Amex Offers (Again)

Growing up, my dad wasn’t nice to my mom. It was hard to see. He was distant with me, but never mean. It was like he took all his trauma out on one person. She didn’t have high standards. Just wanted someone to be nice to her…a person to enjoy her company…maybe a partner who would occasionally thank her for cooking the meals. But she never got that. Not even a little bit. And she was ok with it. So, like many of you, I grew up in a dysfunctional household.

The weirdest thing (to me, at least) is that he never saw it. My old man, who would be a sweetheart to total strangers, never saw how badly he treated his wife.

So much of the person I became is because of this.

Because he treated her this way.

And she took it.

I was raised by two people who never saw. They were blind.

How could a man so insensitive?

How could a woman allow it?

Forget standing up for herself, she actually tried to please him. It was the main purpose of her life.

I vowed to be a different person. I grew up into a guy who didn’t take shit from anyone. A person who would always listen. Someone who cared. Yeah, I have plenty of faults, but I’m not unfair. I tried so hard not to be blind.

My mom thought she was being kind…loving…a good wife. But she was weak. Isn’t that something we all do? We put these positive words on our biggest dysfunctions. We refuse to see. Well, she didn’t take care of herself and we all suffered.

If only I could get them to see.

I thought I was helping…being a hero…but I think I did more harm than good.

Today? Well, I have a VERY sensitive trigger to any mistreatment. The wronging of anyone makes my blood boil like you wouldn’t believe. Especially women. But bad behavior from anyone becomes my fight. And I’m exhausted. Finally, after all these years…I’m ready to see. People need to live their own lives. There isn’t a way around that.

My point here is that this will be my last post bashing other bloggers. It isn’t the best use of this space. Or of my limited time. It doesn’t help you guys. Shady bloggers will never go away. Like cockroaches, they’ll keep coming in from every crack. 100% of bloggers will claim to “help their readers.” Many of them are full of shit. People can be incredibly dishonest about their true intentions. But, you know what, they’re never going to see it if they don’t want to. Most of these guys will forever choose to be blind.

Yes, making money is a good thing. We should make as much as we can. I’ll try to make a few bucks here at some point I’m sure. Nobody in their right mind is against that. But in blogging specifically, there’s a right way to earn a dollar. When bloggers are aware of better card offers than what they promote…when a “help blog” writes posts simply as a vehicle for credit card sales…posts that wouldn’t be made otherwise…these are the wrong ways to do it. Shady bloggers put money over principles. Honest bloggers don’t. Having affiliate links isn’t a problem. The lack of principles is. Some of you (rightfully) get upset. Why do you guys scream about this on message boards? I think ti’s because you can’t believe how blind people can be.

Believe me, I get it.

I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I told newbies to get an “amazing” 30,000-point card while knowing about a 100,000-point version. I’ll never understand how people hold back from posting better offers they are aware of. But it happens all day, every day.

You guys know I’ll always be a person you can trust. Even when I choose to make money here. I’m not going to write another post like this, so I wanted to end my blogger “rants” with a bang. Please be very careful about believing the wrong people. Be observant. Have a good radar for the right blogs. Don’t fall for clever salesmanship by shady people. Notice what comes first…integrity or the bottom-line.

Mainly, don’t waste your time trying to get a real answer from dishonest people. Their blindness isn’t my problem anymore. It shouldn’t be yours either.

With that long story in the books, here’s a Flyertalk post about possible 100,000-point Platinum and 50,000-point Gold offers from Amex. These “deals” have been posted before and still won’t work for many of you. If you’re new to this game and read multiple blogs, you may have just seen this in the last 24 hours. As usual, that’s because people are getting paid. But that’s my last negative word on other bloggers. If you really want to do something helpful, stop reading those websites, clicking on those links, and talking about those people. See things more clearly.

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Monday Clock Ticking Deals

  • For another 3 days. Get a free 10 bucks for setting up a Visa Checkout account. Works if you have a Bank of America Visa card.
  • Speaking of that, you can also get $30 off $150 at Staples online using a Visa Checkout account.
  • Did someone say Staples? Through Saturday, pick up $20 when you buy $300 in Visa gift cards at a Staples store.
  • 2 free Hyatt nights (some hotels) for spending $250 at Rite Aid (some products).
  • Reader Connie, here’s a reminder about your American Express Membership Rewards points. The bonus is a strong 40% to British Airways through the end of the month.
  • If you have the Chase Freedom card, don’t forget to activate your 5x points at grocery stores. Up to $1,500.

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Big Miles For Big Money

Fidelity extended their Delta offer. It’s up to 50,000 easy miles if you’re sitting on some cash. I prefer United and American miles, but the offers work the same way no matter which airline.

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Later 2014

You missed me, huh?

Yeah, yeah. Well dammit, I missed you too!

But I’m back. Refreshed. Recharged. Ready for 2015.

I want to wait until tomorrow to get back to the usual rundown of deals.

Right now, let’s take a look back at that exciting time known as 2014…

That’s right, it’s time for the (first) Annual Nerd Awards!

Or as they’re called on the street…The Nerdies.

Here we go with the winners and losers:

Best Credit Card Of 2014:
Without a doubt, the winner is the 100,000-mile American Airlines Executive card. Amazing offer. Of course, some of you went crazy and grabbed a few of them. Over a million American miles? Yup, that’s what a few of you have because of this offer. I really should have hit it harder. Damn.

Dumbest Move With A Credit Card:
This one just happened. I applied for the decent-ish 50,000-mile Delta card. In the terms, it said the bonus wasn’t available if you’ve had this card in the last 12 months. Well, I closed my last one in March. No excuses for this brain fart…just didn’t take the 30 seconds to look at my spreadsheet. Dumb.

Most Loved Points Of The Year:
Chase Ultimate Rewards came through for me in a big way. I maxed out my office store points buying $200 gift cards from Staples. This added up to 250,000 points, plus another 50,000 from signing up for an Ink Plus. Many, many good times were had with these points. More on that later.

Least Favorite Points Of 2014:
This is a tough one.  As much as I hate them, Delta SkyMiles can actually be useful. I ended up finding a good use for some Hilton points too. Hmm…Spirit miles are pretty terrible, but I never bothered collecting those. Ok, I’m going with an upset winner here. Lufthansa! Are you shocked? Well, you should be. These are solid miles with some very good uses. Still, there’s a huge “but.” I got SO MANY emails this year complaining about the same issue. Lufthansa’s expiration policy for miles is a major, major pain. I think they deserve way more criticism for this, so I’m calling them out here. Lufthansa miles were my least favorite points of the year.

Favorite Hotel:
I was lucky to stay in some great ones. The Roosevelt in New Orleans upgraded me to a killer suite, as did the Hyatt in Park City. I loved some of the luxury hotels here in Southern California too (Ritz and St. Regis in Dana Point, Park Hyatt in Carlsbad, etc). But my winner continues to be the Andaz Maui. Even with small-ish rooms, I am totally in love with the place. It wasn’t the nicest hotel I stayed in, but it was my favorite. Remember those Ultimate Rewards points? I put them to great use here.

Worst Hotel:
I’m basically a country bumpkin, so the Las Vegas strip isn’t my favorite place. I actually prefer gambling with the locals. Speaking of which, I happily said “yes” when the Sunset Station offered me free nights. Ugh. I wouldn’t stay there again. There was some unknown, nasty smell that ruined the experience. As an Indian guy who grew up with curry, I’m used to strong smells. But this was ridiculous. I don’t know what was happening at this hotel, but it seemed to be a combination of smoke, years of B.O., and overall funkiness. It was the hotel stay of the year by far. One positive thing, though. There’s a restaurant in the Sunset Station called Oyster Bar. On the menu is something called a pan roast. If you are ever in Vegas, you MUST go to this casino (or the Palace Station) and eat this dish. Thank me later. If you like seafood, this will be one of the best things you ever eat for an affordable price.

Favorite Movie:
What does this have to do with miles and points? Absolutely nothing. But I’m a random kind of dude. The best movie I saw this year was Birdman. I’ve seen it twice in the theater and once at home already. If you have quirky taste in flicks, this one is probably for you. I also loved Interstellar, which is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it type of movie.

Favorite Trip:
In late November, I spent 15 glorious nights in Hawaii. It was probably the best 2 weeks of my life. Kauai was great. Maui was better. The Wailea area of Maui was the best. And, yeah, that Andaz is my idea of heaven.

Favorite Pool:
The saltwater lagoon at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Don’t just dip in…swim all the way around. Go during the day and then try it late at night. You will have very different (but very magical) experiences.

Best Food:
Morimoto at the Andaz Maui wins this one. Oyster Bar in Vegas was the surprise of the year. And New Orleans takes the best foodie city award any day of the week. I don’t know if it’s possible to live there and be in shape.

Most Useful Website:
Man, there are so many great websites for travel. Flyertalk continues to be helpful, Yelp is a lifesaver for restaurants in strange towns, and TripAdvisor still gets a thumbs-up for all they provide. But The Flight Deal edges out ITA Matrix as the most useful website of the year.

Most Useful App:
Surprisingly (to me), I’m choosing Uber as the winner here. I continue to have a bipolar love/hate relationship with them, but it’s so hard to imagine travel without Uber. It is absolutely the app I’d miss most if it were gone.

Best Trend:
New products seem to be appearing faster than ever. From new credit card options to new gift card choices…this is an incredible time to be a clever person with a hustling mindset.

Worst Trend:
The devaluing of points and miles. This was a terrible year for devaluations. I have no reason to believe this will get any better.

Most Annoying Trend:
Hotel resort fees. Even at places closer to motel than “resort.” These fees keep increasing in every possible way. We’re seeing more of them and the amounts keep going up.

Favorite Quote:
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Many of you reached out after my last post of the year. The last bit seemed to have an impact and I’m happy it did. I wasn’t trying to be vague or cryptic. Just simply trying to express my feelings. I think we need to keep it real. Let’s not blame our family, childhood, spouse, bloggers, readers, employers, society, God, fate, or anything else. We are where we choose to be in our lives. We can make a better choice. This world of miles and points tends to be a great metaphor for the bigger picture. I can book a First-Class flight tonight for most of the major cities in the world. And a 5-star hotel stay. I’m not a wealthy guy, but I can go anywhere I want. That’s an absolute miracle. Think about how lucky we are. And we made it happen. So, in 2015, maybe we can challenge ourselves to make a lot more happen. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think we were born to choose mediocrity. We’ve spent our lives collecting all the tools we need. Let’s put them to use right now. Have a great 2015!

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Last Post Of The Year

Well, my friends, the time has come. That special time of year when I take a few days off. I’ll be back posting next Thursday, January 1st. Until then, here’s an all-over-the-map Q &A to end the blogging year.

What is the goal of MileNerd.com?

Same as always. The best mile/point deals in the fewest words possible. Other than an occasional wordy post (like this one), I stick to the plan. No fluff, no “filler” posts…just the good stuff 5 days a week.

Any other things you focus on?

Now that I’ve been doing it for a while, there’s a deeper bond here. Most of you learned long ago that I’m a person to trust. I never expected this kind of appreciation for simple things. For not screwing you over. For being articulate. For caring. Those aren’t exactly unique traits. But the number of shady websites and blogs keeps growing. And being known as the guy who keeps it real feels great.

Any new changes or additions?

Not that I know of. It’s up to you guys and what you ask for. As far as the usual questions, MileNerd has zero social media presence. There’s no Twitter account, no Facebook page, and you won’t find me commenting anywhere else. As always, comments will stay disabled here. That isn’t changing. The plan is to keep it simple. Great deals…1 post a day…5 days a week. I know it’s a unique way to do things, but I have no interest in following someone else’s plan.

Do you answer questions?

Throughout the day. Every single day. If you’ve ever written me without hearing back, there are only 2 possible explanations. Either your message went to my spam folder or vice versa. I respond to every email I get. Keep in mind, the pile gets deep, so it can take a day or so.

Will the blog continue forever?

Who knows. Anything’s possible. But I probably can’t keep doing this alone for the next 50 years. If you have something to say and want a built-in audience, I’ll keep listening to ideas for guest posts. And, at some point, when the right person comes along…I have no problem stepping back for the next generation of nerd.

How can I pay you back?

I get this question sometimes. No need to give me anything. If I ever want anything, I’ll ask. Nothing has come to mind yet.

So…what do you get out of this?

I get that question a lot. Usually, the answer is simple for a blogger. When blog readership is into the thousands like this, the main priority becomes money. Other things still matter, but money changes things. Well, over here it’s (clearly) a little different. There isn’t any cash being made. So, yeah, sometimes I wonder why I spend time on this. But then I think back to teaching tennis and teaching in classrooms. There’s a part of me that loves that process. Taking someone new to a world and being a part in their becoming a badass. It’s one of my favorite things. And I’m guessing it’s probably the main reason I do this.

Do you really believe in multiple credit card applications?

Of course. I applied for another 20 or so this year. And earned thousands in free travel. Again. But you have to do it right. Stay super organized, don’t close the no-fee cards you’ve had for a decade, make all your payments on time, etc. As always, if you can’t pay off your balances each month, this game isn’t for you.

How do you spend all that money to get all those bonuses?

A lot of manufactured spending. I’m careful about those topics, because the openings get closed in a hurry. It doesn’t help anyone if I’m contributing to the death of sensitive deals. But if you have trouble meeting spends, that information is easily available on Flyertalk.

Where do you see MileNerd going?

I’ve never paid a cent for advertising, don’t know what SEO stands for, and couldn’t care less about Google rankings. I’ll continue to have a great reputation as long as I’m writing. Being honest is what matters to me. I have to look at myself in the mirror and I’m not sure how people do it. But hey, I’ve seen it all. One guy pays for Twitter followers…another writes the word “help” in the title while admitting to care only about sales numbers…and my least favorite gets posts written and emailed to him by advertisers.  I see a bond that will continue to get stronger between my readers and I. And I’d guess the bloggers I continue to attack will keep having a problem with me. I like that. I see MileNerd continuing to be very different from the pack.

Do you ever feel gross about being part of this community?

No. Because you’re talking about individual websites. That isn’t a community to me. We are all individuals with our own values. For example, I like my readers. On the other hand, they like making money from readers. I post the best cards. They post links as long as their advertiser allows it. So, these are very different worlds. I saw so many cases in 2014 where top deals on my credit card page didn’t show on other blogs. No, this isn’t a community. As much as those guys try to put on bowties and dress like clowns…they aren’t very likable. You can’t like someone you don’t trust. In this non-community, you have a choice who to read. Don’t waste your time on the wrong people.

So who are the right people?

I like a handful of blogs if you’re looking for deals on miles and points. Obviously, I think MileNerd is at the top of the list. On the right sidebar, I list 4 or 5 others who post deals. I don’t read many blogs, but there might be some other good options out there. As always, most are garbage. Some of the other blogs I like that don’t focus on deals, include friends like Will Run For Miles and LL World Tour.

Any last thoughts for the new year?

As you know, I have no shortage of thoughts. Here’s my last stream-of-consciousness of the blogging year…

Life is short, of course, but time keeps accelerating as I get older. Each year flies by faster and faster. I look in the mirror and get confused. Who is this old guy is staring back at me? Where did those grey hairs come from? What the hell are these wrinkles? Not long from now, it will be over. Will I look back and see only the things I was too scared to do? Will I cry for the life I could have lived?

I want next year to be the best time of my life. I want 2015 to be the time when I really start to live. But I don’t believe it will happen. Everywhere I look, I see fear. And it’s deep in my heart too. We protect ourselves rather than feeling something real. We get so defensive. Habits take over. Our brains have become the enemy.

But what if we were open about the mess we’ve become?

And what if we faced the most frightening fact of all?

That we deserve better.

And that it’s a real possibility.

Every single day, we choose to be this way.

We choose a mediocre life.

An average identity.

 

But there’s another choice to make.

Another road to take.

A bold, powerful opportunity.

This is terrifying.

A real possibility.

We could be so much more than we are.

And we choose not to be.