DeltaPoints is apparently now a US/AA expert (I'm sure it's nothing to do with the fact that Barclay's is the US card issuer and DP no longer has AMEX affiliates). I thought this post, while not factually wrong, misleading in its comparing apples to oranges:

http://deltapoints.boardingarea.com/...-bad-idea-dont

I think the headline declaring that the transfer bonus is "...a really BAD idea!" is flat out wrong. In and of itself, there is nothing bad about the bonus, for someone intending to transfer some SPG points to AA or US. It's a nice bonus, not sure if it's the highest that's ever been offered, but certainly not bad for a person with a near term plan/need to do such a transfer. So to flat out advise that it's a poor idea is ridiculous.

DP then advises getting the Barclay's BA card instead. First, let me say that the Barclay's US card is certainly worth getting while you can (I have one myself). But he's comparing two situations - a person seeking to merely increase their US/AA balance without a pending need in the near future, with someone who has a use for those miles.

Most of us wouldn't recommend speculatively transferring out of SPG (or other multiple-transfer-partner program) just for the sake of a limited time bonus. Part of the beauty of those programs is the flexibility. However for a person who needs to have the miles fairly soon, the time span to get the Barclay's card, statement close, get the miles into their account, etc. is likely to be too late.

Oh, and not to mention that if it's specifically AA miles that you need, the Barclay's card won't help with that for some time until the programs combine. Again, it depends on "why" someone is seeking more AA/US miles - none of which is addressed in the post, which just seeks to pump the affiliate linked card.

The post also mentions that the Barclay US card's per-miles rate is cheaper than the 100K Citi Executive Card due to the higher annual fee. However, this is also apples-to-oranges as the Citi card in question also includes club access.

20k SPG gets you a night in half-decent (and only half decent) London hotel or - converted to AA via this promo - a oneway flight from London to Abu Dhabi in Etihad's excellent business class, whilst also saving £300 in fuel surcharges compared to booking an Avios redemption on BA on the same route.

So, yes, its a terrible idea ...!

I guess this is wrong and misleading information rather than advice, per se, but this from The Gate


The post title and text makes it seem as if the bill is now law, despite even mentioning the House action in one sentence....not sure if this is a lack of knowledge on how a bill becomes law or just trying to make an attention-seeking post title.

In fact it has only passed the House, not the Senate...and when I last checked there appears to be little-to-no interest in the Senate on taking action on this legislation. It was referred to a Senate committee on 29 July but that's the last activity to date. Not to mention the whole step of needing to be signed by the President.

It's a good topic for discussion and should be monitored, but simply saying it "has passed" and is "coming soon" is rather premature.

There is of course an FT thread discussing the proposed bill: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...rtised-13.html

Too many blogs to list here have been getting mightily agitated in the past 24 hours or so about an alleged devaluation of Iberia Plus Avios and what it might mean (or not) for the future of Avios held in BA Executive Club accounts.

Post 99 in this FT thread quietly points out that nothing has actually happened. Confirmation in posts 117 and 118 of that thread.

Yeah, Gary seemed to stir up a lot of that agitation at VFTW. And then later acknowledged IB only became more "transparent." I used to think a lot more of his blog, but now I think it's good only when items are based on inside information that he gets from his airline contacts. This most recent set of posts demonstrates to me that his research and analysis skills aren't much otherwise.

But hey, he gets quoted on CBS and other MSM so he must be an expert, right?

Bloggers completely .... the bed here. I understand his initial kneejerk post and the desire to act quickly if something were about to go down, but there is absolutely no accountability whatsoever in the aftermath, just excuses.

Once again, flyertalk wins.

To Ben's credit he steered clear of this mess.

The sad thing isn't really that Gary wasn't aware of the ins and outs of Iberia in a pinch.. it's that everyone else just started parroting the same thing (surprise). You'd think at least someone would've known something about the Iberia chart. I mean, its not THAT obscure a program. Hell, I knew enough that it sounded fishy from the beginning. But I guess for a large handful of people making good money and doing this stuff for a j-o-b, that was not the case.

Just check out the MMS post. Jesus Christ.

But, guys, no matter what we have reassurance

The changes to Iberia’s award charts could signal the end to this fantastic award redemption. I hope it doesn’t change but there will always be new ways to get Big Travel with Small Money!


KEEP CALM
AND
TRAVEL BIG
WITH
SMALL MONEY

No, he's an expert because of his come hither eyes:

http://travelwithgrant.com/wp-conten...Leff-Delta.png

I don't think we get to call his musings on Avios misleading. He was very upfront that he had no idea what he was talking about and that he was engaging in pure speculation. Perhaps, like when he 'still trusted' AA he was trying to goad them into not changing anything using reverse-psychology or something.

As one commenter succinctly put it:

"voice of reason said,

So one long flowery post to just say you have no clue?"

With all of those warnings that he was merely speculating and that he had no real information to base his speculation on, it's tough to say he was being misleading.

And it's hard to be surprised that his speculation was dead wrong...especially when BA tweeted that they are not devaluing (although VFTW termed that Tweet 'a non-denial denial.')

So wrong, yes. Misleading, no.

Sometimes even come hither bloggers get it wrong. And when they do, thank goodness FlyerTalk is here to correct them: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23422126-post117.html

^

And, at the end of the day VFTW likely got a surge in clicks just in time for the end of the month. And that's what REALLY matters, innit?

No less than 4 Enrique Iglesias songs have been written about those bedroom eyes

I feel like it's super irresponsible of some of these major blogs to post alarmist headlines and unsubstantiated rumors. The most recent BA thing was very similar to the sky-is-falling posts about the unsubstantiated AA devaluation a while back. Granted, a large part of the problem is too many blogs chasing too little news, which makes these bad posts snowball, but have a little journalistic integrity, and please, please stop with the sensationalist headlines.

Hard enough to get journalists to have journalistic integrity these days let alone bloggers!

On FlyerTalk people used to constantly post rumors they heard from flight attendants or CSRs. Those people ended up getting harangued for spreading silly rumors based on idle speculation so much that the practice has mostly abated.

Some say that makes FT 'unfriendly.' I'd say it raises FT's bar. Hopefully bloggers will at least try to raise their bar, too.

For example, how about the passive-aggressive "How Iberia Made Us Believe They Devalued — When They Simply Got More Transparent" as opposed to, say, "BA IS NOT DEVALUING!!!! I GOT IT TOTALLY WRONG! SORRY!!!!"

I think you hit the nail on the head. We already see breathless posts all over BA about the same "news" of the day. Sure VFTW throws in an "I don't really know for sure" but let's face it, the end result is the sensationalist headline gets clicks and link backs and at the end of the day, that's the main point apparently.

It's like the 11 o'clock news teaser (which I don't even watch anymore)..."COULD your child have brought home alien microbes from school today? Find out at 11"

I didn't mind VFTW's initial post, as it seemed like speculation. What made the matter a disgrace were the other blogs repeating the rumors for no reason.

Let's leave Gary alone; he still deserves an award for best airplane bathroom photo.

http://i.imgur.com/Ffdyw3E.jpg

With that look on his his face he has to be at least half mast.


Also, I agree on his first post. Can't expect him to know the ins and outs of everything, and he was probably trying to be helpful in a potentially time sensitive matter. But surely some blogger would have caught this sooner! Anyone. One of little c's traveling friends!! Anyone

Leave it to a fter