Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Citi Gold Checking: Another Dead Deal

Points

thepointsoflife

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February 11, 2016

I’ve been waiting to write my post explaining on how I opened a Citi Gold Checking account because I haven’t received the bonus yet. I figured that I would elaborate on the whole process after it was complete. Yesterday, a TPOL reader messaged me to say that Citi no longer allows the Gold Checking account to be funded with a credit card. Today, multiple outlets have confirmed that this is the new policy. For that reason, I figured I might as well write the post now.

For those that are unaware, Citi had a promotion where a client could open a Citi Gold Checking account and received either 50k AA points or 50k ThankYou points. I wish I had selected the 50kAA option because I still haven’t found a great use for ThankYou points besides the dream of transferring them to SQ and actually finding availability. The bonus points this offer should be earned after using online bill pay for 2 consecutive months. It is that simple.

While the points are great bonus for doing essentially nothing, the best part of the offer was the ability to fund the account with a credit card in an amount up to $100,000. I consolidated my Alaska Airlines card and funded my account with $32,000 bringing my balance to 40k Alaska points. There was no cash advance fee on the transaction and in case there could have been, I reduced my cash advance limit to $200. On a side note, I let greed get the best of me when I applied for another Alaska card shortly thereafter and was promptly rejected.

Now, while I wait for the ThankYou points to come in, I will try to figure out the rules about their expiration and transferability.

Regardless, the takeaway from this latest dead deal is that points hustlers have to act fast when they hear about an offer. This one was available for quite some time most likely because there weren’t any annoying posts that have a tendency to kill great deals.

Nomadic Churning: Where Do You Send Your Card?

thepointsoflife

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February 10, 2016

2

Nomadic Churning: Where Do You Send Your Card?

I’ve said it time and time again, there’s nothing like receiving a fat stack of envelopes from South Dakota in your mailbox. Living in Arizona for quite a while, they used to show up routinely. Now that I live here and there, I have all my mail sent to my parents’ house. Keeping the same address makes the recon call go more smoothly as I don’t have to explain my life story and it saves me from having the USPS forward my mail all over. The problem with this strategy is getting the card from them to me. They aren’t huge fans of the points game so asking for assistance is something I try to avoid. To combat this, I call the bank (after I’m begrudgingly informed by said parents that another card has arrived) and request that the card is via overnight courier.

To do this, I first have to get through the automated phone system which is especially bad for Citi which repeatedly asks, “What’s your credit card number?” From there, I’m asked by the agent for the full credit card number which I do not have before being transferred to the fraud department to verify it is indeed me. After being transferred back to customer service, the agent will try to charge $6 to have the card expedited, something that only a pushover would pay. Then within one day the new, shiny card will finally arrive which is when I have to figure out how to hit the mins.

One strategy for hitting those mins is to assemble a team of spenders, something my parents agreed to for a few weeks only to quickly change their tune, believing that the points hustle was borderline illegal. They quickly cut up their authorized cards. There are a few people in this world that you may be able to convince to help you, but that presents another problem. Without the full credit card number, banks are reluctant to send cards to authorized users at a different address than the billing address. The only workaround is to have the original card sent to your current location, activate it, then ask for another card to be sent overnight, at no fee of course, to the authorized user. When the authorized user does go to make a purchase in the third location, expect that the transaction will be flagged for fraud. Looks like, it’s back to calling the automated phone system.

If you’re nomading your way throughout the US then it may be worth the headache of putting the address of the current place you lay your head when you apply and endure the recon questions to avoid the alternative. If you’re living overseas, then this hassle is part of the process. Recall, the reward for this trouble is that baller lifestyle.

I've done did a lot of shit just to live this here lifestyle — Done did a lot of shit just to live this here lifestyle

Keep Vs. Cancel: SPG Business Card

thepointsoflife

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February 9, 2016

8

Another day, another fee. The real winners in this game are clearly the credit card companies. They get you coming and going. That’s why it’s silly to feel bad when you complain or persist with an agent about a reasonable retention offer.

Today I was hit with a $95 annual fee on my SPG Business card, a card which has many benefits that are not beneficial for me: I already received the 2 stay credits so technically I could cancel and still enjoy that benefit. I am already an SPG Platinum so Sheraton lounge access, a feature the card provides, is superfluous. The Amex Platinum gives me Boingo access, something I barely use anyway, so this perk doesn’t tickle my fancy. Since I don’t rep the D by wearing John Varvatos, I don’t find too much use for Amex offers. Finally, I kept the SPG Personal so I will still get points for SPG stays booked on this card and avoid foreign transaction fees.

Clearly I should cancel, right? Let me tell you why I did not. First, I still have no idea what is going to happen with the Marriott merger. I’m like to pretend that it isn’t going to go through which is why I am still aiming to hit Platinum again for 2017. Keeping both cards may prove useful somehow. Second, the agent offered me 3000 SPG points which is a $90 value. Why do I value SPG points at 3 cents? Because that is the cost in points or cash of staying at one of my favorite hotels, the Aloft Bangkok.

And with that, another fee has been paid.

Fees aren't fun but here's the view from the Aloft Bangkok — Fees aren’t fun but here’s the view from the Aloft Bangkok

Mums’s the Word on Serve And That’s Fine

thepointsoflife

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February 9, 2016

0

Mums’s the Word on Serve And That’s Fine

Two new Citi AA cards in hand and one new Chase United used to mean a refill on prescriptions then a subsequent trip to visit some other minimum wage employee. Now that my Serve has been shut down, I have no motivation to learn a new job in manufacturing.

There are still a few lucky ones who have not had their rights taken away. I am not envious of those people who are paralyzed by fear of being shut down so much that they won’t even walk near the gift card rack. One clever approach that I read was a writer who said the following, “Ah, the benefits of having multiple spouses: I plan to get married as much as I can. Just for those serve accounts.” It seems like divorce proceedings, alimony, and child support trouble is second compared to MS inconveniences. I got 99 problems…

The most interesting part of all of this is we still do not know why some got shut down and why others continue to squirm around wondering if they are next. Some are probably still using their Serves as brashly as before and have yet to receive that damned email. To those people who hide in the shadows, to those bloggers who don’t come out and declare, “It’s back!” I would like to express my gratitude.

At this point, if your Serve is working, enjoy it and keep it to yourself.

Mum’s the word on Serve and that’s fine.

Hilton Weekend Certificate: Not Worth the 10k Spend

thepointsoflife

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February 7, 2016

15

Hilton Weekend Certificate: Not Worth the 10k Spend

You’ve received this reward certificate because you’ve met the purchase requirements with your Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card. This reward is valid for one complimentary weekend night for a standard room at participating hotels worldwide, subject to availability.

For years I have held onto my Citi Hilton Reserve card because it comes with complimentary Gold status which is just as good as Diamond. I have always received 4PM checkout, suite upgrades, breakfast, and lounge access where available. I received Hilton Diamond this year as part of the status match giveaway so I’ll be able to evaluate whether my assertion is true.

Another reason I have the card is because it provides one weekend night at many Hilton hotels after spending 10k, something that was easy to do when the Bird was around. Given new changes in the world of MS, it makes more sense to cancel the card and apply again for the initial bonus of 2 free nights. This is especially true because the bonus certificates are restricted to weekends (Friday-Sunday) and because the certificate has an expiration date that cannot be extended. Historically, I have found myself desperately searching for places to burn the certificate before the date hits. I end up staying at a random hotel for one night then having to move because I do not have an additional certificate and because the points per night/daily rate are cost prohibitive. Examples include the Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Pezula, and the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai.

This year I am running into the same problem. The expiration date is coming and I don’t have a trip planned that coincides with a worthwhile redemption at a worthwhile location that also happens to fall on the weekend. The most plausible option/worst option would be to confine myself to the Royal Suite at the Waldorf Astoria NYC in the hopes that I am bathed thoroughly. By all accounts, this hotel’s best days are behind it. The other option is to speculatively book one night at an aspirational property and try to build a trip around it. That is even less appealing.

For these reasons, I’m not going to try to hit the 10k spend this year and it is possible that I may put the Reserve Card on the chopping block when the annual fee is due. If I keep my Amex Platinum card open, I will still have Hilton Gold making this card which carries an annual fee of $95 completely useless.

Super Bowl 50: Dab On ‘Em

Sports Reporter

thepointsoflife

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February 6, 2016

4

TPOL brings the official Super Bowl 50 preview and prediction as was done last year when the Patriots got lucky. Points nerds looking for a tangential relationship between sports and points hoarding need to understand that one of the best uses of points is to go to sports events throughout the world. I challenge anyone to rationalize paying thousands in cash for a room in sunny Santa Clara when points options are available.

Here is the official breakdown:

Kubiak vs. Rivera

This Super Bowl the juggernaut of Belichick won’t be on the sidelines stealing play calls from the opposition and forcing them to throw the ball on the goal line when clearly a run is in order. Instead, you have a former member of the ’85 Bears in Rivera calling the shots for the Panthers. On the other sideline, you have a Kubiak doing his best impression of David Blatt by staying out of Peyton’s way.

Rivera does a great job of keeping his players loose but Peyton is actually on the field directly calling the shots.

Edge: Peyton by the nose of the football

Manning vs. Newton

Unfortunately, the focus between these two great competitors is not on their talent but on outside, irrelevant issues. Will Peyton replicate the success of Elway and ride off into the sunset a hero? Will Peyton return next year to play for the Rams? Can’t we save the Elway comparisons and discussions about Manning’s future for Monday?

With Newton, the press is fixated with Cam’s personality. Does he play the game the right way? Does he celebrate too much? Is race a reason why people don’t like Cam?

Cam plays the game the right way, i.e., he plays to win the game and he does. Personally, I think Cam’s celebrations are annoying. I hate the Superman thing which he used to do even when they were losing. However, no one can hate on that dab though. The reason people don’t like Cam is because he’s annoying. He throws it in the opposition’s face when he scores and then tries to sanitize his behavior by giving a football away to a child. Come on man! You want to showboat, then showboat, but owe up to the fact that it is irritating.

There will always be ignorant people who hate someone because of race but in this case it’s more about his over-the-top antics that provokes the ire of the unbiased fan.

Now that we are done with the politics of football, let’s analyze the two QBs. Newton is big, can run, throw, and can finish at the goal line. Peyton is old, a perennial choke artist in the playoffs, and has nothing left in his arm.

Edge: Newton

Anderson vs. Stewart

Brady had great words to say about the Broncos’ Anderson but I think the MVP of the Super Bowl will be Stewart who will go for over 100 on that staunch defense which will be fixated on containing Cam.

Edge: Stewart

Defense vs. Defense

If you want to see how a team stops the read option, watch Denver. Demarcus Ware (who could’ve came to the Lions out of college) and Von Miller will be a force all game. Carolina also has a great defense but the press is so fixated with how much fun Cam is having playing the game that they overlook the Panthers defense.

Edge: Broncos

X-Factor Davis vs. X-Factor Ginn Jr.

The Broncos have no chance unless the defense scores 14 and Vernon Davis gets the ball. Davis has been invisible in this offense but could avenge the 49ers losses if he gets involved. For Carolina, look for Ginn Jr. to use his speed and break a few big plays that could spark a blowout.

Edge: Carolina

So who wins?

Did I mention that Greg Olsen plays for the Panthers? Who is going to stop him while containing everyone else? This game won’t be close. I expect a blowout of at least 14 points with nobody paying attention to either the halftime show or what happens after it.

Dab on ’em Carolina!

Keep Vs. Cancel: Citi Prestige

thepointsoflife

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February 5, 2016

2

The time has unexpectedly come to decide whether I should keep or cancel my Citi Prestige. As I had written, the annual fee for my card prematurely came this month because I opened the Citi Gold Checking account. A perk of the checking account is a reduction of the Prestige annual fee from $450 to $350. Unfortunately, it also means that they reset the clock as to when the annual fee is assessed. It was supposed to be in May and now it is due the end of February.

To recap, here are the perks of the card:

$250 Air Travel Credit each year: already used for 2016
Admirals Club & VIP lounges: Not really flying AA enough to care and have Priority Pass via AMEX plat.

Complimentary 4th Night for any hotel stay. Used this once only. I have so many Hyatt, Hilton, and Club Carlson points that this is not something that I will benefit from in the immediate future.
3 Free Rounds of Golf: This is the perk that I enjoy the most and the reason that I am especially annoyed that they moved my annual fee due date from May to February. If I cancel the card, I have to speculatively book rounds of golf now in the dead of winter instead of booking them for the summer when my annual fee was supposed to hit.

I called Citi to complain about the change to my annual fee. They were very friendly but said nothing could be done. The retention offer I was given was 3k ThankYou points for my trouble and an additional 10k points if I spent 3k in 6 months. I accepted the offer but was not excited about it. The agent did say that I had 37 days to cancel my card after paying the annual fee in order to receive a full refund of $350. If I wait longer than that I would be refunded a prorated amount for each month I kept the card. (This policy is different for the Citi AA Exec which will not refund any money after 37 days.)

Conclusion: I’m going to keep the card until I burn the 3 free rounds of golf. I may try to get the additional 10k TY but with the current state of manufacturing, I don’t know if I will go after it. Had the annual fee hit in May as originally forecasted, I may have kept the card. Now, having exhausted most of the benefits, I see no reason to hold on to it.

2015-06-28 18.00.51 — Old Works: Anaconda, MT

Citi Prestige Annual Fee Refunded, Reapplied, Reduced

thepointsoflife

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February 3, 2016

12

Citi Prestige Annual Fee Refunded, Reapplied, Reduced

What’s this, a prorated refund for my Citi Prestige card? Don’t ask questions, just be happy.

What’s this, the annual fee has been reapplied? Those bastards.

What’s this, it’s down to $350? Thank you Citi Gold Checking and no thank you at the same time.

I opened a Citi Gold Checking account in January and funded it with my Alaska card which netted me 32,000 Alaska points. I’m still waiting for the 50k ThankYou points to post before doing a full write-up on that transaction. A couple of weeks after opening the checking account, I noticed a prorated refund on my annual fee for my Citi Prestige card which I transferred to my checking account. I assumed that the refund was a result of opening the Citi Gold account.

On my February billing statement a new annual fee of $350 was applied which is the discounted rate for the Prestige given to Gold checking account holders instead of the usual $450.

Now I’m wondering if I should keep or cancel the card because I did not forecast having to pay the annual fee until April when I originally signed up. I’ve used up the $250 travel statement credit but have not utilized the rounds of golf for 2016. I could speculatively book 3 rounds and then cancel the card within the time allowed to get a refund for the annual fee.

Had I not cashed out the prorated reimbursement and had I been billed the $350 in April, I would have more time to both decide if I wanted to keep vs cancel and would have more time to plan my rounds of golf. Now it seems like I should cancel because I essentially have profited from having the card by maximizing all the benefits.

What to do? First, I’ll call Citi.

SPG & British Avios: Combine Multiple Accounts for Free

Points

thepointsoflife

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February 2, 2016

2

SPG & British Avios: Combine Multiple Accounts for Free

Do you help your friends, family, and significant others with award bookings? Do you ‘lend’ points to them and then get anxiety about how these points will be returned to you? I know I do.

Airlines like Delta or hotel chains like Hilton do not allow you to freely transfer points from one account to another. They make you pay for it. American does the same but often runs promos that make it worthwhile to ‘share’ your points with others who hold it in trust until you are ready to make a booking.

Right now, I have 20,000 AA points in my friend’s account that I want returned to me but have no way of getting back for free.

Two programs that do allow you to combine points provided that you adhere to their Terms and Conditions are SPG and British Avios. SPG requires that the account being combined has the same household address as your account for 30 days before initiating a transfer. I wouldn’t get too clever and change people’s address to yours in an effort to transfer points to your account unless you live in a frat house and convinced all your brothers to apply for an SPG card with your referral link.

The other, more generous program is British Avios which allows members to create a household account without having to share a common address. With a household account, each member retains his own points but the aggregate of the points can be pooled in the event that a member of the household is short a few Avios.

This would be very useful for programs like Hilton where the marginal, orphaned points can make the difference between a cash + points redemption or coming up just short.

On the other hand, maybe you aren’t like me. Maybe you just give away your points to the people who you love without expecting anything back. I do not because I gotta have my points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65zAlOpXEy0

Ticket Scalping NYC: The Follow-Up

thepointsoflife

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February 2, 2016

0

One of the best things about living in NYC is that there always is some special event happening at an excellent venue. Last Saturday, the inconsistent Michigan Wolverines came to MSG to take on the unskilled Nittany Lions. Tickets were going for $55 plus tax. Yesterday, the lazy Pistons came to Brooklyn to take on the disinterested Nets. Tickets retailed for over $200 court side.

Applying what I learned from my thorough analysis of Ticket Scalping NYC: Know Before You Go I am happy to report that 1) I was sold real tickets and 2) I paid next to nothing to get in.

Let’s start with MSG:

Since I was by myself, I was hesitant to purchase one ticket and risk receiving a fake ticket. I saw a Michigan fan standing near a scalper and I approached both of them. The fan was waiting for his buddy to get in before paying for the tickets, the strategy I recommend following. After his friend confirmed that his ticket was authentic, I purchased my ticket from the same scalper and took my chances getting in.

I paid $30 (I should’ve paid $25) and went inside. The first scan of my ticket did not work leaving me anxious. The second scan did, confirming that this is the best way of buying a ticket for future events. When I found my great seat, the lady next to me asked me how I much spent. It was her husband’s ticket that she sold that I had purchased. She told me she had sold it for $20 which is why I should’ve paid $25.

Next up is Barclays Center for the Pistons vs. Nets.

I got off the subway at Atlantic Avenue and asked how much tickets were. The scalper was saying $50. I told him I was here to see my Pistons and that there was no way I was going to pay that much for a game that was not sold out and had tickets on Stubhub for $11.

Another scalper recognized me from MSG the last time I tried to buy a ticket and said “Mr. Detroit!” That was pretty funny. Out of excitement I paid $20 for lower level seats when I should’ve paid $10 for upper bowl seats since the place was empty and everyone moved down to court side.

Since there is no demand for tickets in Brooklyn and because of the match up, I wasn’t worried that I had received a fake ticket and got in with no problem.

Pistons come to MSG in early March so I’ll report back then.