I'll be interested to see if the entire gift card method remains viable. Once the Mint hit the MSM, it died quickly thereafter. In addition, aren't gift card purchases with Citi cards frequently considered cash advances? We know that's the only change Amex and Chase would need to make to grind this avenue to a halt.

On the other hand and ignoring the bloated costs he incurred, the investment he made hardly seems worth the return--sure you can save some money on business class tickets, but most people aren't going to drop $6500 to save money on tickets they're not likely to purchase anyway. So, I wouldn't expect many people to follow this guy's lead.