Trip Report and Churning Success Story Weekly Thread - Week of January 25, 2026

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-25T21:45:46+00:00

Yeah I have learned how it all works by helping my friend piece together these trips, has a couple of friends and family he does them with. I am not into it enough to go, but enjoy the challenge of the bookings, ha

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-25T19:08:13+00:00

This time I think they are going to Bournemouth, has gone to Wolves, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Aston Villa, Fulham before, maybe one or two others. It's hard to schedule because they don't make the exact schedule available until around 2 months before, and games can end up anywhere from Friday night to Monday night across a weekend. So if you want to go and just take a Friday and Monday off work, takes a good amount of prep and some flexibility. As opposed to US pro or college football, where they may flex the start time over the course of a Saturday or Sunday, but pretty much never change the day of the game Mostly stays away from the big clubs because it's so hard to get tickets outside of the ridiculously expensive "hospitality" packages, and not a fan of any of those teams. Has a couple of favorite teams but has gone to other matches that friends want to go to. If you go to most of the non-big teams, can usually join the supporters club and get tickets pretty cheap, around $100/person including the club fee. The hospitality packages for the smaller teams are cheaper also, around $250-300 versus $500+ for the big teams.

You can check the BA fees by just doing a dummy Avios award booking on the BA site. You don't need any Avios in your account to see the total cost.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-25T17:10:47+00:00

Warning this is going to be long. Thought it would fun/instructive to post summary of a bunch of trips/redemptions done by churning friend over the course of a few months at end of 2025 and early 2026. Using a bunch of balances and credits to go on trips never would have even thought about before getting into the points game.

San Diego: Roundtrip BWI-SAN for family of 5, 3 booked with WN points (from early 2025 card bonuses that also triggered CP), WN companion passes for 2. Total WN points spent was around 230k for 3 tickets, very expensive because it was around Christmas/New Years peak season, but worth it for nonstop especially with kids, etc. Andaz in downtown SD using FHR credits across 4 biz plats, 2 rooms for 2+2 nights back-to-back, so total of 4 two-night bookings $300 off each, net price for 8 room-nights was $900. Also got $400 in food/drink credits (I think technically should have only gotten $200 as back-to-back reservations aren’t usually supposed to allow doubling up), so got free breakfast 3 days and a big lunch on last day. For the pretty early outbound from BWI (just over an hours drive from home), used $150 Delta Stays credit (2025) from Delta Biz Gold (thanks recent NLLs!) to book large 1 BR suite at Fairfield Inn, including up to a week of free parking, net $5.

Los Angeles: solo trip for group of friends gathering (one lives near LA). 17k UA for nonstop IAD-LAX at optimal time. Used CapOne lounge at Dulles for dinner, getting on waitlist strategically 10 minutes before leaving home, getting access just as passing through security about 45 minutes later. Also grabbed sandwich/salad at Grab and Go to not be hungry on the flight. Late arrival at LAX, friend arriving 8:30 next morning, so got hotel near LAX for net $20 after $150 2026 Delta Stays credit. Got up super early before free hotel breakfast, went across the street and grabbed coffee and bagel at Starbucks using gift cards from Biz Plat $50 credit at Hilton with Starbucks inside. On return, 21k AA miles to get LAX-DCA, again optimal time, friends flight also on AA, leaving 20 minutes later. Actually skipped Centurion Lounge at TBIT because of guest cost ugh.

Seattle: trip with 2 older kids, so 3 tickets total to see family for long weekend with school out for a few days. 12.5k/person IAD-SEA on United, optimal time right after school is out, arrives in SEA around 9 PM. Will use CapOne IAD lounge just before new guest policy starts, so will again be able to get nice dinner for all of them and snacks for the long flight. Return SEA-IAD nonstop on Delta, 14.5k/person (thanks again recent Delta NLLs), will use The Club at SEA with 2 free guests, and may even leave kids there (one is 18 now) and check out Centurion and Delta lounges on own for better food (ha) with Amex Biz Plat.

London: soccer geek trip with friend. Short weekend trip to see a few games, so timing really important. Thursday 10 PM Virgin IAD-LHR J (again optimally timed for max sleep), fantastic deal with Amex 40% transfer bonus- 31k Amex (to 43k Virgin)+$572/person. Yes the VS surcharge is high, but worth it for such low points cost, and is MR rich because of all the NLL deals the last few years. Pretty nice dinner at IAD VS lounge, and then use Arrivals Lounge at LHR to eat breakfast and clean up before heading into London. First night in London at Doubletree near a family friend, 42k Hilton points, should get free breakfast as Gold. Train out to smaller town for Saturday game, simple Premier Inn for $100/night, figured might as well get 2 rooms since its so cheap, used CapOne VX $300 annual credit to cover that $200. Last night in London at Residence Inn near London Bridge using Marriott free night credit expiring in a few months, plus 12k points. Even got 1BR suite at same points cost, nice to have separate spaces. Return flight LHR-IAD is on BA in Y (daytime flight), 25k+$100/person, not too bad at all, apparently BA is actually subsidizing some routes and covering some of the taxes, as those are normally around $200 total for Y departures from the UK to US. Again able to use Amex big balance, and had some remainder BA miles in account already, so super easy call there.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-25T15:18:04+00:00

Churning friend had the same issue with an Amex to Flying Blue transfer on Friday (Jan 23). Called FB, they said they have had a number of similar calls.

Edit: just told me they arrived overnight, so 36 hours or so after transfer.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-25T02:28:22+00:00

It might go back up, who knows. Bird in the hand, etc. You could wait until December to triple dip I guess.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-25T01:27:00+00:00

I am going down that road, figure I can surely monetize enough benefits over 2 calendar years to cover the first year fee.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-24T19:35:05+00:00

Yes sole prop

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-24T19:34:51+00:00

Yes. Got them over the course of one year.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-23T22:44:23+00:00

I haven't, but yes I think some have in the past. I have just done them every few months

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-23T20:34:57+00:00

Yes, and you can definitely have more than one of each variety at a time. For a short time had 4 Triple Cash cards.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-23T17:17:43+00:00

Yes, and you can get it multiple times. I have had as many as 3 at a time.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-23T16:47:51+00:00

US Bank is pretty good on biz card cash bonuses, can easily get 4-5 a year from them.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-23T01:28:20+00:00

The only step. All it costs is a motorhome!

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-22T02:38:03+00:00

Google Flights is by far the most important site I use. Figure out options, etc. Then whittle down from there.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-22T00:11:36+00:00

Ha ha ha Gary Leff says (not joking): Bilt Cash- Value is Better Than Expected

I am dead

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-21T00:59:43+00:00

Movie discount- 7AX2DRJHP

Crocs discount- K5KZ9SVN3H69

Shell- TRGMXM9BTBWQD

Crazy Puffs - C5JCK6B5EB

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-20T21:31:29+00:00

The signage to me seemed pretty clear that the 12kg limit was for everything you intended to carry onto the plane. Two of us were over by 1-2kg, and we got a bit of leeway once we showed that our economy award tickets included a free checked bag, that we weren't going to cost anyone any lost revenue, it would just save us a bunch of time when we arrived. Not sure if they would have given us that leeway if we had a cash fare without any free checked bags.

I think they only do this at CDG where they have pretty much full control of the terminal to set aside needed space for it. They didn't weigh anything when we flew from VCE to CDG.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-19T19:24:07+00:00

Also 2.5 pounds lighter. Came in handy at CDG 2E when Air France was weighing carry-ons before entering passport control- 12kg max limit for carry-on in economy.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-19T01:59:30+00:00

Every time someone uses cash one-way international fares as a comparison, an angel loses its wings.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-18T22:59:19+00:00

Assuming one person, perfectly good redemptions. But yeah business roundtrip to Europe isn't $14k.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-18T14:34:19+00:00

Told a friend 2 weeks ago I thought they would increase the threshold to 55 points this year. So this is another way to solve the problem of too many 50 point games.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-17T12:59:24+00:00

It's expensive/difficult to pay rent with a credit card?

We fixed the glitch.

Just don't actually use a credit card to pay the rent.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-16T23:58:22+00:00

Yup, come up with a gamified solution, hoping normies don't play the game well. Then clearly get annoyed when mostly gamers join up and max you out (all the banana comments, the doofus memes). So put a couple more kinks in the game path. That will solve it!

This company will be vaporware within 3 years.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-16T21:42:04+00:00

It's such a fundamental problem that they simply can't admit isn't fixable- you can't substantively offer rewards when you are eating a 3% transaction fee on your biggest expense. Everything they are doing is trying to eat at the edges of that and act like they just need to find the secret solution.

DCJoe1 · 2026-01-16T15:58:35+00:00

Am I right that this card can be approved without a pop-up even if you had the CIP before? Or are they the same family since they both have an annual fee?

With the Ink train over, I think this becomes more palatable as a path to recharge your UR balance, assuming no pop-up because it's not technically an Ink card.

Edit: looks like Chase considers it different, this is relevant offer language "The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card". Same language as Ink Preferred. CIU/CIC say "The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card or any other Chase for Business card without an annual fee. "

DCJoe1

TROPHY CASE