check MBTA.com and decide how to get there. Whether it still be uber depending on how light our carryons are.

I'm pretty sure that Faneuill Hall is what I meant when I mentioned a historical marketplace. I couldn't remember the name. It was on the Freedom Trail. Also, at the end of the trail or thereabouts there is an old ship you can tour. Really old military sailing ship - I think it's the USS Constitution. We walked there then took a ferry back to the city center. I'm sorry I don't recall the details... it's been a few years, but we thought Boston was a great place to tour.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Maybe I should look at booking some for our March trip...

We booked only 2 for our March trip, Beaches and Cream, which DS requested for his birthday, and Fantasmic Dessert Party. Last year I made 4 or 5 ADRs, and it was too much, I felt like I was always running to an ADR or trying to squeeze in a FP ride before an ADR. My epic fail was a FP for Soarin for which we raced across the park to get there in time, only to find the FP line was looong, then having to race back across the park and over to Beaches and Cream. We were all a bit cranky by the time we got there (the ice cream was worth it though)