November 8, 2022 | View Online | Sign Up
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I reported a few weeks back that you can now earn Delta SkyMiles at Starbucks. I wouldn’t be surprised if this accounted for a busier-than-normal PSL season.
But before delusions of luxury travel send your caffeine levels soaring, know that you’d have to drink two venti pumpkin spiced lattes and a tall caffe latte every day for a year just to fly from the tropical climes of Colombus, Ohio, to the thriving metropolis of Milwaukee.
That’s forty quarts of pumpkin syrup, 321,000 calories, $5000, 1095 cups, a compromised digestive system, and a lingering inclination you need to reevaluate your life choices.
Let’s get to the points.
In this week’s cheatsheet:
Southwest drops a 75,000 bonus on its credit cards
Use United’s Excursionist Perk to get free travel
Earn free flights with your Christmas shopping
The ultimate travel card for keeping it simple
Cheers,
Steven
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| AIRLINE CARDS
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Image: Southwest
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Southwest’s Limited Time 75,000 Point Intro Bonus
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Southwest loyalists should act quickly to snap up the popular carrier’s limited-time intro bonus of 75,000 points on all three of its credit cards. That’s worth up to $1000, and if used on their cheapest “Wanna Get Away” rate, can cover as many as four domestic roundtrips or a couple to the Caribbean. You’ve got until December 5th to grab a card.
The products utilizing the intro bonus are the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier, and Priority cards, which have an annual fees of $69, $99, and $149, respectively. All three require the same $3000 worth of spending in the first three months to claim the
award.
The Priority Card is more than worth the little bit of extra cash per year. Holders get a $75 statement credit for travel on Southwest and an extra 7,500 points each, comfortably justifying the fee. Priority holders also get four upgraded flights a year where available.
A bigger plus for regular Southwest fliers is the huge leg-up the bonus gives them when striving for the coveted Companion Pass, which effectively lets you bring along a guest for two years on flights. Currently set at 125,000 points, you’re more than halfway there if you achieve the bonus. Small business owners could even combine a personal card with a business one and claim their companion pass in record time.
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| WEEKLY SWEET SPOT
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Use United’s Excursionist Perk for a free stopover
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The United Excursionist Perk is less of a sweet spot and more of a brilliant bonus that can transform a trip.
The perk allows you to add a stopover in another city for no extra charge. For example, if you’re flying from Atlanta to Munich, you could fly direct on the way to Germany, then throw in a stopover in Paris on the way out. You’re able to make that stopover as long as you need, within reason, turning your Euro trip into a multi-legged affair with no added costs for travel between countries.
Absurdly, it could even make things cheaper for you. As I discussed last week, some countries and airlines have sneakily high fees when redeeming points for flights. The UK is notorious for these charges, but if a trip to London has an added stop in Barcelona, the fees could be lower than when flying back to the US directly.
There are some complicated rules that go into the perk, but these can be manipulated to score some ridiculously good routes and save a ton of points in the process. Although that would take an entire newsletter in itself. Maybe next week.
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| POINTS NEWS
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Earn airline miles doing your Christmas shopping
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Multiple US airlines have unveiled limited-time holiday shopping incentives, allowing customers to earn bonus loyalty points to put towards free flights.
Alaska, Delta, American, Southwest, and United have all announced various deals offering bonus points when online shopping is completed using their respective links. In theory, a shopper could gain 16,000 bonus points if they were to use all of the available offers — although your Christmas list would need to be ridiculously big to do so.
The five top-earning airline options:
To earn the points, customers must begin shopping through the airline’s unique shopping portal.
Remember, points can still be earned on the credit card being used, so check your cards for any specialized bonus categories, and you could enjoy a solid haul of points in return for your holiday purchases.
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| NEWS WITHOUT MOTIVES
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A daily news briefing known for unbiased content
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1440 covers everything from culture and science, to sports, politics, business in more - all in a daily 5-min read.
The goal? To bring its readers an impartial view of what’s happening in the world. By scouring hundreds of sources, you'll get a 360 degree view of the facts, delivered straight to your inbox.
1440 is the daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without
motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. Join for free today.
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| CREDIT CARD OF THE WEEK
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Capital One Venture
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The Capital One Venture represents an outstanding first foray into the world of points and miles. But its palatable $95 annual fee, simple earning ability, and stellar 75,000 point intro bonus worth over $1200 worth of travel makes it a wallet contender for seasoned pros and newbies alike. Exclusive Taylor Swift pre-sale tickets don't hurt either...
Its lack of perks might make its premium sibling, the Venture X, a better alternative for more frequent travelers, but a flat 2x points per dollar on every purchase means points can build on autopilot, stress free — perfect for the semi-frequent globetrotter who values simplicity.
Pros
Solid 75,000 point intro bonus worth over $1200
Simple flat rate of 2x points per dollar on all spending
5x points per dollar on hotels and rentals booked through the Capital One Travel portal
Range of purchase and travel protections
$100 statement credit for TSA Precheck and Global Entry
Two lounge visits a year
Low annual fee
Cons
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| STEVEN'S TIPS
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Using cards on 'Two-Player Mode'
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I’ve traveled non-stop for the last three and a bit years with my better half, which naturally makes it tough to stretch points. It’s a downside for sure, as it means those fancier first-class seats are a little more complicated to acquire.
But one huge benefit it does provide is the opportunity to double down on our cards — what many in this space refer to as 'Two-Player Mode'. While she has no interest in learning the points ropes, she’ll often open cards based on my advice when we’re in the market for some cheap or free flights.
It’s also a helpful way to get around some sign-up rules, like Chase’s infamous 5/24 rule, which means you can’t open a card with them if you’ve opened five cards in the past 24 months. I’m at that limit, so I’ll probably be pestering her to open the Chase Sapphire Reserve in the coming months.
When we’re traveling, I put any travel and dining expenses on my Chase Sapphire Preferred, general expenses on her Venture X, and use either my Amex Platinum or her Venture X for the hotel and lounge benefits depending on where we are. Of course, it requires a degree of trust to share finances with each other, so broach it carefully and treat each other’s money with the respect it deserves.
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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