Tag Archives: Travel

Keep, Cancel, or Convert: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card ($450 Annual Fee)

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Buenos días everyone! I know it’s been a long time since you’ve heard from me – I’ve got a couple of things in the works, but for now, I thought I’d hop on to Grant’s Keep, Cancel, or Convert? Series with my thoughts on the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card.

The CSR has had a spot in my wallet since it was first released, but over time, it’s been losing its luster for me as other cards have caught up with it. When Chase announced that the annual fee would be rising to $550, I knew its days in my wallet were numbered. Here’s why:

  • I opened the JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card right before Chase stopped offering the card to new applicants, which offers the same travel protections as the CSR and a better Priority Pass membership.
  • Late last year, I opened a Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, which earns 3x on travel and allows me to transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to airline and hotel partners.
  • Earlier this year, I opened a Citi Premier Credit Card, which earns 3x Citi ThankYou Points on restaurants and most travel purchases.
  • My Chase Freedom Credit Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card now earn 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards Points at restaurants (though both cards have foreign transaction fees, so I won’t be using them in Mexico).

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JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card: Redeem $300 Travel Credit for Restaurants & Grocery Stores via Secure Message

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Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  Earlier this month, Frequent Miler wrote Ritz card: Double Dip Restaurants 10X + $300. In that post, Greg covered 2 overlapping promotions available on the JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card:

  • Earn 10x Marriott Bonvoy Points at restaurants and gas stations through September 30, 2020
  • Use the $300 annual travel credit to reimburse purchases made at grocery stores and restaurants though December 31, 2020

Before the Coronavirus Pandemic, I used $84.67 of my $300 annual travel credit, so I still had $215.33 remaining that I needed to use by December 31, 2020.  With the above information in mind, I decided to use my Ritz Carlton Credit Card for purchases at grocery stores and restaurants until I spent at least $215.33.  I made the necessary purchases and clicked the pie chart icon to confirm that the purchases fell into the right categories.

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Listen to Grant on the Miles to Memories Podcast

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Good morning everyone.  Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of being a guest / co-host on the Miles to Memories Podcast.  I spoke with Shawn Coomer (MtM Founder) and Mark Ostermann (MtM Managing Editor), while Joe Cheung took the day/night off.  We talked about my British Airways / Match.com love story, our pre-honeymoon to Moorea, and our upcoming road trip to Carmel / Monterey.  Subscribe to the podcast here or click the play button below to stream the podcast.  Have a great day everyone.

P.S. If you want to listen to more podcasts where I was a guest / co-host, check out my new Podcasts & Interviews page.

Anatomy & Timeline of a Cancelled Delta Airlines Award Ticket (FCO-JFK)

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Good morning everyone, I hope your week is going well.  Back on February 9, I booked a Delta Airlines award ticket for my friend to travel from Rome (FCO) to New York City (JFK) in business class for travel on October 1.  The award ticket cost 80,000 Delta SkyMiles and 329.23 euros (~$388.06) in taxes/fees.  Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the flight was cancelled.  In this post, I will share the timeline of when the Delta SkyMiles and award taxes/fees were refunded.

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Great Timeshare Vacation Package Deal: 3 Days / 2 Nights for Only 7,500 Wyndham Rewards Points

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Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend.  I just received this great timeshare vacation package deal from Wyndham Rewards.  You can get a 3 day / 2 night vacation package for only 7,500 Wyndham Rewards Points.  That’s 7,500 points total, not per night.  You must book through this special link by October 15, complete your stay by November 24, and attend a 2 hour timeshare presentation.  Keep reading to see the 6 cities / resorts participating in this timeshare vacation package deal.

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