June 6, 2023 | View Online | Sign Up
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I’m trying to lose weight.
I’m doing well. I’ve lost six pounds in two weeks but have a long way to go.
If I counted calories the way I do points, I wouldn’t be in this situation.
Let’s get to the points.
In this week’s cheat sheet:
Cheers,
Steven
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| CARD OF THE WEEK
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Image: Barclays
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Buy a Coffee, Fly to Japan
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One of the most intimidating aspects of travel hacking is spending thresholds. If you don’t get there, you don’t get the bonus. It’s as simple as that. It’s essential you never spend beyond your means, but seeing a $4,000 or even a $6,000 requirement can feel like a lot, even if the rewards are great.
Luckily, American Airlines cobranded card with Barclays, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Mastercard®, is currently offering 70,000 points after making just one purchase.
You read that right. One purchase. One Coffee. One pack of gum. One beer. One whatever.
They’ll all earn you 70,000 points.
As long as you make a purchase and pay it off, along with the $99 annual fee, the points are yours.
While American Airlines AAdvantage points have been devalued in recent months, that bonus still represents about $900, which is a massive return on just $99 and a cup of coffee. You’ll also enjoy a free checked bag on AA flights, preferred boarding, and a few discounts. But let’s be frank, this is all about those points. No card makes it easier to earn vast quantities of points.
70,000 points are enough for a roundtrip to Europe in economy, a one-way business class flight to Asia or the Middle East, or multiple domestic flights. It’s a tremendous deal, whether you fly American or not.
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| TRAVEL HACKING NEWS
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The United Devaluation Goes global
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A few weeks back, I wrote about United devaluing its points by increasing the award rates for its European flights. I warned about a similar change to the rest of its routes, and now, the time has come. I hope you booked before it increased.
While domestic flights are still relatively stable, with short-haul flights still costing as little as 5,000 points, Asia routes have skyrocketed. Some outlets have reported increases as large as 122% for flights to Japan, while some South American routes have increased by 50%.
It’s sad news for anyone that has used United’s points in the past. The airline had some excellent reward flights and still does in places, but as a rule, you should expect to be using more of your precious points than normal.
Here are some example changes:
LA to Buenos Aires
Old rate: 33,000 points
New rate: 49,500 points
Denver to Japan
Old rate: 33,000 points
New rate: 55,000 points
It doesn’t make your United miles useless by any means but you’ll definitely need to do some extra research when looking for your next flight.
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| INVEST IN BLUE-CHIP ART
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It's proven: portfolios with 5% invested in art outperform
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Research proves that a portfolio with just 5% invested in contemporary art has historically driven not only higher returns, but also a better risk-adjusted appreciation rate versus a “traditional” portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds.
In normal-people-speak, that translates to more money in your bank account, with fewer ups and downs.
With Masterworks, an award-winning platform for investing in fractionalized works of art, 50,000+ have already experienced the difference. Masterworks has completed 13 exits on their artwork, all of them profitable, with the last three delivering annualized
net returns of 35%, 4.1% and 325% for investors.
As a trusted partner, Smart Points readers can skip the waitlist to join with this exclusive link.
*See important disclosures at masterworks.com/cd
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| STEVEN'S TIPS
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Open Cards That Make Sense
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I suggest a lot of cards to you. I do my best to make it clear who should open a card, but it’s easy to be lured in regardless of your circumstances.
It’s massively important to assess your individual situation before opening a card. Consider where you live, how often you travel, and your travel goals before you even check what’s available. Any of those factors could rule a card out or put another in a good light.
For example, this card has a fantastic 60,000-point offer available. It’s an excellent airline for domestic, Caribbean, and Mexican routes and could save the holder almost $1,000 in flights. Nearly everyone in the US could make good use of this card. I’d go as far as strongly
recommending it for pretty much anyone in the States. (You really should check it out).
For me, though, it’s a bit of a dud. I’m not anticipating being in the US for another year or two, so if you’re like me and not in the US, you’re better off spending with a more adaptable card like this one.
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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*This link is sponsored
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