Flying for Fitness

In a surprise move, Citi has added American Airlines as a transfer partner for their ThankYou Points (TYP) earning credit cards.  What's especially intriguing is that even no annual fee cards that normally don't offer transfers to loyalty programs are eligible for this new and temporary partnership, albeit at a lower transfer ratio.  Citi's premium line of cards, including the Prestige and the Premier, both have 1:1 transfer capability with AAdvantage miles (1,000 TYP = 1,000 AAdvantage miles).  Whereas no annual fee cards, including the ThankYou Preferred and the Rewards+, get a 2:1 transfer ratio (1,000 TYP = 500 AAdvantage miles).  This transfer partnership is valid from July 18 through November 13, though one could speculate that it could be extended. American Airlines AAdvantage program was the only loyalty program out of the three U.S. legacy carriers that didn't have a 1:1 transfer partner with any credit card accounts.  Delta has long been a transfer par...

Chase has announced their 3rd quarter (Q3) 5x categories for thee Freedom Flex and old Freedom cards: Grocery Stores (excluding Target® & Walmart®): Just in time for grilling season, Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases to cook-up their favorite recipes all summer long. Select Streaming Services: Monthly music and TV streaming subscriptions can add up fast – this quarter, Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn 5% cash back on individual purchases and subscriptions. Q3 runs from July 1 through September 30, 2021, and registration (required) is open today through September 14, 2021.  The 5x is limited to up to $1,500 in total purchases for the quarter.  But if you have both the Freedom Flex and the old Chase Freedom, you could purchase up to $1,500 per card for a total of $3,000. Activation link For many of us who signed up for the Freedom Flex when it was first released last year, the 5x grocery store cate...

Citi has just introduced their new Custom Cash credit card , which has no annual fee credit card and gets you 5x ThankYou Points (TYP) on your top eligible spending category for each billing cycle.  You'll also get 20,000 TYP as a sign-up bonus after spending $750 in the first 3 months of card membership.  Let's take a look at the card. 5x earning categories Instead of having quarterly rotating 5x categories like the Chase Freedom or Discover cards, the Citi Custom Cash simply earns 5x on your top spending category each pay period.  It's capped at $500 per billing cycle, which is essentially $500 per month.  Eligible categories include the following: Drugstores Fitness clubs Gas stations Grocery stores Home improvement stores Live entertainment Restaurants Select streaming services Select transit Select travel This is a pretty solid list, and you'll likely be able to find a category to max out your monthly 5x on.  Your top spending category can also change from...

With the annual upcoming Amazon Prime Day scheduled for June 21 and 22, Amazon is running a promo where you get $10 credit to spend on Prime Day if you spend $10+ at a small business on Amazon. The deal From June 7 through June 20, spend $10 or more at a participating small business on Amazon.  Amazon will then send you an e-mail with an activation link for your $10 credit.  The $10 promotional credit is value during Prime Day only on June 21 and 22. Link to the promo Amazon has many small business sellers, and you're very likely to find something $10+ fitting for your needs.  There are a good variety of keto, low-carb foods for sale , as well as all-natural sunscreens for your outdoor activities.  Terms & Conditions Prime members: Purchase $10 of select small business products between June 7, 2021 and June 20, 2021 and earn a $10 credit to use on Prime Day. Exclusions apply. You’ll get $10 to spend on Amazon for Prime Day, starting June 21, 2021 at 12:00am (PT)...

Amazon is offering their Prime members a free Explore session of up to $50 for their first booking with promo code FREEFUN at checkout.  Explore is Amazon's new beta platform that allows you to book virtual experiences across the world.  Experiences are live and one-on-one, with the ability for you to talk and interact with your host. How do Amazon Experiences work? The Experiences include site-seeing (cities, landmarks, nature, etc.), cooking, shopping, wine tasting, magic shows, and more.  You book a time slot for the Experience and call in virtually with your host at the specified time.  You'll be able to see your host and the physical tour on their end, though your host won't be able to see you, so you actually don't need a webcam.  It looks like most of the Experiences run anywhere between 30 and 80 minutes. What can you do during your Experience? During your Experience, you can take pictures virtually by clicking on a camera icon.  You can also indi...

American Express will be cutting guest privileges at Centurion Lounges for Amex Platinum cardholders starting February 2023.  Amex Platinum cardholders have been able to bring 2 guests into Centurion Lounges free of charge, but starting February 2023, Platinum cardholders will now need to pay $50 per guest.  Amex Centurion cardholders will still be able to guest 2 at no charge, along with Amex Platinum cardholders who spend at least $75,000 in a calendar year. The why Amex Centurion Lounges have been some of the best airport lounges in the U.S. with their hot food and alcohol selections.  However, pre-pandemic, crowding has been a significant issue at pretty much every lounge in their network.  Amex has gone to great lengths in attempting to reduce crowding, including only allowing Platinum cardholder access within 3 hours of departure and disallowing access on arrival.  In addition, Amex has been actively renovating and expanding existing lounges to increase ca...