Trying to hit CP and ALP
Aug 21, 2015, 9:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Md
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat / Hilton Gold / IHG Plat
Posts: 252
Trying to hit CP and ALP
So fellas... I am on a thinker LOL....
I am traveling this coming week
24 Aug BWI->DTW
26 Aug DTW->BWI->BUF
28 Aug BUF->BWI
Currently I sit at 89,989 CP points out of 110k, and 53.6k out of 70k ALP.
I can upgrade to BS for $300 total and get another 5k points.
I have a flight booked for Dec too going to Vegas for personal, but thats only netting me 1,706 points.
I have travel at least 2 more times this year, as I use my RR Visa for my hotel and rental cars which get me 2x.
Thoughts on how I should handle it.
Thanks fellas
I am traveling this coming week
24 Aug BWI->DTW
26 Aug DTW->BWI->BUF
28 Aug BUF->BWI
Currently I sit at 89,989 CP points out of 110k, and 53.6k out of 70k ALP.
I can upgrade to BS for $300 total and get another 5k points.
I have a flight booked for Dec too going to Vegas for personal, but thats only netting me 1,706 points.
I have travel at least 2 more times this year, as I use my RR Visa for my hotel and rental cars which get me 2x.
Thoughts on how I should handle it.
Thanks fellas
Aug 21, 2015, 12:16 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 89
$300 is definitely not worth an extra 5000 points to me, but if that's the only remaining travel you have planned and that gets you to ALP, then it might be worth it.... There's no way around it, gotta fly for the ALP qualifying points.
To chase CP is much easier, as you get close to the end of the year, since it's much easier to get CP qualifying points, you can always just become a big spender, don't forget about Southwest Dining program, and if you stay in hotels or rent cars you can earn CP qualifying points too. Just remember that the points will need to post in the calendar year. If you go big spending in Dec. and your cc points post in January, then it will be all for naught.
To chase CP is much easier, as you get close to the end of the year, since it's much easier to get CP qualifying points, you can always just become a big spender, don't forget about Southwest Dining program, and if you stay in hotels or rent cars you can earn CP qualifying points too. Just remember that the points will need to post in the calendar year. If you go big spending in Dec. and your cc points post in January, then it will be all for naught.
Aug 21, 2015, 1:55 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Md
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat / Hilton Gold / IHG Plat
Posts: 252
$300 is definitely not worth an extra 5000 points to me, but if that's the only remaining travel you have planned and that gets you to ALP, then it might be worth it.... There's no way around it, gotta fly for the ALP qualifying points.
To chase CP is much easier, as you get close to the end of the year, since it's much easier to get CP qualifying points, you can always just become a big spender, don't forget about Southwest Dining program, and if you stay in hotels or rent cars you can earn CP qualifying points too. Just remember that the points will need to post in the calendar year. If you go big spending in Dec. and your cc points post in January, then it will be all for naught.
To chase CP is much easier, as you get close to the end of the year, since it's much easier to get CP qualifying points, you can always just become a big spender, don't forget about Southwest Dining program, and if you stay in hotels or rent cars you can earn CP qualifying points too. Just remember that the points will need to post in the calendar year. If you go big spending in Dec. and your cc points post in January, then it will be all for naught.
I dont think the $300 is worth it either. I can usually pay 15-25 for BS upgrade, but not this time....
Aug 21, 2015, 2:45 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,176
If you have the Premier credit card, remember that every $10k spend gets you 1500 Tier points. Might just be the bit to put you over.
You may want to look at some manufactured spend as the year-end approaches.
You may want to look at some manufactured spend as the year-end approaches.
Aug 23, 2015, 1:41 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Md
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat / Hilton Gold / IHG Plat
Posts: 252
What sucks is if our corporate folks let me use my Visa RR card to book, I would have had ALP and CP probably 3 months ago LOL.... Thats where I am missing out on alot of points
Aug 25, 2015, 3:03 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
How much A+ is worth depends on how much you'll travel the remainder of this year and next. Figure out, for example, how many additional redeemable points you'd earn with the higher bonus multiplier and how many times you'd benefit from free inflight wifi. Also add in whatever you think it's worth to have a lower boarding pass number reserved automatically.
Aug 25, 2015, 3:23 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,698
If you have unused, about to expire SA's and a horribly restricted airport like I do, A List + overrides the capacity control as I delightfully confirmed today! Plus the 855 customer service number pick-ups very quick with all your info populated if the number is registered with them! To me, this is amazing, at least for the next few months, wished I knew about it a few months ago...
Aug 25, 2015, 3:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
Aug 25, 2015, 4:28 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: HH Diamond, WN CP & A-List P
Posts: 195
If you have unused, about to expire SA's and a horribly restricted airport like I do, A List + overrides the capacity control as I delightfully confirmed today! Plus the 855 customer service number pick-ups very quick with all your info populated if the number is registered with them! To me, this is amazing, at least for the next few months, wished I knew about it a few months ago...
Aug 25, 2015, 7:30 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,698
If you have unused, about to expire SA's and a horribly restricted airport like I do, A List + overrides the capacity control as I delightfully confirmed today! Plus the 855 customer service number pick-ups very quick with all your info populated if the number is registered with them! To me, this is amazing, at least for the next few months, wished I knew about it a few months ago...
I have quite a few to burn before the end of Oct and will probably give away to friends and family.
I can see this ripe for abuse with people trying to sell these things off before they expire for good so I hope nobody does that and kills it for the rest of us!!
Aug 25, 2015, 8:23 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MCI
Programs: CBP Global Entry, WN A-List Preferred, WN Companion Pass
Posts: 2,007
If you are AL+ and have standard awards and the flight(s) you want have no SA availability (97% in my case to/fro ISP) but have general for sale availability, a call to the (855) 234-4654 and they will override it and book it for you. With politeness and a smile you can hear over the phone. And if you call using a number they recognize (cell phone), they identify you immediately as an AL+ member and answer a few seconds later (thanks NSX), which was my biggest fear - getting through without wasting hours.
I have quite a few to burn before the end of Oct and will probably give away to friends and family.
I can see this ripe for abuse with people trying to sell these things off before they expire for good so I hope nobody does that and kills it for the rest of us!!
I have quite a few to burn before the end of Oct and will probably give away to friends and family.
I can see this ripe for abuse with people trying to sell these things off before they expire for good so I hope nobody does that and kills it for the rest of us!!
Aug 25, 2015, 8:44 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Tucson AZ
Programs: Global Entry, United Silver, Marriott Platinum Premier, Hilton Gold
Posts: 380
The CP is *extremely* valuable. From my experience, however, ALP (which I also have) is borderline useless. It's MUCH cheaper to just buy a WGA fare and then upgrade for $40 at the gate if you really want to get on close to the front of the line. WN offers no first class (so there's no upgrades of any kind), and the free drink coupons are a gimmick. I like WN, but after extensive travel that's my opinion.
Aug 26, 2015, 7:54 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BWI
Programs: UA S/AGR S+/MR G/SW CP/AA Plat
Posts: 280
I guess it is all relative. I had two months of almost weekly flying on BS fares which quickly took me from no status all of the way to CP this past Monday. Since work paid for it then having ALP and getting the CP was unplanned but nice to have. If I had to pay for all of my own travel then I personally would be happy with just AL and no CP based on WGA fares.
Aug 26, 2015, 8:48 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Clearwater, FL
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat.
Posts: 299
I agree completely. I've already used it 11 times this year for my wife to join me on business trips. More are scheduled, including a couple of vacations, so it's worth a LOT to us. But most people I talk to only use their CP a few times per year.