How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?

[Rams]

what's going to be my best value/chance at free stuff/sweet welcome goody bag

Holiday Inn as a Platinum member (25k/night) OR
Hilton Garden Inn as Gold member (30k/night)

both hotels are in Manhattan

Holiday Inn is walking distance to the 'ville and 5k less/night.  To hell with the free stuff.  Seems like a no-brainer to me. 

[steve dave]

what's going to be my best value/chance at free stuff/sweet welcome goody bag

Holiday Inn as a Platinum member (25k/night) OR
Hilton Garden Inn as Gold member (30k/night)

both hotels are in Manhattan

HGI will get you free breakfast as a gold (also for the mrs. or another guest if there are two of you).  Holiday Inn won't get you crap.  Platinum is kind of a meaningless elite tier.  Outside of ambassador at Intercon's there aren't a lot of elite benefits in PC.  late check out and junk.

[steve dave]

Got 4 suite upgrades on paid stays with my Hyatt Diamond trial.  They say they expire in one year so hopefully I can keep them when I don't maintain Diamond after the 60 day trial period is up.  Guaranteed suite upgrade on any paid stay at any Hyatt.  Pretty nice to have. 

[Rams]

Got 4 suite upgrades on paid stays with my Hyatt Diamond trial.  They say they expire in one year so hopefully I can keep them when I don't maintain Diamond after the 60 day trial period is up.  Guaranteed suite upgrade on any paid stay at any Hyatt.  Pretty nice to have.

How did you rack up so many Hyatt points?  Obviously you have the Hyatt Visa, but did you just transfer a shitload of ultimate rewards?

[ChiComCat]

Holiday Inn plat can be as good as HGI but pretty much all of it is hotel to hotel based.  Not very standardized across the board.  If its in MHK and you're only worried about free stuff, do HGI.  Plat gives you a 72 hour guarantee with Holiday Inn which is its best benefit.  They have to get you in if you call more than 72 hours in advance, doesn't work for free nights though.  If they dont for some reason, you can get like 20k points.

[steve dave]

Holiday Inn plat can be as good as HGI but pretty much all of it is hotel to hotel based.  Not very standardized across the board.  If its in MHK and you're only worried about free stuff, do HGI.  Plat gives you a 72 hour guarantee with Holiday Inn which is its best benefit.  They have to get you in if you call more than 72 hours in advance, doesn't work for free nights though.  If they dont for some reason, you can get like 20k points.

I may try this for every home football game this year and if they say they can get me in I'll say, "ooops, sorry, wrong day" and hang up. 

[steve dave]

Got 4 suite upgrades on paid stays with my Hyatt Diamond trial.  They say they expire in one year so hopefully I can keep them when I don't maintain Diamond after the 60 day trial period is up.  Guaranteed suite upgrade on any paid stay at any Hyatt.  Pretty nice to have.

How did you rack up so many Hyatt points?  Obviously you have the Hyatt Visa, but did you just transfer a shitload of ultimate rewards?

I got 100k via the Sapphire card, mrs. dave got 50k via her Sapphire, and we use them for all travel and dining costs which get double points and add up quickley.  Blew 176k on Grand Hyatt Kauai and still have 20k left.  Also have two free cat. 1-4's that I have to use within a year from having the Hyatt card.  The Sapphire is actually a better card for earning Hyatt points (outside of Hyatt stay spend) because you get double points on dining and travel while the Hyatt only gives 1 point for everything but Hyatt spend. 

[Rams]

Got 4 suite upgrades on paid stays with my Hyatt Diamond trial.  They say they expire in one year so hopefully I can keep them when I don't maintain Diamond after the 60 day trial period is up.  Guaranteed suite upgrade on any paid stay at any Hyatt.  Pretty nice to have.

How did you rack up so many Hyatt points?  Obviously you have the Hyatt Visa, but did you just transfer a shitload of ultimate rewards?

I got 100k via the Sapphire card

wtf? did that used to be the bonus?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[steve dave]

yeah, for about 3 days, it was pretty great. 

[Rams]

yeah, for about 3 days, it was pretty great.

I feel like I got started right at the end of an amazing bonus period and they're dropping quickly. 

[steve dave]

yeah, for about 3 days, it was pretty great.

I feel like I got started right at the end of an amazing bonus period and they're dropping quickly. 

Yeah, it kind of feels that way.  The 100k AA cards (or even the 75k ones), 100k Capital One without the spend requirements, 100k BA without the spend requirements were all great too.  Then there was the Mint stuff that I never took part in but always appreciated it being there if I wanted to.  It was truly the golden age. 

[Trim]

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[wetwillie]

I have 55000 chase rewards points, want some hilton points, anyway to convert some?

[steve dave]

I have 55000 chase rewards points, want some hilton points, anyway to convert some?

no, and it would be stupid to do so.  55k Hyatt or United points are worth much, much, much more than 55k Hilton.  just sign up for a hilton card or hawaiin air card or virgin card and get the hilton points that way. 

[steve dave]

well, this US Air/AA merger is gaining steam.  will be curious to see if they allow it.  Would be OK with it I guess.  I rarely fly US Air but have 80k miles lying around.  Would be fine merging them with my AA miles.  Will have to furiously churn both their cards for the next year or two before the merger and could make my dream Around The World tickets easier to attain. 

[steve dave]

http://gizmodo.com/5903687/how-i-got-paid-600-to-party-in-a-swank-airport-lounge

[Rams]

http://gizmodo.com/5903687/how-i-got-paid-600-to-party-in-a-swank-airport-lounge

oh my god that guy is elite

[steve dave]

http://gizmodo.com/5903687/how-i-got-paid-600-to-party-in-a-swank-airport-lounge

oh my god that guy is elite

I would not have the balls to try that

[steve dave]

booked mrs. dave and I for 4 nights in NYC.  Flying direct to Newark at 12,500 United miles each.  Need to get the return flight at some point.  Availability on return isn't great with any carriers so may just pay for it.  Staying at the new Hyatt at 48th and Lexington.  Used 2 cat 1-4 award nights (it's the only Hyatt in the city that is a cat 4, paying for the nights was $400+ a night) and 15k Hyatt points for the third night.  Will either pay for the last night or use another 15k when I have them as I'm down to 5k Hyatt points right now.  Going to see Book of Mormon.  $400 for two medium level tickets 

[Rams]

Going to see Book of Mormon.  $400 for two medium level tickets 

i bet it's worth it.

[ChiComCat]

booked mrs. dave and I for 4 nights in NYC.  Flying direct to Newark at 12,500 United miles each.  Need to get the return flight at some point.  Availability on return isn't great with any carriers so may just pay for it.  Staying at the new Hyatt at 48th and Lexington.  Used 2 cat 1-4 award nights (it's the only Hyatt in the city that is a cat 4, paying for the nights was $400+ a night) and 15k Hyatt points for the third night.  Will either pay for the last night or use another 15k when I have them as I'm down to 5k Hyatt points right now.  Going to see Book of Mormon.  $400 for two medium level tickets 

They're doing a stretch in Denver. Tix sold out instantly and are being resold for like 600 apiece. Let me know how it is

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[steve dave]

booked mrs. dave and I for 4 nights in NYC.  Flying direct to Newark at 12,500 United miles each.  Need to get the return flight at some point.  Availability on return isn't great with any carriers so may just pay for it.  Staying at the new Hyatt at 48th and Lexington.  Used 2 cat 1-4 award nights (it's the only Hyatt in the city that is a cat 4, paying for the nights was $400+ a night) and 15k Hyatt points for the third night.  Will either pay for the last night or use another 15k when I have them as I'm down to 5k Hyatt points right now.  Going to see Book of Mormon.  $400 for two medium level tickets 

They're doing a stretch in Denver. Tix sold out instantly and are being resold for like 600 apiece. Let me know how it is

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

K.  We aren't going until March though.  Tickets are pretty limited through 2012.  They're, like, printing money. 

[Dr Rick Daris]

i've been to negril a handful of times and really like it. the rest of jamaica is trash but negril is great. there is a small place on the beach that we always stay called seasplash. started talking a week ago about where to go next and the negril seasplash was brought up. the very next day i stumble across this.  insanely good deal that would legitimately cost 1k otherwise. prob going to pull the trigger and then stay a couple extra days up on negril cliffs at a place called xtabi. kind of want to go somewhere new and stay free somewhere using points etc but just too good of a deal to pass up i think.


http://www.livingsocial.com/escapes/307736-intimate-beachfront-resort?msdc_id=1905-union-essex-counties

[Dr Rick Daris]

booked mrs. dave and I for 4 nights in NYC.  Flying direct to Newark at 12,500 United miles each.  Need to get the return flight at some point.  Availability on return isn't great with any carriers so may just pay for it.  Staying at the new Hyatt at 48th and Lexington.  Used 2 cat 1-4 award nights (it's the only Hyatt in the city that is a cat 4, paying for the nights was $400+ a night) and 15k Hyatt points for the third night.  Will either pay for the last night or use another 15k when I have them as I'm down to 5k Hyatt points right now.  Going to see Book of Mormon.  $400 for two medium level tickets 

you're a vacation machine 

[steve dave]

i've been to negril a handful of times and really like it. the rest of jamaica is trash but negril is great. there is a small place on the beach that we always stay called seasplash. started talking a week ago about where to go next and the negril seasplash was brought up. the very next day i stumble across this.  insanely good deal that would legitimately cost 1k otherwise. prob going to pull the trigger and then stay a couple extra days up on negril cliffs at a place called xtabi. kind of want to go somewhere new and stay free somewhere using points etc but just too good of a deal to pass up i think.


http://www.livingsocial.com/escapes/307736-intimate-beachfront-resort?msdc_id=1905-union-essex-counties

damn, that does look like a good deal