I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[2TxAgs]

Thanks again to everyone for the “out-West” recommendations a few weeks ago. We’ve decided we’re going to try to do Sedona > Antelope Canyon > Grand Canyon > Zion.

If you’ve been, how many days do we need in each place? I think Zion is our priority.

Does anyone have recommendations for places to stay in any of those places?

Also, @WVMomof3 - another 2-player game recommendation: Dutch Blitz! We love it. I think you could just play with regular cards if you had multiple decks and looked up the rules online.

Antelope Canyon is near Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend - I'd spend a day doing those 3 and spend the night in Page, AZ as a good stop between GC and Zion. We spent 2 days at GC, but if I had to pick where to spend an extra day, it would be Zion. If you're going when the weather is warmer, you need to walk The Narrows, and that can be most of a day by itself. I haven't done Angel's Landing, but many will recommend that hike as a must do. So, 1-2 Sedona, 1 GC, 1 in Page (for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend) and 3 in Zion would be my recommendation. Is it a one-way trip? Antelope Canyon tours need to be reserved in advance. The Hyatt Place in Page, AZ has good rooms and a great terrace to watch the sun set over the Dam. Yavapi Lodge East Side room was ok - it's all about location! Stay in Springdale, UT for Zion.

 

[hsmamato2]

Sounds wonderful!

I have a ROTR question - is there any part of it that spins or turns you quickly or drops or swings that might cause a person who gets dizzy very easily to well, get dizzy? Like videos in concert with motion? I want to do it at least once but don't want to be stumbling off the attraction.

I did FOP and won't again because once the dizziness started, it ruined the rest of the experience. I had to close my eyes, not from fear but because the world was spinning. I'd close, then open and peek at what was happening, then have to close again. Didn't start until we started flying. took the fun right out of it.

I'm probably misremembering,but I also dislike spinny rides (teacups,bleh!) I didn't notice spinning,altho the cars did zip around quite a bit,nothing I found dizzying...there was a quick drop at one point, but nothing huge... If you're very sensitive you might not like it, it is quite the action experience. That said I loved it 100%...and as noted I hate the teacups bc they spin....

 

[WVMomof3]

Thanks again to everyone for the “out-West” recommendations a few weeks ago. We’ve decided we’re going to try to do Sedona > Antelope Canyon > Grand Canyon > Zion.

If you’ve been, how many days do we need in each place? I think Zion is our priority.

Does anyone have recommendations for places to stay in any of those places?

Also, @WVMomof3 - another 2-player game recommendation: Dutch Blitz! We love it. I think you could just play with regular cards if you had multiple decks and looked up the rules online.

i just looked up Dutch Blitz and it sounds very similar to a game we play with regular playing cards called Nerts. It is a lot of fun.

I agree with above about the Narrows hike. It was our favorite hike out of our 2 week trip. But it is season dependent as you can’t do it if the flow rate of the river is too high. I highly recommend the travel forums in TripAdvisor. They helped me so much in planning that trip. How many days is tricky because you could probably spend a week at each location and not see everything so you just need to figure out your priorities and go from there.

 

[ski_mom]

i just looked up Dutch Blitz and it sounds very similar to a game we play with regular playing cards called Nerts. It is a lot of fun.

I've never heard anyone talk about Nerts. My parents were in a card club that played nerts. They played with partners, so two couples would play at a card table and one person would handle what they call the wood pile and one would handle playing the cards out into the middle. We recently started playing that at my mom's when my family and my sisters family get together each Sunday for lunch. It is a fun game that takes a round or two to get it in your head, but it is a quick and fun game for sure.

 

[Psychodisney]

Thanks again to everyone for the “out-West” recommendations a few weeks ago. We’ve decided we’re going to try to do Sedona > Antelope Canyon > Grand Canyon > Zion.

If you’ve been, how many days do we need in each place? I think Zion is our priority.

Does anyone have recommendations for places to stay in any of those places?

Also, @WVMomof3 - another 2-player game recommendation: Dutch Blitz! We love it. I think you could just play with regular cards if you had multiple decks and looked up the rules online.

We did this trip last fall for our DS's wedding. Zion: We stayed at LaFave condos. Very nice. Lots of wedding guests stayed at the Springhill Suites. If I went back, I'd choose that. They had a nice pool, gorgeous views and nice rooms. My sister stayed at the Hilton curio property and does not recommend. Spend a few days. Tons of trails to choose at differnet difficulty. Sedona: stayed at the Hilton Bell Rock. It's ok but not amazing. qualifies as a resort so if you have Aspire, you can use the resort credit. Spend a few days! Grand Canyon: stayed at one of the south rim lodges for one night. Cool experience. Accommodations were fair at best but I'd still recommend for one night for the experience.

 

[elgerber]

To chime in on ROTR, I get horrible motion sickness, and have vertigo. Disclaimer, I wear a patch on my trips not but ROTR didn't bother me at all. To compare, even with the patch, I do have to breathe my way through FOP and ST.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do like the flexibility of URs although they don't seem to transfer to Delta. We could always use them for lodging or something else for the trip. I just got a pretty nice offer on the Delta Gold for $400 statement credit plus 50,000 miles with $2k spend. I'm wondering if the best course of action would be to apply for the Venture X first and have P2 go for the CSP and/or CSR. Then I could take advantage of the Delta Gold offer in a month or so, then get the CSP and/or CSR a month or two after that. We'll just have to watch the MSRs to make sure we have enough planned spend to meet the timelines.

It's great to have a plan for your next couple cards, so well done. What's nice about the Venture X is that you have 6 months for the MSR, so it can be your miscellaneous card. And there's no telling when the Venture X offer will go away.

Make sure to read up on the MDD if you go that route. There is very specific application timing in order to get it right.

Can't recall when you are planning your trip, but if Delta points are the goal, I'd just make sure you allow time to earn the points and then book, especially if it's a high demand flight.

I was just reading today that a huge travel boon is expected here in 2022, and I'd assume 2023. I'm personally starting to plot out my 2023 plans so I can book flights when they open, etc.

 

[iujen94]

I know this card doesn’t get a lot of chatter, so thought I’d throw out some data points in case anyone else is interested....

I applied for the Barclays Wyndham Earners Business Card on Thursday of last week. My main (only) reason for getting the card is to get Wyndham Diamond status, which can match to Caesars Diamond status.
The initial response was “we need more time.” I checked the status that afternoon (they give you a link where you can check online), and it showed denied. I put on my big girl panties and called recon for the first time. Turns out it wasn’t a “real” denial, but a “we need more info” denial. I got tagged for income verification (personal, not biz revenue). I sent the requested documents Friday afternoon and had an email this morning that I’d been approved! (With a whopping $1k credit limit ) I called about getting the card expedited, which they would do for a $29.99 fee. I’m in a hurry to get the status match rolling, so I agreed. Card should be here tomorrow!

 

[wanderlust7]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do like the flexibility of URs although they don't seem to transfer to Delta. We could always use them for lodging or something else for the trip. I just got a pretty nice offer on the Delta Gold for $400 statement credit plus 50,000 miles with $2k spend. I'm wondering if the best course of action would be to apply for the Venture X first and have P2 go for the CSP and/or CSR. Then I could take advantage of the Delta Gold offer in a month or so, then get the CSP and/or CSR a month or two after that. We'll just have to watch the MSRs to make sure we have enough planned spend to meet the timelines.

Not sure if you're looking to get a few cards or if you're looking to be in the game long term? If the latter, you may want to consider business cards. Many side gigs can count. Resale is a popular one here. You'd apply as a sole proprietor and use your name as the business name. Business cards can significantly prolong your game as Chase has a 5/24 rule where they won't approve you once you have 5 new cards in the last 24 months that report to your personal credit report. Most business cards don't report to your personal credit report (notable exception would be certain Capital One cards).

You may want to consider the business version of the Delta Gold card instead of the personal. There are some elevated offers you might be able to pull up with a dummy booking.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amer...00-miles-200-statement-credit-or-90000-miles/

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Well in travel news, I'm over here wondering what the NK/F9 merger is going to mean......Such a lovely Monday. UGH.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

We have the big version and an add on for Asia. We haven't played in a while but got it when DS was about 8. He always wins, mostly because he's a big risk taker and it almost always works out.

We have the regular ticket to ride. One of those games I don’t think would be as interesting with 2 players. But the smaller board of a junior game might make that better. I did see the Europe version, I think, looked smaller and wondered if it would be good for 2 players.

You can play w/ Alexa! You don't have to have the "alexa" version of the game either. When my son and I have played we've added alexa in a few times.

Whatever you do, don't buy Pan Am!!! After watching a 30-minute video, I still have no clue how to play it (and DD and I play Ticket to Ride all the time). My sister gave it to me after she and her bf couldn't figure it out. I swear we are somewhat intelligent people.

Ha! I bougth Pan Am for the BF and I to play. I figured he might like it (you know pilot and all). We haven't had the time to try yet. I did watch a pretty good YouTube that explained it.

 

[LynnTH]

I know this card doesn’t get a lot of chatter, so thought I’d throw out some data points in case anyone else is interested....

I applied for the Barclays Wyndham Earners Business Card on Thursday of last week. My main (only) reason for getting the card is to get Wyndham Diamond status, which can match to Caesars Diamond status.
The initial response was “we need more time.” I checked the status that afternoon (they give you a link where you can check online), and it showed denied. I put on my big girl panties and called recon for the first time. Turns out it wasn’t a “real” denial, but a “we need more info” denial. I got tagged for income verification (personal, not biz revenue). I sent the requested documents Friday afternoon and had an email this morning that I’d been approved! (With a whopping $1k credit limit ) I called about getting the card expedited, which they would do for a $29.99 fee. I’m in a hurry to get the status match rolling, so I agreed. Card should be here tomorrow!

I applied for this last week as well. Also went pending. They called me shortly after and just verified a few things and then it was approved. I got it solely to do the match to Caesars Diamond also, as we are going to Vegas in June. Have not received the card yet - but was able to go online and do the status match. I don't even know how much the credit limit is - could barely hear the gal on the other line. But for $95 a year - worth it to go back and forth between Caesars and Wyndam.

 

[iujen94]

I applied for this last week as well. Also went pending. They called me shortly after and just verified a few things and then it was approved. I got it solely to do the match to Caesars Diamond also, as we are going to Vegas in June. Have not received the card yet - but was able to go online and do the status match. I don't even know how much the credit limit is - could barely hear the gal on the other line. But for $95 a year - worth it to go back and forth between Caesars and Wyndam.

How could you do the status match without the card number? Barclays wouldn’t let me set up an online account without the card number, which I figured was step 1.
Also, I just checked my Wyndham account, and it still shows me as Wyndham Blue, so no luck doing the match through there. Thanks for any tips!

 

[jaysraptor]

they changed systems a few months back. what do you need looked at? (i never use it and am curious to see it)

I was just curious if the "vacation rentals" were available on the travel portal using the Sapphire Preferred card. I had PC'd my CSP to the Freedom Flex after the 1st year and have all of my points stashed on my CIP and was not seeing the vacation rentals in the portal any longer. I wasn't sure if the portal would show different from my CIP card view. If it did, I was going to change my FF back to the CSP. I liked having the options of the vacation rentals vs just hotels. We are going to my niece's wedding in PA this summer and we were looking for cool places to stay.

 

[havaneselover]

Well in travel news, I'm over here wondering what the NK/F9 merger is going to mean......Such a lovely Monday. UGH.

Ugh, sorry.

 

[reliev]

I was just curious if the "vacation rentals" were available on the travel portal using the Sapphire Preferred card. I had PC'd my CSP to the Freedom Flex after the 1st year and have all of my points stashed on my CIP and was not seeing the vacation rentals in the portal any longer. I wasn't sure if the portal would show different from my CIP card view. If it did, I was going to change my FF back to the CSP. I liked having the options of the vacation rentals vs just hotels. We are going to my niece's wedding in PA this summer and we were looking for cool places to stay.

just checked I have the CSR I didn't see vacation rentals being an option, I just did random dates in Orlando saw 275+ hotels but no Airbnb or anything like that option like you have with Marriot for example. its been a while since i booked Airbnb but i remember it being 3x for some reason if that helps.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Amex is offering a 20% transfer bonus to Hawaiian

 

[jaysraptor]

just checked I have the CSR I didn't see vacation rentals being an option, I just did random dates in Orlando saw 275+ hotels but no Airbnb or anything like that option like you have with Marriot for example. its been a while since i booked Airbnb but i remember it being 3x for some reason if that helps.

Thanks for looking. We had amazing 2 week Germany and France vacation booked for the summer of 2020 that all got cancelled due to Covid. We had a 3 bedroom house rented in Garmisch for 5 days and a sweet 2 bedroom apartment in Paris,1 block from the Louvre all booked through the Chase Travel portal. We also booked an beachfront condo for an October 2021 stay in Oceanside, CA. Points wise, we were getting a lot more value doing the vacation rentals vs just a cramped hotel room.

 

[wanderlust7]

I was just curious if the "vacation rentals" were available on the travel portal using the Sapphire Preferred card. I had PC'd my CSP to the Freedom Flex after the 1st year and have all of my points stashed on my CIP and was not seeing the vacation rentals in the portal any longer. I wasn't sure if the portal would show different from my CIP card view. If it did, I was going to change my FF back to the CSP. I liked having the options of the vacation rentals vs just hotels. We are going to my niece's wedding in PA this summer and we were looking for cool places to stay.

The CIP portal should be the same as CSP. I don't see the vacation rental category anymore on the CSP. But I see a few listings that look like vacation rentals. There doesn't seem to be a good way to search for them though.

The CSP and CSR have Pay Yourself Back for Airbnb until 3/31. That might be the best route for you.

 

[iujen94]

I applied for this last week as well. Also went pending. They called me shortly after and just verified a few things and then it was approved. I got it solely to do the match to Caesars Diamond also, as we are going to Vegas in June. Have not received the card yet - but was able to go online and do the status match. I don't even know how much the credit limit is - could barely hear the gal on the other line. But for $95 a year - worth it to go back and forth between Caesars and Wyndam.

Also FYI - my AMEX Plat has an offer for $40 back on $200 at any Vegas Caesars-owned property. It’s good through May 8, but maybe it could work for you if you have to pay a deposit?