Introduction & Background This week, Philly and I were supposed to be in Barcelona, in the midst of a week-and-a-half trip to western Spain (Catalonia region) and Andorra. Accompanying us would have been Middle Age Miles daughter Maria and her…
Keep or Cancel – US Bank Altitude Reserve – and Did I Get a Retention Offer?
Executive Summary The $400 annual fee recently posted on my US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite card (USB AR). We performed our usual review of the benefits of the card compared to the annual fee and made a retention call…
A Strategy to Convert Amex Airline Fee Credits to AA Travel Vouchers (Today & Tomorrow Only; May Be Risky)
Introduction Ever since the demise of the gift-card-purchase method in early 2019, it has become increasingly difficult to effectively use Amex airline fee credits. In 2020, this problem has become even more challenging due to coronavirus-related restrictions bringing air travel…
Hotel Review: Highline DoubleTree Vail (During Covid Times)
Introduction On our recent 2-night father-daughter getaway to Vail, Middle Age Miles daughter KB and I stayed at the Highline DoubleTree. The hard product at the hotel was solid, and we had a fine stay. We felt comfortable being at…
Mini Trip Report: A Road Trip to Colorado & 2 Father-Daughter Days in Vail
Introduction and Background With no international trips to report, and Philly and I rarely venturing beyond our local Kroger and Tom Thumb grocery stores, it was quite an adventure for us to travel to Colorado last week. We took a…
Bravo Codes as Online Purchase for Citi Prestige 5x Online Promo
Last week, we reported on the Citi Prestige 5x promotion for online purchases. The promotion is in effect from 6/2 through 8/31/2020. Its terms were a bit vague, but in general it promised a total of 5x ThankYou Points (TYPs)…
Curve: Possible Opportunities When This UK-Based Card Launches in the US
Introduction The Curve card is currently a UK-based card product. In short, it operates like this: You get a Curve account and physical Curve card, which is a Mastercard debit card. You can then link other credit and debit cards…
A Fun Sextuple Stack for an Amazon GC Purchase at CVS Using AA Simply Miles & Other Card-Linked Programs
Introduction Like all points-and-miles enthusiasts, we love to stack deals and promotions here at Middle Age Miles. So when we were able to sextuple-stack some deals & promotions recently on the purchase of an Amazon gift card at CVS, we…
Citi Prestige Promo for 5x on Online Purchases & Our Plans for Using It
Introduction and Details of the Promo Last week, Citi introduced a promotion for bonus ThankYou Point (TYP) earning on its premium Prestige card – 5x TYPs for online purchases. Oddly, the promotion wasn’t formally announced; rather, the Citi PR team…
Bravo: “Upgraded Experience” Coming Soon
If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the points-and-miles world, it’s that “enhancements” and “upgraded experiences” don’t really seem to bring good news very often. So, we’re on pins and needles today in the wake of a “teaser” email we…