In this episode of the BoldlyGo Podcast, DeAndre Coke gets an exclusive first look at MileProtection, a new company preparing to launch a product designed to protect the value of airline miles, hotel points, and credit card transfer relationships. Founder Sebastian Bigatti joins the show to explain where the idea came from after experiencing points devaluations himself and why he believes travelers need another option beyond the traditional “earn and burn” approach. Together, they walk through how the concept could work for travelers holding large balances they plan to use years down the road.
DeAndre pushes beyond the basic concept to explore the questions points and miles enthusiasts are likely to have before paying for protection. They discuss how MileProtection determines the value of a point, what level of devaluation could trigger compensation, deductibles, pricing, dynamic award pricing, and how protection differs between airline or hotel balances and credit card transfer partners. They also use real examples, including DeAndre’s Japan Airlines miles, to show where the product could potentially make sense and where the cost may outweigh the benefit.
The conversation also examines the risks behind a brand new product. Sebastian addresses how MileProtection plans to fund potential payouts, what could happen during a major industry wide devaluation, the possibility of the company itself failing, and why the product is technically structured differently from traditional insurance. DeAndre then brings in questions directly from the Boldly Go community covering multiple loyalty programs, changing balances, transfer partner losses, contract lengths, and more. With MileProtection still preparing for launch, this episode offers an early look at an entirely new concept while giving listeners the information they need to decide if protecting their points could eventually fit into their own strategy.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: Can You Protect Your Points From Devaluation?
(03:18) Introducing MileProtection and Founder Sebastian Bigatti
(04:26) Sebastian’s Travel Background and How the Idea Started
(07:26) How MileProtection Actually Works
(12:05) What Triggers a Payout and How Points Are Valued
(13:56) Pricing, Deductibles, and Customizing Your Protection
(21:44) How Payouts Work and Why This Isn’t Traditional Insurance
(25:55) Protecting Multiple Programs and Credit Card Transfer Partners
(32:47) Dynamic Award Pricing and Measuring Real Devaluations
(36:42) How Much Will MileProtection Cost?
(42:35) What Happens When a Bank Loses a Transfer Partner?
(47:20) Major Devaluations, Financial Risk, and Can MileProtection Afford the Payouts?
(52:45) Launch Timeline, Waitlist Benefits, and What’s Coming Next
(59:43) Boldly Go Community Questions
(01:01:50) Final Questions, MileProtection Waitlist, and Closing Thoughts
Key Highlights:
- MileProtection: Sebastian introduces a new product designed to protect against points and miles devaluations and lost credit card transfer partners.
- Devaluation Coverage: Compensation can be triggered when the measured value of protected points falls beyond the selected threshold.
- Points Valuation: MileProtection plans to use redemption data rather than relying solely on a single award chart or route.
- Custom Protection: Users will be able to adjust point values, deductibles, balances, and the loyalty programs they want to protect.
- Transfer Partner Protection: The product can separately protect against a bank losing access to a specific airline or hotel transfer partner.
- Dynamic Pricing: The model is designed to account for loyalty programs that use dynamic award pricing instead of fixed award charts.
- Cost vs. Value: DeAndre and Sebastian discuss scenarios where paying for protection could make sense and others where simply using the points may be smarter.
- Company Risk: Sebastian explains how MileProtection intends to prepare for large payouts and what protections could exist if the company itself fails.
- Waitlist Access: Boldly Go listeners can join the waitlist ahead of launch and receive additional protection time once the product goes live.
- Still Evolving: MileProtection is a new concept, and Sebastian emphasizes that customer feedback will help shape the final product.
Resources:
Need Global Travel Insurance? We recommend World Nomads
Some of Our Favorite Tools For Elevating Your Points & Miles Game:
Note: Contains affiliate/sponsored links
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