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

[Haley R]

You're flying out of FL close to peak huricane season. That's probably the only thing that would make me want a decent buffer. I'm too big of a chicken to consider positioning flights for international travel.

I wish we didn’t have to do a positioning flight but we can’t get aer lingus business out of Orlando or Miami for the time frame we’re looking at

 

[Princess Michele]

So it looks like we will most likely fly out of PHL to Dublin at 8 pm on Labor Day. Should we risk flying in that morning? My gut says go the day before but that’s another day to pay for a hotel and I feel like we’ll just be sitting around with nothing to do until the next night.

Depending on where you stay in Philly there is lots to do there. I would suggest looking to see if anything appeals to your family.

 

[StephPlum]

Jackson is going to be very high I think. I was shocked at the prices when I’ve looked in the past (we’ve done 3 Yellowstone/Tetons trips since 2015). Our favorite place to stay in the Tetons is Signal Mtn Lodge which is on Jackson Lake inside the park. Saves so much time as opposed to driving in from Jackson, but obviously points won’t help (unless you apply after the fact with some cards).

I’d even consider trying to find 1 night at Signal or Colter Bay and doing 2 in Jackson if you plan to spend time inside the parks or hiking. Signal has nice food options.

Every family is different of course and perhaps there are plans for several non park days, but for us, being in-park is worth it. Jackson is very busy and touristy.

It’s an amazing place to be, no matter where you stay.

Second the Signal Mountain Lodge. Not cheap but great location in the park. And the restaurant there was really good too with amazing views over the lake.

 

[VickieMouse]

Saw on Frequent Miler that the Marriott Boundless (5) 50k certificate offer for $5k/3mos is back, which can often be a great deal. Here's the public offer. I believe you can top these off with 15k points. Note that these aren't as easy to use as straight points, so do some research before signing up. My support offer is only showing 3 certs, so the public offer is better.

TIP: When I've done this in the past, I've made the mistake of meeting the MSR too quickly. Because these are good from one year from distribution (mine we issued within a few days of hitting MSR), I wished I had slow walked the MSR so that I had a little more time with the certs.

ETA: We've previously used these at the Swan, Swan Reserve and/or Dolphin. Even the Swan Reserve looks like it tops out at 66k, so would fall within the 50k cert + top off.

Three questions on this offer if anyone knows or has their best guess.
1. Does this offer usually stay around for more than 30 days? According to the chart, I would have to cancel my Amex Bonvoy card ($95 AF) to apply, and it looks like it would have to be closed for at least 30 days before I can apply.
2. Do the certificates usually post as soon as the spend is hit? I am hoping to use them for the Swan this summer. I could spend the $5k in the first month
3. Can I hold the swan room with points and then change the reservations to the certificates?

Thank you for any help.

 

[IFlossU]

That's a holiday weekend, so I'd personally err on the side of caution but I'm cautious to begin with, so take that with a grain of salt. Philly is a really fun city to visit for a day, so you could do a bit of touring there.



Thanks. I think he's applied for 2 Ink cards in the last 12 months, so it's not too bad I guess. The last one was in January. I have no idea about the credit line but I think it's pretty high because of his CSR since they are more generous with that card (but nowhere near 50% of income).

We've been reading a lot of blogs, and I'm still not sure he can have both the Brilliant and the Boundless though. Why is this so complicated?

If his last Chase card was in January then he’s definitely safe to apply for the Marriott card.

This article has the Marriott card flowchart. You may have seen it. According to this if he received the Brilliant bonus within the past 24 months he’s not eligible.

https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-...-lineup-is-it-a-bevy-of-bountiful-brilliance/

 

[djmeredith]

Three questions on this offer if anyone knows or has their best guess.
1. Does this offer usually stay around for more than 30 days? According to the chart, I would have to cancel my Amex Bonvoy card ($95 AF) to apply, and it looks like it would have to be closed for at least 30 days before I can apply.
2. Do the certificates usually post as soon as the spend is hit? I am hoping to use them for the Swan this summer. I could spend the $5k in the first month
3. Can I hold the swan room with points and then change the reservations to the certificates?

Thank you for any help.

1. Not sure
2. I did this offer in 2020 and my P2 did it last year. If I remember correctly, they posted very quickly when the statement closed.
3. I would think you could call and have them switch it, but I have no experience doing that.

Most of the following has already been said, but it is worth repeating. This is a really good offer to use for Swan/Dolphin/Reserve or other higher end Marriott property. I am using 4 of them over Labor Day weekend at Swan Reserve. You can add up to 15K to the certs per night, but you will never be eligible for the 5th night free with these FNCs.

I personally would not waste a spot on this card if I only stayed at the moderately priced Marriott brands. Those brands are usually available well under 50K (not including high demand times/prime locations). (Nothing wrong with those brands, you just would be leaving pts on the table by using a 50K FNC on a 35K night.) You would be better off getting a card that earns transferrable points and booking with all points and also be eligible for the 5th night free.

 

[leeniewdw]

I hate to add my name to this ‘use of points’ but just found out my older sister has cancer and will have major surgery later this month. She’ll have it at a larger hospital about an hour from home. So I plan to help out either at her home while she’s in the hospital for a week (dog at home & 95 yo mother nearby) or after she gets home (also husband with health issues). Then chemo to start in July. She lives a 15 hour drive from me.

Honestly paying cash for flights would be fine obviously, but having points is a wonderful option.

Thanks to everyone who is helpful to all of us, especially people like me who are newer to this ‘hobby’.

 

[mmmears]

This article has the Marriott card flowchart. You may have seen it. According to this if he received the Brilliant bonus within the past 24 months he’s not eligible.

Thank you. That's what DH was reading, too. He's had that Brilliant card for years (much longer than 2) so I guess it's an option. He was interested in it since in a year it can be changed into a Ritz card which he's wanted for a while, but we are reading that with the new 150,000 point rooms it's making the Ritz FNC somewhat useless. Will have to do more reading I guess.

 

[Haley R]

Depending on where you stay in Philly there is lots to do there. I would suggest looking to see if anything appeals to your family.

Is there anything within walking distance to the airport or can we use public transit at all? We won’t have a car. This trip is becoming longer than we planned

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Why is this? If there's points availability aren't they good to use? I've never had a Marriott card but the 5 nights could be good for a trip next year.

I say they aren't as easy to use as points because some people think they are getting 250k points and then are disappointed that they can't be used as fluidly as points. Say, for example, one night is 40k points and one night is 60k points, 2 certs alone won't cover that. They'd need to use 2 certs + 10k top off. You are correct, if there is points availability, they are good to use.

I was looking at random dates for the Swan and Dolphin. In Feb 2024 I see 5 nights for a total of 241,000 points. Each night is above 50,000/night but there's a free night included. Would you need to add points to each night or would you be able to use the certificates since the 5 nights are below 250,000 points in total?

As others have said, the fifth night free applies only to points use, not certificate use. So that perk won't apply. You will need to use all 5 certs and add points to any night over 50k. Since Marriott uses dynamic pricing, some people recommend booking the nights as individual nights and then constantly watching for the price to drop, so that they can get points back.

Three questions on this offer if anyone knows or has their best guess.
1. Does this offer usually stay around for more than 30 days? According to the chart, I would have to cancel my Amex Bonvoy card ($95 AF) to apply, and it looks like it would have to be closed for at least 30 days before I can apply.
2. Do the certificates usually post as soon as the spend is hit? I am hoping to use them for the Swan this summer. I could spend the $5k in the first month
3. Can I hold the swan room with points and then change the reservations to the certificates?

Thank you for any help.

1. I am in the same boat and I would guess it would be around for 30 days, but that's just speculation. I do think they've offered this promotion once a year since 2020. I was hoping to churn this card as well since I've had it since 2020, but I don't think I could use the certs by summer of 2024.
2. In my experience, the certificates posted within days of meeting my spend. I'm reticent to say that, as usually with Chase co-branded cards a statement has to close, but I recall them posting within days of meeting my spend. Perhaps my spend and statement close were perfectly aligned and I didn't realize it. Either way, if you could meet the spend immediately, you might have the certs within less than 60 days.
3. Meh. If you did hold a room with points, you'd then have to cancel and rebook with certs at whatever the point price they are being sold for that day. Plus, there's never any guarantee that the points room you had booked will go back into inventory. But, if I had the points available, I personally would try to up my chances by doing that. Be aware of any cancellation policies, if so.

 

[mmmears]

Is there anything within walking distance to the airport or can we use public transit at all? We won’t have a car. This trip is becoming longer than we planned

You can take the SEPTA from the airport to downtown Philadelphia. We've done it a few times because that's not a place I wanted to drive. There is nothing near the PHL airport that I know of. There are a lot of Marriotts in the city where you can use points. I think we've stayed at the RC, the Philadelphia Marriott, and the Aloft downtown (plus the Four Seasons but not on points).

 

[Haley R]

You can take the SEPTA from the airport to downtown Philadelphia. We've done it a few times because that's not a place I wanted to drive. There is nothing near the PHL airport that I know of. There are a lot of Marriotts in the city where you can use points. I think we've stayed at the RC, the Philadelphia Marriott, and the Aloft downtown (plus the Four Seasons but not on points).

Thanks! That’s good to know. We’re stuck between going in August or over Labor Day. Labor Day was our original plan because dh would have one less day to take off from work but I’m wondering if it’ll be more busy traveling then. August will potentially be warmer but more busy in Ireland. We can’t decide

 

[StephPlum]

I personally would not waste a spot on this card if I only stayed at the moderately priced Marriott brands. Those brands are usually available well under 50K (not including high demand times/prime locations). (Nothing wrong with those brands, you just would be leaving pts on the table by using a 50K FNC on a 35K night.) You would be better off getting a card that earns transferrable points and booking with all points and also be eligible for the 5th night free.

This is me. I Normally travel where there are Towneplace Suites or Springhill Suites. I want DH to get this card but will wait for points instead of certs. I would not be sure I would use before the certs expire and they would be underutilized on the hotels I stay at.
Good points to make sure this fits your travel plans before applying.

 

[punkin]

Is there anything within walking distance to the airport or can we use public transit at all? We won’t have a car. This trip is becoming longer than we planned

Nothing really in walking distance. I would uber to center city. There's a lot to do.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

How far in advance did you book your Japan tickets?

We booked in December for mid May, so like 5 months in advance. Flights were originally 70k round trip when we booked, then I kept rechecking all the time, and was able to change for free through the app when they went down to 60k (and they redeposited the miles immediately).

 

[djmeredith]

We have some frequent London travelers here, so I am hoping for some advice. What is the best way to pay for travel on tube/bus? I am SO confused by the sites that try to compare the options for visitors.

 

[miztressuz]

Is there anything within walking distance to the airport or can we use public transit at all? We won’t have a car. This trip is becoming longer than we planned

I definitely wouldn't try to walk from the airport, nothing worthwhile anywhere around there. Unless you like cargo warehouses and factories. However, SEPTA Regional Rail Airport line has a stop at each terminal and connects into center city. From there, it's pretty easy to use the RR or the tourism Phlash bus to get to all the interesting bits.

For convenience I'd go with the Marriott airport hotel, so you can walk to terminal B for check-in and bag drop. Don't know if you have any Marriott FNCs but a 35k cert usually covers a night (30-35k Bonvoy pts a night when I've booked) Then when ready to explore just walk out to the train station at the same terminal. There's many more hotels around the airport for a bit less that have a free shuttle but then you have to schlep bags back and forth. Definitely weigh convenience and time if you decide to come in the night before.

Train takes you to the three main center city stations (30th St, Suburban, Jefferson). Most things are easy to walk to but for potential time savings, the Phlash bus route was designed to hit many popular attractions, including the Please Touch Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo. (Although late August is not when I'd want to visit the zoo but that could be a personal weather preference.) A one day pass is $5 and under 4 is free according to the website. The Please Touch Museum still gets high marks I believe and is geared towards the under 7 crowd. Reading Terminal Market is also usually recommended but fair warning it can be a crush of people. (Personal space, what's that?) And of course all the historical sites - Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Center - museums, Penn's Landing if you like water and ships. These are all stops on the Phlash.

https://www5.septa.org/travel/routes/rail-airport-line/
https://ridephillyphlash.com/

 

[Nala83]

Within the past week, both of my kids (16 and 18) have suggested to me that they'd be intersted in going back to Japan "sometime" if I go again.

If I took them, we would just fly coach and the carrier would not matter.

I know that when I originally booked the ANA flights in First/Biz class, the fuel surcharges were as much as a regular coach class ticket would have been.

Is there a possibility of using points/miles for coach class tickets wtihout the crazy fuel surcharges? I don't know whether the fuel surcharges are carrier specific or how that works.

I am happy to try to accumulate whatever points I can to transfer to get us all there as long as I'm not still spending more in surcharges than I would if I were just paying cash.

Thank you!

My flight on JAL was 70K Alaska miles + $72 taxes/fees. Alaska miles aren't the easiest to accumulate, though.

 

[Haley R]

I definitely wouldn't try to walk from the airport, nothing worthwhile anywhere around there. Unless you like cargo warehouses and factories. However, SEPTA Regional Rail Airport line has a stop at each terminal and connects into center city. From there, it's pretty easy to use the RR or the tourism Phlash bus to get to all the interesting bits.

For convenience I'd go with the Marriott airport hotel, so you can walk to terminal B for check-in and bag drop. Don't know if you have any Marriott FNCs but a 35k cert usually covers a night (30-35k Bonvoy pts a night when I've booked) Then when ready to explore just walk out to the train station at the same terminal. There's many more hotels around the airport for a bit less that have a free shuttle but then you have to schlep bags back and forth. Definitely weigh convenience and time if you decide to come in the night before.

Train takes you to the three main center city stations (30th St, Suburban, Jefferson). Most things are easy to walk to but for potential time savings, the Phlash bus route was designed to hit many popular attractions, including the Please Touch Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo. (Although late August is not when I'd want to visit the zoo but that could be a personal weather preference.) A one day pass is $5 and under 4 is free according to the website. The Please Touch Museum still gets high marks I believe and is geared towards the under 7 crowd. Reading Terminal Market is also usually recommended but fair warning it can be a crush of people. (Personal space, what's that?) And of course all the historical sites - Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Center - museums, Penn's Landing if you like water and ships. These are all stops on the Phlash.

https://www5.septa.org/travel/routes/rail-airport-line/
https://ridephillyphlash.com/

Thank you!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

We have some frequent London travelers here, so I am hoping for some advice. What is the best way to pay for travel on tube/bus? I am SO confused by the sites that try to compare the options for visitors.

For the tube, we just used a credit card to tap but it won't let you use one twice in a row, so each person needs a CC to use. I just gave DS one and he gave it back as soon as we went through so he didn't lose it.