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re: Credit Card Rewards and Points Discussion
Posted on 2/8/16 at 11:15 pm to Teddy Ruxpin
Posted on 2/8/16 at 11:15 pm to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
It effectively earns 2.1% cash back but costs $89 a year. There are a few other 2% cash back cards that have no annual fee which makes this card ultimately a loser in its category after year 1.
I thought a read somewhere, maybe Nerd Wallet that it isn't a good card if you don't spend more than $4K a year on it. Would that be a fair assumption? I would do that easily, also the no APR on balance transfers is what is attractive to me. I know a lot of people suggest Chase Slate for BT's, but it has no reward program.
1
Posted on 2/8/16 at 11:42 pm to Sho Nuff
quote:
When are you going?
6/11-6/26
Posted on 2/9/16 at 12:25 am to VABuckeye
quote:
There are two things about touring the Vatican though. The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. St. Peter's Basilica is a must. It's just ridiculous.
Checking this out on Viator as well, did you use them or go on your own? If you did the tour, did it include the tombs that Foch is talking about?
I'm checking the website directly for the Vatican Museums guided tours and it's about half the price of Viator. I guess that's because of skipping the line, is this really skipping the line or they all say that? Also, you can only book out as far as April right now so I'd have to wait. I can book Viator now.
ETA: Maybe finding something I like better. It's a early tour before the public gets in and it's $120 for the both of us. All I hear about is the long lines and shoulder to shoulder crowds in the Sistine Chapel so this might be worth it. Anyone do this tour? Just found you can book directly with Vatican website and it comes with breakfast, Sistine, St Peter and you get in at 8am.
This post was edited on 2/9/16 at 1:16 am
Posted on 2/9/16 at 6:15 am to McCaigBro69
quote:
I thought a read somewhere, maybe Nerd Wallet that it isn't a good card if you don't spend more than $4K a year on it. Would that be a fair assumption? I would do that easily, also the no APR on balance transfers is what is attractive to me. I know a lot of people suggest Chase Slate for BT's, but it has no reward program.
I'm not really a balance transfer guy, but yes, Chase Slate has the best when it comes to fees and interest because it charges for neither at the onset.
I don't know where Nerd Wallet got its number, but essentially the point illustrated is that after Year 1, you will be charged an $89 fee for the card. Other 2% cash back cards do not charge any fee at all (Citi DoubleCash and Fidelity Visa). So after Year 1, you will be -$89 compared to another 2% cash back card. I believe the math works out that you would have to spend something like $80,000 on the card to make up the difference since Arrival+ is 2.1% vs 2%.
From a reward perspective only, if you are only going to hold the card the first year to get the $400 sign up bonus and whatever else you need to do, then I have no objections. But IMO, there is no good reason to keep it after the first year.
This post was edited on 2/9/16 at 6:16 am
Posted on 2/9/16 at 6:36 am to VABuckeye
quote:
All you need to confirm is the welcome letter stating the bonus
So I hit 65 days and put in an app. Got an instant rejection. Not even a we need more time email. I was heartbroken.
Then a day later, got an email from Citi saying I had been approved. F-ing Citi. Playing with my points is like playing with my emotions!
Other good news - found flights to India for December. There on star alliance, back on Qatar. All biz saver. I will try to improve my flights there as they are not ideal. Hoping ua opens up seats on ewr-bom.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 6:58 am to AmeriKop45
quote:
Didn't you re-apply for this recently VA? Did you get that welcome letter?
Approved Wednesday night. I presume the letter is in the mail.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 6:59 am to Sho Nuff
quote:
Did you use them anywhere else (Rome?)
We used Viator and Walks of Italy for tour booking in Venice, Florence and Rome. No complaints.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 7:01 am to Sho Nuff
quote:
Checking this out on Viator as well, did you use them or go on your own? If you did the tour, did it include the tombs that Foch is talking about?
We did not go in the tombs. If you want to do the Vatican you have to get a tour. Without a tour you're stuck in long lines. It takes long enough to go through as it is and nothing is air conditioned until you get in the Sistine Chapel.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 7:03 am to txtiger79
quote:
F-ing Citi.
Yep. I have a few more days to wait and I'm applying for the business AA card with them to get 50k more miles. Then I'll wait the 65 and try to churn the Platinum card.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 8:19 am to txtiger79
quote:
Other good news - found flights to India for December. There on star alliance, back on Qatar. All biz saver. I will try to improve my flights there as they are not ideal. Hoping ua opens up seats on ewr-bom
That's awesome. Congrats
Did EF help at all? I would set alerts on those "ideal" flights and then just sit back and let EF do the rest.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 9:30 am to AmeriKop45
quote:
Did EF help at all?
I couldn't get EF to help for Qatar. Doesn't look like they show award availability for them, but I was probably doing it wrong. Just kept pinging ba.com until I found some seats.
Will set EF alerts up for the outbound. Strangely LH is showing literally zero availability for the last two weeks of December. Not even standard availability. I'm guessing (hoping) they just pulled it temporarily. Finding these seats is like a part time job.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 10:07 am to Sho Nuff
quote:
I'm checking the website directly for the Vatican Museums guided tours and it's about half the price of Viator. I guess that's because of skipping the line, is this really skipping the line or they all say that?
I hate crowds, and for that reason we (wife and I) have avoided Rome in its more popular seasons. For tours though, and just for random knowledge, you can save some money by downloading the walking tours from Rick Steves (available free from podcast app). I am sure you will get a better experience by going with a knowledgeable local guide, but for some things (Sistine Chapel, Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon) it is pretty easy to bring a set of head phones and click play while he talks you through where to walk and what to look at. Additionally, he has pdf maps that correspond to the podcast that you can just save to your ibooks (or whatever android equivalent) so that you aren't using data.
He has a bunch available for Italy, and for someone like me who doesn't like being herded and would rather spend money on cacio e pepe, lardo, and wine it works.
Another thing to mention, when doing the Forum and Colosseum you can get tickets on the day of by just going to the Palatine Hill ticket office. It is located right next to the forum, has shorter lines, and when you are done seeing the ruins at the Hill it empties into the Forum (no standing in line to be readmitted to the forum). Since your ticket is good for two days just get a cab to the Colosseum for its opening time on the next day. You will see many people queuing up but you will be able to walk right by with a valid ticket. Seeing and appreciating the Colosseum and Forum on the same day with summer crowds would be tough anyway.
After walking around the forum/palatine get an uber or cab to take you for lunch in the testaccio neighborhood since you will already be down that way. I'd recommend Perilli. Great carbonara, and the place feels like another world from the touristy piazza navona area (not to be snobby, but many places in the vicinity of navona are only marginally better than the tourist traps around the Vatican). Perilli has a much more blue color feel, but is delicious and will be full at lunch (again, reservations are very helpful). While you are down that way you might as well visit St Paul outside the Walls too.
This post was edited on 2/9/16 at 10:09 am
Posted on 2/9/16 at 5:39 pm to VABuckeye
quote:
If you want to do the Vatican you have to get a tour. Without a tour you're stuck in long lines. It takes long enough to go through as it is and nothing is air conditioned until you get in the Sistine Chapel.
Yeah, I've read enough last night to know I want to do skip the lines and actually thinking about the early access with
quote:
Walks of Italy
It's $89 euro pp, so $200 for going to a museum
BUT, late June with the crowds I think I'll enjoy only seeing maybe a hundred people at 8am and then avoiding more crowds as we go straight to St. Peter’s and avoid the 30 minute walk as well. It's going to cost $125+ usd just for "skip the line" so $75 more without the herd seems like a good idea to me.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 5:43 pm to AmeriKop45
quote:
Just applied and got instant approval for Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select (50k).
Will report back after completing min spend and first statement close about receiving the bonus or not.
So if I have the Citi Plat already and it's not World Elite am I going to have an issue getting the sign-up bonus again or since I've had it for 8 years it won't matter? Do I need to cancel my card first? I was going to call about the upcoming AF and if it's not waived cancel it anyway. I have Aviator and it is a better card imo.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 5:46 pm to Foch
quote:
I am sure you will get a better experience by going with a knowledgeable local guide, but for some things (Sistine Chapel, Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon) it is pretty easy to bring a set of head phones and click play while he talks you through where to walk and what to look at.
Yeah, I'm not as worried about the tour guide itself, I care about the lines so it seems as though I will be paying $125+ either way to "skip the lines". And to avoid the shoulder to shoulder stampede the early access is sounding better and better as I say it.
quote:
Another thing to mention, when doing the Forum and Colosseum you can get tickets on the day of by just going to the Palatine Hill ticket office. It is located right next to the forum, has shorter lines, and when you are done seeing the ruins at the Hill it empties into the Forum (no standing in line to be readmitted to the forum). Since your ticket is good for two days just get a cab to the Colosseum for its opening time on the next day. You will see many people queuing up but you will be able to walk right by with a valid ticket. Seeing and appreciating the Colosseum and Forum on the same day with summer crowds would be tough anyway.
Thanks for the suggestion, might do jus that.
quote:
After walking around the forum/palatine get an uber or cab to take you for lunch in the testaccio neighborhood since you will already be down that way. I'd recommend Perilli.
quote:
While you are down that way you might as well visit St Paul outside the Walls too.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 6:46 pm to Sho Nuff
quote:
So if I have the Citi Plat already and it's not World Elite am I going to have an issue getting the sign-up bonus again or since I've had it for 8 years it won't matter?
8 years? Dude, people have been getting the bonus every 8 weeks! You'll be fine!
Just make sure you dont cancel your card before the new app. Citi says you shouldn't have had the same account opened or closed within the past 18 months.
You could easily accrue at least 175k miles, if not 200k over the next 3 months.
This post was edited on 2/9/16 at 8:03 pm
Posted on 2/9/16 at 8:21 pm to AmeriKop45
quote:
8 years? Dude, people have been getting the bonus every 8 weeks! You'll be fine!
I really haven't paid attention. I'm trying to figure out if I want to go more AA or AS miles right now. I can do the AS card again as it's coming up on 90 days I think. I'd like to build that pile. With AA's deval coming I'm just wondering if I want to keep going with them. And I want to get the SPG Biz so that's $5k I need to spend.. Have some nice hotels I plan on staying at with Starwood in the next couple years. I should've applied when it was a 30k bonus, it's down to 25k now.
Posted on 2/9/16 at 10:08 pm to Sho Nuff
I got my letter for the latest citi AA plat. The one where the website originally said I was denied. It has the 50k/$3k language. All is good.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 7:14 am to txtiger79
When did you apply? Our apps were approved last Wednesday and no letter yet.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 8:59 am to Sho Nuff
quote:
I can do the AS card again as it's coming up on 90 days I think.
You're applying for AS cards every 90 days? Personal and biz?
This post was edited on 2/10/16 at 9:00 am
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