Transcript of my Correspondence with Chase over SM
Nov 18, 2011, 2:19 pm
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,924
Having made an award booking today for EDI-LCY-JFK-LHR-EDI, out in CWLCY and returning in F, for the magical sum of 100,000 avios @:-) (plus taxes/charges of way less than the cost of an economy seat), all I can say is long may the Chase freeloaders complain and threaten class action, giving me more flights to use my avios on.
With a bit of luck they will lose the avios after 3 years of complaining and not spending, and have nothing left to complain about.
With a bit of luck they will lose the avios after 3 years of complaining and not spending, and have nothing left to complain about.
Nov 18, 2011, 2:21 pm
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,046
My oodles of miles come from
the 50% bonus I get for every 1$ I spend on my RBC CC i.e. for free
the 180,000 miles I could buy each year by buying points from another points program and convering into BAEC for around CAD$2400 plus 5% tax i.e. by investing directly in miles
spending huge amounts of money on my CC for company expenses i.e. for free
, spouse using CC for company expenses and using Esso card to get up to 4 miles per 1$ spent among churing SPG Amex i.e. for free
the 50% bonus I get for every 1$ I spend on my RBC CC i.e. for free
the 180,000 miles I could buy each year by buying points from another points program and convering into BAEC for around CAD$2400 plus 5% tax i.e. by investing directly in miles
spending huge amounts of money on my CC for company expenses i.e. for free
, spouse using CC for company expenses and using Esso card to get up to 4 miles per 1$ spent among churing SPG Amex i.e. for free
For your investment in miles directly I wonder if spending the cash on paying for actual flights instead might have been a better idea. Caveat emptor. The value of investments can go down as well as up and so forth.
Nov 18, 2011, 2:23 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Near Edinburgh
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 9,034
My oodles of miles come from the 50% bonus I get for every 1$ I spend on my RBC CC, the 180,000 miles I could buy each year by buying points from another points program and convering into BAEC for around CAD$2400 plus 5% tax, spending huge amounts of money on my CC for company expenses, spouse using CC for company expenses and using Esso card to get up to 4 miles per 1$ spent among churing SPG Amex, and other CDN CC's for between 22.5K and 30K miles for roughtly 40-60$CAD...every 1.5 years or so.
Why not face up to the consequences of your actions instead of looking to blame others?
Nov 18, 2011, 2:29 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,641
Nov 18, 2011, 2:33 pm
#51
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
i only have 580K left...guess that is not really oodles any more. i have spent many many more than that in the last few years. i do agree, my most recent booking YYZ-HKG-NRT//HND-HKG-YYZ for 2 in J and 1 in F on CX did cost a rather annoying CAD$400 or so each in fees RT... and the trip for my inlaws YYZ-HKG-PEK//PVG-HKG-YYZ was CAD$375 each in fees in J...bugger. still. even adding all that in, they net off around CAD$1300 a/i or so for each ticket that includes the fees.
i have a spread sheet that keeps track of what the miles were purchased for etc. or churned from my cc's. Many miles cost nothing since the expense reports just washed the CC bills.
so how much am i going to pay for my flights on JAL within Japan this May? Should be pretty nice going from HND-CTS-NGO-KIX-OKA-KIX...i consider 22.5K and zero fees a nice redemption. Don't you? I mean, those 22.5K came from one 15,000 CC offer and 40-60 bucks in fees with a 50% bonus from BAEC...so not bad would you not say?
Nov 18, 2011, 2:35 pm
#52
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
Oh make not mistake about it, I have taken my pound of flesh from BA's bottom line with the use of my miles. I will still win by using those remaining miles and perhaps even focus travel from the East to the West.
Nov 18, 2011, 2:38 pm
#53
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wild Wiltshire
Programs: Demoted to gold, Cats protection
Posts: 3,455
Nov 18, 2011, 2:39 pm
#54
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
For the cases where you got your miles for free, you have lost nothing.
For your investment in miles directly I wonder if spending the cash on paying for actual flights instead might have been a better idea. Caveat emptor. The value of investments can go down as well as up and so forth.
For your investment in miles directly I wonder if spending the cash on paying for actual flights instead might have been a better idea. Caveat emptor. The value of investments can go down as well as up and so forth.
BTW, would you tell a person who uses miles to fly J that they deserve less than a person who paid $$ for J?
Nov 18, 2011, 2:40 pm
#55
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Near Edinburgh
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 9,034
I agree that BA should have given notice, however.
So, why be upset? You've done well out of the good times.
Nov 18, 2011, 2:41 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
Nov 18, 2011, 2:46 pm
#57
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
I hope no-one listened to people they did not know on an internet board over and above all the evidence pointing to an increase in redemptions for those departing NA. Foolish IMO. The swell of information made that the most likely outcome.
I agree that BA should have given notice, however.
So, why be upset? You've done well out of the good times.
I agree that BA should have given notice, however.
So, why be upset? You've done well out of the good times.
I have done very well. I guess I am upset because I can not continue to do very well. Do you remeber the line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade..."You lost today, kid, but that doesn't mean you have to like it." In time, I will figure out ways to exploit the new program.
I will just have to focus my efforts in other ways to get premium redemptions to Asia in the front of the bus and determine if there is another program that I can exploit better for where I plan to travel over the next 5 years or so.
Nov 18, 2011, 2:48 pm
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
Programs: HH Gold, BA Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,245
Nov 18, 2011, 2:51 pm
#59
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
Having made an award booking today for EDI-LCY-JFK-LHR-EDI, out in CWLCY and returning in F, for the magical sum of 100,000 avios @:-) (plus taxes/charges of way less than the cost of an economy seat), all I can say is long may the Chase freeloaders complain and threaten class action, giving me more flights to use my avios on.
With a bit of luck they will lose the avios after 3 years of complaining and not spending, and have nothing left to complain about.
With a bit of luck they will lose the avios after 3 years of complaining and not spending, and have nothing left to complain about.
You raise a very good point, the changes could have been worse. For example, they could have shortened the 3 year fuse.
Nov 18, 2011, 2:52 pm
#60
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: BA Gold/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 5,989
