Wyndham Rewards - Changes Coming

[dagger1]

Smile - your wife can add you as an authorized user on her CSR account, and you can get your own Priority Pass for (certain limited) airport lounges for only $150 a year!

So for $75 a year I can be added as an authorized user, or for $150 I can be an authorized user plus get the PP benefit?
The reason I don’t want two cards is that the points go into two separate pools.. I think one pool of points is better, no?

 

[Sandy VDH]

It is a Priority Pass Select Membership. It used to be for the cardholder and unlimited guests. But now it recently changed and is now the cardholder and 2 guests, unlimited usage NO fee. You might have to pay the fee for additional guests. But you need to read the terms, as some club might prohibit entry if they are too full, or they may have only certain hours for Select hours.

You will have to apply for the Priority Pass. It is not automatic. So as soon as you get your package paperwork, apply. Once you apply it is instant as there is NO longer a card, there is a digital card now. Just load the app on your smartphone and your digital card will be accessible form there.

You can add an authorized user to your wife CSR for $75. This gives you your own Priority Pass Select Membership.

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/chase-sapphire-reserve-review/

 

[Sandy VDH]

So for $75 a year I can be added as an authorized user, or for $150 I can be an authorized user plus get the PP benefit?
The reason I don’t want two cards is that the points go into two separate pools.. I think one pool of points is better, no?

$75 as Authorized user, You get your own Priority Club Select Membership.

I think Chase will let you transfer points to a spouse.

Only you can decide if $150 ($450 fee - $300 travel credit) to have your own card, or $75 to be an authorized user is best for you.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I think I found the answer to my question. According to the CSR’s benefits summary a guest of the cardholder must pay $27 to enter an airport club/lounge... Either that or get his/her own CSR card for another $450/year...

No fee for lounge access with CSR, but limited guests now. It used to be unlimited.

 

[GRapuser]

The priority pass select membership that comes with CSR allows you to bring a guest with you into most lounges free of charge. No second card needed and no other names on the membership are required.

 

[dagger1]

No fee for lounge access with CSR, but limited guests now. It used to be unlimited.

So since my wife and I always travel together, I shouldn’t need the $75 authorized user card...? Unless we want two cards so that all the points go into one Ultimate Rewards account.

 

[Sandy VDH]

So since my wife and I always travel together, I shouldn’t need the $75 authorized user card...? Unless we want two cards so that all the points go into one Ultimate Rewards account.

Save the $75 since you travel with your wife, most of your travel expenses will be on the card.

If you really want some of the dining 3X and you eat separately you could try to put her card in a google or apple or samsung pay app, provided you can use that to pay.

 

[dagger1]

Save the $75 since you travel with your wife, most of your travel expenses will be on the card.

If you really want some of the dining 3X and you eat separately you could try to put her card in a google or apple or samsung pay app, provided you can use that to pay.

Brilliant!!! Put her card in Apple Pay and use it when we are not together!!!

 

[dagger1]

Save the $75 since you travel with your wife, most of your travel expenses will be on the card.

If you really want some of the dining 3X and you eat separately you could try to put her card in a google or apple or samsung pay app, provided you can use that to pay.

Sandy VDH, if I do spend the extra $75, will that enable me to occasionally bring 2 guests into an airport club/lounge as well as my wife? Sometimes there are 6-10 of us traveling.

 

[kaljor]

I'm curious about the Citi Costco Card for MF's. I recall testing it once and not getting but 1%. That was some time ago. I currently use the Citi Double Cash Card for MF's. The category says 'Lodging - TIMESHARES'. So, if Citi says this on one card, it might say it on the other. But, again, I recall not getting 3%. Does anyone have recent experience on this?

I used my Costco Card for MF's in January 2018 and only got the 1%.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Sandy VDH, if I do spend the extra $75, will that enable me to occasionally bring 2 guests into an airport club/lounge as well as my wife? Sometimes there are 6-10 of us traveling.

Yes that is my understanding. You will each have a Membership and you will each be allowed yourself plus 2 guest, free of charge. Additional Guests will be for a fee (now $32 but I would have to check). Some Lounges may limit the number of guests you bring, read the description in the app on on the PP website.

Before you get all excited, check two things: Is there a lounge available in the terminal you are flying in? This does pose a problem in large airports with multiple terminals. Does that lounge have any additional restrictions on guests or times of entry? Otherwise you will be paying for Lounge access you don't get much use out of.

 

[dagger1]

Yes that is my understanding. You will each have a Membership and you will each be allowed yourself plus 2 guest, free of charge. Additional Guests will be for a fee (now $32 but I would have to check). Some Lounges may limit the number of guests you bring, read the description in the app on on the PP website.

Before you get all excited, check two things: Is there a lounge available in the terminal you are flying in? This does pose a problem in large airports with multiple terminals. Does that lounge have any additional restrictions on guests or times of entry? Otherwise you will be paying for Lounge access you don't get much use out of.

Thanks! I need to do a little more investigating!!

 

[dagger1]

Another Chase Sapphire Reserve question just occurred to me: if my wife has the CSR card, and wants to transfer her Ultimate Rewards points to United, does she have to transfer them to her MileagePlus account or can she transfer them to my MileagePlus account as well?

 

[Al Wilson]

I caught wind of this change before it happened. So I made sure to book Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach for 6 nights over new years. I even bought 2k points so I would have enough to book 6 nights there. I was sure that place was getting bumped to 30k points per night, so I got my reservation in before the change. I can certainly understand the need for the change, as not all hotels are equivalent. I'm just glad I was able to use my accrued points as planned, before the change.

 

[dagger1]

If I am an authorized user on my wife’s Chase Sapphire Reserve card, can I transfer the points earned on my Chase Ink or Chase Freedom cards to her CSR Ultimate Rewards account? Or does she need to get her own Chase Ink and Freedom card?

 

[GRapuser]

Points earned through the Chase Freedom card are kept separate from those earned with Sapphire Reserve, even for the same owner. While they are all labeled Ultimate Rewards, they do not combine, at least that is how it is with my two cards.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Points earned through the Chase Freedom card are kept separate from those earned with Sapphire Reserve, even for the same owner. While they are all labeled Ultimate Rewards, they do not combine, at least that is how it is with my two cards.

I routinely combine my points from Freedom and Ink over to my Reserve Card. That way I get the 50% bonus for travel booked in the portal.

In the UR portal there is a drop down that says Combined. It is the last item in the list.

 

[Sandy VDH]

If I am an authorized user on my wife’s Chase Sapphire Reserve card, can I transfer the points earned on my Chase Ink or Chase Freedom cards to her CSR Ultimate Rewards account? Or does she need to get her own Chase Ink and Freedom card?

I do not know. Once you get your card, you need to look in the portal and see if the Reserve Card comes up in your list of cards. If the card appears in your list, then yes you can combine the points. I would also assume you can transfer to your UA. But I do not have any authorized users, so I do not know how this impacts what cards are displayed in your www.ultimaterewards.com account. Log in and see.

 

[Sandy VDH]

The post have definitely diverged into 2 topics.

1) Wyndham Rewards Program change
2) chase Sapphire Reserve.

Oops

 

[dagger1]

I just changed my monthly Wyndham MF payments from the Wyndham Barclaycard to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, changing my program in response to Wyndham’s change. Thus completing the Wyndham Rewards - Chase Sapphire Reserve loop!