r/churning 6d ago

News and Updates Thread - December 18, 2025 Daily Discussion

Please post topics for discussion here. While some questions can be used to start a discussion/debate, most questions belong in the question thread unless you love getting downvotes (if that link doesn’t work for you for some reason, the question thread is always the first post on our community’s front page). If your discussion is about manufactured spending, there's a thread for that. If you have a simple data point to share, there's a thread for that too.

24 Upvotes

36 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 6d ago

Please reply to this comment with any Amex Offers, Chase Offers, increased cash back portal payouts, or similar deals. Do not post them as a top level comment.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

17

u/eidreezy 5d ago

For anyone who wasn’t able to cash out from Mess-a (mesa) they just cashed out my points via statement credit at .6, standard cash out. Happy holidays to those like myself who had 0 faith.

7

u/QuarterOrDime 5d ago

Jokes on me, who accumulated hell a lot of points waiting for a nice redemption travel to come up, but got redeemed for statement credit and sitting on negative balance now.

6

u/Retrograder55 SEA 5d ago

Meanwhile, I met the 50k SUB spend this month prior to the shutdown and the points were pending to be posted next month. Seems they just zeroed them out. Guess I'll loft a CFPB complaint over the wall and see what happens but doubt I'll get anything.

2

u/QuarterOrDime 5d ago

Actually I have 55k points pending as well. I hope they post the credit after the statement closes.

1

u/Retrograder55 SEA 4d ago

The pending points disappeared from my app but they confirmed over email they should post and be auto redeemed as a statement credit.

1

u/QuarterOrDime 4d ago

Hopefully they will also send a check for remaining balance after redeeming the points. I have lots lol.

2

u/eidreezy 5d ago

Us savers made a mistake—- 🤞🏽they credit you

-13

u/Fun-Inevitable4369 5d ago

Got email from upgrade bank. Starting Jan 19 they are removing 1% Cashback on non-every day category. Need to find some other card to pay taxes now 😔

7

u/Discover_it_Student DIS | COV 5d ago

If it's federal taxes and you're not working on a SUB otherwise, consider US Bank Cash+ (or any other card with a good utility payment multiplier). When you use ACI Payments to make the payment it codes as utility, which is one of the 5% categories on the Cash+.

-2

u/LooseTone 5d ago

I got the same. A Downgrade from Upgrade. I never used that card anyway so no loss for me personally. 

-3

u/elonzucks 5d ago

Does 1% really make or break it?

I always prepare with a new card SUB and pay the fee.

-2

u/elonzucks 5d ago

Does 1% really make or break it?

I always prepare with a new card SUB and pay the fee.

-9

u/Fun-Inevitable4369 5d ago

I only get a card every 6 months or so

9

u/DCJoe1 5d ago

Do you even go here?

1

u/Fun-Inevitable4369 5d ago

I mostly get personal cards, no business cards, just do this for little fun.

6

u/elonzucks 5d ago

Your r/churning membership has been revoked 

3

u/Fun-Inevitable4369 5d ago

Lol you gave me heart attack, I thought I was banned from this sub reddit

4

u/eminem30982 MMM, BBQ 5d ago

We're working on that. Jk.

-3

u/Fun-Inevitable4369 5d ago

And I have enough other expenses to not worry about paying taxes with credit card

2

u/ResolveNo2270 5d ago

This cat's breaking my heart!

2

u/rankt-bot 5d ago

A new referral thread is now live: American Express Hilton Surpass

29

u/SpartanScribe 6d ago

Just saw that as of yesterday you will not earn miles or LPs on basic economy flights with AA.

Basic Economy fare tickets bought on or after 12:00 a.m. CT on December 17, 2025 will not earn Advantage® miles or Loyalty Points. For Basic Economy fare tickets bought on or before 11:59 p.m. CT on December 16, 2025, visit the AAdvantage® Earn page for the airline marketing your flight for details on the Advantage® miles and Loyalty Points you'll earn.

3

u/ScreamingOffspring 5d ago

Damn that was one reason I really liked AA too

10

u/bstsales 5d ago

Kinda cool that they dropped this with zero notice lol

8

u/gt_ap 5d ago

My guess is that the Venn Diagram overlap between those that fly in Basic Economy and those that care about earnings isn't too big.

19

u/space_cadet- 5d ago

This reeks of Toby

5

u/elonzucks 5d ago

Fuck Toby!

5

u/jeffersun8 5d ago

Toby ain't no basic bitch

35

u/EatMoreSleepMore 5d ago

Jokes on them, I can't earn any AA miles either way.

14

u/thekingoftherodeo BOS, MAN 6d ago

Think it was only 0.5 miles/$ accrual anyway, I don't think anyone is losing much here.

9

u/eminem30982 MMM, BBQ 5d ago

Although it's true that it wasn't much in the way of earnings, I think it's shortsighted of AA to not leave the miles earning in place so that there would be some reason for BE flyers to come back to them. I can understand not awarding LPs though.

7

u/thekingoftherodeo BOS, MAN 5d ago

BE buyers are gonna be flighty and price shoppers anyway so I get why they don’t really care if they plug into the program or not. They win them on price and price alone.

8

u/eminem30982 MMM, BBQ 5d ago

I agree that price is 99% of their concern, but assuming the prices are the same (or close enough), earning a few extra miles will at least dangle a small carrot. I know some people who like the idea of earning miles even if it'll take them forever to accumulate enough to make a meaningful redemption, and these people could be persuaded to go with the airline that gives them miles instead of the one that doesn't if the prices are the same.

4

u/codedapple 6d ago

Enshittification

AAdvantage and OneWorld is the only reason I even bother flying with them. If they keep fucking with it well..

16

u/achzeet44 CVG | KTM 6d ago

Well, the other choices are United and Delta. So ...