We have reached the of the CSR 100k Bonus Online, some bad travel hacking habits to avoid, be aware of bank bans, do Ganja Yoga, visit North Korea, watch an awesome storm video, revisit the JFK renovation plans, talk about bloggers as usual by calling them out, filter BS for you so you get educated, laugh a little, even get inspired rarely & more!
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The level of Chase Sapphire Reserve selling pumping went off the charts yesterday! I felt sick to my stomach and I just blocked all this shit out. You know why they do it? Because it works! So, the only solution is to stop clicking on these guys, it only makes them pump more! I have more on that below in the BLOG BUZZ section.
This travel hacking has been changing dramatically over the last several years. Which also changes many of our habits. Many of them have become bad habits. I agree with these bad habits the Deal Mommy is ditching! I ditched them a long time ago, we all evolve. I agree with her advice except #4, the “Less Blogs” part I mean, this is what I do for you here 🙂
The New York Times had an interesting “52 Places To Go in 2017” and Rapid Travel Chai added his own commentary to it.
The Cranky Flier has his own take on the plan to fix JFK. We need more runways and public transit, hello?
This is it, I am telling you. This is going to be yuge! “Ganja Yoga” baby! Only in San Francisco, hit me! Class afterwards goes on a shuttle bus tour to several taco and pizza eating establishments #munchies. Oh, and you can use the ____________ credit card (insert the one with the highest sales commission!) #rolleyes
Haunting 4k timelapse compilation video of storms in black and white. I am out of wow’s! Imagine showing this video during Ganja Yoga class lol.
Personal finance post, this one for the millennial TBB readers: Millennials may need to double how much they save for retirement. Don’t hateme.
Here we go again with my North Korea obsession. These are amazing: 3D Hypnotic Photos of the secretive state.
Look at this cloud formation, wow!
BLOG BUZZ
This section is for advanced hobbyists, people who think miles/points 24/7 and just hopeless cases…
I stayed away from the hideous pumping of the CSR card in its final day for the 100k signup bonus (online only). I just felt awful seeing these desperate greedy headlines, thanks to PointsCentric who collected some of these misleading whorish headlines!
Reader Sam alerted me to one of the most hideous aspects of increasing traffic to a site. Award Wallet is now paying AA miles for comments. First, I am NOT going there! To offer miles for comments is a desperate move, isn’t it? Ever since that Howie dude was hired at Award Wallet the site has been getting so pumpy, oh my God! I guess that experience at Frugal Travel Guy shows. Maybe these guys spend so much time trying to monetize their readers that maybe, I don’t know, are not as attentive to security? Please do NOT waste your time, THINK! As we like to promote good blogging practices around here, how about some good reading practices from YOU too!
Oh, is there any other alternative to Award Wallet?
MUST Read: Cumulative list of bank and credit card bans. From the master closer, Miles Per Day!
Doctor of Credit demolishes the Barclaycard Arrival + card. I am sure bloggers who sell the card do not make this type of argument lol.
A comprehensive post about all things coming from First National Bank of Omaha (think such sizzling cards like the ones from Best Western, ANA, La Quinta, etc.).
Alaska Airlines updates its award charts and there goes all Aeromexico awards, thanks bloggers!
The Nationwide Visa Buxx is dead as of February 28.
I can’t believe View From The Wing did it again. Hey look the Korean Airlines is gone from the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners list omg! And then another post saying it came back, wow! Both posts had how many affiliate credit card links? “It’s all about conversions” an old marketer once said. I don’t do this BS type posts here, I.Just.Can’t.
Thanks for all the support. The CSR clicks with my link have been great. I trust you know what you are doing and you will end up winning against the bank! 🙂
And I leave you with this…
Check out my updated blog lists: Blogs I Love, Blogs I Like, Blogs To Ignore
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.
pffft
I think ScottCastleGroupie left the building…looking for Scott!
ScottCastle is still coming in first every morning over at The Miles Professor. WTF?
Thats 15yds for piling on. Not cool
Maybe I’ve been in SXM….
Oh no, hope you were not together with that Rene dude!
I followed the parody account on Twitter and Renes, who I don’t follow, blocked me. Literally made my day.
Silver again?
Have a growing negative feeling about AwardWallet . Seriously thinking of cancelling.
I just deleted it from my “Support TBB” page, I just can’t recommend it anymore.
Here is the math everyone needs to know.
#1Sign up.
#2Meet Bonus spend
#3Cash out reward
#4Close CC
#5 Go to #1
Some have problems with #3 Cash out reward.
No one thats been around this gig for 1/2hr should have an issue
The Doc usually provides a clear-eyed view of his subject, but he really got lost in the math on that Arrivals+ post.
The short version of all that is since redemption are at least 10,000 points and they give you that 5% bonus after each redemption, you will always leave 500 points (5% of the last 10k redemption) behind when you close the card.
Overlooked in DoC’s statement that straight 2% cards are better is that Arrivals+ has no forex. None of the other majors have 2% cash back and no forex (I think there’s a small bank somewhere that offers another one).
I just dumped my Arrivals+ because they wouldn’t waive the fee. My wife used the TBB link to get a new one in her name. $500 cash for us, 2% CB with no forex down the road, and Buzz is that much closer to the big offer from one of the buyout groups.
I agree about the math. And good point on the no forex fee, forgot about that one!
And thanks for using my link!
Sadly, with the end of the 100k CSR link online, this blog revenue is going down (way down)…That offer just sold itself. I hope Chase does it again 🙂
Here is the math everyone needs to know.
#1Sign up.
#2Meet Bonus spend
#3Cash out reward
#4Close CC
#5 Go to #1
-PS sorry for dupe post above
Here’s the thing. AW covers 650 schemes. That is a lot of coding. Every time a site changes, re-coding.
There are no ads on the app and that is how most of us will use it, because the app is better than the site.
Remember they also pay points if you refer people who upgrade, I do ok from this.
So …. how are the guys meant to monetise it properly? The new $30 is at least fair for people like me who run it twice a day.
The answer, I suppose, is to curb the free version – 10 programmes max.
As a monopoly provider, they do a bad job of exploiting their market power.
Plan B is they sell to TPG so you can be served personalised card ads based on your program balances. And we don’t really want that do we?
They should charge more and kill/limit the free version even more. And keep improving the product and really make it hack resistant. Because it will only take one hack to…demolish it.
But this is just me. Obviously, I am not an online marketer expert!
Everything is hack-resistant, right up until the minute it isn’t.
At least AW getting hacked, eventually, will result in lotsa page clicks for everyone!
This is why I recommend RoboForm 🙂
I too used the TBB link to get one. I wanted to avoid the inability to buy a train ticket in the Swiss Alps on a Sunday morning after the conference. The Arrivals+ has a pin and chip. The station machine only works with that.
Maybe other banks will catch up but they haven’t.
Thanks!
Maybe I should get another one or two myself with my link 🙂
Totally agree. Chip and pin has saved me more than once including paying my room charges in Ghana. And the no forex matters.
Really like the Dealmommy habits to ditch…good food for thought. Especially this zinger:
“FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) runs rampant through travel hacking and is the chief cause of Vendoming.” Love that “Vendoming” is a verb now lol!
I kicked the elite fetish in 2012, I was always ahead of the curve 🙂
More airline credits…I need to start a spreadsheet to keep track of them lol.
Just read FMer’s trip report to Costa Rica, meh food, monkey poop, mosquito bites and a no happy ending massage…………………………………………………………………………Where do I sign up?
I was thinking about that property and now I know it is not going to happen…My hot blood is very prone to mosquitos so I think I will pass.
Im waiting for the 100th post on Nekker and other VS properties
I don’t understand the appeal for Richard Branson’s properties when you can easily stay at a Trump hotel.
Bloggers try to find an angle to keep…going 🙂
Bloggers had nothing to do with Aeromexico and Alaska Awards. They have been “broken” for over a year. Alaska has just finally decided to pull them. If Anything Thank Delta for their 49% stake in Aeromexico for this issue.
I am fully aware of everything you stated. That line was full of snark. Actually, there was a smiley that did not post 🙂
What you make on a CSR conversion, the likes of TPG and MMS make about four times per. You did know that staff need to get paid with benefits right?
Deep Throat
So it was two before they cut mine in half u saying?
Tell us more, gracias!
The reason why there is no other tool/service like award wallet is because of the inherent dangers involved with a data leak. AW indemnifies itself with some fineprint, but any business with half a brain stays away from storing such account login info.
I don’t think they are the only business that does so. And I am not sure they have a half brain…We shall see I guess.
Thanks Buzz.
Where’s Ramsey today ?
Sorry to say this but I can’t be bothered to interpret all of mommy deals acronyms, too much hassle.
“Less BS.”
Hey Ramsey, stop stroking man 🙂
That post by Deal Mommy was really good…but it was probably targeted to old timers, the entitled ones lol.
Got it.