Author Topic: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points  (Read 9786 times)

Offline NickMI

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Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« on: December 21, 2009, 11:28:45 PM »
I have never held a mileage card before, so here are my ideas to help plan a honeymoon.  Your thoughts and advice is appreciated.  First off, I want to open a Chase Checking offering 25K CO miles, then open the Chase CO credit card for another 30K.  Have my wife do exactly the same. So total miles between my wife and I would be 110K.  Then open Starwood AMEX personal and business for me and her giving us 40K total starwood points.  Then referring some family members to Starwood AMEX for more points. (Is there still a referral bonus for starwood amex?) I am under the impression that we would not be able to combine our CO miles, so is it difficult to book 2 separate tickets for the same flight and have a seat next to her?  I would use the starwood points for the hotel room, can these points be combined for me and her, or do we have to book rooms separately using my points and then hers?  Does this sound like a logical plan.  Please advise, or provide similar personal experiences.

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2009, 12:36:30 AM »
 It sounds like any Airlines hopes when they here theres bad weather acomin

Meaning on paper it looks good but there are any number of potential pitfalls

 I take it you arent a 20 something guy and have been working and earn a decent mid to high 5 figure salary and already both of you have CCs in your own names.

If you 2 are 1st starting out and dont have decent paying jobs for a number of yrs already and havent established a good credit standing then in todays mkt you might be dreaming a Big dream.

The fact that you didnt include the 15k in Bonus pts for spending $15k during the 1st 6 months you have the SPG CCs tells me you dont charge that much and probabaly dont have a decent credit file already set. thats why it might look good on paper but wont be practiable.

 the Banks and Amex are no longer giving out their CCs like the Candyman in Shul any longer.

its still worth trying to do but dont be disappointed if it doesnt pan out if you guys are real young and havent established Credit already and dont pull in enough in salary to satisfy them

 as to the free tkt it all depends to where you are trying to go, most A List destinations during Peak times will probbaly be very hard to get since you arent Elites with CO and thusly the Saver Award level wont be available. 55K can get you Coach to Europe is that where you want to go? is Coach the way you want to fly? as for the Hotel Room you each can get a room according to the # of pts you will have again it depends where you want to go as some places will have a Cat6 as the lowest Hotel Cat and that takes 20k for 1 night

 So looking to go to Miami in August both the tkts and hotels should be no problem, wanting to go in Jan both proabably will be hard to get (just using Miami as an example) You do know that the best use of SPG pts is not for a free night but to cash them in for C&P (Cash & pts) in other words you pay less pts for the room then is required for a free night since you will also be paying some $$$ as well as pts. Not all Hotels will have C&P available. C&P allows you to get more nights for the same amount of pts, take a Cat 5 Hotel its 12k for a free night or 4k in pts and $90 while it can be anywhere from $200 on up if paying
« Last Edit: December 22, 2009, 12:39:07 AM by steve2 »

Offline NickMI

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2009, 12:49:49 AM »
Thanks for the reply Steve.  To clarify, we want to go to Hawaii.  The point you made of paying cash and points with starwood makes great sense, as we can get more nights, for minimal expense.  As for our credit and income, I don't anticipate a problem.  We have had solid credit histories for almost 10 years with several cards in each our names.  Do you recommend any other mileage cards besides the Chase CO with decent sign up bonuses for the airfare?  And given that we are not elites yet, what do you suggest a good way to get around that and still get a good flight?

Offline Dan

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2009, 03:10:24 AM »
Credit standards have toughened up, but it's not that hard to get a credit card, Steve.

You can both open up a personal and business Chase checking account for 50K miles each.
You're allowed a checking bonus once a calendar year, so do it before 12/31.

Add in a 30K credit card and you've got enough miles to make to Hawaii in BusinessFirst.

As for Starwood, 40K should be a nice start for cash and points.  Also consider earning Hyatt faster free nights if you plan on going before those expire.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2009, 09:05:42 AM »
Credit standards have toughened up, but it's not that hard to get a credit card, Steve.


 Would you still say this if the guys were say 21 , learning , never worked (at least on the Books) never paid taxes etc etc. I know all about being in your own biz , but Amex and the Banks are afraid of people w/o a decent credit history or means of being able to pay it off.Especially Amex

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2009, 09:11:35 AM »
Thanks for the reply Steve.  To clarify, we want to go to Hawaii.  The point you made of paying cash and points with starwood makes great sense, as we can get more nights, for minimal expense.  As for our credit and income, I don't anticipate a problem.  We have had solid credit histories for almost 10 years with several cards in each our names.  Do you recommend any other mileage cards besides the Chase CO with decent sign up bonuses for the airfare?  And given that we are not elites yet, what do you suggest a good way to get around that and still get a good flight?

 The only problem is may run into with Hawaii is usually they run out of teh Saver tkts fast especially duringPeak times, since you dont hav eany Miles as of yet as long as you understand that say you get the amount of miles needed come May that you may not be able to find tkts for a close in trip and might need to plan for months ahead instead

Hawaii is 1 of the most popular Destinations for Free Tkts and those who have miles in their acct can book them today, you will have to be very Flexible with your traveling dates, and then the same for the Hotels. But its not impossible and even on occasion Ive been very surprised to find Free tkts to TLV w/o having logged in (as a Plat at times we are offered an Inventory that a non Plat  wont be offered).

Offline Dan

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2009, 01:08:47 PM »
Would you still say this if the guys were say 21 , learning , never worked (at least on the Books) never paid taxes etc etc. I know all about being in your own biz , but Amex and the Banks are afraid of people w/o a decent credit history or means of being able to pay it off.Especially Amex
As long as their parent adds them to a good established account then they won't have a problem.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2009, 01:40:29 PM »
As long as their parent adds them to a good established account then they won't have a problem.

 I guess having their Parent/s apply for the CC and then putting them in for a secondary card will work, as long as their folks never got the CC or CXed it out over a yr ago

 Then again they will have to keep track of how many Miles in their parents acct belongs to them if their folks already have a CO or SPG acct.

The Neg is if their parents have a large mortgage or equity loans outstanding or are acrrying balances on their CCs, then its more liekly their parents will be Declined

 OT, since the Coins I ordered via my Flex CC didnt score any pts, I figured Id simply gte a friend to sign up and get 5k that way to make up for the short fall. Well I bothered a few friends all over 40 and after showing them how for $5k in charges they can get a free tkt (up to $400 ai) all 3 were Declined. Pt is its alot harder to get accepted then ever before, even for those who arent just starting out.

Offline Deal Guy

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2009, 01:54:34 AM »
@Steve2
 OT, since the Coins I ordered via my Flex CC didnt score any pts, I figured Id simply gte a friend to sign up and get 5k that way to make up for the short fall. Well I bothered a few friends all over 40 and after showing them how for $5k in charges they can get a free tkt (up to $400 ai) all 3 were Declined. Pt is its alot harder to get accepted then ever before, even for those who arent just starting out.
[/quote]

What do you mean that $5k in charges get you a free  $400 tkt? What ticket and where do you mean?

 Btw, I think you are overdoing the the issue of getting credit cards. Yes, it's true that since around Sep 2008 it became hard to get your FIRST credit card, even a student Credit card, but for anyone that already has a cc or 2 for over a year with activity and payments every month, it's not hard to get any of the chase or spg cards, as long as there is some income in the household, be it by them or their spouse.

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2009, 09:46:07 AM »


 Btw, I think you are overdoing the the issue of getting credit cards. Yes, it's true that since around Sep 2008 it became hard to get your FIRST credit card, even a student Credit card, but for anyone that already has a cc or 2 for over a year with activity and payments every month, it's not hard to get any of the chase or spg cards, as long as there is some income in the household, be it by them or their spouse.

  Well I know a number of Youngers in Lakewood that Chase Denied the BA CC to as well as Amex doing the same. Maybe they put down they didnt work or too low an income amount , I didnt ask. Others who never had their own CC were denied as well

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2009, 10:07:43 AM »

What do you mean that $5k in charges get you a free  $400 tkt? What ticket and where do you mean?
 

 Ok the value of the tkt can be up to $400 so if its $401 with the taxes then its 30k and not 20k

 You have to get the tkt via Travelocity and off of the Banks site

 The tkt can be to anywhere , so if it costs say $399.99 all in NY-TLV off you go for 20k in pts

 How to do it:

1- PM me so I can send you the link and I will ask that the person put in my # so that I will get 5k for referring you

 2- You will get 10k in pts once you spend I think $500 on the CC

 3- every month you will get 2 pts per $1 on 1 of these cats. either Gas or Grocerys or airline tkts (so really all you need to spend is $2500 to get the 20k, which ever you spent the most with

 1- 10k for getting and using the CC

 2- 5k for spending $2500 say just on Grocerys

 3- sign up your wife or friend and you will get the 5k for referring them once they spend the 1st $500, and they do likewise

 so moefl you might run into what you did with Amex but keep it going at a slow rate and it probably will work, have 100 referrals at once and it probably wont

 now every additional 10k in pts over 20k will pay for a tkt that costs $200 more or 20k in pts = $400 and 30k in pts = $600 also nothing can be carried forward so if a tkt is say $300 and you cash in 20k you dont have $100 going forward to use on another tkt

 and remember since its a purchased tkt you will earn Miles and EQMs when you fly unlike a free tkt from the Carriers and possibily even be Upgraded to Biz  if you have status with the Carrier you are flying

 so a person who is in say a trucking biz can use the flex CC for gas only and in no time have 10s of 1000s of pts since gas is 2 pts per $. I doubt gas at Sams Club would get it as Sams probably isnt keyed in as a gas station. Nor if Macys sold grocerys would you get it since would be keyed in as a Supermarket. its not what you purchase but how the Vendor is set up that counts

 a friend is doing exactly this but not with the Gas, and he is racking in the pts as he usus only his Flex CC for grocerys so he gets a free tkt for every $10k he spends alot better then 25k with the Carriers and he doesnt have to worry about fees for booking within 21 days etc etc nor if there are any saver Tkts available all he needs to do is find a fare of less then $400 and hes off for having spent $10k heck you need $20k on SPG, this actually beats SPG if a free tkt is what you are after

 so anyone interested just PM and we will set it up

Offline Mikeoracle

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2009, 11:12:35 AM »
Steve2,
can the flex points be used on any airline?

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2009, 12:11:45 PM »
Steve2,
can the flex points be used on any airline?

 Yes, well sort of

 as I posted what you have to do is Log-on to your Flex acct then click on Redemptions and click for Freeflights then fill in teh info as if you were on say Orbitz.It will then show you a list of flights and you chose which you want and it also will show you how many Pts are called for.

I havent experimented if I can chose which exact outbound and inbound or if youmust simply chose from what they show. eg Id rather fly NY-SFO-LAx then NY-LAX to pick up the additional 500 EQMs each way, on UA.com I can chose that at it prices out the same as the non-stops, dont know if I can do that with Flex, or say I want a more exepensive fare basis so that the copay will be less or to get more EQMs

 but still IMO its a very good deal and worth it

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #13 on: December 23, 2009, 04:03:13 PM »
Ok the value of the tkt can be up to $400 so if its $401 with the taxes then its 30k and not 20k

 You have to get the tkt via Travelocity and off of the Banks site

 The tkt can be to anywhere , so if it costs say $399.99 all in NY-TLV off you go for 20k in pts

 How to do it:

1- PM me so I can send you the link and I will ask that the person put in my # so that I will get 5k for referring you

 2- You will get 10k in pts once you spend I think $500 on the CC

 3- every month you will get 2 pts per $1 on 1 of these cats. either Gas or Grocerys or airline tkts (so really all you need to spend is $2500 to get the 20k, which ever you spent the most with

 1- 10k for getting and using the CC

 2- 5k for spending $2500 say just on Grocerys

 3- sign up your wife or friend and you will get the 5k for referring them once they spend the 1st $500, and they do likewise

 so moefl you might run into what you did with Amex but keep it going at a slow rate and it probably will work, have 100 referrals at once and it probably wont

 now every additional 10k in pts over 20k will pay for a tkt that costs $200 more or 20k in pts = $400 and 30k in pts = $600 also nothing can be carried forward so if a tkt is say $300 and you cash in 20k you dont have $100 going forward to use on another tkt

 and remember since its a purchased tkt you will earn Miles and EQMs when you fly unlike a free tkt from the Carriers and possibily even be Upgraded to Biz  if you have status with the Carrier you are flying

 so a person who is in say a trucking biz can use the flex CC for gas only and in no time have 10s of 1000s of pts since gas is 2 pts per $. I doubt gas at Sams Club would get it as Sams probably isnt keyed in as a gas station. Nor if Macys sold grocerys would you get it since would be keyed in as a Supermarket. its not what you purchase but how the Vendor is set up that counts

 a friend is doing exactly this but not with the Gas, and he is racking in the pts as he usus only his Flex CC for grocerys so he gets a free tkt for every $10k he spends alot better then 25k with the Carriers and he doesnt have to worry about fees for booking within 21 days etc etc nor if there are any saver Tkts available all he needs to do is find a fare of less then $400 and hes off for having spent $10k heck you need $20k on SPG, this actually beats SPG if a free tkt is what you are after

 so anyone interested just PM and we will set it up

I never hard on the FLEX credit card. Who gives it? What is the exact name? Do you have some link? If after doing some research on it and I am interested, I will definitely come back to you, but right now I am clueless to what you wrote

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #14 on: December 23, 2009, 08:53:17 PM »
I never hard on the FLEX credit card. Who gives it? What is the exact name? Do you have some link? If after doing some research on it and I am interested, I will definitely come back to you, but right now I am clueless to what you wrote

YGM

Offline jack

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #15 on: December 23, 2009, 11:55:58 PM »
sounds mysterious - googled it every way I can think of and all I get is a line in someones comments on a blog about the card but no real info.
Can you post a link so I can research it?
Dan have you ever heard of it?

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #16 on: December 24, 2009, 12:50:57 AM »
sounds mysterious - googled it every way I can think of and all I get is a line in someones comments on a blog about the card but no real info.
Can you post a link so I can research it?
Dan have you ever heard of it?

 I guess you didnt read the whole post I posted, had you you wouldnt have asked what you did

Offline mordys

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #17 on: December 24, 2009, 10:41:09 AM »
Can you use Flexpoints and money for a ticket? i.e. if a ticket is $1,100, use 50,000 flexpoints and pay the extra $100?

Offline steve2

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #18 on: December 24, 2009, 11:35:11 AM »
Can you use Flexpoints and money for a ticket? i.e. if a ticket is $1,100, use 50,000 flexpoints and pay the extra $100?

 unfortunatley No

 (mordys correct my wrong calculation, so I deleted it)

 that said I was able to do a Multi-city so for 20k I could have booked a EWR-BCN-EWR+ tkt yielding just under 7700 EQMs. and Chabad is right around the corner from the Hilton. As to get it with the low fare you need to stay over a Sat and the flight leaves too early at night so its not possible to grab the MS flight

 No SPG within walking distance. another reason why not to put all your eggs in 1 basket and have pts among the Big 3 SPG,Hilton & Marriott
« Last Edit: December 24, 2009, 11:55:35 AM by steve2 »

Offline mordys

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Re: Looking to plan Honeymoon with CO Miles\Starwood Points
« Reply #19 on: December 24, 2009, 11:38:39 AM »
  but it wouldnt be 50k but 80k if a tkt is between $900 & $1000
 

According to this chart: http://www.flexperks.com/credit/rewards.do# , a ticket up to $1000 is 50k flexpoints.