Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

It's been too long since we've released a No Annual Fee epsiode. This week we take stock of the many Amex offers currently available, many of which can earn welcome bonuses even if you've had - or still have - the card. There's some nuance to it through, which we cover in detail. Enjoy! 0:25 Amex Opportunity Roundup NLL 250,000 Business Platinum (link to check, may still get pop-up)$30,000 in 6 monthsAdditional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the cardTargeted NLL Bundles150,000 Business Platinum (link to check)100,000 Business Gold (link to check)Additional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the cardIf card goes to recon, it seems the ability to earn 10,000 for additional employee is lostCall-in offers 855-531-3491 (DoC, FM)250,000 Business Platinum180,000 Business GoldAdditional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the cardTargeted Upgrade Business Platinum 140,000 (link to check)Online business employee 20,000 for $4,000 up to 5Business Green Business GoldBusiness PlatinumSaid to expire 3/31/2022, seems to still be working 20:25 Amex Reconsideration Calls Amex has rather lax approval standards compared to other banksThere are many ways to get denied temporarily - for exceeding some limit on the total number of Amex cards you have, how recently you’ve been approved for the same cardWhen this happens you have some time (usually around 90 days) to call Amex and ask them for clarity on why you weren’t approved, and to ask them to reconsider the application if the disqualifying disposition has been resolvedThis can be a very effective technique if a limited time opportunity presents itself, and you’re not eligible to be approved until some time has passedCheck application status onlineCall them at 1-866-314-0237 (Mon-Fri 6am-8pm MST).Tell them your application number in the email they send you with their decision (or they can look it up with SSN, sometimes takes a while for them to find it if you’ve applied for a lot of cards over the years)Ask them why you were denied and if the condition has been resolved to have it put through for reconsiderationIf they agree you’ve resolved the condition you’ll usually get an email with approval within 24 hours 26:40 JetBlue Acquires Spirit Seems like for real this timeFeels like this is going to be a mess

Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess comes back to chat with Robert about... 0:45 Travel Trends Prices on airfare and lodging as travel comes back big timeSeeing this domestically and internationally? 11:05 The Sad State of Amex Platinum Travel (Loyalty Lobby) 19:15 The Bahamas Baha MarAtlantis 33:25 Italy Hotels mentioned:Laconda RossaPalazzo Margherita 49:15 Disney Star Wars Galactic StarcruiserNew Wish Ship 54:15 Luxe Recess Parenting Disney Weekend Finding Joy Inside & Out Thanks to Robin for coming on the show!

Milenomics community member Lillian joins me to talk about her trip to Uruguay, Argentina, Tahiti and beyond. I'd recommend taking a look at Google Maps while listening to follow along. Enjoy! 0:30 Premise and Parameters 4:50 AA Business Class 115k pp round tripAUS-MIA-MVDAccessed the Centurion lounge and AA Flagship Admirals Club in MIA 11:00 Montevideo, Uruguay SORO Montevideo, Curio Collection by Hilton for 18k a nightThe location is perfect for biking on La Rambla and for good dining within walking distance. Rooms were perfectly fine, modern decor. Diamond status recognition: They delivered a delicious tray of sweets. Car rental: Marino Sport, delivered car to hotel. Three hour drive to the beaches. 16:30 Punta del Este, Uruguay Casa Flor Boutique Hotel in the town of La BarraOriginally booked with Chase 28k a night for 5 nights. Due to covid and rebooking, I ended up paying a cash rate at the hotel with my credit card $250/night.Amazing hotel, please stay here. 23:00 Salta, Argentina Legado Mitico Salta Boutique Hotel One night booked on Chase portal: $22k points. This is the best hotel in the city. It oozes old world charm and it’s like staying at a European guest house. Location is great, lots to see. Great breakfast. Still dreaming of the mini pear tart I had.Car rental: Hertz/ Salta downtown. We walked to the Hertz from the hotel and got to see the main square, picturesque town. Get a 4-wheel drive because it’s a  grueling drive down ruta 40 not for the faint at heart but incredibly scenic.  29:50 Cafayate, Argentina Patios De Cafayate Wine HotelThree nights for 18k points/night booked on the Chase portal It’s on the grounds of the famous Bodega El Esteco winery.  We had a great stay here. I had some misgivings on the mixed reviews because this place was a bit more expensive that the second best hotel in Cafayate but if you dug deep, I felt like the bad reviews were basically misunderstandings which most definitely could occur if you come from the US and expect things to go the way they do in the US. As a guest, you get a free wine tasting at the store which is literally just a taste of three wines without explanations, not the official tasting tour which you need to book.Basic King room is beautiful and gigantic. The view was of the vineyard and the mountains in the background. Informal horseback rides availableVisited Botega Yocochuga, up a crazy dirt road. Get the rose!Piatelli winery: excellent wine tasting, restaurant overlooking the valley, incredible atmosphere and food, gift shop with indigenous art to purchase. Make sure to reserve in advance.  33:45 Buenos Aires, Argentina Airbnb Palermo district. We rented a two-story loft in the Palermo Soho district. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/31556390?source_impression_id=p3_1648659139_ughGq4ac3lauBYSv. Excellent location to feel like you are part of the city. It is not for smal

Too much news for our Patreon Podcast this week, so we broke the following out into this No Annual Fee Episode. Enjoy! 0:26 JetBlue News Roundup Boston to London service begins this summer (Link)Bids for Spirit (Link)Has service recovery issues (Link) 04:11 Marriott Bonvoy Dynamic Pricing Goes Live Seems to be a mixed bagBooked Ritz-Carlton Maldives for 335,000 now 385,000 (not bad)JW Marriott Bonnet Creek was 60k weekends, 50k weekdays, now < 50k each night which makes it a target for 50k certsAnd will be a target for up to 15k cert top-off when that starts “some time in April” 09:54 Bilt Rewards Mastercard Widely Available, Issued By Wells Fargo Now issued by Wells Fargo and open to all (no waitlist)3x on dining, transfers to AA, Hyatt and othersNo AF, but no welcome bonus yetReferrals are 25,000 per 5 referrals, can refer even if you just have a Bilt Rewards account without a card (I’d wonder if you could sign up for Bilt Rewards account, refer P2 for Mastercard, and then refer back if you wanted two of the cards, but that seems like overkill for the overall value)I hear there are no such things as AUs with this card, so if you’re getting this for P2 when you’ve been shutdown by AA they’ll need to get their own in order to transfer to AADiscuss: Pretty wild to see this right on the Wells Fargo site. What’s stopping Wells Fargo from taking the Bilt Rewards relationships and rolling out a very compelling bank point card/program? 15:15 Targeted Chase 5x Promos Link to check: https://chase.com/mybonus/Ex: 5x Travel, Gas, Grocery on United card (capped at $1,500 spend in Q2)Reminder: Other Q2 2022 5x categoriesChase Freedom: Amazon.com and Streaming ServiceDiscover: Gas Stations and TargetCiti Dividend: Drugstores and Grocery 16:57 [Targeted?] Bank Point Transfer Bonuses Amex Avios 40% Amex Marriott Bonvoy 25%Chase Air France 25%Citi Avianca 25% 19:55 AA Expiring Miles Again (TPG) Louses–they’re not even giving you 18 months from the announcement–they seem to be backdating to the last activity which means miles could expire SOON. Miles for minors do not expire, thankfully. Book and cancel (can do the whole thing online). I found  a 7,500 Mile Main cabin LAX-SJC and booked–canceled right after ticketing and miles and money came back without needing to do anything (took about 2 days).Write-up from 2018 on this process.(link)  21:55 Alila Maldives Open for Booking (OMAAT)

This week I chatted with Milenomics community member CF Frost about his recent stay at the new Hilton LXR Mango House Seychelles and we do a deep dive into the Hilton program. You may remember CF from this post he wrote about a now-expired opportunity to get Amex Hilton Aspire cards without an annual fee. Those Aspire cards kick off free night certificates and resort credits that are now enabling trips like the one we discuss in this episode. Subscribers may also enjoy a trip report to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives discussed in Episode 6 of Checking In. Hyatt gets a lot of love from the points & miles community but as we discuss on the show, Hilton deserves some consideration as well. In the second half of the show we cover 10 Ways Hilton is Better than Hyatt. 3:10 CF’s Recent Trip to the LXR Mango House Seychelles Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts (website)95,000/nt Standard Room RewardBookable with Amex Hilton Free Night Certificates (what are those?)Nearest Airport: SEZ 34:50 10 Ways Hilton is Better Than Hyatt Footprint: Number and LocationDecent Meaningful Status with No SpendFour Credit Cards vs. TwoCan Get Credit Cards Even if Ineligible for Welcome BonusFifth Night Free on Award StaysEasy Point TransfersFree Night Certificates at Top Hotels Attainable through Reasonable Amount of Bonused SpendFree Weekend Night Certificates Usable Any Night LatelyGenerous Automatic Extensions of Status, Certificates, Points ExpiryFavorable Cash Upgrades to Award Stays We could surely do a follow-up show on "10 Great Things about Hyatt" - and we probably will. But it's worth paying attention to other hotel chains like Hilton because there's a lot of value to be had. This week on the paid Milenomics Podcast Network feed, we just released Episode 150 of our flagship show. If you enjoyed this free epsisode head on over there for more points & miles podcast content, a thriving Slack community, and more. Thanks for listening, and thanks for your support.

"Checking In" is a show on the Milenomics Podcast Network where I usually chat with members of the community about some specific trip, loyalty program, or method they've been using to generate points & miles. Today's show is a little different because my guest is Milenomics founder Sam Simon. And since it's a Disneyland trip report and totally "above board" we're releasing it here on the No Annual Fee feed. I once read a post on a forum somewhere questioning whether, in times when our country and the world can seem so divided, is there anyhting we can all agree on? The first answer that popped up was Disney. Which quickly and definitively led to follow-on posts where it became clear that Disney [as a travel destination] is just as devisive a topic as anything else we might discuss. Sam lives in Southern California about 20 minutes from Disneyland. He's been there in the past, has some familiarity with the attractions, and casually keeps up with the latest developments in the Disney fan base. With two young kids, their family is somewhat interested in visiting the park but they are by no means Disney enthusiasts. So this trip report is a story about what it's like for a casual guest to engage with a travel and entertainment destination with a built-in community of fanatics that see Disneyland as their park. A place where familiarity with operating procedures, desirable dining options, and experience with their own group's preferences are all leveraged to maximize the experience. The trip report is in two parts, before and after. We discuss... Lodging Even when living close to the parks it can pay to book a nearby hotel for naps and relaxation. The Disney hotels are famously overpriced, and in Anaheim third party hotels are very close to the park. For a one-day park visit, does it make sense to book a hotel the night before, or after? What about early check-in/late check-out availability? Sam found a unique option in The Westin Anaheim Resort just south of the park that happens to be an Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts property. We discuss the pros and cons of the property. Lines With young children especially lines are consistently one of the most annoying parts of any theme park experience. We discuss how Genie+ worked in terms of suggestions and wait time reduction. Dining We've heard reports of long wait times for mobile ordering, supply chain issues, and labor shortages. Dining is a big part of most Disney trips, and planning ahead is generally recommended. But with only a day to plan, are any of the better options be available? Related Listening Checking In w/Robin from Luxe Recess on New England Resorts, Blackberry Farm, Luxury Disney and OrlandoSeeptember 2021 Disney World Trip Report w/Joe Cheung These free episodes are just a sample of what's discuss more fully with a paid subscription: Hundreds of hours of additional content discussing creative ways to earn and redeem points & milesAccess to a vibrant Slack communityIn-person meetups Thanks for listening, and thanks for your

Today's special episode is hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer. [Cold open] Harraseeket Inn holiday buffets: https://www.harraseeketinn.com/dine-1 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 by Ted Fleischaker, board member of Portland, Maine’s Etz Chaim Synagogue and publisher of the Up Portland newspaper. Ted, welcome to the Manifesto. [0:20] Plugs Etz Chaim: https://etzchaim-portland.org/Up Portland: http://www.upportland.com/Micucci’s Grocery Store: https://www.facebook.com/MicucciGrocery/Anywhere else people can find you online/in Maine/conferences, etc? [1:30] Jewish Community in Maine Etz Chaim: India and Congress ST, Portland, ME.Services, Torah Study, Museum.Fire during COVIDWhat kind of renovations were required? Discovered original (1921) wiring.How was the community served while the synagogue was closed?History of the buildingLocation of a boarding house for Irish and Italian immigrants that burned down in the fire of 1866History of the Jewish community in MaineNearby 1904 Synagogue split in 1920’s over whether to use Yiddish or English during services.English speakers spent $50k remodeling present Etz Chaim building.Mid-1970’s, only 15 members left in congregation. Sell the building, hang on, or merge with another congregation?Museum foundation took over the building, congregation rents sanctuary back for servicesEtz Chaim changes from orthodox to egalitarian. 3 services per week: Monday Orthodox minyan, Friday night reform service, Saturday morning Orthodox service.What do Jewish traditions look like today in Portland: how can people find seders, sukkahs, etc if they’re in Portland or Maine for the Holidays?Four working synagogues in Portland: Chabad House, Bet Ha’am, Temple Beth El, Etz ChaimSurrounding areas: Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach, Biddeford-Saco, BathCenter for Small Town Jewish Life: https://jewishlife.colby.edu/ [20:10] Publishing a local newspaper Washington Post Magazine on local journalism: https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/interactive/2021/local-news-deserts-expanding/How does Maine support so many local newspapers?Up PortlandIsland papersLobster boat papersWhat goes into publishing a daily/weekly/monthly paper? How many printers remain, do papers get shipped in from out of town, USPS, “paper boxes” on the streets? What does it take to manage a dead-tree media distribution company these days? [36:40] Visiting Portland/Visiting Maine For first-time visitors to Portland or to Maine, what recommendations do you have?Where to stay?Eastland Hotel (The Westin Portland Harborview)Where/what to eat?Dock’s Seafood - lobster roll: https://www.docksseafood.com/Street and company - lobster dinner: https://www.streetandcompany.net/What to see?Por

We discuss the addition of Wyndham/Vacasa as a Citi ThankYou Point transfer partner, ZIPAIR from LAX to Tokyo, Frontier leaving Newark, and a $500 brokerage bonus from "Tastyworks." Let's get right into it. Citi TYP Shakeup: AA Out (for now?) Wyndham In Wyndham 1:1 from Premier/Prestige, 5:4 from lower level cardsWyndham opens up Vacasa rentals--and really is a wonderful option for family travelEarlier this year I attempted to open a Wyndham Business card but was unsuccessfulNow, 3x on Fluz or 2x on WU purchases are really nice vehicles for Vacasa rentals Because of Cash out options, TYP transferred over should ideally have a 1cpp or higher value (1.25 for a DC or lower card) to even just break even  Vacasa prices by the bedrooms (15k per)--which gives outsize value opportunities (2-3cpp)  ZIPAIR Announced LAX-Tokyo Route (link) Very affordable, especially for kidsWhat’s this mean for flights to Japan for tourism?It’s amazing how investment continues to pour into the travel space despite trying timesDiscuss where this sort of thing fits in compared to using mileshttps://www.zipair.net/en3x weekly service6 and below fly for 13,000 YEN each way ($115)  Frontier Leaving EWR, 16 slots up for grabs (Link: WA) Is this a loss for EWR? What would it take for us to fly Frontier? (nonstop, good times)JetBlue, Spirit United seen as winners?Fun Fact: Slots were to remain unused, saving 1.2 minutes per day of delays The added competition is seen to allow fares to drop $15-$36.   “Tastyworks” $500 Brokerage Bonus Direct link$500 bonus for funding w/$10,000 and holding for 3 monthsDoesn’t seem that trading is a requirement?Make sure GIVE_ME_FIVE_2021 is applied as the referral codeBonus posted for us 24 hours after funding (is that a world record?) We pushed a couple news items for the paid show this week. Join us at patreon.com/milenomics for further discussion on these and more, plus access to a thriving Slack community.

Three major loyalty programs updated their schemes this week. We discuss this and more in this week's No Annual Fee podcast... Marriott Bonvoy Changes (Direct Link) Doing away with award chart March 2022, points required will track cash priceFree Night Certificate Top Off limited to 15k, starts “early 2022”Certificates/status extended again (FM) Hyatt Peak/Off-Peak Goes Live Gave a cursory look at booking some things last minute but...didn’t find award availability on the dates and destinations I checkedSeems like they’re one step behind Marriott in going to a scheme where the number of points required is tied to cash rateOpinion: Overall the chart is still very favorable paired with UR 1:1 transfer AA Makes Some Changes Mostly affects how status is attained (can earn through cc spend now)Award charts, especially partner, are thankfully unaffected Citi to Choice Hotels 1:2 for Preferred Hotels (FM) Link to check which Preferred Hotels are potentially bookable as an awardSome very high value properties listed but…Awards can only be booked over the phone and it sounds downright painfulThe award availability shown online is said to be unreliable (shows open, but you discover it can’t be booked until after a lengthy call)Only standard double occupancy rooms can be booked (unclear whether families can finagle more spacious rooms)Other than that...great deal! ;) Chase Freedom Flex “Top Spend” for Additional Q4 2021 5x (Direct Link) Only on the Freedom Flex 5x card (not the old Freedom 5x card, not the Freedom Unlimited)Spend from the top amount among these (capped at $1,500) for the quarter gets +4xTravel (including Transit), Dining, Home Improvement Stores, Grocery Stores (not including Target and Walmart purchases), Drugstores, Gas Stations, Select Live Entertainment, Select Streaming Services, Fitness Clubs.The “normal” Q4 categories are WalMart and PayPalFreedom Flex earns 3x on dining and drugstores every daySo if you already spent $1,500 at PayPal you wouldn’t have triggered the top spend +4x unless the merchant was one of the top spend categories, so you could have more work to doBut if you haven’t started it would seem optimal to either try to find a PayPal + top spend bonus category -or- do the PayPal separately then do the top spend in a category like drugstores or dining for 3x + 4xMaybe I should be using Freedom Flex at drugstores more in general, for 3x URs uncapped. It’s about the same as Old Blue Cash if you value URs at 1.5 cpp and consider the $6,500 at 1% on that card to get to 5% cashback.Whew, what a mind boggler. A shame the cap is so low on Freedom. Thanks for listening. For more points & miles podcast content, a thriving Slack community, meetups and more join us at: patreon.com/milenomics

Robert chats with Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess about trends she's seeing in the luxury travel market. They compare notes on recent travels with an eye towards planning for the coming year. Last Chatted in January, 2021 (listen) Vaccines were just becoming availableThings looked like they were getting better, then Delta variantWhat are you seeing in terms of travel hesitancy right now?And how are future bookings impacted? More short term trips planned opportunistically? 3:20 Spring/Summer Travels Mansion at Ocean EdgeNewport rentalQ: If I liked both of these, what options should I consider in the Northeast? Especially interested in Maine personally but what other options should everyone consider?Some New England resorts to consider:The Inn at Hasting Park in Lexington, MACliff House in Cape Neddick, MEInn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, MEMigis Lodge in South Casco, MELiked Ventana Big Sur for its boutique outdoor rustic all-inclusive luxuryQ: What else might I like?A: Perhaps Blackberry Farm 22:00 Disney Dining What are you hearing/experiencing at Disney World dining venues post-Covid?Some (though not all) seemed to be sputtering a bit on our Labor Day weekend trip (show notes from chat w/Joe Cheung)Roll into high expectations and how to identify places that are doing well these days to avoid disappointment? Especially when paying luxury prices. I feel like most pre-Covid reviews are out the window and I need to hear from someone that’s stayed there recently and has good discernment.Are you looking forward to Space 220? (menus) 37:20 Orlando Luxury Options Four Seasons Orlando: Best of the best, close to Disney but quite expensiveRitz-Carlton Orlando: Kind of far from Disney, basic rooms, Club Level good - but is it open/still good since Covid?Waldorf Astoria Orlando Want to talk about this from an excellent recent stay in Waldorf Corner Suite w/Disney View Fantastic stay, totally bounced back after a lackluster first experience a few years ago in an entry-level roomJW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes in the conversation? New JW Marriott Orlando, Bonnet Creek?Swan Reserve coming soon