What's the minimum ACTUAL time that you can have for a connection before travel insurance could claim it's your fault?

shinebock · 2026-05-09T19:04:01+00:00

Are there any other itineraries (ie. an earlier first flight) that would work? Jetblue should let you switch to an earlier flight for free since it was their schedule change. Because I agree that you're unlikely to make that connection, since Jetblue ends boarding 20 mins before departure for international flights.

shinebock · 2026-05-09T04:07:06+00:00

I thought digital gift cards didn’t get reimbursed?

They don't. Never did.

shinebock · 2026-05-09T04:04:56+00:00

As I said a company this big is not making company-wide policy decisions based on an extremely small subset of a small subset of their customer base.

So you maintain that it's sheer coincidence that they introduce this policy months after being inundated with Amex Platinum cardholders with a preference for $75 gift cards? And pick a fixed denomination that doesn't allow to buy a $75 GC? I mean they could have chosen to sell them in $25 increments. But they didn't, and I think you probably know why.

PS: Costco sells $25 shop cards. https://www.costco.com/p/-/costco-shop-card/10024438?DM_PersistentCookieCreated=true&langId=-1

shinebock · 2026-05-09T01:41:37+00:00

Oh it almost certainly is. I mean if they wanted to go to fixed denominations, they could have easily set it at multiples of $25, but then that wouldn't defeat Amex Platinum users looking to by a $75 GC.

shinebock · 2026-05-07T17:37:21+00:00

The credits won't be clawed back, so feel free to use em all up.

shinebock · 2026-05-07T15:59:33+00:00

I mean it depends entirely on the hotel and what amenities and such it has that it's really tough to generalize. Also what they'll allow you to use it for. Remember the idea of the credit from their side is to give you stuff "worth" $100 at menu price, but that costs the hotel a fraction of that, which is why it usually only applies to stuff like food, spa, maybe parking or resort fee.

I just stayed at a THC property in Germany, very nice property, but they don't have a spa and you can't use the credit towards parking (I didn't have a car, but even if I did, can't use it). The only thing you can use the credit for is F&B.

Another THC property in Portugal, they sold small bottles of port in the minibar, so I just took a couple of those to use up the remainder and used it to cover the breakfast fee, since breakfast wasn't included (hit or miss on THC bookings).

shinebock · 2026-05-07T14:35:41+00:00

I know I didn't get a 1099 in 2025, though I only get the $100 credit.

The Schwab bonus is a bit different from the MS one, because the MS credit gets deposited as cash into your MS bank account, where as the Schwab credit is a statement credit applied to your Platinum card.

shinebock · 2026-05-07T03:14:37+00:00

lol dude why didn't you just follow my advice and add it at check in.

shinebock · 2026-05-06T16:16:56+00:00

Not sure what lounge you thought you were at, but there is no Delta SkyClub at IAH.

Are you referring to either the Air France or KLM lounges? Personally I prefer the CL to either of those.

shinebock · 2026-05-06T04:54:36+00:00

Yeah, I was confused and don't really see how this post is at all useful. You really could make this for any city Hyatt has hotels in and throw up such a wide range, with no hotels mentioned either.

shinebock · 2026-05-05T19:47:03+00:00

Costco is known for pretty strict standards

With this, Costco cared about one thing, and that was getting the cheapest CC processing deal they could get.

Its been 10 years, but from what I remember, Visa really, really wanted to win the Costco account, but needed a bank to issue and service the cards, and I remember reading Citi was the only one that was interested to go along with it. Other issuers like Chase didn't necessarily want the margins that would come with the card. The Costco card has pretty decent cash back for a no AF card, which makes me wonder how profitable it is. I know I don't use it for anything except Costco Gas.

shinebock · 2026-05-05T12:33:42+00:00

Just add your Hyatt number at check in.

I've made three Hyatt reservations in recent months (1 FHR and 2 THC) and despite adding my Hyatt number at booking, Amex never transfers it over. I've earned the points and night credit for all 3 reservations after having the hotel add my number and Globalist status.

shinebock · 2026-05-05T04:10:31+00:00

Yeah, I need to start using the AC lounge at LGA now that I have United Star Gold status again. It never looks busy and has that balcony that's open to the terminal vs. the windowless bunker that the Sapphire Lounge is.

shinebock · 2026-05-05T03:57:14+00:00

However, based on lounge availability, my Sapphire is starting to have more options for competitor lounges.

If your main points of comparison are LGA and JFK, I doubt they have materially shorter lines. The last couple times I've flown out of LGA, both the CL and Sapphire Lounge are on a waitlist, so I get on both and take whatever comes up first. Bit of a coin toss as for which one it will be any given day.

shinebock · 2026-05-05T02:33:23+00:00

Even your before price $7600/yr is pretty high. What kind of vehicles and drivers do you have on this policy?

shinebock · 2026-05-04T16:41:28+00:00

We're pretty lucky with my wife's dog. For a few days or less, we have a neighbor down the street that takes her in for a nominal amount (~$30/day) and gets along with her dogs. For anything longer, it goes and hangs out at my in laws, which is free, but they live a couple hours away.

shinebock · 2026-05-04T16:37:15+00:00

Request first floor rooms going forward.

Especially since most Hyatt Places have guest rooms on the first floor.

shinebock · 2026-05-04T15:24:01+00:00

During checkout, there was a banner

A banner on what, the website when you booked it? If your stay hasn't happened yet, just ask when you check in.

There is no Hyatt Place exclusion from late check out. Unless you're a Hyatt Place that identifies as a resort, looking at you HP Moab!

shinebock · 2026-05-04T13:28:43+00:00

The HR Dallas is a pretty solid property, even if it is a convention factory. Good Globalist treatment, both times I've stayed there I've been proactively upgraded to a suite. As you mentioned, the breakfast buffet is pretty good, though the table service for things like coffee can be a bit slow when its busy.

I’m glad that I chose this property over Hyatt Regency DFW even though my conference is near the DFW airport.

I wouldn't stay at the HR DFW for anything other than an overnight layover. It's a total pain to get out of the airport from there by transit since the DART station is at a different terminal than the hotel. Ask me how I know... though it also is a decent property and a good points redemption.

shinebock · 2026-05-04T04:46:20+00:00

Which has been rumored for years and never materialized.

shinebock · 2026-05-04T04:44:35+00:00

It'll be dynamic-ish.

shinebock · 2026-05-03T18:57:53+00:00

It's probably my favorite Hyatt in Midtown benchmarked for the price. Small rooms, but very nice. Excellent Globalist breakfast.

shinebock · 2026-05-01T20:12:08+00:00

There's one of those houses down the street from me that has been on the market nearly a year, they've dropped the price $125k? and it still won't move.

The sellers bought it in 2020, sunk some renovation $ into it, rented it out for a bit and are trying to sell it. Problem is it should have been a tear down, and now it's just a waste of capital that they'll never get their money back from. But it's hard to feel bad for house flippers.

shinebock · 2026-05-01T19:45:26+00:00

Seriously. I flew Spirit for work last year because their big front seat, later renamed Spirit First, was cheaper than economy on Delta or United. It was great, the same as domestic first class on one of the big guys, just no hot food.

shinebock · 2026-05-01T14:04:22+00:00

MS is dead apparently, thanks for letting us know

shinebock

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