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

[Psychodisney]

Has anyone been to the new lounge at MDW yet? Just curious how busy it gets.

My DS was there this morning (early) and said it wasn't too crowded. Nice assortment of food and drinks. Said he could imagine it getting full at peak times of the day.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

IA for Citi AA biz card with $16k limit! Excited for more AA points -- I will need them for the flights for ds and I to Honolulu next year.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Looks like I missed the elevated 70k Barclays AA offer, huh? I got it 2 weeks ago for DH, and was gonna apply for myself last week but we were dealing with Hurricane Helene craziness, no power, no internet, etc. Just checked today and I can’t find it anymore? Only the 60k offer

 

[smallsy]

FYI for those who may be applying for a SW card with the elevated 85,000 Rapids Rewards Points offer - the email I received said the offer expired October 9th. I went to apply today using my DH's referral link, and the same 85,000 shows but with an expiration date of October 17th. That gives a smidge more time to meet the spend in January to earn the CP in 2025. If you have a P2 with a SW card already, it may pay to check that referral link.

Ohh that's great! I needed a bit more buffer as well and DH's link says 10/17 too!

 

[LynnTH]

Busy Cancelling WDW Trip today. Was scheduled to be there Oct 9-13th. Was going to be first time using new Annual Pass. Had booked Flights (Delta) and Hotel (Dolphin) with Chase Points on my CSR.

Dolphin was waiving cancellation fees, so all those points were redeposited. MCO is now officially closed on the 9th, but Delta has not officially cancelled our flight. Have to wait for that to happen and call Chase back and they will refund the points.

Cancelled all dining and dessert party along with park reservations. Chatted with Disney and they refunded me all the Lighting Pass $$ I had just booked last week.

So, everything will be refunded, which is good. Have another short trip planned for December to see the Processional and then 2 more stays in Feb and March. At least now, our Annual Pass won't start until December, so it will extend a bit next year.

This hurricane looks nasty. Feel so bad for all the Floridians.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

An update on the Umana LXR: I spoke with the diamond desk yesterday and they have opened a case. The agent that I spoke with was horrified at how the hotel handled the situation and mentioned either points back or BMG certificates (I have no idea what these are or how they work so I'm going to have to do a bit of research). She said she should have an update in ~48 hours. Has anyone here ever received a HH BMG certificate? Any tips?

I just had my first BMG experience so I did some reading up on the FT thread. Turns out a BMG is an amazing certificate. It allows you to book the best flexible cash rate for a standard room and then use the BMG certificate for payment. Sounds like the hotel then bill the Hilton directly. You get to earn points on the cash rate!
It takes about 30ish days for them to issue you the certificate, which then gets snail mailed, so imagine about 6 weeks or so for delivery.
There are different BMG certificates, usually issued along brand lines. So they may want to issue you a BMG certificate for use only at LXR properties. But there is there is a certificate known as the golden ticket of goodwill gestures, a BMG certificate which can be used at ANY Hilton property. Exceptions are SLH properties (maybe one more I can't think of).

So points would be easiest to use and no expiration but a BMG cert could be very lucrative.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Hi Everyone! I'm new here and looking for advice / suggestions on what the best card would be for me to allow for frequent, low cost flights to Disney World. All of my details are included below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. TYIA!

First off, we are going to want you to list ALL credit cards you were approved for in the last 24 months.

• 09/22 – CAPITOL ONE Spark Business Spark Cash Plus
• We also have two other cards that are 25+ years old (A Discover and a Disney Chase Visa)

• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? - We pay for absolutely EVERYTHING with our CCs: Personal $6,000.00 / Business $44,000.00
• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? – We always pay both cards off in full every month. We never carry a balance or pay interest.
• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? – Chicago Midway MDW / Orlando MCO
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? - I’m not sure. We usually fly Southwest but are open to suggestions if there are better options.
• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? – Yes
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? – No. Also, we always stay on property at Disney.
• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) - None
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) - We are buying our first DVC contract (resale) to “force” ourselves to take regular vacations to Disney World. At least a week twice a year but in addition to the longer trips, we’d love to be able to do several short stays throughout the year. The cost of the flights would not allow for the frequent short trips though so I’m looking for a way to save on flights for myself and my husband between Chicago and Orlando. Once every few years we might try to go to Disneyland as well. We used to use the Disney Visa as our business card to rack up points for “free” Disney trips. We switched to Capitol One once we realized we could earn 2% unlimited cash back and then put that into a HYSA to then be able to use that cash for anything. Also, unless there is a really compelling/strong reason to do so, after making the last CC switch just 2 years ago, my husband is not going to want to make another switch to a different card for our business. It’s tied to literally hundreds of suppliers and would be very difficult and time-consuming. If it would help, we could possibly switch a handful of key accounts if doing so will allow us to meet the spending requirements to qualify for a card’s benefits. Otherwise, I think we are just looking for a card for our personal spending. I’m open to options and don’t now what I don’t know so please just let me know the best options for us.
• When do you plan to take these trips? (Keep in mind that it can be difficult to earn points/miles to cover imminent travel...it's best to plan far in advance, especially with regards to international travel) – We’re flexible.
• Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends) – It’s just my husband and myself, both 55+.

I did receive an offer from Southwest for their CC. If we spend $3K in the first three months, we would receive 85,000 points. I don’t fully understand flight points and I’ve heard of but really don’t know anything about their companion pass and not sure how it works. I’m also not sure if the SW card is the best card for us or if there is something else out there that would be a better option.

I haven’t applied for anything yet but I know the deadline for the SW offer is 10/9.

Thanks again!

Hi and welcome. Since you are just getting started, I do think it's reasonable to just start with mostly personal cards and then you can decide in the future if you actually want to get really heavy into the business cards.

I do think the Southwest cards would be good for you based on your goals and the fact that you fly SW now, and are headed to Disney. The SW companion pass would be perfect for you and it's just the right time of year to begin qualifying for it. Here's a complete guide to earning it.

Some notes:
1. To earn the SW companion pass, you will need to open at least one business card, because Chase has rules against 2 SW personal cards. So hopefully you'll have a few thousand dollars of spend over 3 months that occur more organically, like POS transactions, Amazon transactions or restaurant business meetings?
2. Timing. When you earn companion pass, it's good for that whole calendar year and the following whole calendar year. So you can maximize it by earning it in early 2025 and it will be good through 12/31/2026. So you could apply for 1 card now, but you don't want to complete the spending on it until after January 1 (there is some nuance, but this is easiet/safest for newbies). Apply for the second card 3 months from now and you can complete the spending right away.

You'll be on your way to tons of SW points and a companion pass! You can look for flights now on SW to see how many points flights cost, since you aren't familiar with that. Look for the little toggle for points instead of cash.

 

[havaneselover]

Busy Cancelling WDW Trip today. Was scheduled to be there Oct 9-13th. Was going to be first time using new Annual Pass. Had booked Flights (Delta) and Hotel (Dolphin) with Chase Points on my CSR.

Dolphin was waiving cancellation fees, so all those points were redeposited. MCO is now officially closed on the 9th, but Delta has not officially cancelled our flight. Have to wait for that to happen and call Chase back and they will refund the points.

Cancelled all dining and dessert party along with park reservations. Chatted with Disney and they refunded me all the Lighting Pass $$ I had just booked last week.

So, everything will be refunded, which is good. Have another short trip planned for December to see the Processional and then 2 more stays in Feb and March. At least now, our Annual Pass won't start until December, so it will extend a bit next year.

This hurricane looks nasty. Feel so bad for all the Floridians.

Glad it was all refunded. My mom is in Naples. When they became full time Florida residents two years ago, I begged her to get a generator. Of course she hasn’t gotten one yet. I think she should be okay with storm surge. Not sure on wind (they lost their lanai years back but when they replaced it code was better so the current lanai is much stronger and have had a lot of trees fall in past storms). And she lost power for about 30 hours with Helene but this looks way worse for Naples. Ugh.

 

[djmeredith]

Hi Everyone! I'm new here and looking for advice / suggestions on what the best card would be for me to allow for frequent, low cost flights to Disney World. All of my details are included below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. TYIA!

First off, we are going to want you to list ALL credit cards you were approved for in the last 24 months.

• 09/22 – CAPITOL ONE Spark Business Spark Cash Plus
• We also have two other cards that are 25+ years old (A Discover and a Disney Chase Visa)

• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? - We pay for absolutely EVERYTHING with our CCs: Personal $6,000.00 / Business $44,000.00
• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? – We always pay both cards off in full every month. We never carry a balance or pay interest.
• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? – Chicago Midway MDW / Orlando MCO
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? - I’m not sure. We usually fly Southwest but are open to suggestions if there are better options.
• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? – Yes
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? – No. Also, we always stay on property at Disney.
• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) - None
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) - We are buying our first DVC contract (resale) to “force” ourselves to take regular vacations to Disney World. At least a week twice a year but in addition to the longer trips, we’d love to be able to do several short stays throughout the year. The cost of the flights would not allow for the frequent short trips though so I’m looking for a way to save on flights for myself and my husband between Chicago and Orlando. Once every few years we might try to go to Disneyland as well. We used to use the Disney Visa as our business card to rack up points for “free” Disney trips. We switched to Capitol One once we realized we could earn 2% unlimited cash back and then put that into a HYSA to then be able to use that cash for anything. Also, unless there is a really compelling/strong reason to do so, after making the last CC switch just 2 years ago, my husband is not going to want to make another switch to a different card for our business. It’s tied to literally hundreds of suppliers and would be very difficult and time-consuming. If it would help, we could possibly switch a handful of key accounts if doing so will allow us to meet the spending requirements to qualify for a card’s benefits. Otherwise, I think we are just looking for a card for our personal spending. I’m open to options and don’t now what I don’t know so please just let me know the best options for us.
• When do you plan to take these trips? (Keep in mind that it can be difficult to earn points/miles to cover imminent travel...it's best to plan far in advance, especially with regards to international travel) – We’re flexible.
• Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends) – It’s just my husband and myself, both 55+.

I did receive an offer from Southwest for their CC. If we spend $3K in the first three months, we would receive 85,000 points. I don’t fully understand flight points and I’ve heard of but really don’t know anything about their companion pass and not sure how it works. I’m also not sure if the SW card is the best card for us or if there is something else out there that would be a better option.

I haven’t applied for anything yet but I know the deadline for the SW offer is 10/9.

Thanks again!

Welcome! You are in a great position to focus on Southwest cards to earn lots of points and a Companion Pass (CP). That combo should give you lots of free flights over the next two years. The CP allows you to bring along your designated "companion" on any flight with you as long as there is any open seat on the flight. The companion only pays the $5.60 in taxes/fees. Once a CP is earned, it is good for the remainder of the calendar year in which it is earned and the entire following calendar year. Therefore, most people aim to earn it early in the calendar year.

That strategy requires you to start the CP earning process in Oct or Nov so that you can earn the first SUB (sign up bonus) early in Jan and still have enough time between your two applications not to set off any alarm bells. Because you have a spouse, you have a "P2" (second "player" in this hobby). That is a huge help as well because you can "support" each other's applications. (The "R" word - referral - is not used here because referrals aren't allowed on DIS.). This is what I would do if I were you:

One of you (P1) should apply for the SW personal card immediately. As soon as you receive the card and can generate a "support" link, P2 should apply using that support link. BUT - and this is critical - do NOT meet the minimum spend requirement (MSR) on either card until AFTER Jan 1. Then meet the MSR asap on/after Jan 1. In December, you should each support each other for a SW biz card application. Again, do not meet the MSR until AFTER Jan 1 (then meet the MSR asap after Jan 1). Each of you will then earn a CP good for the rest of 2025 and 2026.

There are a couple of important rules/tips as you start this hobby, and these apply regardless of whether you decide to start with the SW cards or not. Chase has a hard and fast 5/24 rule, which means they will not allow a person to open more than 5 personal cards in a 24 month period, and they will not let you open a biz card unless you are 4/24 or less. Related to this rule, we always advise people not make each other authorized users on each other's cards because that will utilize one one of the 5/24 spots without earning a SUB. The other rule is to pace the timing of your apps. I am drawing a blank on the specific pacing, so someone else will have to jump in (i think its generally 1 Chase personal card every 3 mos). The other extremely important rule is never close a credit card until it has been open at least 1 year. You can cancel within 30 days after the 1 year anniversary to avoid the next annual fee (AF) if you do not plan to keep the card.

There is no wrong way to do this hobby. Many of us focus on SUBs (which are especially good when you have a P2 and can earn support pts too). Others prefer to get a good balance of cards that earn in specific categories and then maximize those categories. The CPs seem like the best place to start for someone close to a SW hub that wants to maximize free flights, and the timing couldn't be better for it.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Busy Cancelling WDW Trip today. Was scheduled to be there Oct 9-13th. Was going to be first time using new Annual Pass. Had booked Flights (Delta) and Hotel (Dolphin) with Chase Points on my CSR.

Dolphin was waiving cancellation fees, so all those points were redeposited. MCO is now officially closed on the 9th, but Delta has not officially cancelled our flight. Have to wait for that to happen and call Chase back and they will refund the points.

Cancelled all dining and dessert party along with park reservations. Chatted with Disney and they refunded me all the Lighting Pass $$ I had just booked last week.

So, everything will be refunded, which is good. Have another short trip planned for December to see the Processional and then 2 more stays in Feb and March. At least now, our Annual Pass won't start until December, so it will extend a bit next year.

This hurricane looks nasty. Feel so bad for all the Floridians.

So sorry you had to cancel…we had a flight booked to MCO on Thursday to fly down to see my son and his family …SW cancelled it I’m assuming because it was a direct flight since it wasn’t scheduled to land until 7pm…while other earlier flights were available to reschedule to….thankfully I always book a flight the next day as a back up(lotsof SW points and CP) so we get down to see them

 

[djmeredith]

Busy Cancelling WDW Trip today. Was scheduled to be there Oct 9-13th. Was going to be first time using new Annual Pass. Had booked Flights (Delta) and Hotel (Dolphin) with Chase Points on my CSR.

Dolphin was waiving cancellation fees, so all those points were redeposited. MCO is now officially closed on the 9th, but Delta has not officially cancelled our flight. Have to wait for that to happen and call Chase back and they will refund the points.

Cancelled all dining and dessert party along with park reservations. Chatted with Disney and they refunded me all the Lighting Pass $$ I had just booked last week.

So, everything will be refunded, which is good. Have another short trip planned for December to see the Processional and then 2 more stays in Feb and March. At least now, our Annual Pass won't start until December, so it will extend a bit next year.

This hurricane looks nasty. Feel so bad for all the Floridians.

Sorry to hear that you had to cancel, but glad you are able to get all your pts/money back. It's great that you already have plans to visit in the near future. I feel so bad for the people who are not regulars that have had to cancel/cut short their trips.

This storm has the potential to do some major damage in Orlando. I am due to arrive Tuesday and hoping that doesn't happen, especially for all the residents in the area.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

All of you in Florida, stay safe.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Those of you that opened CIP within the last 2 months or so did you get a fee free pay over time option on your card? I was hoping that it would be offered since it is on personal cards when you use it for the first time. My first purchase hit and it's not fee free.