A sincere Happy New Year to all TBB readers! Make it the best year ever. I always liked the saying “The best is yet to come!”
Another solid post by Milenomics, this one on “Using Priceline to Save Money on Hotels“.
Loyalty Lobby on the “Pros and Cons of Marriott Rewards“. While at it, make sure you register for the 2014 Megabonus Promotion!
Miles Abound with a great post on his “Updated American Express Platinum Strategy“.
Mile Nerd is back. With some thoughts on where to go in 2014. I do share his feelings about selling out and also straying way too far in the other direction! One thing for sure, TBB comments are not going anywhere as they are an integral part of the whole TBB experience 🙂
Speaking of coming back, Points Envy comes back for just one last time to officially bid us farewell with a blog post appropriately titled “Goodbye Cruel World“. At its height, this blog was a lay up for the “Blogs I Like” list. Farewell Points Envy, it was an honor and a blast until you sold out to Million Mile Secrets 🙂
This is the busiest part of the year for me, not only quarter but year end work also. If every year was like 2013 we would all be rich! My predictions for 2014 are: 1) Markets will go up 2) Markets will go down 3) Markets will definitely fluctuate! I am always right, guaranteed!
I must admit all the summary/review of 2013 posts bored me to pieces, nothing personal.
Can someone confirm buying a $200 Southwest gift card will do the trick for the 2014 Amex Platinum allowed credit?
What are your New Year Resolutions? Discuss in the comments. I will share mine, don’t get angry lol.
100 Most Powerful Moments of 2013. By Mashable. It was very tough picking just one to showcase here!
Visitors gather in the new ‘Rain Room’ installation at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan on May 15 in New York City. The 5,000 square-foot installation creates a field of falling water that stops in the area where people walk through, allowing them to remain dry. The piece, created by Random International, releases a 260-gallon per minute shower around visitors.
Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Remember this one from some time ago? Apparently, this guy’s girlfriend still leads him around the world. I would gladly follow too 🙂
What Lurks Beneath. By Twisted Sifter. Blown away, how is this even possible to be photographed?
The Heavy Metal Subculture of Botswana. Say whaaaat? By Messy Nessy Chick. Weirdly fascinating,…of all places for this!
Top 10 Idiots of 2013. By Seriously, For Real? He did that, u serious?
36 Crazy Things That Only Happen in China. Some crazy stuff indeed happening, thank God for the National Pork Reserve!
Cutest video ever: A 20 day old puppie being taught how to howl, priceless.
This is me in my young days. Riiiiight…Found here
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First?
First
Wow, Helixcardinal should demand a recount on this one…we are talking a split second apart!
😀
Time for TBB to pick up the torch.
“At its height, this blog was a lay up for the “Blogs I Like” list.”
My New Year resolutions. Please don’t laugh. I actually have a very strong record in achieving mine! And this way I am held accountable:
No more Pop/sodas
No more popcorn
No more pizza
No more chips
No more eating after 10 pm
Less time spent on Facebook
Make a serious effort to multitask less
Make a more serious effort to monetize my blog (and do it in a way I can still look myself in the mirror and feel good about it)
If you see me knocking down a pizza or a soda feel free to slap or punch (not too hard please) me!
Gotta escape to the movies tonight…How am I going to see a movie without popcorn????? So cruel, so cruel!
About the resolutions, you’re just a hair away from no fun of any kind.. If you want a movie without popcorn feel free to bring my 2 1/2 year old along. Happened to me yesterday, he’s very possessive.
In my last night in Greece I went to see Wolf of Wall Street. It was an excuse to go out in a big way with the popcorn. Well, the popcorn line was too long (and moving even slower) that I gave up. So, three hours long and no popcorn. In a way, it was good preparation for tonight. I…survived 🙂
Thanks for the shout out, glad you appreciated it. I had no plans on writing this post but it was the only way to stop me from puking after seeing all the pimps push the $200 credits and the Business card with absolutely no sign up bonus at all. I have noticed that the standards are actually getting worse – or rather Amex and Chase are getting even better are controlling their minions. Good luck on the monetizing, I wouldn’t mind some income either, but if I am going to work for Chase or Amex it’s going to be as a trader not as a card sales whore.
Respek. Boo-ya-ka-sha.
I was fuming with the all the posts I was running across so when yours came up it was an easy layup type decision to show up here. It is incredible how strong the conflicts of interest are in this hobby, err, business.
I have a plan, I am going to become an Amazon affiliate and make gazillions by having my wife and her family and friends use it lol.
If you become a Chase trader please please do not become a whale 😉
While $200 GCs are great, if you book a ticket with delta (but probably not only them), and pay for (at least) $200 worth of economy plus upgrades using the plat, cancel the ticket within 24 hours, you will watch the $200 credit magically appear on your statement within next couple days.
This way, you get the real benefit of spending the $200 wherever you like, not just on one airline or on overpriced in flight entertainment or other nonsense.
Good tip. I might just rip that off next time I post about this, this time next year when the pimps are out pimping again
I was actually aware of that back when I had the traumatic experience to stick with Delta for a few or so years after the Northwest merger. But it was my New Year resolution for 2013 not to give Delta a single penny…not even temporarily! I fight back hard 🙂
C’mon yuneeq.
Spilling the good stuff from DDF without even giving PlatinumGuy credit for creating the method?
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=3802
BTW your fellow DDFers miss you. Where did you go??
Anyway 2013 was pretty rockin’: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/38972
Yup your right Dan. PlatinumGuy gets/deserves all the credit. Though I don’t think it’s a secret anymore being that the thread has 170k views.
Regarding DDF, I switched over to lurker mode recently. For more info contact me or speak to JJ.
Might not be a secret, but not talked about on FT or the blogs.
I know you’re lurking now, but as long as you’re commenting on blogs you probably have enough time to post on DDF as well 😉
Dan dude, with the way your seminars are selling should we be looking out for a DD IPO soon? 🙂
The seminars are a labor of love. I get to interact with my readership base on a personal level and field questions that keep me sharp. Hopefully they stay loyal readers, but who really knows?
Every penny from admission goes straight to the organizing 501c3 and I eat the cost of my travel expenses…don’t think that’s what Wall Street is looking for 😀
Pretty surreal selling out 900 seats in a few hours though.
I bought 2 $100 SWA GCs last year with my Plat CC and earned the statement credits. Bought 2 $100 SWA GCs yesterday and will let you know if/when the statement credits post. Happy New Year TBB!
Switched airline to Southwest. Please let me know when yours go through so I can get this baby done, thanks!
Saw this and made me think of my buddy Buzz………For American Express cardholders, American Express offers a $5 statement credit when you spend $15 or more at Panera, via the Twitter #hashtag “#AmexPanera”. That’s the first such statement credit we’ve seen for Panera via American Express in almost two years. Limit one registration per customer. Sync and purchase must be made by February 28.
Does this count toward TBB’s blog monetization since Panera is a buzziness expense?
I was on the Panera promo of course. Been going to the same store down the street for many years. Love the smell and the coffee and the wifi and the free refills 🙂
Breakfast quiches. YUM!
Barclays Hawaiian Airlines card is out, and it’s pretty much exactly the same as the old BofA card. Mediocre at best. It will be interesting to see how it’s sold.
So far the bloggers are behaving, noting the better offer for the card rather than the 30,000 mile bonus affiliate one. Please post examples of shilling for the lesser card here and shame them!!
Generally there will be muted enthusiasm for now – since there is no affilate link to pimp.
If I had vested interest in selling this card, I would sell it as one night in Bora Bora or 7 nights in Bejing, or 2 weeks in Egypt for $89. Don’t think there wouldn’t be enough takers :-).
It appears the 35k offer is a non affiliate offer so far. Hard to tell sometimes with this stuff, you need a translator or a very sharp eye 🙂
Good to see the promotion of it. Maybe they got tired of being pummeled and had a streak of consciousness invade their body lol. I expect that to change and this one being talked up like the “amazing” Lufthansa card when the affiliate links come live 🙂
It remains a mediocre offer and just not going to bother. I am hitting the Arrival card like there is no tomorrow woohoo!
Late to the party.
1. My resolutions for the year are to get at least two projects “out-the-door” and to be a good father.
Purposefully avoiding Delta must run the risk of increasing out-of-pocket costs, no, George?
2. Funny observation:
Dec. 10th, Gary Leff:
“I used to carry Chase Sapphire Preferred and I still think for most people that’s the best all-around product but Ink Plus actually earns the same kind of points and earns more of them. The only things I give up are double points on dining and on non-hotel travel and the 7% annual bonus.”
Jan 2nd, Gary Leff
“Chase Sapphire Preferred
…
Ink Plus
…
I carry both but you don’t have to.
[emphasis in original]…”
Maybe he had an end-of-year AOR.
3. Happy New Year to all.
Never underestimate the feelings when you achieve a NY resolution. I was very proud not giving Delta a single dollar in 2013. Emphasis on very.
I am not sure there are increased out of pocket costs due to this move but, then again, did not really look that hard 😉
#2 he had it in a drawer last month and pulled it back out? I’m sure he kept the card — in order to say he has it when pushing it!!