Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
This week’s Frequent Miler on the Air broadcast is a bit unique: due to a technical glitch, our audio recording got cut off just over half way through. Therefore, if you download the podcast form this week, you’ll hear about 2/3 of the topics originally discussed. That is to say that in the podcast below, we talk about AA shut downs, the cause of program devaluations, and whether Greg is doing more harm than good in helping his son develop a portfolio of credit cards. If you want to also hear us discuss manufacturing Hyatt Globalist status, you’ll need to watch it on Youtube below (with our apologies for the blooper when we catch our goof in the middle).
FM on the Air Podcast
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On to our weekend recap of the week’s top stories:
In credit card earning and burning:
[Update: More accounts locked] American Airlines shutting down some accounts for churning
In a move that I think is unprecedented, American Airlines is shutting down some accounts (and cancelling ticketed awards) based on credit card activity that they view as having abused the program and/or skirted the rules. We talk about this situation in more depth in the Frequent Miler on the Air broadcast/podcast above. Those who have reason to be concerned know who they are on this one and this second wave has caught up additional members. Two key things to know: first, even ticketed awards are being canceled. Second, there is a private discussion happening on reddit (and surely also on other platforms) for people affected by this. It would be wise to connect with others affected to get the pulse of the situation if you are concerned about your miles / tickets.
195K more points for my college student son
Greg’s son continues on his path to mile-millionaire with a couple of big new bonuses. Is Greg doing right by his son here? Or is he doing more harm than good in helping his son open credit cards and meet spending requirements? Find out why this is so beneficial for his son and the planning that has gone into it both in this post and in our FM on the Air broadcast above.
Doing Disney off-property? Magic Village is a great property.
Last week, I used Wyndham Rewards points to stay in a 4-bedroom townhouse near Disney World. While this is no longer a great use of Wyndham points, it could be a nice option for a paid stay when you’re traveling with a family and want the comforts of home,
In elite status
Manufacturing Hyatt Globalist Status
In the part of our FM on the Air broadcast that got cut out of this week’s podcast, we talked about why Greg thinks Hyatt has by far the best benefits for top-tier elite members among hotel loyalty programs. I’ll admit that I partially miss having Hyatt Globalist status. In this post, Greg shows that it’s something pretty accessible to those willing to put in a little leg work. While I jokingly argued a bit this week as to why this doesn’t make sense for Greg, the truth is that I think anyone with at least 20 or 30 nights of hotel stays per year should probably consider filling the gap to Globalist. The question is how — and Greg gives you the answers in this post.
Searching for cheap status with oneworld airlines
I’m not one to chase after airline elite status. That said, stacking some really cheap domestic economy class fares with the Ritz Visa Infinite Airfare discount has certainly made me think about how it may be possible to do so based on cheap segments. With a recent sale, I found round trip flights for two passengers for as little as seven US dollars total. If only I could find the right place to credit those, it seems like status could be awfully cheap.
In updated resources
This week, our complete guides to two ultra-premium credit cards have been refreshed, renewed, and updated with all of the key details. Whether you have one of these cards and you’re looking for the answer to a specific question or you want to know more about how a benefit works, see the table of contents at the beginning of either of these posts for quick links to everything you need to know:
Chase Sapphire Reserve Complete Guide
Amex Platinum Complete Guide
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Check back soon for our week in review around the web and this week’s last chance deals.
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I am also really enjoying the podcasts!
Instead of, or in addition to, reader feedback, I think it would be cool to do reader questions. Maybe one a week? You could have people submit questions here in the comments of the previous podcast, and the two of you pick one to answer in the next podcast.
In case that’s something you decide to do, here’s my question: I’ve noticed Greg tends to suggest applying for multiple cards at once – both with his son and in his plans for new people to the game. Can you go over the advantages to this? For me specifically, I will be applying for the chase united card and another ink preferred in the near future. Is there any advantage to trying to apply to both of those at the same time?
I like the podcasts better than reading articles. I can listen to the podcast while doing other chores, and love it!!!
The podcast episode cuts off after 36 minutes. Anyone else experiencing this?
Yes. We had a technical problem (explained in the first paragraph of this post – you’d need to watch the YouTube video if you’re interested in the rest this week). Sorry about that!
I just wanted to say that I am very impressed with this site. When I first found it, I came 2 or 3 times a week. Now, I visit every day and often multiple times per day. Thanks! I appreciate the info!
To be fair, I did not read the entire college student post. But I am not following how Greg’s son is able to churn so heavily– even with dad picking up the fees. My understanding of the rules are that you can usually use “household income” or any income you reasonably have access too (so I could count my husband’s income, or even money my parents give me, if they do give me money) but I thought there was a special rule in the federal law about students not being able to count parental income. . . . so without an independent income source, I thought most students were cut out of churning?
I don’t know Greg’s son’s income situation, but knowing Greg I imagine they are honest about whatever his income is. I know his son has a summer job, so his income isn’t zero. You don’t necessarily need a high income to get approved for credit cards once you have a good credit history established with a couple of starter cards.
Yea I figured he wasn’t lying on credit card apps. I just thought for most chase cards and for cards like the plat you had to have an income of at least around 50-60K. My cousins are in college and always are saying they want to get in the game, but I have basically told them they have to wait a few years. I did forward them Greg’s earlier post though.
Tell them to call and ask it’s that simple . I take advice from anyone then I check out and Thank Them if correct . I was making $18 an hr and had 4 mortgages .
CHEERs