This week around the web, read the cautions of avoiding the inevitable lifestyle creep that can come with the miles & points hobby, temptation to transfer points to Iberia, an interesting perspective on the AA DOT response, and more.
Points, Miles & Avoiding The Dangerous Lifestyle Creep
Is that guy the Lifestyle Creep?
I’ve noted before that I’m not a FIRE guy. Financial independence sounds nice, but I’m not looking to retire early (easy for a guy who won the employment lottery to say) – but for some reason I enjoy reading the FIREy bloggers. This morning, reader Nun admonished the fact that Greg and I keep complaining that Chase is taking away our joy of free with the fantastic ability to redeem points at 1.5c each. Of course, it’s a tongue-in-cheek complaint as it is definitely a win for many readers. In this post, Benjy makes the case for flying economy and considering investing the money you’ll save by cashing out the difference you would have spent to fly first. To some degree, it’s hard to argue with his logic — when I saw $65 economy class tickets to Paris from New York for next spring the other day, it certainly made me ask myself how much business class is worth to me in the long run.
Awesomeness and Dysfunctions of Iberia Plus: How to Use the First and Skirt the Second | Iberia Peak Dates, Award Space and Prices, Fuel Surcharges and More!
As much as I like the idea of socking away some money in investments for retirement, I am totally OK with spending 34K points for this.
Lest you think I’ve gone full out on the personal finance thing, I’m including this post from Andy at The Lazy Traveler’s Handbook to balance out against Benjy’s opinion. This sweet spot is very sweet indeed and is one that had me itching to pull the trigger on a transfer and award booking for late next spring or early next summer – until I came to my senses and realized that I don’t want to be stuck with Avios if the trip can’t happen. On the other hand, if I had Avios on hand right now, I would surely be booking some of this space. This is going to be much harder to ignore if Amex does indeed bring back a 40% bonus to Avios this year.
You Can Search For Comments
This is probably the shortest post I’ve ever included in week in review around the web, but it may be the most useful for those who have missed it. I’ve long loved DoC and I appreciate the fact that you can often access years worth of comments for ongoing resources, but that has at times made it difficult to find the DPs you’re looking for. The fact that you can now search comments there should be very helpful for many.
AA Shutdowns – Observations on AA’s Response to the Borges v. AA DoT Complaint
I’m including this post from Middle Age Miles a week late. Those who have followed AA shutdowns surely know that Middle Age Miles got caught up in those shutdowns and if you’ve read their posts thoroughly, you might find their story more sympathetic than the one you’ve recently read about in the referenced AA DOT complaint response. That made this post from Craig an interesting read as he unpacks the response from Citi to a case that AA will pretty clearly win, why they chose this particular complaint to respond to now, and what consequences there may be ahead both for AA and members.
How I am maximising the Amex Business £150 Dell cashback offer
This post comes from British blog Head for Points, but it is nonetheless a great example of how you may approach the increased Dell statement credits being offered on the Amex Business Platinum card. There are even easier resale options here in the US given some of the things that Dell sells if you’re willing to take something like a 10% loss, but if you have your eye toward buying a profitable item, many of the Head for Points strategy points will apply.
That’s it for this week around the web. Check back soon for this week’s last chance deals.
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