Mile Nerd

I answer a bunch of emails every day and it’s pretty much always a pleasure. All of us are just trying to hustle deals so I really am happy to help in any way possible.

Look, I don’t spend all this time working for free on MileNerd stuff because I’m an insane person (contrary to popular belief). When it comes down to it, I feel at my best when I’m teaching and learning. I need the give-and-take, I love getting to know people, and I really enjoy being the guy who keeps things real.

That all being said, some emails are a real pain in the ass.

Maybe I’m less patient than others or maybe it just gets old reading the same thing SO MANY times. Either way, here are the top 5 most annoying questions I get…

What credit card should I apply for?
This one’s a bummer. When people ask this without spending a second going through the Top 25 list, a small (but possibly important) piece of me dies.

“What are your travel needs? Are you looking for hotel points? Airline miles?”

“I don’t really know. Whatever.”

That was an exact conversation.

Shoot me now.

I forget the cards I’ve opened and pay a lot of annual fees. What should I do?
(Also see: I don’t remember what cards I’ve applied for, I don’t know when I applied for that card, and I don’t remember when I closed that card).
Seriously?

In short, get your shit together.

You should be keeping a spreadsheet that has, at the very least:
-Every card you apply for,
-The date you apply,
-How much you need to spend for the bonus,
-When you need to spend it by,
-The bonus amount,
-The date you close the card.

I also enter events on specific dates in my iPhone calendar all the time saying things like, “Met spend on Southwest card yet?”

Again, get it together. If you’re disorganized with this stuff, I’m guessing you’re disorganized everywhere else in your life. Fix the problem.

Where do those points transfer?
I shouldn’t get annoyed about this one. That’s on me. The problem is, I’ve posted it so many times that I’ve gone a little batty. It’s an absolute must to know the basic programs. You should be very familiar with the transfer partners of:

–Citi ThankYou,
–Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) – scroll down to Airline Options,
–Chase Ultimate Rewards,
–American Express Membership Rewards

Typically, you don’t want to leave those points orphaned. Meaning, I tend to transfer them before closing a card.

Can you tell me everything about manufactured spending?
This one is legitimately annoying. It’s always some vaguely worded question like that too. Basically the exact same thing as emailing and saying, “Tell me everything about sports.”

Essentially, manufactured spending means fake spending. People buy things like prepaid cards to meet spends and earn points. It’s more helpful (for all involved) if you do some basic reading and then have a more specific question to ask.

How great do you think Hyatt buying Starwood will be?
That question is exactly one day old and has already driven me nuts.

Man, we sure forget the past in a hurry. How have these types of things worked out for us so far? Are we in a better place as nerds than we were 10 years ago?

5 years ago?

2 years ago?

Here’s a subtle hint…

NO, OF COURSE NOT!!! ARE YOU NUTS????

Oh, I forgot…corporate buyouts and mergers are always done with out best interests at heart. If you believe that, let’s talk in 5 years when you’re daydreaming about how the Starwood program used to be. If this goes through, it will be the latest in a long line of hits our loyalty programs have taken lately. And that is very, very annoying.