Milenomics² Podcast Episode 226: Amex 10x Updates, News, and Listener Questions
Added 2024-05-12 15:25:14 +0000 UTC0:22 Again: Amex 10x Dining Referrals. How are we doing?
Ends 5/22/2024
What cards are we referring from?
What cards are we going for?
Are 10x referrals better than a head-on 150k bonus? Better than a 250k head-on bonus?
Review Amex churning restrictions:
You can be approved for 2 credit cards within a 90 day period
You can’t be approved for the same card twice within 90 days
Most people are limited to 10 charge cards and 5 credit cards
Review referral promo details from past promos:
Need to get an application in before deadline
Approval can occur later
Note: Fluz increased load costs to 3.4% Try an employee card for lower rates
12:56 News
13:05 Citi Premier being replaced with Strata Premier (link)
We covered the strata back in episode 203
At that time it sounded like a new card
Now, it sounds like a rebranding of the Citi Premier
75,000 SUB with $4,000 spend otherwise very similar card
Worth going in on as part of a double dip if that still works
When is it safe to re-enter the Citi ecosystem after self-closure?
19:38 New JetBlue Mint Routes (OMAAT)
BOS and JFK to PHX twice daily winter
JFK to Vancouver and San Juan
What We’ve Been Up To
22:37 Bartering and Booking Flights for a Friend
Easier said than done?
Or are we being big babies?
Tried this last week and: It just worked!
Could cause issues in the future when schedule changes happen.
Working with friends is probably easier than with a broker.
27:55 Listener Question: Can you use Hawaiian miles to upgrade a flight on Hawaiian metal if the Economy ticket was booked as a JetBlue partner award?
The answer is….complicated.
35:18 How to make sure award space is not ‘phantom’
With new search engines that make things “so easy” it is an important topic
“New Phantom Space” when prices on a search engine don’t align with real prices on the site you’ll book on.
United example recently (Lufthansa ‘no longer available’ inventory)
Holds help verify real space
Asking someone on slack with enough miles in the program to ‘check’ on how bookable it is
When is a ticketed award actually ‘real’ (Rena’s example, AA shutdowns)
Phantom space is often the ‘best’ option, but isn’t the only option. Getting that phantom flight out of mind and focusing on the final destination is key.
44:59 Difficulties Booking Flights with BofA Travel
Couldn’t ticket and called
Rep on the phone also couldn’t ticket
Wanted to use the 20% discount and the rep offered the BofA ‘pay yourself back’ option
Adding to the complexity when I booked it direct I used Jetblue travel bank hopeful the entire $600 flight would get 20% back instead of just the $400 that landed on BofA card
The 20% came back automatically after the phone rep put the request, but for $400
49:35 How to fly JAL Business/First with AA/OneWorld miles in 2024?
This has gotten very difficult as Japan tourism is extremely popular
Booking far out might be helpful
But even with that the currency you use matters.
Getting schedule open seats has to happen with foreign miles
Book, release and catch might work – but is risky
54:27 Quick update: AA schedule change booked with Avios
Last show I mentioned this
Twitter rep for BA said they would forward my request to their one world liaison to be accommodated to the next day
About 36hrs later I received an updated reservation.
Happy this worked out.
57:13 Amex Business Gold $20/mo Credit
Good at Office Supply Stores, GrubHub, and FedEx
Enrollment required
With a lot of Business Golds in rotation, it’s too much value to ignore
How are we playing this?
1:03:09 Applied: Leverage Hat Trick
$900 offer still alive (check before posting)
Applied using SSN, now a longstanding US Bank customer
Currently hold 2 cards (1 coming up on 1 year)
Applied on a weekend, can that cause pending decisions?
And….We check for an approval live while recording
1:06:34 Buying Group Issues Abound
It's been about 2 years since I dipped my toe in on buying groups.
Some things haven't changed… Amazon is still one of the best games in town….
But there are issues, serious issues with some clubs and very slow payments.
It only makes sense as well that with pallets of airpods and iPads being delivered, delivery drivers or Warehouse people get sticky fingers.
Like most things in this game, if you've played the buying group angle for years, you could probably absorb a loss or 2 or 10…
But if you're new to it or thinking about getting into it, I think it's important that we update here and note that a lot of data points in the Black channel can give more details
Risk is what's left when you think you've thought of everything…
One really big difference between buying gift cards or even cash equivalents are that the consumer protections are not there
1:09:05 Hilton Home2Suites Wilkes-Barre PA Review
So new, the site features a digital rendering (opened in 2022)
Had high hopes given great stay at Naples, FL property
But almost every thing I thought was uniquely good about Naples property wasn’t so good here…
Bed wasn’t as comfortable
Shower wasn’t as good (control location, lower pressure)
Room wasn’t as large
Breakfast wasn’t as good (pre-fab’d sandwiches, paper plates, plastic cups and napkins)
Fine stay, but just goes to show how each location in any chain needs to be assessed independently