This is the Asterisk Episode

As we are like, as we like to do, we have viewer questions to go through, so let's jump into those.

Our first question comes from SJDP1234 who asks, "How long until American and Alaska join Delta, United, Hyatt, and IHG in making more awards available or at a cheaper price to their loyalists and/or credit card holders?" So we've seen Hyatt start to do this, IHG sort of have one-

I don't think they really have done this

...

United has their Saver Awards behind their member, their elite tier and card holder paywall.

Delta has Take Off 15, and I think they do offer, like, pop-up sales or pop-up things for card holders and elite members as well.

So how long do you think until American and Alaska join the party?

I'll actually add one more thing that I have also noticed, is that if you are a card holder, when buying points or miles, you can also see an additional discount that's not available to the public.

And to just coincide and go along with this question here, I think we're gonna start seeing it normalized.

I think this is going, I, I think this is ...

We'll do all right.

Oh, sorry for y'all that don't know that reference, but it is Quay.

It caught me off guard.

Had to laugh.

But anyway, I think that's the ...

We're gonna start seeing this normalized, but not for the sake of it being better seats or better award availability or making things cheaper.

This is a pure ecosystem play to get you into their card.

And it might not even be to lock you into their ecosystem, because you can have multiple airline cards the same way you can have multiple any type of card, right? But the thing is is that you know you're paying slightly more because you don't have the card, and this does two things.

One, I'll get the card so I don't pay the higher price, but at the same time, now I'm getting the card and now I actually have to use it to justify that price of getting the card.

And then the third side of that coin, yes, it's a three-sided coin, is that once I have it and I justify now I'm using it so I can get my value, I automatically start using it more, which means more money falls into that particular airline or ecosystem or whatever it is.

And depending on the cost of it, like United has a $700 annual fee card, 695, I don't ...

Don't come at me in the comments.

It's an asterisk.

$700 annual fee card.

Maybe I don't wanna go get another 700 or 650 Delta card next to my $700 annual fee.