When To Buy Points/Miles and a No-Brainer Citi AA 75k Biz offer

📣 WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

• ICYMI - Multiple credit cards have offers at all-time/local highs. Now’s a great time to apply.

• Qatar Airways is about to release its credit card. Join the waitlist here to receive a slightly elevated offer when it becomes public. However, based on the lackluster launch of the TAP card, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

• There are preliminary reports that Chase is now pulling Dun & Bradstreet business credit reports for business cards. It’s too early to gauge the impact on business card approvals and whether it’s the cause of the constrained Ink environment. They’ve always reported to D&B and it doesn’t really make sense that they weren’t already pulling it.

• Hyatt is launching modular “tiny homes” at the all-inclusive Dreams Curaçao. These cabins would be oceanfront and start at a base rate of $1,060 a night. It’ll be interesting to see if these can be booked with points

🧠 CREDIT CARD STRATS/HACKS/TRICKS
When Should You Buy Points/Miles On Sale?

Certain hotels and airlines frequently allow you to purchase points and miles with sizable bonuses. Most people don’t give these offers the time of day, but they can be amazing alternatives if you’re doing cash stays.

Here’s an example:

The InterContinental: Washington D.C. - The Wharf is selling a Premium Room on 12/15/24 for $606. At the same time, the points cost for a premium room is 43k points:

IHG frequently has point sales with bonuses that drop the cost of a point to as low as 0.56 cents. This means 43k points can be purchased for 43,000 × 0.0056 = $240.8.

This is $606 - $240.8 = $365.2 cheaper than if you paid the cash rate outright.

The math is similar for airline miles and flight tickets, but it’s worth mentioning that award tickets often have better cancellation/change policies than their cash counterparts.

If you have a hotel in mind with a brand that frequently has point sales, do the math ahead of time and see if it makes sense to stock up points in advance!

⏳️ FINAL BOARDING CALL - TIME-SENSITIVE
Solid Citi American Airlines Offer - 75k Miles 🎮️ 

Currently, the Citi/AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard has an elevated offer:

• 75k miles after $5k spend in the first 5 months

• Annual fee: $0 for first year, then $99

AA points are hard to come by these days given the high difficulty to churn. I consider this offer a no-brainer one, especially since it’s a business card that stays off your credit report.

As I mentioned, the devaluation of Alaska’s program bumps AA into the top programs to snag high-value redemptions. You can’t go wrong building up a war chest of AA miles.

For an idea of what you can redeem, read on below.

☁️ ON POINTS
Etihad - The Most Luxurious First Class

Etihad only releases award availability to partner airlines at maximum 30 days in advance. If you’re able to plan and commit to a trip within a few week’s notice, this might be for you.

First reported by OMAAT, there’s wide open availability in Etihad’s First Class Apartments between JFK/London and AUH within the next 30 days. Many flights even have multiple seats together.

You’ll definitely want to book on American Airlines as opposed to Etihad’s own program:

• AA: 115k miles one-way, close to no surcharges, no change/cancelation fees

• Etihad: 160k-200k miles, $500+ in surcharges, abhorrent change/cancelation policy

You used to be able to see Etihad availability on Aeroplan but it hasn’t been visible for a long while now.

It’s easier to acquire Etihad points vs. AA, but that makes the current AA biz card deal mentioned above that much sweeter.

🛍️ CREDIT CARD MERCHANT OFFERS

Automatically add, favorite, and search all merchant offers on every credit card with a single click via CardPointers (Fly EnPoints readers get 30% off).

AMEX (login at americanexpress.com to check)

• Hyatt: $200 back after $750+ in purchases | Expires 07/14 🎮️

• Expedia.com/amex: 10% off up to $125 back | Expires 05/31

• Frontier Airlines: $50 back after $200+ in purchases | Expires 07/15

• Grand Hyatt: $50 back after $250+ in purchases | Expires 06/30 🎮️

Chase (login at chase.com to check)

• Lyft: 10% off up to $4 | Expires 05/21

• McDonald's: 10% off up to $2 | Expires 05/17

• Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts: 10% off up to $57 back after $100+ in purchases | Expires 05/23 🎮️

• Sheraton Hotels and Resorts: 10% off up to $57 back after $100+ in purchases | Expires 05/23 🎮️

• Four Points by Sheraton: 10% off up to $57 back after $100+ in purchases | Expires 05/23 🎮️

• Element Hotels: 10% off up to $57 back after $100+ in purchases | Expires 05/22

Other

• Office Depot/Max: $15 off $300+ in Visa gift cards | Limit 10 | 04/14 - 04/20

🤡 MEME

Guilty as charged!

Some travel experiences are so profound we can’t help but want to share them with those closest to us. Traveling on points enabled me to create these lifelong memories with loved ones, and it can do the same for you.

Share Fly EnPoints with friends and family so they can join your next life-changing adventure. It may be the experience you all reminisce on together for years to come!