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After close to a decade of fun and games collecting points, it all feels a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.
I missed the V3 escapade, I did my first unneeded spend with a £50 car hire for 18k points. I got stuck into NS&I with Creation and Curve, not to mention the Tesco Bank debit card money merry go round. The double dipping at Morrisons has finally resulted in me finishing my Morrisons gift card on fuel only last month. The Iberia flights debacle resulted in a haut of points but a closed ibera account(no loss). Barclycard have gone quiet and virgin money were never that exciting.
It seems there used to be a lot of lucrative points opportunities, but at the moment I’m not seeing it. Now this may be because I’ve aggressively played the game, been banned by creation, curve, shutdown by amex once or twice. In the same time I’ve built a successful business so perhaps there are opportunities, but I’m not as motivated as I once was since a long haul family holiday in a lie flat seat is now achievable for cash (in the sale, I’m not doing that well…).
I still passively play the points game through general spend, churn the dell reward by posting items on ebay then ordering direct to the winner with my Business Platinum, keep a barclay card for my spend, a virgin card for my partner, but I’m not seeing the “game” side of things any more, where outsized rewards are available for minimal spend, the excitement, the glitz and glamour seems to have stopped.
Is it the points world that has changed, or is it me?
It amazes me how nonchalant some people are about being “banned by creation, curve, shutdown by amex once or twice”.
It’s one thing to play the points game, and another to be bending the rules and exploiting loopholes to the point you end up with accounts closed.
I’m enjoying the Nectar Great Fruit & Veg challenge at the moment, lots of extra points.
My sweet spot this year has been Marriot. Over 115k ponts for £950 spend over 11 nights.
Nothing dodgy, just using their promotions and staying legitimately
Either Answer A:
Any student of even basic economics (or equivalently, someone with a modicum of financial common sense) will soon realise that outsize gains are an ephemeral feature quickly arbitraged away within well functioning, competitive markets with minimal to no frictional quirks like systemic barriers to entry.In a world of persistently growing opportunities to enjoy unencumbered travel to any variety of attractive international destinations with a healthy supply of comfortable accommodation options all informed by AI analysis of abundant consumer data, one can reasonably expect both increasingly affordable cash prices and fewer opportunities for significant loyalty points windfalls.
Or Answer B:
As a johnny-come-lately to the points game myself (2019), experience is following established historical precedent of whenever I pile into any financially lucrative enterprise, the bottom generally falls out of the game faster than soft serve in a cheap cone on a hot day.Be my guest and take your pick, Ming.
I haven’t seen many sneaky extra ways to earn points in a while outside of the giant SUBs.
I’m enjoying the Nectar Great Fruit & Veg challenge at the moment, lots of extra points.
Isn’t it only an extra 1000 points? (Worth doing on an Avios plus card via BA eStore to collect the extra Avios when you shop, of course).
It’s a different points world, but still just as good and lucrative as it has been for the last 40+ years, at least for the tortoises. For those of us who neither wish to indulge in the practices you describe (or even churn) nor wish to waste time chasing messy low value ‘opportunities’ it’s been a bonanza period for SUBs/bonuses in the last 18 months – new Barclaycard Avios and the 125k Premier promotion for the whole family, a rare 40k Gold to Plat bonus, 70k BAPP for youngsters in the family just for starters. There’s always another around the corner!
Probably, all very, very small beer in the XMS/hare world but it has bought us all a lot of flights at a time when cash fares have risen and enabled balances to remain above average levels. Hotel schemes are of no interest to us as cash is king in the underworld of hotel pricing.
Ah I remember the Iberia/Avis 18k Avios car hire wheeze. At the Edinburgh city centre office they had run out of Compact and Intermediate cars by the time I turned up and I got given an “Elite Full Size” – but that might also be because I had President’s Circle at the time (can’t remember why – think it was something to do with Accor Diamond/Platinum.
I was considering this the other day. I’ve been “in the game” for about a decade as well, and it certainly is less entertaining. I’ve noticed I am drawn less to HfP chat threads now, as there seem to be less gems out there.
What I haven’t decided is whether that is because firms have become less incompetent in how they run their products and promotions or whether, following Creationgate, participants in the game have become more discreet about the niche opportunities when they discover them.
Anyway – I still get value from Avios. I just wish there were more ways to run up hundreds of thousands of hotel points cheaply, and less “dynamic pricing” redemption models.
Ah I remember the Iberia/Avis 18k Avios car hire wheeze. At the Edinburgh city centre office they had run out of Compact and Intermediate cars by the time I turned up and I got given an “Elite Full Size” – but that might also be because I had President’s Circle at the time (can’t remember why – think it was something to do with Accor Diamond/Platinum.
That was a fun one until I returned the car and the next day they charged 30 quid to my Amex for not refueling the car – Since it had done 2 miles roundtrip and it’s impossible to dispense such a small amount of fuel at any petrol station I told them to do one. Contacted Amex who also told Avis to do one and refunded my £30.
It gives me satisfaction to see that prticular Avis location is no longer in business when I drive past these days.
If you shop at certain retailers anyway additional points are an absolute bonus, no chasing required, no time wasted.
What I haven’t decided is whether that is because firms have become less incompetent in how they run their products and promotions or whether, following Creationgate, participants in the game have become more discreet about the niche opportunities when they discover them.
Anyway – I still get value from Avios. I just wish there were more ways to run up hundreds of thousands of hotel points cheaply, and less “dynamic pricing” redemption models.
@Supergers49 This! It really feels like a combo of your two points. There’s still value to be had but the low hanging fruit is more sparse 🙁By contrast, from my point of view, things have never been better. The copious opportunities to pick up avios for less than 1p (Economist, Booster) means it virtually always makes sense for me to book using avios, not pay cash. I get all the benefits of the cash price, plus free cancellation (well, virtually) too. I have never been a mileage runner, just picked them up when I was working and now spending them in retirement. So it’s all good for me.
By contrast, from my point of view, things have never been better. The copious opportunities to pick up avios for less than 1p (Economist, Booster) means it virtually always makes sense for me to book using avios, not pay cash. I get all the benefits of the cash price, plus free cancellation (well, virtually) too. I have never been a mileage runner, just picked them up when I was working and now spending them in retirement. So it’s all good for me.
This is true. The lowest Avios + cash for European flights make them so reasonable even in CE. I’m glad redemptions are often so easy to find.
I’ve missed out on lots and am also less motivated but could also see my student self really getting stuck in if she were still around!
One thing I have noticed a few times is that after a long fallow period when I’m about to walk away, that’s been when something like an intern deal comes along. And we’re approaching the time of year when there are likely to be more opportunities as well.
By contrast, from my point of view, things have never been better. The copious opportunities to pick up avios for less than 1p (Economist, Booster) means it virtually always makes sense for me to book using avios, not pay cash. I get all the benefits of the cash price, plus free cancellation (well, virtually) too. I have never been a mileage runner, just picked them up when I was working and now spending them in retirement. So it’s all good for me.
I had forgotten to add The Economist as an annual Avios freebie – something I would buy anyway which also usually coincides with an Amex offer which makes it cheaper than their huge cash discount. They have even removed the requirement to be a ‘new’ subscriber so it seems like a little circulation booster.
I’m enjoying the Nectar Great Fruit & Veg challenge at the moment, lots of extra points.
I started that today. I am 1 portion towards the first 150 portions to get a bonus 200NP. 😀
I calculate that it will indeed be a bonus for Sainsbury’s if I manage to buy 149 more portions of fruit n veg.
My problem was going to Waitrose first and buying peppers, parsnips, aubergine, courgettes, plum tomatoes, strawberries and curly lettuce there.
I fancy trying a retrospective claim based on my waitrose receipt. Just for the fun of it. Not!
I just bought a LG TV at Argos for £179.99 and will get 10,179 Nectar points. Limited time offer! Posted elsewhere on these forums.
I just bought a LG TV at Argos for £179.99 and will get 10,179 Nectar points. Limited time offer! Posted elsewhere on these forums.
Not the best return for Avios really, I wouldn’t say worth it.
Well it’s good for those who need a new TV.
I just bought a LG TV at Argos for £179.99 and will get 10,179 Nectar points. Limited time offer! Posted elsewhere on these forums.
Not the best return for Avios really, I wouldn’t say worth it.
It is if you want the telly, as I did
Well it’s good for those who need a new TV.
I think that’s the attitude to have. Earn points on something you want and were going to buy anyway. I’d still check whether the cash price is the best on offer though. No point spending £179 on a TV and getting 10k Nectar points if you could by an equivalent or identical TV elsewhere for £125. But if elsewhere it’s £169 then paying an extra £10 to get £50 in points is not a bad deal.
Otherwise I personally don’t see the point in spending money unnecessarily just to get bonus points.
That’s exactly what the retailers want you to do, buy something that you don’t really want or need by hooking you on the bonus points you’ll get.
On a lesser scale that’s what the Nectar offers are trying to do, get you to buy extra fruit n veg even if you don’t really want it.
Sigh – I remember getting about 50k avios from Clubcard bonus offers a few years ago when we needed a new TV and a bed for the spare room!
Interesting to hear everyone’s views. @lady london, thanks for the pep talk. I wonder if Rob has seen a reduced engagement?
On to the next game!
It sounds like your business is doing well. This means that:
a) it is far more rational in terms of return on time to build ytour business and you may find it just as enjoyable or even more so.
b) a business with any sort of respectable turnover run by someone who is points-aware will generate plenty of points pretty passively – which may cover a lot of your requirements.Both of these are not bad things at all.
I’d agree with Lady London – maybe it’s a very natural part of the financial “ageing” process – my student self would be (and was) dead chuffed if he could generate £50 value out of thin air just by gently messing around on the (at the time very niche and new) internet. My current self wouldn’t get nearly so excited even with a more significant amount.
I have to say I am really not that enthused by the points game at the moment. I feel like there is very little to excite me at the moment, and hasn’t been for many months.
The platinum business sign-up offer last year was the last thing that really got me interested.
I’m basically just trundling along almost passively collecting points at the moment and it doesn’t feel like the rewards to be gained are worth the time involved for any special effort currently.
PS I started collecting in 2013 so did get some of the good times and felt there has always been something worth aiming for… until this year. IHG losing Mr and Mrs took the final wind out of hotel points for me.
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