We bring you the expiring United Mileage Explorer offer for 65k miles, show you how to fly in Asia for free, how to do Machu Picchu planning, warn you about Bitcoin crap, more Hyatt hotels are added, British Airways goes all out to buy Air Europa, we are all waiting to match United’s latest elite status changes, more crap coming from Airbnb, the 50 most important websites, an amazing post about the history of aerial photography, we get to put away more tax deferred money in 2020, more Amex shutdowns and more for freeeeeee. I feel like a whino working and whining for free, to come on!
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Still in San Diego, will try to make this short, lets see…
MILES & POINTS
Let me get this out of the way first you guys. There is a limited time offer on the United Explorer card for 65,000 Mileage Plus miles. Dans Deals writes the most comprehensive posts about such cards. So, if you are interested, please read THIS post and come back here to apply with my links, you can be number 2 conversion this month, sad lol!
Well, this is about right in Skift‘s LAST issue of its Business of Loyalty email newsletter: United’s New Elite Status Requirements Could Spell End of an Era for Budget Travelers.
In the world of airline loyalty programs, many are waiting for the other shoe to drop: Will American and Delta raise requirements for earning airline elite status? United last month changed its 2020 loyalty program to push up the annual spend requirements for top-tier status dramatically from $15,000 to $18,000 or even $24,000.
Times have changed. As seats become closer to one another, overhead bin space goes to the highest bidder, and revenue is prioritized over loyalty, each year it becomes harder for the common traveler to earn elite status. In many ways, the heady days of mileage runs and qualifying mile bonuses and last-second upgrades have gone the way of the 747.
The hotels being added to the World of Hyatt program just keep adding up! New! 39 Destination Hotels Join World of Hyatt – With Some Loyalty Twists. Almost all of these properties are in Colorado and Hawaii. And the loyalty twists are not a good sign, hope it does not get worse!
Good reference: Best Ways To Fly Business Class in Asia Using Points and Miles.
TRAVEL
Major move by IAG, the parent company of British Airways, to buy Air Europa in Spain.
Importantly, IAG will become the largest airline group flying between Europe and the Caribbean and Europe and Latin America. Even more importantly, if you live in Spain, is the fact that IAG will operate 73% of all domestic flights in Spain.
If you want to get into cruises: The Beginner’s Guide to Cruises.
If you plan to hit Machu Picchu: How To Plan The Perfect Peru Trip: Machu Picchu, Lima And More…
More Airbnb nightmares. How are they going to police house parties is beyond me! Airbnb bans ‘party houses’ after 5 die in Halloween party shooting at home rental.
PERSONAL FINANCE
In my regular line of work, this gets me excited lol. You’ll be able to put more money into your 401(k) in 2020, but not your IRA. The main change is this:
The Internal Revenue Service announced it is increasing its 401(k), 403(b) and most Thrift Savings Plans deferred contribution limit to $19,500 next year, up from $19,000 in 2019. Catch up contributions are also jumping $500, to $6,500 in 2020. That means Americans 50 years and older can contribute a total of $26,000 in 2020.
BestofWeb—->Must read on Bitcoin. Masterpiece actually, make time to read in its entirety, no excerpts here!
Moneyness: Bitcoin, 11 years in
ODDZ & ENDZ
Another masterpiece for you guys! The History of Aerial Photography in 22 Photos.
I am on a roll here: The 50 Most Important Websites of All Time. Bookmark and…enjoy!
Ok, due to the quality of the links above, just one more you guys: Top 15 refugee population by country or territory of origin (1990 – 2018). Sit back, click play and go wow! And then..think…imagine if there were no wars. Yeah, right…
BLOG BUZZ
We are now entering BLOG BUZZ, a section for advanced hobbyists and veterans of this fast imploding hobby and also a section where I go on and on about some stuff that happens in my life because it helps me feel better about myself.
I have been totally out of it while attending a conference in San Diego. I keep seeing posts about Amex doing more shutdowns. At Doctor of Credit and on reddit/churning. Be careful out there!
And I leave you with this…
TBB
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Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Interesting Bitcoin piece. Thank you.
Silver! Da Napoli!! I think the more Airbnb cracks down on hosts and does more to cooperate with governments the more people will leave Airbnb as far as hosting. I think that company would be wise not to do an IPO next year!
Years ago I used VRBO on occasion. Anyone on here use VRBO recently? They worked out fine in my experience but curious how they stack up now against Airbnb (which – knock on wood – I’ve not yet had any problems with).
@Ryan, I have been using Airbnb for several years and (almost) without fail it has been a much better experience than staying in a boring hotel. In fact, I am in one in Naples right now AND I LOVE IT! In the heart of the Spanish quarter where it is so lively. Yet I have a nice apartment (Studio with loft) just for me WAY cheaper than a crappy medium grade hotel.
I make my own coffee, fast internet (No extra charge!), etc. I love Airbnbs. I’ve not tried VRBO since I always travel solo and when I look at VRBO it seems to pricey for a guy like me.
Also, I am a Superhost (not a big deal, except for a $100Credit after 4 straight quarters of being a superhost.)
But when I travel, this is the way to go if you ask me. I have started trying their “Experiences”, too and in fact today was a great personalized small cooking class. Fun!
Aerial photography article – wow!! I love stuff like that. Very clever camera-kite. The WWI trench pic really puts that time period in perspective and makes you think…first thing that popped in my mind was the part from Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them” where it goes “the generals sat, and the lines on the map, moved from side to side”.
Interesting on bitcoin, too. Wife and I went to Machu Picchu last October – definitely worth it. Climb Huayna Picchu or Montana – we did the latter since it was higher – I was getting over food poisoning which made the hike especially challenging for me but I made it. We added in a few days in Arequipa which I’d recommend – the Ice Maiden was something else to see. Also good to spend some time in the Sacred Valley and explore.
It looks like the Amex shutdowns have ended up being fairly limited – at least based on those who have reported. Biggest risk factor may be having done a lot of self-referrals. Luckily I never did any – just seemed to risky for my blood.
The credit card posts at Frequent Miler are now coming. Every. Single. Day. And waiting for another #50kfaraway series…and then we get #60kfaraway and so forth.
So, why are you still recommending this blog again?
It now comes down to just you, DoC and DansDeals…rest are complete sell outs faking excitement blogging about the same shit over and over.
Holding out hope that Delta and AA do not match United…but not betting on it.
The aerial photography link is fantastic, thank you very much. Not sure where you find them but you are sure a bit of fresh air, love the variety here.
What I have noticed lately is the incredibly HUGE amount of plugging for that SOFI card and asking people to use their referrals. Looks pretty lucrative. Yes, they plug CCs and such a LOT MORE now than they used to when it was just Greg. Guess he is going for the big business angle type thing.
The Sofi plugging is b/c virtually anyone can get it with no hard pull in just a few minutes, plus there’s no 5/24 type rules to deal with. I signed up for it before the referral jumped to $100 not b/c of the $50 bonus, but b/c I don’t have a card with free international ATM fees. I had looked at Charles Schwab, but the process seemed tedious. I sent my referral to a few friends that could benefit from it, and made $400 with 5 minutes of work.
That Airbnb article (I think you posted last week but I didn’t read until yesterday) is awful! It makes my blood boil to see people getting taking advantage like that (by the scammers
and the co). This is why God invented arbitration! And did you notice only the lawyer got her money back!?!
The cartoon is priceless!
If you want United miles and have better uses for the extra $10k in spend instead get a paper app/promo code from a United flight. 50k miles/$3k/3 mo. Better deal I think, but not for TBB .
AirBnb has scammy people and scammy practices. Caveat Emptor, which is hard to do remotely!
FYI if u want United miles but have better uses for the extra $10k spend, get a paper app or code from a United flight. 50k/$3k/3mos but not as good a deal for TBB sorry.
Airbnb has some scammy places and quite scammy practices if things aren’t what u expected. Caveat Emptor is hard to do remotely!
Screw the buggy WordPress submission bugs!