Should you feel guilty for participating in a Mileage/Points Program?
Mar 8, 2023, 5:44 pm
#1
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Should you feel guilty for participating in a Mileage/Points Program?
Opinion piece in the NY Times suggests the answer is yes, because the poor are adversely affected by your behavior!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/o...smid=url-share
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/o...smid=url-share
Mar 9, 2023, 4:27 am
#2
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Opinion piece in the NY Times suggests the answer is yes, because the poor are adversely affected by your behavior!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/o...smid=url-share
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/o...smid=url-share
No guilt about my airline FFP participation or frequent train rider program participation.
When it comes to people who are poorer or in otherwise more difficult financial situations than average, they are probably both paying a higher cost for credit card use and also subsidizing the rewards of others using high reward credit cards.
Mar 9, 2023, 1:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
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Opinion piece in the NY Times suggests the answer is yes, because the poor are adversely affected by your behavior!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/o...smid=url-share
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/o...smid=url-share
Of course, no one feels guilty, nor was there anything in the piece that suggested that people should feel guilty. The real wealth redistribution is not from the poor to those people with credit cards, it’s from the poor to the banks.
Merely writing an opinion piece pointing out an income redistribution scheme does not imply that the people who benefit from it should feel “guilty” about using a service offered by banks.
Mar 9, 2023, 2:19 pm
#5
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it’s weird, because I read the opinion piece and nowhere in the opinion piece did it say that people should feel guilty for taking advantage of bonuses and benefit programs offered by banks and credit cards. It did suggest that Congress was going to look at some reform measures.
Of course, no one feels guilty, nor was there anything in the piece that suggested that people should feel guilty. The real wealth redistribution is not from the poor to those people with credit cards, it’s from the poor to the banks.
Merely writing an opinion piece pointing out an income redistribution scheme does not imply that the people who benefit from it should feel “guilty” about using a service offered by banks.
Of course, no one feels guilty, nor was there anything in the piece that suggested that people should feel guilty. The real wealth redistribution is not from the poor to those people with credit cards, it’s from the poor to the banks.
Merely writing an opinion piece pointing out an income redistribution scheme does not imply that the people who benefit from it should feel “guilty” about using a service offered by banks.
Actually, I found it an interesting piece, that obviously won't change the behavior of FTers.
Mar 9, 2023, 3:19 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2016
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I think we are going to see credit card companies trying to recoup some of those costs by increasing the annual fees of these reward cards. As you know, we will continue to play the game (which is why this article is very relevant to FT) and try to maximize our rewards while continuing to minimize our costs because that's how we do. Thanks for posting it.
Mar 10, 2023, 2:17 am
#9
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No worries. I thought it was an interesting perspective as well. I am not sure I agree with the author's opinion, but I am glad you posted it so I could read it.
I think we are going to see credit card companies trying to recoup some of those costs by increasing the annual fees of these reward cards. As you know, we will continue to play the game (which is why this article is very relevant to FT) and try to maximize our rewards while continuing to minimize our costs because that's how we do. Thanks for posting it.
I think we are going to see credit card companies trying to recoup some of those costs by increasing the annual fees of these reward cards. As you know, we will continue to play the game (which is why this article is very relevant to FT) and try to maximize our rewards while continuing to minimize our costs because that's how we do. Thanks for posting it.
Mar 11, 2023, 6:00 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
Growing up, I can recall being impressed upon me to "never wear out one's welcome." Well, y'all do-gooders, real or fake, get one shot at propaganda, and it was wasted on me during my University days (you can thank Pres Reagan for that, I suppose). So, no, after your efforts so many years ago, I'm immune to this stuff. Matter of fact, y'all tree-huggers tried so hard, my answer is "let them eat cake" after my 4 years of enduring your spiel.
*tongue in cheek* assuming this thread was intended to be so.
*tongue in cheek* assuming this thread was intended to be so.
Mar 27, 2023, 7:58 am
#15
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True, but most of the programs aren't really "loyalty" programs anymore. They are rewarding and provide transactional value back to you, but the brands are not "loyal" to anyone and I would never describe myself as loyal to any of them. Achieving the status tiers and the benefits that come with them makes travel easier but it really isn't any deeper than that to me.
Especially now that pretty much all of the major hotel brands have killed off any illusion of true hospitality. Starwood once did a nice job of engendering loyalty between its hotels and guests but that culture has been fully killed off by Marriott. There are individual properties out there that take good care of their own regular guests. But the big programs are purely about transactional value these days - maximizing the "rebate" value you get off of paid stays in the form of award stays.
Especially now that pretty much all of the major hotel brands have killed off any illusion of true hospitality. Starwood once did a nice job of engendering loyalty between its hotels and guests but that culture has been fully killed off by Marriott. There are individual properties out there that take good care of their own regular guests. But the big programs are purely about transactional value these days - maximizing the "rebate" value you get off of paid stays in the form of award stays.