Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

A Hot news week has us sitting down to discuss the following: 0:29 Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000 Direct Link Subject to 5/24$95 AF (not waived first year)Try generating a referral if you/your spouse have one (chase.com/referafriend)“Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.*That's $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.100,000 bonus points is the best offer that Sapphire Preferred has ever had.” 5:54 Rumor: 1.25 cpp Amex Schwab Cashout Going Away (TheFinanceHobbyist on Reddit) Cashout option still mentioned on application but not on landing pageWho knows, but…How big of a hit would this be?How would it affect your perception of the Amex MR value proposition?If you knew for certain it was going away tomorrow would you clean house today?Does the rumor cause you to cash out some MRs? 10:59 Chase Sapphire Lounges Coming (TPG) First location: Boston?Location: Terminal B to C ConnectorAnticipated opening: Q1 2022Out-maneuvered Amex Centurion and CapOne for the space 15:40 Amex 25% Transfer Bonus to Hawaiian In the spirit of always considering a deal...130,000 Boston to Honolulu becomes 108,000 MRs pp one-way in lie-flatFlight is very expensive: They’re asking $7,000 pp roundtripExpires 6/30/2021Last call for 40% bonus to Marriott, ends 6/15/2021 18:32 Stop & Shop/Giant: 3x VGCs Friday 6/4 - Thursday 6/10/2021 If you enjoyed this show consider joining our Patreon where you'll find hundreds of hours of unique, in-depth content and a thriving slack community. Enjoy!

0:30 JetBlue New York - London Now Bookable Direct LinkWebsite was down when they released these (classic JetBlue)Starts August 12, 2021Economy “from” $595 roundtripMint “from” $1,979 roundtrip 4:55 New Airlines: Avelo and Breeze Avelo is a new West coast airline that has set up from BUR (Link for more details )Routes are somewhat unique, to about a dozen western destinations.  In most cases using much more off the beaten path airports than mainline carriers. Ogden Utah, Pasco WA, Grand Junction, CO. Flights seem very aggressively priced. One example to Santa Rosa is interesting me. $60 round trip versus $244 on the only other carrier who flies it nonstop from the LA area. BUR is far for me (50 minutes with no traffic) and I don’t like that. But I’d do the drive if one of these destinations really was on my demand schedule (versus a stop at an airport for example) Breeze seems to be moving closer to launching--livery was posted and they’re setting up their network. Route network now posted on their siteThat makes quite a few ‘regional’ players by my count:SuncountryFrontierAveloSpiritAllegiantBreezeWhile these are not ideal for many reasons--they’re here and they exist. Reminds me of a really short hop flight I took on Spanish LCC Vueling in Italy--it was like $20 per person, we paid for a couple of bags, and it was the only point-to-point option. It was fine.  12:40 Amex Offer: +1x at Lowe’s (HT Garth on Slack) Stack with a card that has +4x Spring 4ward promo for a total of 6x at Lowe’s6x MRs + 3x JetBlue card linked 14:00 $750 Chase Business Checking (DoC) Deposit $10,000 in new money within 30 days of coupon enrollment & maintain that balance for 60 days+ 25 transactionsEarly account termination fee: Six months, bonus forfeit“You can receive only one new business checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last enrollment date and only one bonus per account.” 16:45 US Bank Altitude Connect Visa (DoC) 50,000 points (worth $500) after spending $3,000 in first 120 days$95 Annual Fee waived first year4x on Travel and Gas Stations2x on Dining, Takeout, Groceries, and Streaming Services1x everywhere else That's the news for this week. For more content subscribe to the Milenomics Podcast Network where we've been discussing: The highs and lows of AmexBooking travel coming out of CovidAnd more...

0:23 Earn Singapore Status Through Bank Point Transfer (link) Get 1 elite qualifying mile for every 5 bank points transferredTransfer 250,000 bank points between April 7, 2021 and February 28, 2022Get Star Alliance Gold for 12 monthsGets you UA lounge access when travelling domestically and other Star Alliance Gold benefitsSingapore miles expire 3 years after they’re earned even with activityI do like the potential of status through spend, hope to see other airlines/hotels follow this 06:42 Jetblue Announces BOS-LHR and JFK-LHR Service (Link)  Sounds good but hard to get excited about at the moment (can’t travel there, launch date unclear)Longer term how useful is this development? 13:52 IHG Devaluation (Loyalty Lobby) Evidently they’re going to a scheme where the number of points required is more tied to the cash priceWhat does it mean to you when [arguably] the 4th most important loyalty hotel chain does something with their award chart? 17:47 Alaska Officially Joins OneWorld (Link) 21:40 ANA One-Way Awards Bookable with Virgin Atlantic Miles (OMAAT) And that's the news this week! For more shows join the Milenomics Patreon community.

Many of you reading this might not even know there is a podcast called The Milenomics Second Podcast (MSP). We're celebrating on the blog today the ending of season 1 of the Milenomics Second Podcast, hosted by our very own Garth Grawburg. Feats of Strength On the Saverocity Observation deck Festivus Episodes Joe and Trevor often cover of feats of strength. Garth's first season on MSP is, in fact, a true feat of strength. Garth is well known to many Milenomics slack members, and has always added so much to the discussion on slack. When Robert and I were first talking about launching a second podcast, expanding the idea of the Pateron into a full network, Garth was the first person we thought of for this task. Had he ever podcast before? I don't think so. But we invited him on a show, our first guest ever actually, and realized his personality on Slack and on the mic were nearly identical. Garth is witty, funny, and with a booming laugh that makes me want to laugh more, Garth is a natural at what many of us struggle with: Content Creation. Over 18 episodes he explored the space, introducing us to beloved radio ideas like "Defend the Indefensible," and taking deep dives into cards, products and airlines. Garth brought a feeling to that first season of the podcast that two weathered battle axes like Robert and myself couldn't bring. He's not jaded by a game that's changed 6 ways in the last decade. The show has been incredibly informative. Two plays Garth dedicated entire episodes to I hadn't even considered before. And I'm better off because of those shows, and I know other patrons are as well. Thank you And so the audience for this post is really just one person: Garth himself. Garth: Thank you for jumping in feet first when we asked you to start a travel, points and miles podcast during a worldwide pandemic. For sharing parts of your travel, your love of all things Shop Your Way, Target, Southwest, and more. I know you'll keep playing the game, and can't wait to hear more about it. In celebration of the end of season one we're releasing podcast here on the No Annual Fee feed. Note: This episode was originally released Jan 22, 2021.

We've got a full show today. Let's get right into it... 0:25 Q2 2021 5x Categories Chase FreedomGas StationsHome Improvement StoresDiscoverGas StationsWholesale ClubsSelect Streaming ServicesCiti DividendSupermarketsDrugstores 3:15 Amex 40% Transfer Bonuses to Hilton/Marriott 1,000 MRs become 2,800 Hilton1,000 MRs become 1,400 MarriottOne use model: Marriott to “high value” foreign carrier programsMore on that in the paid show 7:10 Amex Bonvoy Heightened Offers Amex Bonvoy Business 100k$5,000 min spend in 3 months$125 AF$150 statement creditAvailable through referral35k cert on renewalAmex Bonvoy Brilliant 125k$5,000 in 3 months$450 AF$200 back at restaurants$300 Marriott creditNot seeing it available through referral as of yet (affiliate and public only)50k cert on renewal 21:10 Amex Delta Gold 90,000 Offer (HT Brian at FM) Seen while making a booking on Delta.comReferral a better option if you have 30k + 70,000 + $200 creditBut… (see next item) 11:45 Amex Removing Referral Capability for Some (DoC) Seems to be some new kind of penalty boxUsed to be that certain cards were unable to refer from, but other cards (especially new ones) were able toNow it seems to apply to all cards if affectedEven squirreled away links don’t work any more saying: Sorry this referral link is no longer valid and you will not receive the referral bonus.Thought to be related to self-referral but I really don’t think that’s the caseSame household referral for sure, but I really don’t think I self-referredA troubling shot over the bow for sure... 15:30 Buy Aeroplan Miles for as Little as 1.2 cpp (Direct Link) Through April 2, 2021A good example of how cashing out bank points isn’t giving up on travel If you want to hear more, subscribe at patreon.com/milenomics. This week we go deeper into a few of the topics we discussed here as well as: Waiting on AmexCiti ShenanigansRetention Offers and more...

Last year year we launched a podcast network, adding the Manifesto hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer to the Patreon Feed. In this episode Gideon sits down with Kelly de Schaun, Chief Executive Officer of the Galveston Park Board. Enjoy this special episode, and if you're interested in even more great podcast content, check us out on Patreon. Hello, and welcome to The Manifesto with Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, on the Milenomics Podcast Network. I’m Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, and I’m joined today from the Running with Miles blog, Charlie Barkowski. Charlie, welcome to the Manifesto. Plugs Blog: https://runningwithmiles.boardingarea.com/Twitter: @runwithmiles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningwithmiles/  [1:14] Background Were you a runner or a travel hacker first? Did one lead into the other?“6 solo marathons on 6 continents in under 5 days.” How is that physically/temporally/geographically/mentally possible? How’d you do it? [10:14] Running with Miles Blog When did the blog start? Has it always been on Boarding Area? What was the process of joining Boarding Area like?Did the blog start as a passion project, a side hustle, a full-time job?How long did it take before you earned enough to take it seriously? Did you ever get discouraged or was it a rocket ship from the start?Has the absence of running events affected your traffic/content/kind of visitors? [16:59] Living/Working in Greece When did you end up in Greece? Where in Greece? Was it always meant to be a permanent move?What has most surprised you about living abroad/living in Greece/living in the EU? What should people know if they want to move permanently/temporarily to the EU?Visas, health insurance (IM Global), retirement savings, schools?What kinds of pandemic restrictions has Greece gone through? How has the vaccine rollout been handled?How are you staying in shape, training, conditioning? Do you have a sense of when the first marathons will resume? Will you be ready? Any sense of whether your times will improve, get worse, stay roughly the same? [33:44] Travel hacking abroad You cover all the usual credit card deals — are you able to participate? Will credit card companies mail new cards internationally? Do you have a US address to receive new cards?Easier or harder to meet minimum spend requirements internationally?Do you take advantage of online MS opportunities (Serve loads, etc.)?Are there travel hacking opportunities that are only available internationally? Sweet spots for mileage runs, unusual award availability, etc? Bank accounts or credit cards only available overseas? Loyalty programs that require residency? [47:19] Quar Question of the Week When you’re outside the United States for a long time, what craving is absolutely impossible to satisfy, or, what’s the first thing you d

Robert: Amex has been ratcheting up the complexity on their offers and benefits. Partially due to covid, wanting to retain customers, and wanting to maintain and build engagement. The gamification of Amex is in full swing. Sam: These credits are not free money, and they’re definitely not always easy as we’ll discuss today... For each of these let’s discuss: The PromiseThe ProblemsPossible solutions 1:39 Amex Offers: Slow Posting Early February credits, across the board/on a number of fronts, were very slow to postTPG: “Here’s why you shouldn’t worry” (link)Response: Here’s why slow posting credits are worrisome…The T&Cs are convoluted, lengthy and full of gotchas. Ex: Home Depot off that was only online (who normally shops at Home Depot online?) and GCs are processed through a 3rd partyWhen credits don’t post quickly (when they otherwise have tended to historically) it creates confusion whether fine print was missed.All this said: Things seem to have improved more recently across the board after a miserable early Feb stretch. 8:40 PayPal $30/mo on Amex Personal Platinum Through June 2021 T&CsEarly Feb Hiccup-- What to do when credits don’t post? P2P vs merchantsGC reselling angle?Potential Clawbacks for returnsSeems stackable with things like Saks 13:00 Uber Credits T&Cs$15/mo for Personal Platinum$10/mo credit for Personal GoldCombining credits from multiple cards (spousal/friends as well)Velocity limits when adding cardsMoving cards from one Uber account to another 18:31 [Targeted] $200 Amex Travel Platinum Offer Exploration We’ve been talking about this a lot latelyRobert posted the T&C last week (Which don’t show anywhere online) The pages describing this online make it sound like it is offered to all--and not targeted. I set out to test that this week. So I booked a $210 ticket on Amex Travel with my recently renewed Platinum.Nothing happened.  (Smoke)So I chatted and pointed Amex to the TPG article (link which points to a DoC article that refers back to a rumor article from DoC)The missing T&Cs (only visible to those targeted) 24:29 Ongoing Credits Keep in mind this all is on top of…Dell Credits on Biz PlatSaks Credits on Personal PlatAirline Travel CreditsDining credits on co-branded personal cardsWireless credits on co-branded business cardsDiscuss: Do we work for Amex? Robert: “Thanks for joining us for this week. For a more in-depth discussion about points miles visit us at patreon.com/milenomics. There you’ll get a specia

Robert chats with Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess about luxury family travel trends, blending points & miles with a trip booked through a full-service travel agency, and where families are going in Florida in addition to Disney. 0:30 Travel Planning Picking Up 1:15 Luxe Recess LuxeRecess.com Origin story What Luxe Recess is/isn't Robert's articles on Luxe Recess What are the defining characteristics of “Luxe” to you? And how does that play out in travel as we [hopefully] emerge from Covid? See: 12 Luxury Berkshire Vacation Rentals To Escape It All 16:50 Points & Miles I know you’re familiar with the points & miles/credit cards game. What’s the view from “outside” the space on this game we play? I’d be interested in any insights you have personally and/or working with clients. What’s in your wallet? Blending points & miles usage with a trip planned through a full-service travel agency Flat-fee destination planning 24:40 Disney and Florida I’m assuming Disney is the No 1 destination for your readers?  Not anymore. Florida in general. What are the next most popular destinations/activities? See: The Best Luxury Florida Resorts For Families See: The Best All Inclusive Family Resorts in the USA Favorite Disney World resort hotel? See: The Cabins at Copper Creek, Disney Wilderness Lodge Favorite Disney World restaurants? Wine Bar George at Disney Springs Other Disney parks/cruises/activities you’ve enjoyed or are interested in exploring? Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Disney World See: Luxury Disney World on Luxe Recess 38:30 Discuss: The points & miles crowd seems to be a lot more men than women. But it’s the opposite in the family travel space. I wonder why that is when the goals are similarly aligned. What are your thoughts on that? Where can listeners find Luxe Recess? LuxeRecess.com Luxury Family Travel Facebook Group LuxeRecess on Twitter LuxeRecess on Instagram Flusterclux: For Parents Who Worry Podcast Our thanks to Robin for coming on the show. Looking for more points & miles discussion? Visit us at patreon.com/milenomics to subscribe to the entire Milenomics Podcast Network with hours of new content each week. L'età non è l'unico fattore che influisce sulla virilità. Non si può discutere con il tempo, è più forte di noi, ma ci sono regole che si possono

I received an offer via email the other day for a wine-focused rewards credit card I've been monitoring for a while, the Grand Reserve World Mastercard. They've temporarily bumped the welcome bonus on the card to 75,000 points (worth around $450 towards wine and accesories) so I reached out to Grand Reserve Founder and CEO Matthew Goldman for a chat on the podcast. Besides the points & miles stuff we talk about here on Milenomics, I've written a wine blog since 2008. So it feels like this program is right in my wheelhouse. Grand Reserve World Mastercard Heightened Welcome Offer: 75,000 points for spending $3,000 in 90 days [expires at midnight 1/27/2021, not an affiliate link]Standard Welcome Offer: 50,000 points for spending $3,000 in 90 daysAnnual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $1495x at more than 400 wineries, wine clubs, and other Grand Reserve Partners3x at any winery, wine club, wine or liquor store3x at any restaurant or bar, take-out & delivery included2x points per dollar everywhere elsePoints are worth about 0.6 cents each through their Rewards Catalog or when redeemed for wine The card is issued by Utah-chartered Celtic Bank. They pull Experian. For what it's worth, I lobbed in an application this morning and was instantly approved. 0:30 Grand Reserve Overview Tell us about your background, the program, the credit card and the idea behind Grand ReserveWhat does it take to launch a credit card? 9:55 Psychology of Rewards Travel seems to have an irrationally strong appeal to [some] peopleEven if some would be better off with cash back the idea of rewards being “free” seems to absolve some people of the guilt associated with splurging on themselvesAdditionally we talk a lot about the “co-branded paradox” whereby people think “I like <brand>, I should get their co-branded credit card!”Are similar forces in play here? People like to splurge on wine but don’t want to feel guilty about it? So it has a similar draw as travel? 20:30 Point Valuation So many credit card rewards programs have points, and it’s hard to discern what they’re worth until after you’ve signed up for the cardWhat considerations went into determining the value of rewards on the redemption side?What are points actually worth and how do redemptions work? Thanks to Matthew for coming on the show. The #wine channel on Milenomics Slack is surprisingly active sharing deals and recommendations. Check it out if you're not already subscribed...

We're back today with a show we've talked about recording for some time now. The topic of booking travel in 2021 is a unique one because this is a very unique time in travel, miles and points. Spurred on by cancellations last year by both of us, large travel bank balances, and plenty of want for travel we talk about our best practices for booking in 2021. Feel free to comment below with your best practices, and thanks for listening. For more great podcast content check our Patreon page out. 0:28 Amex Business Platinum 110,000 Available Through Referral Long-time credit card enthusiasts have likely had this already but if you’re newer to the game this is a pretty terrific offer$15,000 spend in 3 monthsContains lifetime languageAmex hinting at enhancements to the business cards still to come 4:00 Staples: Fee-Free $200 VGCs Sunday 1/17 - Saturday 1/23/2021 (HT GC Galore) 4:51 AA/JetBlue Partnership (Press Release) “book a single itinerary on either website”“American will upgauge aircraft and by the end of 2021 will operate all service out of New York with first class.”“JetBlue plans to significantly expand its service at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), as well as further expand in other NYC airports and in Boston.”“Flights touching New York or Boston from either JetBlue, American or connecting combinations of both will be bookable on jetblue.com and aa.com in the coming weeks.”Reciprocal loyalty benefits Later this year, customers of both JetBlue’s TrueBlue and American’s AAdvantage® programs will be able to enjoy reciprocal benefits, including the ability to earn and/or redeem points or miles on either carrier making both loyalty program even more valuable. The airlines are also exploring opportunities to recognize JetBlue Mosaic customers and American’s AAdvantage elite members across both airlines. More details will be announced to loyalty program members later this year. 8:56 Main Topic: Booking Flights in 2021 Seeing some really affordable airfare in 1H2021Airlines always price empty planes lower as the date draws nearer, and with business travel still largely suspended routes are still being jockeyed around to cater to the only travel still occurring.Airline pricing models seem to be stressed by this. You’ll see $19 one day, $900 the next for the same flight.Tempting to book on the off chance it might be advisable to travel, but cancellation fatigue is setting inThat said, cancellation terms have never been more favorableAvoid booking with difficult to cancel currenciesBe familiar with the restrictions of various airline travel banks, and be mindful of tying too much in a program with narrow utility to youPrioritize currencies. Use ones prone to spoiling first. Then most specific utility to most flexible.Travel bank/expiring certific