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

[NewbieMom]

Do you value Chase over Cap 1? You mention CIC not really working for you do to location but what about CIU? 1.5 vs 2 points on the venture but if CUR are more valuable to you it might be something to look into.

Oh I love Chase URs. I was just denied the CIU. I think @mmmears was suggesting to take advantage of the CIC's category bonus on my existing CIC.

Have you looked at US Bank or BoA cards?

I was also just denied the BofA Alaska card. We have use for Alaska miles, but I'm not sure if they'll approve me for a cash back card (if they have the same criteria between cobrands and their own cc). I've never looked into US Bank. I'll take a look. Thanks!

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I usually figure out the Hyatt stays I have first, then figure out what I need to make up in spend. Also think through what Hyatt stays you're interested in next year. Does it even make sense to go for Globalist?

The personal card FNC will be at the first anniversary. Since you're opening the card this year, you won't have any to use this calendar year. You will have 2 FNCs from the Milestone awards, though depending on when you get them, you wouldn't necessarily need to use it this year (they expire 6 months after you get them).

Yes, $15K on the personal will get you to 11 elite nights. The Cat 1-4 FNC that comes from holding the card gets issued on your anniversary and expires 12 mo. from issuance, so you won't have it for 2024. The Cat 1-4 FNC from spending $15K has a 6 mo. expiry so it's possible you could use that this year.


Yes, this is true. Also you'll be getting (at least) 1 Hyatt point per dollar spend, so if you spend $90K on the Biz WoH you also have 90K Hyatt points from spending to redeem...if you have cheaper Hyatts nearby where you can spend 3500 or 6500 points (off peak Cat 1 or 2) for an elite night that might be something to consider for a mattress run (toward the end of the year) if needed to reach Globalist.

All that said, I have a spreadsheet (of course), where I keep track of progress towards Globalist, and so far in our travel plans this year I don't think we'll be actually be using those Globalist benefits all that much. Maybe I will break even on the fees incurred to reach Globalist (e.g. Plastiq fees), but I'm not planning on a GH Kauai or Andaz Papagayo trip over the holidays this year like I have for the past several years so I'm kind of meh on having Globalist this year so far. It was great for 2022 & 2023 though.

And the opportunity cost of not putting that $105K of spend on a simple 2% card is $2100 - will you get $2100 worth out of spending on the WoH and Biz WoH cards (I'm not accounting for the value of the SUB on the cards since you don't need to spend that much to reach the MSR). I'll echo @wanderlust7 : does it even make sense for to go for Globalist?

I think your math is good except for the anniversary free night in year 1, but as @wanderlust7 said - are you sure it makes sense to go for Globalist?

I can spend 30 - 40 nights a year at Hyatts and use the credit cards to top up as needed for Globalist. From your post above, it looks like you have barely any Hyatt stays. Of course, if you think you will get great use from the benefits then go for it with spend. However, if you think you will only spend a few nights a year at Hyatts to reap the benefits then you may want to consider what you are giving up. For example, you are talking over $100k of spend - that could be a lot of SUBs you are forgoing in pursuit of Globalist.

Or - maybe, like me with college tuition, your current spend outweighs your ability to get new cards so throwing the extra at the Hyatt cards is less of an issue. Nonetheless, you want ensure you have the potential for some good trips next year to get value out of Globalist.

Also, as you mentioned spending the $50k to get the best benefits by which I assume you mean the 10% points rebate on stays - that only applies to the rest of the calendar year so if you don't have many stays planned this year it won't be much of a benefit.

CapOne? Or just do the VGC deals on the CIC maybe. It's easier said than done where I live though. They really limit those GCs and there are too many people playing this game nearby.




Hyatt Gloabalist is great, but I wouldn't spend that much on a Hyatt card to get it unless you can't find any SUBs to get. Also, it really depends on how many nights you're planning to stay at a Hyatt this year and also after you reach Globalist. The perks are great, but if you aren't spending a lot of time there it would cheaper to just pay for your breakfast. Just my opinion (and we do have Globalist here and really value it, but it sounds like you aren't planning to really stay at any Hyatts this year so... ) Also important to remember that Hyatt doesn't have a large footprint, so there are times when I'd like to stay at a Hyatt but just can't find one near where I want to go.

Thanks for confirming my math and for asking whether I should even try to obtain Globalist status. Here are my thoughts, let me know what you all think. It is very much appreciated.

1) I suddenly have a LOT of organic spend and no current MSR or SUB to pursue (except the new Biz WOH).

2) Chase INKs are getting hard. I am getting a bit fatigued with the churning and the anxiety of the non-instant approval, especially when it involves P2 or P3/P4 (parents in a separate household). I am also waiting for the SUB to be elevated again (90k vs 75k) before trying again and it might be a wait since it just lowered.

3) I hate to let any spend "go to waste!"I always feel the need to aim for a goal.

4) I do not currently have any big trips this year planned as we are busy trying to get our house in NY ready to perhaps be put on the market. However, we can always plan to stay in a Hyatt for the road trips to and from NY and FL and I want to plan a staycation in NYC for my 55th birthday this summer.

5) I actually started to look into Globalist because my 30th wedding anniversary is in 2026 and I wanted to plan a big trip, more towards the aspirational side. And while our anniversary is technically in the Fall, we have always celebrated "the year of the special event" whenever we had the time to celebrate and whenever we got the best deal!

6) Ideally I would start the journey to Globalist in 2025 for use in 2026. However, I wanted to "strike while the iron is hot" and I had so much organic spend available to me in a much shorter period of time. I never go to the trouble of MS and I don't think I ever plan to.

7) "If we build it, they will come." If I obtain Globalist status, I will use it, even I didn't have any previous plans. It will be like the AP burning a hole in my pocket.

8) I can move my aspirational anniversary trip up earlier to 1/2026-2/2026 to take advantage of the end of the Globalist status I earn this year. Or perhaps we will travel so much in 2025, I will earn it again for 2026!

9) P2 and I have a combined 1.25 million in URs right now that I can use for Hyatt stays so that the cash outlay for the nights we need to achieve status will be covered as well as to help plan nicer trips.

10) Once I start dreaming of travel, it is very hard to wait!!

Question for those that have Globalist status already, how hard is it to maintain it assuming you have a few nice trips planned, and do you plan on maintaining it?

Thanks for helping a girl dream...

 

[afan]

If I PC my Surpass up to an Aspire, I've already had one, when would I get the FNC for the anniversary? When the Surpass anniversary is or would it be a year after I PC?

 

[wanderlust7]

If I PC my Surpass up to an Aspire, I've already had one, when would I get the FNC for the anniversary? When the Surpass anniversary is or would it be a year after I PC?

You would get an FNC about 2 months after you upgrade (similar to applying for a new card) and again after your Surpass anniversary.

 

[wanderlust7]

Question for those that have Globalist status already, how hard is it to maintain it assuming you have a few nice trips planned, and do you plan on maintaining it?

I find it hard to maintain since we don't have business travel. I feel like I'm always strategizing. We travel a good amount, but there are competing goals like wanting to use Hilton FNC for aspirational stays, no Hyatt or location not ideal where we want to go, taking a cruise, or wanting to use up our timeshare points.

First year we got Globalist was 2021 with a pandemic promo. I was hooked and we made 60 night Globalist in 2022 and 2023 with stays and spend. I don't think we'll make it this year though unless some opportunity comes up. We only have 19 organic nights planned. Will probably get to 40 to get the Milestone awards.

It feels like a hamster wheel sometimes. Maybe time to get off lol. I'm sure I'll miss it though!

 

[afan]

You would get an FNC about 2 months after you upgrade (similar to applying for a new card) and again after your Surpass anniversary.

Would it matter if I had pc'd the card to Surpass last Nov? I didn't have a need but now I see a use for the fnc next year. My anniversary meant I got the fnc in early nov.

 

[mmmears]

I find it hard to maintain since we don't have business travel. I feel like I'm always strategizing. We travel a good amount, but there are competing goals like wanting to use Hilton FNC for aspirational stays, no Hyatt or location not ideal where we want to go, taking a cruise, or wanting to use up our timeshare points.

You explained this really well. I feel like I have to stay at a Hyatt much of the time, but I also have a bunch of Hilton FNCs that I really want to use at high-end places. I think we are going for it again this year since DH has been traveling for work, but that's almost over and I'm not sure about Globalist after that.

 

[wanderlust7]

Would it matter if I had pc'd the card to Surpass last Nov? I didn't have a need but now I see a use for the fnc next year. My anniversary meant I got the fnc in early nov.

I think technically you can do it. There should be an upgrade button. But a part of me wonders if Amex will see it as gaming. Say you upgrade, get charged a prorated AF, get the FNC, anniversary comes around and you get charged the full AF, get the FNC, then downgrade, get a prorated refund. You've now paid less than a full year AF and gotten 2 FNCs.

It's something I've thought about because I downgraded DH's Brilliant, but we can use Platinum status in June. So far the Platinum status hasn't gone away. If it did, I'd want to upgrade, wait for the FNC, and then downgrade again, paying about half a year's worth of AF. But with Amex, something is okay until it's not, so it gives me pause.

 

[afan]

I think technically you can do it. There should be an upgrade button. But a part of me wonders if Amex will see it as gaming. Say you upgrade, get charged a prorated AF, get the FNC, anniversary comes around and you get charged the full AF, get the FNC, then downgrade, get a prorated refund. You've now paid less than a full year AF and gotten 2 FNCs.

It's something I've thought about because I downgraded DH's Brilliant, but we can use Platinum status in June. So far the Platinum status hasn't gone away. If it did, I'd want to upgrade, wait for the FNC, and then downgrade again, paying about half a year's worth of AF. But with Amex, something is okay until it's not, so it gives me pause.

I would do it probably in April so I'd get the first fnc soon after that and have it to book next may either when I have my plane ticket or when the calendar opens so I would keep it for more than a year since I'd want status.

I only pc'd it because of the changes and that I'm only staying at a Hampton Inn this year, I had zero reason to keep it. But I could use one if not both fnc next may. Or be able to find a use for the 2nd because I only have one trip for next year figured out.

But I do agree that I wouldn't want to do it with amex like people do the csr with chase.

 

[GZanta77]

7) "If we build it, they will come." If I obtain Globalist status, I will use it, even I didn't have any previous plans. It will be like the AP burning a hole in my pocket.

Love this one ↑↑ Seems like you have thought this through' so if you're happy that you're not going get better bang for your buck elsewhere then why not give Globalist a whirl.

I will say that it does become a bit of an obsession always looking for Hyatt's and though I will requalify this year, I may not make the effort next year as I expect my spend to drop so won't have the excess to throw at the Hyatt Biz. Plus I have a shedload of Hilton points I gotta use sometime. That's another problem, I look at some of these hotels and its like 50,000 hilton points or 12,000 Hyatt points for a Hampton Inn/Hyatt Place. My poor brain can't comprehend using the Hilton points so they just sit there.

 

[calypso726]

Thanks for confirming my math and for asking whether I should even try to obtain Globalist status. Here are my thoughts, let me know what you all think. It is very much appreciated.

1) I suddenly have a LOT of organic spend and no current MSR or SUB to pursue (except the new Biz WOH).

2) Chase INKs are getting hard. I am getting a bit fatigued with the churning and the anxiety of the non-instant approval, especially when it involves P2 or P3/P4 (parents in a separate household). I am also waiting for the SUB to be elevated again (90k vs 75k) before trying again and it might be a wait since it just lowered.

3) I hate to let any spend "go to waste!"I always feel the need to aim for a goal.

4) I do not currently have any big trips this year planned as we are busy trying to get our house in NY ready to perhaps be put on the market. However, we can always plan to stay in a Hyatt for the road trips to and from NY and FL and I want to plan a staycation in NYC for my 55th birthday this summer.

5) I actually started to look into Globalist because my 30th wedding anniversary is in 2026 and I wanted to plan a big trip, more towards the aspirational side. And while our anniversary is technically in the Fall, we have always celebrated "the year of the special event" whenever we had the time to celebrate and whenever we got the best deal!

6) Ideally I would start the journey to Globalist in 2025 for use in 2026. However, I wanted to "strike while the iron is hot" and I had so much organic spend available to me in a much shorter period of time. I never go to the trouble of MS and I don't think I ever plan to.

7) "If we build it, they will come." If I obtain Globalist status, I will use it, even I didn't have any previous plans. It will be like the AP burning a hole in my pocket.

8) I can move my aspirational anniversary trip up earlier to 1/2026-2/2026 to take advantage of the end of the Globalist status I earn this year. Or perhaps we will travel so much in 2025, I will earn it again for 2026!

9) P2 and I have a combined 1.25 million in URs right now that I can use for Hyatt stays so that the cash outlay for the nights we need to achieve status will be covered as well as to help plan nicer trips.

10) Once I start dreaming of travel, it is very hard to wait!!

Question for those that have Globalist status already, how hard is it to maintain it assuming you have a few nice trips planned, and do you plan on maintaining it?

Thanks for helping a girl dream...

I did my first mattress run to get Globalist during the pandemic with the bonus journeys promo. Between spend and stays I have managed to maintain it each year. I don't know that I will be able to requalify this year. I do have a couple of nice stays planned but not enough between those and spend to hit Globalist. If a cheap mattress run will get me there like in 2020, then I may go for it, if not, so be it. Since I do not travel for work and DH doesn't either, it isn't easy to maintain.

I also need to consider that I am always looking at what my next travel hacking plans might entail. This means seeing which points/miles need to be beefed up for said trip to cover plans A, B, C, D etc. I'd sooner put spend towards an MSR that will generate points and miles that I know I need. I am always looking about two years out to see what the points and miles portfolio will need.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@SleepyatDVC I’ll chime in on top tier status at hotels (I have Marriott plat & Hilton diamond but will lose both this month). I found myself looking only at those brands when I traveled and often paying more to make use of and maintain status. I feel much freer now and find that I prefer small boutique hotels that are well located.

I am supposed to be staying at the new LXR in Bali in the fall and will really miss having the free breakfast, but there is no feasible way I can maintain status. If AmEx comes out with a NLL offer for the Aspire in the summer I will apply, otherwise I’m paying for breakfast during my stay!

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Originally, I had planned to do a combination of spend and mattress run to keep Globalist past this year. But, our travel plans for next year look like they will include two cruises and not sure yet what else... so don't really know how many Hyatt stays we'll have. Between that and the possibility that INKs will be harder to get, I'm not sure I feel like using up points frivolously on a mattress run (even though we have the cheap 3.5K cat 1 Hyatts nearby). Maybe if I had some extra incentive like a good bonus journeys promo, but the current one isn't as good as in the past and is happening during a period with no off-peak nights at the cat 1 Hyatts near me.

I might reassess after the summer but for now, I'm thinking of jumping off the Hyatt wagon temporarily.

ETA: will still be very nice to have Globalist during the 27 nights we'll be at Hyatts this year!

 

[Judique]

Originally, I had planned to do a combination of spend and mattress run to keep Globalist past this year. But, our travel plans for next year look like they will include two cruises and not sure yet what else... so don't really know how many Hyatt stays we'll have. Between that and the possibility that INKs will be harder to get, I'm not sure I feel like using up points frivolously on a mattress run (even though we have the cheap 3.5K cat 1 Hyatts nearby). Maybe if I had some extra incentive like a good bonus journeys promo, but the current one isn't as good as in the past and is happening during a period with no off-peak nights at the cat 1 Hyatts near me.

I might reassess after the summer but for now, I'm thinking of jumping off the Hyatt wagon temporarily.

ETA: will still be very nice to have Globalist during the 27 nights we'll be at Hyatts this year!

I've long given up my quest for Globalist which I briefly considered during the 30night promo.

This year I'll get maybe 11 nights. Last year it was 10, enough to get a credit for my expired fnc. This includes the 5 from the Hyatt card. This year we are using the fnc, at MCO.

If inks don't pan out for me, (I was only planning on doing one mid year), I'll churn or go for the biz card as I do love Hyatt points!

 

[platamama]

Question for those that have Globalist status already, how hard is it to maintain it assuming you have a few nice trips planned, and do you plan on maintaining it?

As I mentioned before, I use spreadsheets to keep track but have only been keeping "good" records for a couple of years.

In 2022, out of the 60 nights needed for Globalist we had 17 nt in an actual property (and 5 of those were mattress runs) and the rest was spend + 5 nt from the WoH card. That year I paid an extra $873 in convenience fees/MS to reach Globalist. The value we got out of Globalist in 2023 (from reaching it in 2022) was $3,855, and that's on top of the point redemption values which came to $18,479. If anything, that figure is on the low end because it's hard to know what value to put on our free upgrade to partial ocean view room we got at GH Kauai over Christmas. That room was so much nicer than the standard 2QN room we had stayed in two years prior (we were Globalist then too) that overlooked the parking lot.

In 2023, it was 19 nt (no mattress runs) and the rest was spend + 5 nt WoH card. I paid an extra $772 in convenience fees/MS to reach Globalist. For our travel in 2024 so far I have 9 Hyatt nights planned but I'm sure that is going to be changing since it's only March. I feel it's likely that we'll break even on that, but I won't know until the end of the year. So at this point I don't know that I'm going to go through a lot of effort to maintain Globalist for the next year, especially since my MS avenues have dried up so much.

"If we build it, they will come." If I obtain Globalist status, I will use it, even I didn't have any previous plans.

What I need to do is plan out travel for 2025 to see if there are Hyatts where I want to go. I feel like I have to stretch to find Hyatts where I'm traveling to. I kind of hate Hyatt Places and don't want to stay at them even though those are the ones most likely to be around where I'm headed. And since you get free breakfast at those, being Globalist doesn't matter.

So take a look at Hyatt's website and look at the map of properties and see what inspires you. Some of them right now are the SLH properties that will be leaving the Hyatt program so be sure to check on that. You could also look at Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties and see if there is anything there that you find exciting. I don't know if those will be like the SLH properties in that you don't get Globalist benefits at them. I'm hoping for the best but expect they will be like SLH in terms of not recognizing Globalist.

 

[platamama]

When you do a points plus cash booking, you are essentially buying points at something like .006 each. Points purchases are final. So let's say the points booking is 30k pts + $50, you're essentially buying 8,333 points or so (at roughly .006 each) for the $50. When you cancel, they won't refund you $50, they'll refund you 38,333 points.

This is from a while ago, but I'm newly interested in this approach (unfortunately I just missed the IHG points sale that ended 3/7/24). There is a new Amex offer out today for $50 off a $250 IHG booking though so that helps me feel better. lol

A IHG points + cash booking gets charged immediately as far as I can figure from the IHG website. Can I cancel within minutes for the points refund, and will those points be immediately available in my account?

ETA: And the transaction will show IHG as the vendor, right? As opposed to points . com , that is.

 

[eticketplease]

This is from a while ago, but I'm newly interested in this approach (unfortunately I just missed the IHG points sale that ended 3/7/24). There is a new Amex offer out today for $50 off a $250 IHG booking though so that helps me feel better. lol

A IHG points + cash booking gets charged immediately as far as I can figure from the IHG website. Can I cancel within minutes for the points refund, and will those points be immediately available in my account?

ETA: And the transaction will show IHG as the vendor, right? As opposed to points . com , that is.

No I believe it’s points.com and you won’t get extra for using an IHG card

 

[Judique]

This is from a while ago, but I'm newly interested in this approach (unfortunately I just missed the IHG points sale that ended 3/7/24). There is a new Amex offer out today for $50 off a $250 IHG booking though so that helps me feel better. lol

A IHG points + cash booking gets charged immediately as far as I can figure from the IHG website. Can I cancel within minutes for the points refund, and will those points be immediately available in my account?

ETA: And the transaction will show IHG as the vendor, right? As opposed to points . com , that is.

I've done this many times when it benefitted me to use points. The points go back immediately after canceling.

What I used to do was search the website for the cheapest point value, which was usually .005 when I was doing it.

You can still find an occasional hotel with under .006 but not often.

I did a search for DD right before her trip as she needed a few thousand points to book an IHG Crown Plaza in Lima, and only found .006.

Oh, and if you buy points during a sale, take note that there is point where you get the most value. It used to be $260 but I don't remember what I saw when I looked for DD.

 

[platamama]

I've done this many times when it benefitted me to use points. The points go back immediately after canceling.

And the Points + Cash charge shows up from IHG? Since I'm planning on using my Amex offer it needs to be IHG.

 

[eticketplease]

And the Points + Cash charge shows up from IHG? Since I'm planning on using my Amex offer it needs to be IHG.

Sorry I missed that I thought you were buying points for some reason. Yes it should show as IHG for the charge at least it did in the past for me