Robert chats with Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess about luxury family travel trends, blending points & miles with a trip booked through a full-service travel agency, and where families are going in Florida in addition to Disney.

0:30 Travel Planning Picking Up

1:15 Luxe Recess

16:50 Points & Miles

24:40 Disney and Florida

38:30 Discuss: The points & miles crowd seems to be a lot more men than women. But it’s the opposite in the family travel space. I wonder why that is when the goals are similarly aligned. What are your thoughts on that?

Where can listeners find Luxe Recess?

Our thanks to Robin for coming on the show.

Looking for more points & miles discussion? Visit us at patreon.com/milenomics to subscribe to the entire Milenomics Podcast Network with hours of new content each week.

L'età non è l'unico fattore che influisce sulla virilità. Non si può discutere con il tempo, è più forte di noi, ma ci sono regole che si possono

I received an offer via email the other day for a wine-focused rewards credit card I've been monitoring for a while, the Grand Reserve World Mastercard.

They've temporarily bumped the welcome bonus on the card to 75,000 points (worth around $450 towards wine and accesories) so I reached out to Grand Reserve Founder and CEO Matthew Goldman for a chat on the podcast.

Besides the points & miles stuff we talk about here on Milenomics, I've written a wine blog since 2008. So it feels like this program is right in my wheelhouse.

Grand Reserve World Mastercard

• Heightened Welcome Offer: 75,000 points for spending $3,000 in 90 days [expires at midnight 1/27/2021, not an affiliate link]
• Standard Welcome Offer: 50,000 points for spending $3,000 in 90 days
• Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $149
• 5x at more than 400 wineries, wine clubs, and other Grand Reserve Partners
• 3x at any winery, wine club, wine or liquor store
• 3x at any restaurant or bar, take-out & delivery included
• 2x points per dollar everywhere else
• Points are worth about 0.6 cents each through their Rewards Catalog or when redeemed for wine

The card is issued by Utah-chartered Celtic Bank. They pull Experian. For what it's worth, I lobbed in an application this morning and was instantly approved.

0:30 Grand Reserve Overview

• Tell us about your background, the program, the credit card and the idea behind Grand Reserve
• What does it take to launch a credit card?

9:55 Psychology of Rewards

• Travel seems to have an irrationally strong appeal to [some] people
• Even if some would be better off with cash back the idea of rewards being “free” seems to absolve some people of the guilt associated with splurging on themselves
• Additionally we talk a lot about the “co-branded paradox” whereby people think “I like , I should get their co-branded credit card!”
• Are similar forces in play here? People like to splurge on wine but don’t want to feel guilty about it? So it has a similar draw as travel?

20:30 Point Valuation

• So many credit card rewards programs have points, and it’s hard to discern what they’re worth until after you’ve signed up for the card
• What considerations went into determining the value of rewards on the redemption side?
• What are points actually worth and how do redemptions work?

Thanks to Matthew for coming on the show.

The #wine channel on Milenomics Slack is surprisingly active sharing deals and recommendations. Check it out if you're not already subscribed...

We're back today with a show we've talked about recording for some time now. The topic of booking travel in 2021 is a unique one because this is a very unique time in travel, miles and points. Spurred on by cancellations last year by both of us, large travel bank balances, and plenty of want for travel we talk about our best practices for booking in 2021. Feel free to comment below with your best practices, and thanks for listening.

For more great podcast content check our Patreon page out.

0:28 Amex Business Platinum 110,000 Available Through Referral

• Long-time credit card enthusiasts have likely had this already but if you’re newer to the game this is a pretty terrific offer
• $15,000 spend in 3 months
• Contains lifetime language
• Amex hinting at enhancements to the business cards still to come

4:00 Staples: Fee-Free $200 VGCs Sunday 1/17 - Saturday 1/23/2021 (HT GC Galore)

4:51 AA/JetBlue Partnership (Press Release)

• “book a single itinerary on either website”
• “American will upgauge aircraft and by the end of 2021 will operate all service out of New York with first class.”
• “JetBlue plans to significantly expand its service at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), as well as further expand in other NYC airports and in Boston.”
• “Flights touching New York or Boston from either JetBlue, American or connecting combinations of both will be bookable on jetblue.com and aa.com in the coming weeks.”
• Reciprocal loyalty benefits

8:56 Main Topic: Booking Flights in 2021

• Seeing some really affordable airfare in 1H2021
• Airlines always price empty planes lower as the date draws nearer, and with business travel still largely suspended routes are still being jockeyed around to cater to the only travel still occurring.
• Airline pricing models seem to be stressed by this. You’ll see $19 one day, $900 the next for the same flight.
• Tempting to book on the off chance it might be advisable to travel, but cancellation fatigue is setting in
• That said, cancellation terms have never been more favorable
• Avoid booking with difficult to cancel currencies
• Be familiar with the restrictions of various airline travel banks, and be mindful of tying too much in a program with narrow utility to you
• Prioritize currencies. Use ones prone to spoiling first. Then most specific utility to most flexible.
• Travel bank/expiring certific

We're back with a packed No Annual Fee episode of the podcast. Let's get right into it...

0:22 2021 Amex Perks/Offers (Summary from Amex)

• Personal
• $30 PayPal Credit Per Month (no activation required)
• [Targeted] $50 back on $50 at Best Buy (use twice, activation required)
• [Targeted] $50 back on $50 at Home Depot (use twice, activation required)
• Business
• Additional 4x on Gas, Office Supply, Wireless, Advertising, Shipping (capped at $20,000 in spend through 6/31/2021, activation required)
• Other
• Hints of 20% discount on airfare through May
• Hints of co-branded card enhancements
• Never has so much thought been put into limited time enhancements to credit cards. They’re keeping busy over there.
• All About Amex in 10 Minutes

14:22 Virgin Atlantic Devalues for Delta Award Redemptions (Thrifty Traveler)

• Used to be a nice way to pay for Delta First on domestic routes
• Ex: Was 22,500 now 40,000
• Similarly negative for Delta international premium cabins

18:45 Things to do in the New Year

• Q1 2020 5x Categories
• Chase Freedom
• Wholesale Clubs
• Internet, Cable, & Phone Services
• Select Streaming Services
• Citi Dividend
• Amazon
• Streaming
• Discover
• Grocery
• Walgreens, CVS
• Don't Compare Your Earn Rate to Others
• Get to work on 5x categories and BofA Cash Rewards
• Air Incidentals
• Amex Credits

If you like the No Annual Fee show you'll love a subsiption to the Milenomics Podcast Network. Patreon accepts PayPal so you can use the $30/mo Amex Personal Platinum PayPal benefit discussed in this show towards a subscription to the full Milenomics Podcast Network (including Slack access and more):

patreon.com/milenomics

On today's podcast I chat with Bram Berkowitz to discuss investing in mutual savings banks. I first became familiar with the topic from an excellent article he wrote:

See: How The Average Person Can Make A Lot Of Money Investing In Mutual Savings Banks

0:00 Background and intro

2:10 The basic pattern of mutual banks offering pre-IPO shares to account holders, a potential run up and second bump 3 years later

Recent example: $EBC

10:10 How to identify future candidate banks?

12:45 Is this opportunity nationwide? Or more prevalent in MA?

Links mentioned:

• FDIC Mutual Institutions
• America's Mutual Banks
• BankInvestor.com
• The Zen of Thrift Conversions: How To Turn Hidden Bank Stocks Into Big Gains

You can find Bram's work on The Motley Fool and follow Bram on Twitter @BramBerko

My thanks to Bram for appearing on the show

On this week's "No Annual Fee" podcast we discuss...

0:25 Amex Personal Gold/Platinum Offers through Resy (HT DDG)

• Direct Link to offers
• Personal Gold has standard characteristics (60k welcome bonus, $4k min spend, $250 fee) plus
• 20% back at restaurants first year up to $250 back
• Personal Platinum has standard characteristics (75k welcome bonus, $5k min spend, $550 fee) plus
• 20% back at restaurants first year up to $300 back
• 10x on Gas and Supermarkets up to $15,000 spend for 6 months
• Offers do contain lifetime language
• Platinum offer is even better than even a 25k referral, right?
• But maybe not as good as a +3x referral
• Worth a shot to see if you get the pop-up?
• See also: Episode 44 All About Amex

4:25 Chase Ink 75,000 Ultimate Reward Offers

• Ink Cash 5x at office supply capped at $25k/yr (HT DoC)
• Ink Unlimited 1.5x everywhere (HT DoC)
• $7,500 min spend in 4 months
• $0 AF cards

6:10 Chase United MileagePlus Explorer 70,000 Offer

• Direct Link
• 60,000 for $3,000 in first 3 months
• +10,000 for for additional $6,000 within first 6 months
• $95 AF waived first year

7:45 Chase UR: 30% Transfer Bonus to Avios

• Expires 12/9/2020
• HT MilesTalk
• Is this enough to give you pause over cashing out at 1.5 cpp?

9:45 Stop & Shop: $25 Grocery Voucher for $150+ 3rd Party GC Purchase

• Works for Best Buy, probably anything that’s not a VGC/MCGC
• Purchase 11/6-11/26/2020
• Coupons expire 12/2/2020
• Limit 1 $25 voucher per transaction (both on the purchase and the redemption)
• Sometimes these are capped at 10 uses per S&S account, other times not capped
• At sister store Giant, it’s 5x on 3rd party GCs (which I think I’d actually like more since the rewards are easier to use)

12:10 New Annual Subscription Option

• 10% off for a new yearly subscription
• Good option for those currently subscribed at $14.95
• Visit patreon.com/milenomics and select the "or save 10% if you pay annually" option

If you like these free shows, we think you'll love the paid shows. They're longer and much more in-depth. We recently released Episode 100 where we discuss the origin story of Milenomics the blog, our Shop Talk series, and the Milenomics Podcast Network.

This week on the paid show we'll be discussing:

• Good news/bad news for gener

Earlier this year we launched a podcast network, adding the Manifesto hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer to the Patreon Feed.

In this episode Gideon sits down with Kelly de Schaun, Chief Executive Officer of the Galveston Park Board.

Enjoy this special episode, and if you're interested in even more great podcast content, check us out on Patreon.

--

[0:00] Intro

• Original Galveston post: https://freequentflyerbook.com/blog/2015/6/14/galveston-tx-is-a-weird-place-to-take-a-vacation
• Galveston Park Board: https://www.galvestonparkboard.org/
• Beach and Park Operations: https://www.galvestonparkboard.org/157/Beach-and-Park-Operations
• Galveston Island Convention Center: https://www.galvestonislandconventioncenter.com/

[2:37] Beach nourishment and replenishment

• Galveston Island geography
• Beach recreational opportunities and economics
• Relationship with Army Corps of Engineers
• Dredging of Galveston Channel
• Hurricanes!

[8:07] VisitGalveston.com 

[9:07] Galveston’s history

• Indigenous population
• Pirates!
• Pelican Island Immigration Station (https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/history/galvestons-immigration-station)
• African American history (https://www.galvestonhistorycenter.org/research/african-american-history)
• The 1900 Storm (https://www.1900storm.com/)
• Natural and economic history
• Bootlegging and bordellos
• Cruise port

[18:37] Tourism breakdown

• Summer is high season
• Second homes
• Extended stays (work from home, remote schooling)
• Dune bashing and tailgating
• Public alcohol consumption (no glass!)
• Special events
  • Lone Star Rally: https://lonestarrally.com/
  • Mardi Gras: https://www.galveston.com/calendarofevents/mardi-gras-2021/

[23:37] Status of AirBNB/VRBO

• Registration requirements
• Local contact (noise complaints)
• Compliance program

[26:37] Seasons

• Make summer reservations early
• Haunted Mayfield Manor: https://www.galveston.com/whattodo/attractions/thrill/mayfieldmanor/ 
• Pier 21:

Today we're doing 10 minutes on the podcast All About Amex. This post is a companion piece to that audio.

The goal here is to describe the "quirks and features" (as Doug DeMuro would say) of American Express credit cards and their Membership Rewards program.

Amex may not be as straightforward to interact with as Chase but if you take time to familiarize yourself with Amex it can prove to be a very valuable relationship.

Amex limits the number of active cards we can have with them. The number has changed over the years, but the current limits are:

• 4 credit
• 10 charge

Charge cards are the green, gold, platinum and plum cards (of which there are many varieties) that need to be paid off each month and have "no pre-set spending limit." Everything else is a credit card.

This includes personal and business cards, but does not include authorized user cards.

It's possible to have more than these limits if the cards were opened when limits were higher.

Amex has the most generous referral program in the credit card space.

See: All About Amex Referrals

• If you have an active Amex card you can refer friends and family for Amex cards. You'll earn a bonus for the referral if your friend is approved, and your friend can also get a welcome bonus for the card. To start the process visit:

Amex is known to display different welcome offers depending on location, cookies, whether you're on mobile or desktop, or whether you're browsing incognito. We call this the Amex Random Number Generator.

As with referral offers, you'll want to make sure you're catching a welcome bonus that's the best currently available so if you don't see what others are reporting - keep trying until you do.

Amex Membership Rewards transfer 1:1 to a variety of airlines and hotel partners, most notably:

• Aeroplan
• Delta SkyMiles
• ANA
• Asia Miles
• Aviaca LifeMiles
• Singapore KrisFlyer
• Qantas
• British Airways Avios
• Etihad
• Virgin Atlantic
• Hilton

Chase's Ultimate Rewards program is perhaps more user-friendly with familiar US transfer partners like Southwest, United, and Hyatt. But Amex's partners can be quite valuable both for domestic travel and international premium cabins.

Unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards can not be cashed out directly for a penny a piece.

You can use points to "Cover Your Card Charges" for 0.6 cents a piece (a very bad value). You can redeem

0:25 Stop & Shop Rewards can now be used for Groceries (Milenomics Slack)

• 1 point per dollar earned 
• Redeem 100 points for $1 (1 cpp value)
• 2,000 max per transaction (ie, max $20 off)
• Fuel Rewards is 100 points for $0.10/gallon up to 20 gallons (Up to 2 cpp of value if you can fill a 20 gallon tank)
• But how much gas can you realistically use?
• You need to log in to your account (on desktop or app) and opt in to GO Rewards. You can’t opt to go back into the old program, but the new program still allows you to redeem for gas so I don’t see a downside in opting in.
• Also check out Saverocity Observation Deck Ep 141 for more about Fuel Rewards
• And MSP Ep 7 on Kroger’s program specifically

4:10 Amex Offer: 10% Off Staples up to $40 Back (Milenomics Slack)

• Only on my account (business card)

5:20 iTunes GCs Can Now Be Used to Buy Apple Products (MacRumors)

• What effect does this have on resale prices?

7:40 Targeted Amex Personal Platinum $100 Back on $100 at Dell

• Great way to capture this is a buyers group

9:50 Park Hyatt Mallorca De-flagged (Milenomics Slack)

• Hotel isn’t set to re-open due to Covid until 2021
• The build quality is really incredible here, such a shame to see it wasn’t a financial success (perhaps even before Covid).
• Would you still seek this property out, once it’s an independent hotel?
• Less loyalty leverage, concerns about food & beverage quality (was so high before), and overall experience.
• Could rates and packages make this even more compelling as an independent hotel?
• Sweet Spots: The Most Seasonally Miscategorized Hyatt Hotels

16:30 7-Eleven to Acquire Speedway Stations (CNN)

• Sam: My bad!
• MSP Ep 6 on Speedway

19:50 Fee-free VGCs at Staples 8/2-8/8 (FM)

• Limit 5
• YMMV

Head over to our Patreon page. There, you can subscribe and get a special link to listen to all three shows in the Milenomics Podcast Network in your preferred mobile podcast app.

In Episode 87 of the Milenomics² Podcast we discuss:

• Heightened credit card welcome offers
• Tightening approval standards
• The utility of Amex authorized users

Today we're back with a standard No Annual Fee episode.  We do the news, and then talk Personal Finance and Amex Small Business Credits.

0:30 GiftCards.com joins giftcardmall with $2k monthly portal cap

1:50 [Targeted?] Chase Marriott/Ritz cards: 10x on Gas + Dining (DoC)

3:15 Discover 20% off Amazon when Using 1 point (DoC)

5:00 Stop & Shop/Giant: 3X Fuel Rewards for VGCs 7/10-7/16

5:30 Hyatt 15-25% Point Rebate on Award Stays + Free Parking (Direct Link)

 8:55 Chase Sapphire Reserve Only Earned 5x at Restaurants 7/1-7/5 (DoC)

 11:25 Flexible Spending Account Covid Changes (Wirecutter)