Travel bans and high AF travel cards

[bz386]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@bz386 wrote:

I pulled the plug and cancelled my CSR. I have transferred a good chunk of the credit line to my Freedom to preserve it. If in the future I want the CSR again, I can convert the Freedom. 

I'm switching the spend to a combination of Wells Fargo Propel, Amex Platinum and Amex Everyday. Not that there will be much such spend with all restaurants in Bay Arra closing and all travel suspended indefinitely. 

When September rolls around and the Platinum AF comes up, it might get the axe too. 

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Did Chase give you any PC options? I was able to PC CSR to a second Freedom so I can upgrade it (or, more likely, my CFU) back to CSR later. If you want CSR again, you lose your 5x categories.

With 5/24 concerns, I think it's good to keep such accounts open and available, as well as credit.

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I didn't ask for PC options. Everything was handled via secure email, because the phone waiting times were too long for my liking.

I wanted to get rid of the Freedom anyway, not a fan  of rotating categories (closed Discover a couple of months ago). Right now I'm just using it as a placeholder. With the new reality, it might actually get some use next quarter as groceries are the category. 

[iced]

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@Remedios wrote:

We've had at least three patients with atypical pneumonias today, highly indicative of coronavirus.

As I was leaving work, there were news crews in front of the hospital. I'd imagine it's because at least one ER physician got infected. That's how all good horror stories start. 

California is probably not happening unless there is some sort of divine or alien intervention. 

Denial is powerful self preservation mechanism,  kinda like when a small child covers their eyes and thinks you cannot see them because they cannot see you. 

I felt more comfort when I believed it to be blown out of proportion. 

I'm not going to part with any cards yet, given that a couple would be near impossible to get again in any reasonable period of time. I plan on living, and eventually, life will go on. 

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My California trip will happen unless it's prevented from happening (travel ban or mandatory quarantine), which is a distinct possibility given the reaction being taken across travel sectors at the moment. That is, I have no intention of voluntarily canceling it, but I'll comply with any bans or cancellations that go into effect between now and then.

In my case, it's absolutely not denial or a coping mechanism. I fully understand the risks of getting the virus and accept those risks. I am willing and prepared to be exposed to the virus and take my chances. If I survive, I've developed immunity, ripped the metaphorical bandaid off, and can get on with things. If I die, then I die. Either way, having self preservation stress about the situation does nothing but create anxiety, and there's no benefit from being anxious about it.

[Remedios]

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@iced wrote:

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@Remedios wrote:

We've had at least three patients with atypical pneumonias today, highly indicative of coronavirus.

As I was leaving work, there were news crews in front of the hospital. I'd imagine it's because at least one ER physician got infected. That's how all good horror stories start. 

California is probably not happening unless there is some sort of divine or alien intervention. 

Denial is powerful self preservation mechanism,  kinda like when a small child covers their eyes and thinks you cannot see them because they cannot see you. 

I felt more comfort when I believed it to be blown out of proportion. 

I'm not going to part with any cards yet, given that a couple would be near impossible to get again in any reasonable period of time. I plan on living, and eventually, life will go on. 

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My California trip will happen unless it's prevented from happening (travel ban or mandatory quarantine), which is a distinct possibility given the reaction being taken across travel sectors at the moment. That is, I have no intention of voluntarily canceling it, but I'll comply with any bans or cancellations that go into effect between now and then.

In my case, it's absolutely not denial or a coping mechanism. I fully understand the risks of getting the virus and accept those risks. I am willing and prepared to be exposed to the virus and take my chances. If I survive, I've developed immunity, ripped the metaphorical bandaid off, and can get on with things. If I die, then I die. Either way, having self preservation stress about the situation does nothing but create anxiety, and there's no benefit from being anxious about it.

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I understand that, @iced 

I'm anxious because I work in healthcare, and I have children. 

It's not about me, it's about what happens to them should something happen to me. 

My student loans tell me it's inevitable I'll get sick as some point, and two years after chemo my bone marrow is still being a 💩head. 

My parent brain tells me not to tempt fate. That's where my anxiety comes from. 

[SouthJamaica]

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@red259 wrote:

I got an email from Hilton that my free weekend nights certs from Amex credit cards are having their expiration date extended. This made me start to think about all my high AF credit cards. With all the travel bans I am unable to use many of the benefits I paid a large AF for. Any word on what credit card companies may do in light of this? I have renewals coming up and its really questionable to me if I am going to keep many of these travel cards if travel is going to be screwed up for another year. Seems like AFs on credit cards specifically designed for travel should be waived for a year. How will the travel bans and current situation in general impact your credit card decisions? 

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For me, all those wonderful travel points which seemed like the best way to get a big return on my credit card purchases.... all of a sudden don't seem so wonderful any more.

[longtimelurker]

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@iced wrote:

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In my case, it's absolutely not denial or a coping mechanism. I fully understand the risks of getting the virus and accept those risks. I am willing and prepared to be exposed to the virus and take my chances. If I survive, I've developed immunity, 

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AFAIK, that is still an open question (or rather, how long any gained immunity will be protective).   But still....

I think it's fairly certain that there will still be some kind of required quarantine, even if the situation in the US has by then become worse than the UK. 

[red259]

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@iced wrote:

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@Remedios wrote:

We've had at least three patients with atypical pneumonias today, highly indicative of coronavirus.

As I was leaving work, there were news crews in front of the hospital. I'd imagine it's because at least one ER physician got infected. That's how all good horror stories start. 

California is probably not happening unless there is some sort of divine or alien intervention. 

Denial is powerful self preservation mechanism,  kinda like when a small child covers their eyes and thinks you cannot see them because they cannot see you. 

I felt more comfort when I believed it to be blown out of proportion. 

I'm not going to part with any cards yet, given that a couple would be near impossible to get again in any reasonable period of time. I plan on living, and eventually, life will go on. 

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My California trip will happen unless it's prevented from happening (travel ban or mandatory quarantine), which is a distinct possibility given the reaction being taken across travel sectors at the moment. That is, I have no intention of voluntarily canceling it, but I'll comply with any bans or cancellations that go into effect between now and then.

In my case, it's absolutely not denial or a coping mechanism. I fully understand the risks of getting the virus and accept those risks. I am willing and prepared to be exposed to the virus and take my chances. If I survive, I've developed immunity, ripped the metaphorical bandaid off, and can get on with things. If I die, then I die. Either way, having self preservation stress about the situation does nothing but create anxiety, and there's no benefit from being anxious about it.

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 The reason they are locking down cities is to stop people from getting the virus and infecting others who may die if they get infected. The vast majority of people were infected by those who had the virus but showed no signs and went around spreading it. 

[red259]

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@SouthJamaica wrote:

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@red259 wrote:

I got an email from Hilton that my free weekend nights certs from Amex credit cards are having their expiration date extended. This made me start to think about all my high AF credit cards. With all the travel bans I am unable to use many of the benefits I paid a large AF for. Any word on what credit card companies may do in light of this? I have renewals coming up and its really questionable to me if I am going to keep many of these travel cards if travel is going to be screwed up for another year. Seems like AFs on credit cards specifically designed for travel should be waived for a year. How will the travel bans and current situation in general impact your credit card decisions? 

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For me, all those wonderful travel points which seemed like the best way to get a big return on my credit card purchases.... all of a sudden don't seem so wonderful any more.

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Will be interesting to see what happens to point values once travel comes back online. 

[Anonymous]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@iced wrote:

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In my case, it's absolutely not denial or a coping mechanism. I fully understand the risks of getting the virus and accept those risks. I am willing and prepared to be exposed to the virus and take my chances. If I survive, I've developed immunity, 

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AFAIK, that is still an open question (or rather, how long any gained immunity will be protective).   But still....

I think it's fairly certain that there will still be some kind of required quarantine, even if the situation in the US has by then become worse than the UK. 

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Except that that has always been a concern, more so ever since more and more people started traveling outside their own regions. With the sheer volume of global travel in our age, it's actually a wonder there aren't more cases of people contracting yet unknown viruses and bringing them home.  Especially by those that travel deep in the jungles/wilds etc. Yet it's the cousin to the flu that always makes headlines.

[longtimelurker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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(Administration doesn't want nasty foreign viruses!)

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Except that that has always been a concern, more so ever since more and more people started traveling outside their own regions. With the sheer volume of global travel in our age, it's actually a wonder there aren't more cases of people contracting yet unknown viruses and bringing them home.  Especially by those that travel deep in the jungles/wilds etc. Yet it's the cousin to the flu that always makes headlines.

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Well, viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola also make headlines from time to time!   But as with COVID-19, the concern is that flu cousins may transmit very easily, infecting large numbers of people, so even a small case-fatality rate will mean a lot of deaths, compared to a VHF which while having case-fatality of 50+%, spreads much less easily.

[Aim_High]

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@red259 wrote:

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@SouthJamaica wrote:   For me, all those wonderful travel points which seemed like the best way to get a big return on my credit card purchases.... all of a sudden don't seem so wonderful any more.

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Will be interesting to see what happens to point values once travel comes back online. 

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This whole situation is a good reminder not to get overly-invested in AF cards, that (supposedly) "high" earning points systems are subject to devaluation, and that diversifying not just among different points-based systems but also cash-back options is a good strategy.    I completed my Chase Quadfecta last year but am adding more cash-back cards to my line-up right now for that very reason.  Travel rewards can be nice but Cash-is-Cash-is-Cash.  I like being able to get it when I want and to use it like I want.