Amex credit pulls
I currently have 2 personal Amex cards (blue cash and gold) and would like to go for some of the business cards. Does Amex do a hard pull on your credit when you first apply for a business card if you already have personal cards? I feel like I’m getting inquiry heavy on my credit and wondering if that is a good route to go for a few months. Thanks!
How to get more UR to retain Hyatt Globalist
Hi! I’m currently a Hyatt globalist and will earn it for 2026, but then I will have zero points remaining for stays next year! I was affected by the CSP/CSR rule changes, unable to qualify (I was at 48 months, too). I had to slow down Inks due to denials (have closed all but one but still not helping) and my husband hasn’t been able to get an Ink approval all year and also denied for CSR due to “too many accounts/not enough spend”. How can I get more Hyatt points to qualify for stays for the following year without being able to get new Chase cards? :( I know you have given some strategies for maximizing category spend, but what would YOU do if you couldn’t get Inks and had no more chase points? Both of us are 4/24. Thank you!
How to get more UR to retain Hyatt Globalist
Hi! I’m currently a Hyatt globalist and will earn it for 2026, but then I will have zero points remaining for stays next year! I was affected by the CSP/CSR rule changes, unable to qualify (I was at 48 months, too). I had to slow down Inks due to denials (have closed all but one but still not helping) and my husband hasn’t been able to get an Ink approval all year and also denied for CSR due to “too many accounts/not enough spend”. How can I get more Hyatt points to qualify for stays for the following year without being able to get new Chase cards? :( I know you have given some strategies for maximizing category spend, but what would YOU do if you couldn’t get Inks and had no more chase points? Both of us are 4/24. Thank you!
Turbulence
Hi ladies! Jess, I’m a fellow nervous flyer 😅 do you find turbulence is less prevalent on some of the bigger aircrafts? Is there a difference being in the front of the plane vs back? We’re planning a European adventure next summer and I’m a little worried about the long flights. Any tips are much appreciated!
Marriott card order rules
If you were starting from scratch with no Marriott cards yet (and you also wanted to upgrade to a Ritz card at some point), in what order would you apply for them? I know there are rules limiting people from getting certain Marriott cards after they've held certain others, but I'm having a hard time finding what the rules actually are. What would be your suggested strategy for Marriott cards for someone who doesn't have any yet?
AA Account Shutdowns
I read on the TMS Facebook page about the 2019 AAdvantage account shut downs. It appears many accounts were shut down for violating terms and conditions. The user said they would never take part in this hack and risk an account shut down. One term and condition now is that you may only receive a sign up bonus one per card per 48 months. Is the AA double dip you have been talking about really a loop hole or is it violating terms and conditions? I am currently working on my second card sign up bonus and after coming across that comment, I’m terrified of being shut down. I live by an AA hub and really value the program, which is why I was excited about the opportunity to get more points. I am considering stopping my spend on the second card and not getting the second bonus. What made you guys decide this was a safe loop hole?
Hyatt Credit Card?
We live in a Delta hub and have almost a million Delta miles so I am focusing on earning points for hotels/lodging. Is it worth getting a Hyatt Business Card with current offer if I already have 3 chase cards (Personal Sapphire Preferred, Business Ink Preferred, Personal Freedom)?
American Airlines Hub
I live in an American hub (Charlotte) and I am trying to get my family to Hawaii next year without wiping out all my American miles since they are harder to acquire. Is there a way to book through transfer partners of Capital One or Amex but still fly on AA metal? Thanks!!
Travel insurance
We are taking our family to Hawaii next summer and are planning on a VRBO in Oahu. The rest of the trip is at a Hilton or flights booked with the Aspire that comes with travel insurance. I am debating whether I should get the VRBO or Allianz insurance to cover the home rental (and using Affirm to spread out the payments) or my CSR to use the pay over time and get the included travel insurance. Does Chase cover home rentals? (I posted this before but now it appears to have disappeared?)
Travel insurance
Hi! I plan to book a VRBO for Hawaii. I'm debating between separate travel insurance or relying on my CSR. VRBO insurance is $300. Allianz is slightly higher than VRBO. I only need coverage for the home rental bc I paid the taxes on my flight through my Aspire card. Will Chase cover the VRBO in the event of illness? Thank you!
Booking Chase through Amex portal or Chase Sapphire Reserve portal
Hi, I have been seeing conflicting information on whether Hyatt elite nights can be earned when booking through the Amex and CSR portals especially "The Edit." Could you explain the points/elite nights/benefits that you either get, or lose out on, when you book Hyatt through the Amex and CSR portals?
Compensation when things go wrong
I'd like to hear about your experiences when award travel doesn't go as planned. I recently redeemed 176,000 Air France points to book a business class flight from Indianapolis to Biarritz, France for my sweet elderly mother. I knew it wasn't a good deal but it was the exact date she wanted, ideal layover times, and most importantly, I was able to book the entire trip on 1 record locator (The trip involved 2 stops in JFK and CDG, no way around it). I thought this would hold the airline accountable in case there were any delays. The first leg was on Delta metal, the rest on Air France. Low and behold, the delta flight from IND to JFK was delayed and was going to be an impossibly tight connection. Luckily, (or so we thought) a Delta agent in the lounge in IND rebooked my mom on the next AF flight, departing just 1 hour later. She even physically re-printed her boarding pass, we were thrilled that she was upgraded to La Premier, seat 1A. When she got to JFK, an extremely rude Air France lounge agent literally scolded my mom and told her the ticket wasn't valid. Air France took zero accountability, pointing the blame to Delta saying that they didn't issue the ticket properly. Long story short, she had to wait another 5 hours at JFK, and ended up flying on super old plane AND they lost her bags. Far from worth 176,000 points. What recourse do I have? I paid for the taxes and fees with my Chase Sapphire Reserve. Edit: I realize this pales in comparison to some of the true horror stories out there, but it still stings. Curious to hear how others have handled similar situations.
Hilton
I made the mistake of getting the Hilton Honors card Hilton Honors Business card and the Aspire card before I knew anything about points and miles. Can you give me a strategy for how to close these cards and then reopen them so that I can book some of these amazing Hilton aspirational properties? After you have the cards & bonuses how do you continue adding to your Hilton points for future aspirational bookings since these properties cost sooooo many points?
KLM flights to Europe for big family
Flying my family of 7 to Europe summer 2026 and the taxes and fees for klm are high. Copenhagen to Vegas was $1,700 for my family of 7 and LAX to Barcelona is over $1,000 Just curious if you know of specific European cities where those fees are less? Also looking at virgin Atlantic but those fees are even higher. Still super affordable and seems like best option for low points but just wondering if I’m missing something - thanks!
Emirate Biz for 69k?!
Am I thinking of this correctly, because I never hear anyone talk about how good of a deal this could be: If Emirates economy ticket is 30,000 pts and costs 39,000 points to upgrade (based on availability ), you could be getting an Emirates biz class ticket for just 69k instead of the saver biz fare of 87k. Of course this would be based on availability, and a biz class ticket might not be able. Am I mistaken on this? I’m wanting to go to Italy next summer and hoping to fly my first biz class ticket on Emirates, but of course want to save as much points as possible.
AMEX
I got an Amex gold personal in 2022 (I think) before really understanding points. I downgraded it to the free Amex everyday card maybe last year to avoid another fee. Now I kind of want the Gold back for the multipliers because I’m starting to get into Hilton. Do I have any options? Seems like Amex is an easy way to get Hilton points, which cards would you recommend?
Cards that are going away
Lately I’ve seen more and more posts about cards that are potentially going away so we should apply for them now to earn the Subs. Can you go over these cards? I know Hawaiian and American Citi cards are brought up often. I feel like I need to get something before it’s gone forever but I’m stressed about the options!