A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

Post by dublidu » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 3:47 AM UTC

saryant wrote: post #119

nogridbag wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't know there was a term for it. I gave it a shot one or two years ago buying $500 gift cards at grocery stores with a 6% cash back card (amex cash preferred). With the activation fee and taxes, I think each gift card purchase essentially returned ~$22. Surely not the most efficient - but it was simple. Each time I bought a $500 visa gift card I had that uncomfortable feeling like I was doing something illegal…

The payoff comes from doing it to hit signup bonuses. If you needed to spend $5000 on a card, you could buy Visa gift cards and spend $59.50, but get 105,000 miles from the bonus. Essentially a round-trip business class ticket from the US to Asia.

Post by aaron695 » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 3:51 AM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #33

post_break wrote: post #31

Don't you have to worry about radiation at some point? I mean flying 300 days out of the year has to add up.

Not sure why you're being downvoted, it's a real issue. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/24/news/24iht-radiate_ed3__0.... > A 1996 paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found a higher incidence of myeloid leukemia, astrocytoma, prostate cancer and malignant melanoma among 2,740 Air Canada pilots than in the general population. > One study of female flight attendants in Finland and Denmark found an inc…

Post by saryant » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 4:05 AM UTC

dublidu wrote: post #131

saryant wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The payoff comes from doing it to hit signup bonuses. If you needed to spend $5000 on a card, you could buy Visa gift cards and spend $59.50, but get 105,000 miles from the bonus. Essentially a round-trip business class ticket from the US to Asia.

And what do you do with the $5000 of gift cards?

Post by saryant » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 4:09 AM UTC

chockablock wrote: post #132

saryant wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, no. Airlines only release seats for award redemption if they don't believe they can sell them. Therefore, he's only taking up seats that would otherwise go empty on flights that are going to fly anyways.

Sorry that can't be true. Even my lowly MileagePlus Explorer card allows me to book an award seat on any flight with availability.

Post by linky123 » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 4:29 AM UTC