Chasing account rewards

[minnesotapaintlady]

Oct 31, 2022 7:23:21 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I just did a calculation of what Hilton points would have been worth if I'd used them for my upcoming booking for 2 nights in Des Moines. It's about half a cent per point! Not too great.  I do better if I choose my reward stays carefully- I think I got a better redemption value the nights I stayed n London to and from E. Europe.

So... if I charge the stay on the Hilton card I'll lose 3% cash back from the Costco Visa (about $10) but get about 2,600 Hilton points from the Amex card (over and above points for the actual stay) worth $13. Not a bad trade-off but no way to get rich! The 80,000-point sign-on bonus is what really makes it worthwhile.

That's why I said I never actually use the hotel cards outside of the spend I need to do initially.  I just get the bonus and close the card.  A couple years later they offer me the bonus to sign up again.

[CCL]

Oct 31, 2022 7:28:19 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I try to only use my Marriott points for football weekends where they want $800-1000 prepaid and non-refundable of course. When it's $100ish, I just pay with the Marriott card.

I'll probably have DH get the Southwest card soon. I already have 2 Chase cards, Freedom and Marriott. Unfortunately Chase issues 99% of the ones I would ever consider.

Last time I did self check out at Sam's Club the lady helping was giving a hard sell on their credit card. I was buying alcohol so I needed help. Travel is one of our biggest bills so I would rather rack up Marriott or Southwest points. I have the plus membership anyway so I'm getting cash back already.

My Sam's Club card gives 5% back on gas.

I do use some of my cards even after the bonus. My Hilton American Express sends me some pretty good offers. Right now they are giving $7.99 back on Disney+, which is a great deal since that's what it costs. I think it's going on for 6 months. They send me other offers I've taken advantage of. A while back they gave me $10 on $10 restaurant (even fast food) purchases once a month for a year.

Right now my Amazon VISA is giving me 10% cash back on gas and 3% on groceries. Plus, of course, the usual 5% back on Amazon purchases.

[justme]

Oct 30, 2022 11:38:59 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Coach is $1800 to 2K out of MPLS.  For 6K savings I would do that.  Heck, you can buy the whole row of seats and still be 2K cheaper than business class.

I thought one of the airlines that goes to Australia has that economy couch option. Still not as nice as a lay flat seat if you are taller than like 5'4, but for the price difference...

[Deleted]

An example of the silly games they play with "free" stays: when I was checking the $ value of Hilton points for my stay in Des Moines over Thanksgiving, I decided to check on the Hilton near Heathrow where I'd stayed on my last trip. Only "Premium Room" stays were available over Thanksgiving weekend- at 98,000 points/night for a room with a cash price of about $230/night- a pitiful redemption value. I checked the next week and, sure enough, it was down to 49,000 points per night. Same room. Hilton has been doing this for years- if you try to redeem points for a Hilton in the center of London or Paris the point value is minimal. It's their way of restricting award stays in high-demand properties without actually blacking them out.

[TheOtherMe]

Both Hilton and Marriott do "surge" with both points and money pricing.  It's nothing new.  It's been going on for years and years.  

[Deleted]

Nov 1, 2022 9:00:33 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Both Hilton and Marriott do "surge" with both points and money pricing.  It's nothing new.  It's been going on for years and years.  

Yes, but here there's a disparity.  The cash price for a room at the Hilton Paris Opera next week is 348 Euros or 148,000 points.  That's .002 cents/point redemption rate.  (Euro is at par with USD now.)  So, you can get a "free" room only if you redeem points at a dismal rate.  By contrast, last May I got a free night at the Hilton Malta, a beautiful property, for 50,000 points and paid 364 Euros for a second night.

I got my Amex card and am beginning to realize its limitations.  You can never carry just that card around.  I have to spend $1,000 over 3 months to get the sign-on bonus.  I tried to pay $1,000 towards a tour I've booked next year.  Nope.  Tour company doesn't take it.  Neither does Costco.  I'll find places, including some Hiltons I've booked, but I guess it's true that they really gouge businesses with the charges they rake off.

[azucena]

Any input on best Hilton credit card?  I'm planning to change my Punta Cana resort from Marriott to Hilton because the Marriott has terrible reviews on fb.  Might as well rack up Hilton points.

[Deleted]

I chose the no-fee one.  80,000-point bonus after you charge $1,000 within the first 3 months. I used to get the ones that charged a fee when I was traveling on business a lot so I could get more points, but I'm retired now.  The 7 points per $ charged at Hilton is a pretty good rate.

[CCL]

I like my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card. It's $95 per year, but they send me enough cash back offers that pays most of the fee for me. I like the gold status, with upgrades and breakfasts, although I'm kinda mad they changed my breakfast to $10 credit instead of free.

I don't have any trouble finding places to use it.

[TheOtherMe]

I won't pay a fee for a credit card.  I have the Hilton Honors card that has no fee.

When I had the card with a fee, I rarely got any upgrades.  

I also like that Amex doesn't have foreign transaction fees.

[Deleted]

Nov 10, 2022 10:22:03 GMT -5 CCL said:

I like my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card. It's $95 per year, but they send me enough cash back offers that pays most of the fee for me. I like the gold status, with upgrades and breakfasts, although I'm kinda mad they changed my breakfast to $10 credit instead of free.

I don't have any trouble finding places to use it.

I've got lifetime Gold status and right now I'm Diamond due to multiple stays in 2020/2021 when they liberalized their criteria.  Yes, the breakfast credit is a joke, especially in the more expensive properties.  Might get you a cup of coffee and some cold cereal and it applies only to a max of 2 persons per room (I frequently bring my 2 granddaughters).  I'm rarely upgraded but they frequently let me into the room before the 11 AM check-in time if one is available and I can get late checkout when I need it.  They even reversed a "non-refundable reservation" when I threw myself on their mercy.  I was flying home from Ohio through O'Hare.  Bad weather coming in so they notified me that my flight from O'Hare to home would be delayed one day.  I reserved a room at an O'Hare property figuring I still had my original flight from Ohio to ORD.  Nope.  They moved that to the next day, too.

And yes, I know I'll find plenty of places to use it.  But, to borrow a phrase from a competitor, it's not "every place you want it to be".

[TheOtherMe]

If a room is available, I get to check-in early.  I only asked for late check out once and they gave it to me at no cost.

Isn't check-in at most properties 3 or 4 PM?  When I select my own room, it starts at 3 PM.

[Deleted]

Nov 10, 2022 15:45:11 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

If a room is available, I get to check-in early.  I only asked for late check out once and they gave it to me at no cost.

Isn't check-in at most properties 3 or 4 PM?  When I select my own room, it starts at 3 PM.

Oops, you're right. Check-OUT is 11 AM.

ETA:  Murphy's Rule of Upgrades:  you will be upgraded only when you're traveling alone and staying only one night.