We weep again over the American Airlines AAdvantage devaluation, show you how Starwood Elites get screwed by Marriott, visit Istanbul in the 1960s & more!
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The hits keep on coming folks. American Airlines announced the expected devaluation I have warned here repeatedly. Boy, they did not waste much time huh? The new American Airlines AAdvantage award charts effective March 22, 2016 are:
I am too depressed now to gather my thoughts. I feel like a major rant coming but I may save it for the weekend when I may have more time. I have repeatedly said here we are now sitting ducks taking the hits again and again and again. It’s a new reality folks, look at all the consolidation that has taken place. Look at how much money they are making. They have the upper hand. At some point, The Hobby is just not worth the mental real estate required to get enough value out of it. I am more intent to pick up a new hobby. We had “basket weaving” suggested in the TBB comments. Anyone else? DansDeals had a great summary of the changes: American Airlines AAdvantage MAAsacre Has AArrived: MAAsive 2016 Devaluations For Earning And Redeeming Miles
Oh, you likely missed this but the new loyalty program for Aer Lingus (which was recently taken over by British Airways) is going to be called Aer Club and, cough, is going to be revenue based as well. Understand what is going out there in The Hobby? Click on my CSP card link to make you feel better because the card can do anything, including ushering world peace and understanding LOL. Or maybe create your own loyalty program and give yourself a “Golden President and Ambassador” status which I strongly believe is starting to make more sense as the value proposition of this “scheme” (call me Chris Elliott now, I know you wanna) is being destroyed right before our eyes.
I could go on and on for a long time. But time to move on. Yeah, I am stuck with 1 million AA miles. Come on, ridicule me, I deserve it. I need to make some changes, too much TBBing & not enough traveling 🙂 Stay tuned. While you are tuning, click on my links to help contribute to my decision to keep on TBBing when every day I take knives in the back like this MAAssive stabbing. I told you Doug Parker is out to get us….I think we are all sick and we just can’t quit. Maybe I should start Travel Hackers Anonymous. “Hi, I am George and I am addicted to miles” 🙂
Here are the Alaska Airlines Miles Routing Rules. Yeah, they are going to devalue too.
Must Starwood elites give up the high life under Marriott? – Yes. Why? Because: Marriott.
16 things to know before you go to Singapore.
Matador Network‘s most inspiring travel photos of last week.
John Oliver responds to the Paris Horror. Classic!
Best Alarm Clock ever. Get slapped in the face until you wake up, yes!
Best.Video.Ever regarding the terrorist attacks in Paris. I am sure you have seen it as it has gone mega viral but if you didn’t, you should! #HumanityWins!
Mutual Fund Alert: Expect Big Taxable Distributions This Year, Here’s What You Should Know. You have been warned!
Beautiful vintage photos of Istanbul in the 1960s. These are wonderful!
Heaven…
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travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
Buzz-
Hang in there, pal, it could be worse, You could be in Paris.
Like me.
Hey, where is plane2port?
Hope you get to do what you wanted in Paris. Probably not. Stay safe.
PSA: Marriott buying SPG:http://news.yahoo.com/marriott-buys-rival-hotel-chain-starwood-12-2-111619209–finance.html;_ylt=A0LEVveLxklWTEAAW9wnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw–
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Everyone new this day was coming with AA. It should be a shock to no one that AA followed along the same path as Delta and United. Unless business class is too beneath you the changes are not the end of the world.
I’m sad to see AA go revenue based. What that really does is kill miles collecting for the occasional budget flyer, esp. international. They’re telling us to either go the credit card route or don’t bother. It’s really amazing to see how much the airlines are turning the programs into credit card points programs rather than frequent *flyer* programs. At least from my perspective.
>>>>>>t’s really amazing to see how much the airlines are turning the programs into credit card points programs rather than frequent *flyer* programs.
The loyalty concept is in a major…disarray lately. I think this was inevitable and it is only going to get worse. And I am a positive person by nature 🙂
My point has always been that the continued beatings are moving the needle more over to the point that the value/mental real estate/time makes it…not worth it.
I could go on…but need to answer the other comments next before I start another post when I am dead tired!
May the Schwartz be with you….http://imgur.com/gallery/iTOwejQ
LOL…Classic!
Thanks Buzz.
I stupidly never jumped on board with this hobby until just a few months ago. I signed up for flyer talk about ten years ago but couldn’t figure out what they were talking about and didn’t have the time to devote to it.
I’m afraid the cataclysmic scale of the last few weeks’ events are somewhat lost on me.
Just trying to eke out one trip at a time and keep looking on the bright side.
Thanks for your blog Buzz !
“cataclysmic”
Well, I wouldn’t go THAT far…that would be when I quit this blog and find a new hobby. But basket weaving and tai chi would NOT be it lol.
In 2008 best offers for AA cards were 25,000 miles, all of last year we could churn Exec cards at 100k, 75k, and 50k…. redemption increased a little bit more but certainly not enough to call it a tragedy for ‘churner’ crowd. Yes, Cathay Pacific F-Class will be a lot more expensive, but you probably already flew it a few times at this point. 🙂
Rock and Roll, burn those miles. 🙂
Cheers,
PedroNY
Yeah I get it…but the constant stream of these offers compound a Zimbabwe inflationary like march to…getting the burning to be revenue based. And it is coming and it is all going to be like Southwest, minus the Companion Pass.
Or something like that. Are you better off investing your resources (mostly the time to earn/hack/burn/etc) instead of doing something more productive that will allow you to just burn some Arrival points and just buy your travels? 🙂 Or something like that. The value proposition, with the continued beatings, is fast losing its allure. Of course, you won’t hear that from the regular bloggers who are still selling the dream to fly for free all you gotta do is click on my credit card links. What a charade!
You know, I will do my best to click on your links. I try to do it with Amazon shopping, but your links usually don’t have cards on my churn schedule.
As for your Arrival card point, it is good for ~$1,600/year for two of us here on 6 month churn schedule, we do like those points.
Cheers,
PedroNY
Can you elaborate a little on the Arrival churning. I have so much automatically paid through it I…kept it, gulp!
Cancel, and reapply after how long? Barclays is a strange beast of a bank…
I churn Barclays cards every 6 months, used to be US Airways, now Arrival+, some people like Lufthansa one, so your pick. 6 months is probably a bit safer than some, I used to do it every 3 months, but started to get declines after my 8th or 9th US Airways card, so I switched 6 month calendar. There may be a velocity rule, similar to Citi, I don’t know what you can apply for with them in 2 year period, but 4 times seems to work.
My rule of thumb is you should look up your application status on barclays online portal, if your previous card application does not show up (usually takes 90-180 days to go away), then your application is usually approved. I do not keep these cards, so I never have one open when I apply for another one. So if you stagger it every 3 months between you and your wife, well, you get to pick up $460/person towards travel once you spend $3,000. I like to spend my travel in that minimum spend, and you should aim for ~$450 spending (over $100). Finally, I do not care about 5% or former 10% rebate, I get my $450 back and close the card, to me leaving a few arrival points behind is just the cost of this hobby. 🙂
Look at that, I wrote yet another blog post for you in your comments! 🙂 You string all of my comments together over 3 years, and you will probably get a good story going, most of it will be “good posts! burn your miles! churn CCs! use Amex points at the Home Depot on large appliances!” LOL. I enjoy your blog, our methods and points of view tend to be aligned.
Cheers and Good Luck,
PedroNY
Tai chi?
Rock climbing?
Extreme Couponing?
Interested in rock climbing!
Tai chi? Depends on the quality of the instructor and looks of the instructor and class mates 🙂
Extreme couponing? NEVER! It’s like eating durian, I despise it.
Actually, one of my clients is into drone racing and will send me a link to a cheap drone he bought in Amazon. $60 only, that thing crashed into a tree, went down to the bottom of a lake and is STILL running, wow! Just imagine how much dough I will make pimping that link lol.
80-90% of Istanbul still looks the same today, just different cars, clothes and better roads.
Happy to see the coolAAid is wearing off. Told you so!
Regards from Shanghai
I had the same thought about Istanbul, amazing isn’t it?
Oh yeah, the coolAAid is wearing off all right…
Did I tell you that first? 🙂
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For TBB, click on CreditCards/CARD TYPE/Chase and it is the first card on the top.
BEWARE OF THE 5/24 RULE!!! No more than 5 apps in the past 24 months. No annual fee. Is there anyone who does NOT have this card? Great starter card, get one for your mother as you probably can’t stand your mother in law, get a Capital One card for her lol.
Used your Amazon link for buying gift card with my Amex card offer. Will use for offers in my other cards as well.
Muchas gracias amigo! Hope all is well.
Fine, George. New Job, back at my home town. Out of most of the mile madness :). So dont really care much about all these massive devaluations. Focusing only on cash back cards and saving for my kids college and my retirement. You know the latest card i applied for – Banana Republic. Couldnt find a link from your site though. Excellent card – much better than most of the scams out there, matching my needs. Comes with 30$ for 0.01 spend outside their store :). Cash is king.
Cash is king…
We are all moving there….
Miles are becoming…drachmas 🙂
Yeah I blew another 100 bucks or so using the Amazon link, I know it is peanuts for you but still just saying.
Muchas gracias amigo as well. Sorry no time to respond to your email lately, been a rough day today. Day was nice and then it turned all rainy and windy and made a drive across the state treacherous!
< catching up. Last.