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TOP TIPS FOR EARNING AIR MILESA SPECIAL PRESENTATION
5 DEC 2016
© The Milelion, All Rights Reserved. No portion of the content herein may be used or reproduced without the prior written consent of The Milelion
www.milelion.com | [email protected] | Slide design by June Fong1
PREFACE• The following slides were created for an iPaymy webinar and should not be read in isolation without the
accompanying video
• The Miles and Points Game is dynamic and information often quickly goes out of date. Future readers of this
presentation should take into account the date of creation (5 Dec 2016) of this document.
• You should not play the Miles and Points Game if you have reason to believe you will have difficulty paying
off your balance in full, on time, every month. Abuse of credit can lead to detrimental consequences for you
and your loved ones.
• The Miles and Points Game may sometimes require you to engage in rather irregular behavior. Your friends
and family may think you mad. Try not to rub it in when you’re sipping Krug at 30,000 ft.
2
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY COMPUTER?< DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SCREENS >
Aaron
Founder of The Milelion
Likes walks on the beach, candlelit dinners and you
Random Vaguely Impressive Numbers
~400,000 lifetime miles flown
65 airports across 30 countries
~300 nights in hotels
Earned 2M+ miles through credit cards, flying and other tricks
Foreign women successfully wooed: 0
3
WHAT WILL WE LEARN DURING THIS SESSION?This two-part webinar will cover credit card rewards and airline frequent flyer programs
• Basics of Credit Card Reward
Programs
• Creating a credit card strategy that
works for you
• A primer on airline frequent flyer
programs
• How and how not to redeem your
miles
• How to value the miles that you earn • “Fuel Dumping/ 3X”
• Manufactured Spending Strategies
• Anything that violates the T&C of
banks + airline rewards programs
• Hidden City/ Throwaway ticketing
• Hotel/Rental Car booking strategies
W H AT YO U W I L L L E A R N W H AT YO U W I L L N OT L E A R N
4
WHAT IS TRAVEL HACKING?Travel hacking is a philosophy that travelling well doesn’t have to cost more
Travel Hacking (noun/verb/I can’t remember the difference and my mom was an English teacher)
1. The art of travelling the world in First Class, staying in 5 Star hotels and enjoying the finer things in life
while paying a fraction of the price
2. Free stuff can’t bluff
VA L U E AC C E S S1 2
“Travel hacking helps me save money” “Travel hacking gives me access to
experiences I wouldn’t have been able to
afford” 5
WHAT DOES TRAVEL HACKING
REQUIRE?The hobby of travel hacking is not suited for everyone- you need to be willing to invest the
time and energy to make it work
PAT I E N C E M E T I C U LO U S N E S S1 2
• Willing to sign up for
multiple cards and set up
GIRO payments for each
• Remembering to use the
right card at the right time
• Remembering to get annual
fees waived when due (or
paying them to get miles)
• Tracking your points to
make sure they have
credited properly
S E L F - C O N T R O L
3
• Not spending beyond your
means
6
But, when it pays off, man,
it really pays off.
7
WHY DO I NEED CREDIT CARDS?Credit cards are essential to any miles building strategy because earning miles through flights alone is insufficient
• The majority of your miles will be earned through credit cards,
not flying
• SIN-SFO economy @ 50% accrual and S$1,956 cost
• Miles from flying= 8,440
• Miles from credit card= 7,824
Singapore Airlines Mileage Accrual Chart, by Ticket Class
FLIGHTS
(~20%)
CREDIT CARDS
(~80%)
8
WHAT DO I GET WHEN I PAY WITH A CARD?The type of rewards you get depends on the card you use
I get a strange feeling
of emptiness
I get a certain % of
cash rebate at the
end of the month
I earn points with my
bank
I convert the points to
frequent flyer miles
by paying a
conversion fee
Debit Card
Cash Rebate
Credit Card
Miles/ Points
Card
Normally capped and subject to
many T&C
Also, somewhere a kitten dies
CARD/REWARD PAYOFF, BY TYPE OF CARD
Spend $100 on my
card
And you are a winner and also very
handsome
9
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF REWARDS?Unlike debit cards, credit cards offer rewards programs. These rewards programs can be broadly classified into fixed and variable
rebates
CREDIT CARDS
FIXED REBATES
(CASHBACK)
VARIABLE REBATES
(MILES & POINTS)
DEBIT CARDS
NO REWARDS
10
WHY
SHOULDN’T I
USE
CASHBACK
/FIXED
REBATE
CARDS?Fixed rebate/ cashback cards
are poor value and usually
come with many conditions
attached
FIXED REBATES
CASHBACK
No caps on cashback!
No minimum spend!
1.5% cashback only
5% cashback on dining/
travel/ shopping/ groceries!
$30 cap per transaction, 1%
on everything else. Must
accumulate min $50 to
redeem
9% off dining!
Minimum spend $700 a month, capped
at $30 a month
8% cashback on
groceries, petrol and
dining!$25 cap per month, 0.25% on
everything else
6% cashback on dining!
Weekend dining only. 3% on weekday
dining, groceries, online. 0.3% on
everything else. $80 cap per month
3% cashback on
everything!
Minimum spend $3,000 a month, capped
at $200 per quarter
11
WHAT DO
VARIABLE
REBATE
CARDS
GIVE ME?
The value of variable
rebates depend on how
you use them
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE: VALUE OF DBS POINTS IF REDEEMED FOR…
VOUCHERS MILES
VOUCHERS
1 POINT = ~1.7 CENTS
MILES
1 POINT = 2 MILES
UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF A MILE IS A CRUCIAL PIECE OF INFORMATION.
HOW DO WE VALUE A MILE?12
SQ Return Trip to Paris, redeemed on …
Economy Premium Economy Business First
RETAIL PRICE S$1,177- 1957 S$2,977 S$6,508 S$13,836
MILES + TAXES
(SAVER)
59,500 Miles
+S$557
106,250 Miles
+S$557
136,000 Miles
+S$658
182,750 Miles
+S$686
IMPLIED VALUE
OF 1 MILE
1.0-2.4
cents/ miles
2.3
cents/ miles
4.3
cents/ miles
7.2
cents/ miles
INCREMENTAL
PRICE52%-153% 119% 113%
INCREMENTAL
MILES79% 28% 34%
WHAT IS THE THEORETICAL VALUE OF A MILE?The value of a mile depends on what you redeem it for- you get more value redeeming for premium cabins than economy
13
HOW SHOULD I VALUE MY MILES?Although a mile in theory can buy up to 7 cents of value, the valuation of a mile is as much a philosophical exercise as a
mathematical one
OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS IN VALUING A MILE
Would I really have paid $10,000 for
a First Class seat?
What is the likelihood that I will be
able to find saver space?
1 2
What about the discounts/ bonus
interest I forwent when building
miles?
3
• What is my alternative if I were
not able to redeem a First
Class seat?
• Should we be pegging the
value to retail price or what
we would be willing to pay?
• OCBC/ SCB Bonus$aver/
UOB One accounts
• Bank dining discounts at
restaurants
• Saver award space on certain
routes is highly restricted by
Krisflyer and subject to waitlist
• SIN-CDG in business
saver= 136K miles
• SIN-CDG in business
standard= 204K miles
ALTHOUGH A MILE CAN BUY UP TO 7 CENTS OF VALUE, A CONSERVATIVE VALUATION OF MILES
WOULD BE AROUND 2-3 CENTS EACH 14
WHERE WILL MY CREDIT CARD MILES COME
FROM?The majority of your credit card miles will come from category/ specialised spending
Variable
Rebates
(Miles & Points)
General Spending
Specialized Spending
• Dining
• Online spending
• Paywave
• Petrol
• Shopping
• Overseas spend
• Anything that does not fall into the
specialized spending category
Breakdown of Miles Earned
Credit cards-
Category spending (~50%)
Credit cards-
General spending (~30%)
Flights
(~20%)
WHY CAN’T I JUST USE ONE CARD FOR EVERYTHING? 15
WHY CAN’T I USE ONE CARD FOR EVERYTHING?A single-card strategy will always generate fewer miles than using a portfolio because of the presence of bonus categories
EXAMPLE: $30,000 OF ANNUAL CARD SPENDING
With One Card
30% Dining
30% Online Purchases
10% Shopping
10% Overseas Spending
20% Misc. Local Spending
With Card Portfolio
Total Miles= 45,000
~1X Economy Round Trip
to Australia / Middle East
Total Miles= 104,400
1.4 miles/ $1
1.4 miles/ $1
1.4 miles/ $1
2.4 miles/ $1
1.4 miles/ $1
4 miles/ $1
4 miles/ $1
4 miles/ $1
4 miles/ $1
1.4 miles/ $1
~1X Suites Round Trip to
Tokyo
OR
~1X Suites One Way to
New York16
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
WHAT SPECIALISED SPENDING CARDS DO I NEED?Think: which bonus categories do I spend the most on?
17
WHAT GENERAL SPENDING CARDS DO I NEED?Think: which specialised spending card am I accumulating miles with?
GENERAL SPENDING:
ANYTHING THAT ISN’T
SPECIALISED
18
?
QUESTIONS TO ASK
WHEN GETTING A CARD
Points awarded for
every $1 or $5?
How many points do
I need to
accumulate before
cashing out?
How long do I
have to
accumulate points
before I need to
convert them to
miles?
How much do I need
to pay to convert my
points to miles?
How much is the
annual fee and what
do I get in return?
E A R N I N G
B LO C K S
C O N V E R S I O N
F E E
M I N I M U M
C O N V E R S I O N
E X P I RY O F
P O I N T SA N N U A L F E E
1 2 3 4 5
19
SHOULD I BE PAYING ANNUAL FEES?Whether or not you should pay annual fees depends on
(1) whether you need something in return
(2) the price of the miles
(3) whether you need them
Annual Fee
Renewal Miles
CPM
HSBC Visa Infinite $488 30,000 1.63
SCB Visa Infinite $588.50 35,000 1.68
DBS Altitude $192.60 10,000 1.93
Citibank Premiermiles $192.60 10,000 1.93
ANZ Travel Card $200 10,000 2.00
Citibank Prestige $535 25,000 2.14
OCBC Voyage$488/ $3,210
15,000/150,000*
3.25/ 2.14
• Rule #1: Never pay an annual fee if you get nothing in return
• Banks earn whenever you spend with their cards- why
should you pay them to earn money for them?
• Rule #2: If miles are offered, don’t pay more than 2 cpm
• Rule #3: If you are already earning a healthy miles income you
may not want further cash outflow
• Some banks will waive annual fees if you spend above a
certain threshold
Commentary
*OCBC offers an option of paying $488 to get 15,000 Voyage Miles or $3,210 to get 150,000 Krisflyer Miles. Voyage miles are a very different species from Krisflyer miles and to explain it in this
presentation would put many to sleep. TL;DR, 1 Voyage Mile is worth slightly more than 1 Krisflyer mile, although they convert on a 1:1 basis. Read my analysis here- http://bit.ly/2gw1GPF
20
HOW I SHOULD DEVELOP MY
CREDIT CARD STRATEGY?Your credit card strategy should be based on your objectives, spending patterns and what is accessible to you
D E C I D E O B J E C T I V E S
1
A N A LY S E S P E N D I N G
PAT T E R N S
A S S E S S C A R D O F F E R I N G S
B A S E D O N ( 1 ) & ( 2 )
2 3
• Where do I want to go?
• How do I want to get there?
• When do I want to go?
• How often am I likely to travel?
• How much do I usually spend in a month,
and how is that broken down into different
categories?
• Do I have any big ticket expenditures
(renovation, wedding, business trip)
coming up?
• Which cards can I access based on my
income?
• Which cards have points that will last long
enough to match my earning horizon?
• Which cards provide bonuses in the
categories I most heavily spend?
21
HOW ELSE CAN I EARN MILES?Here are some other ways of earning miles you might not have thought about
S H O P P I N G T H R O U G H
K R I S F LY E R S P R E E
1
M I L E T I Z I N G YO U R
R E G U L A R PAYM E N T S
M I L E S E A R N I N G T I M E
D E P O S I T
2 3
PlacementSGD Miles Time
Deposit
S$27,000 –
S$162,000
(6 months)
10,000 KrisFlyer
Miles for every
S$27,000 fresh
funds deposited
capped at 60,000
miles
• Earn miles for your rental & other regular
payments with iPayMy
• Paying with card earning 4 mpd and 2.6%
fee: 1 mile= 0.65 cpm
• Paying with a card earning 1.4 mpd and
2.6% fee: 1 mile=1.86 cpm
• Earn miles when you shop online via
Krisflyer spree (www.krisflyerspree.com)
22
APART FROM CREDIT CARD SPENDING,
HOW ELSE CAN I EARN MILES?Here are some other ways of earning miles you might not have thought about
I D E N T I F Y I N G
O P P O RT U N I T I E S TO T U R N
G E N E R A L S P E N D I N G I N TO
S P E C I A L I S E D S P E N D I N G
4
M I L E S B AC K H OT E L
B O O K I N G SOT H E R S
5 6
• Taxi vs Uber
• Grocery store vs Redmart
• Regular rental & other payment vs iPaymy
• Official airline/hotel site vs OTA
• Regular payment vs Samsung/ Android/ Apple/
Paywave
• Kaligo- 10 miles per $1
• Pointshound
• Rocketmiles
• Magazine subscriptions
• Esso Smiles
• Passion Card Tap For More
• M1 Sunperks
• Shell Escape points
• Mobile phone roaming
• Club21
• Outlet shopping23
FURTHER RESOURCES
The following are links you may find useful in your miles journey
• The Milelion - travel better for less: www.milelion.com
• The Milelion Directory - index of all articles on the site: http://milelion.com/making-the-most-out-of-the-milelion/
• Does spending on (insert merchant name here) get a bonus? A crowdsourced Google document:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ffbzrIlK7iTO_IAT7nzk8ULWf1zsRX9F-rniLbRwwR4/edit
• Flyertalk thread on the latest news on miles earning credit cards in Singapore:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/singapore-airlines-krisflyer/1076196-best-credit-cards-kf-miles-accrual-master-
thread-430.html
• Hardwarezone forum where people post credit card deals: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/credit-cards-line-
credit-facilities-243/
• Boarding Area - a collection of travel hacking blogs (mostly US-focused, some UK): www.boardingarea.com
What card do I use for online spending?Online spending is slightly more complicated- not all online spending is made equal, so be aware of your options
Online Spending HSBC Advance Citibank Rewards UOB Pref. Plat Visa DBS Woman’s World
Amazon and other e-commerce
Online food (Deliveroo,
Food Panda, Uber Eats)
Transportation (Uber)
Air tickets, Expedia, Orbitz,
and other OTAs
Mobile Payments
(Samsung, Android, ApplePay)
Entertainment
(movie tickets, Spotify, Steam)
Government services
(season parking, library fines,
ACRA reports)
Caps on 10X None $12,000 per year $12,000 per year $2,000 per month
*The above chart was made as per the T&C of the cards. MCCs are messy business and in reality, banks may award 10X to particular merchants even within “red” categories. A great resource you can use to check
whether a particular merchant awards 10X can be found here- http://bit.ly/2guKnAY
Illustration of 10X Opportunities at Online Merchants for Online-Bonus Cards*
Why shouldn’t I use cashback / fixed rebate cards?Fixed rebate/ cashback cards are poor value and usually come with many conditions attached; to pay the annual fee on a cashback card is just silly
1.5% on everythingCashback
Capped
Annual Fee (Waiver)
Breakeven spend
None
S$171.20 (1 Year)
S$11,413
5% on one of the following- dining, travel,
shopping, groceries, 1% otherwise
S$30 per transaction
S$180 (1 Year)
S$3,600- S$18,000
0.3%-6% depending on
category
Depends on category
S$128.40 (1 Year)
S$2,140-S$42,800
6% weekend dining, 3% weekday dining,
online, groceries, telecoms, 0.3% others
Min Spend
S$600/ month
Cashback
Capped
Annual Fee (Waiver)
Breakeven spend
Min Spend
S$80/ month
S$192.60 (2 Years)
S$200 a quarter
0.5-3% depending
on monthly spend
$3,000/month for 3%
S$192.60 (1 Year)
None
S$3,210-S$64,200
S$192.60 (1 Year)
S$888/month
8% groceries, petrol,
dining, 0.25% others
S$25/ month
S$2,408-S$77,040
NoneNone
S$6,420-S$38,520
What specialized spending cards do I need?Dining, online spending, shopping, overseas purchases, contactless and petrol are the main categories that attract points bonuses
UOB Visa
Signature
HSBC
Advance
DBS Woman’s
WorldUOB PPV
Citibank
Rewards
Maybank
Horizon
HSBC
Revolution
OCBC
Titanium
Rewards
Dining
4 mpd
3.2 mpd
2 mpd
Online
4 mpd
4 mpd
4 mpd
4 mpd
4 mpd
4 mpd
Shopping (Offline)
4 mpd
4 mpd
Overseas
(General)
4 mpd^
Contactless
4 mpd
4 mpd
Petrol
4 mpd
3.2 mpd
Caps
Max $2,000 per
statement period,
min $1,000
none$2,000 per
month$24,000 a year $12,000 a year none none $12,000 a year
^Online transactions in Singapore Dollars or in foreign currencies at merchants with payment gateway in Singapore will earn 0.4 mpd
*Not all bonus categories are featured. DBS Woman’s World Card, for example, offers a bonus of 1.2 miles per $1 on overseas spending (vs the usual 0.4 rate). This has not been featured
because there exist much superior cards offering 2.0/2.4 miles per $1 on overseas spending eg Citibank Premiermiles /UOB PRVI
Recommended Bonus Categories by Card*
What general spending cards do I need?General spending cards are for use in any situation where specialized earning opportunities are not available
DBS
Altitude
Citibank
Premier
Miles
ANZ Travel
Card
AMEX
Krisflyer
Ascend
UOB PRVI
Miles
OCBC
Voyage
HSBC
Visa Infinite
SCB
Visa Infinite
Maybank
Visa Infinite
Types AMEX, Visa AMEX, Visa Visa AMEXAMEX, Visa,
MCVisa Visa Visa Visa
Local Spend 1.2 1.2/1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.0
1 (1.25 if spend
>$50K in prev
year)
1 (1.4 if spend
>$2K p.m)1.2
Overseas
spend2.0 2.0
1.4 (2.8 if
Australia/ NZ)
1.2 (2.0 during
June/ Dec)2.4 2.3
2 (2.25 if spend
>$50K in prev
year)
1 (3.0 if spend
>$2K p.m)2.0
Other
Bonuses
3- Airlines +
Online Hotel
Bookings
N/A N/A 2- SQ/MI6- Expedia +
UOB Travel2.3- Dining N/A N/A N/A
Annual Fee
(Renewal
Miles)
S$192.60
(10,000)
S$192.60
(10,000)S$200 (10,000)
S$337.05
(None)
S$256.80
(None- waived
and 20,000
miles if annual
spending
>$50K)
S$488 (15,000)
OR S$3,210
(150,000)
S$488 (30,000)S$588.50
(35,000)
S$600
(None)
Minimum
IncomeS$30K S$50K S$50K S$50K S$80K S$120K S$120K S$150K S$150K
Major Miles Earning Cards in Singapore, by Income Requirement
Also consider- card benefits (limo/lounge/concierge)
What are the different types of rewards?Unlike debit cards, credit cards offer rewards programs. These rewards programs can be broadly classified into fixed and variable rebates
Credit Cards
Fixed Rebates
(Cashback)
Variable Rebates
(Miles & Points)
Debit Cards
No Rewards
Target
Audience
Students, individuals with annual income <$30K,
retirees
Pros
Cons
No chance of overspending and accumulating
card debt
Non-existent rewards program
Low spending individuals who prefer
cash in hand
“Captive” currency subject to devaluation
Examples
Cashback subject to minimum spend and
capped at low levels
High spending individuals who prefer travel as a
reward
No substitute for cash
DescriptionDraws funds directly from your bank account to
settle bills in full at time of transaction
Returns a certain % of spending back to you
in the form of a cash rebate on your credit
card statement
Awards points based on spending which can be
converted into miles or other rewards (eg shopping
vouchers)
No cap on points earned, higher potential rebate
than cashback
Potential
Rebate0% 1-5% 1-12%*
*Potential rebate for variable rebates card assumes a valuation of up to 3 cents per mile and an earn rate of 4 miles per $1, see section on valuation of a mile
What else do I need to know about cards?Banks differ in their earning blocks, conversion fees, minimum conversion and expiry
DBS UOB OCBC Citibank ANZ Maybank SCB HSBC
Earning Blocks $5 $5 $1 $1 $1 $1 $1 $1
Conversion Fee $25 $25 $25 $25 $25 $26.75 $26.75 $42.80
Paid Per transfer1 Per transfer Per transfer Per transfer Per transfer Per transfer Per transfer Per Year
Minimum
Conversion10,000 10,000 1,000 500
5,000 (KF),
2,000 (AM)2,000 1,000 5,000
ExpiryNone for Altitude, 1
year for others2 Years
None for Voyage
Miles, 5 years
for others
None for
Premier miles, 5
years for others
5 Years
None for
Rewards Infinite
members, 1 year
for others
None for Visa
Infinite3 Years
Key Information on Credit Cards, by Bank
THANK YOU
32
for attending “ T O P T I P S F O R E A R N I N G A I R M I L E S ”
CONGRATULATIONS!
Simply by attending this session live you have EARNED TWO BONUS PRIZE ENTRIES
in the iPaymy Maldives Holiday Prize Promotion.
Want to increase your chances of winning? See next page for details.
See full details, terms and conditions on the prize website.
*To qualify for additional prize entries the email address registered for each activity must be the same.
Win a luxurious getaway here!
WIN A TR I P TO THE MALD IVES WITH
INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING!!EARN UP TO 10 HOLIDAY PRIZE ENTRIES THIS DECEMBER BY:
33
See full details, terms and conditions on the prize website.
*To qualify for additional prize entries the email address registered for each activity must be the same.
EARN AN EXTRA ACTION REQUIRED WHERE TIMELINE
1 prize entry See the Maldives Holiday prize details &ENTER the PRIZE DRAW OFFICIALLY
Maldives Holiday Prize page
By 31 December 2016
2 prize entries Attend Information Session 2: “TOP TIPS FOR REDEEMING AIR MILES”
Learn from The MileLion about Frequent Flyer programsand how to get the best value when redeeming air miles.
Registration page 8 December(this Thursday)
5 prize entries Make a successful Rental Payment over $1,500 via www.iPaymy.com
www.iPaymy.com By 31 December 2016
EARN AIR MILES WITH iPaymy has built solutions to enable you to convert your expenses into rewards.
One of the solutions is a platform that provides a suite of services for tenants, agents & landlords.
Through this platform tenants can pay rent & other expenses in Singapore on their credit card to earn huge air miles.
• Pay rental expenses in Singapore using iPaymy.com in “My Properties”
• Make “Other Payments” including:
• Education expenses - school fees, transport fees & Extra Curricula Activities (ECA)
• Condo Management Fees - Rental Security & Good Faith Rental Deposits
• Trade Services - air con servicing, plumber, handyman services
• Supplier payments – ideal for a variety of other supplier payments.
Other helpful services:
• “My Alerts” - set reminders to keep you organised (never forget air conditioner servicing again!)
• “My Documents” - protect your rental deposit with transparent storage of important documents & images.
Additional information:
• iPaymy.com charges a 2.6% software licensing fee on payments made by credit cards.
• Please allow 5 business days for payment to be processed. Refer to our FAQs for more details. 34
TOP TIPS FOR EARNING AIR MILESA SPECIAL PRESENTATION
5 DEC 2016
© The Milelion, All Rights Reserved. No portion of the content herein may be used or reproduced without the prior written consent of The Milelion
www.milelion.com | [email protected] | Slide design by June Fong35
