As more and more people get into the points & miles game, we’re seeing an acceleration of devaluations. Opportunities to earn points disappear. Point prices go up. Transfer ratios go down. Is this the beginning of the end?
Will the points game survive?
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Giant Mailbag
(00:46) – Gil has a warning story about being Bonvoyed by Bonvoy… Boundless
Main Event: Will the points game survive?
(06:28) – Devaluations keep hitting
(14:14) – Positive trends that we’re seeing at the time of this recording (May 1 2026).
(15:15) – Doing this for 15 years
(17:37) – Enjoying elite status
(21:10) – Earning points getting easier
(27:54) – New opportunities to earn transferable points keep appearing
(29:00) – Point transfer opportunities are often increasing
(30:26) – Using points sometimes improves
(31:28) – Airlines
(38:37) – Hotels
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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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It’s completely silly to blame bloggers. Take hotel programs, for example . There’s a tension between elites and hotel owners that’s caused me to completely opt out of seeking status. I get what I pay for .
In airline programs, counting cash copays I just figured using LH Miles and cash cost 50 pct of the price of buying a first class ticket, no miles are earned and dates are limited.
I’ll always be able to use Citi 2 pct for statement credits and others for buying travel when the value of the air awards is gone.
Unlike many of the comments, I don’t blame the bloggers for the devaluations It hasn’t helped but it was inevitable.
I take issue with Greg’s comment that he is earning more points than ever. I am sure he is, cause he has HUGE advantages in referral bonuses, tax payments (running his own very successful biz), etc.
I would bet if they had the courage to take an actual poll, they would find that 80%+ of their readers are finding it harder to earn points, are earning fewer points than two years ago, are finding it harder to get outsized value etc…
Bloggers became greedy by posting it on evert corner
I wouldn’t say greedy. They published tips and tricks in a sincere effort to teach people . . . but in a public forum . . . and the banks and programs became aware of their vulnerabilities . . . which they began closing . . . which is what we continue to see today.
There is zero incentive to share strategies. When strategies get out, they’re shut down.
10 years ago you need to do your own leg work to find everything about points and how to use them. Now bloggers feed public everywhere just to get clicks and referral bonuses.
Years ago, bloggers like Greg and Nick were publishing tips and tricks to help people. Not everyone was on their own to figure stuff out.
But I agree that, today, many bloggers are as you say . . . but not all. And, it’s unfair to paint them all as such.
There are blogs I no longer read because of what you say. There are blogs that are being paid for publishing certain content. There are bloggers with other businesses and those other businesses are being paid for services *** but not the blog itself *** and they say there’s no conflict. “Oh, nothing is influencing what I write.”
To some extent yes, although I also blame dumb users who don’t know how to do proper research and and ruin a good thing. Like the IHG ambassador trick to extend status or the travelbank Amex plat credit, it had been fairly well known for years and it wasn’t exactly hard to find data on it. Everyone involved in the corporate level likely knew about it but whatever, those that knew enjoyed it and it didn’t bother them. Then you get morons who decide to either contact the company beforehand to ‘confirm’ the trick works, or panic the second they don’t get the credit and call up to complain to CS reps who try to tell them that it’s not an official feature and the customer then argues with them that they ‘saw the trick online’ or some nonsense. Once it starts to have a negative impact to the staff then they do a good job fixing it pretty quickly and we all lose. Some people just can’t get help but get greedy and ruin loopholes.
Change your statement closing date to just before the end of the month.