How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?

[raquetcat]

You can now use marriott points for flights and car rental, not sure what the redemption rate is, but this was in a email I got

 Book flights with more than 400 different airlines, and reserve rental cars at Hertz® locations
 http://www.marriottrewardsairandcar.com

[steve dave]

It will be awful

[ChiComCat]

I'm working on planning a trip for a year out to go DEN to SFO for a family thing on a weekend, then SFO to LIH (Kauai) for two.  Trying to figure out what cards are best.  Thinking Hyatt for the hotel, United for DEN to SFO leg.  I have a HAwaiian airlines card and points to cover HNL-LIH leg (since it was thru BoA and only checks some credit report that Chase and Citi do not).  Leaves me needing best bets for hotel in San Fran and flights to Honolulu (AA?).  Maybe some additional hotel options for Hawaii.  Thoughts?

[raquetcat]

my 50k is set to hit on my feb statement. Any chance i can bitch to get my annual bonus to include this?

Here are the terms and conditions that were on the email, you'll probably get it on the bonus you get in February 2013, but it never hurts to try

 You will receive a yearly bonus of 7% of all points you earned in the previous Year. ("Year" means, for your first year as a cardmember, the period beginning with your enrollment date through your December statement date of that same year. For each year thereafter, "Year" means the twelve month period beginning the day after your December statement date through your December statement date of the next year). Your bonus will appear on your January or February billing statement. You do not earn points on balance transfers, cash advances, cash-like charges such as travelers checks, foreign currency, and money orders, any checks that are used to access your account, overdraft advances, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, or fees of any kind, including fees for products that protect or insure the balances of your account. There is no maximum number of points that you can accumulate in the program. Bonus/Promotional offers may have a maximum accumulation.

[felix rex]

I finally started kind of half-ass doing this a couple months ago. But I feel like the dude from the pickup bball thread who wants to practice on an open court before he dives in to an ongoing game and everyone starts rolling their eyes.

[sys]

I finally started kind of half-ass doing this a couple months ago. But I feel like the dude from the pickup bball thread who wants to practice on an open court before he dives in to an ongoing game and everyone starts rolling their eyes.

stay away from the hotel cards, they will pervert you with their twisted siren songs.

[felix rex]

I finally started kind of half-ass doing this a couple months ago. But I feel like the dude from the pickup bball thread who wants to practice on an open court before he dives in to an ongoing game and everyone starts rolling their eyes.

stay away from the hotel cards, they will pervert you with their twisted siren songs.

I started tentatively (may also be qualified as a misstep. not sure). Got 50,000 for signing up with an amex card, plus triple points for gas, double for groceries, and 15,000 bonus if you hit racked up 30,000 by the end of the year.

[ChiComCat]

I finally started kind of half-ass doing this a couple months ago. But I feel like the dude from the pickup bball thread who wants to practice on an open court before he dives in to an ongoing game and everyone starts rolling their eyes.

stay away from the hotel cards, they will pervert you with their twisted siren songs.

I started tentatively (may also be qualified as a misstep. not sure). Got 50,000 for signing up with an amex card, plus triple points for gas, double for groceries, and 15,000 bonus if you hit racked up 30,000 by the end of the year.

Thats not bad.  You did fine, especially if you signed up recently when all the awesome bonuses stopped happening

[steve dave]

7% Annual Points Dividend earned: 8,149 points

Your 7% annual points dividend has posted to your account and can be viewed on your January or February 2012 statements.

holy crap, just got this email, forgot about this thing on the Chase Sapphire card 

oh man, almost caught thepointsguy

[EllToPay]

Received all 25k points for getting the SPG AMEX. Now have a balance of 28k points.

If I were to use this as my everyday spending card, what's the best way to rack up points besides staying at SPG hotels?

[steve dave]

Received all 25k points for getting the SPG AMEX. Now have a balance of 28k points.

If I were to use this as my everyday spending card, what's the best way to rack up points besides staying at SPG hotels?

just spending on it.  it has not bonuses for gas, groceries, etc. unfortunately.  SPG also has few transfer partners.  MR points will transfer but at a 1:3 ratio which sucks.  You spend $20k more on it and you are looking at 5 nights in Maui though.  $15k more and you can get two domestic RT tickets on most airlines. 

[EllToPay]

Received all 25k points for getting the SPG AMEX. Now have a balance of 28k points.

If I were to use this as my everyday spending card, what's the best way to rack up points besides staying at SPG hotels?

just spending on it.  it has not bonuses for gas, groceries, etc. unfortunately.  SPG also has few transfer partners.  MR points will transfer but at a 1:3 ratio which sucks.  You spend $20k more on it and you are looking at 5 nights in Maui though.  $15k more and you can get two domestic RT tickets on most airlines. 

etp trips planned this year so far:

dublin/london/paris (flights purchased, but not hotels yet)
STL for a weekend
Chicago for a weekend
Boston for a weekend

best way to use current points? the spg's in paris and london aren't accepting points...is this common?

[steve dave]

weird, they are on our dates.  Your aren't going to be going around the Olympics are you?  All the non-crappy SPGs in London and Paris are 20k anyway.  The Westin in Dublin is supposed to be nice but I don't have any idea how many points it is.  That would probably be your best bet.

[EllToPay]

weird, they are on our dates.  Your aren't going to be going around the Olympics are you?  All the non-crappy SPGs in London and Paris are 20k anyway.  The Westin in Dublin is supposed to be nice but I don't have any idea how many points it is.  That would probably be your best bet.

no, may. yeah, i don't want to use all the points on a night or two.

[EllToPay]

weird, they are on our dates.  Your aren't going to be going around the Olympics are you?  All the non-crappy SPGs in London and Paris are 20k anyway.  The Westin in Dublin is supposed to be nice but I don't have any idea how many points it is.  That would probably be your best bet.

no, may. yeah, i don't want to use all the points on a night or two.

i dont want to stay in a westin or sheraton if im in dublin or paris. would rather stay in something more local.

staying just north of hyde park in london, already have that booked.

[Dr Rick Daris]

etp- get more cards to collect the sign up bonuses and stop using that spg card if you've already collected the sign up bonus. cancel that spg card before the year is up and then apply for it again two years from now to again collect the sign up bonus. it's all about sign up bonuses and not using some single stupid card to buy coffee w/ every morning.

[steve dave]

RD, did you read this?  Could be a great option for tokyo

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2012/02/03/the-amazing-value-of-americans-oneworld-distance-based-awards/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boardingarea%2Fonemileatatime+%28One+Mile+at+a+Time%29

[Rams]

Is there a quick/easy way to determine what (if any) points you can use for a certain hotel?  I have a wedding in Portland in July and will be staying at Hotel Modera for a few nights and would like to find a bonus card to rack up points ahead of time if I can.  tia

[steve dave]

Is there a quick/easy way to determine what (if any) points you can use for a certain hotel?  I have a wedding in Portland in July and will be staying at Hotel Modera for a few nights and would like to find a bonus card to rack up points ahead of time if I can.  tia

that place looks elite but I don't think they belong to any points program.  I like to go to tripadvisor.com>type in city I'm going to be in>click on hotels>on the left side of the screen towards the bottom there is an option to click on hotel brands>click on all programs you have or may have when you go.  It will remove all the hotels that aren't members of the programs you choose.  Very helpful imo.

[sys]

stay away from the hotel cards, they will pervert you with their twisted siren songs.

I like to go to tripadvisor.com>type in city I'm going to be in>click on hotels>on the left side of the screen towards the bottom there is an option to click on hotel brands>click on all programs you have or may have when you go.  It will remove all the hotels that aren't members of the programs you choose.  Very helpful imo.

[Dr Rick Daris]

RD, did you read this?  Could be a great option for tokyo

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2012/02/03/the-amazing-value-of-americans-oneworld-distance-based-awards/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boardingarea%2Fonemileatatime+%28One+Mile+at+a+Time%29

mods please move to kids thread. the value on those looks just absolutely insand though. 300k could get two people pretty much around the world with multiple stops. did you see some of the comments? pretty unreal. also, i can no longer get on boarding area from work but given the fact that randy never emailed me back that whole place can pretty much suck it.

[steve dave]

RD, did you read this?  Could be a great option for tokyo

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2012/02/03/the-amazing-value-of-americans-oneworld-distance-based-awards/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boardingarea%2Fonemileatatime+%28One+Mile+at+a+Time%29

mods please move to kids thread. the value on those looks just absolutely insand though. 300k could get two people pretty much around the world with multiple stops. did you see some of the comments? pretty unreal.

yeah, kind of rethinking my recent 165k AA booking for just the euro RT.  Could churn a few more AA cards, take a month off of work and go crazy. 

[Rams]

Is there a quick/easy way to determine what (if any) points you can use for a certain hotel?  I have a wedding in Portland in July and will be staying at Hotel Modera for a few nights and would like to find a bonus card to rack up points ahead of time if I can.  tia

that place looks elite but I don't think they belong to any points program.  I like to go to tripadvisor.com>type in city I'm going to be in>click on hotels>on the left side of the screen towards the bottom there is an option to click on hotel brands>click on all programs you have or may have when you go.  It will remove all the hotels that aren't members of the programs you choose.  Very helpful imo.

 

I don't have the option to stay anywhere else.  I'm in the wedding party and that's where we're all staying anyway, so no biggie.  Thanks for the tip though!

[Dr Rick Daris]

RD, did you read this?  Could be a great option for tokyo

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2012/02/03/the-amazing-value-of-americans-oneworld-distance-based-awards/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boardingarea%2Fonemileatatime+%28One+Mile+at+a+Time%29

mods please move to kids thread. the value on those looks just absolutely insand though. 300k could get two people pretty much around the world with multiple stops. did you see some of the comments? pretty unreal.

yeah, kind of rethinking my recent 165k AA booking for just the euro RT.  Could churn a few more AA cards, take a month off of work and go crazy. 

yeah. you should probably do that instead. i mean can you even imagine? 

[steve dave]

I mean, where would you go though?  Probably wouldn't get enough miles to cicumnavigate so you'd have to choose east or west?  Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand, Bora Bora, Austrailia, thailand, bali?  multiple stops in europe, turkey, morrocco, dubai, south africa, Mauritius, madagascar?  Combo south america and Australia/new zealand?  fly to 140 different canadian airports?  I mean, would be a blast to just plan it.