New centuries

[NRB525]

The 20th century technically ended in 2000 or Jan 1, 2001, depending who you talk to. For practical purposes it ended on 9/11, beginning the 21st century.  

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have switched up another new century, call it the 2020th century?

[ why do I have 9 travel credit cards with AF, where am I going and why am I in this hand basket? ]

[wasCB14]

Julius Caesar...Pope Gregory XIII...Parliament of 1750...

Humans have always liked to fiddle with the calendar. But the rotation of the earth around the sun is relatively quite constant.

I cut my AFs significantly before COVID became widespread. BCP and EDP will both get downgraded after a year. It's possble I'll cut my hotel cards further.

[iced]

I'm thinking century isn't quite the word you're looking for to describe what it is you're trying to describe. Perhaps age or era or even decade?

For instance, from the start of the 20th century to the end of it, we had first air travel, television, space travel, computers, wireless, and umpteen other breakthroughs...and multiple major wars and a pandemic. But little old 9/11 and Covid each warrant new "centuries" now?

[sxa001]

In general I feel like my traveling days are going to die down and this may change my CC portfolio.  Until this year I was traveling at least once a month, sometimes on the road two or 3 weeks out of the month (or in the case of 2017 out of the country for almost two months).  Between COVID-19 and my move in project management my travel is surely never going to reach those same heights again.  

IMHO, the AAdvantage Platinum is only worth it if you are going to fly American Airlines more than one and check bags.  I had a thread on here last year when I downgraded from the Executive card after the lounge access changes and the AF was impossible justify.  I think I will downgrade again to the free card in hopes of keeping the miles I have.  Even if we go back to flying sometime in 2021 I just don't think it will be frequently and I don't know that it will be on American much. 

I can easily justify the Delta Platinum even if we only do one trip a year because of the companion pass.  I am glad they gave some kind of credit this year towards the fee, and the 4X miles for groceries has been great.  I am not entirely sure what I will end up doing with this card, now that the AF did increase.  I was looking forward to flying Delta much more since the expansion at AUS, but we'll see what 2021 brings. 

The Marriott will again depend on travel in 2021.  With the free night yearly it does pay for the fee for me typically.  I am 46 nights away from Lifetime Gold though haven't always been faithful to Marriott (stayed at a Howard Johnson for two weeks in Bangalore, look it up, probably one of he nicest Howard Johnson's -- I figured if someone from Bangalore was visiting the states and booked a Howard Johnson they would be in for a huge surprise).  I do like the Marriott portfolio but I do realize that in the past I have sometimes paid a premium just to rack up points on the Marriott card (by booking online via Marriott.com). 

So yes, we will see what this next decade brings.  One thing is for sure, I am unlikely to apply for any new travel cards over the next couple of years.