Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

We’re trying something different on our No Annual Fee Podcast this week with a format called Short Cuts. In Short Cuts we’ll cover the latest points & miles news, and our take on recent developments, in short digestible shows with a singular topic. This week we’re talking Coronavirus change waivers, and how to navigate them for upcoming travel. In life almost everything is negotiable, including change waivers. Want more? Become a Patron to Unlock 1+ Hour Weekly Shows Check out Episode 67 of our Paid Show where we discuss: Booking awards Mileage runs Coronavirus waivers And much more… Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts:     Or on Google Play Music: And NOW also on Spotify:  

We’ve not put out a free episode of the Milenomics² podcast since last year–The success of the paid show led us to focus on the thriving community of Patreon subscribers.  Over on the Patreon page, and on the heels of the Shop Talk post we did about AA Account Shutdown issues, we’ve recorded a few paid shows on the topic of AA shutdowns as well. I’m biased, but I do believe the paid podcast has hit a stride–a mix of long-form interviews between Robert and I, discussions of what we’re up to, hilarious mistakes we both make, tips and tricks that we’ve learned from each other and the Patreon Slack community. And, as you’ll see today, every once in awhile, and unexpected twist makes it onto the show. Free Preview of the Paid Show In an attempt to get this story in front of as many people as possible we’ve decided to take the unprecedented step of releasing this paid show here on the blog, and on the free podcast feed. Show Notes: While recording last week’s episode–just 2 days before Robert was scheduled to leave on AA tickets booked from his locked account we started recording this episode. Along the way Robert identified possible ways to salvage this trip should the worst happen and AA shut down his account. We’ll outline 4 such possibilities at the top of the show–and then get into a discussion of some travel Robert did a few years ago where he had some issues with positioning flights. And then, around 33:40 into the show just as we were ready to wrap up our second topic and move into a planned discussion Robert received an email from AA Corporate Security–shutting down his AAdvantage account.  A few moments later Robert realized that the award seats he had booked for his Japan trip which was upcoming in less than 48 hours were also cancelled by AA. Using the contingency plans discussed at the top of the show, and not wasting any time Robert races to try to re-book himself onto the same flight as the rest of his family, booked out of a separate AA account not shutdown. Step through the agony of an AA shutdown, and stick around to see if AA is successful or not in spoiling a family vacation to Japan…. on today’s Milenomics² Podcast.   Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts: Or on Google Play Music: And on Spotify:

0:42 Bank of America $300 Personal Checking Bonus (HT DoC) Requires $4,000 Direct Deposit in 3 monthsYou need to have a checking account with BofA to quality for their Preferred Rewards program (which provides up to 75% uplift for spending on certain personal BofA credit cards) 1:30 Banco Popular Avianca Vuela Visa 60,000 Offer (HT US Credit Card Guide) $149 AF not waived the first year40,000 first use+20,000 with $1,000 spend in first 3 months with code SB4060Deal or not a deal? 3:53 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Credit Card 50,000 (HT DoC) 30,000 after $2,000 in spend first 90 days20,000 after additional $6,000 spend in first 6 months$95 AF not waived first yearIssued by Synchrony BankDeal or not a deal? 7:10 Stop & Shop gas rewards for groceries? Trial for nowHas anyone been targeted?100 = $1 off groceries. Not as good as gas rewards for all but the smallest tanks (10 gallons = this)If you find yourself with expiring rewards this is a way to 'cash out' at 10/(your fill up in gallons). Very similar to the Safeway rewards we've discussed. 10:02 Airline Shopping Portal Bonuses (HT Frequent Miler) United 2,500 for $600 ends 8/18Alaska 1,500 for $600 ends 8/11Southwest 2,000 for $550 ends 8/18AA 2,000 for $500 ends 8/18Smaller bonuses for lesser amounts of spend as well 10:36 Amex Adds Weekend Night Certs to $95 AF Hilton Cards + 130,000 (HT DoC) Surpass/Business 130,000 + Free Weekend NightBoth available for referralFree Weekend Night cert for every $15,000 spent per *calendar* year, post quickly after spend threshold metA whopper of a deal I say 13:12 BofA Amtrak 40,000 + $100 (HT DoC) Some serious value he re if you’re up for Amtrak travelAmtrak points are worth 2.9 cpp towards non-Acela2.5 cpp towards Acela10,000 Amtrak points gets you 4 one-way upgrade certsSemi-related: You can redeem bank points for Amtrak through a roundabout method with up to 1.64 cpp of valueDeal or not a deal? 16:07 Free Topic: Is Hotel Status an even bigger trap than airline status? Robert: Recent stay at Waldorf Astoria Chicago Near total bust from a status standpointConcierge emailed ahead of time and said status entitles you to 1-level upgrade *if* space is availableConcierge pi

Today we're back with what turns out to be a meaty review of core Milenomics philosophies, but first the news... 0:30 Citi Double Cash to Earn TYP? (HT DoC) Coming later this yearUnclear what the conversion ratio will be 1:10 Citi Going to 48-Month Waiting Period on AA Cards (link) 2:10 BofA Alaska Personal 40,000 + $100 Statement Credit (HT DoC) Direct linkCan’t get the card if you’ve had it in the preceeding 24 months 2:55 3x Fuel Rewards on VGCs at Stop & Shop/Giant 7/12-7/18 3:20 5 Things the Points & Miles Community dislikes more than they should Paying fuel surcharges See Episode 30: 10 Tips & Tricks for Premium Cabins to EuropePaying credit card annual fees See Episode 8: Liquidating Air Travel IncidentalsBuying miles (especially from friends in the community)Paying cash for lodging See Milenomics Classic post on not actively collecting hotel points See The most seasonally miscategorized Hyatt properties Paying for VGC/MCGC liquidation Spread, Scale, Time, P(Malfunction): The NPV of a Deal Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version? Check out Episode 35 of our subscriber podcast: Advanced maneuvers in credit card applicationsMaximizing 2H2019 Amex Platinum creditsA point-fueled trip reportAnd much more... Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts: Or on Google Play Music: And NOW also on Spotify:

On this week’s No Annual Fee Edition of the podcast we discuss: 0:30 Q3 5x Categories Announced Chase Freedom: Gas and streaming services Discover: PayPal and restaurants Citi Dividend: Airline and car rentals 1:20 Office Depot $10 off $100 in Select Happy Cards (link) Repeat of last promo Unfortunately looks to be excluding Happy Guy (Home Depot) 2:25 Stop & Shop 8x Fuel Rewards Happy Cards 6/21-6/27/2019 2:40 Safeway J4U $10 off of $100 or more Visa GC This is a repeat of the promo from a month or so ago $10 erases $5.95 purchase fee Does work on Variable $500’s Makes sure you have liquidation in place  3:30 Amex Qantas Transfer Bonus and Targeted Qantas Transfer Bonus: Do they stack? Amex is running an untargeted 20% bonus People on DansDeals say they’re getting 20% on top of 20% for no apparent reason (Additionally?) My wife was targeted for a 15% transfer bonus on the Qantas side Do these stack? I transferred 1,000 Qantas miles from Amex This earned 1,200 upon arrival 4 days later a 20% bonus of 240 points posted If this sticks, it works out to a 1.44 transfer ratio If the additional 15% posts it would be a 1.62 transfer ratio Crazy one, but if all the bonuses posted it would be huge Devaluation coming? (LoyaltyLobby link) Yes, devaluation occurred (PointMeToThePlane link) 15:25 80,000 Signup Bonus Southwest Business Credit Card (FM link) $199 annual fee Expected to be subject to 5/24 Southwest Companion Pass: Deal or not a deal? (link) Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version? Check out Episode 32 of our subscriber podcast: $150 promo from a Plastiq clone Maximizing a 50,000 point Amex upgrade offer A quick discussion about playing the timeshare game And much more… Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts:

Today we’re answering questions posed by ‘future’ listeners of this very podcast.  These are questions from those of you new to points & miles, and maybe you haven’t yet found this site.  Along with these 4 questions we tackle the news and of course an entertaining look at the world of points & miles. News 0:30 [Targeted] Amex Business Platinum 50,000 Upgrade Offer (link DoC) Need to have existing Green or Gold Business Amex MR charge card Log in to Amex account then Direct link $10,000 spend requirement in 5 months “Offer is available for first-time upgrades to the new Business Platinum Card® only and for one Card account only.Offer is available for first-time upgrades to the new Business Platinum Card® only and for one Card account only.” 03:55 “Public” 150,000 Upgrade Offer *from* No-Fee/Ascend *to* Aspire (link) Direct link Have to currently have an No-Fee -or- Ascend card How to play it? 05:15 [Targeted] Amex MR Transfer Bonuses 40-50% for British Airways, JetBlue or Marriott Check your accounts British Airways in particular is a spectacular offer 07:12 Airline Portal Shopping Bonuses (link FrequentMiler) 1,000 for $300 UA through 6/23 500 for $200 AA through 6/16 07:37 Safeway stores: $15 off of $100×2 MCGC $15 off of $100×2 Runs through June 18th.  7:50 Stop & Shop Buy $100 in 3rd Party GCs get $15 off Next Grocery Order (link) Ad says “these pictured and more” (Best Buy/Lowe’s/Happy Lady) Milenomics intern did an experiment: Purchased a $100 Amazon GC. What do you think: Did it trigger the $15 voucher? 6/7-6/16   08:40 Free Topic: We Tackle Travel Miles 101 Facebook Group Questions (link)    Q: Ok – so my son, now 12 –

We’re back with news, and a discussion around credit cards you should never close.  Share your ‘must keep’ cards in the comments below, and enjoy! 0:33 25% Transfer Bonus from Citi (others, but not Amex) (link MilesTalk) One of those wonky ones where they bump the points on the receiving end Strange, and a bit of a bummer, that Amex wasn’t included 2:12  Qantas 20% Transfer Bonus from Amex (link DansDeals) Great way to get to Tel Aviv on El Al 3:19 Heightened Amex Incognito Referral Offers Found Working on Business Cards Previously this only worked when referring from *personal* cards This is good news because Business Gold earns a hefty 20,000 point referral bonus and the Business Platinum earns a 15,000 point referral bonus HT r/cowsareeverywhere on reddit Generating And Using An Amex Referral 4:35 Free Topic: 6 Credit Cards you should NEVER cancel [Robert] Old Blue Cash 5% Gas/Grocery/Drug Store [Sam] Ink 5x Cards (Especially Ink Plus) 5x Office Supply/Telecom [Robert] AT&T Access More 3x Online Retail, crazy good retention bonuses [Sam] CNB Crystal [Robert] Chase Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite ($395-$450 annual fee but you get a $300 air incidental each year, Ritz Club Lounge access on paid stays, 50,000 night certificate each year [Sam] Hilton Aspire Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version? Subscribe to the paid version of the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/milenomics On this week’s subscriber podcast: Premium Cabin Award Travel to Europe Tips & Trends Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts:     Or on Google Play Music:

News 0:35 [Sam] AA Showing More Award Space on Mobile? (link) Seems to be that there’s a new search interface and a legacy one They sometimes show different results TPG post   2:33 [Robert] Speedway: $15 voucher for Speedway gas GC when purchasing $100 3rd party GC Slickdeals DoC Lowe’s, Home Depot and others (Texas Roadhouse, Netflix, Cabellas, Dominos, Bass Pro Shops and Google Play) Through 6/30   4:43 [Sam] Rakuten closing accounts buying GC in-store(link) Bed Bath Beyond likely the issue now Was also a problem with office Max for some commenters Better play? 3pgc online?   6:30 [Robert] Amex Membership Rewards now transfer to Qantas (link) Citi also a transfer partner Good for El Al, potentially Aer Lingus (depending on distance) and…China Eastern First (strange I know)   8:29 [Sam] Amex Priority Pass No Longer Work at Airport Restaurants (link) Effective August 1, 2019 Doesn’t affect Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige, CNB Crystal [yet]   10:17 [Robert] Amex Delta Sign Up Bonuses at All-Time Highs Referral links not yet updated, but will likely follow Guidance here is to wait and position for spousal referral Breaking: I got a targeted offer in the mail for the Delta Reserve card with no lifetime language across all Amex Delta cards Check: http://delta.com/75reserve to see if you’re targeted (if it malfunctions out after entering your Delta account number, you’re not targeted) Affiliate (DansDeals), public, referral, targeted w/no lifetime…inflationary trend?   14:19 [Sam] Barclays Asking for Proof of Business After Credit Card Approval (link) Unheard of. Has Anyone been affected?   15:53 [Robert] Hertz Devalues Award Chart (

A fun week here on the No Annual Fee Podcast, where we’re discussing the following: News 0:32 Italian-issued Tickets for Fun and Profit (link) Probably best to keep this as an academic idea, but a fun read by God Save the Points. 1:46 Citi ThankYou Points 30% Bonus to Virgin Atlantic (link) Matches the Membership Rewards promo from a few weeks ago. The Program is either outstanding or completely terrible depending on the use of the miles. Do not transfer if you don’t know what to do with the miles.   Main Topic 2:26 5 Best: Credit cards to put in your spouse’s wallet Amex Personal Gold 4x MRs grocery and dining CNB Crystal Infinite 3x on groceries, dining, travel, gas Amex Blue Business Plus 2x everywhere Bank of America Premium Rewards with Platinum Honors ($100k) for 2.625% everywhere No Fee Chase Freedom Unlimited 1.5x URs everywhere Honorable mention (not available any more): Citi AT&T Access More 3x for online retail (leave it near your home computer) Counterpoint: Citi double cash 2% everywhere with Price Protection CNB Crystal infinite 3x Just about anywhere Blue Business Plus 2MR everywhere (2.5% CB, 3% towards flights) BofA Premium Rewards 2.625 – Tough to beat DO NOT Put a card you’re working the minimum spend on: Enticing to overspend Hard to tell if the MSR has been met   Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Subscribe to the paid version of the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/milenomics On this week’s subscriber podcast: Long Haul Business Class to Europe (with Miles) Demand Schedule Troubles Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts:     Or on Google Play Music:

Some lucrative promos and heightened offers this week… 0:33 [Widely Targeted, check email associated with existing account] Plastiq 1% Mastercard CC Payments on Plastiq Schedule up to 3 x $2,000 payments By May 31, 2019 1% fee (rather than 2.5%) 1:52 BofA Alaska Personal 40,000 + $100 Statement Credit Direct link Source $75 annual fee (not waived the first year) $2,000 min spend “This card will not be available to you if you currently have or have had the card in the preceding 24 month period. This does not apply to the business credit card product.” 2:53 Hilton/Lyft Partnership Earn 3x Hilton for Lyft rides after linking accounts Direct Link to register Stack with Delta/Lyft: https://www.deltalyft.com And JetBlue/Lyft: https://www.lyft.com/jetblue/first Mastercard World Elite: https://www.lyft.com/world-elite-mastercard Plus Pei and Freebird 4:02 AA/Hyatt Reciprocal Earning/Status Fast Track now ready for linking (source) Reciprocal point earning AA Concierge Key gets Hyatt Globalist Hyatt elites get AA fast track status challenges As a Hyatt Globalist [with no AA status] I got “free” Platinum for 3 months + status challenge Direct link to link After linking go here in your AA account to see what you got 5:56 New Discover 5% Categories Added Q3 PayPal Added (in addition to Restaurants) Q4 Target & WalMart.com added (in additional to Amazon) 6:57 3x Fuel Rewards on Visa Gift Cards at Stop & Shop 5/17-5/23/2019 7:30 Movie Puzzler Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Subscribe to the paid version of the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/milenomics On this week’s subscriber podcast: A streetwear reselling experiment Rehabbing a bad Citicard portfolio A crash course in gift card reselling Subscribe to the No Annual Fee Edition Subscribe below to the Free, No Annual Fee Milenomics² podcast on Apple Podcasts:     Or on Google Play Music: