Roundup: Articles From Around the Web
Here are some posts from around the web that I thought you may find interesting. Let me know if there is anything good I missed. Email me anything awesome that you find, or write, at Mark@milestomemories.com.
Articles
DEAL DEAD – That Spafinder deal – Miles per Day
This reminds me of the old eBay gift card to Target gift card to eBay gift card while racking up portal payouts and eBay bucks bonuses old days. Except this Spafinder deal was that on steroids!
Sapphire Reserve Strains JPMorgan’s Ties With United Airlines – The Wall Street Journal
Here is a novel idea United, tell Chase to take your cards off of 5/24. You will get new accounts for days….and days…and days!
Conclusion
Which article did you find most interesting? Remember to let me know of anything you come across that you want added into the next edition at Mark@milestomemories.com.
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Just out of curiosity, why do you think Ben is rich?
The titan travel bloggers do very well financially. You can tell the ones by the fact that they have direct links to every major credit card issuer. Those referrals really add up. TBB has the transcript of a TPG interview. It will give you some insight.
anymore info on that spa finder? like what online bookstore they’re using? info still hidden eevn though deal’s dead
I am guessing it is the place that is owned by Bezos
Just wait until later this year when the airline clubs start requiring same-day boarding passes to enter. I think it will really run off a good number of customers of those cards.
What Delta does they all end up doing
Direct link to article where it’s not behind paywall:
https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/TDJNDN_2019062711211/sapphire-reserve-strains-jpmorgans-ties-with-united-airlines.html
IIRC, Chase bought a bunch of United miles during the great recession to keep United afloat. Now United is putting the squeeze on their banking partner who helped them during a time of dire need? This is on top of the fact that United has been regularly devaluing these same miles, hurting the engaged customer and the banking partner. I’ve never thought highly of Scott Kirby, but this is impressive stuff even for him. Eventually, United will need goodwill from customers and Chase. In the meantime, if United offered more value, then they’d see more card usage.
They would also see more UR to United transfers which still works out for them in the long run
I love the fact that an airline is unhappy that folks cancel their rewards card. I wish everyone would cancel AA’s credit card and hit them in their pocket book.
It is time for airlines to have a rewards program that is rewarding. A program that you can actually redeem miles on. 25k domestic ticket? Perhaps they have seats on a few days of the week. 100k business class flights to Europe? Sure — just not on business travel days. They have to open SOMETHING.
For the most part I’ve gone to cash back. Points used to have value. Without an award chart and available seats there are much better options out there.
I think a lot of people are leaning the cash back route. I still bonus chase more than anything but if I had to stick with a single card cash back may be the way to go these days. Which is sad.
“It is time for airlines to have a rewards program that is rewarding.” Yes! Yes! Yes!!!!
Unfortunately, corporate executives couldn’t care less about how rewarding their program is. All they care about is how to make more short term money for themselves (at the long term expense of the company).
The WSJ article is behind a paywall. Can you give us more info?
As to the crowdfunding for a trip, Ben at OMAAT did the same thing, even though he’s rich.
@Christian – Does Ben at OMAAT provide value for his readers?
What does that have to do with a rich person asking generally non-rich people to pay for his trip? He wasn’t even just asking readers. If he’s rich, he can afford it.
So what if he can afford it? As long as he’s not an ass, I’m okay with him asking. I’m not gonna fund it, but I won’t disparage him for asking. The man has devoted his time to being a content creator and running the business that distributes said content. Further, his content is informative and entertaining (though I prefer Mark’s). He may be rich, but he’s not Kanye, rolling in the dough and asking for wholly unneeded money just to inflate his ego; and he’s not some rich kid asking for more when he ran out of Daddy’s money.
This couple, on the other hand, shows no effort to actually live a productive life. They provide little value to their audience (personally, I think that type of content is toxic). There’s no evidence that said trip would lead to useful or enjoyable (to me) content, either. They’re beggars continuing to beg – not out of necessity, but out of a continued desire to get something pleasurable for nothing.
So while I would not donate to either, I don’t have a problem with Ben asking for readers to crowdfund a trip, whether as a “thank you” for great content, or in anticipation of value from whatever content that trip generates.
I have used Ben’s credit card links to apply for cards in the past, so I’ve definitely contributed to his income. Rich people hitting up non-rich people for money just smacks a bit too much of the whole “gospel of prosperity” preacher thing. I don’t hit up my friends or customers for money to do something that I could afford to do myself, even though there are things I provide for both. I don’t begrudge Ben his wealth, I just don’t want to hand out money for something he could easily do himself but doesn’t feel like paying for himself. You obviously feel differently and I respect your opinion.
Here is a trick to that. Add http://facebook.com/l.php?u= before the WSJ link and voila! 😉
Lukas beat me by nano seconds it appears 🙂
Christian try clicking through it on their FB page
https://www.facebook.com/wsj/posts/jpmorgans-sapphire-reserve-credit-card-has-been-a-hit-with-frequent-travelers-si/10158838690013128/
Should get you around their paywall.