We bring you the major news of Accor finally issuing credit cards, a great Cinque Terre Guide, Private Equity WeWork moment, all kinds of tax scams to warn you, WeBull is giving away money but one day you may hold the bag, emergency number by country, visiting the JFK TWA hotel, a horse in first class, the red light district in Amsterdam goes inside, how to wash your hands, more beautiful pictures, an amazing story of a Hollywood producer who got scammed but fought back, more on AA lockdowns, remembering Will, we learn more about Charlie the marathoner, the awful Democratic debate, the latest Delta Skymiles Deals offerings and more!
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MILES & POINTS
The very latest Delta Skymiles Deals.
Not sure where I saw it but I read somewhere that finally Accor Hotels will be coming out with its own credit cards…it’s about time!
If you are seeing many posts from miles and points bloggers promoting WeBull, you must realize something. This online brokerage company has been relentlessly giving some money away and enticing bribing bloggers to sell the app to their readers. They have even targeted me repeatedly. I do not like the app and I have not heard good things about them. I have deleted every email they sent me. I could make LOTS of money by faking my enthusiasm for them but I just can’t do that. And see myself in the mirror ever again. So, if you see a blogger pumping it you must realize they are getting paid a lot of money to do so! What is even more pathetic to see is seeing bloggers who have not blogged anything for months come out of their holes to sell stuff like that. Be careful out there okay?
I am having a hard time finding worthy things regarding miles and points to share with you. Yawn…
TRAVEL
This can be a handy reference that you hopefully will not need: Emergency Numbers by Country.
Really nice hotel review: Going Back in Time at JFK With A Night at the Spectacular TWA Hotel. My very first flight coming to the US was on TWA!
I saved this in my Evernote vault: Visiting Cinque Terre: My Complete Cinque Terre Travel Guide.
Posts like this become “Shocking Video of horse aboard First Class Flight” hideous headlined blog posts in blogs who like to take a break from pumping their readers travel rewards credit cards for the fat sales commissions. I am not going to do that. I am dropping it here in case it has not picked up by those blogs. If not, I am sure one of them will feature the link by not HTing me and then every other blog will HT them. That pisses me off but I get over it because it is not healthy to be angry. I wonder why people think I am angry all the time. 🙂
Say what? Amsterdam considering moving red light district indoors. To an “erotic centre”. The Dutch have been talking about doing this for years…
PERSONAL FINANCE
This is a great post about Private Equity. Actually, it is an epic beatdown of PE! I loved it. I am not so sure about the author’s predictions in the end about the revival of active management but who knows? Enjoy it: Is PE Having Its WeWork Moment? And the cartoons are hilarious!
The past few years have been unusual in that private businesses routinely traded at premiums to public businesses. Any student of common sense would understand that immediate liquidity and broad access to capital ought to mean that public companies deserved a premium multiple—even after the added costs of being public. The fact that this wasn’t happening ought to have been a clue that something nefarious was going on. It only lasted this long because an epic liquidity bubble coupled with allocator’s desire to never re-live 2008’s volatility, pushed them into chasing Ponzi Schemes in all their varied forms. The VC bubble burst the day that WeWork went from being worth tens of billions to almost missing payroll. Something very similar seems to be happening in PE as we speak and Southland Royalty is the canary in this coal mine.
You need to defend yourself against so called travel hacking experts who then sell their services to the loyalty industry fighting gaming ok? Not only that, you should defend yourself against tax fraud too! How to Defend Yourself Against Tax-Fraud Scams. Really, be careful out there!
ODDZ & ENDZ
A main theme of my blog has always been featuring great photography. So, here we go again: Here Are The Winners Of The 2019 International Landscape Photographer Of The Year Contest.
Despite all the bad stuff we are hearing, things ARE getting better! Found here. My blog likes to inspire once in a while. If it could only inspire you to click on my links so I quit whining lol.
This next one will inspire you to wash your hands better. Well, I hope it does. It is the BEST way to fight viruses ok? Map of Areas Most Often Missing During Handwashing.
I can not believe how scammers do this shit. They are obviously very talented individuals and only if they applied their skills to doing positive things…Yeah, right. Some are born to scam. This is a wild scam story. How do people fall for this crap? How can scammers carry on doing this stuff? I shake my head in disbelief. Good for this guy to fight and nail the bitch! The Hollywood Producer, the “Heiress” and a Very Personal Quest for Justice.
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.
More on the ongoing saga: AA Lockdown Update – Including Potential Media Coverage and Can I Spend My Way Back Into AA’s Good Graces?
In memory of Will, the kid from New Zealand we recently lost. 🙁
I did not know this about Charlie over at Running With Miles. Very inspiring indeed! My Journey as an Asthmatic Marathoner – 25,000 Miles Down the Road.
I am not sure for which I am more disappointed: the performance of the candidate I support Mike Bloomberg or the completely awful attacks by each candidate on the last Democratic debate which started less than a minute after the debate start and never really let up. Trump can use so many clips from it in his ads so I declare Trump the winner of it, sad! Stupid debates, I never liked them, all talk from mostly professional politicians aiming for sound bites…I actually despise them.
That Bask Bank deal earning AA miles, apparently, was widely known to bloggers. They were instructed to sit on the information by Bask Bank until a certain date when they got the green light to publish it. Of course, they complied like good boys and girls they are so they will not be cut off from such free content and access. No wonder I never get the memo and I am never invited to any awards type BS event and stuff like that.
Speaking of WeBull, just this morning I received TWO emails from two different salesmen with the title: “Time-Limited rewards exclusively for Webull Influencers! . Maybe if I joined the fun I could stop whining about my conversions, sad lol! Ingy would be all over this if he had a platform to do it if only he never sold his blog so early.
For C., who asked, my site is at 8 plastic conversions month to date. Always a struggle to keep the Wednesday posts alive you guys!
I declare this weekend ALL 1040 tax return weekend. We all roll differently I guess.
Son is going to India in Business Class British Airways earning AA miles and will be completing the AA Platinum Pro status challenge easily. Ten hour layover at Heathrow, any suggestions on what to do? Enough time to leave the airport and back?
And I leave you with this…Lol, I actually do this…without the mask, come on!
TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
Follow TBB on Twitter @FlyerTalkerinA2.
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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.
Good morning!
Thanks for the interesting links.
The AA lock down is simply riveting. I wonder if the banks / airlines create offers knowing they will be trivial to “abuse” then wait and watch. Folks seem to think banks / airlines only react. Huh.
They probably do after some bloggers consult with them?
George–Read “Why Private Equity Should Not Exist” by Matt Stoller:
https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/why-private-equity-should-not-exist
His newsletter is really good, I recommend it.
I bookmarked it and added it to the queue, thanks.
When you said “have not blogged anything for months come out of their holes to sell stuff like that.” I went to check travel is free. No new posts there though…
Drew is now working for The Points Guy, so I doubt TIF will have posts while that lasts.
Buzz-
We had a long layover at LHR a few years back, We got a room at the Yotel in T4 (I think). It was very noisy-seemed to be prefab construction with metal floors and electronic doors that opened and closed over and over. I think OMAAT has better luck,
If I had 10 hours at LHR, I would take that fast train into the city. Your son should be able to squeeze 5-6 hours of fun in there.
Good to know, thanks!
Spending your way into AAs good graces isn’t going to happen.
No different than UA banning GS members over selling GPUs. It’s not an individual financial decision being made by these audit departments.
Even your go to lawyer is not touching this one? 🙂
I don’t really understand the mental gymnastics for those being shutdown by AA. Citing that x, y, and z weren’t in the terms as some out is a complete fallacy. I’ve never seen a sign at my local grocery story stating I can’t take a duke in the produce aisle. But nevertheless, I’m certain I’m getting banned from the store despite the multiple of other times I have visited the store and not done that.
Then usually comes the straw man, oh so you’re on the side of the banks/airlines?? Nope, I’m on the side of reality.
HI Bill – I respect your point of view but disagree. The AA situation is not like your example at all. This was not a glitch, as if there was a loophole that would let you buy AA flights for a dollar, or if a software issue awarded people 10x as many AA miles through the shopping portal than they should have received. I’ll spare you the full-blown rundown. The card applications were not fraudulent (and ones that were are in a different bucket, as are people who violated express terms & conditions such as selling miles or creating false accounts). Citi vetted and approved each of the applications. By doing so, Citi confirmed that the applications, if approved, met all banking requirements and all requirements of Citi and AA.
In your example, it’s as if the grocery store gave you an application to take a duke in the produce aisle, you truthfully applied to do so, they examined all applicable regulations and gave you express permission to do it, and then they banned you for doing exactly what they gave you permission to do.
Somehow I doubt I’ve persuaded you, but I hope you can respect and appreciate the different point of view. ~Craig
Good luck…I think you’ll need it! Sure helps with content though 🙂
1.You get a mailer to take a duke – you go ahead and do it.
2.Next, someone else in your family gets the same mailer – Not intended for you, but without language prohibiting you from using it. You take it to the store and get another duke.
Even if you are not violating the terms per se, it was never intended for you, thus circumventing the normal approval process.
I think the key point is that you would not have been able to pass the regular approval process without this golden token – the mailer – which was not yours to begin with.
Makes sense 🙂
Hi TBB – Many thanks for the link and your continuing efforts to increase awareness of the AA issues.
My jaw dropped at the Loyalty Security Association “gaming” panel link. It’s long seemed to me that the airlines/hotels/credit card companies would benefit from hiring “white hat” loyalty program hackers, just like companies do with computer security, but I’ll admit that I didn’t know that this actually existed – especially in such an organized fashion. You taught me something this morning.
I also loved the photos, though some (many? all?) seem heavily edited. Beautiful stuff in any event. ~Craig
My jaw drops every time I see blogs link to these guys and at this point I think I am permanently disfigured!
I teach/entertain/inspire…in that order. Without any back links even!
There’s a TATL bonus on AA/BA — if Buzz the Younger hasn’t registered for it yet?
Also is Buzz the Younger enrolled in Business AAdvantage? Surely TBB has a Business AAvantage account (nudge nudge say no more)?
*TGIF*
Is it targeted? Not seeing it in his “Promotion” tab. I see one there for double miles for flights through Fairbanks though lol.
I don’t really want to touch the Business AADvantage account, tickets are issued most of the time through company’s Travel dept. They probably get their own dip on that and I certaily do not want to get him in trouble.
Thanks for the tips! We do like to maximize our travel!
The TATL bonus is a Business *Extra promotion. *sigh*
Damnit, no wonder I could not see it!
There are two things I don’t do: I don’t get others fired (unlike some old ex blogger who caused several bank staff to be fired en masse) and I don’t do things that ban me or others….so I am passing on it. He has some discretion for cheap domestic flights but all international and business trips he gets a Travel dept to take care of.
LHR is an easy bus ride from WIndsor, where the town (including nearby Eton), castle, and park are good for a few hours
Good to know, thank you!
Did you get the new Nike Vaporfly running shoes?
I was just thinking about them a few days ago and was going to email my coach about them as it is time to get another pair. Will do so soon and ask her what she thinks about them? Are they just hype or the real thing?
Real deal. Average runner cuts time by up to 5%. And the shoe is so dominant at the elite level that the rules are being changed. For some it helps with pain/aches.
Here’s a recent wsj podcast
https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/nike-vaporfly-is-magic-but-is-it-fair/ad1ea788-6223-465d-86b9-98298d4facce
I did read this article…and I was intrigued as well. I will definitely try it to see how it feels…
Mind if I try and talk you back from your silly Democratic window ledge?
—2016’s Pres election was a perfect storm fluke. If just 80,000 or so votes had been different then the 2nd worst candidate would’ve won. Repeat: IT WAS A FLUKE ELECTION. THAT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN!
—He is a HISTORICALLY UNPOPULAR AND DISLIKED PRESIDENT. All polls show that his support usually hovers around a 41% ceiling. Just check RCP’s chart (link below) of Presidential approvals—compare the Orange Brat with ANY President since Eisenhower…the closest approximation to him is Gerald Ford, and it’s now the exact same situation—the public is just waiting to kick him out. HE’S MUCH LESS POPULAR THAN JIMMY CARTER WAS.
—Everyone knows that a Bully only wins if one believes the ‘perception of destiny’. In a schoolyard a bully wins if kids won’t stand up to him. He loses if kids do. The bloviating-liar-pres lies every day trying to convince you he is unbeatable by this candidate or another. He isn’t. HE IS EASILY BEATABLE. And for evidence:
—See these polls @
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls
where in Penn. and Mich. EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT WINS (the ignorants in Wisconsin however).
Tl;dr Whomever the Dems run is going to become a President, EVEN BERNIE.
Thanks for the challenge!
#1: It was a FLUKE. I agree, it sure was a fluke. But maybe we should not take any chances and rest believing in polls? A fluke can happen again. Especially after a what appears to be a strong economy and lowest unemployment numbers and new market highs…If all these hold, I am not so sure why it can not be a fluke again. Maybe, this is the same attitude Hillary had and, you know, we all got comfortable believing it was a slam dunk…
#2: Again, maybe we should not rely on the polls again? The only poll that numbers is the one in November! I do not share the same optimism as you that he is as unpopular as you think he is…Polls can be and are misleading often!
#3: I think he beats Sanders and Warren. May even win the popular vote too. Russians are already to get get Bernie elected, their dream candidate. I think the best qualified and sure bet to beat his is Mike Bloomberg who was unfairly attacked by the two above primarily…
# We relied on polls the last time and got way too comfortable. Instead, my mantra is to stay paranoid 🙂
I think Warren and Sanders and Biden just lost their next job…in Mike Bloomberg’s cabinet 🙂
The Dunning-Kruger effect is strong in this one
Have a great time with your boundless pessimism!
Being so optimistic last time got us the phucking moron for 4 years dude. Maybe it is time to go paranoid and fight for every vote this time and not, you know, rely on polls and get cocky?
I am good with everyone except Bernie and Warren 🙂
– That’s interesting re: Webull influencer program — their standard individual referral program is already pretty generous. Can’t imagine what more they must be offering. Yeah, I roll my eyes when all of these travel blogs start posting about Sofi/Webull/Robinhood/etc. But I’m also happy to keep picking up some free money these services keep handing out like candy. Little downside to me.
– The Bask Bank thing is also interesting — it seems they may have paid for coverage but not account commissions? Amazingly, TPG seems to have been most upfront about it being sponsored content. VFTW got defensive pointing to his generic disclaimer. I’ve been wondering about some other blogs that have posted about it a lot but don’t seem to identify it specifically as sponsored content.
– I’ve appreciated Craig’s posts on his AA situation. My only thought bubble on the whole thing: I think its almost unforgivable how the major “thought leaders” have gone radio silent on the shutdowns, if for no other reason than — regardless of how guilty (or not) those affected were — a true consumer advocate would want everyone to understand how harshly AA handled the situation and the consequences of getting too close to crossing the line. To say nothing of the fact there certainly seem like quite a few sympathetic cases out there.
I am a big believer in simplicity. Getting some free time is not free. It takes time and sure it takes mental bandwidth that keeps going up for each separate “deal”. And these take a lot of time to unwind. And they are not robust operations anyway so the rist of getting hacked and compromised goes..WAU up with them. I now only go for really big fish, I don’t bother on little one. This one though COULD have been huge for me if, you know, faked my enthusiasm as so many other bloggers do and pumped it UP!
What happened with Bask happens a lot. This is why you see blogs all post something at the same time…when they are allowed to publish “news”. If they don’t, they won’t get the scoop again and will never be invited to offer consulting or to be wined and dined in one of their events. I don’t do this shit here. Maybe because these companies do not know I exist lol.
“Almost unforgivable how the major “thought leaders” have gone radio silent”. Really, really? Even after all my years blogging away here you are surprised by that! Come on now. You should not be. AT ALL. Readers do not come first there! I could go on but I am sleepy…
Embargoes/access are one thing, but it seems Bask is just straight up paying for content, in a way that is not very obvious — that seems unusual?
Ha, my silence comment was somewhat rhetorical. But to be honest, I *am* surprised that there isn’t at least someone out there covering this more. Where is DoC? I guess the milenomics guys covered it behind their $15 paywall. Just all seems strange.
Really curious what bloggers out there are hiding they got shutdown — there’s got to be some, right? (Ingy even blogged about the mailers strategy a few months ago, I believe…)
Also, re London: even taking the tube to the heart of the city only takes like an hour. If it were me, I would get out somewhere for a bit. Those BA business lounges get old quickly.
I hear you about the Bask deal….maybe it is because the whole deal is just not that attractive?
Ingy once said “It’s all about conversions”…Even blogged about the mailers…because…CONVERSIONS!
Now out of a job and nobody wants him anymore, so sad…
Sorry for all the typos, past my bed time!
TBB: I hate sites that pump credit cards! Lol! Lol! They’re nothing but salespeople. Lol! But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE USE MY LINKS TO GET YOUR CREDIT CARDS LINKS. JUST THINK OF THE DIRTY WORK I DO FOR YOU!!!! lol! poor me! Lol!!
After all, you @$$holes only generated $5 in Amazon commissions for me last month. Lol! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?
But enough about me. Wanna hear more about my hot daughter I talk about all the time?
LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL!
Thanks for the support!
I got 8 conversions this month to date. I am not going to convert that to an hourly rate because I may stop blogging like so many but….then I won’t be entertained by comments like yours for freeeeee!
Thank you for reading for free. Amazon generates at least 5 greek salads ( with extra egg and almonds) at Panera each month and I really enjoy them, thanks (not you).
Regarding my daughter…they say it must be the genes and I say miracles happen sometime LOL.