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

[wanderlust7]

Oh shoot I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know why they created a separate account for me. This might mess up booking our flights

If you have an existing AA account, you can merge that with the new one they created. You just can't combine miles between people without a fee. You can book one ticket with your account and one with your DH's. AA has the hold option too, so much less risk with that.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Thanks! We ended up booking this--150,000 Hilton points was too good to pass up, and we have been wanting to plan an AZ trip for a while.

I'd love to hear from anyone else who has survived the Hilton sales pitch. I understand that we've agreed to give them 2 hours, and my only worry is how to really end it then. I'm thinking of saying that we have a reservation somewhere at X time if it seems that it's going to go longer. (Fortunately DH and I are 100% agreed than we are not under any circumstances buying anything.)

I'd also appreciate any AZ trip tips. From Scottsdale, what national or state parks could we get in as day trips?

We did it a couple years ago in Orlando. You won't get the points/stay if you leave early. IIRC it was 1 hour of a slideshow/pitch, then tour, then the hard sell, one on one with a sales agent. We kept saying no, the the agent had to bring in her boss and he pitched again. I mean we knew we were saying no but it was time consuming. Not horrible but annoying.

Oh shoot I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know why they created a separate account for me. This might mess up booking our flights

Your credit card can only have points put into your own account, not anyone else's. If you mean you already had an AA account and they opened another for you, it's possible they can merge 2 accounts in your name into 1. I recall someone here having their points post to spouse's account but I'm pretty sure that was a unicorn of a glitch.

 

[wanderlust7]

I’m VERY excited for teamlab planets. I read that it’s best to wear shorts or a dress with something underneath, because of the water element. How many hours did you spend there? I’m budgeting it as a half day activity.

We’re also planning to do teamlab botanical gardens in Osaka… not sure I’ve heard of anyone here doing that one?

I think we spent less than 2 hours there. Though DD wanted to go through it again. There's one room that was a little hard for me (out of shape), so I didn't want to do that again lol.

Since it was winter, we all wore pants and just rolled them up. It was fine.

We went to the mall nearby after (LaLaport). The kids enjoyed that. I was just glad to find something open on January 1!

 

[Haley R]

If you have an existing AA account, you can merge that with the new one they created. You just can't combine miles between people without a fee. You can book one ticket with your account and one with your DH's. AA has the hold option too, so much less risk with that.

Thanks. I think we’ll plan on booking departing flights out of one account and returning flights out of the other

 

[Haley R]

I think we spent less than 2 hours there. Though DD wanted to go through it again. There's one room that was a little hard for me (out of shape), so I didn't want to do that again lol.

Since it was winter, we all wore pants and just rolled them up. It was fine.

We went to the mall nearby after (LaLaport). The kids enjoyed that. I was just glad to find something open on January 1!

I saw the planets one is closing this year and another one in Tokyo is opening. I hope it’s cool because we want to try another one when we go next year!

 

[AmyAnne]

from scotrsdale I did an overnight in Sedona and an overight at the Grand Canyon. It'd be a long day trip! just the scenery around is beautiful though
damn I wish I'd get a 150k offer!

The number that I called is 888-963-2615. There was an "invitation ID" number in the email from Hilton, but it was linked to my Hilton Honors account--it might be worth calling to see if there's an offer attached to your account.

We did it a couple years ago in Orlando. You won't get the points/stay if you leave early. IIRC it was 1 hour of a slideshow/pitch, then tour, then the hard sell, one on one with a sales agent. We kept saying no, the the agent had to bring in her boss and he pitched again. I mean we knew we were saying no but it was time consuming. Not horrible but annoying.

Definitely not planning on leaving early but also don't want to have to stay longer than necessary. The "details of participation" specifically say that the presentation is 2 hours, so I'm thinking I will ask to confirm that at the beginning and mention that we have a reservation for some time shortly after that (like in 2.5 hours).

 

[becauseimnew]

For all of those planning a Japan trip, would you be interest in creating a small Facebook group and sharing plans?
I've started a Google Map for Kyoto, I've tried to add pictures and entrance fees to the notes.
My plans:
Kyoto 4 nights,
Osaka 3 night
Hiroshima 1 night
Disney 3 nights
Tokyo 5 nights

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

The "details of participation" specifically say that the presentation is 2 hours, so I'm thinking I will ask to confirm that at the beginning and mention that we have a reservation for some time shortly after that (like in 2.5 hours).

I have read some people will be upfront, mention hard out and the details of participation (2 hours), and show the sales guy they are pulling out a timer on their phone. Also, the other recommendation I have read, is NEVER give them a reason why you don't want to buy, because that opens the door to negotiate with that reason. Just a "no." You really can't negotiate with no. When asked why not, I think you could say something like, I'm fulfilling the participation requirements by listening to your presentation, and give no more than that. I've heard when people come in sort of seasoned, confident and unfaltering like that, the sales peeps know what's up and they don't waste their time as much. Good luck!!

 

[afan]

I think that’s good advice, and I was realizing that… our days were all just jam packed with things, and after looking at all the transit we’d have to take, time to get from here to there, etc. I had to chisel down not only shrines/temples, but also some other stuff that wasn’t super important.

I'm plotting on a map where everything is and then I'll figure out my must for and what goes together. I plan to still have a list of what I'd like to see in each area that way if it takes less time I'm not wandering aimlessly. Though I will for sure still explore unplanned stuff I just don't want #1 for the day to not take long and then #2 be unexpected closed or something (looking at you Paris catacombs one of my few must dos).

 

[evilipoo]

Hi, everyone!

Not sure if I'm in the right place, so feel free to re-direct me if that is the case. DH and I just put a deposit on an ABD in Europe and were hoping to book award tickets for business class. I used to dabble in mileage awards before the vid, but everything is so different now! I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Our immediate goal is just those business class flights, but I'm also always on the lookout for a good deal, and I can't resist filling out a form so here's the info requested in your FAQs:

We currently put most of our spend on our Costco Visa for the cash back, unless it is travel that would benefit from the insurance we get with CSP.
DH has an Alaska Visa (boa).
I have CSP, Citi Costco, and Delta Amex.
We have not opened any new cards in the past 2 years.
Monthly spend: $3-4K
We don't carry any balances
SEA is our home airport
We have miles in Alaska (100K), Delta (60K), American (100K), and United (300K from a canceled trip in 2019 that was booked with Sapphire points transferred to United.
We try not to fly Southwest.
We rarely stay in hotels, are members of a few loyalty plans, but no points to speak of.
It's just DH and I travelling (and spending).

Our immediate goal is Business Class to and from Europe (SEA-MUC and BUD-SEA) this Sept for the ABD Oktoberfest River Cruise. When we pt our deposit down a week ago, we could only see flights to July. Now, all of a sudden they are scheduling through September, and I don't see ANY award space for Business.

Thanks in advance for any direction or advice!

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

I'm plotting on a map where everything is and then I'll figure out my must for and what goes together. I plan to still have a list of what I'd like to see in each area that way if it takes less time I'm not wandering aimlessly. Though I will for sure still explore unplanned stuff I just don't want #1 for the day to not take long and then #2 be unexpected closed or something (looking at you Paris catacombs one of my few must dos).

The stuff I “eliminated”, I still kept on the itinerary and just put in in (parenthesis and different font) so I can differentiate. That way, if we’re making great time in our day then we can add those back in. But if not, I know it’s okay to skip those completely. I’m like you, I don’t want to just aimlessly wander if we finish a few things and have a whole half a day or something left! But this way, I’ve already come to terms with skipping these things completely and won’t suffer disappointment if they don’t happen.

 

[djmeredith]

waitttt.... I thought it was household only?

It is. Maybe it's not enforce well. Personally, I would be wary of poking the bear.

Terms from the combine points section:
"You can move your points, but only to another Chase card with Ultimate Rewards belonging to you or one member of your household. If we suspect that you’ve engaged in fraudulent activity related to your credit card account or Ultimate Rewards, or that you’ve misused Ultimate Rewards in any way (for example by buying or selling points, moving or transferring points with or to an ineligible third party or account, or repeatedly opening or otherwise maintaining credit card accounts for the sole purpose of generating rewards or manufacturing spend, repeatedly opening or otherwise maintaining credit card accounts for the sole purpose of generating rewards) we may temporarily prohibit you from earning points or using points you’ve already earned. If we believe you’ve engaged in any of these acts, we’ll close your credit card account."

To clarify, I did not mean to advise people to violate the rule. We did not think we were violating any rule when we requested the transfer. He only requested the transfer after Chase specifically told him it was ok. I even argued a little bit with him about it because I thought he must be confused, but he swore he had called and asked. Clearly, some employees are uniformed and/or the rule is not enforced uniformly. I do not plan to push my luck after seeing this language. It is not worth the risk when you can just let the person book your tix for you.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Hi, everyone!

Not sure if I'm in the right place, so feel free to re-direct me if that is the case. DH and I just put a deposit on an ABD in Europe and were hoping to book award tickets for business class. I used to dabble in mileage awards before the vid, but everything is so different now! I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Our immediate goal is just those business class flights, but I'm also always on the lookout for a good deal, and I can't resist filling out a form so here's the info requested in your FAQs:

We currently put most of our spend on our Costco Visa for the cash back, unless it is travel that would benefit from the insurance we get with CSP.
DH has an Alaska Visa (boa).
I have CSP, Citi Costco, and Delta Amex.
We have not opened any new cards in the past 2 years.
Monthly spend: $3-4K
We don't carry any balances
SEA is our home airport
We have miles in Alaska (100K), Delta (60K), American (100K), and United (300K from a canceled trip in 2019 that was booked with Sapphire points transferred to United.
We try not to fly Southwest.
We rarely stay in hotels, are members of a few loyalty plans, but no points to speak of.
It's just DH and I travelling (and spending).

Our immediate goal is Business Class to and from Europe (SEA-MUC and BUD-SEA) this Sept for the ABD Oktoberfest River Cruise. When we pt our deposit down a week ago, we could only see flights to July. Now, all of a sudden they are scheduling through September, and I don't see ANY award space for Business.

Thanks in advance for any direction or advice!

We'd love to help. If you've been out of booking for a bit, you might try point.me which is a newer points search engine. I think there is a free trial of it, if you want to give it a whirl. You can input your dates and see what comes up. You can filter by the currencies (points programs) you have to work with.

When I take a quick look at Alaska, I do see availability from SEA-MUC for the whole month of September on their partner BA, for 60k points + $911 in taxes, per person. Those fuel surcharges are hefty, but it's an option.



BUD-SEA is much more reasonable at 60k +229/pp.



I do see some biz flights show up on united, but they are a lot of points per person. But they are there. I'm not familiar with these routes, so there may be much better redemptions, which is where point.me could come in and give you the ability to play on your own. And then they have really great instructions on booking. Remember to ALWAYS confirm availability with the airline before transferring your points. It seems like you have airline points in a few programs, so the above tip doesn't really apply. But do you have any Chase URs, AMEX MRs or Capital One points?

Hopefully others will chime in with some advice.

Here's AA too. Availability out there.

 

[Nala83]

We’ll be there mid May. Honestly, I’m having a hard time figuring out what certain attractions actually need to be booked in advance, and what you can just show up to. For example, some of the different specialty cafes, restaurants, arashiyama scenic railway, teamlab attractions, shibuya sky, Tokyo sky tree, even the bullet trains! I’m still not understanding what trains I need to reserve and which I don’t. Every day I’m reading something new. I think I will be for the next 4 months

I'm going in mid-May too- first solo international trip, first points trip, and there seem to be SO many pieces. I have lists and I keep losing my lists!

 

[calypso726]

Hi, everyone!

Not sure if I'm in the right place, so feel free to re-direct me if that is the case. DH and I just put a deposit on an ABD in Europe and were hoping to book award tickets for business class. I used to dabble in mileage awards before the vid, but everything is so different now! I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Our immediate goal is just those business class flights, but I'm also always on the lookout for a good deal, and I can't resist filling out a form so here's the info requested in your FAQs:

We currently put most of our spend on our Costco Visa for the cash back, unless it is travel that would benefit from the insurance we get with CSP.
DH has an Alaska Visa (boa).
I have CSP, Citi Costco, and Delta Amex.
We have not opened any new cards in the past 2 years.
Monthly spend: $3-4K
We don't carry any balances
SEA is our home airport
We have miles in Alaska (100K), Delta (60K), American (100K), and United (300K from a canceled trip in 2019 that was booked with Sapphire points transferred to United.
We try not to fly Southwest.
We rarely stay in hotels, are members of a few loyalty plans, but no points to speak of.
It's just DH and I travelling (and spending).

Our immediate goal is Business Class to and from Europe (SEA-MUC and BUD-SEA) this Sept for the ABD Oktoberfest River Cruise. When we pt our deposit down a week ago, we could only see flights to July. Now, all of a sudden they are scheduling through September, and I don't see ANY award space for Business.

Thanks in advance for any direction or advice!

I agree with @FreeDiningFanatic and your best option would be to use a searching tool like point.me or seatspy or expertflyer and perhaps set up an alert. Most airlines will open up award flights at 330 - 355+ days out and business/first class seats get snatched up quickly depending on the route.

 

[iujen94]

Chase Shop Disney offers are back - I had about half at 5% off and half at 10% off.

 

[reliev]

I agree with @FreeDiningFanatic and your best option would be to use a searching tool like point.me or seatspy or expertflyer and perhaps set up an alert. Most airlines will open up award flights at 330 - 355+ days out and business/first class seats get snatched up quickly depending on the route.

seats.aero is a good one also. @evilipoo

 

[wdwpluto]

For all of those planning a Japan trip, would you be interest in creating a small Facebook group and sharing plans?
I've started a Google Map for Kyoto, I've tried to add pictures and entrance fees to the notes.
My plans:
Kyoto 4 nights,
Osaka 3 night
Hiroshima 1 night
Disney 3 nights
Tokyo 5 nights

I would love that!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Hi, everyone!

Not sure if I'm in the right place, so feel free to re-direct me if that is the case. DH and I just put a deposit on an ABD in Europe and were hoping to book award tickets for business class. I used to dabble in mileage awards before the vid, but everything is so different now! I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Our immediate goal is just those business class flights, but I'm also always on the lookout for a good deal, and I can't resist filling out a form so here's the info requested in your FAQs:

We currently put most of our spend on our Costco Visa for the cash back, unless it is travel that would benefit from the insurance we get with CSP.
DH has an Alaska Visa (boa).
I have CSP, Citi Costco, and Delta Amex.
We have not opened any new cards in the past 2 years.
Monthly spend: $3-4K
We don't carry any balances
SEA is our home airport
We have miles in Alaska (100K), Delta (60K), American (100K), and United (300K from a canceled trip in 2019 that was booked with Sapphire points transferred to United.
We try not to fly Southwest.
We rarely stay in hotels, are members of a few loyalty plans, but no points to speak of.
It's just DH and I travelling (and spending).

Our immediate goal is Business Class to and from Europe (SEA-MUC and BUD-SEA) this Sept for the ABD Oktoberfest River Cruise. When we pt our deposit down a week ago, we could only see flights to July. Now, all of a sudden they are scheduling through September, and I don't see ANY award space for Business.

Thanks in advance for any direction or advice!

Welcome !

If you can't find a decent flight to Munich, try looking at flying into at Frankfurt. You could easily catch a (very) short flight from FRA to MUC. Frankfurt is a Lufthansa hub, the catch is that Lufthansa releases biz class seats around 14 days before departure. You can book other flights, then cancel them if you are able to grab seats on Lufthansa 2 weeks prior to departure (this is what I did on my trip to Budapest in December -- I had another flight booked, then cancelled when I was able to snag first class on Lufthansa to FRA, I then took a quick flight from FRA to BUD.

On another note, I called Chase because I haven't received my new CIC and dd's res and tuition is due on the 20th. They haven't 'released' the card yet. I asked them if they can courier to my address north of the border and they agreed (they said 2-3 biz days). Wish that I called yesterday because I have to use Plastiq to pay them and they mail a check.

 

[reliev]

I would love that!

can it be Reddit i deleted FB I would love it too @becauseimnew
we could also do it for Costa Rica and other trips we seem to have collectively booked unintentionally