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

[Sheree]

I am taking my nephew on his HS grad trip in '24 or '25 (the other 2 were delayed by 1 year bec of Covid, so I may keep that timeframe in order to save up more pts). He is leaning toward Israel. I was thinking maybe we could do Israel for a week and then Egypt for a few days/week. However, there is a Level 3 travel advisory for Egypt. So we will probably skip it. Any advice on travel to Israel?

if your newphew is Jewish or half Jewish have him look into Birthright as well

 

[mfly]

I am taking my nephew on his HS grad trip in '24 or '25 (the other 2 were delayed by 1 year bec of Covid, so I may keep that timeframe in order to save up more pts). He is leaning toward Israel. I was thinking maybe we could do Israel for a week and then Egypt for a few days/week. However, there is a Level 3 travel advisory for Egypt. So we will probably skip it. Any advice on travel to Israel?

I loved Israel! One of my favorite places I’ve ever traveled to.

I’ve shared this here before, but I did not particularly enjoy my time in Egypt; I would likely never return.

We stayed in a resort in Sharm el Sheikh for a large portion of the time - the Red Sea is beautiful and snorkeling was amazing. We hiked Mount Sinai to see the sunrise from the top, which was a great experience. Spent a few days in Cairo doing the pyramids, the Egyptian museum - was generally disappointed by the poor care and curation of amazing art and artifacts (particularly the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which I’ve read has undergone a complete renovation/expansion and is opening sometime this year).

Underlying our entire trip was how uncomfortable we often felt due to the aggressive way that locals interacted with us.

I have traveled to many places and have never felt the way we routinely did in Egypt - like I just couldn’t wait to get us back to the “safety” of our hotel or our vehicle.

I know that many people have had experiences that are very different and I respect that - just wanted to share mine.

 

[georgina]

DH did a dive trip in the Red Sea earlier this year. Afterward they had a couple of days in Egypt. Hired a private driver for a pyramid tour, and a private trip for a balloon ride in the valley of the kings.

 

[mmmears]

Definitely check out the Disneyland forum on here; it was very helpful. Hotel situation is very different from WDW, as you probably already know. Onsite hotels are very expensive (at least for my budget). However, I am picky about hotels, so I haven't tried any of the motel style places closest to the parks. We stayed at the JW Marriott 2 years ago, which was brand new at the time. We loved it and it's only about a 15 min walk to the parks. Although, I did Uber a few times to save the steps. Last week I stayed at the Westin, which is also about a 15 minute walk. However, from the opposite side of the resort because you enter through Downtown Disney. I preferred the Westin over the JW.

Plan to rope drop, be at security by 7:30 am at the latest. You will definitely need Genie+ and purchase ILL for Cars since you've never done it. I skipped Rise since I have done it several times at both parks, but purchase the ILL if you want to do it. That will free up your rope drop and night's end time to do some of the others with longer waits.

Prioritize your must dos in each park and then research over on the DL forum. That will allow you to have a plan going in, but be prepared to be flexible in case of unforeseen issues. I would recommend park hopper for max flexibility. Sometimes the wait times are significantly lower in one or the other. Everything I read said slow season had begun, but it was packed Sat-Mon last week (weekend after Labor Day), with Mon being the most crowded.

Thanks so much. We actually did ride Cars (I guess it was new back then) and I'm ok skipping it this time, but we haven't seen the Star Wars area since the last time I went to WDW was 2017 (I think Pandora opened the week we were there) so it's been a while.

I have one Hyatt night booked (going for Globalist and flying in pretty late) and 2 nights at the GCH, so I'm hoping for 2 and a half park days. We will definitely do rope drop and early entry. I've been reading on the DL forum and it's been so long since my last trip that it feels like I know nothing at all.

I am taking my nephew on his HS grad trip in '24 or '25 (the other 2 were delayed by 1 year bec of Covid, so I may keep that timeframe in order to save up more pts). He is leaning toward Israel. I was thinking maybe we could do Israel for a week and then Egypt for a few days/week. However, there is a Level 3 travel advisory for Egypt. So we will probably skip it. Any advice on travel to Israel?

We have been to Israel, but didn't go to Egypt despite wanting to see the pyramids (travel advisory issues). I bundled it with a trip to Europe, so flew AA F to Rome on the way there and AA F from London on the way home. We just paid for the flights from Rome to Israel and then on to Paris. What do you want to see there? I've been from the north to the south and can share more if I know what you're thinking about. PM me for more info if you'd like.

 

[havaneselover]

What things do you have planned? We absolutely loved Japan but I could see it not being for everyone. I actually felt that way about Germany. It was a good trip. I have absolutely no desire to go back though. At least for us, some of the best things we did in Japan were non touristy, off the beaten path type things.

Mainly touristy things In Tokyo I know we want to do some anime stuff for my daughter, a Mt. Fuji day trip, and Disney Sea (maybe Tokyo DL too). In Osaka/Kyoto we are thinking about USJ, Osaka Castle, and the Bamboo Forest. Haven't put a lot of thought into planning yet (hard to figure out travel plans with my dad being sick but we have plane tickets and hotel reservations in Tokyo).

 

[NewbieMom]

I used this link to see if I was pre-approved 1st. I also unfroze all 3 bureaus before doing the pre-approval, because I know historically they do a soft pull for pre-approvals. Once it said I was pre-approved I applied through the 90k link on DOC. And crossed my fingers.

https://www.capitalone.com/credit-
cards/preapprove/venture-x/

ETA: 90k link from DOC
https://applynow.capitalone.com/?productId=24504

Wait what?

Thank you so much for this! DH (who is a semi-cooperative P2) got instant approval. If he didn't, I was slightly nervous he'd blame me for 'messing with his credit score' again.

Thanks for the reassurance because I really wanna fly SWA since I have tons of RR points and DH is my companion, so we could ideally fly for free, but I don’t want to put my kid’s budgets in a bind either. And since I have that 30% off promo, that would help my kids a lot on their flight cost. We are also toying with the idea of taking a day or two to go to Disneyland since none of us have ever been, since we will be in the neighborhood. I see a lot of complaints about Hawaiian airlines lately changing up people’s seats they paid for and things of that nature, so I’m hesitant about them.

We flew SWA direct this summer from OAK to KOA, and it was fine. We got a great price.

Yes, URs can be transferred 1:1 for Avios on British Airways which is an AA partner. You would need to make sure there's availability first before transferring.

We did return on AA, and I must say it's much nicer. The seats, in-flight entertainment, and a meal were nice. If you decide to go this route, there is currently a 30% transfer bonus from Chase to British Airways Avios. That might make it work out to be a better price than SWA. It ends 9/22.

 

[Haley R]

Mainly touristy things In Tokyo I know we want to do some anime stuff for my daughter, a Mt. Fuji day trip, and Disney Sea (maybe Tokyo DL too). In Osaka/Kyoto we are thinking about USJ, Osaka Castle, and the Bamboo Forest. Haven't put a lot of thought into planning yet (hard to figure out travel plans with my dad being sick but we have plane tickets and hotel reservations in Tokyo).

Akihabara would be great for anime. We went in a huge arcade there and it was fun just watching others play the games. They’re super good! If you’re talking about the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, I thought it was very underwhelming. It was extremely packed with people and not as pretty as I’d hoped it would be. However, Arashiyama was actually one of my favorite, if not my favorite, place to visit. It was so pretty. I loved the monkey park and the scenic railway.

 

[IFlossU]

Thank you so much for this! DH (who is a semi-cooperative P2) got instant approval. If he didn't, I was slightly nervous he'd blame me for 'messing with his credit score' again.

Absolutely! So happy this worked out for you guys. Yay!

 

[IFlossU]

My Venture X is expected to arrive tomorrow, Monday. Approved on Friday late afternoon, so that’s impressive.

 

[mmmears]

Thank you so much for this! DH (who is a semi-cooperative P2) got instant approval. If he didn't, I was slightly nervous he'd blame me for 'messing with his credit score' again.

OMG I totally get this. I was nervous and told DH I'd apply instead of him since he was so mad last time they messed up his x/5 with their hard pulls. Congrats on the approval!

 

[NewbieMom]

We are headed to Aulani in Nov. I’d like to do a tour at Kuoloa Ranch. I noticed I can book it using Chase URs. Has anyone booked activities through the Chase portal? The cost is a bit more but since the point are worth 50% more it comes out better. It looks like booking through Chase is the same as booking through Trip advisor, whoever that is, Expedia?

My vacation spending is so high this year but I’ve only really been cashing in Chase points using PYB because most of my expenses aren’t in Chase. Would love to knock something out for 50% vs the 25% pyb.

I've booked a lot of activities through the portal. Usually things go smoothly, but there were 2 times it didn't. Once in Costa Rica, the Don Julio coffee farm tour didn't have any record of our booking but I had a printout from Chase and they accepted it. This summer in Kona, we booked a dolphin watching/boat tour and when we got there my youngest was not allowed on the boat due to height restrictions. DH stayed behind and the tour company refunded two tickets to Viator (which was the company Chase worked with for the booking) and gave us a receipt. However communication got lost between Viator & Chase, and we didn't get a refund until I followed up a few times with Chase who then followed up with Viator. It took a couple of months after we returned from the trip to get the URs refunded. My advice is to keep all booking and refund receipts and follow up.

 

[djmeredith]

if your newphew is Jewish or half Jewish have him look into Birthright as well

He is not, but I have heard of this program.

I loved Israel! One of my favorite places I’ve ever traveled to.

I’ve shared this here before, but I did not particularly enjoy my time in Egypt; I would likely never return.

We stayed in a resort in Sharm el Sheikh for a large portion of the time - the Red Sea is beautiful and snorkeling was amazing. We hiked Mount Sinai to see the sunrise from the top, which was a great experience. Spent a few days in Cairo doing the pyramids, the Egyptian museum - was generally disappointed by the poor care and curation of amazing art and artifacts (particularly the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which I’ve read has undergone a complete renovation/expansion and is opening sometime this year).

Underlying our entire trip was how uncomfortable we often felt due to the aggressive way that locals interacted with us.

I have traveled to many places and have never felt the way we routinely did in Egypt - like I just couldn’t wait to get us back to the “safety” of our hotel or our vehicle.

I know that many people have had experiences that are very different and I respect that - just wanted to share mine.

Thank you for sharing. The travel advisory really worries me. As much as I want to see the sights in Egypt, I think it would be best to take our time and explore Israel fully this time.

Thanks so much. We actually did ride Cars (I guess it was new back then) and I'm ok skipping it this time, but we haven't seen the Star Wars area since the last time I went to WDW was 2017 (I think Pandora opened the week we were there) so it's been a while.

I have one Hyatt night booked (going for Globalist and flying in pretty late) and 2 nights at the GCH, so I'm hoping for 2 and a half park days. We will definitely do rope drop and early entry. I've been reading on the DL forum and it's been so long since my last trip that it feels like I know nothing at all.




We have been to Israel, but didn't go to Egypt despite wanting to see the pyramids (travel advisory issues). I bundled it with a trip to Europe, so flew AA F to Rome on the way there and AA F from London on the way home. We just paid for the flights from Rome to Israel and then on to Paris. What do you want to see there? I've been from the north to the south and can share more if I know what you're thinking about. PM me for more info if you'd like.

I am just starting to research, so I am not sure what all we would want to do other than all the "main" sights. I may reach out when I need specific info. Thanks!

 

[LadyBeBop]

My Venture X is expected to arrive tomorrow, Monday. Approved on Friday late afternoon, so that’s impressive.

Did you request an expedited card? Or is this normal? I thought it took about 2 weeks from approval to actually getting the card.

 

[marsh0013]

Did you request an expedited card? Or is this normal? I thought it took about 2 weeks from approval to actually getting the card.

My husband applied yesterday for venture X and it said it would be delivered in approx 3 business days. So I’m guessing this particular card is an auto expedite like the sapphires.

 

[afan]

Mainly touristy things In Tokyo I know we want to do some anime stuff for my daughter, a Mt. Fuji day trip, and Disney Sea (maybe Tokyo DL too). In Osaka/Kyoto we are thinking about USJ, Osaka Castle, and the Bamboo Forest. Haven't put a lot of thought into planning yet (hard to figure out travel plans with my dad being sick but we have plane tickets and hotel reservations in Tokyo).

More unpopular opinion. I didn't like Disney Sea. It's like World showcase, animal kingdom minus the animals and universal Studios combined and then threw up. It didn't feel Disney to me and I think a big part of that was the music.

It's a nice looking park but nothing wowed me. Maybe I unintentionally set my expectations too high since everyone always raves about it. I wished I could have hopped to dl.

TDL has the 2nd best btm behind dlp and pirates is neck and neck with dlr for #2 behind dlp. Beauty and the beast was amazing. What they've done with animatronics is insane.

For Osaka Castle, it's just a museum with an elevator. If that's what you're looking for buy your tix on klook so you can skip the line. If you want to see the actual inside of a castle, take the shortish ride to Himeji. It's all stairs and you have to carry your shoes, they provide bags. I was fine barefoot and was glad to not have socks on some of the steps. This was one of my fav things. It brought the history and stories and Shogun to life being able to see and walk in places they did.

Also loved their shopping street. I did more shopping (and I didn't shop much, didn't need the extra duffle I took) on the shopping streets that were for locals than the ones in Osaka that are on all the blogs.

I did hiroshima and himeji the same day from Osaka. Was a long day but one of my better days.

 

[disneybirds]

No it's a flight in a week and a half. I'd be fine for it all to become a credit, the credit I used was over 50% of the price of the ticket, so if I was to loose the original credit, I might just go on the trip. If I can get it all back as a credit, I'm thinking that I will cancel it.

I think it will all be credit and will reset the credit expiration date. Can you can go through the steps to cancel online? You should be able to see before hitting the final button.

 

[IFlossU]

Did you request an expedited card? Or is this normal? I thought it took about 2 weeks from approval to actually getting the card.

I did not request it to be expedited. Like @marsh0013 said, when I was approved it said card would arrive in 3 business days, but I’ve received FedEx confirmation that it’s expected to arrive tomorrow morning.

 

[chattadisser]

I think it will all be credit and will reset the credit expiration date. Can you can go through the steps to cancel online? You should be able to see before hitting the final button.

Thank you, I was a little hesitant to go through the steps to cancel but when I did, it does show up as the entire price as a credit. Which would be fine with me. Now, I've just got to decide if I'm going to go. There's just so much outside family drama going on that I don't know if I'd enjoy the trip if I went, which is why I was thinking of cancelling.

 

[Number-nerd]

Can AAdvantage miles with the Citi Bus card be used as a statement credit?

 

[hsmamato2]

P1-P2 support is fine. It's up to 40,000 URs though, so I will be getting a 1099 from Chase this year.

Comparison chart below - the CIC/CIU supported are giving75,000 URs, there is a (currently not supported) 90,000 offer out there that many have been able to match to once they have applied with the 40,000 links. CIC and CIU still giving 0% interest on purchases for 12 months.

https://creditcards.chase.com/business-credit-cards

I wonder if there are enough DP's to go for this 'on purpose' with my refer link and have the person sm after the fact?