How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?

[Phil Titola]

I was worried the 65k would go away so jumped on it now....but probably should have waited until October (3 months to spend 1k)

how long will it be around? i'd rather try for it earlier in the calendar year to get max comp pass

yeah it's def a january aquiro

[WonderMeal]

Planning a trip to Hawai'i in June of 2019, so I have plenty of time to accumulate miles and points and all that jazz. Will probably stay 7-9 days. If anyone else enjoys planning out credit card strategy, feel free to join the fun.

Stats:
-Need to buy five tickets, hoping to go to Kauai since I've already been to Oahu for a great great KSU 'Cats fan's wedding. Would consider Maui, but know less about it.
-Have SW companion pass, SW will be announcing flights to Hawai'i as early as next month, prices are expected to be competitive
-Wife is churn-friendly, though we're both pretty much maxed out on Chase
-I've hit all of the big Amexes, MrsWonderMeal hasn't had any
-Have ~50,000 URs and will be eligible for a Chase Ink 80k here in a few weeks
-160k Membership Rewards
-~50k SPG
-Like 50k Hilton, but could crush the Hilton 125k business for MrsWonderMeal if it's still available

Strategies:
-Should I just bang some Alaska cards? Churn those 65k AA cards I get a mailer about every two days? Wait for SW?
-Do both Hilton and SPG have free-fifth-night-if-you-book-four-nights things? Up until this point I've been a Hyatt guy and only used Hiltons in non-Hyatt cities, but I doubt I'll have enough URs for Grand Hyatt Kauai for that length of time. (Wife wants a hotel with beach access on the property, which seems like it might be difficult on Kauai. Any thoughts?)

[steve dave]

wondermeal, you already know the answers based on what you have done. congrats on the baller trip(s) btw. get all the UR cards and stay at the grand hyatt kauai for the entire family. there are no good hiltons on kauai. and the st regis (spg) is over priced on points and pretty meh anyway. the sheraton and westin time share is crappy. I'd do half the trip at the grand hyatt and half the trip at a VRBO on the north side near hanalei.

[pissclams]

flying to hawaii on swa would be a nightmare

[mocat]

flying to hawaii on swa would be a nightmare

wow hot take clams

[XocolateThundarr]

flying to hawaii on swa would be a nightmare

My plan is to drink enough that I'm not going to care.

[Phil Titola]

flying to hawaii on swa would be a nightmare

My plan is to drink enough that I'm not going to care.

This is just a life mantra tbh

[ksupamplemousse]

wondermeal, you already know the answers based on what you have done. congrats on the baller trip(s) btw. get all the UR cards and stay at the grand hyatt kauai for the entire family. there are no good hiltons on kauai. and the st regis (spg) is over priced on points and pretty meh anyway. the sheraton and westin time share is crappy. I'd do half the trip at the grand hyatt and half the trip at a VRBO on the north side near hanalei.

So, real bummer about Grand Hyatt is none of their rooms are more than max four occupancy. Like, none of them. So, you'll need two rooms if you go that route, or hide one of your kids in a suitcase or something. The resort is an incredible value though. Just spent a week there and plan on doing it again as soon as we're able. I'm a pretty big homebody, always ready to be back in KC by the time vacation is over, but man, I legitimately mourned over having to leave that place. Best block of rooms if you're booking standard, which I'm pretty sure is all that's available using points, is 1st floor Poipu wing. It's ground floor, but it's off the beaten path, just a beautiful lawn out your back door with palm trees and a view of the ocean. We stayed in 1028, and I think you can go about 15 rooms in either direction and have a pretty gnarly view of the drink from there. By far the best rooms if you're booking standard. The other ones are by the noisy ass pool or overlooking the parking lot for the most part. Don't get me wrong, the pools are bomb there, but that's where all the kids congregate, so it's  not the quietest place in the world.

[steve dave]

I would never sleep that many people in a room anyway. Just get connecting rooms.



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[ksupamplemousse]

I mean, if you've got the points then that's definitely the way to go.

[sys]

if i wanted to go to hawaii and stay on the island with the chickens, is there a particular points or miles currency i should be accumulating to do that without using us dollars (for lodging)?

[steve dave]

if i wanted to go to hawaii and stay on the island with the chickens, is there a particular points or miles currency i should be accumulating to do that without using us dollars (for lodging)?

Hyatt/Chase. You will have a plethora of good flight options that I don’t have so that probably is less important. AA has the best options from here.


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[steve dave]

Rumblings SW will open flights up for booking in August too which could be an option.


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[WonderMeal]

Yes! Should be announced first week of August, and rumblings are that they'll try to undercut current carriers.

My only issue with the GH Kauai (aside from the fact that Chase is currently mushing both of us) is that there is no on site beach. For some reason the ability to walk out of the room and into the sand is very important to Mrs. WonderMeal. (Divorce?)

[steve dave]

unless there has been a tremendous amount of beach erosion there is an awesome onsite beach. I wouldn't let a toddler swim out from it or anything but I love shipwreck beach.

[Kat Kid]

https://twitter.com/BryanLowry3/status/1024065181968687109

[GoodForAnother]

The GH Kauai is the best hotel of my life (stayed as a diamond and got a great upgrade)

SD is right that the St Regis is not great for the points it costs. We did one night there and wished we’d stayed at the GH

Incredible island, just amazing

[IPA4Me]

Time for a new card. Who has a CSP referral?

['taterblast]

Time for a new card. Who has a CSP referral?

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6/5TN9CI72R1

[IPA4Me]

Time for a new card. Who has a CSP referral?

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6/5TN9CI72R1

Approved!

[steve dave]

another gE success story

['taterblast]

hell yeah, IPA4me

(when will the points hit my account?)

[steve dave]

hell yeah, IPA4me

(when will the points hit my account?)

probably two statements'ish from now

[Trim]

I'm gonna have to find a good Chase human and figure out exactly when I got the bonus and when 24 months accordingly has passed.

I don't know if I found a good human, but a human nonetheless, and got a CSR bonus eligibility date of 8/7/18, which will be just fine for having it in time for what I'm thinking of doing in September.  Sucks I can't get it now for July.

She wasn't quite following when I told her I was good on 5/24 but needed to know exactly when the 24 months would run since I last got a Sapphire bonus.  Told her I got the CSR on 5/7/16 and had the bonus by 8/4/16.  I think she thought I said that I got a CSR on 5/7/18 and had already canceled it, as she was asking me why I canceled it and then said that I'm just racking up bonus points and not really participating in the program.  I just said "OK."  Then she opined that I wouldn't be approved and I told her I'd had that CSR as my daily card for 2 years and that it would be OK.  Then she got a good human on the phone and realized she didn't have the dates right and heard the good human's directions and got off and told me that was easy and that I'd be good to go on 8/7.

I think I'll go back there and apply right at her desk so if she was wrong, I can blame her and argue until I get the card and 50K.

Good human meant just somebody under 55.  Hit the branch today and dealt with some young lady who let Payton sit under her desk while she was rushing me through getting my CSR w/full 50K bonus and in complete understanding of my Chase/Sapphire protocol.  Approved instantly and her coworker fed Payton treats throughout the process.



Man, I mumped up getting a CSP 2+ years ago that precluded me from doing this when I could've had a 100K bonus and doubled up on that $300.

[meow meow]

getting the CSR 100k, doubling up on the $300, was, and still is, one of my life's greatest thrills