Milenomics² Podcast Episode 238: Bonuses, Puzzlers, and a Trip Report (Patreon)

0:20 [Targeted] Chase Q4 Bonuses

• Example: https://www.chase.com/mybonus/ondunited2

• Restaurant, grocery and Amazon

• $1k limit during Q4

• Activation required, found under Just For You

• Great tip from Brian on how to take that “ond” string and find similar bonuses (Slack)

2:15 Marriott -> United Transfer Bonus (Award Wallet)

• Direct Link

• 60k Marriott -> 39k United

• Registration required, expires 10/31/2024

• If you took advantage of the 70% Chase UR -> Marriott bonus previously this equates to 1.105 Chase to United bonus

4:45 Citi Transfer Bonuses

• Etihad 20-40% Transfer Bonus (Doc)

• 50,001+ miles transferred gets 40% bonus

• Qatar Avios 25% Bonus (Direct Link)

7:50 Amex 120k Upgrades and 15k Employee Offers Finally Posting

• Strange how these were so slow for so many

• The perfect system remains undefeated

• I wonder: Would new Business Greens/Golds be immediately eligible for upgrade?

13:00 Schwab Cashout Limits now in Effect

• DoC

• 10/1/2024 - 12/31/2024, 1M MRs per calendar year at 1.1 cpp

• After 1M, rate falls to 0.8 cpp

• With Amex Business Checking + Business Platinum you get additional 1M at 1 cpp

• Discuss: How does this change strategy going forward?

15:20 Applied: Schwab No Bonus Amex

• High risk/fraud call. Interesting instant approval but I had to accept the approval verbally.

• Will feel great to get massive points off my side and get to parity with my wife.

• Will work harder to refill this side now that I’m back at 0. 

• Tried some back button shenanigans but didn’t work, confirmed no bonus

21:30 BofA: Should We Get More Business Customized Cash Rewards Cards?

• 3% back in Fluz compatible categories up to $50k per calendar year

• $300 welcome bonus

• Additional earning uplift possible with Business Platinum Honors

• Attempt: Tried product changing a BofA Alaska Business to Business Customized Cash. Rep said no product changes were possible for my Alaska Business card. Unclear whether that’s broadly the case or just me.

26:40 Fluz

• Feeling in a good place with them lately

• Had a Synchrony payment from MUC malfunction. Took funds, robot lady tried to get someone to help, abandoned ship. Refund came back a few days later. Created new MUC a few days later and it went through fine.

• Wish Hotels would come back

• Nearly paid off BMW Financial Services once again ($7,500/mo)

30:50 Vacasa/Wyndham Kauai Program Update

• Had an upcoming Kauai trip and didn’t have lodging for 6 of my 12 nights. 

• Options this week (christmas-new years) were thin with Vacasa. 

• I suspect the lower priced places went fast.

• What’s left are units pricing at a holiday premium ($400-$600 per bedroom per night). 

• With the current program this is difficult, if I go over $500/night per bedroom I’m locked out even at the 30,000 Wyndham tier. 

• This price surge around holidays has the effect of severely limiting the peak date options. 

• Not an issue after Jan 1, my second unit is under $250 per bedroom per night (15,000 Wyndham per night)

• To be clear: this is a fantastic program: $5500 2 bedroom booking for 6 nights for 326,000 Wyndham points ($1,222.50 in fluz fees). 

• Net it out: The program works well, but best to think of the program like a ‘free night certificate’  with a top up available if prices go over $250 per bedroom per night. The top up has a cap of $500 per bedroom per night. 

• There can conceivably be blackout dates even when places are for sale still. When prices go vertical the program stalls. 

• See our discussion about holding reservations with points: Wyndham has free cancellations. 

• Part of my issue is I burned a TON of these points this past year (1.3 million) , and was running low with Fuel gone for a while. 

35:45 Hilton Free Night Cert Follies

42:05 Disney World Trip Report

Ep 26 of Checking In

Disney Summary: One of a Kind Experience combined with Famous Inflexibility

• 1 BR Villa at the Riviera

• Loved the hotel. Fantastic room with plenty of creative bedding per square foot. Proximity to the Skyliner. Fantastic dining options. Only knock: Only 1 Bathroom (whereas similar at other DVC properties have 1 Bathrooms in a 1 BR).

• Also pricey: $700+ per night, so we lopped off the last night of our stay when we decided to fly back Sunday night instead of Monday morning.

• We had a great time as usual, and we wouldn’t go to Disney so much if we didn’t enjoy it. But I’m constantly amazed each time how Disney does some things so well, yet they’re so ham-fisted at times.

• Example 1: Room Assignment

• When checking in online (in-app) prior to arrival they ask about room preference, and have customized choices depending on resort. I chose “close to Skyliner” because my brother and his family arrived the day before us and was assigned a room nearby. Disney assigns me…a room clear on the other side of [the very large] hotel.

• Upon arrival, a cast member with an iPad graciously greets us and indeed assigns us a room near the Skyliner. Bizarre that their automated system couldn’t do the same.

• Example 2: Dining Reservations

• Had a 6:15p Dining reservation at the Space 220. Our flight was out of MCO at 8:50p so tried to get it moved earlier by checking in person. “Not possible. We have no control over ‘the system.’”

• If we have a reservation in the dining room (price fixe) can we instead eat in the lounge area (a la carte) for a quicker experience? “Not possible.”

• In the end, bagged the option altogether and split up and went elsewhere.

• Example 3: Late Checkout

• Day before check-out I enquire about a “very late checkout” - like 4pm. Not an option at any price. All I can do is request a 1p late checkout, which they put in the system and say that housekeeping will call my cell between 7-8a and let me know whether it’s been granted.

• 9a rolls around the next morning, no call. So I try to call the hotel and it dumps me into the world’s biggest automated phone tree. “Are you a Florida resident? How many times have you been to Walt Disney World?” Get me to the front desk!

• Finally get the front desk who checks and…our 1p checkout request has been DENIED. “Have a Magical Day.”

• Discuss: The difficulty booking a hotel between 11a and 4p

54:30 Delta Goofiness

• Had cheap flights booked for an early Monday morning return, needed to change to late Sunday

• First cabin was expensive/nearly sold out, so booked Main Cabin w/miles

• As it got closer to the date of travel, and a hurricane threatened the area, seats in First started opening up and the price dropped on all seats

• The amount Delta charges for the First upgrade is relative to the current cost they’re selling Main Cabin for vs First

• So it can often make sense to cancel and rebook rather than paying for an upgrade

• Example: You have a 30k Main Cabin ticket. They want 9k to upgrade to First. But if prices have dropped on First to less than 39k you’re better off canceling the Main Cabin ticket and rebooking First. It’s not just a matter of the 15% discount for Amex Delta cardholders, it’s that their system doesn’t care what you paid for the ticket you already have.

• Also goes to show how flimsy Delta status is for domestic upgrades. If I waited and hoped for an upgrade there’s no way I would have gotten it. They get very aggressive in selling any remaining First seats right before they release them for complimentary upgrades.

• But their pricing scheme is very granular. It often pays to split record locators to get the best price for each ticket.

• Further silliness: They offered a weather waiver that was in no way better than their every day cancellation terms. It’s as if their system is running on the old scheme.

• Even more silliness: “If an Upgrade Certificate is applied to a reservation that is later canceled by the Member, the Upgrade Certificate will be reopened in the Member's account no later than 2-3 weeks.”

• Makes it hard to move quickly with Delta reservations. And I swear the miles haven’t come back to me for some flights I’ve cancelled. Makes it hard to play it fast and loose with Delta. Intentional? Or just clunky?

• Amex Platinum/Delta SkyClub Access: Always Annoying

1:03:50 Compare to JetBlue

• Desired flight time on the way down was only served by JetBlue

• Booked 3 seats together with points (since they were a good value for once)

• Refrained from buying the $69 pp more room seat upgrades

• Pretty simple. Square deal.

Discuss: The dynamics of even/odd numbered travel parties