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What Delta (and Other Programs) Hope You Never Notice

What Delta (and Other Programs) Hope You Never Notice

Airlines like Delta quietly gut your points behind flashy apps and “dynamic pricing.” SkyMiles? Not real miles. Saver seats? Vanished. Partner flights? Hidden. Our exposé breaks down the tricks loyalty programs hope you never catch—so you can beat them at their own game.

What Your Favorite Influencer Gets Wrong About Points

What Your Favorite Influencer Gets Wrong About Points

Influencer tips on “free” luxury travel often skip the hard truths: scattered points, unusable perks, and misaligned cards. Real reward strategy requires mapping spend, timing redemptions, and treating loyalty like currency—not content. Ignore hype, build systems.

Case Study: How a 3-Person Accounting Firm Turned $75K/Month in Spend into $40K in First-Class Travel

Case Study: How a 3-Person Accounting Firm Turned $75K/Month in Spend into $40K in First-Class Travel

A firm’s next first-class ticket was buried in their SaaS bill. See how three accountants flipped $75K in monthly spend into $40K of luxury travel—no extra dollars, just smarter cards. (BLUF: ...If you’re still taking 1-2% cash back, you’re burning money)

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 5: Loyalty Psychology and the Future

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 5: Loyalty Psychology and the Future

Over the past few days, we exposed the costs, myths, and math behind hotel loyalty. But why, even knowing the truth, do travelers still chase elite status—spending more, sacrificing convenience, and twisting plans for marginal rewards?

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 4: The Numbers Game

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 4: The Numbers Game

After a few days of pulling back the curtain on loyalty myths, wasted spend, and the psychology of chasing elite status, it's time to get practical. How do the major hotel programs actually stack up when you run the numbers?

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 3: The Sucker’s Game

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 3: The Sucker’s Game

Hotel loyalty programs paint a seductive picture: luxurious suites, free breakfasts, late checkouts, VIP treatment, and the feeling that you’ve "made it." The reality, though, is often far less glamorous.

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 2: The Reality Behind Elite Status Perks

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 2: The Reality Behind Elite Status Perks

Yesterday, we explored how hotel loyalty programs hook you emotionally, building a cult-like following. Today, we shift gears to tackle the myths—those glossy promises of upgrades, free breakfasts, and VIP treatment that often don't survive first contact with reality.

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 1: The Cult of Loyalty Programs

Hotel Loyalty Unveiled • Day 1: The Cult of Loyalty Programs

Over the next five days, we'll explore the hidden engines that drive your loyalty obsession, the myths versus realities of elite perks, the sucker's game of chasing status, the hard math behind the numbers, and where hotel loyalty is headed.

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 5/5

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 5/5

Welcome aboard the elite status circus of April 2025. In the world of frequent flyers, airline elite status has become a quasi-religion – complete with its own rituals (mileage runs), status symbols (luggage tags and shiny cards), and a devout congregation chasing the next tier.

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 4/5

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 4/5

Welcome aboard the elite status circus of April 2025. In the world of frequent flyers, airline elite status has become a quasi-religion – complete with its own rituals (mileage runs), status symbols (luggage tags and shiny cards), and a devout congregation chasing the next tier.

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 3/5

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 3/5

Welcome aboard the elite status circus of April 2025. In the world of frequent flyers, airline elite status has become a quasi-religion – complete with its own rituals (mileage runs), status symbols (luggage tags and shiny cards), and a devout congregation chasing the next tier.

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 2/5

Airline Elite Status: The Cult, The Myths, The Sucker’s Game • Day 2/5

Welcome aboard the elite status circus of April 2025. In the world of frequent flyers, airline elite status has become a quasi-religion – complete with its own rituals (mileage runs), status symbols (luggage tags and shiny cards), and a devout congregation chasing the next tier.