We bring you blog posts about how the Frequent Flyer Programs Died in 2019, Avios Secrets that will not stay secret for long, a must read gem article about Market & Investing Rules, AA Shutdowns, more awesome Greek islands, a reflective post about New Year resolutions from Mile Nerd, best new Europe airline routes, an Amtrak promo, do the Caesars/Wyndham go around trick, best aviation photography, all the dead airlines of 2019, a revealing image about the Top 1%, an article about the necessity to save for tomorrow but not doing it to the point of stabbing yourselves today, a sad tale of how a vet got scammed from a dating site, learn about the sport of flycasting and its unlikely teenager world champ, another vet my age goes to Yale with student snowflakes and a buzzing Blog Buzz section…This is a long post today after unloading several posts about 2019/2010s Best of Lists, I hope you enjoyed them all.
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MILES & POINTS
Your must read post is this one: 2019: The Year That Major US Frequent Flyer Programs Died. I agree, sad!
When these come up…look for award space to burn some of your miles! The Best New Airline Routes to Europe in 2020.
The World of Hyatt card now gives 50,000 Hyatt points as a signup bonus. For a while it used to be 60,000 points and I have no idea if the higher bonus will (ever) return. All three adult members of my household recently got it and somehow all the points ended up in my own account and I recently burned 75k of them for three glorious nights at the Cancun Hyatt Zilara. And oh yeah, it is available with my links, maybe your second cousin is under 5/24, thanks! 🙂 The Card That Jump Starts Your Path to Hyatt Elite Status.
The one and only Mile Nerd with his once a month post, this one on New Year Resolutions. These posts don’t have much to do with miles and points anymore but due to MN’s history I am adding it to this section.
If you use Amtrak trains in the East Coast register for this promotion: Take three roundtrips on Acela or Northeast Regional between January 2 and February 29, 2020 to earn one free roundtrip to take this summer.
They probably won’t be secrets for much longer lol: Seven Avios Secrets You Probably Don’t Know.
Yeah, I did this again. I can’t believe it is not killed yet! This post has clear instructions: Time to Re-Match Caesars to Wyndham Diamond, and Here’s How.
TRAVEL
All the airlines we lost in 2019.
Andy’s Travel Blog: My 2019 Aviation Photography Year in Review.
Some of these I had not even heard of! 20 Alternative Greek Islands to Visit in 2020.
PERSONAL FINANCE
This is a MUST read! 20 Rules for Markets and Investing. This would have been a BestOfWeb selection, no doubt!
Yeah, we must always find a balance between living for today vs saving for tomorrow. Eyes Forward.
Ladies and gentlemen, flipping through the Journal of Accountancy I saw this and sharing it with you:
ODDZ & ENDZ
What a sad tragic story involving a scammer and a troubled vet who ended up killing himself after getting scammed. The War Vet, the Dating Site, and the Phone Call from Hell. If this does not piss you off, I don’t know what will! Maybe the fact that Mexico never paid for building the phucking wall at the border? Sad lol.
I had no idea Fly-Casting was a thing. Like a sport. And the Micheal Jordan of the sport is…a teenager! The World Champ of Fly-Casting Just Wants to be a Teen. I could be pounding you with “69 reasons I love the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card” type posts you guys but I don’t!
A Navy SEAL, now 52 years old, goes to Yale and, in a way, I found this uplifting and encouraging for the future: My Semester With the Snowflakes.
Lets keep it positive: More and more people are gaining access to electricity.
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.
God Save The Points maybe should not hold himself out like this: “…I’m not selling to the scum that is TPG or their billion dollar parent company.”
Who needs RATs like the ones at Amex (RAT=Rewards Abuse Team) when American Airlines can go at it alone huh? What is American Airlines Thinking? Account Shutdowns Meet Sky-High Award Prices.
Dang it, it is spreading, will they leave us alone to travel hack on their dime? 🙂 Popular Bank Sending Out Shutdown Letters for Avianca Card.
After so many cases of thieves stealing IHG Rewards points, finally, at last, hooray! IHG Now Allows You To Use A Secure Password, Replacing 4 digit PIN. It is pretty remarkable that this company allowed the use of a 4 digit PIN for so long, wow!
How I hacked my way to two of NYC Manhattan’s awesome luxury hotels.
Thanks to Ricardo for the info on University of Michigan Ross Business School and Machu Picchu in the comments from some days ago, I got it. Daughter now is on scholarship hunt, for every dollar we do not pay to UofM…she gets to keep as I will make a deposit to her online savings account…she is very motivated now 🙂
Question: So I use the Amazon Affiliates program (thanks for using my Amazon link!) and a relative in New York City told me they do all of the Amazon shopping using its app. Which leads to: How can I have them use my link INSIDE the app so I can get some crumbs for their shopping? Is it even possible?
I had no idea this could be done with Award Wallet. There is always something new to learn in this, cough, hobby: How to View or Hide AwardWallet Airline Credits, Dining Credits & Hotel Free Night Certificates.
Son got targeted for Alaska Airlines MVP status for all of 2020. The privileges of working for a large corporation with big travel budget…as he is looking to do some pretty good amount of travel this year. He missed the email last year about free United elite status! I told him to not ever allow this to happen again lol. Any Alaska Airlines MVP meaningful matching we should think about?
Thanks for the support for the past 7 + years. No idea how much longer so keep checking here I guess…Super busy week for me, may take this Wednesday off #maybe #weshallsee
Been a while since I shared a music recommendation. One of the very few TV shows I watch is Saturday Night Live. I record it and then catch it when I find some time. And this performance by Lizzo blew me away, wow!
And I leave you with this…From the TBB familia, we keep it serious wishing you all an awesome 2020!
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.
Happy New Year to the family!
Lots to read today. Thanks.
Silver from the arrival of La befana here in Florence. Xmas is finally over. Great stuff today as always!
If your travel plans are flexible in terms of both date and destination, or if you like sleeping in airports, then there are some good deals to be had with AA miles.
I just book AA miles one-way for October to Lima business class for 30k
Lima to Santa Cruz Bolivia 12.5 Avios economy
Round Trip BC Santiago to Easter Island for 77k Avios on Latam (HT Andy) before they join Delta.
And booked for Later in month AA miles to New Delhi 70k on Etihad
Now that i got visit to Sri Lanka will book my return .
So if the Game is dead, please wake me up when it comes back to life because I still see deals on flights you can score and angles to work.
That just from reading blogs like this and others. I am not on any private email list…
Unless your account has been locked down. AA may cancel your ticket before you board the plane.
Thanks Ingy!
Happy New Years George! Hope you and your family had a great New Years. Thanks for linking to my AwardWallet post and all the other helpful links.
Regarding your amazon question, I’m really not sure, but I think Amazon stops paying commissions if the same person / IP orders more than a set number of items. My grandpa uses my link to shop on Amazon and I see his orders, but most do not earn a commission. I’ve gone down from a few dollars to a few cents every month. So sad 🙁
Hi TBB – Many thanks for the link to our Wyndham-Caesars status match article! We can only hope that Middle Age Miles reaches the pinnacle someday of being included in TBB’s “Blogs We Like” list! Maybe 2020 will be the year 🙂 Happy New Year! ~Craig
Just checked out your site, I like it. Original content and commentary. Will check it out going forward and do not worry, I won’t be leaving ridiculous comments, that nonsense is just for here.
Yeah….but what we would really like to know is which site will you use to actually SUPPORT the bloggers behind all the free information and comic relief you have been getting huh?
Or are you like the Mileage Update who never clicks on affiliate links?
TBB thanks you for the “support”.
You guys are like the people who read books for free at Barnes & Noble and then go to Amazon to order them!
@BOB (kneel and Bob?) if you are addressing me, I cannot get any credit cards. I have had all of them. The last card i was able to get was the Disney card 2.5 years ago.
Bob who do you hit the DONATE button for? IRAN?…..just like the 150 Billion Obama Admin. tried to quietly sneak in on pallets of cash? Imagine if Donny tried something like that? They would be voting for his castration? Bob (we know who you are and where you are). Coming over for dinner tonight as we discussed.
The agreement reached by Iran, the United States and a number of other nations to constrain Tehran’s nuclear program did not directly provide American money to Iran, but it did release about $100 billion in previously frozen Iranian assets. Much of the amount was tied up by debt obligations, for example, $20 billion to China for financing projects in Iran. Estimates for the actual amount available to Iran range from $35 billion to $65 billion.
A separate $1.7 billion transfer of cash to Iran was to settle a decades-long dispute and was agreed to in negotiations that happened parallel to the nuclear deal. Before the 1979 revolution, Iran’s shah had paid $400 million for American military goods but, after he was overthrown, the equipment was never delivered. The clerics who seized control demanded the money back, but the United States refused. The additional $1.3 billion is interest accumulated over 35 years.
wow thats a some creative commentary to pretend we didnt give a plane full of money to Iran. What a sad state of affairs when you start defending Iran or the previous Adminstration for that massive screw up.
What a happy looking family! Congrats for what really counts.
And thanks for the “20 Alternative Greek Islands”. We spent a few weeks last May in Lasithi and Kasos. Like going back 30 years to Greek Islands before the flood of European development dollars. One of the best trips we’ve had. Wish they hadn’t published this!
Ricky Gervais was awesome as usual. Really the best and only reason to tune in.
Elton John……who do you think you are fooling with that wig. Surely you can afford one that is a little more life like. Everyone who sees you, the first thing to come to their mind is….BAD WIG!
Jennifer Lopez…..I am not even gay but I could tell that dress was ridiculous.
Well, what’s your number?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/heres-burned-2791500%e2%80%ac-miles-2019-stack/
2,013,316
Are you saying the top 1% pays an average rate of 26% ? I thought all rich people were freeloaders standing on the shoulders of the poor and disenfranchised? I read twitter all the time and they say so.
Smart people don’t take their income as, erm, income.
For eg, if I was bothered about paying 45% tax (which I do, happily), I would incorporate Head for Points in Dubai (zero taxes), leave the money offshore and employ myself in the UK on a consultancy contract for a nominal sum, living day to day off savings, When I would retire I would leave the UK for a few years to let me repatriate the cash tax free, or just use it to buy property outside the UK.
what kind of moron says they happily pay 45% in taxes to a govt?
Someone who sees the bigger picture.
anyone freely giving their hard earned money to the Govt isnt seeing the bigger picture
What kind of imbecile prefers to support a government that gives away tax money to corporations and rich people and drives the country deeper in debt, all while kissing tyrant’s asses and then threatening to destroy cultural heritage sites?
What kind of big picture is that?
I’m well into the UK 0.1%. I can spare it.
When will you add Miles to Memories to the Blogs to Ignore list? These guys just keep posting stuff throughout the day and pumping cards…I think they are angling to be the next blog to be bought out by the deep pockets over at TPG. Change my mind!
+1 ….. Crap Blog
-1
I listen to their podcast and I’m in the Facebook group, and find them to be pretty opposite to all the blogs I’ve learned to loathe.
HNY! Well AA does have a RAT called Corp Sec. They handle perk abuse and outright fraud (e.g. stolen credit cards). Or were you just making a joke?
Ramsey,
Update: Thai Delight got cut from the BestOfBluecat Dining award list, Speedway Express opened next to IAmThai, and Ken Fisher (Fisher Investments) is still a douche.
Ricky Gervais is the best.
I wish you would sit your son down and have an ethics talk. Working for facebook is unethical. Maybe he’s missing more than status match emails.
Beautiful family otherwise, Happy New Year!
Facebook is going to start recommending ethics courses for you now, even if you’re not on Facebook…
Brenton: your answer +1,000
To all: Thanks for the comments. I am just buried in actual work…always happens the first 10 days of January.
At this point, Wednesday post is a pipe dream but we should be good for Friday…I have the material, I just need to find time to enter it along with my commentary.
You all TBB on!
Maybe I’m misinterpreting Brenton’s comment, but Facebook knows everything about you. I can’t say it’s a good thing that Zuck knows (and sells) everything about 2.7 billion people. What can possibly go wrong? Especially when he’s merging three monopolies FB, Insta and WhatsApp. Google’s only blessing is that FB is a greater threat to whatever is left of our democracy.
With that said, most of us own part of FB directly or indirectly (ETF/mutual fund).Go FAAMG
No, you interpreted correctly. It’s at the point where if you: post online, send a message routed through a server, or say anything within earshot of a smart phone or alexa type device, that there’s a digital record of it and FB or Google or Amazon will forever possess that information about you.
A few observations:
Hyatt Regency in San Francisco doubles the price by adding resort AND destination fee!
Holiday Inn in San Francisco offers a room for $114 or 30,000 points + $113.00!
Meanwhile TPG wants me to buy IHG points for 0.5c each.
Why would Julian at TPG leave? Because he went to CNN Underscored. Never heard of it? Me too! I guess everyone is getting in on leveraging brand with selling through affiliates…Didn’t NYT buy Wirecutter? Of course, CNN Underscored is NOT Wirecutter.
http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2017/11/02/cnn-digital-e-commerce-platform-underscored/
TBB, lets have a contest when the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is reviewed at CNN Underscored. LOL!
I can not believe Gilbert said that about TPG…what is he thinking!
The link about the war vet getting scammed was eye-opening and unbearably sad.
TBB on!
No post today.
No time.
No conversions either lol.
Hopefully we get back on track on Friday…super busy around here…and maybe losing my resolve to keep going…
The no conversions is not surprising. I’m not eligible for any public offers. Chase is 5/24. I’ll never be able to get a chase card in a million years.
Amex? Well. One per lifetime offer. So I can only get a targeted or a referral that does t have the lifetime language. Citi? Well, I did the AA mailers and my account is locked like everyone else since I wasn’t going to wait 24 months to get an AA card. Barclays also has some sort of limit like chase. I think BofA does as well. Really doesn’t leave me with other cards to get, let alone through a link from you.
To my friend SwiftBoater:
What was stated about the Iranian money is FACTS. I know you guys have issues with them.
At the end of the day, we believe what we are going to believe.
And you did not stop, you continued with more non sense.
“you start defending Iran or the previous Adminstration for that massive screw up”
Come on man, I thought you were a serious guy…you start sounding like Doug Collins!
Sad!
Hey I love a repressive terrorist supporting regime like the next guy. But attempting to dodge what happened is pure fiction.
George,
Any review for the Zilara Cancun? My wife is going there with her BFF later this year to celebrate their birthdays.
I dont do reviews like all the other bloggers do.
Email me what you need to know specifically.
I think 3 nights are great. After that the place may get boring along with the food.
Rooms in higher floors are better. But they are all nice.
Pools are awesome. Beach is great but must be REALLY careful the sea can pull you in….I almost drowned lol.
Several restaurants, I thought the best was the Mexican one. And the one by the pool is pretty good. The buffet one is fine because of the selection…but it will get over it first. The Asian is interesting, it is not bad. They have a reservation thingie for the dinner they cook in front of you, it is kind of fun and food is pretty good. The coffee shop is awesome, great coffees and all kinds of pastries and ice creams there.
There is a show in the main lobby, kind of cheesy but hey it is free.
I did not drink much at all. But you can drink a lot there.
They have a schedule of activities and playing volleyball in the pool with others is fun.
The fitness area is great! HUGE! And there is a small infinity pool right in front of it which I thought was awesome, never crowded.
Service is good. But they try to upsell you a lot. Got some Discoverist bennies like late checkut and waters etc.
Wifi works great.
Hope this helps.
I gained 10 lbs lol