AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

I will only post once on this topic, 'cause I think it is rather off
topic and the thread needs to go away...

Roger writes:
Credit cards are good for two things:
Convenience and emergencies:
They are NOT good for credit!

Even a signature loan will be half or less for the interest. That is
why there are companies out there making a business of saving credit
card users money.
snip
My own credit card co sends me those darn checks (Instant case) and
other incentives. Of course if I use any of that the interest is
charged from day one. There is no grace period to the due date.

Actually, sometimes those cheques are a good deal. AMEX sent me some
cheques with a 4.99% rate (fixed for the duration of the loan) and a
$50 transaction fee. I was in the market for a small unsecured loan,
and following the conventional wisdom went to talk to my bank. My
banker took one look at the terms on those cheques, and told me that
he could not come anywhere near matching those rates. (At the time
small unsecured bank loans were going for something like 12%.)

The only gotcha? After using the cheque I had to throw the AMEX card
in a drawer and not use it anymore. According to the fine print if I
used the card at all then any charges I made would get paid off last,
after the low interest debt was paid off. And those purchases would
be charged a much higher rate of interest. They were counting on
customers being stupid enough to ring up more charges after using the
cheque.

It seems strange to me that AMEX is trying to train its customers to
_not_ use their card, but that is not my problem...

Chris
--
Chris Colohan Email: PGP: finger
Web: www.colohan.com Phone: (412)268-4751

Rich wrote:
Yes... basic values used to be taught at home by parents and family.
Since they are not (in general), it sure seems they should be taught in
school.

It always puzzled me that there is emphasis on learning that the "Battle
of Hastings was fought in 1066" and how to solve quadratic equations
(When will you EVER use this information in real life?) and nothing
taught about REAL life skills kids lack and really need.

Well, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I do (did anyway) use quadratic
equations and significant other math in my day job. However, I
understand and agree with your point. I'm not against history or
advanced math, but I do think teaching a little more basics on personal
financial management would help a lot of young folks as they start out
on their own. I had a pretty good grounding growing up, but also read a
lot of financial books very early in my college and working career and
it helped tremendously.


Matt

"Vingo Optomalicious" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Chuck" wrote:

And some people like me are financially strapped and do not have the
money
to save after the bills are paid. In fact, I was putting $20 a paycheck
into
the credit union at work trying to save a little bit and had to stop
making
that deposit because I needed that $20 per pay period just to make bills.
In
the last 3 years, our health insurance at work has gone up 135% and
co-pays,
etc have risen also. I have 3 prescriptions, my wife has 5 and our son
has
one. That's around $150 per month or a little more. Both vehicles are
paid
off, so no car payments. We rent a house and it is actually about $100
below
the going rate for our area. Electric bills are out the roof. Do I need
to
keep going? In otherwords, by me living paycheck to paycheck, and my
yearly
raises at 3% if I am lucky that don't even cover cost of living, I am
doing
everything that I can to stay afloat and will resort to whatever means I
have to to provide for my wife and son. I wish that you people that make
$100,000 a year, own airplanes, drive Lexus and Mercedes and live in half
million dollar houses could understand...

You can thank the chimp administration for the rise in health care and
prescription drug costs.

All republicans deserve to be murdered.

"PLONK"

So what's the difference between a "contingency" reservation and no
reservation?

One main difference: We have all of your information, which makes check-in
a breeze. You will also get preference over "contingency" reservations that
are taken after yours -- although, to be honest, we only get a couple of
them a week.

It's very unusual for our guests to not have a credit card, as you can
imagine -- and most people prefer to have guaranteed reservation.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Hotels are like airlines they overbook in the expectation that there are
no shows and everyone gets sorted. Often though everyone shows up and some
one gets stiffed.

Actually, we NEVER over-book. Over-booking is only done by unscrupulous
hotels.

In return, however, we expect that you will actually show up when we hold a
suite for you.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

So what you're saying then, is that you basically don't accept anything
BUT guaranteed reservations. Do you understand that this sounds kind of
like a racket to me? You get guaranteed reservations and HOPE the people
don't show up so you can collect their money without providing anything.
You can also collect double for the room if they don't show up and
somebody else comes along and takes the room. Is this even legal?

Mike, the last thing we want is for someone not to show up for a
reservation. We enjoy having pilots and guests come stay with us -- that
is, after all, why we're here -- and the last thing we want is to ****
anyone off.

That said, we simply can't afford to get stiffed by dishonorable or
disorganized people who reserve suites with little intention of showing up.
With only 27 suites, we're just too small to have that happen without
causing us financial hardship. Thus, we "guarantee" their suite in return
for them "guaranteeing" that they will show up.

This is made clear from the very start of the reservation process -- no one
gets caught by surprise, and they have ample opportunity to back out of the
reservation before we get off the phone. Bottom line: If you think there's
a chance that you MIGHT not be able to make it -- don't make a guaranteed
reservation.

If you absolutely want to know that you have a place to stay, and that we
will turn away anyone and everyone who offers us more for the suite (which,
believe it or not, happens on Iowa football weekends. I've had guys offer
me ANY amount of money to "make a suite happen"...) then guarantee that you
will show up by reserving it with your preauthorized credit card.

We are the only hotel (that I know of) that makes an exception to this rule
for pilots. For them we offer our "IFR Cancellation Policy" which allows
them to cancel right up to 6 PM the night of their arrival -- without
penalty -- if conditions drop below VFR minimums along their route of
flight. This is to protect pilots from that unpredicted crappy weather
along their route of flight -- but they STILL have to call us and let us
know by 6PM, or they will be charged for the suite. Again, this is made
completely clear when they make their reservation.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Rich wrote:
Yes... basic values used to be taught at home by parents and family.
Since they are not (in general), it sure seems they should be taught in
school.

It always puzzled me that there is emphasis on learning that the "Battle
of Hastings was fought in 1066" and how to solve quadratic equations
(When will you EVER use this information in real life?) and nothing
taught about REAL life skills kids lack and really need.

Well, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I do (did anyway) use quadratic
equations and significant other math in my day job. However, I understand
and agree with your point. I'm not against history or advanced math, but
I do think teaching a little more basics on personal financial management
would help a lot of young folks as they start out on their own. I had a
pretty good grounding growing up, but also read a lot of financial books
very early in my college and working career and it helped tremendously.

You are so very clever.

I understand all that. What I'm still not clear on is this. If I make a
contingency reservation and show up on time, will I have a room or not. It
sounds from what you say that if somebody shows up ahead of me, they can
take my room and I will be stuck without.

mike regish

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:aZsqd.479630$D%.73205@attbi_s51...

If you absolutely want to know that you have a place to stay, and that we
will turn away anyone and everyone who offers us more for the suite
(which, believe it or not, happens on Iowa football weekends. I've had
guys offer me ANY amount of money to "make a suite happen"...) then
guarantee that you will show up by reserving it with your preauthorized
credit card.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Mike V. wrote:

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

Rich wrote:

Yes... basic values used to be taught at home by parents and family.
Since they are not (in general), it sure seems they should be taught in
school.

It always puzzled me that there is emphasis on learning that the "Battle
of Hastings was fought in 1066" and how to solve quadratic equations
(When will you EVER use this information in real life?) and nothing
taught about REAL life skills kids lack and really need.

Well, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I do (did anyway) use quadratic
equations and significant other math in my day job. However, I understand
and agree with your point. I'm not against history or advanced math, but
I do think teaching a little more basics on personal financial management
would help a lot of young folks as they start out on their own. I had a
pretty good grounding growing up, but also read a lot of financial books
very early in my college and working career and it helped tremendously.


You are so very clever.



And you're obviously not.

I understand all that. What I'm still not clear on is this. If I make a
contingency reservation and show up on time, will I have a room or not. It
sounds from what you say that if somebody shows up ahead of me, they can
take my room and I will be stuck without.

A contingency reservation cannot be bumped by another contingency
reservation. We'll hold it for you until your announced arrival time (that
you tell us when you make the reservation). If you haven't shown up by
then, we'll actually try to call you. If no answer, we'll release it for
walk-ins.

A contingency reservation CAN be bumped by a guaranteed reservation,
however. We will hold your contingent reservation as long as possible, but
if it's the last suite available, and someone offers to guarantee payment
with their credit card, we'll take guaranteed money every time.

This is, of course, made abundantly clear at the time you make your
reservation. In actuality, most contingent reservations work out just
fine -- but on a Saturday night or during football season, I wouldn't
recommend them.

If you want your suite guaranteed, Mike, you've gotta guarantee it. It's
entirely up to you.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"