In the 60's an airline ticket used to cost a month's average salary. Now you can fly for a few days' salary. You can still have that 1960's glamour... if you pay $3,000 for a ticket instead of $150
Uh, remember how much a VCR cost when it first came out? It was expensive! I'm sure flights were the same way. You cannot justify a charge that high for a flight now.
Harold Wagner well VCR and other products become cheaper because more people buy them each year and that allows companies to ask for a lower selling point. Smartphones were considered the ultimate luxury and now everyone has them. Flights however have a ton of regulations and training. These cost money and cutting corners on a huge box flaying through the sky isn’t exactly safe. Most people don’t fly as well. Even in a massive country like America many people choose to drive cross country rather than fly if they don’t have to.
@@thomashothersall859 Oh.. Now I'm wondering how tf ppl got to thinking that they're meant for sleeping Cuz in my expirience they're uncomfortable no matter what the use is
Whoa, they got Erin Chokeabitch to appear on their show. Guess Amir's tip to save us time, money, and effort-and did I mention c-c-c-c-caaaaaaaaaaash-really saved them a lot.
@Walter how bad are the pilots there? I use Ryanair a lot and the only bad landing was in a day with a massive Fog, and was just a harsher landing, nothing too bad -----
It all boils down to this: nobody is giving out free money. Any "rewards" they offer are being paid by someone. And as the only consumer involved in the whole system, that someone is you. You are the only source of money entering the system. It doesn't flow the other way.
@@KRYMauL So you get a small percentage of the money spent to travel, as opposed to just getting paid more to not go to that huge amount of trouble. And not even money, "rewards" which can only be redeemed in certain ways, which you may not be able to use. As opposed to money.
@@elbruces No, travel for business. As in use ask your company if you can book with your airline or hotel chain of choice and redeem your points on your 2-week vacation perhaps you could even use sick days and take a whole month to travel.
If you pay your bill in full on time every month, you're not the source of income. Unfortunately, some other guy is who doesn't or can't afford to pay their balance in full. But if you pay in full every month, aside from the possible annual fee, credit cards aren't making money off you.
@@KRYMauL Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Their decision. That's how they make money off of people who think they're making money off of them. The house always wins. The total amount of money they take in from their consumer base is greater than what they give out. Otherwise they wouldn't do it.
Bluecore or if it is too cheap (Ryanair) they will advertise their magazine deals every 10mins for the whole flight so if u have headphones on you think they are making an important announcement when they are just advertising and if u don't have headphones on you can't sleep. Even worse, they never have said magazine on their planes or the menus so u don't know what there is to buy so they repeatably tell you to download their trash app before take off while simultaneously telling you to turn mobile devices off
They'll offer you more money than the flight is worth and/or an additional ticket to get off before politely asking you to get off (in which you still receive money and later flight) before finally removing you forcefully if you refuse. The alternative is buying a more expensive ticket to prevent that. I'm happy trading that possibility (that usually never even happens) for a cheaper ticket price every time I fly. If you find that to be an unfair practice, it's easy to avoid by buying a higher class ticket.
@@christopherlegg6200 If you don't want to be mortally wounded, a brutally forceful removal of your paid for seat, just spend more money on a more expensive seat. Either that, or accept the last minute change of date flight. It's not like people plan their flights months in advance, paying for hotels and ubers to help them get there. It's okay though; the airline will "reimburse" you your troubles. I'm glad this is now considered valued reasoning. As if customer hospitality is at such an all-time low, where this practice is acceptable in the eyes of "consumers". Consumers in airquotes, as I doubt anyone who isn't a paid shill would agree with you.
@@BluecoreG You'll never be mortally wounded (I assume you're referring to the doctor who was asked several times and offered compensation just as many times to exit) if you comply with their rules. Part of the reason we have such cheap airfare (estimated to be around 50% of the cost of 30-40 years ago) is overbooking. In addition, them having to kick someone off is rare, usually someone is willing to take the free flight + compensation money. Now, luckily, you don't have to be rich to take a flight like you did in the 1950s through 80s. Other reasons, such as technology, and interest as well contribute to the reduced cost (so as to not have you try to steer the conversation in that direction).
@@BluecoreG Now if you want to make the claim that their rules are a bit too strict and we should have a law against overbooking, that's understandable. But the laws we have in place now regarding compensation, etc. are I think perfectly suited to passengers almost never being nuisanced, the airlines making profits, and the passenger having a reliable method of transport.
Airline: "Were revoking your miles, we got you" Amir: "That's not getting me! How is stealing money getting me?!" I hope some og college humor fans get this refrence
@@anonymousanonymous7593 He needed the points, he wanted the miles and he could have really used the trips. Points, miles, trips. Points, miles. Miles. Miles?!
Honestly, if you pay off your credit card and you actually use the points, then you can still get a good return. I didn't like the point regarding the price increases of products due to the credit card surcharge. It's now a sunk cost---it's too late---so you might as well get something out of it instead of nothing. You're paying for it regardless. Just calculate it out. Find out how much each point is worth. Find out how many points you'd earn with how much you spend. Then find your Return on Investment (ROI) and then compare that ROI with other cards. (Just make sure to quantify the risk, as well because things like the point value can change) Sometimes the right credit card is the Frequent Flyer Miles card.
That's they key though, actually paying your credit card on time before incurring interest, and using the points before they change. Most people don't take the time to pay attention to the rules, or when the point values change, so the banks and airlines make a ton of money off ignorance and confusion. Those who track their points and ROI can save some money, but that takes more dedication.
Yeah, that's sort of crucial and I felt that point was lost a bit. Credit cards are ALWAYS a bad deal unless you pay them off in full every month. (Rumor says that companies sometimes refer to people who do this as 'deadbeats', because they aren't very profitable, but I haven't been able to source this from any reliable place so that might just be a rumor.)
@@elizabethsullivan1894 You have rich privilege. Sometimes you have a hard time finding a job and don't have money and still need stuff, like say food, interview clothes, bus tickets to go to the interviews, etc. Better to pay interest on credit cards then die.
Thing is, you definitely can game the system if you pay attention to the details of your specific program, never carry a balance (I struggle with this myself, though I also dont have any high interest cards with flight rewards), and frequent flyer miles in particular require that you fly frequently. The way I see it, these programs are only really worthwhile for people who fly VERY frequently for work. For everyone else, its a lot of effort for something you probably will never get to cash in on. The same is true for most rewards programs, whether they are tied to a credit card or not. they are only really worth it if you are going to be spending a lot of money at the given business on a regular basis. otherwise many programs have them expire, or change their value long before you could build up enough to cash in.
Solution to never wanting to carry a credit card balance: 1. Create and follow a budget. 2. Set up automatic monthly statement balance payments. Optional: 3. For psychological reasons, treat your credit card like an anti-checking account. Whatever your credit card balance is, subtract that from your checking account balance, and whatever remains is your "true" dollar amount in your checking account.
I love that the character Tevin is still just Amir Valerie Blumenfeld but an upscale version of him wearing nice clothes that the hasn't shit himself in, and not having an addiction to expired milk and chicken nuggets. He's probably still using those miles to see jake (against his will) though
Sorry to ruin it for you, but credit cards rewards are great if you pay your balance in full and choose a reward program that works for you (cashback is usually the best options, otherwise miles that you can redeem on any travel purchase or gift cards from major stores that you actually shop at). Other wise it is true that frequent flyer programs aren't that good unless you travel by plane multiple times a year and you can still get the miles while shopping for the cheapest flight. The miles earned are always less that the savings from shopping around.
I mean tbf: Adam does sort of briefly mentions it when talking about paying cash. Credit Card Reward Programs are "paid for" by transactor fees (aka fee that the Credit Card makes the MERCHANT pay on every transaction). This is usually some percentage from 2-5% of the purchase amount. In turn, a lot of those fees are then passed onto the consumer by the merchant raising prices to continue to make a profit on that good after those fees. Admittedly, that does still incentivize getting a good reward credit card to take advantage of a program, since the cost is already "paid for".
I love Adam’s show, but I have a couple of issues with this one: * credit card issuers charge processing fees to sellers for everything, whether or not it’s an airline card. Banks also charge for processing debit cards, checks carry risk of bouncing, and even cash imposes costs to sellers (counting, depositing - especially if armoured truck services are needed). So blaming this on FF miles isn’t entirely correct. The card companies also have to maintain gigantic international data networks to process transactions. * There is a way to “game the system”, just not anywhere nearly as much as some would have you believe. Buy the cheapest ticket for the services you need (particularly baggage), pay with the lowest-interest card you have (or use a debit card), and treat the miles as a small bonus. And keep an eye on expiration dates, if you have a good-sized balance you can reset the clock on it by making a single purchase through the airline’s shopping portal - just buy something you’d buy anyway. And some miles never expire (at least for now.) How about a video on “resort fees” at hotels? There’s an even bigger ripoff.
@@davidsnellgrove1946 They are still a bad value because they can change how much the points are worth at anytime. Cash back is more concrete and the way to go.
That's why I looked into the comments section actually, just to confirm and I'm happy bout the answer!... No but seriously why didn't they put his name in the description...
The argument that frequent flier cards cost you money is basically just because people carry credit card debt and that's expensive. If you're just responsible and don't carry credit card debt, then the argument is invalid.
Notice how he mentioned carrying a balance. Credit card rewards are profitable if you never carry a balance, and you only buy what you would have with cash. Graham Stephens has a list of great starter cards, and isn't payed to promote the cards. (Though he wants Ally Bank to sponsor him)
1. If you were going to use a credit card no matter what, might as well get frequent flyer miles or some other points. 2. If you're not paying off , or most, your bill in full each month, you're doing it wrong already. Be responsible and FF miles are totally worth it. Sorry Adam.
Yes, but these systems are designed maliciously to exploit the vulnerable. You gain because other people lose, and you are able to gain because you are more able than they are. It's not fundamentally different than people who scam the senile out of their money, it's just deferred and more bureaucratic.
@@seigeengine It's maybe a cultural thing, but in this side of the pond (Europe), if you are troubled financially, the first thing you do is to broke/hide/suspend/etc. your credit card. And belive me, I'm nowhere near even the middle class.
@@seigeengine Well, you sure didn't understand mine. If I am getting more dept in credit card, then I can pay back until it's without extra cost (interest, fees, etc.), I'm stupid, not vulnerable. If I'm that vulnerable, I wouldn't even ask for a credit card. You know, exactly because I am vulnerable.
As long as you pay off your credit card bills on time like a responsible person, you are not paying anymore for these rewards than for someone paying cash. Frequent flyer miles can be a good way to save some money when you find airline's award spaces but if all else fails, you could always redeem them for giftcards anytime with no restrictions.
Same in rental car. I worked for National car rental, this was at least 20 years ago. Stated clearly in contract that rules and perks could change at anytime and they did. Saved up your coupons rule 3 says this "lifetime rewards" coupons could be voided at anytime for any reason and it often was. We'd get morning emails that certain rewards no longer valid. People we talked to the day before no suddenly paying 30% more for a car. Just to be clear if reservation was already made it was still valid but yesterday was this price was X 20 hours later the price was Y.
Eh I always thought those miles are for people who have to fly constantly for work, they've been great for me with Delta... It was a way for airlines to compete with one another for the regular business of frequent flyers. You're not going to get anywhere just using some miles card for food. Most of the problems listed here apply to virtually every industry... pricing is affected by credit charges for just about anything you buy.
Also, as I found out recently, any "# of days/months to do ______" stuff on those cards counts by THE DAY THEY DECIDE TO APPROVE YOU. Even though you don't even know you are approved yet, and certainly don't have a working card yet. It's not from the beginning or end of a cycle. It's not from the day you receive or activate the card, even though the latter makes more sense and they want you to think it's the latter.
To be fair Amex charge cards has one of the best airlines rewards programs. You pay in full every month so you don’t have to worry about interest and you get to book airline right from their own travel page making it soo easy. I just paid $2000, for a trip that would’ve cost $6000, for my whole family to take a trip to India.
Well if your credit card gives you miles for all purchases made and you don't carry a balance, then yes you accumulate free miles, which don't expire with my airline, and you are getting a bonus reward for purchases you're going to make anyway. Not a ripoff.
@@PuppyTheTiny I don't pay fees on my credit cards, using that logic, my free checking account is because people are irresponsible and their overdraft fees pay for my checking account fees. Yes, this is how our economy works, it doesn't mean that the miles are a ripoff for the responsible consumer. They are free perks, you can use them or not.
Right, I use JetBlue and it's the same deal. They give me points because they want me to fly JetBlue again in the future instead of say, Alaskan Airlines. If I had 100 free miles in 20 different airlines, i couldnt really go anywhere with them. But if I consistently flyJetBlue, ill instead have 2000 miles and JetBlue will have all the money I spent accumulating that much. THAT'S what's in it for the airline. Now obv if you don't pay off your credit card then they get the interest, but I dont spend money I dont have so that's not a problem I ever run into. Its just free miles for me. (And they never expire at JetBlue)
My dad just bought flights to Europe and back for myself and my son. Original cost was $4,000.00 with flight points he had built up on his credit card, the cost went down to $1,900.00 I'd say that's beneficial
But than you would realize even more mistakes that are in every video..... because who does research for a winformative show anymore? Not this one atleast not for 3 years
I appreciate pointing out a lot of ways in which the airlines screw over their customers who try to bank mileage (devaluing of points, blackout dates, expiration dates of miles, etc.), but there still is some silver lining. An educated consumer can still game the system and come out ahead. The buyer should always beware, but frequent flyer mileage can still be leveraged by smart consumerism. Some of the points about credit cards are also too general to be applied specifically to frequent flyer miles, too. Regardless of what type of card you hold, you should always be smart about your purchases and not spend more than you can afford. While you'll always be vulnerable to things like credit card fraud, if you spend well within your means you can benefit from the rewards. The reality is that people who don't overspend and pay off their balances reap the rewards made possible by their credit card-holding peers who routinely pay interest and fees. One person cannot singlehandled change the system, but by acting within the system, that person can get a lot of rewards by not overspending, paying off balances timely, and knowing when and how to capitalize on the credit card's reward system.
This isn't ruining air miles. It's ruining the person using them. The important realization shouldn't be that airlines benefit from implementing them. It should be that most people are not smarter than average and will make mistakes that lose them money.
@@elbruces All CC companies charge transaction fees to the merchant. It’s part of the cost nowadays......you are still better off with a rewards CC over a regular CC (if you are disciplined to pay on time)
@@jonathandpg6115 "Rewards" is just a slight reduction on the purchase amount. It would be better for the consumer to lower the interest rate. Which is why they offer "rewards" instead.
I usually search the cheapest flight, sign up for that airline’s frequent flyer program and then book my flight, most of the times, the cheapest flight is restricted between those same 2-3 airlines, so even by taking 10-15 round trips an year I’m able to get a free flight.
Yes, leave out the very important "but ifs...". Buy everything with your credit card, but never spend more than you have (and of course, pay off your credit card debt before the interests kicks in) and you can actually exploit the rewards and save some money.
If you completely pay your credit card balance off every period, then miles are fine. At least with Delta. I've never had any issues. And if we're still paying for them via credit card fees/surcharges, I'd rather get miles for it than not get miles. This episode is trying too hard.
Well - for those of us who do actually understand the system (and always pay off our credit card bills) the whole miles and points system is actually quite rewarding.
I've flown business class and first class multiple times over the last 8 months using miles and i'm only a student. It can be done, but you definitely gotta know the system
That 2% charge for credit cards is beeswax. My local diner has a sign outside that if you use a card, you get a 2% tax ontop of the bill, but if you pay cash, you don't. And funnily enough, an ATM right at the entrance. It's their way of getting that dumb sure charge taken care of, without having to increase the price of everything for everybody
@@Latte_Feline no. No they’re not. Don’t fly delta, they punish their good employees. Can’t say more without ranting because it still pisses me off to this day what happened quietly to my dad.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Next he’s gonna say nook miles are a Scam
Sam banana Gamer God damn nook, always ruining everything.
@@bobjoe1832 First,my rent, now, my Nook Miles! Darn Nook
I was just thinking this
I have worked with one of America's top rated credit card companies for 6 years and I approve everything Adam says.
Never leave home without us. 😉
What? When did Adam endorse credit cards lol
@@GreatJinjonator he didnt, that guy is just trying to ilude idiots xD
just because (if you can) which one?
@@ThatOnionispog American Express. Their slogan was “Never leave home without it”
In the 60's an airline ticket used to cost a month's average salary. Now you can fly for a few days' salary. You can still have that 1960's glamour... if you pay $3,000 for a ticket instead of $150
Doctor Medkit that’s what people don’t realize. Without these programs, people would never be able to fly, and that would ruin our economy
Uh, remember how much a VCR cost when it first came out? It was expensive! I'm sure flights were the same way. You cannot justify a charge that high for a flight now.
@@matthewgupta1404 Don't think about the economy, think about the ecology!
Harold Wagner well VCR and other products become cheaper because more people buy them each year and that allows companies to ask for a lower selling point. Smartphones were considered the ultimate luxury and now everyone has them. Flights however have a ton of regulations and training. These cost money and cutting corners on a huge box flaying through the sky isn’t exactly safe. Most people don’t fly as well. Even in a massive country like America many people choose to drive cross country rather than fly if they don’t have to.
Frankfurt to Mallorca ( popular Spanish holiday island) cost you about 15€-60€ if you book in advance
Why didn’t Adam ruin the neck pillow?
*They. aren’t. meant. for. sleeping.*
There not?????
@yana the silly witch They Aren’t, some of them actually say not to use them for sleeping
WHAT ARE THEY FOR THEN!?
Henry Tang they were originally prescribed by chiropractors to help with neck pain
@@thomashothersall859 Oh.. Now I'm wondering how tf ppl got to thinking that they're meant for sleeping
Cuz in my expirience they're uncomfortable no matter what the use is
Whoa, they got Erin Chokeabitch to appear on their show. Guess Amir's tip to save us time, money, and effort-and did I mention c-c-c-c-caaaaaaaaaaash-really saved them a lot.
Cash money, ain't nothing funny
This guy knows
You did when you said money.
Get up. I'm gonna fight you
@@Mop19 Esquire! Sir! With all due respect, that pilot touched me!!
*crosses fingers and winks*
“Just buy a ticket at the cheapest airline”
Ryanair, the ticket is cheap but the plane is extra
No it’s more like:
The ticket is cheap, surviving the trip is not included
Allegiant: If we actually make it to our stop, you get a free ticket.
Ew ryanair
@Walter how bad are the pilots there? I use Ryanair a lot and the only bad landing was in a day with a massive Fog, and was just a harsher landing, nothing too bad -----
Don’t fly cheap, your lives are at stake
It all boils down to this: nobody is giving out free money. Any "rewards" they offer are being paid by someone. And as the only consumer involved in the whole system, that someone is you. You are the only source of money entering the system. It doesn't flow the other way.
So, ask your business to send you on travel trips.
@@KRYMauL
So you get a small percentage of the money spent to travel, as opposed to just getting paid more to not go to that huge amount of trouble. And not even money, "rewards" which can only be redeemed in certain ways, which you may not be able to use. As opposed to money.
@@elbruces No, travel for business. As in use ask your company if you can book with your airline or hotel chain of choice and redeem your points on your 2-week vacation perhaps you could even use sick days and take a whole month to travel.
If you pay your bill in full on time every month, you're not the source of income. Unfortunately, some other guy is who doesn't or can't afford to pay their balance in full. But if you pay in full every month, aside from the possible annual fee, credit cards aren't making money off you.
@@KRYMauL
Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Their decision. That's how they make money off of people who think they're making money off of them. The house always wins.
The total amount of money they take in from their consumer base is greater than what they give out. Otherwise they wouldn't do it.
Americans: They took half of my points away
Me: *Laughs in Canadian*
*laughs in ferry*
Ok inferior dollar
*Laughs in anywhere but america since america is shit*
@@33s60 yet they're considered a powerful country. The sadness of the world.....
Hahhaaha, as if non corporate Americans can afford to fly around in this economy...
*Laughing turning into sobbing*
Wanna hear a joke?
United Airlines
Bro i got another one.... Berlin Airport
What's up with that?
Wanna hear a joke?
Ah... i... i dont have one....
Wanna hear another? American healthcare XD
wanna hear a funnier joke? frontier airlines
Coming from someone learning to fly: there is a 99% chance something on your airplane is broken during the flight
um...
😬
Well of course. That's like saying any vehicle even being brand new doesn't have anything wrong. It's just unrealistic expectations.
Wow thank you
Im in the airport...welp
To be fair, Amir wanted the points, needed the miles and coulda really used the trip.
spicymemestealer that’s why he took a pilots wings
spicymemestealer I think this may have been stolen from FF8 Fan Novel. But I can’t tell cause the comments are a year ago
Miles? MILES?!?!?
@@dogshakemy name is Jake
Unless Jake is there to act crazy for him, I don’t like seeing Amir act normal!
4:35
Get cheap, but not too cheap or else the airline employees may drag you out of the plane in a body bag if the flight is overbooked.
Bluecore or if it is too cheap (Ryanair) they will advertise their magazine deals every 10mins for the whole flight so if u have headphones on you think they are making an important announcement when they are just advertising and if u don't have headphones on you can't sleep. Even worse, they never have said magazine on their planes or the menus so u don't know what there is to buy so they repeatably tell you to download their trash app before take off while simultaneously telling you to turn mobile devices off
They'll offer you more money than the flight is worth and/or an additional ticket to get off before politely asking you to get off (in which you still receive money and later flight) before finally removing you forcefully if you refuse. The alternative is buying a more expensive ticket to prevent that. I'm happy trading that possibility (that usually never even happens) for a cheaper ticket price every time I fly. If you find that to be an unfair practice, it's easy to avoid by buying a higher class ticket.
@@christopherlegg6200 If you don't want to be mortally wounded, a brutally forceful removal of your paid for seat, just spend more money on a more expensive seat.
Either that, or accept the last minute change of date flight. It's not like people plan their flights months in advance, paying for hotels and ubers to help them get there. It's okay though; the airline will "reimburse" you your troubles.
I'm glad this is now considered valued reasoning. As if customer hospitality is at such an all-time low, where this practice is acceptable in the eyes of "consumers".
Consumers in airquotes, as I doubt anyone who isn't a paid shill would agree with you.
@@BluecoreG You'll never be mortally wounded (I assume you're referring to the doctor who was asked several times and offered compensation just as many times to exit) if you comply with their rules. Part of the reason we have such cheap airfare (estimated to be around 50% of the cost of 30-40 years ago) is overbooking. In addition, them having to kick someone off is rare, usually someone is willing to take the free flight + compensation money. Now, luckily, you don't have to be rich to take a flight like you did in the 1950s through 80s. Other reasons, such as technology, and interest as well contribute to the reduced cost (so as to not have you try to steer the conversation in that direction).
@@BluecoreG Now if you want to make the claim that their rules are a bit too strict and we should have a law against overbooking, that's understandable. But the laws we have in place now regarding compensation, etc. are I think perfectly suited to passengers almost never being nuisanced, the airlines making profits, and the passenger having a reliable method of transport.
Airline: "Were revoking your miles, we got you"
Amir: "That's not getting me! How is stealing money getting me?!"
I hope some og college humor fans get this refrence
"Embarrassing me in front of others is getting me?"
Lol nice callback
Aneal!!!
“How is this possible?!” Collegehumor is fucking trash now
A video with Adam and Amir in 2018? My life is complete
Don't forget Josh (though just a few seconds with this clip)
doesnt take much to complete your life
Winter is coming hahaha
I didn't see it until 2019. I'm not sure how I can live with myself.
And Flula!
The Adam Ruins Everything series can be summed up in a couple words:
“This, this is good, but turned bad because capitalism”
True
More like corporatism
@@mauz791 At what point does capitalism turn into corporatism?
CitizenFoffie wherever tf we are
@@citizenfoffie7605 When you have the State protecting the companies that they like (read give them money).
"the rewards dude blog" = The Points Guy (Entire website about selling cards at any price haha)
Sounds like an episode of Geography with Toycat
what!!!!!! you are here too. One cuestion do you like Adam Ruins Every thing
You name familiar
ibxtoycat hello
Omg
After amir got sewed in Airline Scam, he tried a new strategy...
Who needs to fly to other locations
WHEN WE HAVE VR
Or LSD.
Who needs to have vr
WHEN YOU HAVE A BOOK
Wait... its not that good...
Sad
So I can eat pasta in italy, walk down time square in NY, or marvel at machi pichu in peru all without leaving my house???????
@@EinkOLED yep
This Is Adam ruins credit cards AND flying
why does Amir need miles when he has his foolproof plan to save time, money effort, and of course c-c-c-c-caaaaaaaaaaaaaash
why does AxxL need two girlfriends? because he can
Hey, don't know what are you talking about. Is it a commercial? a sketch? I missed it. Can you give me a link please?
@@chaitrains-b9h ty good sir, not all heros wear caps.
It doesn't save time or effort. It costs both of those things.
I... I think I have to fight you
I need the miles....
miles?
MILES!?
S theking nook miles
My name is jake!
Or Kilometers als we call the measurement of distance in the civilized world...
I love how Adam always makes me feel better about being poor
How did I just realize that he’s talking to Amir?!
Apparently nobody else noticed :,(
He spent like... a bad amount of money on his credit cards.
Bad credit card? Nahh. Bad you.
What's a bad amount of money?
@@cherryslat5702 Like, the worst amount.
I love the J&A references 😍
@@anonymousanonymous7593 He needed the points, he wanted the miles and he could have really used the trips.
Points, miles, trips.
Points, miles.
Miles.
Miles?!
@@ff8fannovel518 Honestly one of my favorite scenes from J&A hahaha. "Miles? Miles?! MILES"
3:27 woah, Flula Borg is in the video!
Alborz Bozorgi yeah
Honestly, if you pay off your credit card and you actually use the points, then you can still get a good return.
I didn't like the point regarding the price increases of products due to the credit card surcharge. It's now a sunk cost---it's too late---so you might as well get something out of it instead of nothing. You're paying for it regardless.
Just calculate it out. Find out how much each point is worth. Find out how many points you'd earn with how much you spend. Then find your Return on Investment (ROI) and then compare that ROI with other cards. (Just make sure to quantify the risk, as well because things like the point value can change)
Sometimes the right credit card is the Frequent Flyer Miles card.
That's they key though, actually paying your credit card on time before incurring interest, and using the points before they change. Most people don't take the time to pay attention to the rules, or when the point values change, so the banks and airlines make a ton of money off ignorance and confusion. Those who track their points and ROI can save some money, but that takes more dedication.
@@coherentpanda7115 ignorance is what makes it so easy for them to take advantage of people
Yeah, that's sort of crucial and I felt that point was lost a bit. Credit cards are ALWAYS a bad deal unless you pay them off in full every month. (Rumor says that companies sometimes refer to people who do this as 'deadbeats', because they aren't very profitable, but I haven't been able to source this from any reliable place so that might just be a rumor.)
Exactly. I feel like they should have hit that point of advice a little harder: PAY OFF YOUR CREDIT CARD EVERY MONTH!
@@elizabethsullivan1894 You have rich privilege. Sometimes you have a hard time finding a job and don't have money and still need stuff, like say food, interview clothes, bus tickets to go to the interviews, etc. Better to pay interest on credit cards then die.
Thing is, you definitely can game the system if you pay attention to the details of your specific program, never carry a balance (I struggle with this myself, though I also dont have any high interest cards with flight rewards), and frequent flyer miles in particular require that you fly frequently. The way I see it, these programs are only really worthwhile for people who fly VERY frequently for work. For everyone else, its a lot of effort for something you probably will never get to cash in on. The same is true for most rewards programs, whether they are tied to a credit card or not. they are only really worth it if you are going to be spending a lot of money at the given business on a regular basis. otherwise many programs have them expire, or change their value long before you could build up enough to cash in.
Solution to never wanting to carry a credit card balance:
1. Create and follow a budget.
2. Set up automatic monthly statement balance payments.
Optional:
3. For psychological reasons, treat your credit card like an anti-checking account. Whatever your credit card balance is, subtract that from your checking account balance, and whatever remains is your "true" dollar amount in your checking account.
At least they are learning their lesson in this pandemic.
Actually pilots and staff are suffering. Companies just keeping all profits and stopping their salaries!
I can definitely say this isn't the case, as stated. A majority of us actually got laid off or furloughed. Or we had to volunteer to leave
Our government bailed out the airlines so executives can make more money
Summer 2022 update: they did NOT learn their lesson. Guess who’s paying for it..
I love that the character Tevin is still just Amir Valerie Blumenfeld but an upscale version of him wearing nice clothes that the hasn't shit himself in, and not having an addiction to expired milk and chicken nuggets. He's probably still using those miles to see jake (against his will) though
“ Vibranium member.” 0-0. Didn’t know Wakanda dabbled in the credit and airline business
Maybe that's how Klaue gives everyone their cut
Well they gotta make it look like they aren’t rolling in future technology
Wakanda doesn't exist. It's really South Sudan.
Sorry to ruin it for you, but credit cards rewards are great if you pay your balance in full and choose a reward program that works for you (cashback is usually the best options, otherwise miles that you can redeem on any travel purchase or gift cards from major stores that you actually shop at).
Other wise it is true that frequent flyer programs aren't that good unless you travel by plane multiple times a year and you can still get the miles while shopping for the cheapest flight. The miles earned are always less that the savings from shopping around.
I mean tbf: Adam does sort of briefly mentions it when talking about paying cash. Credit Card Reward Programs are "paid for" by transactor fees (aka fee that the Credit Card makes the MERCHANT pay on every transaction). This is usually some percentage from 2-5% of the purchase amount. In turn, a lot of those fees are then passed onto the consumer by the merchant raising prices to continue to make a profit on that good after those fees. Admittedly, that does still incentivize getting a good reward credit card to take advantage of a program, since the cost is already "paid for".
Is this when Amir starts his airline scam?
I took a pilot's wings!
@@cherryslat5702 He wasn't fired, as it were, but he was definitely forced into an early retirement.
I love Adam’s show, but I have a couple of issues with this one:
* credit card issuers charge processing fees to sellers for everything, whether or not it’s an airline card. Banks also charge for processing debit cards, checks carry risk of bouncing, and even cash imposes costs to sellers (counting, depositing - especially if armoured truck services are needed). So blaming this on FF miles isn’t entirely correct. The card companies also have to maintain gigantic international data networks to process transactions.
* There is a way to “game the system”, just not anywhere nearly as much as some would have you believe. Buy the cheapest ticket for the services you need (particularly baggage), pay with the lowest-interest card you have (or use a debit card), and treat the miles as a small bonus. And keep an eye on expiration dates, if you have a good-sized balance you can reset the clock on it by making a single purchase through the airline’s shopping portal - just buy something you’d buy anyway. And some miles never expire (at least for now.)
How about a video on “resort fees” at hotels? There’s an even bigger ripoff.
Flula cameo!
dreaminginnoother right?? I did a double take
Hey, I guess I wasn't the only one to see that!
Yes!
Key line in this entire piece "Pay your bill on time" as in, pay your balance and the rewards are worth it.
Thank you for explaining this convoluted system
Anything that has a point system no shit you are getting ripped off compelty who falls for this stuff?
As long as you don't carry a balance on a credit card credit card points are good value
@@davidsnellgrove1946 They are still a bad value because they can change how much the points are worth at anytime. Cash back is more concrete and the way to go.
I love that Amir is in this video, when years and years ago he was in a "Jake and Amir" about airline scams xD
I’m a simple man, I see Amir, I click
I am going to show this to my friends are addicted to these programs. Brilliant!
Oh yes, daddy. Don't stop ruining meeeee
Bandit Raccoon lmao
*n o t h i n g i s s a f e*
Everything is gone!
Come on👺
Daddy all this ruining and I'll breaak
Adam makes an entire segment calling out The Point Guy but still cites his research at the 2:06 mark
Who could have predicted american businesses marketing convoluted lies? That *never* happens!
Yes abraham
@@jordanthomson7682 ... thank
Joe Lincoln I guess you
"Adam Ruins U.S. Federal Reserve Notes"
Money machine goes brrr
Who else only clicked because of Amir?
That's why I looked into the comments section actually, just to confirm and I'm happy bout the answer!... No but seriously why didn't they put his name in the description...
I would say no, but there is someone who did that. I hope your life is amazing, interwebs stranger.
but where is jake?
Delta is a lot more transparent
Their miles don't expire
Rule of thumb when using credit cards... "never chase points when you are revolving balance"
Avengers Infinity War: "We have every Marvel hero ever in this Film"
CollegeHumor:"Hold my beer"
V I B R A N I U M
The argument that frequent flier cards cost you money is basically just because people carry credit card debt and that's expensive. If you're just responsible and don't carry credit card debt, then the argument is invalid.
Most of these cards also carry an annual fee. You pay nearly a hundred bucks just to carry one.
We need to bring back the blimp.
(and build a massive high speed rail network)
Boogster Su the top of the Empire State Building was actually designed to dock blimps. It just isn’t used that way anymore
n u m t o t
Boogster Su 1. The hindenburg
2. That would be hideously expensive and even if a private company constructed it you’d still be paying tax to build it
blimps use helium now, not hydrogen. helium isnt flammable like hydrogen.
@@queencyrys6309 1. All the passengers survived.
2. May i see your calculations?
Notice how he mentioned carrying a balance. Credit card rewards are profitable if you never carry a balance, and you only buy what you would have with cash. Graham Stephens has a list of great starter cards, and isn't payed to promote the cards. (Though he wants Ally Bank to sponsor him)
1. If you were going to use a credit card no matter what, might as well get frequent flyer miles or some other points.
2. If you're not paying off , or most, your bill in full each month, you're doing it wrong already.
Be responsible and FF miles are totally worth it. Sorry Adam.
Yes, but these systems are designed maliciously to exploit the vulnerable. You gain because other people lose, and you are able to gain because you are more able than they are. It's not fundamentally different than people who scam the senile out of their money, it's just deferred and more bureaucratic.
@@seigeengine It's maybe a cultural thing, but in this side of the pond (Europe), if you are troubled financially, the first thing you do is to broke/hide/suspend/etc. your credit card. And belive me, I'm nowhere near even the middle class.
@@M4RV1NY0 Yes, those who aren't vulnerable might tend to do that. Wow, it's almost like you didn't understand my comment.
@@seigeengine Well, you sure didn't understand mine. If I am getting more dept in credit card, then I can pay back until it's without extra cost (interest, fees, etc.), I'm stupid, not vulnerable. If I'm that vulnerable, I wouldn't even ask for a credit card. You know, exactly because I am vulnerable.
@@seigeengine People lose because they spend more than they can pay back.... that's a human condition called greed noones fault but your own.
Yeah, it confuses airlines if you are not on a frequent flyer program. They don't know how to enter that.
I’m a simple man. I see Amir, I click like.
I like how accurate the posters on the windows are.
As long as you're responsible with your credit you'll be fine lmao
As long as you pay off your credit card bills on time like a responsible person, you are not paying anymore for these rewards than for someone paying cash. Frequent flyer miles can be a good way to save some money when you find airline's award spaces but if all else fails, you could always redeem them for giftcards anytime with no restrictions.
Finally someone addressed this scam
Who needs flyer miles
When we the magical magic of sleep
Well guess Covid-19 is biting back for all those "Missing" miles from my account.
Same in rental car. I worked for National car rental, this was at least 20 years ago. Stated clearly in contract that rules and perks could change at anytime and they did. Saved up your coupons rule 3 says this "lifetime rewards" coupons could be voided at anytime for any reason and it often was. We'd get morning emails that certain rewards no longer valid. People we talked to the day before no suddenly paying 30% more for a car. Just to be clear if reservation was already made it was still valid but yesterday was this price was X 20 hours later the price was Y.
Eh I always thought those miles are for people who have to fly constantly for work, they've been great for me with Delta... It was a way for airlines to compete with one another for the regular business of frequent flyers. You're not going to get anywhere just using some miles card for food.
Most of the problems listed here apply to virtually every industry... pricing is affected by credit charges for just about anything you buy.
Now this is the Adam Ruins Everything I remember. Good stuff.
So getting a card with frequent flyer miles doesn’t actually cost you money when compared to a card without them...
Also, as I found out recently, any "# of days/months to do ______" stuff on those cards counts by THE DAY THEY DECIDE TO APPROVE YOU. Even though you don't even know you are approved yet, and certainly don't have a working card yet.
It's not from the beginning or end of a cycle. It's not from the day you receive or activate the card, even though the latter makes more sense and they want you to think it's the latter.
Jake and Amir, Jake and Amir
Did someone say yes and raise the steaks up in hear?
This is why I fly with Southwest. Their "Wanna Get Away" tickets are super cheap, and my miles don't expire or anything.
$10 says Steven Crowder will try to refute this.
To be fair Amex charge cards has one of the best airlines rewards programs. You pay in full every month so you don’t have to worry about interest and you get to book airline right from their own travel page making it soo easy. I just paid $2000, for a trip that would’ve cost $6000, for my whole family to take a trip to India.
Well if your credit card gives you miles for all purchases made and you don't carry a balance, then yes you accumulate free miles, which don't expire with my airline, and you are getting a bonus reward for purchases you're going to make anyway. Not a ripoff.
What airline would that be?
You must have ignored the part where every single person pays a fee for credit cards so that "rewards" are not rewards but paid ripoff
Alaska airlines
@@PuppyTheTiny I don't pay fees on my credit cards, using that logic, my free checking account is because people are irresponsible and their overdraft fees pay for my checking account fees. Yes, this is how our economy works, it doesn't mean that the miles are a ripoff for the responsible consumer. They are free perks, you can use them or not.
Right, I use JetBlue and it's the same deal. They give me points because they want me to fly JetBlue again in the future instead of say, Alaskan Airlines. If I had 100 free miles in 20 different airlines, i couldnt really go anywhere with them. But if I consistently flyJetBlue, ill instead have 2000 miles and JetBlue will have all the money I spent accumulating that much. THAT'S what's in it for the airline.
Now obv if you don't pay off your credit card then they get the interest, but I dont spend money I dont have so that's not a problem I ever run into. Its just free miles for me. (And they never expire at JetBlue)
I love the little poke at how annoying people in the airport waiting sections are at 4:24
I needed the points I wanted the miles and I really could’ve used the trips!
My dad just bought flights to Europe and back for myself and my son. Original cost was $4,000.00 with flight points he had built up on his credit card, the cost went down to $1,900.00
I'd say that's beneficial
Hey adam, I really enjoy your videos! I just wish you made episodes every single second so I could bingewatch them all of the time
But than you would realize even more mistakes that are in every video..... because who does research for a winformative show anymore? Not this one atleast not for 3 years
I appreciate pointing out a lot of ways in which the airlines screw over their customers who try to bank mileage (devaluing of points, blackout dates, expiration dates of miles, etc.), but there still is some silver lining. An educated consumer can still game the system and come out ahead. The buyer should always beware, but frequent flyer mileage can still be leveraged by smart consumerism.
Some of the points about credit cards are also too general to be applied specifically to frequent flyer miles, too. Regardless of what type of card you hold, you should always be smart about your purchases and not spend more than you can afford. While you'll always be vulnerable to things like credit card fraud, if you spend well within your means you can benefit from the rewards. The reality is that people who don't overspend and pay off their balances reap the rewards made possible by their credit card-holding peers who routinely pay interest and fees.
One person cannot singlehandled change the system, but by acting within the system, that person can get a lot of rewards by not overspending, paying off balances timely, and knowing when and how to capitalize on the credit card's reward system.
You can't just slip Flula in a video like that. Flula has been on Conan 8 times. Adam has only been on Conan once.
I was wondering if that was him. Thanks
This isn't ruining air miles. It's ruining the person using them. The important realization shouldn't be that airlines benefit from implementing them. It should be that most people are not smarter than average and will make mistakes that lose them money.
Points.
Miles.
Trips.
Points.
Miles. Miles?
The Flula cameo was perfect.
Didn't know Chipmunks could fly on planes let alone earn points🐿️🐿️
Hey - I'll have you know that's an emotional support chipmunk.
It's impressive that a chipmunk was even able to sign up for a frequent flyer plan. Way to go Amir!
Well from everything Adam said, if you pay off your credit card then you'll be fine and actually earn free miles.
You must have missed the 2% per transaction part...
El Bruce adding surcharges for specific payment methods is illegal in most countries, so it’s calculated in the regular price anyways.
@@elbruces All CC companies charge transaction fees to the merchant. It’s part of the cost nowadays......you are still better off with a rewards CC over a regular CC (if you are disciplined to pay on time)
@@jonathandpg6115
"Rewards" is just a slight reduction on the purchase amount. It would be better for the consumer to lower the interest rate. Which is why they offer "rewards" instead.
I usually search the cheapest flight, sign up for that airline’s frequent flyer program and then book my flight, most of the times, the cheapest flight is restricted between those same 2-3 airlines, so even by taking 10-15 round trips an year I’m able to get a free flight.
Pfffft, I’ve been to Pluto and back almost 3000 times🙄
Yes, leave out the very important "but ifs...".
Buy everything with your credit card, but never spend more than you have (and of course, pay off your credit card debt before the interests kicks in) and you can actually exploit the rewards and save some money.
If you completely pay your credit card balance off every period, then miles are fine. At least with Delta. I've never had any issues. And if we're still paying for them via credit card fees/surcharges, I'd rather get miles for it than not get miles. This episode is trying too hard.
Seeing Amir acting normal is so strange haha
Well - for those of us who do actually understand the system (and always pay off our credit card bills) the whole miles and points system is actually quite rewarding.
1:22 this person radiates tahani from the good place energy
I've flown business class and first class multiple times over the last 8 months using miles and i'm only a student. It can be done, but you definitely gotta know the system
This is why I miss playing poker online. The points you earned lasted forever and sites gave you a clear understanding of what you could do with them.
4:54 I miss Josh Ruben on CH!
I literally JUST went through this coming back home. It's crazy.
Please make an episode that talk about credit card,please
Even though its college humour but this is a proper message to the frequent flyer miles and its problems.
Mm got a flight tomorrow
Mm just landed
That 2% charge for credit cards is beeswax. My local diner has a sign outside that if you use a card, you get a 2% tax ontop of the bill, but if you pay cash, you don't. And funnily enough, an ATM right at the entrance. It's their way of getting that dumb sure charge taken care of, without having to increase the price of everything for everybody
is this funny?
*D E L T A*
No, Delta is actually one of the only good airlines
Andromeda what about spirit airlines
@@Latte_Feline no. No they’re not. Don’t fly delta, they punish their good employees.
Can’t say more without ranting because it still pisses me off to this day what happened quietly to my dad.
Mmmm idk, Delta miles never expire and I pay my cc off every month. Plus the free bag check covers the annual fees. Not sure how that's a ripoff...
I clicked because of Amir, who else is with me?
the thumbnail was clickbait
10,000,000 strong against this Obama - Nation
why is he famous?
@SigΣa oh!!! i remember now
Is no one gonna talk about the “Definitely not a virgin card”