THE POINTS PROJECT

The Points Project is a podcast going deep into the life of a credit card optimizer.

We talk about wins, fails, award trips and everything that falls in between.

Episode 11: It’s Incidental Season

Listen to this free episode on Patreon

Hey TPP listeners,

It’s January and you know what that means, we’re getting to work on incidentals, but also we’re taking some time to think about how we approach incidentals.

Other than this, we have some feelings about all the Bilt v2.x noise.

We end the show with upcoming vacations we’re (still) gardening. We hope you enjoy the show! -TPP

[01:30] – BILT v2.1

  • Somewhat final program details along with editorializing the aftermath
  • Lots of noise with the release
  • If you still can get cards with 100K+ SUBs from Chase and Amex, you’re probably going to do better than BILT 2.0 (or 2.1 — whatever you want to call it) without a headache
  • If you like complication and can find an angle, still probably some value to be had

[15:20] – Incidental Season

  • How are we doing?
  • Amex, BofA, Chase, Citi and more
  • Prioritizing
    • High value
      • E.g., FHR
    • Low involvement
      • E.g., Airline Fees
    • Upfront discounts without overspending (cough, The Edit Credit)
      • Nice: CSE Hotel Credit
      • Naughty: CSR Edit Credit
    • Batch processing similar credit types
      • Economies of scale
      • Keeping it simple
        • E.g., Selecting a single airline incidental type for all cards and scaling incidental liquidation
  • Organization
    • Spreadsheets vs. vibe accounting
  • Making the realization at the end of the year, things slip through (and that’s OK)

[36:24] – Calendar Year Product Downgrades and Cancellation

  • Downgrading after calendar year incidental liquidation
  • What to do if beyond the annual fee window
  • Works only if there are pathways for downgrades

[42:40] – BofA Alaska Ascent to Summit PC

  • 3-4 months after eligibility began, PC option opened up
  • After ~3 weeks still showing as an Ascent
  • Supposedly PC takes 2-4 weeks
  • Value for:
    • $2 per EQM (vs. $3 on Ascent)
    • PABF waiver
    • Up to 3.3% back on dining and foreign transactions (need BofA PR status)
    • 100K Global Companion Award after $60K spend
    • $50 voucher for Alaska Airlines flight cancellations / delays

[48:40] – Booking Vacations / Award Gardening

  • Kristoff: Honolulu in May
    • Lots of flight placeholders
    • FHR bookings everywhere
  • Raymond: Tokyo / Kyushu – Cherry blossom chasing in March
    • Lufthansa Miles & More and JAL Mileage Bank redemptions
    • FNCs, FHR bookings, and using credits vs. points