We go on ranting mode again on the AA Devaluation anger and the crap unleashed by bloggers, visit Iran, get the details on T-Mobile International Roaming and so much more! <—- obligatory exclamation mark I learned! #titanic
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The Devil’s Advocate has his take on the AA devaluation and how it will impact the elite ranks. He says to not panic and look at the bright side. I say look for another hobby soon when the mega ax will fall in a year from now. Yep, revenue based on the BURNING side. That’s when hobbies like basket weaving and taic chi will surge in popularity LOL. Anyways, here is a comment in this post by DavidB which I found pretty much right on and feel the pain of AADisadvantage members outside of the US:
“Yes, we expected the worst and have pretty much gotten it. UA upped its redemption chart a year before lowering the boom on earning RDMs. AA is doing both within the same time frame (give or take a few months). And while the vast majority of AA’s elites (and those of UA and DL) reside in the US, consider how this impacts those few of us living in other parts of the world, specifically as we don’t have access to an airline-affiliated credit card with which to earn those additional miles that might off-set our RDM mileage losses next year. We can’t look forward to a 50K sign up bonus, or a 10K EQM credit when we spend a certain amount. Or comp Admirals Club access, which we lost whenAmex was dumped. (I know, we have received the Spend exemption for status with UA/MP.) We can just sit and observe how once more the banks have destroyed the value of something we “own” as they did in 2008 with the housing market and the world economy. So once more, we can put the blame where it belongs: WALL STREET! (And of course, we know those execs buy premium fares with corporate deductable pre-tax dollars — i.e. subsidized by ordinary American taxpayers — so will be earning even more miles than the rest of us who buy with after-tax personal dollars.”
DavidB, the only way to fight back is become a free agent and click the crap out of my TBB Amazon link bwahahahaha. Again, I am sorry man.
Reddit thread title: “If your favorite travel blogger didn’t call the 2015 AA devaluation a “devaluation” they are getting paid waaayyyyy too much by AA or [enter bank name]. I really enjoyed this drinking my hazelnut coffee at Panera! Like this one from catem:
“In the end TPG doesn’t have to work and we are all wasting our lives away at a desk commenting on reddit posts. “
Or this one from Cueller:
“They’re in the business of talking about how awesome this hobby is and that you should keep churning, reading their blog, and continue to be awesome!“
Or the cry of newbie candleruse who just applied for an AA card: “But I literally just got here; I haven’t even gotten the card in the mail! I’m so sad.“
Ok, one more by RexImperator answering which bloggers are hated most:
“TPG completely sold out, and is trying to create a more generalizable travel website for the masses, rather than how to find obscure upgradable fare buckets and more churnworthy content. i don’t really fault him for that. MMS, on the other hand, i find 100% annoying. i don’t find him authentic at all and there isn’t much original content, it’s all repost. OMaaT is going a bit downhill (with posts recently advocating for opening multiple IHG accounts as if that’s normal), but still has some good tips.“
Hey, quit your bitching you know who you are, I am NOT saying these things, I am just the addicted blog reviewer bringing you the truth and entertainment and all that jazz woohoo!
It is interesting that some additional benefits are going to be rolled out in the Fairmont cards. Like airline fee credits. Interesting to see if and how much the $95 annual fee goes up…tba
Oh, Alaska Airlines partners again with Icelandair. If you care so much about it, google it.
BREAKING: I had to add this very late at night after I got to bed…oh the life of a blogger, you can’t imagine haha. ACT FAST to Get Matched to Hyatt Diamond Status Instantly via Twitter!
ACROSS THE SKY – a world record slackline in the utah desert. This is a MUST click. And when TBB says so, it is! Wow. Just done on November 15, 2015. Amazing feat!
Why some airports are getting post hotels. Very interesting read. From Private Wealth magazine of all places!
“A Traveler’s Review of T-Mobile International Roaming” – Decent review, you may be interested.
Are you serious? The mascot for anti selfpleasure is arrested for…selfpleasure. Almost as funny as the Zoolander2 trailer lol.
And now for a special treat. Reader Alan H. sent me a link to a Bloomberg podcast and told me to start listening at minute 21.37 where the announcer is introducing The Points Guy THIS way, please sit down or grab on to something! Are you sitting down? Ok, this is how:
He is the most important man in the world. He has truly changed all sorts of things, within banking, within hotels, airlines, within our lives…The Points Guy talks about power.
Was this announcer serious? Was he on drugs? Or just begging to get some ads so Bloomberg does not sack him or what? I mean, most important man in the world, hello????…Are you kidding me? What is wrong with people these days! Some humility por favor! Actually the interview was not too bad if you are a newbie. And I could not go on after the CSP was pumped… And then he tells us he is on the inaugural Etihad flight in The Apartments. Of course he didn’t say it cost $30k for the ticket and not $12 dollars and 42 cents. And poor TBB still looking for any dinero from a freaking credit card THIS month! What a moron this TBB guy is, so ludicrous! Oh, anyone seen TBB commenter Ludicrous lately, hope he is okay!
Two awesome comments in the TBB comments yesterday
Sam: “The fat lady of our hobby ain’t singing yet. But she’s getting her make-up on.” #Bingo #Respect
John: “The question is, are these a-holes bloggers going to lower their miles and points valuation when they pump their cards?“
And I leave you with this…
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The way I see it, this is all part of a natural business and marketing cycle going back-pick a time-for me about 8 years. Back then, the banks’ credit card marketing efforts exploded. Giving away sign-up bonuses left and right-I remember my wife and I each getting two Citi AA cards every 65 days with 75k sign-up bonuses on each. Read that sentence again.
Those same marketing efforts didn’t just rely on web ads, they also set up their own marketing team with bloggers getting big payments for ‘conversions’. And while we vilify them here, those bloggers were smart to jump in and the really smart ones became gurus with big followings. One claims to have 40,000 readers. Read that sentence again.
And the airlines played along too. Want to go to London on AA with those easy miles? Sure-would you rather go on Tuesday through Dallas or Wednesday through Chicago? Tuesday through Chicago-ok, why not?
And the smart players scratched for inside info to play the game as hard as they could.
Then the cycle progressed, the economy got better and the banks got (just a little) smarter. Seems all that card volume wasn’t making much money so they started to lower sign-up bonuses, and limit churning. With more paid travel, the airlines realized they could sell seats rather than give them away-what a concept! Then they realized that they could sell the banks miles for free trips even if they didn’t open up very many free trips. I’m surprised one of the airlines didn’t buy Victoria’s Secret.
As the banks tightened the churning rules, the bloggers turned their attention from experienced players to harvesting newbies. Content dumbed down since it didn’t matter. Anyone notice earlier this week as one of Ben’s stringers scooped Gary on the news that Alaska awards now can be used to book Icelandic flights? The kids are alright.
And while most of the chatter is still on gathering pints-like how to churn the AA Platinum card-few are pointing to the elephant in the room-those empty web pages showing no award flight availability. Example: AA TATL: 4 years ago, it was pretty wide open. Then AA tightened flights on AA metal somewhat, but IB and AB were still plentiful. Then AA flights all but disappeared, IB became scarce and AB was all that was left intact. Today, even with weeks of flexibility far in advance, you’re hard pressed to find anything.
When I read about the AA devaluation, I was reminded of the story of the woman who goes to the butcher and asks for a T-bone. The butcher says “Sure-they’re $12 a pound”. She says “$12 a pound? Louis’ place down the street sells T-Bones for $9.50 a pound”. The butcher says “Madam, why don’t you buy a T-Bone from Louis then?” She says “Louis is out of T-Bones today”. The butcher answers “Well, when we’re out of T-Bones, we sell them for $9 a pound”.
If you can’t book an AA award flight to Europe, what difference does it make that the award now costs more? With everyone’s bag of miles bursting at the seams, the only uncertainty to come is how the airlines will answer the howls of protest that those miles are so tough to use. The smart money has already moved in some measure to cash back and other means, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out as the general population moves away from miles’ cards, and airlines’ receipts from cards takes a dive.
Down the road, I see the masses picking over the bones of what once was a value proposition filled ‘hobby’. Darius proved that Ingy got out too early and not at the top. But he did know it was too good to last and it was, as it almost always is.
Read that sentence again.
The most accurate and intelligent post ever on the “angries” blog. Great synopsis Sam
This comment should be a blog post somewhere.
Sam,
Thank you for taking the time to make this comment. I think you nailed it man, wow! I should make it a separate post some day soon but it is now time to fill my hazelnut coffee at Panera.
Never be angry, get even.
Lol
@SAM, I CAN A HELLUVA GOOD LOOK AT A T-BONE STEAK BY STICKING MY HEAD UP A COW’S ASS, BUT I’D RATHER TAKE THE BUTCHER’S WORD ON IT…………….@ Old Man Ingy, nice handle.
That Iran photo is even more impressive in a photo than it was in person! 🙂 Very cool shot!
I agree. TBB only finds the very best 🙂
It is the most important blog in the world too…it changed…everything.
Or nothing if you prefer lol.
Some nice early morning cogent reading; gracias Sam!
Muchas gracias.
It is Friday…Vamos a la playa…oh wait, weather guy just said snow tomorrow. Crap!
Alaska flights are also now bookable using Icelandair points as well. It’s not great value, but you can currently buy enough Icelandair points to fly RT US/Canada first class for $840 and RT US Mainland to Hawaii first class for $1680. Economy is half those amounts.
Thanks for the update. Definitely this news was drowned by all the other fireworks this week.
This blog sticks to its primary mission:
Entertainment
Had to read and reread that Fappy article a bunch before I saw it was fake. Damn, I’m getting old and can’t even read the URL properly anymore!
Love how they set up all the crosslinks to Facebook, too! I want to order a tshirt!!
Good catch…Whoever came up with is very talented!
That tpg guy character is really something. Checked out his instagram after the residence news
and he really is the copy of the Justine something guy/a kardashian. Love how he photographs
himself with the celebrities and always makes sure it looks like he is a close friend LOL.
But the most important man comment beats it all!!! ROTFL
I am still shaking my head….If this was directed at me my reaction would be:
WTF is wrong with you man, are you on drugs?
Or something like that 🙂
Where is my Hyatt Diamond status?
DYKWIA?
Starting to look like another one of the “mistake” episodes in this crazy hobby…The reaction of real Hyatt Diamonds is priceless….so pissed off as they should be. My take is some marketing people got a little bit ahead of themselves. I think this was supposed to be a DM only to HyattConscierge followers on Twitter. Or something….Looks like they are drowning in requests!
I certainly am a bit torn by it. I think Hyatt has a great portfolio of properties and I think their loyalty program is great as well. But, I will finish qualifying for Diamond this year on December 31 – and someone with a Hilton credit card and an award night gets it for the same time I do? 🙂
But, Hyatt is sure to draw some business from this as the draw is the suite upgrades. To use those, you are going to have to spend some cash. If they don’t use those, I have no one to compete with. So, it may not be that bad. Honestly, if someone has never stayed at a Hyatt, are they really going to stay at one now to get a free breakfast? 🙂
I got turned down on Twitter and sent them an email later on…still no reply. Like last time I got shot down by Hyatt when they did something similar, I moved on and even praised them for it for sticking to their guns…unlike some who even cried age discrimination or other crap 🙂
I feel for the poor staff person who made that mistake. When our kind pounds on stuff like this…I always think about that staffer. I would not be able to go to sleep knowing that some one lost his/her job due to my actions…
So, people, RELAX!
One must remember that TPG is an employee of Bankrate.com, he is not struggling on his own.
Good point. At least here I am my own little bitch 🙂
My nomination for most soulless blogger on the topic would milevalue, with his post “Timeline to Beat DevAAluation Starting Today with Zero Miles.” Milevalue is all citi cards, all the time, and his post is a desperate spin to get every single last newbie signing up for cards before the bottom falls out…
At which point, the bloggers wait about 3 months for everyone to forget what the old mileage charts used to be and act like nothing has changed.
Always. Be. Closing!!
I have not visited that blog in months because I would lose it and people would mistakenly think I am angry or something…
So many innocents are taken to the shed over there…
#barf
Yeah, I especially loved yesterday in an article comparing the barclay arrival to csp that the feedly image was the Citi Prestige…
Thanks Sam.
Yeah, that was awesome. As this weekend is shaping to be I may do a back to back gimme post on Sunday posting Sam’s comment on Sunday.
When the going gets tough, TBB works his assoff through the pile, talk about a stubborn guy here just laboring away for…laughs, mostly my own 🙂
Thanks for including my T-Mobile review 🙂