gnomey

Sorry for this nooby question, but am I right that spending on Chase Fairmont Visa CC actually does not accrue points? I dont see any points shown on my Fairmont online profile, based on my >$3,000 spend, and I read here that spending dont lead to points

https://theluxurytravelexpert.com/20...lub-explained/



In that case, why do I read posts about people redeeming GC using points? Where do these people get their Fairmont points from?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/fairm...ture-card.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22582491-post790.html

The above 2 links are two different posts, although they appear similar when truncated (dont know why)

Jasper2009

You earn Fairmont Chase points (which are different from regular Chase points); you can see your points balance when logging into your credit card account. These points are completely separate from the FPC program, so you won't see them in your FPC profile.

gnomey

Ah I see. Now I get it. Didnt even know my chase login was showing this points balance. Had to unhide it to make it show

Thanks!

nock

So are most of you guys shooting for the $12k spend for this year given the uncertain future of FPC?

booyaa

I'm having a hard time justifying the $12k "free" night.

AF is $95, opportunity cost on the $12k if otherwise put on 2% card is $120, plus any MS fees. Minus the $50 dining cert, my total cost would be close to $250. Certainly a good deal if used at some high end properties, but fact there is expiration date is a turn-off...

I know I'm not factoring 3rd night free and other certs...

I dunno, thoughts?

Jasper2009

Without getting into the details, you're ignoring the fact that you can stack the free night cert with a suite upgrade cert. Getting a suite (confirmed at time of booking) at a Fairmont for ~$250 is a smoking deal IMO.

booyaa

Oh yea for sure. I've got two little ones now so suites are definitely a plus. I guess I just haven't had a full mentality shift yet in our new travel pattern with the toddlers. Before kids, I didn't care for suites, let alone spending over $200 in one. Not saying there wasn't value in certain cases, just saying I personally didn't value a suite that high.

The certs are issued at anniversary right? Doesn't matter when the $12k is hit?

bigjimbo99

In my case the free night was posted very shortly after the $12,000 was spent.

rfrost

I've had the CC since it was introduced, and I think that, with the exception of one year, I have always used the free night at a very high-end property where even F&F rates (which are not always available for dates I am seeking even when those dates are not blacked out for awards) are above $300/night.
I may have misread or misunderstood your post, but I think your calculation does not take into account any value above $.01/point for the Fairmont Chase Rewards points you earn (or is the $.01 cent differential the MS cost?)--even if far from the most valuable currency around, they can still be worth something above that; I happily used my pile of them for a couple of nights at a Raffles I would probably not otherwise have stayed at--not to mention the bonuses for spend at Fairmonts, on car rentals, commuter trains, taxis, etc. (though the non-Fairmont spend bonuses are now worth far less to me with the advent of the CSR). And, since Fairmont's very small footprint doesn't coincide with most of my travel, I've found the stay credit useful for maintaining my Platinum status. I don't MS, but if you do, I don't think you should count both MS costs AND lost opportunity costs for spend on another card; I haven't really thought that through, and, in any case, YMMV.

booyaa

Thanks for the response. I have factored in the Fairmont Chase Rewards. $12k spent on 2% will get me $240. Chase Rewards gives me $120, so "losing out" on the difference, $120.

Right, our travel pattern has lessened quite a bit and like you said, Fairmont's small footprint doesn't help (forget about Platinum status...). It's almost like I would have to plan my travel around where are there Fairmont properties in order to use cert within the year.

I think I'm going to try it for a year, both my wife and I's card. We'll see how this next year goes. Worst case lose $95 x2, not end of the world. We have benefited from Chase much over the years.

hiima

Are you sure? I've got 12k already and i didn't get mine

Brendan

I'm a new Fairmont Visa cardmember, so my math is different. No AF this year. I had to charge $3K anyway to earn my welcome bonus of 2 free nights so I've calculated my opp. cost on the additional 9K to earn the anniv. night: $180 on another card - $90 in gas cards on Fairmont card = $90 opp. cost. So I'm going for it mainly by using my Fairmont card where only it (Uber/taxi/ toll) or no card at all gives 2x points. Plus car rentals for the 2x plus primary LDW.
I hope I get lucky like Bigjimbo by getting my free night early!

bigjimbo99

It was 2 years ago, so a bit hazy, but it took at most a month or so, it definitely did not take until the anniversary date.

mahasamatman

We have always gotten ours exactly one month after the anniversary date regardless of when we passed the threshold.

nock

Yeah, free night cert posts around the anniversary for me too.

So it seems like the expectation is that at least for this year, free night cert will be honored regardless of what happens to FPC.