This week we’ll learn about the “ultimate life hack”, we’ll gripe about how we’re being Bonvoyed every which way, and we’ll debate: is the points and miles game dead?
Main Event: The end of the points & miles game?
Watch here…
Or listen here… (You can click “Follow” on the player below to select your preferred podcast app instead. On mobile, click the three dots first, and then “Follow”.)
Giant Mailbag
(01:14) – Listeners respond to our “Points for the next generation” podcast Ep306 with some great life hacks…
You can find our “Points for the next generation” podcast Ep306 here.
(08:53) – Nick’s schedule change story
Read more about Nick’s schedule change story here.
FM Podcast Appearance
(16:17) – The Blackjack Apprenticeship Podcast
Find our guest appearance on the Blackjack Apprenticeship podcast “AP Life Skills: Maximizing Your Edge with Credit Card Rewards” on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here…
Bonvoyed
(17:43) – Hilton 200K awards: See: Hashing out Hilton’s Devaluation | Coffee Break Ep56 | 5-20-25 here
(18:45) – Bonvoyed: Marriott elites shouldn’t expect suites
(22:02) – Marriott’s Dearborn Inn Autograph Collection: No free breakfast for Platinum Elites
(25:16) – Citi Strata Premier, Prestige cashout drops to 0.75 (but with easy work-around)
(27:46) – Bilt: Reducing all non-Bilt cards to 0.5 pts/dollar (like Amex) when paying rent starting 6/21
(31:21) – St Pancras Chambers Club permanently closed
Awards, Points, and More
(33:57) – Virgin Atlantic award sale: Only 4,800 points to fly to/from UK through September 2025
(38:50) – Air France / KLM Flying Blue cuts redemption rates for 2026 Delta flights
(41:29) – Easy Money w/ ShopBack portal
Learn more about our Shopback portal promo here: https://frequentmiler.com/shopback-portal-promo-for-frequent-miler-readers-20-signup-bonus-20-when-spending-20-in-may/
(45:43) – New Kimpton Secret Password: “Social Sent Me”
Main Event: The end of the points & miles game?
(47:50) – Doomsday Events
(50:15) – On the other hand, welcome bonuses higher than ever
(51:58) – Category bonuses higher than ever
(54:00) – More opportunities for transferable points than ever before
(57:02) – Transfer bonuses very common
(59:27) – New award sweet-spots keep popping up all the time
(1:03:10) – Great tools make it easier to find awards
(1:10:09) – Valuable promotions pop up randomly
Question of the Week,
(1:17:45) – Do devaluations like Hilton’s feel like a bigger deal to non-bloggers (who maybe have fewer points?)
Subscribe and Follow
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
I am new enough to the game that I don’t remember the “good ol’ days.” But there still seem to be plenty of opportunities available. I jumped on the Virgin Atlantic business class deal earlier this year for a couple of great weeks hiking in the UK Lake District and just got back from 7 weeks in Australia courtesy of some pretty decent redemptions with Cathay and Singapore Air for business class. And we have Germany later this year with Condor business class booked with Alaska miles.
I do wonder if the landscape has shifted where flexibility is more important. Being retired I have the time to spend looking for deals and the flexibility to jump on whatever comes up. So, for example, dynamic awards can actually work in my favor in a way that wouldn’t have been possible when I would have needed to schedule time off.
Regarding the Simply Miles 240X donation, it was a limited opportunity and it would close after AA reached its donation objective. There were many naysayers who said a person would be a fool to participate. After about a week, AA’s objective was met and the offer was closed . . . and points started to post . . . and these naysayers complained that those who did participate “stole” the opportunity from everyone else. While everyone wants a deal, that episode exemplifies the entitled attitude of some who want things handed to them . . . who aren’t willing to do the analysis or put in the work.
Opportunities will always exist for those who do the analysis and put in the work. They might be opportunities that are different from what you expect . . . or originally wanted . . . but you will find them.
Welcome bonuses are higher, sure, but of a deflated currency…and you have to spend more MSR and pay higher AFs to get them, and play coupon book games to get max value. Not too long ago I could spend $4k with AF waived to get a free oneway J to Asia. Obviously that was unsustainable, but on the whole the return on MSR spend has gone way down, and even moreso inflation adjusted. Sure you could MS your way to whatever end goal you want, but that’s not risk, cost or time free, so I’m not interested in that route.
It’s unquestionably worse now, and will get worse in the future. I’s not dead, but the golden age is over. I now have to be much more judicious with my points burning, because I can’t count on earning an unlimited amount on demand.
So, give up and quit.
“the golden age is over” Sadly, u r correct.
Apologies if this WAS actually covered, but I have to admit thinking you were going to talk about the Dick Durbin Credit Card Competition Act in relation to “is this the end of the game”? If this wasn’t covered, any chance this will be an upcoming topic? TY!
Given the current political environment, it is unlikely the bill will pass.
“Well lean about the ultimate life hack?”
I think you meant “learn”.
I think you mean “we‘ll”
Fixed thanks