I’m going to tip-toe into the subject that blew up the blogosphere on Sunday/Monday. You won’t find the next big thing in these comments, but will find a reiteration of what I’ve been saying for a long time. Just a little history at a very high level:
- Sometime Sunday (as far as I can tell), news hit the interweb of a potential major devaluation of BA Avios based on an award chart posted by Iberia
- The world lights up
- Many trips were booked (I hope so after all that noise)
- Turns out that Iberia just made public an award chart that had been unpublished
- A sense of calm ensues, and the world is declared right again
For the record, I have no idea if BA is going to change anything with Avios or not. I do have my doubts that 4,500 point one-way short haul awards (a sweet spot that has literally saved me thousands of dollars) are going to last forever, but that’s neither here nor there. What I do know is that along with death and taxes, a certainty in life is that the value of miles and points will not remain the same forever. I’d be lying if I told you that I don’t have an aspirational redemption or two in mind over the next year or so, and the points sitting in my pocket to pay for them when I am ready. That said, in general, I am burning miles and points the moment I can find a use for them that does not involve a toaster or new iPad.
Miles and points are easy enough to earn for now, and while I can’t deny that I like my miles, I try not to be overly emotional about them. Now, more than ever, don’t hoard, burn ’em. It’ll make the inevitable shocks to the system like the recent Avios scare a lot more tolerable, and probably save you a few bucks on your travels too. YMMV.
-MJ, August 26, 2014
