From everything you’ve wanted to know about the major bank point programs to how to pack on some easy Hilton points, this week the points were the point for sure. Speaking of easy points, picking up a pile at Walmart will now pile on time thanks to the speed limit that is now being enforced. Read about those things, how to pick up 50K Marriott points in a few minutes, and more in our Frequent Miler week in review.
Amex FHR to award 5x points…here’s when it might be worth it
I love Amex FHR, but I’m not all that enthused with the ability to earn 5x since it will likely come at the expense of elite credit, hotel points, and elite benefits. That said, there are some situations where it’ll make sense — and one in particular that I think might pan out pretty well.
Walmart’s new Money Order limits: new speed limit enforced [likely nationwide]
It seems to be hard-coded into the registers: MO purchases in excess of $1K require manual entry of your ID information and then you will be limited to no more than $8K in 24 hours based on your ID. That’s far from the death of MS for casual spenders, but those looking to liquidate in volume will need to put on the brakes.
Amex Membership Rewards Deep Dive
This week, we created guides to all three major transferable currencies. In this one, Greg dives into everything you’ve always wanted to know about Membership Rewards…
More new Hilton spending offers: rack up easy points
While we don’t normally feature quick deals in our week in review, some of these spending offers are worth a quick highlight to alert you to the fact that you should see if you’re targeted. Getting 10K Hilton points on $200 spend at the grocery store is as easy as it gets. See the post for a couple of recent offers.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide
What’s the best way to transfer your points around within your household? How can you redeem points for the best values? Everything you need to know about Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Get matched to 50K upgrade offer on Marriott Premier Plus [YMMV]
One more quick deal makes it into this week in review because I’m sure that many readers accepted a lesser offer and I wanted to be sure to send out another notice that you can be matched even if you previously accepted a lesser upgrade offer. See the post and comments for details.
Citi ThankYou Rewards. Deep Dive.
How do you keep your ThankYou Rewards alive? To whom can you transfer your points? Hint: ThankYou Rewards are nothing like Chase and Amex points in these regards and more. See Greg’s in-depth analysis of the ThankYou system before you make a rookie mistake that you regret.
When everyone is Diamond, is anyone Diamond?
The argument has been made that Hilton Diamond status isn’t very meaningful since it’s so easy to achieve. I don’t know if it was my Diamond status that did the trick or just a staff committed to excellence, but I had a great experience at the Conrad Fort Lauderdale despite my family coming down with The Plague. More details about the hotel to come this week, but I was most impressed with the people and how genuinely concerned and helpful they seemed even when we were at our worst.
Should I ditch my Sapphire Reserve?
This is a question with which many folks are grappling. In my case, I have used well over enough points at 1.5c to “break even” as per Greg’s analysis here. However, the changeover to the Ultimate Rewards portal being powered by Expedia has me seriously doubting that will continue to be the case. On my trip to Florida last week, I flew my family members on (*gasp*) Spirit, which I booked through the UR portal for about 7300 points round trip per person before the Expedia change. That beat the pants off of any other redemption. But with the removal of the low-cost carriers and reports of fewer hotels and activities, I’m becoming less certain I’ll find value there. Assuming I don’t, I think we’ll ditch the CSR next year. See Greg’s thought process on the CSR’s place (or lack thereof) in a loaded wallet.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Check back soon for this week’s last chance deals.
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