TRAVEL: Points, Miles, Discounts, Tips, Advice & Questions

[HRSchenker 2268]

Lots of rumors going around that Chase is going to lock down transferring points between cards so if you're someone like me who has the Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited, and Freedom and merges all the points into Sapphire Reserve then do it today. If it actually happens I'll probably cancel both Freedom cards.

[thunderlounge 7813]

I haven’t seen anything substantial on it myself, and have been watching like a hawk. 

Chase would be absolutely stupid to do so, as it would open the door for the AMEX combo, and anyone playing the game would drop them. 

[4th and 5 4914]

On 1/3/2019 at 8:05 AM, LonghornJones said:

Since it's a new calendar year (if that matters), is now a good time to look in to the SW Companion Pass? Other cards that run on a calendar year schedule?

Ideally, apply in mid October, hit your spend on January 1. I hit mine today on the business card. Now applying for the personal. Hit that spend quick, companion pass for almost two years.

[Biff Tannen 45661]

Just got a Southwest Rapid Rewards offer for 30k points + companion pass after spending $4k in first 3 months.  $69 annual fee.  I currently have Sapphire Reserve and transfer points to Southwest regularly.  Companion pass seems tantalizing though.  Anyone have thoughts?

[MirrOlure 14755]

6 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Just got a Southwest Rapid Rewards offer for 30k points + companion pass after spending $4k in first 3 months.  $69 annual fee.  I currently have Sapphire Reserve and transfer points to Southwest regularly.  Companion pass seems tantalizing though.  Anyone have thoughts?

I can't say enough good things about the Companion Pass.  I've had it for going on 3 consecutive years now, and my wife has flown with me free (minimal security charge for each ticket) at least 3 dozen times.  

Me using points for my ticket, and her flying free is a game-changer on vacation planning.

[Keef 763]

12 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Just got a Southwest Rapid Rewards offer for 30k points + companion pass after spending $4k in first 3 months.  $69 annual fee.  I currently have Sapphire Reserve and transfer points to Southwest regularly.  Companion pass seems tantalizing though.  Anyone have thoughts?

We had it this year in California and it has easily saved us a couple thousand on trips back home.  Pounce on that while you can.

[Biff Tannen 45661]

9 hours ago, Keef said:

We had it this year in California and it has easily saved us a couple thousand on trips back home.  Pounce on that while you can.

So I think I'm going to.  Once the companion pass expires, you have to re-up it the traditional way right?  110k points or 110 flights?

[Keef 763]

1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

So I think I'm going to.  Once the companion pass expires, you have to re-up it the traditional way right?  110k points or 110 flights?

Right. I think there’s also a way to get it by opening up a small business card and they’ll run specials from time to time. For example, they opened it up to all California residents last year. 

[ZB'Tejas 593]

Headed to South America in a month for work... likely taking AA but wondering if there is any sneaky way to get upgraded? Don't have any systemwide upgrades but do have status. 500 miles won't work there I don't think.

[midtown 3345]

Headed to South America in a month for work... likely taking AA but wondering if there is any sneaky way to get upgraded? Don't have any systemwide upgrades but do have status. 500 miles won't work there I don't think.

Blow the pilot

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[midtown 3345]

Anyone have the Capital One Venture card?  I just got the 60,000 pt offer.  10 miles per dollar at Hotels.com which I use..How far do the miles go?  

[Shaddie 1651]

8 hours ago, ZB'Tejas said:

Headed to South America in a month for work... likely taking AA but wondering if there is any sneaky way to get upgraded? Don't have any systemwide upgrades but do have status. 500 miles won't work there I don't think.

25K miles +$300. Call now and they don’t charge your card until upgrade clears. Easiest way if not EXP 

[Murfdogg21 4412]

SWA Companion Pass is definitely worth it if you can get it. I had it from 2014-2018 and my wife probably flew with me for free on 6-8 round trips a year. Then we had a kid and he flew free until he was 2.

I’m at a crossroad now of what to do both in terms of SWA Visa card and SWA as my preferred airline. I went from 2-4 business trips a month to about one every other month beginning in early 2018. With my travel dip, spending alone on the card didn’t get me qualified for Companion in 2019. If I switch over to this new Signature SWA visa they won’t give me the 50k tier points because I’m not a new customer. I missed Companion by about 25k points (mostly due to credit card spending) while I didn’t even make regular A List because my travel was so low. Maybe there’s a scam to cancel my current card for X months, then sign up for a business card and then sign up for this new Signature personal card and bank 100k tier points in bonuses?

[Digdogger 1344]

4 hours ago, midtown said:

Anyone have the Capital One Venture card?  I just got the 60,000 pt offer.  10 miles per dollar at Hotels.com which I use..How far do the miles go?  

$600.  Also, 10 nights at hotels.com gets a free night (at the average of the year 10 nights’ rate) with 10x points, you’re effectively paying 80% for hotel rooms.  You basically can just turn in however many points for any travel expense at $0.01 per point.  So it’s actually pretty good value for hotels even beyond the sign up bonus

[TornACL 7698]

I don't think we have a separate Marriott Rewards thread so I will post my questions here. 

1) Anybody else have the Chase Marriott Rewards card, and if so is there some merger related delay in transferring card points into your Marriott account? I always get them on the 22nd of every month, but December was a no show. 

2) Has anyone else seen a drastic drop off in responsiveness? I emailed my inquiry, no reply. Sent a DM to their Rewards Twitter account, not even an acknowledgement. 

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1603]

2 hours ago, TornACL said:

I don't think we have a separate Marriott Rewards thread so I will post my questions here. 

1) Anybody else have the Chase Marriott Rewards card, and if so is there some merger related delay in transferring card points into your Marriott account? I always get them on the 22nd of every month, but December was a no show. 

2) Has anyone else seen a drastic drop off in responsiveness? I emailed my inquiry, no reply. Sent a DM to their Rewards Twitter account, not even an acknowledgement. 

I got super boned by the merger.  Was platinum status with SPG for 5 consecutive years and post merger lost all points and status.  Called my concierge and they couldn't tell me what was going on.

[SurlyORama 164]

I have AA Exec Plat status, but still a relative newby to making best use of it, and have never done so for something like I'm describing below.

Trying to book flights for my wife and I for a trip to Europe in April. Need to fly outbound from Austin to London, then return from Madrid.

I have 4 systemwide upgrades, and wondering how/when is best time to try and book flights so I can make use of them to go from economy to business. AA's booking site makes it a bit hard to find flights where the SU's are available. I signed up on ExpertFlyer.com and set up some alerts for upgrade availability on the dates I'm looking at.

I guess I'm just unfamiliar with when/if use of the SU's will be possible? Taking my wife on her first trip to Europe, she's not comfortable on long flights, so getting into the business seats would be a big help. 

Thanks for any insights or advice.

[AustinMT 952]

10 hours ago, GlenFromTheMailRoom said:

I got super boned by the merger.  Was platinum status with SPG for 5 consecutive years and post merger lost all points and status.  Called my concierge and they couldn't tell me what was going on.

That’s really weird.  We are Platinum on Marriott, but everything I read said SPG points and status would transfer.  We have no issues at the old “SPG” hotels, either.  Also, our SPG points transferred over.

Did you do an account merge?

[TornACL 7698]

I guess Marriott monitors this thread, my points showed up this morning, lulz

[thunderlounge 7813]

4 hours ago, SurlyORama said:

I have AA Exec Plat status, but still a relative newby to making best use of it, and have never done so for something like I'm describing below.

Trying to book flights for my wife and I for a trip to Europe in April. Need to fly outbound from Austin to London, then return from Madrid. 

I have 4 systemwide upgrades, and wondering how/when is best time to try and book flights so I can make use of them to go from economy to business. AA's booking site makes it a bit hard to find flights where the SU's are available. I signed up on ExpertFlyer.com and set up some alerts for upgrade availability on the dates I'm looking at. 

I guess I'm just unfamiliar with when/if use of the SU's will be possible? Taking my wife on her first trip to Europe, she's not comfortable on long flights, so getting into the business seats would be a big help.  

Thanks for any insights or advice. 

 

This is a tough one, and being flexible is going to be key. Just because there are open seats doesn't mean that you can use your SWU's. If there were a known pattern, everybody would do it.

However, you do have options. Probably a lot more than you realize. Grab more coffee, this is going to get long.

Before we start, for general reference, you want to fly when most business people aren't. Tuesday, Wednesday, maybe Saturday. Even that isn't a guarantee as DFW being THE AA hub, the "elite" saturation/competition is huge. So even on days when business travel isn't peak, you still have a lower shot of scoring with a SWU. Not impossible, but the odds are far from guaranteed. Especially going to London.

First, what you need to ask yourself is "how bad" you want those seats. If you were to be stuck in the main cabin, would that wreck your trip? Will it put your wife off so bad that she may never travel long haul again? If yes, then we need to make sure you get those seats. If not, then we should try to position you as best possible for an upgrade, but comfortable enough if it doesn't happen.

Seeing that you're looking to go in April, it's getting a bit close to find rock bottom pricing. But there's always a chance.
 

Option 1: Want J, Buy J
This is probably the most obvious point, but many overlook it. If you want to sit up front, plan for and buy it. This may seem out of reach, but if you plan and dig enough, it can work out for the better. It won't be an $800 economy ticket, but it won't be $5k either. There are a few ways to cut the cost down to something manageable.

a. Be flexible on your dates and entry/exit airports. Use google flights or ita matrix to find the "cheapest" days for business class into and out of various airports in the UK/Europe. What you'll find is that flying into the EU is going to be better overall on price. London is going to be your most expensive entry (and exit) point, as it commands a premium. So check out various entries, and see what happens. Intra-EU flights are cheap. Trains can be cheap too. So you may be able to fly into say, Paris, then take another flight into London. Maybe even Eurostar. (If you take a flight, go with BA as they are out of the same terminal at CDG as AA.) Just be sure to allow plenty of time between changes. 6hrs is safe, overnight even better.

b. Try looking at AA Vacations, or BA Holidays. Often times you can find tickets and hotel for less than just the tickets on their own. If you don't want the hotel, book the minimum number of nights at the cheapest one offered and just no-show. Case in point. I found a deal through BA Holidays for $5800 all in, including hotel. Tickets on their own (2) were $4800 each.

By combing through and finding the "cheapest" days for business class, and where, you can save thousands when you leverage that into dates you then look at with one of the vacation sites. This should yield the best overall deal. It may still be out of budget, but it's as close as you'll get.

c. Watch for fare sales. Who knows when they will happen, but they do. I'm not sure you can afford to wait on one though. But for future reference, there ya go.

 

Option 2: The half and half
This may seem odd, but maybe not. Flying east is when having a lie-flat is most important. You want to get onboard, get settled, and pass out as soon as possible. That way you wake up ready to go. Coming back, you really want to stay awake as much as possible. You'll be tired as hell, but you'll crash out as soon as you hit your pillow, and then wake up back on track.

That being the case, it's possible to fly in J going east, and the PE or Y coming back. You'll have to contact an agent directly to book it, but since you can't book that itinerary online they will waive the reservation fee.

Now if you combine options 1 and 2 and book this through AA Vacations or BA Holidays, you'll be even better.

 

Option 3: Neither Main Cabin, nor Business
Another option is to fly in PE (premium economy). PE is going to be akin to domestic first. Similar seat, slightly more recline. Meals are off the J menu, but selection is limited. Not lie-flats, but not completely small church (no ballroom) either.

 

Option 4: Main Cabin and Pray
This one is what it is. Try to position yourself as best you can in the main cabin, try to apply the SWU, and pray it clears. Being EXP you should be able to pick an exit row or MCE for free at purchase time. Try to position yourself as best you can so if the SWU doesn't clear, you're not completely fucked. If you're short, you're in better shape. I'm 6'2" and have a hell of a time in the main cabin. Thankfully that is very few and far between though.

 

Um, if you're EXP, what's your mileage balance look like? You may be able to use miles for one ticket, then purchase another. Or apply miles to an AA Vacation package (IIRC). Have any Chase or AMEX points? Could use those on BA/BA Holiday.

Note: I referenced BA Holiday, but if you are careful with your flight selections you'll be on AA metal under a BA codeshare. This is also good as you can earn EQD/EQM under the BA chart and not by how much you spent. (Could be the same, or better.)

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by thunderlounge

[PittsburghTiger 6174]

I figure this is as good a place to mention this as any. Next week I am flying to Frankfurt from JFK and I'm doing my first flight on the A380. I'm pretty excited. Going on Singapore. I've never flown them, but have always heard good things.

[midtown 3345]

4 minutes ago, PittsburghTiger said:

I'm pretty excited. Going on Singapore. I've never flown them, but have always heard good things.

Lufthansa?  That was my only 380 ride so far from FRA to IAH.  I sat in Prem economy..I don't recall a single turbulence event across the North Atlantic. 

[PittsburghTiger 6174]

17 minutes ago, midtown said:

Lufthansa?  That was my only 380 ride so far from FRA to IAH.  I sat in Prem economy..I don't recall a single turbulence event across the North Atlantic. 

Singapore Airlines. Unfortunately it's not one of the new A380s.

 

[4th and 5 4914]

On 1/11/2019 at 9:12 PM, Murfdogg21 said:

SWA Companion Pass is definitely worth it if you can get it. I had it from 2014-2018 and my wife probably flew with me for free on 6-8 round trips a year. Then we had a kid and he flew free until he was 2.

I’m at a crossroad now of what to do both in terms of SWA Visa card and SWA as my preferred airline. I went from 2-4 business trips a month to about one every other month beginning in early 2018. With my travel dip, spending alone on the card didn’t get me qualified for Companion in 2019. If I switch over to this new Signature SWA visa they won’t give me the 50k tier points because I’m not a new customer. I missed Companion by about 25k points (mostly due to credit card spending) while I didn’t even make regular A List because my travel was so low. Maybe there’s a scam to cancel my current card for X months, then sign up for a business card and then sign up for this new Signature personal card and bank 100k tier points in bonuses?

Cancel SW cards. Why anyone would carry them except for the scam, or fly SW frequently for business (in which case you wouldn't need the scam) is beyond me. Use 2-5x Chase cards (Sapphire, Freedom, Ink) to manufacture points and transfer points to SW as needed.

You can get the bonus every 24 months.

Apply biz card prior to 1/1/XX, hit spend immediately after 1/1/XX+1. NOT BEFORE

Apply personal, hit spend ASAP.

CP earned for this year and the next (~23 months).

Cancel card.

Repeat >24 months from the last time.

Hit my biz spend a week ago, personal card came in mail yesterday.

===>With that said, Chase has a CP bonus on their SW card right now, but the CP is only good until the end of 2019, not 2020

 

[thunderlounge 7813]

Just throwing this out there, but as of last August you can only get a sapphire bonus once every 48 months.

Amex has switched to a lifetime language on most offers, and Chase keeps adding which cards fall under their 5/24 rule (recently added most of their co-branded cards.)

 

[PantsTent 2002]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

Just throwing this out there, but as of last August you can only get a sapphire bonus once every 48 months.

Amex has switched to a lifetime language on most offers, and Chase keeps adding which cards fall under their 5/24 rule (recently added most of their co-branded cards.)

 

Definitely worth noting. I was going to sign up for the Reserved and cancel my Preferred..upgrading the card and getting a bonus at the same time.  But then I found the above and I've only been 24 months since the Preferred bonus.

The SWA cards are still 24 months between bonuses so 4th and 5's plan above still works.  The SWA card I got last month puts me in 5/24 so I'm done for a little while anyway.

[Shaddie 1651]

SurlyOrama

   I did 2 trips Dfw-Mia-Lhr last year. Saturday out Saturday back. Purposely routes thru MIA because 777w and a few more J seats. Don’t seem to sell as much J as DFW does. This was Sept and then Oct. Cleared outbound both times 1 week in advance. Cleared return 3-4 days out. 

I guess other euro locations may be same thru Mia  

If purchasing Premium Economy for return then J is not totally necessary to me. 

Forgot to add Mia has flagship lounge. Very nice way to kill a few hours getting “medicined” up for using the lie flats. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Shaddie

[gmr548 16576]

On 1/10/2019 at 10:43 AM, Biff Tannen said:

Just got a Southwest Rapid Rewards offer for 30k points + companion pass after spending $4k in first 3 months.  $69 annual fee.  I currently have Sapphire Reserve and transfer points to Southwest regularly.  Companion pass seems tantalizing though.  Anyone have thoughts?

I haven't opened a new card in a while but I jumped at the higher tier SWA card with the same offer. $150 annual fee but comes with a $75 annual SWA credit, four upgraded boardings, and 7,500 RR points per card anniversary. For someone like me that doesn't always fly SWA the boarding upgrades actually do sweeten the pot a bit. Companion pass is a hell of a bonus offer, even if I'll only have it for six months.

[thunderlounge 7813]

4 hours ago, Shaddie said:

Forgot to add Mia has flagship lounge.

 

DFW is scheduled to open this spring. Maybe not quite by April, but pretty soon at least.

 

MIA is also a good thought. DFW also has 77W, but that brings up a very good point on aircraft and hubs on this side. IF in J when going east, definitely do all you can to use DFW or MIA as the departure point for your long haul. There obviously is a AUS-LHR flight on BA, but it comes at a premium being non-stop, thus I wouldn't consider it unless there is a hell of a deal.

When looking at routings, look for the following aircraft with AA:
1. 77W (777-300ER)
2. 772 (777-200)
3. 789 (787-9)
4. 788 (787-8)

The 77W is arguably the best J seat flying (Thompson Vantage.) The 788 is good, but not quite as good as the other three. It's a tick narrow, and if you have wide shoulders it can be a tick confining. You shouldn't see a 788 into LHR unless you go through ORD, which I don't recommend. Look for DFW/MIA, as they are longer flights going east. Means more sleep, which is important.

If in Y, then look at any point like CLT, JFK, or PHL. Shorter flight, less time cramped up.

 

[Party_Taco 3722]

Anyone have thoughts or experience with the Hilton Honors cars from Amex?

100k Hilton points on $1,000 spend with no fee seems like easy action.

[thunderlounge 7813]

20 minutes ago, Party_Taco said:

Anyone have thoughts or experience with the Hilton Honors cars from Amex?

100k Hilton points on $1,000 spend with no fee seems like easy action.

 

I have the Ascend ($95 AF) and it’s worth it IF you stay in the Hilton group of properties. I think it’s a 150k bonus right now, or at least it was. The 12x at hilton properties (including food/beverage) is a plus, as is gold status (breakfast). If you stay enough at Hiltons and sre already diamond, then maybe the no fee is better, I dunno. The 6x on gas/groceries is the sweet spot for me on that card. If you stay at a hilton resort every year, maybe the aspire is better. You can get a net positive of at least $100 over the AF on that one with the resort credit, airline credit (of your choice, and gift cards can count), as well as other benefits. 

Overall the ascend is the sweet spot for me. I also have the Chase IHG card, but mostly for IHG spend. I put a little on it every month or two ($50-$100) just to keep Chase happy. 

I will note that AMEX has become very fucking picky on its cards lately. If you grab a bonus then sock drawer a card, they may deny you bonuses on other cards. Small monthly spends seem to keep them happy for now though. 

ETA: I will say AMEX has been really good to me thus far. Excellent customer service, above and beyond. 

Edited January 16, 2019 by thunderlounge

[SurlyORama 164]

13 hours ago, Shaddie said:

SurlyOrama

   I did 2 trips Dfw-Mia-Lhr last year. Saturday out Saturday back. Purposely routes thru MIA because 777w and a few more J seats. Don’t seem to sell as much J as DFW does. This was Sept and then Oct. Cleared outbound both times 1 week in advance. Cleared return 3-4 days out. 

I guess other euro locations may be same thru Mia  

If purchasing Premium Economy for return then J is not totally necessary to me. 

Forgot to add Mia has flagship lounge. Very nice way to kill a few hours getting “medicined” up for using the lie flats. 

Here's another example of where I don't know enough. When you say "cleared a week in advance", that means you did NOT see availability of SWU when booking, just booked economy (or premium economy), then called and REQUESTED a SWU? Or something else? Thanks for any info.

[Shaddie 1651]

1 minute ago, SurlyORama said:

Here's another example of where I don't know enough. When you say "cleared a week in advance", that means you did NOT see availability of SWU when booking, just booked economy (or premium economy), then called and REQUESTED a SWU? Or something else? Thanks for any info.

Yes. The chance of finding space before booking flight is a golden horned unicorn odds to LHR. AA revenue management is NOT going to open up much to its biggest TATL destination. 2 seats are even more impossible. 

Also when waitlisting your SWU be sure and only do the TATL portion. You don’t want to clear the DFW-MIA segment and not the long one. Chances are good you will clear short flight on comp upgrades on a Saturday. 

When searching you can look at seat map and get a rough (though far from perfect) idea of loads. 

I miss the last 15 years of easy upgrades but in this strong economy/reduced competition those days are gone until next recession. 

Good luck

[Hornsareus 9]

AA 788 seats suck compared to the other 3 on that list.  "Motion Over the Ocean" 

[thunderlounge 7813]

6 hours ago, Hornsareus said:

AA 788 seats suck compared to the other 3 on that list.  "Motion Over the Ocean" 

Removing the mini cabin killed off the 4 best seats on those, but a couple still remain. Imagree it should have been fixed long ago, but that lawsuit against zodiac (although perfectly reasonable) probably didn’t help. 

[Dbeasy 15040]

Ah help! I haven’t travelled out of the country in over three years. I’m headed to Mexico on business in a week and I just realized my credit card (citi advantage MC) has huge foreign transaction fees.

I already have a chase freedom visa for personal use and I need the best business card. I don’t want to take advantage of the $450 annual fee cards because I don’t like to have to worry about tracking expenditures etc. I will do some international travel over the next few years but not a ton.

Also when I used to travel thru various countries I often couldn’t do transactions because I didn’t know what my credit card pin was. I don’t want to deal with that either. I think the new chip cards eliminate that need in Mexico Europe and elsewhere. What should I buy and is getting it in 7 days even possible?

[captained 57]

56 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Ah help! I haven’t travelled out of the country in over three years. I’m headed to Mexico on business in a week and I just realized my credit card (citi advantage MC) has huge foreign transaction fees.

I already have a chase freedom visa for personal use and I need the best business card. I don’t want to take advantage of the $450 annual fee cards because I don’t like to have to worry about tracking expenditures etc. I will do some international travel over the next few years but not a ton.

Also when I used to travel thru various countries I often couldn’t do transactions because I didn’t know what my credit card pin was. I don’t want to deal with that either. I think the new chip cards eliminate that need in Mexico Europe and elsewhere. What should I buy and is getting it in 7 days even possible?

You may be able to call and expedite delivery in time (maybe). But for the card that fits your needs, I would say the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is spot on. No foreign trans fees, $95 annual (unless they changed it), plus 50k Chase UR bonus points, which is a solid program. 

[thunderlounge 7813]

2 hours ago, captained said:

You may be able to call and expedite delivery in time (maybe). But for the card that fits your needs, I would say the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is spot on. No foreign trans fees, $95 annual (unless they changed it), plus 50k Chase UR bonus points, which is a solid program. 

 

For credit, this is the spot. Unless you travel a lot, then the AF offsets with the Reserve. 

 First things first though, you want to apply OVER THE PHONE. While doing so, tell the rep that you need the card overnighted as you are leaving the country. 

Chase should do this for you no problem. Check before you apply. 

 

Another option is AMEX. I know for 100% certain that if you apply by phone and let them know ahead of time, then they can overnight a card to you. 

Where you run into an issue there is whether you want a credit or charge card. If credit, one of the Hilton cards (ascend is the sweet spot) would work in a pinch if you stay at any hilton brands. Other option is eother a gold or plat card. You would have to dig on those a bit first and see what fits. 

 

First I would try the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve though. The AF of the reserve can easily come down to close to the preferred, with an annual offset of $320 minimum if you use the global entry credit ($100/5yr.)

But absolutely call in to apply, and make sure before burning a pull that they will expedite anf overnight the card. 

 

If you’ve opened 5 or more cards in the last 2 years, skip Chase and go straight to AMEX.

Could maybe try citi or cap1, but those would be down my list. Also not sure if they overnight, so again, call to apply and ask before actually applying. 

[thunderlounge 7813]

Re: PIN...

you will be signing a lot when overseas. The US doesn’t have any “chip+pin” cards (save one from some weird bank). It’s nothing unusual, you’ll be fine. 

You can also add your card to apple pay or android pay. Good way to avoid it all when you can. 

[Dbeasy 15040]

Thanks for the input. On the phone now.

[thunderlounge 7813]

Alright, now that I'm back at my desk I can give a little better direction to your overall request.

 

Chase:

Chase offers 18 different cards which have no foreign transaction fees (FTF). Of those, only 3 are non-partner cards.
- Sapphire Preferred ($95 AF [waived 1st year], 2x points on dining/travel, 1.25¢/pt when redeeming through UR portal.)
- Sapphire Reserve ($450 AF, 3x points on dining/travel, $300 annual travel credit, $100 Global Entry credit, 1.5¢/pt through UR portal.)

Both of the above have a 50k point welcome bonus if you spend $4k in the first 3 months.

- Ink Business Preferred ($95 AF, 3x points on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone and online advertising, on up to a combined $150k of spend. 1.5¢/pt through UR portal.)

Partner cards include IHG, United, Southwest, BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Amazon.

 

AMEX:

- Gold Card (Charge card. $250 AF, 4x dining, 4x grocery, 3x flights booked directly with airline, $10/mo dining credit, $100 airline fee credit)
- Plat Card (Charge card. $550 AF, 5x flight booked directly with airline, $200 airline fee credit, $15/mo Uber credit, Global Entry credit, Centurion Lounge access)

AMEX also has partner cards for Delta, SPG/Marriott, and Hilton which are credit cards vice the gold/plat charge cards.

 

Out of all of those, it really depends on what you need/want. Not to mention where your spending is. If you favor a specific airline, that might work better. If you favor a specific hotel, that might be better. Or maybe just a general travel card instead. If you pay your balance off every month, a charge card isn't going to hurt. If for some reason you think an expense reimbursement could be delayed, maybe a credit card is better.

In terms of acceptance, Visa is obviously king. I will say though that AMEX has come a long way, and I haven't seen any major restaurant/hotel that wouldn't take it. Maybe some smaller mom/pop shops, but that's to be expected. If you go the AMEX route, always have a backup VISA card. Even if it has a FTF.

I'd look at Sapphire Preferred, even the Reserve although you mentioned you wanted to avoid a high AF. After that, maybe the AMEX Gold, or a partner card if it works out.

The 80k offer on the Ink Business Preferred is good, but remember it's a $5k spend in the first 3 months. I'm not a fan of the categories myself, although I could make use of some.

 

[thunderlounge 7813]

5 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Thanks for the input. On the phone now.

Just be nice and polite, even play dumbass a bit if you need to. It helps if you have the right rep on the phone. "Gosh, I have this trip coming up and it never occurred to me to check out what cards I needed. I sure messed that one up." Or whatever, but you get the idea. 

 

Good luck. Let us know in a few what happens. (Damn, should have gave you a referral code for chase. LOL)

Edited January 17, 2019 by thunderlounge

[Dbeasy 15040]

Summary of what I did. Realized halfway thru the process on Chase that my other credit card is also Chase, and hence I've doubled up on Visa and have no Mastercard. I want one of each. Chase has no Mastercard. Tried to find the closest thing to the Chase card that supports MC. Found Citi Premier. Looked comparable. Went ahead and got it. They wouldn't guarantee delivery in time. We'll see. Worst case scenario I get hit with some foreign transaction fees on this first of several trips. Thanks again. I might circle back around and drop my lesser Chase card in exchange for Sapphire.

[Keef 763]

43 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Summary of what I did. Realized halfway thru the process on Chase that my other credit card is also Chase, and hence I've doubled up on Visa and have no Mastercard. I want one of each. Chase has no Mastercard. Tried to find the closest thing to the Chase card that supports MC. Found Citi Premier. Looked comparable. Went ahead and got it. They wouldn't guarantee delivery in time. We'll see. Worst case scenario I get hit with some foreign transaction fees on this first of several trips. Thanks again. I might circle back around and drop my lesser Chase card in exchange for Sapphire.

You may be able to upgrade your current credit card to a Sapphire.  I've done it the other way - e.g., I had Sapphire Reserve with a big sign-up bonus, hit them for two calendar years worth of airline credits, then asked to have my Reserve downgraded.  That way, you don't get the credit ding associated with cancelling a card.

[Telegraph_it 3357]

Wife and I recently got back from our 7th international vacation trip since we got married five years ago. I kept a running record on all my trips and the points/miles I redeemed. The tally stands at 1.795 million points spent between United, Lufthansa, Turkish, ANA, and Thai Airways. The Chase Sapphire, Freedom, and Freedom Unlimited made most of this possible and most recently Amex Platinum.

We are living in the golden age of travel, and these reward cards have made flying around the globe "free" as regular expenditures subsidize your reward travel. 

My best redemption cannot be made anymore since United changed their reward rules. Flew IAH-NRT-BKK-CNX-HKG (two-day layover)-PEK-IAH for our two week trip to Thailand. 295k miles to fly in business on United, ANA, and Thai Airways.

[thunderlounge 7813]

2 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Summary of what I did. Realized halfway thru the process on Chase that my other credit card is also Chase, and hence I've doubled up on Visa and have no Mastercard. I want one of each. Chase has no Mastercard. Tried to find the closest thing to the Chase card that supports MC. Found Citi Premier. Looked comparable. Went ahead and got it. They wouldn't guarantee delivery in time. We'll see. Worst case scenario I get hit with some foreign transaction fees on this first of several trips. Thanks again. I might circle back around and drop my lesser Chase card in exchange for Sapphire.

 

Wait, wut?

I don't see any additional benefits to their Premier, where with either Sapphire product you would have also had travel insurance, baggage insurance, and primary rental car insurance. And Chase does offer a Mastercard, although it's the co-branded IHG card.

You could still upgrade your freedom, but I wouldn't. They'll do a hard pull anyway.

 

Cross your fingers. Hope it works out.

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1603]

On 1/15/2019 at 7:50 AM, AustinMT said:

That’s really weird.  We are Platinum on Marriott, but everything I read said SPG points and status would transfer.  We have no issues at the old “SPG” hotels, either.  Also, our SPG points transferred over.

Did you do an account merge?

I just got the notice from SPG to merge everything this morning.   Got all my stuff back.  The name of the new brand is straight up awful though.  "Bonvoy".  

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1603]

On 1/11/2019 at 11:12 AM, ZB'Tejas said:

Headed to South America in a month for work... likely taking AA but wondering if there is any sneaky way to get upgraded? Don't have any systemwide upgrades but do have status. 500 miles won't work there I don't think.

You can do upgrade at the desk if they have open seats.  Did Austin -> Heathrow business class this way.

Edit: It was $500 just an fyi.  Completely worth it if you're on a late flight.  The $500 is per leg.  Get there early and pay for it so you don't get jumped by people with status.

Edited January 18, 2019 by GlenFromTheMailRoom

[AustinMT 952]

53 minutes ago, GlenFromTheMailRoom said:

I just got the notice from SPG to merge everything this morning.   Got all my stuff back.  The name of the new brand is straight up awful though.  "Bonvoy".  

Yeah — I saw the name.  What ad genius came up with that?

[Chewbacca 7766]

On 4/10/2018 at 8:44 AM, gecko said:

Discovered recently that SPG points transfer 3-1 to Marriott Rewards.  Marriott Reward Points can then be transferred to United Airlines 1pt = 1 mile.  I have 80K SPG pts, that's 240K Marriott Reward pts which, in turn, is 240k United miles.  Sweetness....

Anyone know if this deal is still in play?  Would be a game changer for the trip I'm planning since I live in Denver and UAL is almost always the best bet for direct flights.