Friday Stuff

  • Here’s the latest IHG PointBreaks list. This link should be working by Monday afternoon.
    Good value? Of course. 5,000 points per night is hard to beat (if you find a decent property).
  • Virgin Atlantic brought their disappearing/reappearing bonus back up. And it’s still overly complicated.
    Good value? Yeah, as long as you don’t mind big spending. 
  • Here’s a new link for American’s Executive card.
    Good value? It’s debatable. Up to 75,000 points (as high as it has been in the last couple of years). But is a $7,500 spend for everyone? Doubtful. And a $450 annual fee? I think not.

Have a great weekend, nerds!

New Wyndham Option

If you’ve been having trouble finding a good use for your Wyndham points, take a look at their new auctions. Some interesting options – Clearwater Beach, Hamilton tickets, Elton John, Napa Valley, private tours, etc. No way to guess how high these will go since they’re new, but I’m keeping an eye on this first batch. And if you don’t like Wyndham’s domestic properties (I’m not a huge fan of them either), don’t forget that Vegas is on the way.

Uber Local Deals

Go to your Uber app (you might need to update it), click on Settings, and select Visa Local Offers. Click “Count Me In” and take a look at the stores listed.

This will be a very easy way to pick up Uber credits for normal (or abnormal) daily spending you do. Just make to add the Visa cards you use for that spending.

JetBlue Feedback

I mentioned JetBlue’s status match last week and have been getting a lot of responses from readers since then. The short version…almost everyone is getting approved.

You should register if you have any status (Virgin America, Alaska, American, United, or Delta).

You should register if you have a Southwest Companion Pass.

You should register if you have any other weird status – give it shot.

You should register if you’ve already done a JetBlue status match – even if that was last year.

Basically, the exact opposite of how I feel about Citibank right now is my opinion of JetBlue. I love them. There might not be a better airline for domestic coach travel and this status match is more generous than most.

Monday Triple

  • Don’t delete Amex emails if you have a Business Platinum card. A bunch of readers are seeing a very nice offer (40,000 to 50,000 points) for a little spending. Others with Gold cards are seeing good offers for adding users. Basically, if you see an email from American Express right now…read it.
  • Speaking of spending, here are shopping bonuses from American (2,000 miles), United (3,000 miles), and Southwest (2,000 points).
  • The Citi Prestige bonus just got bumped up to 75,000 points. The spending also got a bump to $7,500 in 3 months. Obviously, this is a strong offer worth looking at for many readers.

Note to Citibank executives reading this:
I’ve had good conversations with a few of you through the years. You seem like a nice bunch. Of course, it’s always helpful for me to hear from any vice president at the big banks. That said, your “exclusive” strategy of marketing this Prestige bonus was a total clusterfuck. I’ve heard from multiple readers who won’t be applying for it because of the way you enmeshed yourselves with that clown show of a blog. Why didn’t you just promote the bonus at a used car lot run by two guys named JimBob and Cooter? That would have gotten you more respect than this. Twitter followers and fancy Facebook ads don’t outrank integrity. Someone there must understand that. Right? I have to admit, though, part of me is hoping you’ll do it again. I’m looking forward to writing a much longer “Dear Citibank” post. It won’t be this pleasant.