Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Episode 44: Show Notes.

Lufthansa’s First Class is revered as one of the more aspirational airline products to flight; Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal (FCT) is among the top 3 airline lounge experiences, and Trevor and Thomas both agree. Miles and Points expert and writer JT Genter joins us to share about himself, and to discuss his first Lufthansa First Class experience. JT and his wife, Katie, are digital nomads, and our conversation begins with a brief look at their recent jam-packed travel schedule. After JT details his approach to living as a digital nomad, he offers some advice, recommendations, and strategies for life on the road. JT's retelling of his LH F experience begins with how he met Trevor at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, before moving on to his arrival and overall impressions of the Lufthansa FCT. He then describes how he felt about the food, drinks, and service aboard Lufthansa’s Retro livery, and why he can’t wait for his next LH F experience. Somewhere in between, we discuss the degradation of travel apps like ExpertFlyer and why this loss of value is a common industry trend, and to end, JT describes his roles and responsibilities as a travel blogger and as the Editor-In-Chief at AwardWallet, and how he would fix common industry pain points to give miles and points a better future. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• [01:20] JT Genter details his professional history and how he entered travel. 
• [04:03] A quick look at his recent (and extensive!) travel log.  
• [05:26] JT’s approach to living as a digital nomad. 
• [10:03] His experience of traveling to Calala Island, and where Hyatt and Hilton fit in. 
• [11:05] JT’s advice and recommendations for life as a digital nomad. 
• [14:42] How Trevor and JT ran into each other in Germany.   
• [17:02] JT’s first-ever Lufthansa First Class (drinking game trigger word!) experience.
• [20:50] Why many flight apps like ExpertFlyer are rapidly decreasing in value.  
• [25:18] Getting back to JT’s first-class experience as he walks us through his airport arrival.  
• [26:57] His thoughts on the lounge in Frankfurt.
• [33:25] Lufthansa’s unique first-class terminal adventure. 
• [36:30] Unpacking JT’s in-flight experience aboard Lufthansa’s Retro livery.  
• [39:40] How he felt about the food, drinks, and onboard service.  
• [43:18] His final thoughts on flying Lufthansa First Class for the first time. 
• [44:33] Shifting gears as JT explains his role and responsibilities at AwardWallet. 
• [45:42] Our guest shares his perspective on the future of miles and points, with some suggestions for fixing common industry pain points. 
• [53:02] How to connect with JT. 

Quotes:

“It’s now been seven years [that] we’ve been full-time digital nomads. – We want to slow down, but we’re not anywhere close to settling down.” — @JTGenter [03:51]

“The crew was very welcoming once we got on board. We had an incredible crew, probably some of the nicest flight attendants we’ve ever had, which seems to be par for the course with Lufthansa.” — @JTGenter [37:25]

“The whole Park Hyatt motto of ‘luxury is personal’ is so true. Not one size fits all.” — @JTGenter [39:04]

“I can’t wait to [fly Lufthansa First Class] again!” — @JTGenter [43:27]

Longer Quotes:

“The people who are writing about points and miles choose not to write about [the best travel hacks] because they don’t want to kill it off, or they don’t go through the experience themselves. There are a lot of people in the miles and points community who write about it but don’t really live it.” — @JTGenter [47:32]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

JT Genter

JT Genter on X

JT Genter on LinkedIn

JT Genter on Instagram 

JT Genter on Threads 

Katie Genter on X 

Adventures of JT and Katie 

JT and Katie's Travel Schedule

AwardWallet 

Lufthansa 

ZorkFest 

Calala Island

Hyatt

Hilton

ExpertFlyer 

SeatGuru

AeroLOPA 

Chicago Seminars 

AwardHacker 

ITA Matrix 

Seats.aero 

EasyPASS 

Park Hyatt

Thomas Kim on X

Trevor Mountcastle on X

Episode 43: Show Notes.

As we wave goodbye to summer, Thomas and Trevor walk us through their most recent end-of-season trips: A Carnival cruise and a forgettable Cap Cana experience. We begin with Thomas and his trip aboard the Carnival Mardi Gras, where he explains why he chose Carnival over his trusted Royal Caribbean. Thomas details his itinerary and vacation experience, why the casual dining options were better than expected, how the floating casino and overall entertainment could be improved, and the perils of getting sick on the open sea. Next, Trevor picks up the baton and explains why his most recent Cap Cana trip may be his last. We discover how his previous visits to the resort influenced his most recent one and the stress of traveling out of Punta Cana. To end, Thomas unpacks his experience at the 14th Annual Chicago Seminars for miles and points. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• [00:00] How Thomas cheated on Royal Caribbean with Carnival Cruise Lines.
• [04:30] Diving deeper into his itinerary and vacation experience aboard Carnival Mardi Gras. 
• [07:45] Exploring the food, cabin layout, and onboard entertainment on Carnival Mardi Gras.
• [13:55] The value of having great casual dining options on a cruise ship.
• [15:43] Floating gambling on Labor Day and some tips for a better experience.
• [21:32] Getting sick on the open sea.
• [22:50] What Thomas thinks about Carnival overall after his experience.
• [23:59] Why Trevor’s Cap Cana days may be coming to an end.
• [29:08] Dining gems that give Cap Cana a lifeline and make it a destination worth returning to. 
• [32:04] How Trevor’s previous trips to Cap Cana influenced his most recent experience.
• [34:18] Why it’s rare to find high-quality all-inclusive land packages.
• [35:45] Trevor details the challenges of traveling from Punta Cana.  
• [38:10] The ins and outs of the 14th Annual Chicago Seminars attended by Thomas.
• [43:04] Why big travel events are on the decline to make room for smaller ones.

Quotes:

“If I were doing my fun-match again, I would definitely recommend that you pick one of these newer ships, because I think that’s going to give you your best foot forward for Carnival.” — @TktweetsKim [06:02]

“This was the only cruise I’ve ever been on where I’ve been woken up at 1:30 in the morning with an abandon ship alarm. — We did actually have a false alarm go off in the middle of the night, people were quite distressed.” — @TktweetsKim [19:58]

“It’s hard to go on vacation and have it be so frictionless on your way home. You do your best in planning to make that happen, but I think the reality is you’re always going to have some grating experience trying to get from the resort back to your home.” — @TktweetsKim [37:42]

“There’s always something nice about being able to get up in front of a bunch of people and talk about something that you love.” — @tmount [39:52]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Carnival Cruise Line 

Royal Caribbean 

Princess Cruises

Virgin Voyages 

Cap Cana 

Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana 

Episode 38: Show Notes

Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel the stunning coastlines and towns of the French and Italian Rivieras? In this episode, we dive into Trevor’s recent adventure to these iconic Mediterranean destinations. From the highs and lows of traveling with family to insightful travel recommendations, Trevor provides his takeaways from his trip. In our conversation, we discuss his reasons for the trip, the logistics and planning aspects behind it, and what he thought of the hotels and Apartment rentals. Explore why multi-generational travel complicates logistics and learn why cruise ships are the best option for older travel partners. Hear about what Europe gets right about children's play parks, Zurich airport’s sky deck, dining in a French vineyard, making an authentic pizza with his family, and a memorable cheese tour. Trevor also shares his thoughts on why one hotel made his list of the worst places to stay, what he enjoyed most about flying home on Swiss Airlines, and much more. Join us and get inspired to plan your own Riviera family adventure! Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:00:36] A catch-up with Thomas and Trevor and an overview of today’s topic.
• [0:03:50] Reasons for the trip, details about his itinerary, and what the trip entailed.
• [0:10:12] Break down of the miles used for flights, hotel stays, and overall cost.
• [0:13:14] The apartments he booked and why they tested his tolerance.
• [0:21:40] Complications of traveling with family and his British Airways lounge experience.
• [0:29:50] Multi-generational travel, finding play parks for your kids, and plane spotting.
• [0:37:35] Hear about the trip's fun and interesting dining experiences.
• [0:48:17] Highlights of the French and Italian Rivieras and what he would do differently.
• [0:58:41] How one hotel on the trip made Trevor’s list of the worst hotels to stay at.
• [1:04:12] Funny and unexpected moments from the trip and driving in France and Italy.
• [1:13:52] Flying home on Swiss Airlines and what he enjoyed most about it.

Quotes:

“I would say don’t split up [at the airport] because you just end up giving yourself more anxiety than you really need.” — @TktweetsKim [25:12]

“[My family and I] tend to do multi-generational travel a lot, but it is usually cruise ship related, and that has a lot of things that help buffer those restriction points.” — @TktweetsKim [30:03]

“When you have to deal with the old, the young, and the in-between, it does complicate the logistics quite a bit.” — @TktweetsKim [30:24]

“My focus of late has been really trying to get more unique [travel] experiences.” — @Tmount [40:45]

“The trip was incredible, everybody was very happy, and everyone was really happy with their seats on the way home too.” — @Tmount [1:16:58]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Château des Demoiselles

List for Travel Play Areas / Parks

Obicà Duomo | A tip from Pat and Mike  @PatMikeL – Go during happy hour (I think 5-8) for Aperativo’sst

0:42 Bank of America $300 Personal Checking Bonus (HT DoC)

• Requires $4,000 Direct Deposit in 3 months
• You need to have a checking account with BofA to quality for their Preferred Rewards program (which provides up to 75% uplift for spending on certain personal BofA credit cards)

1:30 Banco Popular Avianca Vuela Visa 60,000 Offer (HT US Credit Card Guide)

• $149 AF not waived the first year
• 40,000 first use
• +20,000 with $1,000 spend in first 3 months with code SB4060
• Deal or not a deal?

3:53 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Credit Card 50,000 (HT DoC)

• 30,000 after $2,000 in spend first 90 days
• 20,000 after additional $6,000 spend in first 6 months
• $95 AF not waived first year
• Issued by Synchrony Bank
• Deal or not a deal?

7:10 Stop & Shop gas rewards for groceries?

• Trial for now
• Has anyone been targeted?
• 100 = $1 off groceries. 
• Not as good as gas rewards for all but the smallest tanks (10 gallons = this)
• If you find yourself with expiring rewards this is a way to 'cash out' at 10/(your fill up in gallons). 
• Very similar to the Safeway rewards we've discussed.

10:02 Airline Shopping Portal Bonuses (HT Frequent Miler)

• United 2,500 for $600 ends 8/18
• Alaska 1,500 for $600 ends 8/11
• Southwest 2,000 for $550 ends 8/18
• AA 2,000 for $500 ends 8/18
• Smaller bonuses for lesser amounts of spend as well

10:36 Amex Adds Weekend Night Certs to $95 AF Hilton Cards + 130,000 (HT DoC)

• Surpass/Business 130,000 + Free Weekend Night
• Both available for referral
• Free Weekend Night cert for every $15,000 spent per *calendar* year, post quickly after spend threshold met
• A whopper of a deal I say

13:12 BofA Amtrak 40,000 + $100 (HT DoC)

• Some serious value he re if you’re up for Amtrak travel
• Amtrak points are worth 2.9 cpp towards non-Acela
• 2.5 cpp towards Acela
• 10,000 Amtrak points gets you 4 one-way upgrade certs
• Semi-related: You can redeem bank points for Amtrak through a roundabout method with up to 1.64 cpp of value
• Deal or not a deal?

16:07 Free Topic: Is Hotel Status an even bigger trap than airline status?

Robert: Recent stay at Waldorf Astoria Chicago

• Near total bust from a status standpoint
• Concierge emailed ahead of time and said status entitles you to 1-level upgrade *if* space is available
• Concierge pi

Today we're back with what turns out to be a meaty review of core Milenomics philosophies, but first the news...

0:30 Citi Double Cash to Earn TYP? (HT DoC)

• Coming later this year
• Unclear what the conversion ratio will be

1:10 Citi Going to 48-Month Waiting Period on AA Cards (link)

2:10 BofA Alaska Personal 40,000 + $100 Statement Credit (HT DoC)

• Direct link
• Can’t get the card if you’ve had it in the preceeding 24 months

2:55 3x Fuel Rewards on VGCs at Stop & Shop/Giant 7/12-7/18

3:20 5 Things the Points & Miles Community dislikes more than they should

• Paying fuel surcharges See Episode 30: 10 Tips & Tricks for Premium Cabins to Europe
• Paying credit card annual fees See Episode 8: Liquidating Air Travel Incidentals
• Buying miles (especially from friends in the community)
• Paying cash for lodging See Milenomics Classic post on not actively collecting hotel points See The most seasonally miscategorized Hyatt properties
• Paying for VGC/MCGC liquidation Spread, Scale, Time, P(Malfunction): The NPV of a Deal

Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version?

Check out Episode 35 of our subscriber podcast:

• Advanced maneuvers in credit card applications
• Maximizing 2H2019 Amex Platinum credits
• A point-fueled trip report
• And much more...

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On this week’s No Annual Fee Edition of the podcast we discuss:

0:30 Q3 5x Categories Announced

• Chase Freedom: Gas and streaming services
• Discover: PayPal and restaurants
• Citi Dividend: Airline and car rentals

1:20 Office Depot $10 off $100 in Select Happy Cards (link)

• Repeat of last promo
• Unfortunately looks to be excluding Happy Guy (Home Depot)

2:25 Stop & Shop 8x Fuel Rewards Happy Cards

• 6/21-6/27/2019

2:40 Safeway J4U $10 off of $100 or more Visa GC

• This is a repeat of the promo from a month or so ago
• $10 erases $5.95 purchase fee
• Does work on Variable $500’s
• Makes sure you have liquidation in place

 3:30 Amex Qantas Transfer Bonus and Targeted Qantas Transfer Bonus: Do they stack?

• Amex is running an untargeted 20% bonus
• People on DansDeals say they’re getting 20% on top of 20% for no apparent reason
• (Additionally?) My wife was targeted for a 15% transfer bonus on the Qantas side
• Do these stack?
• I transferred 1,000 Qantas miles from Amex
• This earned 1,200 upon arrival
• 4 days later a 20% bonus of 240 points posted
• If this sticks, it works out to a 1.44 transfer ratio
• If the additional 15% posts it would be a 1.62 transfer ratio
• Crazy one, but if all the bonuses posted it would be huge
• Devaluation coming? (LoyaltyLobby link)
• Yes, devaluation occurred (PointMeToThePlane link)

15:25 80,000 Signup Bonus Southwest Business Credit Card (FM link)

• $199 annual fee
• Expected to be subject to 5/24
• Southwest Companion Pass: Deal or not a deal? (link)

Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version?

Check out Episode 32 of our subscriber podcast:

• $150 promo from a Plastiq clone
• Maximizing a 50,000 point Amex upgrade offer
• A quick discussion about playing the timeshare game
• And much more…

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Today we’re answering questions posed by ‘future’ listeners of this very podcast.  These are questions from those of you new to points & miles, and maybe you haven’t yet found this site.  Along with these 4 questions we tackle the news and of course an entertaining look at the world of points & miles.

News

0:30 [Targeted] Amex Business Platinum 50,000 Upgrade Offer (link DoC)

• Need to have existing Green or Gold Business Amex MR charge card
• Log in to Amex account then Direct link
• $10,000 spend requirement in 5 months
• “Offer is available for first-time upgrades to the new Business Platinum Card® only and for one Card account only.Offer is available for first-time upgrades to the new Business Platinum Card® only and for one Card account only.”

03:55 “Public” 150,000 Upgrade Offer *from* No-Fee/Ascend *to* Aspire (link)

• Direct link
• Have to currently have an No-Fee -or- Ascend card
• How to play it?

05:15 [Targeted] Amex MR Transfer Bonuses 40-50% for British Airways, JetBlue or Marriott

• Check your accounts
• British Airways in particular is a spectacular offer

07:12 Airline Portal Shopping Bonuses (link FrequentMiler)

• 1,000 for $300 UA through 6/23
• 500 for $200 AA through 6/16

07:37 Safeway stores: $15 off of $100×2 MCGC

• $15 off of $100×2
• Runs through June 18th. 

7:50 Stop & Shop Buy $100 in 3rd Party GCs get $15 off Next Grocery Order (link)

• Ad says “these pictured and more” (Best Buy/Lowe’s/Happy Lady)
• Milenomics intern did an experiment: Purchased a $100 Amazon GC. What do you think: Did it trigger the $15 voucher?
• 6/7-6/16

08:40 Free Topic: We Tackle Travel Miles 101 Facebook Group Questions (link) 

Q: Ok – so my son, now 12 –

We’re back with news, and a discussion around credit cards you should never close.  Share your ‘must keep’ cards in the comments below, and enjoy!

0:33 25% Transfer Bonus from Citi (others, but not Amex) (link MilesTalk)

• One of those wonky ones where they bump the points on the receiving end
• Strange, and a bit of a bummer, that Amex wasn’t included

2:12  Qantas 20% Transfer Bonus from Amex (link DansDeals)

• Great way to get to Tel Aviv on El Al

3:19 Heightened Amex Incognito Referral Offers Found Working on Business Cards

• Previously this only worked when referring from *personal* cards
• This is good news because Business Gold earns a hefty 20,000 point referral bonus and the Business Platinum earns a 15,000 point referral bonus
• HT r/cowsareeverywhere on reddit
• Generating And Using An Amex Referral

4:35 Free Topic: 6 Credit Cards you should NEVER cancel

• [Robert] Old Blue Cash 5% Gas/Grocery/Drug Store
• [Sam] Ink 5x Cards (Especially Ink Plus) 5x Office Supply/Telecom
• [Robert] AT&T Access More 3x Online Retail, crazy good retention bonuses
• [Sam] CNB Crystal
• [Robert] Chase Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite ($395-$450 annual fee but you get a $300 air incidental each year, Ritz Club Lounge access on paid stays, 50,000 night certificate each year
• [Sam] Hilton Aspire

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On this week’s subscriber podcast:

Premium Cabin Award Travel to Europe Tips & Trends

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News

0:35 [Sam] AA Showing More Award Space on Mobile? (link)

• Seems to be that there’s a new search interface and a legacy one
• They sometimes show different results
• TPG post

2:33 [Robert] Speedway: $15 voucher for Speedway gas GC when purchasing $100 3rd party GC

• Slickdeals
• DoC
• Lowe’s, Home Depot and others (Texas Roadhouse, Netflix, Cabellas, Dominos, Bass Pro Shops and Google Play)
• Through 6/30

4:43 [Sam] Rakuten closing accounts buying GC in-store(link)

• Bed Bath Beyond likely the issue now
• Was also a problem with office Max for some commenters
• Better play? 3pgc online?

6:30 [Robert] Amex Membership Rewards now transfer to Qantas (link)

• Citi also a transfer partner
• Good for El Al, potentially Aer Lingus (depending on distance) and…China Eastern First (strange I know)

8:29 [Sam] Amex Priority Pass No Longer Work at Airport Restaurants (link)

• Effective August 1, 2019
• Doesn’t affect Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige, CNB Crystal [yet]

10:17 [Robert] Amex Delta Sign Up Bonuses at All-Time Highs

• Referral links not yet updated, but will likely follow
• Guidance here is to wait and position for spousal referral
• Breaking: I got a targeted offer in the mail for the Delta Reserve card with no lifetime language across all Amex Delta cards
• Check: http://delta.com/75reserve to see if you’re targeted (if it malfunctions out after entering your Delta account number, you’re not targeted)
• Affiliate (DansDeals), public, referral, targeted w/no lifetime…inflationary trend?

14:19 [Sam] Barclays Asking for Proof of Business After Credit Card Approval (link)

• Unheard of.
• Has Anyone been affected?

15:53 [Robert] Hertz Devalues Award Chart (

A fun week here on the No Annual Fee Podcast, where we’re discussing the following:

News

0:32 Italian-issued Tickets for Fun and Profit (link)

• Probably best to keep this as an academic idea, but a fun read by God Save the Points.

1:46 Citi ThankYou Points 30% Bonus to Virgin Atlantic (link)

• Matches the Membership Rewards promo from a few weeks ago.
• The Program is either outstanding or completely terrible depending on the use of the miles.
• Do not transfer if you don’t know what to do with the miles.

Main Topic

2:26 5 Best: Credit cards to put in your spouse’s wallet

• Amex Personal Gold 4x MRs grocery and dining
• CNB Crystal Infinite 3x on groceries, dining, travel, gas
• Amex Blue Business Plus 2x everywhere
• Bank of America Premium Rewards with Platinum Honors ($100k) for 2.625% everywhere
• No Fee Chase Freedom Unlimited 1.5x URs everywhere
• Honorable mention (not available any more): Citi AT&T Access More 3x for online retail (leave it near your home computer)

Counterpoint:

• Citi double cash 2% everywhere with Price Protection
• CNB Crystal infinite 3x Just about anywhere
• Blue Business Plus 2MR everywhere (2.5% CB, 3% towards flights)
• BofA Premium Rewards 2.625 – Tough to beat
• DO NOT Put a card you’re working the minimum spend on:
  • Enticing to overspend
  • Hard to tell if the MSR has been met

Like what you heard in the No Annual Fee version? This is just the tip of the iceberg.

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On this week’s subscriber podcast:

• Long Haul Business Class to Europe (with Miles)
• Demand Schedule Troubles

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