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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.
Answer A is the most WaynedP thing I’ve read all month! Sounds like something I’d say to justify keeping my mouth shut on the latest opportunities.
Yeah outsized points earning for minimal spend is now rare (outside of SUBs). Buying avios for 0.8p is fine but it does require large outlay to get meaningful levels and then u are only getting +25% upside. The high cash surcharges also makes the game less fun and definitely don’t get the ‘free flights’ feeling.
Hotel points are also less valuable with dynamic pricing. Outside of aspirational hotels, I’m getting at best 25% upside from using points this year.
Overall, both earning and redeeming is less exciting for me but it still continues to improve my travels.
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.
That, of course, is only half the story. Redeeming for flights is the other half.
In the early days, free flights were ‘free’….and it was easy to get upgrades, as another freebie, on a space available basis or using nominal points/miles. And across the pond, a free companion seat thrown in for good measure. And even better options from the US to the Far East…free hotel nights thrown in on arrival. And that’s just for starters.And none of this Peak/Non Peak nonsense, or Dynamic awards as a way of screwing us….1 million+ points/miles for one seat ?
Just need to try and be more creative today and play them at their own game.OP is just fishing for new opportunities in MS hoping for some loose lips. Looks like he hasn’t learnt from his Amex closure.
OP is just fishing for new opportunities in MS hoping for some loose lips. Looks like he hasn’t learnt from his Amex closure.
I got that vibe too. Got so much info I thought next it’ll be their company’s VAT number.
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