I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[KPK02090]

I just read on the Disney gift card thread that Staples is doing the no fee $200 Visa gift cards.
I can’t find any details on it anywhere else. I assume it starts 2/23.

 

[IFlossU]

You should earn Hyatt points with Costco Travel:



https://www.costcotravel.com/Hotels/Hyatt


https://www.costcotravel.com/Info/Hotel-FAQs?loc=middleContent&pos=H1
So if you can enter your Hyatt number, you should be able to earn points on your room.

That's not nothing. Hyatt members earn 5x points/$1. At $900, that's 4,500 points. For reference, the Hyatt Place near DLR, at the corner of Harbor+Katella is a Category 4 hotel that goes for 15k points/night standard, and 12k off peak or 18k peak effective 3/22.

As for breakfast, technically you need to be a Hyatt member and have booked directly through Hyatt. As a practical matter, I don't think it matters because it's almost never enforced. So the difference is the $12 credit.

If you booked directly and paid with a Hyatt credit card, you'd earn another 4x points/$1 for a total of 9x points/$1 on your Hyatt purchase. A $900 room then gets you 8.1k points. As a Hyatt cardmember, you get automatic Discoverist status, which gets you a 10% bonus on points earned on Hyatt purchases. So those 8.1k points will get you another 810 points, so you'd end up with 8.9k points. (The Hyatt credit card comes with a Category 1-4 free night certificate after your cardmember anniversary and after you spend $15k on the card during your cardmember year.)

And, Hyatt periodically runs stay bonuses, like the current one running through 5/31 where Hyatt credit cardmembers can earn 1,500 points for each qualifying stay, starting with the second stay, that includes a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night.

Not to mention, the Hyatt card has a tiered 50k Hyatt points SUB for $6k combined spend in 3 months, and UR points transfer to Hyatt 1000:1000.

You'll be back to DLR in no time.



P.S. I know it's not the sexiest use of URs, but have you considered transferring some of your URs to Hyatt and booking the room as award nights? It would save you $900.

Dang it @Lain! Now I need a Hyatt card too. You have to stop making so much sense all the time

We usually stay at places North on Harbor, but given Marriott’s recent updates in “value” I used 45k UR’s to book 3 nights at the Hyatt House @ten6mom is referring too. If we end up liking the hotel it may become our go to. Even if it goes up to 18k/night I think it’s still a great value given that it includes breakfast. Since reading your post I’m now thinking the Hyatt card would add some benefit as well.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

DISchurners Announcement: Please update your Southwest Support Links
FYI - with the elevated offer links on the SW cards no longer working, please go into DISchurners and make sure all links are updated and working.

 

[hsmamato2]

I should keep better notes.... SWA site..... I'm just not getting this..... a couple of weeks ago I look at some desired flights that used to be nonstop between my cities.... nothing on the schedule is nonstop anymore... except for ONE flight per week! then a few days later I browse around again.... and I'm seeing nonstops again,on like 3 days out of each week.... so I think to myself "cool! maybe I'll plan this trip after all!" ..... browse around again today annnnnd... the nonstops are gone again, this time from the ONE day I had found earlier..... but then a month after I'm looking, I see some more pop up in the schedule( like multiple dates) ..... am I losing my ever lovin' mind??? I haven't kept exact track, but it appears to be different each time I check, how can this be possible? Wouldn't this mean that anyone with actual booked flights is getting changed this often??? Any thoughts on this,or is something wrong my computer and I'm getting glitches?

 

[becauseimnew]

Update on our Disneyland trip for next week. We decided to get a rental car, so we'll be paying $22+ a day for parking. Since we still have $60 of our Brilliant credit that resets next month & 2 certificates I decided it would be best to move us over there.

So excited to visit Disneyland, hopefully the crowds have died since the holiday week.

In CC news, we are almost done with DH's Citi MSR. I'll be applying for Barclay AA next week, wish me luck on that one.

 

[WVMomof3]

It is a Hyatt House. On the Costco Travel website, it says the "package " (it's just a room, not a package) includes a breakfast buffet and then the $12/day meal (including alcohol!) credit is listed separately. So I believe we would get the breakfast either way (super handy with three teenage boys).

The room is going to be just under $900 total so I'm guessing that's 900 Hyatt points.. which may honestly be nothing to me, ever. Just trying to weigh the $36 in food (we are staying three nights) against 900 Hyatt points. Fun times!

@Lain is right, youcan get a lot of Hyatt points for a paid stay. They are awesome. I posted this last year after my DH stayed at a Hyatt for work. It happened to be during a promotion, so he got extra points, but it was great, 11000 points for a $500 something bill. You only get points on the base rate, not taxes. I was also going to ask if you checked how many Hyatt points you needed for the stay. Though if it is the Hyatt House by Disneyland, I could only get points to come up for the King room with Sofa. I was looking at staying there, but think I need to go farther down to the Hyatt Place for the room size I need.

Dh earned over 11000 Hyatt points on his last work stay! If anyone is paying to stay at a Hyatt anytime soon, make sure you register for their promotion. Earn double or triple points. I think you have to stay once, then it earns on 2nd stay. This will work out nicely for us, he has 3 big Hyatt stays during this promotion. And he had a 1 night stay to begin with.

His breakdown was - $537 qualified spend -
2,685 base points
537 20% bonus as Explorist
5370 - bonus points - Earn triple points at a Hyatt Place
Total Bill after tax was - $628.29 Because his work visa was declined he put it on our Hyatt Card
2513 points from that

Total Hyatt points - 11,105.

 

[becauseimnew]

Do room rates apply towards the $300 Brilliant credit?

 

[disneybirds]

Well, to be fair I applied on a holiday weekend, and when I called this afternoon it was around 3 pm my time so I assume it was later in the day wherever the Chase approval elves work.

Just tried again even though I know the elves are asleep. Still 30 days!

Probably not going to push this... my business hasn't diversified that much!

I just checked the old thread and I had to wait 8 days for approval! I applied on a Wednesday of a non-holiday week. Waiting is so hard, but best of luck!

 

[becauseimnew]

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amex-offers-make-3-cell-phone-payments-get-55-amex-business-cards/

I was targeted on my Business Green

 

[snugglebug]

Isn't the TSA Precheck payment in person? How would you pay for them? Global Entry is easier since payment is during the online application. But it takes longer and can be hard to get an appointment.

The other question is if they'd even be interested in going through the steps to get it. If they are, I think it's great to gift it so it doesn't go to waste. I offered my BFF 3 credits so her whole family can get it. I think she's going to take me up on it, but she's a bit of a procrastinator, lol.

Paying shouldn't be an issue, I'd just go with them. Mom and I are great friends. I'd probably take her for the interview if I could, I imagine a parent needs to be there though.

 

[alryan]

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amex-offers-make-3-cell-phone-payments-get-55-amex-business-cards/

I was targeted on my Business Green

I got it on my BBP, save 15% up to $35. I'll make payments in April after the Chase Freedom category is over. This and MS offers are really the only ones I get excited about. I love saving money on something I would already be buying.

 

[StephPlum]

I just read on the Disney gift card thread that Staples is doing the no fee $200 Visa gift cards.
I can’t find any details on it anywhere else. I assume it starts 2/23.

Thanks for the heads up. I just found on DoC.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/stap...a-gift-cards-2-23-2-29-stack-with-amex-offer/

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Thanks for the heads up. I just found on DoC.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/stap...a-gift-cards-2-23-2-29-stack-with-amex-offer/

I finally have a CIC during a Staples promo Costco, here we come (after my MSR is finished )

 

[Lain]

Dang it @Lain! Now I need a Hyatt card too. You have to stop making so much sense all the time

We usually stay at places North on Harbor, but given Marriott’s recent updates in “value” I used 45k UR’s to book 3 nights at the Hyatt House @ten6mom is referring too. If we end up liking the hotel it may become our go to. Even if it goes up to 18k/night I think it’s still a great value given that it includes breakfast. Since reading your post I’m now thinking the Hyatt card would add some benefit as well.

@Lain is right, youcan get a lot of Hyatt points for a paid stay. They are awesome. I posted this last year after my DH stayed at a Hyatt for work. It happened to be during a promotion, so he got extra points, but it was great, 11000 points for a $500 something bill. You only get points on the base rate, not taxes. I was also going to ask if you checked how many Hyatt points you needed for the stay. Though if it is the Hyatt House by Disneyland, I could only get points to come up for the King room with Sofa. I was looking at staying there, but think I need to go farther down to the Hyatt Place for the room size I need.

Dh earned over 11000 Hyatt points on his last work stay! If anyone is paying to stay at a Hyatt anytime soon, make sure you register for their promotion. Earn double or triple points. I think you have to stay once, then it earns on 2nd stay. This will work out nicely for us, he has 3 big Hyatt stays during this promotion. And he had a 1 night stay to begin with.

His breakdown was - $537 qualified spend -
2,685 base points
537 20% bonus as Explorist
5370 - bonus points - Earn triple points at a Hyatt Place
Total Bill after tax was - $628.29 Because his work visa was declined he put it on our Hyatt Card
2513 points from that

Total Hyatt points - 11,105.

I think a similar case could be made for cash stays booked directly with Hilton and paid with an Amex Hilton Aspire card. The Aspire earns 14x Hilton points/$ and comes with automatic Diamond status, which gets you 20x Hilton points/$. That stacks to a minimum of 34x Hilton points/$. Hilton also runs frequent stay promotions, including the current Points Unlimited promo running though 5/3 where you can earn a bonus of 2,000 points per stay, plus 10,000 points every 10 nights. (And when booking a cash stay, don’t forget to book through a shopping portal like Rakuten.)

I think the disadvantage to the Hilton Honors program is that yeah you can earn a lot of points but each Hilton point isn't necessarily worth as much as a Hyatt point (although there are definitely sweet spots), and that's in part because there's no clear points redemption chart like Marriott or Hyatt. Hilton definitely requires a little bit of math.

I think as long as you have URs and Hyatt points, booking cash rates direct at a Hyatt (and thus earning 5x on the room rate and 4x on the Hyatt card) may not come into play as often. I find it's pretty easy to redeem Hyatt points (or UR>Hyatt points) for better than 1.5 cpp (otherwise, you'd do better keeping UR as UR and booking through the CSR's Chase portal; although you probably won't earn points for your hotel stays).

ETA: Here’s an example of some monster earnings at Hilton (from 2018; promos change periodically).
https://thepointsguy.com/news/hilton-quarter-four-double-triple-points-promotion/

 

[Lain]

I finally have a CIC during a Staples promo Costco, here we come (after my MSR is finished )

Sweet! 5x UR at Costco!

 

[Lain]

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amex-offers-make-3-cell-phone-payments-get-55-amex-business-cards/

I was targeted on my Business Green

I got it on my BBP, save 15% up to $35. I'll make payments in April after the Chase Freedom category is over. This and MS offers are really the only ones I get excited about. I love saving money on something I would already be buying.

Thanks!

I found the save 15%, up to $35 offer on DW's Biz Green and Bonvoy Biz. Added it to the Bonvoy Biz for the 4x Bonbon points (hey, they've still got some nice properties where I can't wait to be Bonvoyed!).

 

[Lain]

Do room rates apply towards the $300 Brilliant credit?

Most definitely.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I should keep better notes.... SWA site..... I'm just not getting this..... a couple of weeks ago I look at some desired flights that used to be nonstop between my cities.... nothing on the schedule is nonstop anymore... except for ONE flight per week! then a few days later I browse around again.... and I'm seeing nonstops again,on like 3 days out of each week.... so I think to myself "cool! maybe I'll plan this trip after all!" ..... browse around again today annnnnd... the nonstops are gone again, this time from the ONE day I had found earlier..... but then a month after I'm looking, I see some more pop up in the schedule( like multiple dates) ..... am I losing my ever lovin' mind??? I haven't kept exact track, but it appears to be different each time I check, how can this be possible? Wouldn't this mean that anyone with actual booked flights is getting changed this often??? Any thoughts on this,or is something wrong my computer and I'm getting glitches?

I have been checking April, May & July flights round trip MCO-ISP....the direct flight times have not changed for me

 

[ski_mom]

Well, to be fair I applied on a holiday weekend, and when I called this afternoon it was around 3 pm my time so I assume it was later in the day wherever the Chase approval elves work.

Just tried again even though I know the elves are asleep. Still 30 days!

Probably not going to push this... my business hasn't diversified that much!

I'm also waiting - I applied on Monday (2/17) and I'm still getting the 30 day message...

 

[IFlossU]

Can you guys provide some feedback? My goal is a 6 night stay at Grand Wailea Christmas time 2021. DH just got the Aspire and now I’m looking to get my own card to add more points. I’ll need 380k points and a FWN cert. to cover the entire stay. My plan is to get myself a Surpass using support from DH. I can hit the 15k spend to get a FWN by the end of this year, which should carry over to 2021. Getting another personal card will put me at 4/24 so I want to make sure I’m choosing the correct card.

Would there be any other benefit for choosing a different card over the Surpass. I also considered the Hilton Biz, but I like the 6x grocery on Suprass and the lower MSR. I also considered another Aspire for myself, but can’t quite see the value.

Any thoughts or strategies would be appreciated!