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

[Frwinkley]

I've never booked airline tickets using my CSR points through the portal. I've only booked hotels. Is there anything I should be aware of? I'm leery of booking flights through a 3rd party site.

 

[wanderlust7]

I've never booked airline tickets using my CSR points through the portal. I've only booked hotels. Is there anything I should be aware of? I'm leery of booking flights through a 3rd party site.

As you should be. Booking through the portal has the same potential issues as booking a cash rate through a 3rd party site. Have you looked into if transferring points to book as an award makes sense?

 

[Frwinkley]

I have not. Am I better off using the card to book directly with the airline and then just getting a statement credit?

I’ve only used the points for hotels (which I’ve never had a problem with).

 

[Judique]

I messaged AmEx about a retention offer. There was none. Nada. Only to downgrade to an Amex green with an AF of $150. They also said if I closed it I would forfeit my MR’s. Guess I’m keeping the Gold.

I have a no fee Amex MR credit card from many years ago (early 2000's) called the Optima Platinum. My MR's stayed safe with it when I closed my gold. I wonder if Amex would let somebody downgrade to that card? They let me downgrade my Brilliant to the old SPG card that you can't apply for anymore.

 

[havaneselover]

So I'm a Hilton newby. I'm looking for some guidance on maximizing points/free night certificates. I just got the Biz card and I have the Surpass card. I can easily put $15k on both cards this year (estimated tax payments). So I can get my hands on three free night certificates (the one from the Biz MSR and two for spending $15k on each card). I also will have about 250k points or so.

So could I find a hotel in London (thinking early May next year) for 60k nights per point and get the fifth night free? Then stack the three free night certificates for Paris? I'm thinking I'm probably missing something.

ETA: Looks like the tricky part will be finding rooms that aren't premium room rewards.

 

[wanderlust7]

I have not. Am I better off using the card to book directly with the airline and then just getting a statement credit?

I’ve only used the points for hotels (which I’ve never had a problem with).

A pure cash out, you'd only get 1 cent per point. Or you can do Pay Yourself Back for gas and groceries at 1.25 cpp (only confirmed through June 30, maybe they will extend it).

Transferring to Southwest, you can get approximately 1.3 cpp. I like the flexibility to cancel and the points never expire. The other airlines you can transfer to, it depends on what the award availability looks like. You can get some really outsize value booking business class, but it takes some research.

I transfer the majority of my URs to Hyatt where I can get at least 2 cpp.

 

[wanderlust7]

So I'm a Hilton newby. I'm looking for some guidance on maximizing points/free night certificates. I just got the Biz card and I have the Surpass card. I can easily put $15k on both cards this year (estimated tax payments). So I can get my hands on three free night certificates (the one from the Biz MSR and two for spending $15k on each card). I also will have about 250k points or so.

So could I find a hotel in London (thinking early May next year) for 60k nights per point and get the fifth night free? Then stack the three free night certificates for Paris? I'm thinking I'm probably missing something.

ETA: Looks like the tricky part will be finding rooms that aren't premium room rewards.

Exactly. But you're planning ahead, so you should be able to find (or stalk) standard awards. It's easy to do a flexible date search with Hilton by checking the my dates are flexible when you select your dates.

If the dates you want aren't available, you can set up an alert with StayWithPoints or OpenHotelAlert. You can only do one free alert with StayWithPoints, but it lets you put what point value to alert you at.

 

[wanderlust7]

I messaged AmEx about a retention offer. There was none. Nada. Only to downgrade to an Amex green with an AF of $150. They also said if I closed it I would forfeit my MR’s. Guess I’m keeping the Gold.

You can open a Blue Business Plus to keep your MRs. No AF and earns 2x up to $50k. SUB is low at 15k for $3000, not sure if the targeted higher offers (and higher spend) are still around. But it's a good keeper card.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

The FNC should post when the points post, soon after MSR. Hope you can make the timing work.

I am going to 2nd this. IME the FNC that is part of the SUB has posted within a couple of days of hitting the spend.

Thanks so much. I guess I was wrong in thinking it would work how the annual FNC takes like 8 weeks to post. Thanks so much for correcting me!

 

[sinnika]

You can open a Blue Business Plus to keep your MRs. No AF and earns 2x up to $50k. SUB is low at 15k for $3000, not sure if the targeted higher offers (and higher spend) are still around. But it's a good keeper card.

I do have the No fee everyday AmEx which has MR’s. They are now combined with my MR’s from my Amex Gold. I think I need to figure out how to use the Uber and dining credits to take the edge off of paying that $250 AF.

 

[leeniewdw]

Anyone know any tricks for using the IHG Intercontinental Ambassador Weekend Night (pay for the 2 nights, get 1 credited on check out)? I, admittedly, signed up P2 for the Ambassador program with no real plans and now I find us with no real way to use it before it expires in the fall. There is literally no weekend nights available for that redemption in Asheville NC, Charleston SC, or even Orlando for the rest of the year. I haven’t made too many mistakes with travel hacking, but this one feels like it. I don’t want to fly somewhere just to save on a nice hotel for 1 night, but I also hate losing the free night.

We’re in NC and wouldn’t mind a weekend that’s driving distance,but I can’t find anywhere to go, lol.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

So I'm a Hilton newby. I'm looking for some guidance on maximizing points/free night certificates. I just got the Biz card and I have the Surpass card. I can easily put $15k on both cards this year (estimated tax payments). So I can get my hands on three free night certificates (the one from the Biz MSR and two for spending $15k on each card). I also will have about 250k points or so.

So could I find a hotel in London (thinking early May next year) for 60k nights per point and get the fifth night free? Then stack the three free night certificates for Paris? I'm thinking I'm probably missing something.

ETA: Looks like the tricky part will be finding rooms that aren't premium room rewards.

Interested in putting that some of that spend towards the Aspire or Hilton no fee card? Both cards come with a FNC and the Aspire comes with one annually, as well. Aspire gets you Diamond status as well. I easily recoup the AF on the Aspire, but I know others find it tricky to use the $250 resort credit.

The FNC are really easy to use as long as you find standard award availability. The only thing I don't love is that you have to call to book. If you're stacking the three FNCs in a row, you'll book each night individually. That could work out nicely anyways if you find, say, two nights available and then stalk for the third.

Someone mentioned the alert tool Openhotelalert, which I really like bc it's free and you can get text messages. You just have to look at the Hilton site to see what room is the standard room and then select just that room type at Openhotelalert. There are certain hotels that oddly don't have that room type on Openhotelalert, and that's when I use StaywithPoints to alert me.

 

[wanderlust7]

I do have the No fee everyday AmEx which has MR’s. They are now combined with my MR’s from my Amex Gold. I think I need to figure out how to use the Uber and dining credits to take the edge off of paying that $250 AF.

Then there's no reason you would forfeit your MRs. As long as you've had the card open at least a year and haven't taken a retention offer less than a year ago.

 

[leeniewdw]

Has anyone been in the Chase Sapphire lounge in BOS yet or planning to soon? I see on CSR gets to bring free guests, and us CSP have to pay $75 (!) for a guest. We’ll be going thru BOS to Ireland to/from and was just planning to use “The Club” which should be free for both of us.

Oh wait — I just realized P2 also has a CSP, but I have no idea where is Priority Pass card is or if we ever got it. I think I need to do some deeper research because the Chase Sapphire lounge look very nice in BOS!

edit: I’m losing it — CSP doesn’t get PP? I have 2 PPs, but I think they are from Amex Plat and Venture X. Need to regroup, lol.

 

[mmmears]

Speaking of views and upgrades…

I received an email from the Conrad Bora Bora letting me know that two weeks before our stay, I will receive an offer for a guaranteed paid upgrade.

Currently, we are booked in a King Lagoon view suite room. While this trip is probably a one and done for us, I am willing to forego a paid upgrade depending on the offer. We’ve already had the amazing experience of staying in an overwater bungalow when we visited the Maldives. So, not upgrading to an OWB with the normal ocean view is fine.

My dilemma will be if there’s an offer to upgrade to an OWB with a view of Mt. Otemanu. I can only imagine if it’s available as a paid upgrade, the cost will be eye watering. I have a certain threshold that I am willing to spend for the view but seriously doubt it will come close to what they offer. This will leave me with crossing fingers for a free upgrade on arrival. But if it doesn’t happen, that’s ok too.

My friend recently returned from a stay there. I believe they upgraded a few of the nights to a bungalow, but not all of them. She said it was very nice, but these bungalows don't have the private pool that the ones in the Maldives do. She also thought the views were nicer in Bora Bora compared to the Maldives. We are all getting spoiled!

So I'm a Hilton newby. I'm looking for some guidance on maximizing points/free night certificates. I just got the Biz card and I have the Surpass card. I can easily put $15k on both cards this year (estimated tax payments). So I can get my hands on three free night certificates (the one from the Biz MSR and two for spending $15k on each card). I also will have about 250k points or so.

So could I find a hotel in London (thinking early May next year) for 60k nights per point and get the fifth night free? Then stack the three free night certificates for Paris? I'm thinking I'm probably missing something.

ETA: Looks like the tricky part will be finding rooms that aren't premium room rewards.

Yes, you're on the right track. You can also combine FNC nights with a "buy 4 get the 5th night free" points stays if you want to stay in one place longer.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Anyone know any tricks for using the IHG Intercontinental Ambassador Weekend Night (pay for the 2 nights, get 1 credited on check out)? I, admittedly, signed up P2 for the Ambassador program with no real plans and now I find us with no real way to use it before it expires in the fall. There is literally no weekend nights available for that redemption in Asheville NC, Charleston SC, or even Orlando for the rest of the year. I haven’t made too many mistakes with travel hacking, but this one feels like it. I don’t want to fly somewhere just to save on a nice hotel for 1 night, but I also hate losing the free night.

We’re in NC and wouldn’t mind a weekend that’s driving distance,but I can’t find anywhere to go, lol.

I am Ambassador for the first time this year as well, but I was able to use it at a Kimpton and any day of the week before 2023 rolled around and they changed things, so I'm not sure how it works with all of the limitations. I'm not certain if you have to actually use it at an Intercontinental Hotel & Resort? For example, I see both Miami Intercontintenals have availability to use the cert the first weekend I searched (6/02-6/04).

 

[wanderlust7]

Has anyone been in the Chase Sapphire lounge in BOS yet or planning to soon? I see on CSR gets to bring free guests, and us CSP have to pay $75 (!) for a guest. We’ll be going thru BOS to Ireland to/from and was just planning to use “The Club” which should be free for both of us.

Oh wait — I just realized P2 also has a CSP, but I have no idea where is Priority Pass card is or if we ever got it. I think I need to do some deeper research because the Chase Sapphire lounge look very nice in BOS!

edit: I’m losing it — CSP doesn’t get PP? I have 2 PPs, but I think they are from Amex Plat and Venture X. Need to regroup, lol.

PP only gets 1 visit per calendar year. If both PPs are under you, I think that won't work for P2.

If either CSPs are older than a year (or if you have an old Freedom), you can upgrade to the CSR. Use the $300 travel credit twice on one AF, come out ahead by $50.

 

[iujen94]

Global entry….our family of 4 applied a few weeks ago. 2 (husband and older son) were conditionally approved within 48 hours, and I’ve already got their interviews scheduled. The other 2 (me and younger son) are still pending review. I’ve heard horror stories of this dragging on indefinitely. Has anyone discovered a way to nicely “poke the bear” to get things moving on a stalled application? (And I know ours aren’t stalled at all compared to some …. Just thinking ahead!)

 

[newski_mom]

I messaged AmEx about a retention offer. There was none. Nada. Only to downgrade to an Amex green with an AF of $150. They also said if I closed it I would forfeit my MR’s. Guess I’m keeping the Gold.

When did your AF post? I chatted with AmEx about a retention offer for his card and the first 2 times I chatted, they said there was nothing available. The third time, they had an offer, so maybe try back in a few days if you have time.

 

[leeniewdw]

PP only gets 1 visit per calendar year. If both PPs are under you, I think that won't work for P2.

If either CSPs are older than a year (or if you have an old Freedom), you can upgrade to the CSR. Use the $300 travel credit twice on one AF, come out ahead by $50.

Right, I agree. I went ahead and added DH to my Venture X (we’re not worried about any credit pulls or 5/24 currently, probably won’t add another card until fall), and I think he can get a PP from that account…I think he can set up a digital PP on the app. So hopefully can accomplish all that before leaving for BOS and Dublin in 2 weeks.

Global entry….our family of 4 applied a few weeks ago. 2 (husband and older son) were conditionally approved within 48 hours, and I’ve already got their interviews scheduled. The other 2 (me and younger son) are still pending review. I’ve heard horror stories of this dragging on indefinitely. Has anyone discovered a way to nicely “poke the bear” to get things moving on a stalled application? (And I know ours aren’t stalled at all compared to some …. Just thinking ahead!)

I and DH applied last July and I was conditionally approved quickly, DH still has not. A smart person here suggested I go for my interview and then ask in person what can be done for him (perhaps bring him), but I never got an appointment set up that was anywhere close, so we’re still w/o GE. Our trip is in 2 weeks so we’ll just have to deal with it later.

From what I could tell there is no way to do anything about the application, but maybe someone else knows.