Welcome to The Morning Shave. We read a ton of travel articles each day for our personal research and to share the best travel tips and tricks with you. Here are the articles for Thursday, April 23, 2020, that we think you should read.
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10 Mythical Places That Really Exist. – While I’m stuck at home, it’s fun to dream about visiting incredible destinations that come straight out of fantasies and fairy tales. Which of these is your favorite?
How To Support Local Restaurants While Earning Miles, Points And Cash Back. – Local restaurants and small business owners need our support. If you can afford to, order takeout or delivery from a local restaurant a couple of times a week. And follow these simple steps to maximize the rewards that you’ll earn on the purchase. Then be sure to give them a positive review to help other customers find them!
Travel + The Great Credit Card Points Bubble Has Popped. – We are going to see numerous changes out of the banking and travel rewards world as we work through coronavirus and its effects on the way we travel. Businesses will travel less as they realize technology is a gamechanger. Banks are in hunker-down mode with credit apps and will be cutting more credit lines soon to reduce their exposure. And, unfortunately, some of the blogs that you love reading today will be gone in six months because there’s no money in it for them.
The world is changing… and it is our job to continue to be flexible and change with the world. There will be opportunities for those of us who keep their credit score high and minimize debt. If you have debt, take steps now to eliminate or reduce it through balance transfer offers, side hustles, and selling unused items around your home.
These Dining Gift Cards Increase in Value Over Time, so You’ll Have More Money to Spend Once Restaurants and Bars Reopen. – What a novel marketing ploy. It’s a take on the war bonds that America sold during WW2. But, for those of us accustomed to buying discounted gift cards from Costco and on sale at Staples, Amazon, and grocery stores, we’re already used to the concept. For example, you’re buying a $100 gift certificate for $80, which is a nice 20% savings for you. You’ll get a great meal sometime in the future, while the restaurant gets a much-needed cash infusion today.
American Thinks Now is the Perfect Time to Raise Checked Baggage Fees. – I don’t know who thought that now was a good time to raise checked bag fees, but they need to be fired or demoted. First off, very few people are traveling right now. And when they do start traveling again, nothing will upset customers more than higher fees. Plus, American Airlines just got a huge infusion of cash from the U.S. government (aka taxpayers, which is also us) to ensure that that they stay in business.
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While I like the idea of helping restaurants and hotels with these new “bonds”, I’m extremely unenthusiastic about fronting any high-risk industries money right now. I actually emailed the Edison in NYC about bonds and got some “truthful” and some sidestepping answers from them….think resort fees, fluctuating pricing, bankruptcy etc. As much as I’d like to see everyone survive, the reality is many will not. I’d just assume they not take my investment with them.
I hear you, Chris. It is definitely a gamble to front the money in this way for these restaurants. Unfortunately, some won’t make it. On the plus side, if enough people support them, it is more likely that they will. So, it is a bit of a Catch-22 situation. If you love a restaurant or have always wanted to eat there, and can spare the money, it is a good karma type of thing to do. Even if you are never able to cash in on the “bond.” Thanks for reading.