Are there any decent rewards programs left?Is grinding still a thing?I assume direct hotel chains is the best in current year if you spend a lot.Once upon a time could pay Sydney rent for a house of 5 with a points card and got a few euro trips out of it. Flatmate was pissed when he found out years later thats how I paid for all that, one was in business class.These aggregator websites suck balls and I never expected much back but holyfuck stop telling me I'm some diamond member because I spend huge amounts and then make me waste 30 mins with a bot trying to get in contact with support>racist twitterbot improves your generalThe Points Guy (best overall hub for news, valuations, guides): https://thepointsguy.com/Ultimate beginner guide section: https://thepointsguy.com/guides/points-101/Best travel cards: https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/travelNerdWallet travel rewards rankings 2026: https://www.nerdwallet.com/travel/learn/travel-loyalty-program-reviews(Atmos Rewards top airline, Hyatt top hotel)Frequent Miler (deep dives, award charts, tools): https://frequentmiler.com/One Mile at a Time (hotel status strategies, reviews): https://onemileatatime.com/>Hotel Points ProgramsWorld of Hyatt — Highest point value, great upgrades/Globalist perksMarriott Bonvoy — Massive footprint, but devals hit hardHilton Honors — Easy Diamond via cards, free breakfast
Points are good to keep an airline status upgraded or going for free, the benefits of a higher status for lounge access, seat upgrades from the cheapo seat to business or the like, free bags checked, free rebooking, etc. I check skyscanner vs booking through my CC's site always since yeah taking a cheapo flight on airasia might not be the most ideal, but if it's spending 150 dollars to go from TYO to DMK vs. 275 on JAL; the "getting points" shit doesn't matter compared to the cost savings.Hotels, use a good airlines point cards if you can get bonuses worth a damn. It's always best to just shop around for a good deal vs. stick to the promoted chains for "points". Usually I book on booking.com/hotels.com depending on the deal->pay with a points card->have freebie points from the site as a way to double dip.
>>2862200TPG sucks. Just go to milesfeed to stay on top of general changes.
Hyatt perks are pretty lame compared to the others.
>Are there any decent rewards programs left?Yes, but YMMV depending on your use and what you like>Is grinding still a thing?Mileage runs and mattress runs were the original way of manufacturing points and miles before the advent of credit cards>The Points GuyBank sales channel, the blog. Everything is sale first, information about anything is purely a byproduct.>Frequent MilerTwo scumbags that literally steal from FlyerTalk for material>One Mile at a TimeFlaming faggot that got lifetime banned from UA from scamming them for cancellations, now works as 2nd tier shillPoints and miles are what YOU make of it. Don't let any other piece of shit shill blogger (that's all of them) tell you how to enjoy what you like.
>>2862205The main issue I face is whether it's actually worth it to be loyal to some bigcorpIf they pay me, sure.Scoot is possibly the best value for money on earth for an airline in their premium economy 787 offering but the points are a token consolation prize when you buy it compared to a basic economy Singapore irlines fare. Not sure if any are worth it compared to just buying the cheapest for the routeAir points devalue so quick also if you want to save up and do a long haul with them.
>>2862200>AgodaBooked once through this (by accident) and my reservation got cancelled, fucking trash
