December 6, 2022 | View Online | Sign Up
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I think about points a lot. Probably more than necessary.
But right now, the only points that matter are the ones England need on Saturday to make the World Cup semi-final.
Apologies for any typos. I’m typing with my fingers crossed.
In this week’s cheat sheet:
The travel card for the not very traveled
Maximize your earning with Lyft
Why I’m ditching my Amex Platinum
Alaska Airlines' new elite status challenge
Cheers,
Steven
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| TRAVEL CARD SPOTLIGHT
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Image: Capital One
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The Capital One VentureOne Travel Credit Card
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Look, not everyone wants to travel all the time. Maybe I just love it. Maybe I’m running from something. That’s a question for my psychiatrist. But others are happy with the occasional trip and don’t want to spend their days counting points and plotting card strategies.
Enter: the Capital One VentureOne travel credit card. Annual fee of $0, flat rate earnings, and a lovely little bonus round things out on an excellent card that can lessen the financial burden of the occasional traveler.
It has an intro bonus of 20,000 points after spending $500 in the first three months of opening the card. This has a rough value of $200 that can be spent on the Capital One Travel portal or transferred to a partner airline or hotel. Cardholders will also earn 1.25 points for every dollar spent, so no need to think about which card to use – it’s always the same. You’ll also earn 5 X points per dollar on hotels and car rentals purchased through the CapOne travel portal, so you’ll know that you’re at least getting a return on some of those necessary travel purchases.
If you’re set on more travel or want to maximize your points earning, it’s almost always worth going for one of CapOne’s more premium offerings, like the Venture X or Venture, but for the casual user who wouldn’t mind a free domestic flight or night in a hotel every so often – it’s a wonderful choice.
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| WEEKLY SWEET SPOT
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Give your points earning a Lyft
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Maximizing your points earning is tricky, and you have to plan and take advantage of every offer available to guarantee the greatest return. Analyzing your typical spending patterns and researching what they offer can go a long way.
Take Lyft, for example. It’s growing fast but still way behind Uber in most markets, and it’s doing whatever it can to incentivize customers. If you’re a Chase Cardholder in a Lyft-supported area, you’d be crazy not to use them. Chase Sapphire Reserve customers get 10 points per dollar on all Lyft purchases. Considering the value of Chase’s rewards program, that’s a mega-return. On top of that,
you’re also getting access to Lyft Pink, which gifts users discounted rides, free use of e-scooters and bikes, and priority pickup.
Lyft also partners with Alaska Airlines, Delta, and Hilton. You can only use one of these partners at a time, but that’s okay. You can switch them based on the situation. For example, Delta offers 2 points per dollar on every airport ride, while Hilton
provides 3 points per dollar on all rides.
To put that into perspective, if you spend $100 a month on Lyft rides, plus three airport rides at $50 each, by the end of the year you’d have earned 13,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, 3,600 Hilton Honors points, and 450 Delta SkyMiles (okay, that’s not a big deal).
This is just one example, but combining multiple deals and partnerships on your daily spending can reap huge rewards.
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| POINTS NEWS
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Image: Alaska Airlines
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Two trips to Alaska Airlines Elite
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Alaska Air has been shaking things up recently, and is incentivizing frequent fliers with some pretty interesting deals. It has already introduced a subscription program offering a flat fee for those making a lot of roundtrips in specific markets, and its newest offer takes aim at those who fly transcontinental on a regular basis.
The Coast-to-Coast Challenge incentive offers customers MVP status after flying just two transcontinental flights between January 1st and March 31st, 2023. Customers who manage four round trips in the same period will be gifted MVP Gold status.
Using a typical strategy, MVP status would only be achieved by earning 20,000 elite qualifying miles or flying 20 separate flights in a calendar year, so it’s a significant fast-track for those with an eye on Alaska Air elite status.
It’s important to note that eligible flights must leave from Los Angeles International Airport, San Diego International Airport, or San Francisco International Airport to specified airports on the east coast, including JFK, Boston Logan, and Fort Lauderdale.
MVP status grants passengers
Two checked bags for you and your companions on the same reservation
Priority boarding
Complimentary upgrades, when available
Bonus miles on base miles earned
Access to preferred seating and priority customer service phone lines
It’s not for everyone, but if you have a couple of family trips planned or some business travel on the way, it might be worth using Alaska for the flights.
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| BUILD CREDIT
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Improve your credit profile
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CreditStrong is the easiest way to build your credit.
Choose to build revolving or installment credit and boost your profile. Get started today!
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| CREDIT CARD OF THE WEEK
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American Express Gold Card
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Foodies of the world rejoice. If, like me, you plan out a home-cooking menu for the week and abandon it by Tuesday in favor of your favorite Indian street food place, the American Express® Gold Card is for you.
Not only does it offer a generous 60,000 point intro bonus after spending $4000 in the first six months of owning the card, but it also earns you 4 points per dollar on restaurants worldwide, as well as delivery, takeout, and groceries in the US. So even that sad looking – but well-intentioned – bag of lettuce festering in the back of your fridge is earning you points while you gorge on the new Thai place down the road.
A lack of self-restraint has never been so rewarding.
Pros:
60,000 point intro bonus after spending $4000 in six months
4 x points per dollar on restaurants worldwide, and US takeaway and delivery
4 x points per dollar on supermarkets in the US
3 x points per dollar on flights booked through the Amex travel portal
$120 annual credit for GrubHub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations
$120 annual credit for Uber, including UberEats (US only)
Cons
Amex remains hit or miss outside of the US (sad times for me)
Travel earnings are not great
Not very useful for anyone who doesn’t eat out a lot
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| STEVEN'S TIPS
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Why I’m probably dropping my Amex Platinum this year
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It hurts to say it, but I’m probably ditching my American Express The Platinum Card® this year. While I enjoy that (wholly fabricated) feeling of luxury when I pull its shiny metallic brilliance from my wallet, its $695 annual fee is just not worth it anymore.
When I opened it, the 100,000-point intro was enough to validate things. I purchased over $2000 of travel with the intro and other features alone. In my second year, I rationalized by asking for a retention offer of 60,000 points, saving me a further $1000. But this year, it’s just too much.
While it has perks that add up to well over the fee, I’m never using an Equinox gym, I would never shop at Saks, and I’m not in the states enough to use my Uber credits. The incidental fee with the airline of my choice is annulled by my Delta Gold card (only $95), which grants me a free checked bag. More importantly, its hotel credit and Priority Pass are matched or improved upon by other cards.
The Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Reserve are cheaper, have Priority Pass, have $300 travel credits that are far easier to use, and most importantly, can earn me far more points daily. The Platinum is a terrible earner. The most significant loss is the Centurion lounge, but they’re scrapping the free guest for anyone spending less than $75 thousand a year, so I’d probably not be going anyway.
The moral of this ramble. Assess your cards regularly. There’s probably some dead weight. And as hard as I want to believe it’s so when I brandish my platinum – no one thinks I’m cool. It’s not 1985.
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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*This link is sponsored
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