I love credit cards so much!

[Andysol]

Considering the Aspire before year end to triple dip the credit. Does the resort credit work on Hilton GC purchases at the resorts listed? If not, maybe we'll just stay overnight before year end for fun.

While the airline credit is calendar year, the Resort credit is cardmember year. So you don’t need to use it right away- you have a full year and can only double dip it in the 30 days after 2nd AF posts. So consider a trip at a resort at that time. If you time it on a weekend, you can use the 2nd weekend anniversary cert. as well. Otherwise, if you cancel, that cert goes away with the cancellation of card.

Haha okay we’ll have to look out for you guys.

No we aren’t Hilton diamond members. We just recently got an honors cc and a Hilton biz card and just finished the spends on those.

Gold will still get you breakfast but not executive lounge.

 

[AmyAnne]

I bought my Hamilton tickets for Chicago in May. Can’t wait. DS said he doesn’t want to go but I decided it’s a family vacation so he’s going. I was tempted to save money and only buy two tickets though Now I need to buy Cubs tickets.

Yay for Hamilton tickets! Is your DS not a Hamilton fan or is he opposed on other grounds?

 

[AmyAnne]

Considering the Aspire before year end to triple dip the credit. Does the resort credit work on Hilton GC purchases at the resorts listed? If not, maybe we'll just stay overnight before year end for fun.

So this is fueling my idea that I should get another AmEx card before I end up on their "naughty" list (assuming I'm not already--so far I have avoided the pop-up but I have been approved for an insane number of AmEx cards this year).

Can someone remind me what other cards (besides the plats, personal gold, and aspire) have a credit that can be triple-dipped?

 

[MrsAlexis]

We haven’t completely decided if we will go or not. We may decide to wait and save dh’s vacation days for something else. My parents stay the whole month and people always ask if they can come stay with them which ruins the point of them going down lol. I told my mom we definitely won’t be staying with them and we would want to do a lot of things on our own anyway. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

There are some nice Hilton properties in Gulf Shores!

 

[havaneselover]

Yay for Hamilton tickets! Is your DS not a Hamilton fan or is he opposed on other grounds?

No specific reason—he’s just an incredibly difficult 13 year old I asked my ex if he was okay with him staying in the hotel room and he said yes but he thought he should go/would regret not going.

 

[Mopedmom1]

Just PC and let DH keep using the CSR metal card. It’s the same number and still usable, just with a different expiration date. Win-win.

I second PC to a CF. You never know when you need a second one and you can keep the metal card to use That's my plan for my CSP.

He doesn't currently gave a CF. Would this preclude him from getting one later with a bonus attached? I'm thinking maybe PC to a CSP. I can stomach the $95 AF but zero AF would be better! DH is only 2/24 so there's a few more UR bonuses to be had there. I will be 4/24 and got my hand caught in the double dip cookie jar last August so I can't do too much more this year until late October when one falls off that number.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Okay gurus....

The BF really wants to do a cruise. We like the itinerary of the Eastern Caribbean. He's really NEVER traveled (his first time on an airplane was in June to see me). So he's definitely not going to be a cruise line snob, LOL. No need/desire to do Disney. In pricing out a cruise that starts from $400 changes to $1000/pp pretty fast, and that's before adding on the drink package he'd want, LOL.

What's the best way to do a cruise cheap? As a teacher I can only do traditional school breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, or summer). I have URs, AA miles, Delta miles, most hotel points, etc. What's the best way to get this poor country boy on a boat cheap/free, LOL.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

@Lain - DH heard there are crazy lines for the new Shake Shack today. We won't be going any time soon. I'm always astounded how new places get 1-2 hour lines around here when there is so much to choose from. We ended up very close to it today when we were out shopping for something for the house, but I didn't see it. If the lines persist I may end up trying it when we go to NYC, which is what DD and DH have done.

Where I am on LI there were no Dairy Queen’s...when one opened the lines were the same as for your new Shake Shack..crazy..but they do go away after a while

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Okay gurus....

The BF really wants to do a cruise. We like the itinerary of the Eastern Caribbean. He's really NEVER traveled (his first time on an airplane was in June to see me). So he's definitely not going to be a cruise line snob, LOL. No need/desire to do Disney. In pricing out a cruise that starts from $400 changes to $1000/pp pretty fast, and that's before adding on the drink package he'd want, LOL.

What's the best way to do a cruise cheap? As a teacher I can only do traditional school breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, or summer). I have URs, AA miles, Delta miles, most hotel points, etc. What's the best way to get this poor country boy on a boat cheap/free, LOL.

I’ll try to help...but no expert...we’ve done Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival....Carnival was the least expensive and the youngest crowd....Norwegian has offers where you can pick the drink package for free.....RC and Disney were the most expensive.
For the times you can go I’d think the summer would be the least expensive price.....I’ve seen that cruises can be booked with URs but haven’t called for the pricing on them....my DH loves cruises....I’m not a huge fan since if it’s not calm I don’t feel good..so it’s not much fun

 

[miztressuz]

Ok, just set up DH’s new Discover savings account. When I was establishing the account it said I had to fund with Discover after the fact. So now, I am trying to move the $25k sitting in my Discover savings account to his but when I try to click on Discover nothing happens. Do I have to give it some time?

I don't have the terms handy but I thought usually banks want new money for the bonus. When we did it I had pulled out the money back into our usual savings account and then when I opened mine I pulled it from that account. I linked the savings account for initial funding and just put $50. Then setup a separate transfer for the 25k.

He doesn't currently gave a CF. Would this preclude him from getting one later with a bonus attached? I'm thinking maybe PC to a CSP. I can stomach the $95 AF but zero AF would be better! DH is only 2/24 so there's a few more UR bonuses to be had there. I will be 4/24 and got my hand caught in the double dip cookie jar last August so I can't do too much more this year until late October when one falls off that number.

This is true, if he has a CF he couldn't apply for a new one for the bonus at the same time. However, when you are ready to apply for the bonus, PC the CF to a CFU and now he doesn't currently hold a CF so eligible for the bonus again.

 

[GlamMistress]

Did some fancy footwork and decided I really wanted to get home the same day our Disney cruise is over. I already had flights booked out of FLL (cruise port is MIA) for the Monday after disembarkation for 22,000 total Skypesos... but I really need to get back to work.

There were no good options for a Sunday departure from MIA or FLL on Feb. 3 so I thought "Why not drive to MCO and fly from there?" So I reserved a 1 way rental for $50 (couldn't believe it was that cheap) and found two nonstop seats late afternoon on Delta. Skypesos to the rescue once again! 17k each. Not great but not heinous either. If all goes well, we'll be able to walk off the plane at CVG, jump in our car and be home to watch at least the entire second half of the Super Bowl from the comfort of our own couch!

Now I have to decide if I want to pay to redeposit the 22k Skypesos or just let them go. For $150 I'm thinking just let them go.

 

[Haley R]

While the airline credit is calendar year, the Resort credit is cardmember year. So you don’t need to use it right away- you have a full year and can only double dip it in the 30 days after 2nd AF posts. So consider a trip at a resort at that time. If you time it on a weekend, you can use the 2nd weekend anniversary cert. as well. Otherwise, if you cancel, that cert goes away with the cancellation of card.


Gold will still get you breakfast but not executive lounge.

Don’t you have to pick between breakfast or points added to your account? We won’t need an executive lounge because we will hardly be in the room. I don’t think we are even going to eat breakfast at the hotel.

 

[Haley R]

There are some nice Hilton properties in Gulf Shores!

Haha we haven’t looked yet. I was actually thinking about renting a beach house but maybe we’ll do a Hilton instead

 

[Tikitoi]

My email has been ignored so far.

 

[wendow]

Trying to play catch up with all of you! Y'all been busy, busy!

Goals for travel for 2019:

Feeling pretty lame here. We don't travel much anyways but 2019 is really dependent on dd18 and if she gets into DCP. If so, a whole lotta WDW trips and that is it. If she doesn't, I would like to go to DLR again and then probably TX to visit family. Life is so busy that I am not sure we can squeeze much else in. I am just amazed seeing how much some of you are able to travel. Looking at you, new friend, @Andysol! Just wow, so impressed! How much vacation do you have in a year? Are you self-employed?

Credit cards for 2019:

So, I just got DH his SW plus and hope to get him a SW biz in Jan. I have a brand new, without a single charge yet, Arrival+. I need to get those MSR's met and then I just don't know. Curious about using an EIN for another CIP. Is this pretty easy to do? I am working as a travel agent now so I have more of a legit 'business'. After that, my eyes are either on Hilton cards, or thanks to @SouthFayetteFan, maybe AA cards...?

I do know if my dd gets into DCP that we plan to spend a ton of time at WDW, including much of the month of December. @speedyfishy, I will be stalking you also!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

...or thanks to @SouthFayetteFan, maybe AA cards...?

I'm sitting here thinking about those right now, lol! I'm indecisive right now...

 

[wendow]

Mine posted yesterday though they shorted me some. So waiting on am email response from them. Glad I kept all my winning emails...

I didn't keep any of my emails but they shorted me too. By a lot

ETA: My dh's points still have not posted.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

My Marriott points just posted. I didn't keep track of how many 50s I had but I know I earned 500 points twice and only 1 posted. I reached out to them via their online contact form. It felt a little ridiculous to write that message considering how many points I have...but it only took 2 minutes, lol!

 

[Artygal90]

My SPG Biz bonus posted! Woo! One step closer to Disneyland...

 

[mmmears]

The Plat Biz MSR was met on Thursday or Friday, and there are already 100K shiny MRs posted to the account. That was nice! The CIP MSR was met a week ago, and the 80K URs are pending, not quite in the account yet. Not bad, but I am impressed with how quickly those MRs posted. Usually it takes a billing cycle I thought.

So this is 180K points that I wouldn't have without the help from so many of you here. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for sharing your time, your experience, and your knowledge!!! I have no immediate travel plans for the points, but reading everyone's plans is helping me think about what we might want to do.

And a special shoutout to @Lain who walked me through that AMEX application that needed to be called in.