Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coming Soon... | 04 Mar 2025 | 00:02:14 | |
Watch us on YouTube instead! Your hosts Gunnar Olson and Kyle Potter from Thrifty Traveler are (almost) ready to bring you the best in travel once a week. They’ll dive deep into the world of flight deals, redeeming points and miles, destinations, travel tips, and so much more. Follow us on… Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Best Bets for Flight Deals in 2025 | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:42:21 | |
Gunnar and Kyle kick off the podcast by focusing on the cheapest destinations for a trip in 2025, discussing Chase’s dominance in the airport lounge wars, some bad Southwest news (which was just the tip of the iceberg…), and more! (0:00) A few destinations where your dollar goes furthest thanks to the exchange rate. (4:53) Something hot: Chase Sapphire Lounges are on a roll. (10:27) Something cold: Southwest did us dirty. (12:47) The Extra Mile: From Italy to Japan, your best bets for cheap flight deals in 2025 (including Emirates and domestic flights!) (35:51) A listener wonders how to find cheaper spring break fares. (39:35) Putting Kyle on the spot about Turkish food. Credits: Hosts: Gunnar Olson & Kyle Potter Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Edited by David Strutt Show music: All That by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What the %$#* was Southwest Thinking? | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:39:32 | |
Gunnar and Kyle put Southwest on trial, explaining the (shortsighted) logic behind the airline’s incredibly unpopular changes to baggage and other negative moves - and what it means for all you travelers going forward. Plus, some Hyatt properties to book ASAP before they’ll cost you more points and our absolute favorite travel hack that isn’t much of a “hack” at all. Watch us on YouTube! (1:38) Something hot: Flight prices are dropping - rebook your flights to save more! (4:48) Something cold: Hyatt properties on the move, book ASAP! (12:54) A word from our sponsor (us … and our really cool tool to help you pick your next travel card!) (14:00) The Extra Mile: Why Southwest did it … & what’s next (33:53) A listener wonders how to redeem Delta and Capital One miles (36:52) Putting Gunnar on the spot about our (alleged) issues Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Is Hyatt Still Top Dog of Hotel Chains? | 03 Apr 2025 | 00:47:10 | |
Hotels, hotels, and also hotels: That’s what episode four of the pod is all about. Gunnar and Kyle talk about some huge hotel credit card bonuses and how Hyatt needs to step up its game … especially with Hilton hot on its heels lately for the crown of the world’s best hotel loyalty program. Gunnar makes a lot of pained (and strange) references to pools. And the guys quiz each other on where to set season 4 of The White Lotus – we know you’re listening, Mike White. (0:00) Where should season 4 of The White Lotus go??? (3:39) Something hot: Huge hotel credit card offers (10:24) Something cold: Hyatt free night awards need a facelift (17:23) A word from our sponsor: Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal (and hotel!) alerts (19:43) The Extra Mile: Hilton > Hyatt … maybe?! (40:51) A listener asks if she should be booking hotels directly, like flights (44:40) Gunnar puts Kyle on the spot about his favorite hotel stay ever Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Edited by David Strutt Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| A Decade of Deals, ft. Founder Jared Kamrowski | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:37:14 | |
Gunnar and Kyle kindly invite Thrifty Traveler Founder Jared Kamrowski on his own show! Jared shares his favorite flights, worst travel mistakes, looks back on the (almost) decade since starting Thrifty Traveler and what he’s seen change in 10 years of flight deals and points and miles. Plus, the guys laugh about Thrifty Traveler’s extremely humble beginnings (in Jared’s garage - literally) and Gunnar’s memorable job interview in 2021. Watch us on YouTube! (0:00) Welcoming our founder and CEO Jared Kamrowski to the middle seat! (0:52) Why would Jared let Gunnar and Kyle start a podcast? (2:07) Something hot: The Best Flight of Jared’s Life - Emirates First Class https://thriftytraveler.com/reviews/flights/emirates-game-changer-first-class/ (4:30) Something cold: Jared’s worst travel mistake ... on a group trip flying Ryanair (7:20) A word from our sponsor – Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alerts! https://thriftytraveler.com/premium/ (10:23) The Extra Mile: Reflecting on 10 years of Thrifty Traveler https://thriftytraveler.com/news/thrifty-traveler-origin-story/ https://thriftytraveler.com/news/new-full-time-job-thrifty-traveler/ (34:20) Putting Jared on the spot and making him choose one redemption to resurrect Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Chase’s Monster 100K Bonus Merits an Emergency Pod! | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:27:27 | |
Gunnar and Kyle record a special, emergency episode to dive into the biggest news in travel in months: A new 100,000-point welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. They talk about why it should be on every traveler’s radar, explain who is eligible for to earn it (including if you already have the card), and take a stab at explaining why Chase would be doing this in the first place. Everything You Need to Know About the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100k Bonus Point Offer (00:00) Can Kyle transfer Chase points to the White Lotus? (01:45) Why this offer is so exciting (and is it the best bonus of all time?) (04:10) Which finger would you remove to earn 100K Chase Ultimate Rewards points? (09:55) How long will this new bonus offer last? (10:50) What is Chase doing here? (13:30) Why we think Chase points are the best in the world (15:05) We draft our top 3 redemptions using 100K Chase Ultimate Rewards (25:00) How to Sign Up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred to earn 100K bonus points! Full disclosure: If you decide to sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card through our website, we'll make a commission - and we appreciate it! Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The 10 Commandments of Points & Miles | 10 Apr 2025 | 01:01:03 | |
Gunnar and Kyle go back to basics on the pod: It’s not the Five D’s of Dodgeball, it’s the 10 Commandments of Points and Miles. Whether you’re just getting started with travel rewards or consider yourself a pro, this (only slightly irreverent) list can help you take things to the next level with your points. The guys also break down a troubling trend in frequent flyer programs … and Kyle roasts Gunnar for his clothes. (00:00) Making memes & fun new airline routes (04:15) Something hot: Revisiting that huge new 100K bonus (08:27) Something cold: U.S. airlines are pulling the strings with devaluations (13:10) A word from our sponsor (us … and our really cool tool that’ll help you pick your next travel card!) (14:51) The Extra Mile: The 10 Commandments of Points & Miles (17:30) 1. Start slow (20:03) 2. Learn about how your credit score really works (24:04) 3. Don’t rule out cards with annual fees (28:52) 4. Stop before you swipe - maximize your spending (32.41) 5. & stop swiping your airline credit card everywhere The 3 Kinds of Credit Cards I Have (But Don’t Always Use) (37:06) 6. Honor transferable points and airline alliances (39:53) 7. But don’t transfer your points without a purpose (42:42) 8. Use services (like ours) and other tools to help you get ahead Travel Freely, our favorite tool to stay organized (48:33) 9. Travel is not a contest (51:03) 10. Resist points paralysis: Earn and burn (55:04) A listener wonders how to tackle points & miles with a spouse - aka “two-player mode” (59:13) Kyle puts Gunnar on the spot about his outfit
Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Travel is Cooling Down … & Flight Deals are Heating Up! | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:46:14 | |
Gunnar and Kyle dive deep into the tenuous state of travel demand (it's slowing down) and what it means for travelers on the hunt for a bargain (good things!) They also chat about a pair of spectacular deals that went out to Thrifty Traveler subscribers and wonder if Real ID enforcement is actually coming or not. Oh, and we officially have a listener of the week! (0:41) - Would you book a fare called “Ultrabasic?” (3:08) - A Unicorn deal & a mistake fare … all in one week! (8:05) - Real ID is coming…but actually for real this time? (11:54) - Travel is slowing down… (18:32) - A word from our sponsor: Us (and our flight deal service!) (20:53) - Why this might be the best summer ever for flight deals (24:35) - Flight prices are going down when they should be going up (25:20) - Domestic flights under $100 RT (27:20) - Delta shortens summer – August is fall now (30:05) - Points & miles deals in business and first class, too (33:10) - Gunnar loves “inappropriate fares” (35:00) - Why you should be rooting for low-cost carriers (37:35) - Listener Question: Tara wants to fly biz class to Kenya (42:13) - Our first-ever Listener of the Week loves pool metaphors more than we do! (44:10) - Gunnar puts Kyle on the spot about his least favorite destinations Produced by Gunnar Olson & TBD Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Big Five, Small Budget: Goin' on Safari with Points & Miles | 24 Apr 2025 | 01:00:27 | |
Gunnar and Kyle pull out their binoculars to be your safari guides in this week’s episode. After going on their own safaris with the help of points and miles, they talk through their trips, what they loved (spoiler alert: pretty much everything), what they learned, and what they’d do differently next time. Plus, the guys gush about a new feature Google Flights is testing, wonder aloud about when the Chase Sapphire's big bonus will end, and get (rightfully) called out by a listener for a bad take on a previous episode. 00:00 - Gunnar finally tells the “Gunnar Olson Olson Olson” story 03:50 - Why we’re so psyched about Google Flights’ fancy new feature 09:35 - How long will the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer last? 12:55 - Gunnar recaps his trip to Zanzibar and the Masai Mara safari in Kenya 34:00 - A word from our sponsor (us … and our free Extra Mile Newsletter for points and miles aficionados) 35:00 - Kyle puts on his safari hat and talks about his own trip to the South African bush 25:15 - More about elephants! 55:02 - A listener calls Gunnar & Kyle out of touch about their Hyatt free night certificates take 58:10 - Kyle puts Gunnar on the spot…and Gunnar eats some delicious crow about Hilton Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Who Wins Our Frequent Flyer Program Fantasy Draft? | 01 May 2025 | 00:47:47 | |
The NFL Draft is over. Our Airline Mileage Program Draft is here as Gunnar and Kyle each pick their top 5 frequent flyer programs. Which airline pulled a Shedeur Sanders and slid into a later round? And more importantly, who wins: Gunnar or Kyle? Oh, and the guys also talk about a crazy Delta SkyMiles sale, Tulum losing its luster, and getting to Italy for next year’s Winter Olympics. Be sure to vote in the comments (00:00) - Is this going to be the best Olympics ever for travelers? (04:30) - The best Delta SkyMiles sale we’ve ever seen to Asia: Just 25K roundtrip! (09:08) - Has Tulum lost its buzz? (12:20) - A word from our sponsor (us … and our flight deal service!) (13:50) - Our 2025 Thrifty Traveler Airline Mileage Program Draft! Make sure to cast your vote for the winner in the comments on YouTube, Twitter, or on the Thrifty Traveler Instagram (34:50) - Listener Question: Best ways to travel around the school calendar when prices get high (39:35) - Our favorite follows in travel and points & miles! (@kpottermn, @gunnarsolson, @maxmilespoints, @claireandpeter, @travelmomsquad, @adventureparks, @raimeetravel, @ishrionaviation) Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Punk, Politics & Travel w/ (Failed Uber Driver) Kyle Potter | 08 May 2025 | 00:40:30 | |
This week on the show, we get to know co-host Kyle Potter a little better as Gunnar grills him on everything from his failed attempt at becoming an Uber driver that ultimately brought him to Thrifty Traveler, his punk/hardcore touring band days, to covering state politics as a journalist for the Associated Press (Kyle contains multitudes…). Plus, we talk about some sizzling transfer bonuses and help a listener decide if she should transfer points to Emirates speculatively. (00:00) - Who won our big airline mileage program draft?! (02:20) - Something Hot: A trio of transfer bonuses (including a sneaky great one from Qantas) (08:20) - Something Cold: The best credit card bonus offer we’ve ever seen is almost gone (10:40) - A word from Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! (12:25) - The Extra Mile: Going deep with Kyle Potter (13:15) - How Kyle went from covering politics to getting snubbed as an Uber driver (25:55) - Quick Hitters: Kyle on his touring punk/hardcore band, his best MSP Airport hack, hist next trip, the worst flight of his life, his dog Mikka, and more. (34:50) - Listener Question: “Should I speculatively transfer points to Emirates?” (37:30) - Gunnar On the Spot: 2 truths and a lie about Kyle Produced by Gunnar Olson & Long Tran Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Why Gunnar Hates ‘Cents Per Mile’ & Loves Cold Destinations | 15 May 2025 | 00:47:31 | |
This week, Kyle gets to fire up the grill and interview his co-host Gunnar his own career in journalism and travel, why he hates “cents per mile,” his trip to Antarctica (?!), and how he feels about his looming future in family travel. Plus, the guys break down one of the best flight deals of the year, the lingering issues at Newark, and their biggest travel pet peeves. (00:00) - Our travel pet peeves (including a fired-up rant from Gunnar) (04:40) - Something Hot: Sizzling Europe fares in the $300s RT (08:10) - Something Cold: Emirates makes its First Class awards tougher to book…again (12:50) - A word from our sponsor: Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal (and hotel!) alerts https://thriftytraveler.com/premium/ (15:25) - Kyle grills Gunnar on this career in journalism and finding Thrifty Traveler (22:35) - Gunnar’s “aha!” moment in miles & earning his first flexible points (27:00) - Why Gunnar hates “cents per mile” (31:30) - His surreal trip to Antarctica (40:15) - Listener Question: What the *bleep* is going on at Newark (EWR)? (43:45) - On the spot: What airport & airline would Kyle avoid? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Long Tran Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Barcelona for Boston Prices: Europe Flight Deals are Bonkers Lately | 22 May 2025 | 00:36:22 | |
This week on the show, Gunnar and Kyle talk about a recent, unprecedented run of roundtrip flights to Europe in the $400s, $300s, and even $200s. The guys ask the important questions like “What is going in here?!” - and more importantly, stress that travelers should run to book a cheap trip to Italy, Greece, England and beyond this year. Plus, we’ve finally got an end date for a workaround to turn Amex points into Alaska, we talk about Delta’s gross Basic Economy rebrand, and Kyle reveals the cheapest flight (or 10) he’s ever booked. 00:00 - The cheapest flights Kyle has ever booked 03:20 - Something Hot: Why (& how) you should transfer your Amex points to Alaska…right now! 07:30 - Something Cold: Hilton hikes award prices…again 10:40 - Something Extra Cold: Delta’s gross "Basic" rebrand bait & switch 15:20 - A word from our sponsor (us): Sign up for free Thrifty Traveler flight deal alerts today - or use code: TTPOD if you want to upgrade! 17:10 - The Extra Mile: Breaking down a bonanza of cheap flights to Europe under $400 roundtrip! 31:23 - A listener asks: What will happen to my Hawaiian miles? 33:30 - On the Spot: The best beer Gunnar’s ever had Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| How Kyle Booked a Trip to England & Scotland on Points & Miles | 29 May 2025 | 00:50:15 | |
This week, Kyle walks us through how he booked an epic trip to England and Scotland using points and miles. There’s a business class award to London, an economy flight home, and plenty of flights, hotels and other travel expenses in between. Plus, Phoenix gets its first nonstop flight to Asia and we say goodbye to the Southwest we knew and loved. Do yourself a favor and stick around for Gunnar’s cant-miss, ridiculous story of his own trip to London … when he learned some of England’s beer-drinking rules the hard way at a consequential Chelsea match. 00:45 - Our top tips for the busy summer travel season (& will Real ID matter?) 05:45 - Something hot: Phoenix’s strange (but explainable) Starlux nonstop flight to Taipei 10:30 - Something cold: Pouring one out with a goodbye to the old Southwest 14:50 - A word from our sponsor: Sign up for our (free) Daily Beat Newsletter today! 16:10 - The Extra Mile: Exactly how Kyle booked a points & miles trip to England and Scotland this summer 19:15 - How he (and about seven other Thrifty Traveler team members!) booked business class for just 29,000 points each way thanks to Virgin’s new pricing mode 22:00 - Booking a nonstop Delta flight home … but not with SkyMiles 28:30 - The best car rental booking tool out there: AutoSlash 31:00 - Booking a hotel stay at a castle in Scotland using Hilton points (at the old, cheaper rate) 32:30 - Using Capital One’s $300 travel credit to fill in the rest 37:00 - Gunnar’s legendary story of learning England’s beer-drinking laws at a Chelsea soccer match the hard way… 42:10 - Listener Question: The Concorde in our studio 45:45 - On the Spot: Travel re-treads, or what trips would we try again? Or not? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Airlines Were Charging Solo Travelers More …Until We Called Them Out | 05 Jun 2025 | 00:37:10 | |
What else would we talk about on this week’s podcast than one of the biggest stories in travel? The three largest U.S. airlines were quietly charging some solo travelers higher fares …until we caught them in the act! We break down this crazy story and discuss why - and how - it was happening. Plus, we laugh at Southwest’s botched rollout of its new baggage fees, look into some (awesome) rare Etihad partner award space, and Gunnar reveals what he thinks is the second sleaziest thing airlines do in airfare. (00:00) - An update on this solo traveler pricing tactic… (00:50) - Find Something Out (from Gunnar’s house!): How Kyle reported this important story (04:10) - Something Hot: Some rare Etihad partner award space in First Class and Business (07:30) - Something Cold: Southwest (unsurprisingly) botches its baggage fees rollout (12:00) - A word from our sponsor (us, and how Thrifty Traveler Premium can help find the best flight deals for you!) (14:00) - The Extra Mile: How and why airlines were charging more for solo and business travelers than everyone else (29:45) - A listener wants to start planning her Sept. 2026 trip now … but should she? (33:00) - On the Spot: What other sleazy airline tactics does Gunnar hate Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Inside the Travel Influencer Boom, with MaxMilesPoints | 19 Jun 2025 | 00:47:31 | |
Gunnar's still enjoying the new life of a girldad, so Kyle brought our first-ever special guest on the show: Max Do - better known as MaxMilesPoints. As one of the biggest and best social media creators covering points and miles, Max is uniquely qualified to explain the rise of travel influencers - both the good and the bad - while sharing his own story of how he left his 9-to-5 job (it involves a $10,000 deal with a hotel brand). Plus, Kyle and Max talk through the big news from Chase and American Express ... and place their bets on just how high the Platinum Card's annual fee may go. 0:00 - Introducing our first-ever guest: MaxMilesPoints! 01:43 - Something Hot: The new JFK Capital One Lounge (ft. a cheesemonger and bagel bar) 08:15 - Something Cold(ish): Chase & Amex’s top travel cards are getting even pricier 16:43 - A word from our sponsor (us … and our flight deal service that even Max uses) 18:30 - The Extra Mile: Why Max fell in love with travel and started MaxMilesPoints 22:18 - 10,000 reasons why Max left his full-time job to become a full-time social media creator 24:27 - The positives and negatives behind the explosion of travel influencers 30:30 - Sharing a cocktail & slowing down your travels 33:14 - Rapid fire questions with Max (& the time he went to the wrong airport) 40:02 - Listener question: Which cities to visit in Vietnam? 43:01 - On the spot: The one thing Max would change in award travel Produced by Kyle Potter & Long Tran Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Getting Paid to Find Flight Deals, ft. Jon Shallbetter | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:36:39 | |
It’s time to talk to the Oz of our flight deal service: Jon Shallbetter, aka Jonny Nonny. Gunnar and Kyle bring Jon on the show to talk about his wizardry of all things Google Flights, finding and sending flight deal alerts, his favorite flight deal ever and worst-ever travel mistake, and more. Oh, and the guys grill Jon on the allegations that he drank Emirates dry … and he does an Admiral Ackbar impression?! 0:00 - Did Jon actually cash Emirates’ supply of Dom Perignon? 05:47 - Something Hot: Jon’s favorite deal of all time (it cost $62) 07:52 - Something Cold: Jon’s worst travel mishap 09:18 - Honorable mention: The worst travel pillow ever (ft. Admiral Ackbar) 11:23 - A word from our sponsor (us … and the awesome flight deal service that Jon runs) 13:14 - How Jon got started in travel and finding flight deals for living 16:50 - The art of finding flight deals, mastering Google Flights & expanding into award travel 23:04 - A quick primer on TT lingo (and the Delly nonny to Honny) 25:55 - Lightning round with Jonny Nonny: Google Flights tips, the secrets of MSP & puppies 30:27 - Listener question: Will this be a good year for flight deals? 33:43 - What do Jon & Kyle really think about their coworker? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Delta SkyMiles Aren’t As Good (Or as Bad) as You Think | 26 Jun 2025 | 00:57:13 | |
How can you find the best value for your SkyMiles? Are Delta SkyMiles worthless? Can you book Delta One for cheap? Am I an idiot for caring about SkyMiles? These are the questions we get about the wildly popular (yet maddening) Delta SkyMiles program, so we do our best to answer all of them and more. Whether you want to book quick, cheap flights within the U.S. or fly business class to Asia (and everything in between), we go over all the best ways to earn and burn Delta SkyMiles. (00:00) - What level of Delta status does Kyle have? (00:45) - What would we do with 200,000 Delta SkyMiles? (05:00) - Some of the best ways to use SkyMiles (09:00) - And the worst… (14:00) - A word from our sponsor (us): Get the Extra Mile Newsletter to earn more miles (15:00) - Delta SkyMiles 101 (17:00) - Why Delta prices SkyMiles awards differently than other airlines (20:30) - Inside the infamous “Sad State of SkyMiles” story from 2023 (23:15) - Why SkyMiles Flash Sales are like “Clearance Meat” (28:45) - The best destinations to target for a good SkyMiles deal (34:00) - Where can you find a pseudo-Delta SkyMiles “award chart”? (36:00) - American Express credit cards and what Delta’s strategy with its profitable partner (39:30) - Delta One SkyMiles deals … are they even possible? (42:15) - How to find Delta SkyMiles redemptions outside of flash sales (45:30) - Are Delta SkyMiles worthless? (47:00) - The #1 key to getting good value from your SkyMiles (49:15) - Helping a traveler from SLC earn SkyMiles fast (53:00) - What one change would Gunnar make to the SkyMiles program? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Long Tran Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Have Banks Lost the Plot with Premium Travel Cards? Ft. Nick Serati | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:46:47 | |
Higher annual fees. More perks. New lounges. It never stops. The big banks are going bigger than ever on their “premium” travel credit cards. So, Gunnar (fresh off paternity leave!) and Kyle bring Thrifty Traveler’s co-founder and credit card expert, Nick Serati, on the show to help break down all the recent moves from Chase, Amex, and Capital One. And they ask the $900-plus question: With annual fees approaching $1,000 a year, are we hitting a breaking point? 0:00 - Introducing Nick … & our new studio! 1:13 - Catching Gunnar up on all the big travel news he (& you) missed 05:48 - Something Hot: Chase’s huge bonus on the new Sapphire Reserve 10:37 - Something cold: Chase’s messy eligibility rule changes 15:23 - A word from our sponsor (us … and our really cool CardPilot tool that’ll help you pick your next travel card!) 17:00 - The Extra Mile: Diving into the “premium” travel credit cards arm race 19:17 - What’s next for the Amex Platinum Card? 20:13 - Capital One throws down the gauntlet with the best lounge yet 21:49 - A fourth big premium card on the horizon? All eyes on Delta 23:20 - Why “premium” travel is all the rage right now 26:20 - Doing the math on premium cards & big annual fees 29:48 - Why banks are all turning their top cards into glorified coupon books 33:40 - The real value of these top-dollar travel cards 39:50 - Listener Question: The best 4-5 credit cards to get started 44:06 - On the Spot: What do Nick & Gunnar love about being dads? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Is Award Travel Actually Getting … Easier? | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:54:09 | |
It’s the news every points and miles aficionado has been waiting for: After years of pain, award travel is, in fact, getting easier. Alongside an undeniable trend in red-hot cheap airfare, outstanding deals keep popping up to redeem your points - whether you’re on the hunt for a discounted economy deal or a notoriously hard-to-book lie-flat award ticket. So Gunnar and Kyle dig into what’s driving this lovely new trend and, most importantly, the dozen or so deals that have us thinking that award travel has finally turned a corner. We’re calling it (working title) “Hot Flight Summer.” Come for Hot Flight Summer and stay for Gunnar’s hot fireworks take, a revelation about Kyle’s reality TV viewing habits, and why Virgin Atlantic really ticked us off this week. 00:00 - Introducing … “Hot Flight Summer” 03:16 - Something Hot: Cash airfare continues to drop (think sub-$300 roundtrip flights to Europe!) 08:45 - Something Cold: Virgin doubled taxes and fees on biz class awards 13:50 - A word from our sponsor (us, and our Thrifty Traveler Premium service that’s finding more deals than ever!) 15:43 - The Extra Mile: Hot Flight Summer, or why we think award travel is (finally) getting easier 21:00 - The rise of the elusive “Unicorn Alert” (even if Emirates hates us) 24:30 - Business class award deals to Australia and across the Pacific are back! 29:15 - Gunnar gushes about the Cathay’s The Pier First Class Lounge 34:45 - Booking partner awards – including the rare Delta One redemptions 36:00 - And don’t forget about economy flights, too! 40:15 - The exceptions: Star Alliance ,Iberia’s biz class devaluation, and Amex transfers to Emirates 43:15 - Listener Questions: How to fly to Australia/New Zealand using points and miles, in biz class or economy 48:45 - On the Spot: A listener checks in from Kyle’s favorite hotel in the world while Kyle taps into his Love Island fandom to couple up with – and dump from the island – two recent deals Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Travel Like Gunnar & Kyle - The Tips, Tricks & Apps We Swear By | 17 Jul 2025 | 00:53:47 | |
We’re in the heart of the summer travel season, so Gunnar and Kyle put together a Travel Survival Guide to help you grease the wheels of your next trip. The guys dig into the best ways to avoid delays and cancellations (including sharing their own worst delays), plus tell you all the apps, tools, and knowledge you should bring with you on your trip to make it go smoothly this summer or fall. The guys also talk about TSA’s new (and drastically improved) shoe policy and the insane thing CLEAR wants to charge you for now. Stick around for Gunnar’s bougiest travel take. 00:00 - Finding something out: What’s your worst flight delay? 04:30 - Something Hot: TSA reverses course on shoes-off policy in all security lanes 08:25 - Something Cold: CLEAR wants to charge you for what, now? 11:55 - A word from our sponsor (us, & how you can sign up for our free flight deal alerts and book roundtrip flights to Ireland under $299!) 13:25 - The Extra Mile: All the best travel tips and tricks to avoid delays & cancellations and be a better traveler this summer 17:00 - Using Google Flight Price Alerts and rebooking your flights for a voucher 19:30 - You need to be using Aerolopa when you pick (or upgrade) your seats 21:40 - Why Kyle and Gunnar use TripIt to organize their reservations 28:20 - Gunnar gushes about his favorite app for dealing with disruptions: Flighty 32:10 - PreCheck saves you from 98% of things you hate about going through the airport 35:30 - Window or aisle? 41:30 - The travel debit card that every member of our team has: Charles Schwab 46:40 - Listener Question: Carry-on or checked bag with a 2-hour layover in Paris 50:45 - On the Spot: Gunnar’s snobbiest travel take Produced by Gunnar Olson & Erica Kamrowski Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Will AI Wreck Air Travel? | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:49:13 | |
The world of airfare is changing before our eyes. Airlines have jacked up the price of one-way flights and targeted solo passengers with higher fares, too. And, more troublingly, carriers like Delta (and others) are now leaning on AI to set airfare … raising the prospect of personalized pricing. What does it all mean? Kyle and Gunnar break it all down on this week’s episode, telling you how airfare is changing, why, and who’s responsible. Plus, why this is your year to go to Costa Rica … and the airline that both Kyle and Gunnar are embarrassed to have never flown before. 00:00 - Did AI write this intro? 01:08 - Should we be worried about AI-fueled airfare? 02:43 - Want to go to Costa Rica? Go this year (while deals are white hot) 06:25 - The surprising return of one-way airfare penalties 11:45 - Stay current on the news: Subscribe (for free!) to The Daily Beat email newsletter 13:00 - As AI enters airfare, how does airfare actually work right now? 19:30 - By penalizing one-way travelers and solo travelers, the airlines are shifting strategies… 22:25 - How Delta (& others) are actually starting to use AI to price flights 27:00 - What is Fetcherr? What they’re doing for Delta - and the article they didn’t want you to see 34:40 - What can we do to protect ourselves from AI? Are there any guardrails out there? 41:20 - Listener Question: Done with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card? What to pick up next? 46:10 - On the spot: What airlines have you not flown? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Delta One to Hawaii & a Love-Hate of Cruises with TV’s Jason Matheson | 31 Jul 2025 | 01:06:51 | |
The hilarious Jason Matheson - host of The Jason Show on FOX and a 20-year veteran of morning talk radio - joins the show to talk all things travel with Kyle and Gunnar. Claiming to be Thrifty Traveler’s #1 fan, Jason tells us what Canadian city sparked his love of travel before diving deep into what he loves about Hawaii and Disney. He also tries to sell the guys on cruising and he even reveals his bougiest travel take. Join us for the funniest episode of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast yet! 00:00 - Introducing Thrifty Traveler’s #1 Fan 01:02 - We fix CLEAR and put airport speakerphone users on the no-fly list 05:35 - The new Delta One Lounge impresses at LAX … but would you eat the sushi? 13:00 - Who’s fighting back against AI and “surveillance-based” airfare pricing? 18:50 - Jason tells us about the latest flight deal that impressed him and his friends (use promo code TTPOD for $20 off your first year of deals!) 20:00 - Jason’s travel story: how Vancouver (& The Fantastic Four) sparked his love of travel 22:30 - What’s next on Jason’s travel bucket list? And what got taken off the list because of “critters.” 23:20 - His long love affair with Hawaii & why Jason loves Oahu the most 28:30 - Why everyone needs to go see Susan at the Mai Tai Bar 32:15 - Jason’s Delta loyalty – the good, the bad, the ugly, and when he cheats on them with United… 38:00 - Jason pitches the guys on (most) cruises 41:00 - Why his first Disney Cruise blew him away 45:30 - Tips to do Disney for adults 51:00 - Why did Jason get into travel and how he became Thrifty Traveler’s #1 fan 58:45 - Listener Question: Are flexible points worth the pain? Should you just retreat to Delta SkyMiles? 01:02:50 - On the spot: Jason and Kyle’s bougiest travel taste, take, or rule Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Edited by David Strutt Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Lie-Flat for Less: 9 Biz Class Seats You Can Easily Book with Points | 07 Aug 2025 | 00:48:20 | |
Points and miles aren’t worth anything if you can’t use them. If you want to fly lie-flat business class (most of us, right?), it can be excruciating to find flights you can actually book with points. But some stand out as being much easier to book - if not downright easy. Gunnar and Kyle shine the spotlight on the airlines and routes where it’s easiest to score that business class seat using miles. Plus, they chat about rising surcharges on award tickets and look at why Gunnar is adding a new credit card to his wallet ASAP … from an airline he rarely flies. 00:00 - Finding something out: The best bits from our interview with Jason 02:15 - Kyle issues a correction to his bougiest travel take: SkyMiles + Champagne 04:00 - Something Hot: This American Airlines 80K-mile card sign-up bonus 09:00 - Something Cold: The Taxes & Fees are Too Damn High – which airlines are worst? (Ahem: Emirates…) 15:12 - A word from our sponsor: Us … and how you can find business class availability with Thrifty Traveler Premium 16:40 - The Extra Mile: All of the easiest business class seats to book with points and miles 20:30 - Why Finnair might be the best of them all (and one of the fanciest) and with easy-to-earn Avios 23:20 - The other easiest-to-book options when flying lie-flat to Europe 34:40 - The key to book Qatar Airways QSuites 40:30 - Listener Question: How to pair award tickets with cash bookings on a group trip 44:45 - On the Spot: Gunnar’s dream additions to the “easiest-to-book biz class” list Produced by Gunnar Olson & Erica Kamrowski Edited by David Strutt Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| A Family Trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics w/ TT’s Tracey Burtch | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:33:30 | |
This week’s podcast is honestly just a selfish exercise for Gunnar, who uses his coworker’s expertise to plan a trip to the 2026 Olympics, get tips on flying with kids, and brag about how to make Thrifty Traveler Premium the best flight deal alert service out there. This week we welcomed Thrifty Traveler’s Product Manager, Tracey Burtch, to talk about how her time representing Team USA Figure Skating sparked a love of travel and how she now devotes her career to helping others do the same. Plus, Tracey recaps her biggest (and embarrassingly recent) travel mistake and some of her favorite deals ever. 00:00 - Finding something out: Introducing Thrifty Traveler’s best athlete (former Team USA figure skater and our product manager, Tracey Burtch!) 02:35 - Something hot: Tracey’s favorite deals of all time 05:00 - Something cold: An embarrassingly recent travel mishap 07:00 - The Extra Mile: How to evolve your travels over time – including Tracey’s “aha” moments 11:00 - Making Thrifty Traveler better and easier for travelers to use as Product Manager of TT 14:45 - How Tracey is pulling off a trip to the 2026 Italy Olympics 23:00 - Booking TAP Air Portugal business class and where to fly to visit the Italy games 27:00 - A super selfish listener (host?) question about tips for flying with children – and the layover that “just kept giving” 30:40 - On the Spot: Choose your next trip…off the studio wall Produced by Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Upgrade Prices, RIP Alaska Miles & More Big Travel News You Need | 21 Aug 2025 | 00:59:37 | |
News, news, and more breaking travel news. There’s been so many big stories in the travel world lately, Gunnar and Kyle blew up the normal show format and spent the episode going beyond the headlines, breaking down everything you need to know. There’s more on new pricing shenanigans from airlines and Uber, the ins and outs of Alaska’s new loyalty program, a big upgrade for Google Flights, and much much more. 00:00 - A self-indulgent review of Gunnar’s favorite hotel in the world: Under Canvas in Glacier (now bookable with Hyatt points!) 05:13 - PSA: Global entry interviews are easier to find than ever 09:20 - Alaska/Hawaiian’s new award program and why we won’t call it by its name. Plus, the new Alaska/Hawaiian Atmos premium credit card and some new routes to Europe. 17:40 - A leak of what’s coming for the Amex Platinum Card in September 20:50 - Chase-to-Emirates transfers have an expiration date 23:10 - A new worst way to use Delta SkyMiles – insurance! 25:10 - Google Flights adds a basic economy filter and unveils an interesting new AI function 31:20 - The data couldn’t be clearer: Book the earliest flight of the day to avoid delays and cancellations 35:40 - A word from our sponsor (us): Stay up on all the news with our free Daily Beat newsletter 36:30 - One simple choice for your Uber ride will affect your price 39:25 - The Amex Centurion Lounge in Dallas is getting a big expansion 43:00 - Delta and other airlines are overcharging for upgrades 48:00 - The Tulum bubble has burst as airlines keep pulling out 52:10 - A listener wants to branch out from Delta but doesn’t know what card to start with 56:30 - On the spot: The biggest stories from Kyle’s career Produced by Gunnar Olson & Nick Serati Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| All Our Best Tricks & Tools to Find the Cheapest Flight, Every Time | 28 Aug 2025 | 01:04:41 | |
We’re going back to basics this week by showcasing all the strategies, tips and tricks that we use to book the cheapest flight - every single time we fly. That requires some mythbusting about the dumbest tips out there (here’s looking at you, incognito searchers and Tuesday-only bookers) and shed some light on the actual best tips (i.e. Google Flights Explore and price alerts). Never get fleeced on flights again with these tips. 00:00 - The 2 most important rules to booking cheap flight: The Flight First Rule and the 24-hour rule 06:50 - Something Hot: Rethinking your departure and destination cities - use positioning flights and the best tip for booking cheap flights to Europe 13:30 - Something Cold: Clearing your cookies and why there’s no best day to book flights 18:40 - A word about the founding sponsor of the show: Abundo Wealth! 19:32 - The Extra Mile: Why flexibility is everything for finding cheap flights 21:50 - Google Flights primer: Google Flights Explore, Price Alerts and more! 30:00 - Why it pays to take the connection and why it doesn’t pay to be loyal to an airline 34:19 - Watch for pricing shenanigans: One-way flights and the solo passenger penalty 38:00 - How long before my flight should I book? 42:10 - What are the cheapest times of year to fly? Enter: Shoulder Season 46:00 - When to use points and miles instead 48:30 - Get some help from Thrifty Traveler Premium or other award search tools 51:00 - Use your credits, companion certificates and more - and how to stay organized 53:45 - Why you should never stop booking (& booking again) to make your trip cheaper (or better) 57:00 - Listener Question: Using points/miles + cash and when to mix and match 1:00:00 - Gunnar’s BRUTAL confession about his most expensive flight Produced by Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Why Flighty is Our Favorite Travel App, with CEO Ryan Jones | 17 Sep 2025 | 01:04:52 | |
This week, the guys dig deep on their favorite travel app: Flighty! Ryan Jones, the CEO of the incredibly powerful and beautifully designed flight tracking app, joins the podcast to explain how Flighty keeps travelers up-to-date using data data and what they’ll love about the new iOS features on the app. Plus, the guys compare their own delay data, pick their favorite underrated features, and discuss other travel apps and websites that are doing it best. 00:00 - Introducing Flighty CEO (& Eagle Scout!) Ryan Jones 01:00 - Everything you need to know about the Flighty app & how it works 12:10 - A sneak peek at the newest Flighty update in iOS! 22:32 - Flighty’s delay predictions – & who has the most total hours lost to delays 26:32 - Why flight tracking? How Flighty started at an airport Chili’s 35:30 - Are airlines getting better or worse at flying on-time? 37:50 - Underrated Flighty features: Decoding delays, Friends Flights, previous flights & more 48:30 - How to use Flighty Pro as a regular traveler - it’s not just for just road warriors! 55:45 - Listener Question: What are your favorite travel apps and websites? 1:00:40 - On the Spot: Have you ever missed a flight? Produced by Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Mistake Fares & Award Availability: Insider Tips from Peter Thornton | 11 Sep 2025 | 00:50:04 | |
This week, we interview the most interesting man in travel: Peter Thornton! As Thrifty Traveler’s Senior Award Deal Analyst, Peter is responsible for finding all the best uses for your points and miles, but his long career in travel has touched nearly every aspect of the industry. From being a flight attendant to finding mistake fares for Airfare Watchdog and now analyzing points and miles deals, Peter knows more about airfare than anyone out there. And he’s the only one who played guitar for Ja Rule, Paul Walker, and Vin Diesel at MTV Spring Break 2001…yeah, we get that story on the pod, too! Special shoutout to the sponsor of this week’s episode, Abundo Wealth! 00:00 - The worst airline websites that expert Peter Thornton has to deal with 04:50 - Something Hot: Peter’s favorite flight deals of all time - including some classic mistake fares 09:50 - Why you should never drive in London – and what not to put on your immigration documents 12:10 - This week’s show is sponsored by Abundo Wealth! 13:00 - Road tripping, the Rand McNally Road Atlas, and falling in love with travel with Peter Thornton 15:25 - Becoming a flight attendant and getting into the industry with North American Airlines 18:15 - Joining Airfare Watchdog and pioneering the cheap flights game 21:00 - Accepting his job offer to Thrifty Traveler at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro 22:30 - How to find points and miles award availability as TT’s Senior Award Analyst 25:00 - Calling the airlines so you don’t have to – and the worst airline hold music 28:00 - What do you wish more travelers knew about award travel? 32:00 - What’s to blame for what Gunnar calls “Hot Flight Summer?” Why has points and miles availability been so good? 35:00 - Looking forward: Making predictions about airfare, points and miles availability, and more in the world of travel 39:15 - The legend of “Cave Matthews Band” and why Peter was featured on a game show called “Dude This Sucks” for MTV Spring Break 42:15 - Listener Question: How far in advance should you book award travel to get the best rates? 46:00 - On the Spot: Overlooked destinations that should get more love than they do Produced by Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Ask Us Anything: Amex Credits, Delta Upgrades, and Personal Questions | 04 Sep 2025 | 01:15:23 | |
It’s our first ever mailbag episode! Kyle’s on vacation, so we lined up a bunch of the best questions we’ve been asked and gave you our best advice. We tackle topics such as positioning flight tips, what we would pay for a Delta One upgrade, how to maximize your Amex Platinum credits with a refresh coming, destinations that exceeded our expectations, airlines as NFL quarterbacks, and the best and worst parts about our jobs. And remember: Be like Kyle and take your vacation days, people! 00:00 - Kyle’s on vacation, and you should, too! (Only 48% of Americans use all their vacation days…and that stinks) 03:00 - It’s Mailbag time! Brought to you by…us! Sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium today. Use promo code “TTPOD” for $20 off your first year of flight deal alerts. 04:00 - Airlines & hotels questions - More Southeast Asia flights, positioning flights strategies, Delta One upgrades, and more. 18:35 - Award travel questions - Thailand on points, biz class to Tokyo, booking to Athens now that Emirates fees got too expensive, and more. 34:30 - This week’s show is sponsored by Abundo Wealth! 35:30 - Credit card questions - When cash back makes sense, ways to get points fast, with the new Amex Platinum card coming, can you double dip on credits? 51:00 - Travel tips and wanderlust - Places that exceeded our expectations, Glacier National Park recommendations, best backpacks and more. 59:15 - Personal questions: Fear of devaluations, fighting FOMO, airlines as NFL quarterbacks, and why we love our jobs! 01:13:00 - On the Spot: What’s our best episode of the pod so far? Produced by Gunnar Olson Edited by David Strutt Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The New Amex Platinum Card: The Good, The Bad & The Oura Ring | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:55:38 | |
00:00 - The new Amex Platinum Card has a new look … but does it matter? 02:10 - The nuts and bolts of the new (and improved?) Platinum Card from American Express – and our reaction in 5 words or less 04:00 - Something Hot: The Platinum Card credits you love aren’t going anywhere 06:45 - Something Cold: An eye-watering $895 annual fee 11:15 - Want more travel rewards and credit card news sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Extra Mile newsletter today! 11:45 - We go credit-by-credit to see if we can make an $895 annual fee work on the Amex Platinum card work, from $600toward hotels to $300 for Lululemon credit to one serious dud 33:00 - How to get organized and recoup that $895 annual fee 36:30 - Time is of the essence: The moves Platinum cardholders need to make ASAP 44:00 - “Is the Amex Platinum a good credit card for most travelers?” 46:55 - Listener Question: Emily wants some credit card advice before taking a gap year 51:30 - Nick puts Gunnar & Kyle On the Spot: If you could only transfer points to one program for the rest of your life, what would it be? Produced by Jackson Newman & Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Bye Basic Economy, How Hilton Screwed Us & Other Huge Travel News | 25 Sep 2025 | 00:49:47 | |
Gunnar and Kyle celebrate their recent travel bookings (a.k.a. “Getting Booksy”) before diving into an extremely busy couple days of travel news. Gunnar introduces an unhinged new “Stoke Scale” to help the guys rank a flurry of new route announcements from Italy to Hong Kong, and more. Plus, they break down stories you need to know about the Park Hyatt Tokyo, Hilton’s woes, Delta’s future in Mexico City, some intriguing new Capital One transfer partners, and more! 00:00 - Kyle and Gunnar both booked something (Kyle to Hong Kong, Gunnar to Italy) 03:45 - Routes news: All the new routes you should be excited about, ranked on the brand new “Gunnar Olson Stoke Scale” 12:15 - Bad news for consumer rights, worse news for Delta flights to Mexico City (MEX), and some great news from Google Flights 20:07 - What’s the easiest way to stay up on the news? The Daily Beat Newsletter! Sign up (for free) today! 20:40 - Hotel news: The Park Hyatt Tokyo is reopening, the sorry state of Hilton, and White Lotus France hotel speculation 32:00 - Credit card news: The revamped Amex Platinum gets rave reviews, Chase chases Amex with new hotel credits, intriguing new Capital One transfer partners, and Avios news 45:00 - On the spot: Kyle tells us more about his dogs! 46:45 - A heartfelt tribute to the late Katherine Olson, Gunnar’s grandma who helped spark his life in travel Produced by Erica Kamrowski and Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Tools of the Trade: How We Earn, Organize & Redeem Points Smarter | 02 Oct 2025 | 00:53:15 | |
Using points and miles to travel for less is what we’re all about … but even two brilliant, handsome podcasters like us (yes, that’s sarcasm) need some help to earn more of them, get organized, and redeem those awards for better travel. So this week, we open up our toolboxes and run through the tools we use to travel better - including a few tools we created for our listeners to use for free! Come to get smarter about points and miles, stay to hear the rollercoaster that is Gunnar’s self-esteem during this episode. 00:00 - The most annoying person at the party: The person who just got back from vacation 01:54 - Recapping Kyle’s trip to England and Scotland (that we previewed in Ep. 12) 09:25 - Something Hot: The Amex Platinum Lululemon credit & how to use it on gift cards 12:20 - Something Hotter: The Park Hyatt Tokyo was wide-open using Hyatt points! 15:00 - Something Cold: Who is the Amex Platinum for Business Card for? 17:45 - A word from our sponsor: Get max value from your points with Thrifty Traveler Premium 18:50 - The Extra Mile: Our tools of the trade for next-level award travel 19:15 - The tools we use to earn points and miles (Cardpilot, Rakuten, & more) 30:00 - The tools we use to organize our cards, points and miles (Card benefit spreadsheets, Travel Freely, & more) 38:00 - How we spend our points and miles wisely (Award alerts, award search tools, the guide to transfer bonuses, & more) 45:30 - Listener Observation: How to beat AA’s solo passenger tax 48:00 - On the Spot: What would Gunnar change about himself … travel-wise Produced by Nick Serati and Gunnar Olson Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Beating the Rental Car Companies & Hotel Chains, with AutoSlash’s Jonathan Weinberg | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:58:14 | |
This week, a bonafide travel hacker and self-proclaimed “bad boy of the travel industry” joins the show to discuss his two services that help millions travel more for less. Jonathan Weinberg is the founder and CEO of our beloved AutoSlash and, more recently, HotelSlash. So who better to hop on the podcast and make both Gunnar and Kyle smarter about the worlds of hotel and car rental booking? Jonathan talks about his career before getting into travel – including his firsthand experience being in the Twin Towers on 9/11 – and then walks us through how and why he founded the two money-saving booking platforms that Gunnar and Kyle use all the time. Plus, we chat about Georgia (the country, not the state) and get a little giddy about a handful of new Park Hyatt properties in the pipeline. Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - A quick note about today’s episode 00:18 - Introducing AutoSlash and HotelSlash CEO, Jonathan Weinberg! 01:48 - Ruffling feathers in the travel industry 06:55 - Something Hot: Why we can’t stop talking about Georgia (the country, not the state) and a flight deal to get you there 12:45 - Something Hotter: Park Hyatts are renovating, opening, and expanding all over the world - our favorites are… 16:40 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - and rebook when prices drop 17:47 - Jonathan’s path into the travel industry: A travel-filled childhood, working on Wall Street, finding flight deals, & more 24:00 - A harrowing experience inside World Trade Center Tower 2 on Sept. 11, 2001 - read Jonathan’s firsthand account 29:20 - The how & why behind AutoSlash 33:43 - Pivoting to HotelSlash and how it’s different from other hotel booking sites 41:10 - Becoming “bad boys of the travel industry” 47:15 - International driver’s permits: Do you need them? 50:35 - Listener Feedback: Amy’s wins in Montana,including a sweet rental car deal 53:00 - On the spot: Gunnar and Kyle’s thoughts on hidden city ticketing (or “Skiplagging”) Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Inside The Premium Travel Boom: Airlines Are Going All In on the 1% | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:57:39 | |
This week, Gunnar and Kyle (who both coincidentally wore fresh Lululemon gear on the pod, courtesy of new $75 credits) spend some extra time digging into the ongoing government shutdown and what it means for travelers heading to airports today, tomorrow, next week and beyond. But the big topic of the day is diving into the premium travel boom, as airlines install fancier seats, build new airport lounges, and generally cater to the upper crust. Gunnar and Kyle debate whether or not that’s good news for budget travel. Plus, they enjoy an Alaska Airlines executive’s recent jab at his competitors and chat about United’s exciting new routes. This week’s episode is brought to you by Bilt. Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood by visiting joinbilt.com/thrifty. Make sure to use our link so they know we sent you! 00:00 - Gunnar and Kyle discover they’re both wearing their $75 Lululemon Amex Platinum credits 01:36 - An Alaska Airlines executive provides some reality TV drama to the airline industry by poking his competitors on Reddit 08:08 - Something Hot: Breaking down all of United’s new routes for 2026 13:00 - Something Cold: The federal government shutdown, how it’s affecting travel, and how to protect yourself 23:40 - A word from our sponsor: Bilt Rewards! Earn points on rent and make your entire neighborhood more rewarding with Bilt. Head to joinbilt.com/thrifty so they know we sent you! 24:45 - Behind the premium travel boom: What it means, why it’s happening, and whether that’s good or bad news for everyday travelers 51:00 - Listener Question: Do Alaska Airlines credit cards make sense if you don’t live near an Alaska hub? 54:38 - On the spot: Our favorite podcasts (besides this one!) Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Mistake Fares 101: How to Snag the Cheapest Flights on Earth | 23 Oct 2025 | 00:53:42 | |
It’s finally time for a mistake fare episode! Kyle and Gunnar talk about the most exciting fares in the world of flight deals, when airlines accidentally sell tickets at ridiculous discounts. The guys talk through their favorite mistake fares from over the years, how to find and book the next one, and what you need to watch for. Plus, they discuss why holiday flight deals are so much better this year, their new favorite mileage program that might not be on your radar, and Delta’s possibly problematic credit card rule. Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - Previewing the next edition of the (in)famous Thrifty Traveler company retreat 02:10 - Holiday flight deals are really good this year, but why? 06:35 - Something Hot: Is this our new favorite mileage program? All about Japan Airlines Mileage Bank 13:55 - Delta’s little-known and possibly problematic credit card rule 17:16 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay – and rebook when prices drop. 18:15 - Mistake fare draft: Our six favorite mistake fares of all time 25:30 - Everything you need to know about mistake fares: How to book them, where to find them, and how they happen in the first place 46:50 - Listener Question: Maximizing credit card spend on a big house project 51:30 - On the spot: The flight deal that got away Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| A Trip to Bora Bora, New Zealand & Australia — (Almost) All on Points! | 30 Oct 2025 | 01:01:54 | |
On this week’s podcast, Kyle recaps a whirlwind trip that included an overwater villa in Bora Bora, driving the wild landscapes of New Zealand, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, and a 10-seat mezcal bar in Sydney - booked almost entirely using points and miles … including several business class flights! The guys walk through how he did it, cover some highlights and hard lessons, too. Plus, they talk about some stellar SkyMiles sales to Mexico, an update on how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting travel, and debrief from the Thrifty Traveler team’s recent retreat in Palm Springs. Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - Gunnar has been to all seven continents…right? Is Oceania a continent? 03:15 - Finding Something Out: A quick government shutdown update 06:05 - Something Hot: Delta SkyMiles deals to Mexico from just 7,000 roundtrip! 10:10 - Something Cold: One new Delta route we’re not thrilled about… 13:25 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - and rebook when prices drop 14:20 - The Extra Mile: How to book a trip to Bora Bora, New Zealand, and Australia using points, just like Kyle! 18:00 - Bora Bora on points and miles (including the Conrad Bora Bora!) 31:45 - Highlights from New Zealand, including Milford Sound! 39:35 - Getting to the Great Barrier Reef for less 46:45 - Other highlights from Australia, including a ride home in Delta One Suites 59:03 - On the Spot: The latest update from TT’s coolest employee Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Biz Class Bonanza, New Lounges & 6 Big News Stories | 06 Nov 2025 | 00:45:47 | |
It’s another news breakdown! This week on the show, we dig into eight big news stories in travel, from Southwest’s newest lounge (including our suggestions for what Southwest should offer), more new lounges in Salt Lake City, the dramatic return of Australia and New Zealand business class points deals, and some surprisingly good news from both United and Hilton. Plus, Gunnar finally finds a workaround to talk about Canada on the pod … while giving Kyle some editorial control. Teamwork! This week’s episode is brought to you by Bilt. Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood by visiting joinbilt.com/thrifty. Make sure to use our link so they know we sent you! 00:00 - What’s a staple of a Southwest lounge? Wrong answers only 02:35 - Australia/New Zealand lie-flat award availability is back! 07:35 - A shutdown update: Ground stops, long TSA lines, and all the latest 10:35 - United makes some of its best MileagePlus redemptions cheaper! 14:00 - Southwest gets approval to open a lounge…in Hawaii 18:15 - A word from our sponsor: Bilt Rewards! Earn points on rent and make your entire neighborhood more rewarding with Bilt. Head to joinbilt.com/thrifty so they know we sent you! 19:34 - Salt Lake City opens a new SkyClub and Centurion Lounge…and Gunnar’s rant on the “Digital Immersion Wall” 25:22 - RIP to the best way to book vacation rentals using points 27:45 - Chase news: New benefits & upgrade offers 31:45 - Hilton lowers rates on some of its most egregiously expensive redemptions 34:00 - Introducing the Canada Button – our new way to control Gunnar’s obsession with Canada 36:40 - Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto gets more flights to the U.S., making it the best way to fly to and from Toronto 39:35 - Listener Question: Upgrading to Premium Economy? 42:55 - On the Spot: You can only visit one Canadian province forever, which one takes the Kokanee, eh? Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What We Do When Travel Goes Wrong: How to Survive Delays & Cancellations | 13 Nov 2025 | 01:04:16 | |
Almost everything went wrong in air travel over the past week and change - including for Gunnar and Kyle’s own flights - as the shutdown took a nasty turn with thousands of delays and cancellations. Shutdown or not, the guys dig into all the strategies they use to get through air travel disruptions (relatively) unscathed. Tune in for tips for booking, tracking your flights, and how to get things back on track. They also discuss what’s next after the shutdown (hopefully) ends, give some kudos to Bilt 2.0, chastise Qatar for going “basic”, and review their Palm Springs company retreat! Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - Gunnar and Kyle both survived some brutal delays 02:36 - Government shutdown update: Recapping a brutal week in the skies & what’s ahead 08:50 - Something Hot: Bilt Rewards is making more big moves with Bilt 2.0 14:45 - Something Cold: Qatar Airways begins charging for seat selection in business class 19:04 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - & rebook when prices drop 20:00 - What to do when things go wrong in travel: Everything we do to protect ourselves during meltdowns, shutdowns, bad weather & bad luck. 55:00 - Listener Question: A recap of our team trip to Palm Springs & an important book in our studio 1:00:30 - On the Spot: Kyle’s trip to NYC and our impressive friends & listeners Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Is Lounge Access … Underrated? (& How to Get In for Less) | 20 Nov 2025 | 01:04:52 | |
Airport lounges aren’t just for the rich, the elite, and the bougie – we think they’re a crucial money-saving strategy for (nearly) all everyday travelers. Gunnar and Kyle argue that lounges are actually a thrifty way to travel, not to mention a fun way to start your trip! They talk about the best, cheapest ways to get into the lounge, some expert tips to maximize your lounge access, and run through some of their absolute favorite lounges around the world. Plus, they talk about using AI chatbots in trip planning, a new welcome offer on their favorite premium credit card, and finally answer the question: Did Gunnar get overserved at the company retreat last month? Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - Our airport lounge order of operations: where to sit, what to do, and Gunnar’s (possibly illegal?) signature move 02:40 - Send us a voicemail! Have a trip to brag about? A question for us? Leave us a voicemail at thriftytraveler.com/voicemail 03:15 - What AI chatbots are helpful for trip planning (Gunnar ranks his top 5) and tips for using AI 08:15 - Something Hot: The Capital One Venture X Card big new bonus offer 13:00 - Something Cold: Federal plan to compensate travelers for delays and cancellations is officially dead 17:10 - Something Colder: United walks back award rate decreases … except for cardholders 18:30 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - & rebook when prices drop 19:30 - The Extra Mile: Airport Lounges ARE Thrifty 29:00 - How to get lounge access – the tickets, status, or credit cards you need to get in, and our favorite airport lounges around the world 58:25 - Listener Question: Xander needs business class flights to his wedding, but prices are crazy right now. What would we do? 01:02:15 - On the spot: Did Gunnar get too drunk at the company retreat last month? His official statement Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| From Guatemala to China & Ranking All the Disney Parks with Kasey DellaPenna | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:56:01 | |
The guys bring on co-worker and extra special guest Kasey DellaPenna - aka @kaseymeetsworld - to share her story of becoming a backpacking digital nomad and travel influencer … who splits her time between living in Guatemala, the U.S., and traveling the world. After a whirlwind trip, she recaps a visit to Hong Kong, Shanghai to cap off her official worldwide ranking of all the Disney parks. Plus, our most beautiful places on earth - and why Kasey is proudly a Disney adult. Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - Explaining our time travel-y episode 00:40 - Introducing our friend and colleague Kasey, a self proclaimed Disney adult 02:42 - Kasey’s best travel deals including a Hawaii stopover & her expert tip for finding the cheapest flights abroad 07:50 - Kasey’s biggest travel mistake: An embarrassing missed flight in Orlando 11:45 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - & rebook when prices drop 12:35 - Kasey’s travel origin story – and becoming a backpacker and digital nomad 24:20 - How she wound up living in Guatemala half the year and her pitch for the perfect Guatemala vacation 32:00 - A Disney expert’s tips on how to travel to the parks on a budget 36:18 - Walking us through her epic trip through China and Hong Kong – including flying Delta Premium Select 42:00 - The Disney parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong & how they compare 44:00 - The official ranking of Disney Parks worldwide 49:30 - Listener Question: Our most jaw-dropping “wow” destinations 53:00 - On the Spot, Haters Edition: Places we don’t need to go back to… Produced by Gunnar Olson and Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Family Travel Tips with the Moms of Points Talk Squad | 04 Dec 2025 | 00:54:05 | |
This week on the show, the guys are joined by Alex and Jess from the Points Talk Squad (formerly Travel Mom Squad) who spend the show teaching (and sometimes counseling) Gunnar how to travel with an infant! They dive into what it’s like having parents who are proficient in points and miles, how to survive delays as a family, how to earn and redeem even more points for bigger groups, and continually reminding Gunnar that everything is going to be OK. Plus, they take a listener question about Capital One Venture card sign-up strategies and get divided by the toughest On the Spot question yet. Leave us a voicemail for our upcoming holiday episode! We want to hear about your trips, big wins, and burning travel questions. Leave us a 1-minute voice message at thriftytraveler.com/voicemail and you might be featured. 00:00 - Welcoming the Points Talk Squad & having a parent who’s proficient at points and miles 11:15 - Something cold: Surviving delays and cancellations when flying with a family 15:50 - A word from our sponsor: Bilt Rewards! Earn points on rent and make your entire neighborhood more rewarding with Bilt 17:30 - The Extra Mile: The core truths, best tips & points strategies for traveling families from the experts at the Points Talk Squad! 45:00 - Send us a voicemail at thriftytraveler.com/voicemail and you may hear your voice in an upcoming episode! 45:30 - Listener question: Which Capital One card to sign up for first? 49:00 - On the Spot: Hotels or flights? Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| 2 Ugly New Points Trends & 7 Other Big News Stories | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:45:54 | |
It’s a December news roundup! On the latest Thrifty Traveler Podcast Gunnar and Kyle run through eight major news stories in travel and points and miles, including breaking down the latest Unicorn alert for Delta One flights to Brisbane, a pair of troubling trends in points and miles, a hefty fee if you don’t have Real ID, some lounge and check-in openings, and more! Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - Gunnar’s strange clothes habit and a Delta One Unicorn deal to Brisbane 05:00 - 2 troubling new trends in points and miles: Will they get worse? 12:00 - The 2025 End of Year Checklist 17:40 - Why it’s the best time of year to open a new credit card 20:00 - The TSA’s new $45 fee you’ll (soon) pay if you don’t have Real ID 24:40 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - & rebook when prices drop 25:30 - More Delta One check-ins are open now - including a mini-review of the Minneapolis Delta One check-in 30:10 - Chase’s Sapphire Lounge in Las Vegas (LAS) is now open…but is it big enough? 35:30 - RIP: The cheapest way to fly to Hawaii using points and miles 39:14 - Listener Feedback: Brian tells Gunnar not to worry about traveling with kids…yet, Karla recommends a travel baby carrier, and Jessica brags about her rebooking wins 42:55 - Kyle puts Gunnar on the spot: What did Gunnar learn from last week’s Points Talk Squad interview about traveling with kids before his first big trip abroad Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Who Wins Our First Class & Lavatory Awards? Plus More 2025 Superlatives | 18 Dec 2025 | 00:49:36 | |
The end of the year is in sight, so it’s time for Gunnar and Kyle to pretend like they’re high schoolers on the pod (honestly, not a stretch) for some 2025 superlatives, yearbook style. Who was the class clown of travel? Most popular? Cutest couple? Best hairline?! Plus, the guys unveil the winners of TT’s second-annual First Class and Lavatory Awards, recognizing the absolute best and rock-bottom worst from the year of travel. Oh, and Kyle shares his unattainable childhood dreams and what he was really like in high school. 0:00 - Kicking off our 2025 travel superlatives with “Class Clown” & “Most Popular” 4:14 - Recapping (some) of the 25 best flight deals of the year 14:29 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - & rebook when prices drop 15:23 - The rest of our 2025 travel superlatives, including “Cutest Couple,” “Most Ambitious” & more 21:11 - The Worst Glow Up (… is that a thing?) of 2025 26:31 - The Best Dressed Airline of 2025 30:06 - A back-to-back “Best Hair” winner & Most Likely to Cheer You Up 37:17 - Our second-annual First Class & Lavatory Awards (recognizing the best and worst in travel) go to… 47:02 - On the spot: What was Kyle like in high school? Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas
Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Our Ho-ho-holiday Mailbag, ft. Voicemails, Travel Mistakes, Canada & More | 24 Dec 2025 | 00:53:28 | |
It’s the Thrifty Traveler Podcast Holiday Party, and what better way than to celebrate than with another mailbag episode?! We listen and react to voicemails from some beloved listeners and colleagues, including questions about the biggest story of the year, a bunch of incredible booking brags, the worst travel mistakes we’ve made, how our listeners (and bosses) really feel about all the Canada stuff. Plus, Gunnar kicks off the show with an extra special (cringe? brutal?) introduction. Happy Holidays, Thrifty Travelers! Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - ‘Twas the Pod Before Christmas… 02:30 - What’s the biggest story in travel we covered on the pod in 2025? 05:35 - Trip Brags: Our listeners and colleagues brag about their best 2025 bookings 20:30 - What deals do we want in 2026? What’s left on our bucket lists? 24:45 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - & rebook when prices drop 25:35 - Travel mistakes - Amy learning things the hard way and Grover wants to know if they’re cut out for the points and miles game after all? 33:20 - A hodge-podge of questions: How many credit cards & tipping in lounges 41:20 - Oh, Canada: Are Gunnar’s days with the company numbered? 47:30 - Sylvia puts us on the spot about our biggest mistake … and her own 52:10 - Some special holiday thank-yous to our colleagues and listeners Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Where You’ll Find the Best Flight Deals in 2026 | 01 Jan 2026 | 00:59:00 | |
Where will you find the best flight deals in 2026? Where should you (and we!) travel this year? What else will shape the year of travel ahead - maybe another government shutdown? And who the heck are “Danny & Debbie Delta?” To ring in the New Year, the guys pull out their crystal balls to talk about all things travel in 2026. Plus, a special friend introduces the show and we make a big announcement about what’s ahead for the pod in 2026. Happy New Year, travelers! 00:00 - Where are we traveling in 2026? 02:20 - A new tradition to kick off the show! Submit your videos to thriftytraveler.com/voicemail. 04:00 - Where to look for the best flight deals in 2026, and why you should keep an eye on the Asia & Delta SkyMiles flash sales 14:15 - What deals won’t survive 2026? 18:33 - A word from our sponsor: Us & our Thrifty Traveler Premium service 20:19 - The trends that will shape 2026 travel: The Olympics & other big events, plus troubling signs for award travel 28:00 - Watching out for low-cost carriers - and why “Danny & Debbie Delta in Detroit” should care. 35:00 - Airports in 2026: Another shutdown, TSA fees & more 40:35 - What about credit cards? Bilt 2.0 & the uncertain future of the Venture X 45:30 - Where to go in 2026? Thailand, Vietnam, Finland, Spain, and beyond 51:45 - Listener Question: When & how you should call the airline to book award tickets 57:40 - On the Spot: Big news ahead for the podcast? Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Let Us Cook: Our Spiciest Travel Pet Peeves & Hot Takes | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:48:30 | |
It’s time to ratchet things up on the podcast this week. The guys have been too calm. This week on the pod, Gunnar and Kyle unleash their hottest travel takes and their biggest pet peeves in what turns into a fiery discussion. Why is Gunnar defending a loathed airport? What is Kyle’s case against points and miles? What’s the beef with the NFL? Plus they hate on speakerphone abusers, slow deplaners, and so much more. It’s cheaper than therapy, but it’s clear Gunnar needs both… Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking! 00:00 - A half-baked hot take right off the bat 03:00 - Pet Peeves: Getting worked up about casual deplaning, TSA line procrastinators, “free” travel, speakerphones, and more. 15:14 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay & rebook when prices drop 16:10 - Hot Takes: Biz class doors, bad Airbnbs, fish on a plane, in defense of CLEAR, and…is award travel even good? 41:00 - Listener Question: When should you cancel a credit card? 45:00 - On the Spot: Airport code pop quiz Get featured on the podcast! Submit a short video (15 seconds or less) with a travel brag, your name, and where you are, and finish it with “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast” and upload it to thriftytraveler.com/voicemail. We can’t wait to hear from you! Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Biz Class to See Santa in Finnish Lapland: Gunnar’s Trip Report | 13 Jan 2026 | 00:42:59 | |
Join us for a special bonus episode as Gunnar recaps his recent trip to Finnish Laplan. Gunnar walks through his exceptional experience in Finnair Business Class, some lessons learned flying with his infant daughter overseas for the first time, and he gushes about the stunning quiet, serenity, and “cozy-maxing” of Northern Finland. Plus, he recounts an overwhelming day at Santa Claus Village and talked about what he would do differently next time around. Join us for a trip to the North Pole! Read our full breakdown of the trip on our website, including links and more details! 00:00 - Why should (or shouldn’t) someone take a trip to Finnish Lapland? 02:30 - Finnair Business Class: How to book it & what it’s like 14:30 - A stopover in Helsinki: Hotel Kamp and Christmas markets 17:30 - Flying to the Arctic Circle’s Ivalo & experiencing polar night 20:00 - A special Airbnb stay on Lake Inari & and watching the Northern Lights from a hot tub 22:45 - Inari: the Janiskoski bridge hike, Sami Museum & a day trip to Saariselka 26:00 - Rovaniemi: the capital of Lapland with another lovely Airbnb stay 30:00 - Santa Claus Village: an overwhelming experience & what Gunnar would do differently next time. 35:00 - Ice skating on frozen Lake Inari! 37:00 - Northern Lights travel & is Finland really that cold? 40:30 - On the Spot: One insight Gunnar will take forward in his travels Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Cheaper Fares Abroad, Big Bilt News, a Merger & 7 Other Big News Stories | 15 Jan 2026 | 00:49:29 | |
00:00 - About Gunnar’s controversial “Chicago-O’Hare is good” take… 02:55 - Are airlines ditching higher one-way fares for international flights? 12:45 - Why Allegiant’s surprise acquisition of Sun Country matters 23:15 - Bilt 2.0 is here, with good and bad news 30:00 - A word from our sponsor: us! Get Thrifty Traveler Premium today 33:10 - American Airlines (kinda) launches free Wi-Fi 34:10 - No mileage or status on AA basic economy tickets 35:10 - No status changes for American this year, but is bad news ahead? 36:20 - Hawaiian Airlines’ big plans for aircraft upgrades and a fancy new Honolulu lounge 38:40 - The next Capital One Lounge: Charlotte (CLT) 40:15 - Delta orders 787 Dreamliners 42:20 - Listener Question: What to do if you’re “product-swapped”? 46:10 - On the Spot: What does Kyle tell people he does for a living? Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What’s in Our Wallets & Our 2026 Points Planners | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:55:04 | |
New year, new you, new travel card strategy? With the help of an extra special guest - TT co-founder Nick Serati - the guys answer the age-old question: What’s in our wallets? They tackle rising annual fees, Bilt’s botched rollout, and other travel credit card trends shaping the year ahead. Plus, Gunnar recaps a romantic hot air balloon ride and the guys help a listener plan a card strategy around taking two trips to Europe with her best friend. 00:00 - What’s our “desert island” card - the last one we’d give up? 02:13 - A special shout out from a hot air balloon near Mexico City 04:45 - What’s in our wallets? 23:15 - Something cold: Annual fees are going up 28:15 - Something colder: Bilt fumbles its 2.0 rollout 39:03 - A word from our sponsor: CardPilot, the best way to pick a credit card 40:00 - What cards should you get in 2026? 48:00 - Listener Question: Cards for Eurotrips 51:20 - The perfect 2-card combo 52:20 - On the Spot: Our physical wallets Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more! See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile! Follow us on… Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||