Points and Travel
Our family enjoys watching The Sound of Music every December. Obviously, this primarily revolves around the 1965 original, but we enjoy the 2013 live version with Carrie Underwood in moderation, as well. Of course, I’m loyal to the Julie Andrews version, but I’m sticking to my opinion that the latter ain’t as bad as many think (and it’s definitely not as long). Regardless, one of the presentation’s earworms takes over each year. In that vein, these are a few of my favorite things right now with points and travel.
My Current Banana Republic Mastercard Spend Promo
We’ve consistently received targeted spend offers on our Banana Republic Mastercards over the years, but they’ve been relatively tame the past few months. Off the heels of uncapped 5x in generous categories, we’ve received capped promos involving a free $50 in rewards on $500 or $750 spend. And nothing since has matched uncapped 10x in those generous categories from Q4 2022.
So that’s why this month’s interesting hybrid offer caught my eye. Similar to previous promos, we’re earning uncapped 5x Banana Republic Rewards points on gas, grocery store, and restaurant purchases. Unlike other versions, though, Barclays is offering us another 5k points (equal to $50 in rewards) once we hit $750 in purchases this month outside the Gap family of brands. That’s 11.67x on the first $750 spend, and a solid 5x on those categories beyond.
I still pine for the 10x days. But this is probably the best it’s gotten for us ever since, so we’ll embrace it.
A Holiday Card From My Close Friend, Ryan…
…Reynolds. As if reasonably-priced and almost-free wireless service throughout the year wasn’t enough, he routinely brings warm holiday greetings. He’s a good friend, sending me a card each year since we joined Mint Mobile. This year, along with his mug, we picked up a Merrimint Mojito Mocktail recipe. I’m not exactly surprised, as this probably pairs nicely with his gin he tactfully avoids mentioning in the recipe. But, alas, nothing will top the temporary tattoo he sent with his card a few years ago.
Laissez-faire American Airlines
I’m certainly not the first to thank American Airlines for largely leaving alone their stellar Loyalty Points scheme. Figuring AA had their hooks into loyalists over the past few years, I thought AA would be making more changes in 2024. But AA hardly made any. I actually wished they’d increased thresholds for reaching the various elite levels. It would be nice if there weren’t so many Executive Platinums. But I can’t complain, considering my upgrade rate has maintained about the same as previous years, albeit at a relatively lower volume of flights.
But perhaps what I’m most excited about American not changing are the various benchmarks for Loyalty Point Rewards qualification. I find hitting these numbers quite enjoyable, to the point where I calculate in my favorite redemption into my normal earning. I’ll enjoy these one more time, because there’s no way they could leave them alone next year, right?! We shall see.
Toothpaste from my Dentist
I enjoy the dentist. Much like a haircut, mowing and edging my yard, or washing and vacuuming my car, I feel a bit more squared away after. Even better, my dentist gives out the good stuff – at least what I think meets that definition. And it’s in a size perfect for travel. Pronamel isn’t as easy to find as other travel-size toothpastes, so I’m happy my doc hooks me up every six months. The two or so tubes my hygienist provides is about the right amount I need for half a year of travel, give or take. That’s one less trip to and a few less bucks for Walgreen’s. (Yes, I know I’m technically paying for this at the dentist, but don’t ruin my fun.)
Pretty Much All Hotel Breakfasts
One of the more commonly-roasted topics in our points and travel hobby is hotel breakfast, including the myriad policies for elites. But while I’ve had my share of underwhelming experiences, I must admit I leave breakfast happy eight or nine times out of ten. More often than not, I haven’t gone an additional penny out of pocket – other than gratuity – to enjoy this experience. So I must salute this perk that helps me get out of bed in the morning. And the offering is often so generous that I skip another meal later in the day.
Points and Travel – Conclusion
We have it good, within and beyond our common hobby. Just like Scrooge’s awakening, we should embrace the holiday spirit year-round, including the gratitude to what it brings us throughout. And what where we each find joy can be different for all of us. That’s just another reason our hobby is so captivating. So then, what are your favorite points and travel things right now?
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