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

Status
Not open for further replies.
@Albort , I am reading about the Hyatt Explorist and it says you get 4 Explorist Club Lounge access awards. Since we cheated to get Explorist, does that mean we don't get the awards? Also, does anyone know about the 5 different Brands to get a free night. Does staying on points count? Or do you actually have to pay real money? And does anyone know anything about Grand Hyatt DC. Decided to make a quick trip this weekend and that was the one I could get on points. Said it was a $500+ room and I got it for 15,000 points. The darn parking though. But I will use my card and get 15% back with the Chase offer at least.

Staying on points counts because I have Park Hyatt and Hyatt Centric marked off on mine and they were both points/free night certs.
 
How firm are you on the idea of staying on Waikiki beach? Waikiki is a bit of an compact urban peninsula that’s only about 3 blocks wide, lined by Kalakaua Avenue, Kuhio Avenue, and Ala Wai Blvd. So really, any hotel is within “walking” distance to the beach, but from some hotels that means dealing with the noise, crowds, and traffic of Waikiki.

The hotels that I can think of on the beach are the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which has a big lagoon and lots of beach; the Halekulani, which is a really nice hotel but doesn’t have much of a beach; the Sheraton Waikiki, which shares a really nice stretch of beachfront with the Royal Hawaiian, which continues next door to the Outrigger Waikiki Beach and onto the Westin Moana Surfrider. These are mostly pricier options. Are there any other hotels you’re looking at? How are your points?

Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Maui. I’ve never been except for flying through on connections. @calypso726 visited Maui last year and snagged an in demand reservation at Mama’s Fish House. @mmmears, @CaliforniaGirl09, and @GlamMistress can probably chime in on their trips to Maui, too.

I'm not totally committed to staying on Waikiki beach but my son very much wants to stay in Honolulu and be in a big city. The HHV was kind of where I was looking as I might be diamond with Hilton by the time we visit and may have a free hilton night cert. I am def open to suggestions on other locations not on the beach and frankly not in the middle of the city. This Oahu portion of the trip is definitely in flux. We will rent a car on both island so we will have mobility.

Points wise I have I'll have 400k UR points here in a month when p2s CIP2 sub comes in and will probably get another couple of CIPs between the 2 of us by end of year. I am down to 50k Hilton after spending 285k on the Grand Wailea. 120k SW points and 80k AA.
 
giphy.gif
:rotfl2:
 
I'm not totally committed to staying on Waikiki beach but my son very much wants to stay in Honolulu and be in a big city. The HHV was kind of where I was looking as I might be diamond with Hilton by the time we visit and may have a free hilton night cert. I am def open to suggestions on other locations not on the beach and frankly not in the middle of the city. This Oahu portion of the trip is definitely in flux. We will rent a car on both island so we will have mobility.

Points wise I have I'll have 400k UR points here in a month when p2s CIP2 sub comes in and will probably get another couple of CIPs between the 2 of us by end of year. I am down to 50k Hilton after spending 285k on the Grand Wailea. 120k SW points and 80k AA.

I’ll think about it a little more and get back to you.
 


The clock strikes midnight here on the east coast...Happy 5/24 day to all my fellow DISchurner friends!

Yes it was on this day in 2016 (wow was it really 3 years ago) that Chase extended their much maligned 5/24 rule to most of their co-brand cards. *In truth this happened on May 23rd, 2016 but churners like to remember it as 5/24/16 with Chase flipping a figurative middle finger at the churning community...

Has any rule change ever affected our beloved game as much as 5/24? In my opinion, I'd clearly say no. Chase 5/24 is far-reaching, affects every churner, and becomes a factor in the strategy from day 1 of all those who choose to pursue the churner path. Chase is only rivaled by American Express in its depth and breadth of card line-up both in terms of their in-house Ultimate Rewards program and extensive co-brand lineup. When first enacted in June of 2015, the 5/24 rule was an instant game changer. However, the extension to co-brands killed dreams of future companion passes for churners far and wide and thus 5/24/16 is a sad day.

So why is it that I say "Happy 5/24 day..." Well my friends - it is still a happy day because the churning game is still alive and well. It is different than it was in 2015 no doubt...BUT it is not dead! Often the "churning chicken littles" of the world will come around trumpeting the demise of churning due to economic factors, data factors, etc. but time and again they are proven wrong because we are churners and we don't give up. I close with a short speech:

Good evening. In less than 8 hours, DISchurners here will join churners from around the world. And we will continue to churn cards in honor of all churning-kind. churning-kind -- that word should have new meaning for all of us today.
We can't be consumed by our petty differences over cpp anymore.
We will be united in our common interests to hammer card issuers with new accounts.
Perhaps its fate that today is the the 24th of May, and us churners will once again be fighting for our freedom, not from auto-denials, recon calls, or clawbacks -- but from annihilation.
We fight for our right to churn, to earn.
And when we win the day, the 24th of May will no longer be known as a sad churner holiday, but as the day when the churning declared in one voice:
We will not go pending into the night!
We will not be Bonvoyed without a fight!
We're going to churn on!
We're going to travel for free!
Today, we celebrate 5/24 Day!!
bastards.gif
 
Last edited:
Well, I just burned 90k URs (earned from my most recent CIP SUB) → Hyatt to book an ocean view room for a long weekend at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands (and Carmel, Monterey, and Big Sur) to celebrate my wife's upcoming birthday. Feels good.

Ooh. Let me know how it goes. I was looking at that one when it was all smoky here and I wanted to get away, but DH said he couldn't miss work so I didn't book it. It looks really nice online and I love going to Carmel. We usually make it a day trip, although I have family there and on occasion we've stayed at their house there or in Big Sur. Such a beautiful part of our coastline. :cloud9:

I think many fans of Lost would think that must be Korea!

I thought it looked familiar! Is this the temple from the Jin & Sun shots on Lost? I loved that show. We got to see Daniel Dae Kim speak at my daughter's graduation last weekend.

Alright, now I need to go to Hawaii.

Me, too! We used to go all the time, and now it's been years and it feels like forever.

With all this Hawaii talk I thought I would join in and ask for advice as well. @hulagirl @Lain My family(me, wife, and 13 year old son) will be taking a 10 day trip to Oahu/Maui during next March. We are planning 3 days in Oahu the rest in Maui. I don't yet have a hotel booked for Oahu but it will be somewhere on Waikiki beach. We are splitting the Maui stay with 3 days at Hyatt Regency and the rest at the Grand Wailea. Beyond a hotel recommendation on Waikiki, I was hopeful for some suggestions on things to do in Maui and places to eat. There seems like a lot of things to do but I want to try and narrow it down a realistic list of activities while having enough relaxation time at the hotels and on the beach/pool areas. I thank churning for all of the Hilton/Hyatt/SW/UR points which will make most of this trip free. Never would have made it to Hawaii from Indiana without them

It's been quite a few years, but the Grand Wailea is a place we used to visit yearly and it was wonderful. There have been some changes over the years, but I still really like it. Great beach along with the fabulous pool. Back then we enjoyed Humuhumunukunukuapua'a which is the fish restaurant at the hotel. We also wen't to Nick's at the Kea Lani, and a bunch of other places I sadly can't remember now. Your trip sounds amazing. I've wanted to combine Maui with a few days in Oahu, but haven't managed to do that yet. Haven't been to Honolulu since I was 3 years old, so I don't remember much. ;)

Timberline! Priority Pass cardholder and 2 guests. $28/person towards the bill. It’s a steak and burger joint! I think it’s so popular, there’s usually a wait. I think (?) they accept arrivals.

I’m going to let the Denver/Colorado folks chat now. @wendow, @amalone1013, @platamama.

Thank you! I wasn't sure about it being available for arrivals or just departure, but they'll be there twice and it would be great if they could get a free or discounted meal.
 


How firm are you on the idea of staying on Waikiki beach? Waikiki is a bit of an compact urban peninsula that’s only about 3 blocks wide, lined by Kalakaua Avenue, Kuhio Avenue, and Ala Wai Blvd. So really, any hotel is within “walking” distance to the beach, but from some hotels that means dealing with the noise, crowds, and traffic of Waikiki.

The hotels that I can think of on the beach are the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which has a big lagoon and lots of beach; the Halekulani, which is a really nice hotel but doesn’t have much of a beach; the Sheraton Waikiki, which shares a really nice stretch of beachfront with the Royal Hawaiian, which continues next door to the Outrigger Waikiki Beach and onto the Westin Moana Surfrider. These are mostly pricier options. Are there any other hotels you’re looking at? How are your points?

Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Maui. I’ve never been except for flying through on connections. @calypso726 visited Maui last year and snagged an in demand reservation at Mama’s Fish House. @mmmears, @CaliforniaGirl09, and @GlamMistress can probably chime in on their trips to Maui, too.

I’m having a hard time believing you don’t have a spread sheet:lovestruc
 
Ooh. Let me know how it goes. I was looking at that one when it was all smoky here and I wanted to get away, but DH said he couldn't miss work so I didn't book it. It looks really nice online and I love going to Carmel. We usually make it a day trip, although I have family there and on occasion we've stayed at their house there or in Big Sur. Such a beautiful part of our coastline. :cloud9:

We love that stretch of the central coast. I first took my wife to Carmel for a day trip years and years ago, but we loved the town and surrounding area so much that a day wasn’t enough. We’ve been back for many weekends, and better yet long weekends. Interestingly, my wife and I spotted Cynthia Nixon and her partner in Carmel during one of our trips. We don’t go as often since we had the kiddo, and when we do our outdoorsy activities aren’t what they used to be, but it’s still a beautiful place to escape and find some relaxation. We’ve stayed at a good number of the inns and B&Bs in Carmel, but I remember passing the Hyatt Carmel Highlands on our way down to Big Sur and my wife asking what’s that place up there, then agreeing that it must have an awesome view. Well, now we’ll find out!

I did also look at the Carmel Valley Ranch, which was recently added to the World of Hyatt program as part of Joie de Vivre, but they weren’t taking points bookings for any of the dates I checked, and they don’t have views of the ocean.

I thought it looked familiar! Is this the temple from the Jin & Sun shots on Lost?

Yep.
 
Last edited:
I'm not totally committed to staying on Waikiki beach but my son very much wants to stay in Honolulu and be in a big city. The HHV was kind of where I was looking as I might be diamond with Hilton by the time we visit and may have a free hilton night cert. I am def open to suggestions on other locations not on the beach and frankly not in the middle of the city. This Oahu portion of the trip is definitely in flux. We will rent a car on both island so we will have mobility.

Points wise I have I'll have 400k UR points here in a month when p2s CIP2 sub comes in and will probably get another couple of CIPs between the 2 of us by end of year. I am down to 50k Hilton after spending 285k on the Grand Wailea. 120k SW points and 80k AA.

I think it depends on what you want to do while you are on Oahu. If you are looking more to do the beach and relax at the pool while you're on Maui and do "city" stuff in Waikiki then I'd stay there. If you stay in Waikiki and don't plan on exploring the rest of the island there's no need for a car. Now you can get the whole island experience without leaving Oahu but a lot of people do Waikiki and then Maui or Kauai for their beach/pool/relaxation time. The Bus is a perfectly good way to get around.

I did a city tour that included Pearl Harbor because I wanted to see more and I didn't have to worry about getting tickets for it. Aside from that it's kind of a boring city, sorry but it is. Because what you get with Waikiki is really a bunch of hotels, restaurants with some shopping spread out and lots of ABC stores. It all depends on what you want to see. The Hyatt was perfectly acceptable though not on the beach. Really most of the places in Waikiki are close enough to walk to the beach or elsewhere, there's not really reason to stay on the beach there if you aren't planning to visit it. Plus it's so busy/packed. The Waikiki party is mostly tourists with other parts of Honolulu being where the actual city stuff is. I was last there over 15 years ago but there weren't grocery stores etc in the area like you'd find in SF or Seattle etc in among the tourist stuff.

On Maui I would spend some time in Ka'anapali, it's touristy with the shops and resturants but it's fun. Snorkeling is good too, we did a boat to Molakini but the water was a bit rough that day so while I was fine on the boat being in the water made me a bit :sick: though I didn't get sick. We rented bikes one day and went from Kihei where we were staying up to Wailea and back. It was fun to bike and see more. I haven't done the road to Hana but from what I've read depending on how you are at driving it's less stressful to let someone else do the driving. Do make sure to watch at least one sunset from the beach.
 
I have a question about the lounges in Denver. DD is meeting up with some friends there and I wondering if there is a lounge they can go to after the flight arrives. She has a platinum card and a priority pass card. There will be 4 of them, but I remembered people posting about a restaurant so maybe that could work?
Timberline is the PP lounge (restaurant) at DEN. It's on concourse C where SW comes in so depending on which airline they are on, they may need to take the train to a different concourse.

Dh & I did use our PP there upon arrival a couple of years ago BUT I will say that Timberline has gotten so much busier than it used to be. I'm not sure what their current policy is on allowing use for arrivals. Maybe if it's a slower time they will allow.

As @Lain said, your dd will get $28 per person for herself plus two guests. Since a meal there is an avg of $15-18, your dd should be able to cover all 4 of them with the $84 she will have to spend. Gratuity is not covered with the PP.

Hope they are able to make it work!
 
I'm not totally committed to staying on Waikiki beach but my son very much wants to stay in Honolulu and be in a big city. The HHV was kind of where I was looking as I might be diamond with Hilton by the time we visit and may have a free hilton night cert. I am def open to suggestions on other locations not on the beach and frankly not in the middle of the city. This Oahu portion of the trip is definitely in flux. We will rent a car on both island so we will have mobility.

Points wise I have I'll have 400k UR points here in a month when p2s CIP2 sub comes in and will probably get another couple of CIPs between the 2 of us by end of year. I am down to 50k Hilton after spending 285k on the Grand Wailea. 120k SW points and 80k AA.

We've stayed at the HHV in the Lagoon Tower on a timeshare exchange and loved it. Lucked out on a unit with a gorgeous view. It's a city onto itself, on the edge of Waikiki and further away from many of the restaurants and shopping (closer to Ala Moana Mall though). Those would be the cons, but we didn't mind. DS loved the pool, the wide, long beach, the lagoon you can pedal boat on, fireworks on Friday nights, and onsite Lappert's ice cream. I appreciated the onsite Starbucks. :D

Parking is expensive and you don't need a car if you're not going out of Waikiki. There are a couple of car rental places across the street that are fairly convenient and cheaper than the onsite place. We stayed a week but only rented a car for a day to go to the North Shore. We'd been a few times before, so the trip was mainly to relax and eat lots of delicious Japanese food. :)

Maui - I would say Haleakala is a must do. Such an otherworldly landscape. Our last trip on the way back, we stopped at Kula Country Farms. We were too late to do the u-pick strawberries, so bought some instead and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. @Lain mentioned a lavender farm before. I didn't know it then, but that's right there too. Also high on the list would be the Road to Hana. It's the journey, not the destination. :) First trip (many years ago before kids) we made it to Hana and then drove back in the dark since we didn't leave early enough. Last trip, DD (age 1 at the time) got car sick. We ate our picnic lunch that we picked up in Paia, under a gazebo at the Garden of Eden, and then headed back. So we made it halfway to Hana, but still an enjoyable day. One day, I'd like to make it past Hana. I really like Iao Valley too, very scenic and easy to explore since all the trails are paved.

If you don't have it already, I'd recommend getting the Maui Revealed book. Really comprehensive and lots of pictures. I have all 4 of their books, 1 for each island. :)
 
Last edited:
Timberline is the PP lounge (restaurant) at DEN. It's on concourse C where SW comes in so depending on which airline they are on, they may need to take the train to a different concourse.

Dh & I did use our PP there upon arrival a couple of years ago BUT I will say that Timberline has gotten so much busier than it used to be. I'm not sure what their current policy is on allowing use for arrivals. Maybe if it's a slower time they will allow.

As @Lain said, your dd will get $28 per person for herself plus two guests. Since a meal there is an avg of $15-18, your dd should be able to cover all 4 of them with the $84 she will have to spend. Gratuity is not covered with the PP.

Hope they are able to make it work!

Thanks so much. I'm sending her this info. She's on United, but there are 4 total, coming in on 4 different flights from 4 different cities, so I have no idea where they will all meet up but this does sound nice. :)
 
Nope, but I am sitting at the newly enlarged Centurion lounge in Miami right now. Off to New Orleans to go use my 7 night certificate. Bring on da Gumbo, crawfish and shrimp etouffee!

Aww....I was supposed to do New Orleans with my daughter but the accident interfered. She was going to use her certificate there and I was going. Now she will use it in Cambodia when she goes for a wedding early next year. I'm not going to Cambodia.
 
@Lain My 20k BGR referral points are already in my account. Now to wait and see if they remain. The funny thing is I can't see my new BBP account though. I thought it would be there like my Chase CCs are when I get a new one.
 
Some of my tours for Barcelona just cleared my Arrival+ so I was able to go in and redeem points to erase them. That, coupled with my Best Buy and Hotels.com gift card redemptions this month means I've used about 1k in awards. Feels good to be cheap.

I laid in bed, amazed at myself for using points to get a Best Buy giftcard. The previous churner in me never would have allowed it. I've loosened up my thinking on award redemptions and am happier for it. I used to just hoard hoard hoard "just in case." Now I'd rather keep cash in my wallet by any means necessary. This has shifted some things: I have to (usually) fly coach now and I'm more likely to be at a Hilton and not a Ritz. But that's okay. I've done those high end things - now I'd rather stretch my points (and cash) as far as possible.

I'm still keeping my head down, waiting to be under 5/24. I'm almost there, lol.

@Kawnipi - If you are going to Maui, you must do the Road to Hana and leave as early in the morning as possible! A truly magical experience. Get the banana bread from the stand outside twin falls at the beginning of the journey. The Ritz Carlton Kapalua is wonderful. A friend stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani and loved it too.

I have stayed at Hilton Hawaiian Village before. It's such a big resort there is lots to do. Honestly I preferred the Sheraton more - and Duke's is right there. (You must eat and drink at Duke's if you visit Waikiki and get the Hula Pie! https://www.dukeswaikiki.com/hula-pie/)

Kauai is my favorite island - the Grand Hyatt is just so great. And I LOOOOVVEEE the Fairmont on Big Island. Both Kauai and Big Island are great for outdoor adventures and hiking - very rugged. I like Oahu for the shopping and city life. Maui is just the best place to be in America. Enjoy.

-- Edit to add - if you do Maui, make a reservation for Mama's Fish House AND Fleetwoods on Front Street. Very different experiences, but THE places to eat on the island. Fleetwoods is owned by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac so this is where you will hear awesome nightly rock music. Plus you eat on the roof. Neither of these restaurants is cheap, so do plan accordingly.

#NowIWantToGoToHawaiiAgain
 
@hulagirl I thought I wanted our anniversary trip to be Scotland but you may have just sold me on Hawaii
Aww, this made me smile. I imagine Scotland to be every bit as beautiful as Hawaii. The beauty of this game, is that points and miles and cash back from cards and bank bonuses make it ALL possible, if you're willing to work for it.;-) Maybe someday you'll share all about both with us.:lovestruc
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top