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

[Alexle2007]

Have you ever seen the Frozen show? In case you weren’t aware, it’s pretty hilarious! It’s one of the few shows at WDW I’d actually consider watching twice on a trip. (I totally get that it might not seem like a teen boys cup of tea though).

No, we have not. I just assumed based on the title that it was geared towards younger kids and mainly girl oriented. Not something a new teen boy would necessarily be interested in.

 

[Minnie368]

Ok so this question is for those familiar with Delta miles. I'm researching for a 2022 trip to Europe flying from Pittsburgh to London. I searched on the delta website for flights for this route and am seeing lots through JFK, Detroit, Atlanta and the miles for premium select are available at around 64,000 and Delta One 80,000. With me and P2 and not traveling until 2022 I feel like that's something we can do between Delta cards and MR. Is there something else I'm missing because I actually expected it to be higher than that? And how do I know what the fees will be? It's just showing the +$5.60. I'm thinking maybe we can fly Delta to London and then I'll do some research to decide how to fly back home from Rome. I know a lot can change in pricing between now and when I would be booking for 2022, but I'm trying to at least figure out a ballpark range.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

No, we have not. I just assumed based on the title that it was geared towards younger kids and mainly girl oriented. Not something a new teen boy would necessarily be interested in.

It features 2 comedic actors who do a pretty hilarious retelling of the story (poking fun at the plot at times). The hardest I will laugh on a Disney trip will be in this show guaranteed. I recommend the show to everybody. I think even my parents go see it when they’re traveling alone to Disney!

I’m not saying you have to see it, but it’s a great way to spend 30 minutes in a comfy seat, air conditioned theater and be entertained

 

[amalone1013]

Have you ever seen the Frozen show? In case you weren’t aware, it’s pretty hilarious! It’s one of the few shows at WDW I’d actually consider watching twice on a trip. (I totally get that it might not seem like a teen boys cup of tea though).

And if you get Equity Ben he's the best!!

 

[papaof3]

Slightly off topic: I mentioned before not being able to book Christmas and New Years period for Hilton Bonnet Creek while everything else was open, well you can as of a few days ago. Less than 11 months out but I got my 5 nights with one night free all set. aspire card makes this deal sweet. 250 resort credit on my 240k point stay. Sprinkle in some pixie dust for a diamond member upgrade possibility, my kid will love this!

 

[becauseimnew]

Ok so this question is for those familiar with Delta miles. I'm researching for a 2022 trip to Europe flying from Pittsburgh to London. I searched on the delta website for flights for this route and am seeing lots through JFK, Detroit, Atlanta and the miles for premium select are available at around 64,000 and Delta One 80,000. With me and P2 and not traveling until 2022 I feel like that's something we can do between Delta cards and MR. Is there something else I'm missing because I actually expected it to be higher than that? And how do I know what the fees will be? It's just showing the +$5.60. I'm thinking maybe we can fly Delta to London and then I'll do some research to decide how to fly back home from Rome. I know a lot can change in pricing between now and when I would be booking for 2022, but I'm trying to at least figure out a ballpark range.

Delta has 7 cards, 3 business and 4 personal. With the current offers, you could get the Gold Biz & Personal 60K SUB with $0AF the first year, you would earn an additional 10K after your first anniversary. You would each earn 120,000 skymiles for 'free'. From there you could each get the Delta Platinum, earning 80K from the SUB + an additional 20K after your first year. The AF isn't waived, so those miles would cost you $250 per card.

But $500 for 400,000 Skymiles, plus whatever you earn from referrals, isn't a bad deal. (2 Delta Gold personal, 2 Delta Gold Biz, & 2 Platinum.

We actually got a way better value when Delta had their Delta Vacations promotions last year. Basically each mile was worth 2 cents, plus the flights were booked as 'cash' so you earn miles from the flights.

I would at least go for the Gold cards since the AF is waived the first year and the spend is only $2K for each card. It's a good way to diversify your currency.

 

[first*toright]

No, we have not. I just assumed based on the title that it was geared towards younger kids and mainly girl oriented. Not something a new teen boy would necessarily be interested in.

It features 2 comedic actors who do a pretty hilarious retelling of the story (poking fun at the plot at times). The hardest I will laugh on a Disney trip will be in this show guaranteed. I recommend the show to everybody. I think even my parents go see it when they’re traveling alone to Disney!

I’m not saying you have to see it, but it’s a great way to spend 30 minutes in a comfy seat, air conditioned theater and be entertained

This! It is pretty funny, and the theater is comfy and cool. The group next to us (teens/early 20s) filed in, slouched down, and took naps (but they still chuckled at some of the jokes). A really good place to take a break.

 

[hsmamato2]

I know we've talked bags for the parks before but I didn't pay attention because at that time I was a backpack person. I have a small Kate Spade outlet crossbody that I purchased as a "travel" bag and it was great in Hawaii and it's perfect for softball. I carried it on our last day at Disney and loved it, but I need a tad more space. I had the advantage of several pockets that day, but definitely won't need my jacket in May. DH will carry a backpack, but I like to have my things on me- various CC/GC/AP/DVC cards, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, meds, sunglasses, water bottle, phone charger/cord, pin lanyard and then my mouse ears and whatever else I end up with.

I was looking at eBags Piazza
Then today I found a Baggallini Town Bagg at Marshalls that I'm considering going back for: Baggallini Town Bag

Any opinions between the two. It looks like they'll be about the same size and price, the eBags having a bit more depth and possibly being able to carry two water bottles. I was hoping I could go bagless, but I'm just not there quite yet.

There's also several Loungefly bags I'd love to have, but I'm trying to be practical and money saving here.

Baggalini are practical and last FOREVER..... lots of cool pockets etc. I dislike the straps however,every model I've used,the strap isn't comfortable.... like it gets sort of heavy with stuff in it,then digs into shoulder....

 

[smmco]

Thank you! I am going to pass on this information to her. She can either bring a smaller bag or be prepared to gate check. She is flying SW on the way out and AA on the way back. And less time between connections on the return.

The size bag she wants to bring is fine. The only way to be guaranteed to keep your carryon is if it fits under the seat. AA has a lot of business travelers combined with the fact that they charge for bags makes for a lot of carry-ons. I carry a small carryon that fits under my seat in case I get stuck in a connecting city. I always check a bag because I am the world's worst over-packer.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

And if you get Equity Ben he's the best!!

Ahhh I never knew that was his name!!! Thank you! I need to see his show again next time, I missed him this time!!

Also - there’s a whole thread here about teens and the frozen show apparently:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/frozen-singalong-for-teens.3693391/

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

We are 4 hours into the r/churning DD and somehow I’m still the ONLY comment in there. Did I miss a memo?? Did everybody leave for another churning group???

Also my comment there is also very relevant to us here regarding the elevated SW offers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/f26vht/_/fhb16ts

 

[hsmamato2]

I’m not a big shopper. I’m that person that wears athletic shorts and a T-shirt every day. I’ve only bought a few maternity shirts that are plain so maybe I’ll wear one of those or go and look for one more outfit I could take. A woman at the gym actually gave me a bag of maternity clothes yesterday which I thought was super nice of her. I haven’t tried any of them on yet

I was always too cheap to spend much on clothes I would only wear for a few months..... I just couldn't do it...

 

[hsmamato2]

Slightly off topic: I mentioned before not being able to book Christmas and New Years period for Hilton Bonnet Creek while everything else was open, well you can as of a few days ago. Less than 11 months out but I got my 5 nights with one night free all set. aspire card makes this deal sweet. 250 resort credit on my 240k point stay. Sprinkle in some pixie dust for a diamond member upgrade possibility, my kid will love this!

do you need a car if staying here?

 

[smmco]

This thread has been very helpful and I’m still in awe of what so many of you have managed to do with your points. I have plans kind of in the works now for our upcoming trips to wdw and cruises. But we’re starting to plan a trip to Europe for 2021 or 2022. We’ve never been before so I’m looking for advice on what points/cards will benefit us the most. Our plans are to fly in to London, with stops afterward in Paris and ending in Rome for a few days with hopefully a day trip/train ride to Venice. It’s the very early stages of planning and I’ve got lots of research to do, but this is where I’ll start. Afterall, for years all of my best research for our wdw trips has been done here on the DIS in the other trip planning forums!
So my biggest questions for now are-
1. Is London the best city for us to start in? I thought I read several pages back that London was tough to fly out of so that’s why I thought we’d start there instead. Also, flying out of Pittsburgh- any recommendations on a particular airline?
2. Is there a hotel brand we should focus on building a stash of points for? Not looking for anything super high end but definitely places with a good reputation (clean and safe).
3. Once in London, what is the best way to get to Paris and then on to Rome?
We hope to take this trip in June of 2022 right after DS graduates from college. Would love to go in May but DD will be playing college softball and we won’t know when her season will end. Second option would be August 2021 before he starts his last year but I heard lots of places close in august in Europe. Is that true and how would it affect our trip? Fyi our travel party will be me, DH, DS22, DD20. Thanks in advance! Europe is a whole new animal for us as we have stuck mostly to the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

I've been to London a few times and love it, but it is by far the most expensive city to fly out when using miles. You will get charged 325.00 plus {depending on exchange rate}APD tax pp for premium economy and above and around 200.00 pp for coach. If you don't want to pay that I would look at flying home from a different city.
https://onemileatatime.com/understanding-the-uk-air-passenger-duty-and-how-to-minimize-it/This is an article that explains it. If you're paying for your tickets it's built into the price, but if flying on an award there is no way around paying it. Flying out of London in a premium seat is going to cost your family around 1300. That being said award travel is easier to find our of London. That article was written 2011 so the prices aren't accurate. Of course they've gone up.

 

[GZanta77]

Ok so this question is for those familiar with Delta miles. I'm researching for a 2022 trip to Europe flying from Pittsburgh to London. I searched on the delta website for flights for this route and am seeing lots through JFK, Detroit, Atlanta and the miles for premium select are available at around 64,000 and Delta One 80,000. With me and P2 and not traveling until 2022 I feel like that's something we can do between Delta cards and MR. Is there something else I'm missing because I actually expected it to be higher than that? And how do I know what the fees will be? It's just showing the +$5.60. I'm thinking maybe we can fly Delta to London and then I'll do some research to decide how to fly back home from Rome. I know a lot can change in pricing between now and when I would be booking for 2022, but I'm trying to at least figure out a ballpark range.

Yes - 64k for PE and 80k for Delta one with $5.60 in taxes is pretty standard for east coast to London. The fees on the return flight will typically be much higher. I have (rarely) seen return flights in Delta One for as low as 130,000, but I haven't seen any offers on one way flights.

One thing to note:- whilst booking one-way award flights is often suggested for flexibility - it is not usually the most cost effective option with Delta. For example, I was recently looking at flights BOS - LHR - taxes and fees on a round trip ticket were $190, if I booked as 2 one way flights taxes were $5.60 to London and approx $470 back to USA. Now London is an extreme example given the horrific taxes, but its worth taking the time to price out all options.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Thank you! I am going to pass on this information to her. She can either bring a smaller bag or be prepared to gate check. She is flying SW on the way out and AA on the way back. And less time between connections on the return.

I flew AA a ton when I was dating the ex. Almost every single flight from Detroit to Charlotte they asked people if they wanted to gate check. On the flights where I was carrying my bigger Vera bag (outside the measurements "allowed"), I always gate checked, and I took the option to have it checked to my final destination, since I knew on my second plane it would be super small and I would have to plane side check anyways.

It was often my scam to fly w/ 3 bags. I get one free checked bag, for my citi/barclay, then the carry-on and finally a backpack/personal. There were times I was flying down with beer or other **** he wanted from Michigan which made my check bag too heavy. So I would have to use a carryon for clothes, flat iron, etc. Was nice not having to haul it through the airport!

That said, I get to board early (again from the CC) and there is always still room for me to put that bag up if I wanted. But they are pretty smart. They would often say, if you're boarding past group XXX you will have to gate check your bag.

 

[Minnie368]

I've been to London a few times and love it, but it is by far the most expensive city to fly out when using miles. You will get charged 325.00 plus {depending on exchange rate}APD tax pp for premium economy and above and around 200.00 pp for coach. If you don't want to pay that I would look at flying home from a different city.
https://onemileatatime.com/understanding-the-uk-air-passenger-duty-and-how-to-minimize-it/This is an article that explains it. If you're paying for your tickets it's built into the price, but if flying on an award there is no way around paying it. Flying out of London in a premium seat is going to cost your family around 1300. That being said award travel is easier to find our of London. That article was written 2011 so the prices aren't accurate. Of course they've gone up.

Thanks and that's what I've been finding. I was thinking we could fly into London and home from another city. Any recommendations on a city that is easier to fly out of and with lower fees? Even if it takes me back to the the US to a different city and I have to find a way to get back to Pittsburgh through SW or however. We plan to visit Paris, Venice, and Rome but we're just in the beginning planning stages so our plans are wide open.

Yes - 64k for PE and 80k for Delta one with $5.60 in taxes is pretty standard for east coast to London. The fees on the return flight will typically be much higher. I have (rarely) seen return flights in Delta One for as low as 130,000, but I haven't seen any offers on one way flights.

One thing to note:- whilst booking one-way award flights is often suggested for flexibility - it is not usually the most cost effective option with Delta. For example, I was recently looking at flights BOS - LHR - taxes and fees on a round trip ticket were $190, if I booked as 2 one way flights taxes were $5.60 to London and approx $470 back to USA. Now London is an extreme example given the horrific taxes, but its worth taking the time to price out all options.

I'll try searching round trip- thanks for the tip. Also open to flying home another airline and may actually help as far as rewards go because that would give us another reward currency to work on instead of trying to get really high balances of one type.

 

[disfanforlife]

I flew AA a ton when I was dating the ex. Almost every single flight from Detroit to Charlotte they asked people if they wanted to gate check. On the flights where I was carrying my bigger Vera bag (outside the measurements "allowed"), I always gate checked, and I took the option to have it checked to my final destination, since I knew on my second plane it would be super small and I would have to plane side check anyways.

It was often my scam to fly w/ 3 bags. I get one free checked bag, for my citi/barclay, then the carry-on and finally a backpack/personal. There were times I was flying down with beer or other **** he wanted from Michigan which made my check bag too heavy. So I would have to use a carryon for clothes, flat iron, etc. Was nice not having to haul it through the airport!

That said, I get to board early (again from the CC) and there is always still room for me to put that bag up if I wanted. But they are pretty smart. They would often say, if you're boarding past group XXX you will have to gate check your bag.

I am going to suggest she do that for sure since she has such a short time between flights. Also, I have been talking to her about getting other credit cards. I think she is going to sign up for one in the spring. Too late to get it before this trip. She already has a SW card.

 

[kmc8826]

Does anyone know if the Delta Platinum Companion Certificate remains in your Delta account if you end up closing the card? I will call for a retention offer on the card as AF just posted yesterday (certificate posted this morning) but am really not feeling like keeping the card with the $250 AF. It does not really matter but just curious what to expect. Thanks.

 

[tink1970]

Does anyone know if the Delta Platinum Companion Certificate remains in your Delta account if you end up closing the card? I will call for a retention offer on the card as AF just posted yesterday (certificate posted this morning) but am really not feeling like keeping the card with the $250 AF. It does not really matter but just curious what to expect. Thanks.

It has for me in the past. Of course with all things, that could change