All information about the Amex Platinum, Business Gold, and Business Platinum cards has been collected independently by Miles to Memories.
Points and Travel Developments
Thanksgiving is fast approaching – for those who even want to stop and enjoy it. (Full disclosure, I must admit I’m listening to Holiday Pops on SiriusXM as I’m typing this.) But it’s a great time to stop and reflect on the points and travel developments I’m most grateful for this year. Some are more predictable than others, but I’m thankful for them all. Here we go!
Amex
I’ll start with the most obvious one. Overall, Amex just seems to keep getting better every year. Perhaps the biggest gift we received from Amex were the early 2024 referral bonuses which enabled many of us to earn 10x Membership Rewards points on dining spending. With only a bit of extra work, we could stretch this activity well into the summer. And after that ended, the bank has routinely offered still-generous 30k-35k (or better) referral bonuses.
Significant upgrade offers have continued; I’ve primarily enjoyed the fortuitous timing to upgrade Business Gold cards to Business Platinums. And throughout the year, we’ve received opportunities to return to some of our favorite cards via no lifetime language (NLL) offers.
I’m just scraping the surface with Amex here this year, and I’m excited to see what they have in mind until next Thanksgiving!
Methods at Home
I’m also thankful for the growing variety of methods to spend from home. Many of us are able to realize rewards more efficiently this way, decreasing the time, gas, and mild frustration that goes along with traipsing around town. A convenient side benefit has been experiencing little-to-no gift card fraud.
Chat Capabilities
Speaking of home, I’ve embraced more online chat capabilities to complete points and travel activities this year. I’ve largely come out ahead. Over the years, companies have refined these services, making for more seamless experiences. For perhaps my first year ever, I’m chatting more now than calling.
Saks Employees Who Know What They’re Doing
Over the past few years, I’ve focused on more significant, infrequent Saks purchases to leverage this Amex Platinum credit. Plus, Saks shipping policies aren’t as friendly to customers anymore, with free shipping now requiring a minimum $300 purchase. For my goals, I generally focus on buying higher-denomination Saks gift cards in-store to trigger these credits. This involves splitting payment across several Platinums to buy such gift cards.
The challenge here is the unpredictability of Saks employee expertise. In my experience, some workers have never heard of splitting payment. They can only sell me $50 gift cards in separate transactions. Others know what we’re doing and can easily accommodate. A knowledgeable Saks employee is a godsend, especially since I don’t have a location nearby and must complete this task while traveling.
Every Major Hotel Loyalty Program, Pretty Much
This year, I’ve been able to achieve varying levels of (what I deem) solid value, in terms of earning and redeeming, with the following programs:
- Hilton
- Marriott
- Choice
- IHG
- Wyndham
I’ve reached a different milestone with Hyatt, using up all my points (and needing a bit extra) on one last redemption. Best Western is probably the only program where I wish I accomplished more, but their wacky new credit card process got in the way there. Maybe next year. While devaluations happen, I must be thankful for the staying power of hotel programs and what their points currencies continue to provide us.
Points and Travel Developments – Conclusion
I can’t possibly cover everything I’m thankful for in our points and travel hobby, but that’s also what makes ours great. So much is in it for us, and we just need to put in a bit more effort to get more out of it. Last year’s Thanksgiving article was completely different from this one, and I look forward to yet another version next year. We are truly blessed, in our hobby and beyond. I encourage you to slow down and reflect this holiday on what you’re thankful for. It’s all there, but do you see it?
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