I do use freedom instead of CSP outide the country when gas is one of the 5X category, like now.
To me UR worth 2c, so even after 3% ftf , I am still ahead.
To me UR worth 2c, so even after 3% ftf , I am still ahead.
EX819 1HP|TU797 1HP| EQ(Fico8 BankCard)841
train tickets I got from Virgin.. I paid with Sapphire; Discover seemingly didn't work anyways..
As for getting hard currency.. I use consumers credit union, which it seems a fair amount of people on here also use.. I know they refund ATM fees, but I'll need to look more into what the foreign fees entail..
Trip is slated to be London to York to Northeast to Edinburgh back to London 
@msaigh wrote:redbeard, What American Express card are you using overseas that doesn't charge an FTF. I need that card. AMEX has always charged me a 2.7% FTF if I use their card.
PRG converted to no FTF in mid-2015
The Delta AMEX cards went to no FTF in 2014
SPG went to no FTF in late 2015
Some others like Platinum should be no FTF.
Cards like EDP, ED, BC, BCP, Hilton and many other AMEX still charge the FTF.
@Anonymous wrote:seems like everyone is more or less on the same page... If hitting the spending limits was a sure thing (which it is close to being since I made my gf an authorized user for the purposes of this trip), then I'm thinking it would be best to use discover for trains abroad (I don't have double cashback, I just have an older card that isn't even technically called DiscoverIT but it seems to have the exact same rewards scheme).. If I needed those extra few hundred bucks, then sounds like Sapphire is the way to go
As someone said above, the freedom will hurt me with the FTFs and using either Chase over the automatic 5% Discover (assuming it is accepted), would probably really only make sense if you transfer everything to Sapphire and then transfer those to specific expensive airlines. Seems a little too complicated for someone like me (who flies at most once per year)
Also, sounds like I shouldnt do any "pre-exchanges" abroad if given the option... Chase/Discover would have a better conversion rate for sure? You guys think I should come with actual currency as well? if so whats a cheap way to get that
You mean to say you and DGF are going to spend $1,500 in the quarter on gas and ground transportation? If so, perhaps route some of that to the Discover card in the US, and consider the Freedom card for some of the England trip charges? No guarantee they will code correctly in Category Spend, so that becomes something of a risk. But it would be a "fun travel activity" just to use the Freedom card sometimes, then see how those charges post. As soon as they show up on your Chase on-line account, you will know how they coded for bonus earnings, or not, and can adjust accordingly. It's not like AMEX MR points where it is two months before you get an indecipherable points earnings lump.
Regarding moving UR points, the Hyatt hotels are a good option also. You can find very valuable redemptions for UR transfers there, though you would have to be patient for the timing of the redemption. The point is, there can be other destinations for those UR points besides airlines. Marriott and IHG? Not good. Hyatt: Very good.