In today's episode, we're schooled about Wells Fargo cards, we learn about earning points on your mortgage, and we talk about how you can take the sting out of Southwest's customer unfriendly changes.

(01:03) - Listeners give us more ideas about making a great Wells Fargo Wallet

Find our episode "A World-Class Wells Fargo Wallet" here.

(08:20) - Mesa Homeowners Card: Earn transferable points on mortgage payments

(14:20) - Goldbelly no longer selling $10 gift cards (minimum is $25)

(16:06) - Read about maximizing your "coupon" credits from American Express here.

(16:15) - Capital One Shopping pulls many good gift card redemption options (and it varies from one cardholder to the next!)

(20:05) - Pepper Rewards app not working (Taking payment but not producing gift cards, no coin...

(22:44) - Likely: JetBlue partnering with United

(27:51) - AA reducing award holds to 24 hours

(29:04) - Emirates breaking up with some transferable currencies (temporarily?)

Read more about this Emirates speculation here.

(31:39) - Transfer SAS to Scandic hotels and back

Main Event: Southwest LUVs cardholders

(34:26) - New Details announced (fare bundles, bags, credit cards)

(41:09) - Cardholders will win big

(47:05) - Is Southwest Priority Card the best airline card ever?

(53:09) - Is Southwest Priority Card even better than elite status?

(57:23) - But....is the writing on the wall?

(1:01:19) - If you have a major purchase you weren't expecting, which credit card would you put it on (and how would you decide?)

Subscribe and Follow

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

There are credit cards that help make your points actually more valuable, just by having the credit card on hand. You can find all of the cards discussed on this show on our Best Offers page. 

Coffee Break: Credit Card Power-Ups

(00:40) - United: Discounted awards, ability to upgrade

(01:38) - Delta: 15% discount

(01:54) - JetBlue 10% rebate

(02:20) - Aeroplan: 1.25 PYB, better award pricing

(02:55) - Avianca Lifemiles Elite: Comes with Lifemiles+ Lite (10% discount on awards)

(04:09) - Spirit points pooling

(04:58) - IHG: 4th night free (& 10% back old card)

(06:00) - Wyndham 10% discount

(06:50) - Hilton 5th Night Free

(07:33) - Amex Membership Rewards: Business Platinum card 35% rebate

(08:49) - Chase: make the points on your cash back card transferrable, 1.25/1.5

(10:32) - Capital One: make cash back points transferrable

(11:49) - Citi: make cash back points transferrable, 10% rebate

(14:54) - Wells: make cash Transferrable

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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A few years ago American Express introduced this kind of model for their Platinum card where they increased their annual fee, but attempted to make up for it by offering a whole collection of credits and rebates that could be valuable if you did the work to make use of them and happened to have natural needs for them. In other words, these new benefits felt a lot like coupons, thus introducing the nickname for these kinds of card benefits. Now, United seems to be taking a page from American Express' book by "couponizing" their credit cards.

(02:02) - Denbigh writes in about our "getting started with points and miles" episode saying "Thank You for an episode worth the time, even for an experienced practitioner."

Find our Getting started with points & miles episode 298 here.

(4:02) - As previously reported, Southwest is planning reduced earnings on paid flights, expiring flight credits, charging for checked bags, and changing the value of points

(04:50) - Point value changes already taking place

Read more about the variable points values here.

(07:23) - Other Info revealed in Southwest's recent video

Read more about their updates in that video here.

(12:05) - No-go for Capital One / Discover acquisition. DOJ doesn't like it

Read more about this DOJ decision here.

(12:56) - Citi (seemingly) no longer allowing product changes between card families

(15:53) - Greg apparently never got credit for one of his 15 flights...

(19:38) - Air France / KLM saver availability from the US stinks

(24:23) - Bilt April Rent Day: Up to 100% bonus to Avios

(27:59) - Wyndham point sale not as fixed as we thought (thru April 15)

Find our Wyndham’s Excellent Point Sale episode 50 here.

(29:00) - Six United cards have increased annual fees, decreased benefits (slightly) and added "coupons"

(30:32) - Summary of changes

(45:45) - New Card Line-Up Overview

(46:28) - "Coupon" Deep Dive

(1:01:04) - If you still want a United card, which is best?

Read more about which United card is best here.

(1:05:42) - Which club card is best?

(1:08:27) - How do you manage the fear of account shut-down?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

(00:00) Intro: There are a multitude of ways to fly to Hawaii using miles and points (and even many ways to get a deal on cash tickets). On this week's show, we discuss ways to fly to Hawaii from around the US from as few as 10K or 13.5K points each way.

(01:06) New FM intro

(03:22) Card Talk: Sonesta World Mastercard

https://frequentmiler.com/sonesta/

 -Card Details

-What are points worth?

(16:00) What crazy thing . . . did Marriott and Starbucks do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/link-marriott-starbucks-accounts-to-occasionally-earn-double-stars-minimal-bonus-points/

(19:51) Mattress running the numbers: Wyndham Rewards Hotel Pass https://frequentmiler.com/wyndham-rewards-selling-30-night-hotel-pass/

(27:48) Award Talk

(27:55) New Reasonable Redemption Value for Hotel Points https://frequentmiler.com/what-are-hyatt-points-worth/

(30:29) Aeroplan promotion with Miles4Migrants) https://frequentmiler.com/earn-7500-aeroplan-points-with-a-100-miles4migrants-donation/

(34:19) 15% transfer bonus from Citi to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles https://frequentmiler.com/citi-thankyou-offering-15-transfer-bonus-to-cathay-pacific-asia-miles/

(27:03) Enterprise Rent-A-Car Status Match https://frequentmiler.com/enterprise-status-match-giving-status-through-february-2026-match-from-hotel-airline-car-rental-programs/

(30:29) Amex referral bonuses now as high as 45,000 points for targeted cardholders https://frequentmiler.com/amex-referral-bonuses-now-as-high-as-45000-points-per-referral-up-to-100k-per-year-per-card/

(42:44) Main Event: Best Ways to fly to Hawaii https://frequentmiler.com/best-ways-to-fly-to-hawaii-from-the-us-mainland/

(43:04) Cash deals

(43:30) Delta companion certificates

(44:55) Alaska Companion Fare

(46:13) Southwest Companion Pass

(47:32) Vacation packages

(49:15) Award deals: Economy

(49:24) United flights via Turkish Miles & Smiles for 10K each way

(50:48) Finnair Avios for American Airlines (15K) or Alaska Airlines (13.5K)

(52:52) Alaska Mileage Plan for Alaska from 15K

(53:35) Singapore Krisflyer for central/Western US to Hawaii (13-14K)

(54:33) Using Alaska miles to fly AA for 17.5K from Dallas and west coast

(55:32) Use United to fly United from 11.1K from the west coast

(56:42) Aeroplan for 12.5K from the west coast to Hawaii on United

(58:00) Qatar Avios for 13K one way from the west coast

(59:00) Flying Blue for Delta from 18K

(59:16) Virgin Atlantic for Hawaiian Airlines for 20K each way from the west coast

(1:00:16) JetBlue for Hawaiian Airlines for 20K each way from the west coast (1:00:48) American Airlines miles for AA from 20K each way

(1:01:39) Southwest Airlines when cash fares are cheap

(1:02:00) "First class" flights to Hawaii with miles

(1:02:57) Turkish miles for United: 15K miles each way

(1:05:35) Finnair Avios for American Airlines" 38K miles each way

(1:07:00) Alaska Miles for Alaska from 40K miles each way

(1:07:21) Hawaiian miles to fly Hawaiian: 40K one way or upgrade from 25K. Possibly more availability with status or as a cardholder.

(1:09:25) Virgin Atlantic miles to fly Hawaiian: 40K one way from the west coast

(1:09:48) Alaska Mileage Plan for American Airlines: 35K one-way from as far east as Dallas

(1:10:10) Air Canada Aeroplan for United for 25K from the west coast

(1:10:50) Qatar Airways Avios for American or Alaska for 38,750 Avios from the west coast

(1:11:50) Example for how to find award availability

(1:19:33) Question of the Week: Is reselling a good low-energy way to generate points?

Music credit: Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

(00:00) The Wall Street Journal reported friction in the relationship between Wells Fargo & Bilt. What was reported and what do we make of the details? Find out in this episode of Coffee Break.

(01:16) What the Wall Street Journal Article says

(02:01) Digging into article details a bit about the Bilt / Wells Fargo relationship (06:34) Fraud and Money Laundering Concerns

(09:44) The Wells Fargo and Bilt response

(10:34) WSJ article key points quick summary

(11:12) Our take about what this all means

Visit frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media..

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Greg and Nick have been consumed with last-minute travel the last week and a half so it's great timing for them to summarize 10 important tips for last-minute award travel.

(01:17) - Standing ovation for the annual challenge! (Mailbag)

(06:43) - Annual Challenge recap and overview

Watch the Stage 1 recap video here: https://youtu.be/bMt_NfuuINI?feature=shared

Watch the Stage 2 recap video here: https://youtu.be/gyJPtTZN1EE?feature=shared

Watch the Stage 3 recap video here: https://youtu.be/HTmEAicB3dw?feature=shared

(34:15) - Curve overview (Card Talk)

Find out more here: https://www.curve.com/en-us

(37:56) - Hilton SLH integrated testing phase (Award Talk)

(40:26) - Preferred Hotels / Choice devaluation (55K to 87K) (Award Talk)

(42:34) - Aero plan credit card & elite members status match to iPrefer Titanium (before June 28) (Award Talk)

(44:18) - Book Oman Air w/ Flying Blue miles (Award Talk)

(44:30) - Book El Al with Virgin points (Award Talk)

(44:51) - Points Path adds support for Air Canada & Alaska Airlines (Award Talk)

Main Event: Top 10 Tips for Last Minute Award Travel

(47:00) - General advice

(52:38) - Great awards often open last minute (ex: Lufthansa first)

(57:16) - Diversify. Having different types of points and miles helps.

(58:28) - Become adept at award search tools. Huge time saver.

(1:00:26) - Don’t rely entirely on award search tools. They don’t catch everything (no Virgin Atlantic on a couple, no BA / QR Avios, didn’t see LifeMiles for my redemption, etc)

(1:03:41) - Consider keeping stashes in programs you use often. This only applies if you have a lot of points and miles, but it could help avoid a failed transfer.

(1:05:27) - Watch out for transfer times

(1:08:10) - Get a good VPN. I wonder if some of my problems could have been averted if I’d used one all along.

(1:11:22) - Know that Aeroplan’s contact center isn’t 24/7. This can be a big pain when you’re overseas.

(1:12:37) - Beware the phantom menace. Tons of Swiss space that isn’t real.

(1:17:02) - Have some tricks up your sleeve. This could alternatively be called "persistence pays off". Don’t give up right away. Examples include searching Avianca’s site multiple ways, forcing a stopover with Aeroplan to get a flight to show up, booking a refundable something as a backup, etc.

(1:20:10) - How do you go about finding activities while you travel? (Question of the Week)

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Greg and Nick are busy returning home from a jam-packed week competing in our 2024 annual team challenge "Flying by the Seat of our Points". For this coffee break episode, we've highlighted a portion of the final livestream from Kuala Lumpur where the team reflects on the highlights (and lowlights) of their individual journeys.

You can find out all kinds of details about this challenge here: https://frequentmiler.com/2024-annual-challenge/

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

This episode is a little different because Greg and Nick are busy competing with eachother for the Flying by the Seat of our Points Challenge!

If unfamiliar, every year we put together a team travel challenge designed to force us to reach challenging and entertaining goals with our points and miles, and showcase what can be done with these tools. It's a fun way to stretch the limits of points and miles and show you all what that actually looks like.

For this year's annual challenge, Stephen and I have given Greg, Nick, and Tim surprise destination assignments for a travel challenge testing our team's last-minute travel booking skills. The first "domestic convergence" destination was revealed on Monday night during a live checkin on YouTube where the contestants learned of a domestic location they'd need to reach by Wednesday 6pm local time, when we had another live checkin to reveal another series of surprise destinations. By the time this challenge wraps up, we'll have had 4 live checkins.

For this podcast episode you'll watch and listen to a summary of the first two checkins, the Monday night reveal of our domestic launch point, and the Wednesday night reveal of each contestant's individual international assignments. You'll also hear our contestants review the booking decisions they made to meet their first assignment, and you'll hear stephen and i break down our scoring decisions. This recap will bring you up to speed so you can head over to our YouTube and catch the third live checkin which will have just wrapped up by the time this podcast goes live, and will tell our contestans of their final destination assignment. 

Check out this link for more! https://frequentmiler.com/2024-annual-challenge/

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

(00:00) - You know that sinking feeling when you know things are going wrong? With a brand new travel challenge just launched last night, we've got our past travel challenge snafus in mind.

Coffee Break: Our worst travel challenge moments

(02:53) - 40K to Far Away

Learn more about the 2019 40K to Far Away Challenge here.

(03:09) - Greg: Train breaks. Bus breaks

Read Greg's story about his South African misadventures here.

(06:18) - Nick: Asleep on bus, can’t enter Bangkok, bike ride to nowhere

Read about Nick's misadventures during 40K to Far Away here.

(11:20) - 3 Cards, 3 Continents

Read more about the 2022 3 Cards, 3 Continents Challenge here.

(11:46) - Nick: Canyoneering

(12:48) - Greg: Air Canada married segment problem, then wouldn’t let me check in

Read more about Greg's married segment problem here.

(16:22) - Party of 5

Read more about the Party of 5 Challenge here.

(16:52) -Greg (and Nick): Santiago, arriving at the Ritz w/out a backpack

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Nick has loved LifeMiles for a long time but Greg has traditionally been less convinced. Recent changes make Greg curious to hear more about Nick's long-time love of LifeMiles. Can Nick convince Greg to become a fan?

(01:33) - On Ep 255: Strategizing Hilton cards, credits, and free nights, Greg’s podcasted plan left people with questions about family language for Hilton cards (Mailbag)

Find episode 255 here.

(05:12) - Hilton cards with new welcome bonuses (Mattress Running the Numbers)

Learn more about the Hilton fee free card here.

And learn about the Hilton Surpass card here.

(12:27) - Southwest now on Google Flights (Award Talk)

(16:09) - Finnair Avios now combinable (Award Talk)

(18:20) - AA NOT eliminating mile & loyalty point earnings through OTAs (Award Talk)

(19:22) - Cardless Avianca LifeMiles Cards (Card Talk)

Read more about the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card Here.

Read more about the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Elite Card here.

(28:33) - Easy miles to get

(31:51) - LifeMiles+ subscriptions

(49:30) - Using LifeMiles, standard pricing

(53:43) - Hidden sweet-spots

(59:30) - Mixed cabin pricing

Read Greg's post "Aviance Miles - First Class for Less" here.

(1:04:47) - How to search for complicated awards

(1:11:14) - How to search for awards (less complicated)

(1:22:10) - Downsides...

(1:25:32) - Pop Quiz for Greg about quadruple dip opportunities for a Hilton Curio Collection hotel

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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You know we're fans of Hyatt...but some of their recent behavior has been downright painful! That's what we'll discuss in today's Coffee Break episode.

(01:28) - Hyatt introduced Category 8, claiming it would only be for SLH

(03:05) - Introduced peak pricing

(04:26) - As feared, they moved Hyatt properties into that Category 8

(04:43) - Introduced a separate (way more expensive) award chart for all-inclusive properties

(05:35) - Created Homes & Hideaways at poor value...then later moved a number of "Destination Residences" properties to Homes & Hideaways

(07:53) - Ended MGM partnership

(08:34) - Ended SLH partnership

(09:54) - Introduced Mr & Mrs Smith dynamic pricing

Still plenty to love:

(13:03) - Best-in-class top tier status benefits (you know you’ll get breakfast / lounge, free parking on award stays, meaningful upgrades, etc).

(14:17) - Best milestone rewards (confirmable suite upgrades, Guest of Honor awards, valuable free night certificates)

(16:04) - Lots of sharing options: share free nights, upgrade certs, globalist status (via GOH awards), points, etc.

(17:09) - Ability to supplement elite earning with credit card spend

(18:08) - Generally very good value for points for properties that adhere to an award chart

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Everybody loves a one-size-fits-all answer, but today we're discussing which cards are best for which kinds of purchases: grocery, dining, gas, travel, Costco... Sure you can just keep one card in your wallet and earn on that card exclusively, but many of us switch it up depending on what we're purchasing. That's what we'll discuss in today's episode.

(01:45) - Datapoints about AA companion certificates (Mail Bag)

(05:32) - Hertz charging people to refill Tesla gas tanks (Crazy Thing)

(12:07) - Frontier and Spirit eliminate change fees (Award Talk)

(13:41) - Cool Alaska trick (Award Talk)

Read more here: https://thriftytraveler.com/news/airlines/book-business-class-less-alaska-miles/

(17:31) - Current Kimpton Hotel Secret Password May 24, 2024, to September 2, 2024. (Award Talk)

Main Event: Best cards for grocery, dining, gas, travel, Costco, and more

(18:54) - Best cards for grocery, dining, gas, travel, Costco, and more

(19:45) - Big box stores including Costco, Sams Club, Target, etc

Read more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve here: https://frequentmiler.com/USBAR/

(22:55) - Grocery Stores

Read more about the Citi Custom Cash here: https://frequentmiler.com/CustomCash/

(23:44) - Read more about Amex Gold here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxGoldCard/

(24:49) - Read more about the Citi Strata Premier here: https://frequentmiler.com/TYpremier/

Read more about the Capital One Savor card here (https://frequentmiler.com/C1SV/) and the  SavorOne here (https://frequentmiler.com/C1SVO/)

(25:28) - Read more about the Aeroplan card here: https://frequentmiler.com/Aeroplan/

(26:18) - Dining / Food Delivery

(27:38) - Read more about the Amex Business Gold card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxGoldBiz/

(29:13) - Read more about the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card here: https://frequentmiler.com/boaCR/

(31:06) - Gas

Read more about the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/WyndhamEarnerBiz/

(33:36) - Read more about the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/WyndhamEarnerPlus/

(38:38) - Travel: Many cards offer enhanced rewards for travel booked through bank portal

(39:03) - General Travel

(39:50) - Read more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve here: https://frequentmiler.com/CSR/

Read more about the Chase Ink Business Preferred here: https://frequentmiler.com/CIBP/

(39:58) - Read more about the Amex Green Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxGreen/

(40:00) - Read more about the Wells Fargo Autograph card here: https://frequentmiler.com/WellsFargoAutograph/

(41:37) - Airfare

Read more about the Amex Platinum card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxPlat/

(43:33) - Hotels

(43:44) - Read more about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card here: https://frequentmiler.com/WellsFargoAutographJourney/

(45:44) - Read what Greg keeps in his wallet here (https://frequentmiler.com/whats-in-gregs-wallet-2024-edition/) and what Nick keeps in his wallet here (https://frequentmiler.com/whats-in-nicks-wallet-2024-edition/)

(46:07) - See our Best Category Bonuses resource here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-category-bonuses/

(46:54) - Other notable category bonuses

(47:08) - Read more about the Ink Business Cash card here: https://frequentmiler.com/CIC/

(47:58) - Read more about the Chase Freedom Flex card here (https://frequentmiler.com/CFF/) and the Freedom Unlimited here (https://frequentmiler.com/CFU/)

(50:35) - One of our readers is interested in becoming a content creator and has questions about things to consider. If we were starting out today, what would we do differently? (Question of the Week)

(54:20) - Check out our Coffee Break episode on the origin story of Frequent Miler here: https://listen.frequentmiler.com/coffee09

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Sometimes points and miles wag the points-collector dog... which is to say, sometimes the hobby changes your travel behavior. In episode 11 of Coffee Break, we'll talk about how.

(01:40) - Rent day date nights (Greg)

(03:32) - Going to baseball games / event tickets (Nick)

(06:54) - Helicopter into NY (Greg)

(09:15) - Vacationing where the award space is (Nick)

(13:37) - "Forced" to travel due to expiring free nights (Greg)

Read about the Kimpton Seafire here: https://frequentmiler.com/kimpton-seafire-grand-cayman-bottom-line-review/

Read about the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain Tucson here: https://frequentmiler.com/ritz-carlton-dove-mountain-tucson-bottom-line-review/

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Wyndham is having an excellent point sale that lasts until April 15th (2025). Read more about it here or listen to this episode for details. 

(01:15) - Wyndham point sale: Through April 15th, if you buy 3,000 or more points, you get up to an 80% bonus.

(01:47) - Simultaneously, all 3 Wyndham Earner cards have increased welcome bonuses

Learn more about the increased bonuses for all 3 Wyndham credit cards here.

(02:55) - Vacasa Vacation Rental

Learn about Wyndham and Vacasa here.

(05:55) - Wyndham Grand

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Hilton's SLH partnership is stirring up some excitement over Hilton, even for people like Greg who haven't bothered with Hilton cards for awhile, so this week we're discussing Hilton credit cards, credits, and free nights.

(02:07) - We forgot about Qpoints last week... (Mail Bag)

(05:10) - Citi Strata Premier (Card Talk)

(10:33) - Citi accidentally made Strata Premier details public (Crazy Thing)

(11:56) - Citi accidentally published FAQ showing that it may be possible to upgrade to Prestige card (Crazy Thing)

(14:10) - Earn Delta MQDs on hotel bookings & car rentals (Mattress Running the Numbers)

(16:58) - AutoCamp now bookable with Hilton points

Main Event: Strategizing Hilton credit cards

(20:40) - Hilton is the only major hotel program with easy to get, uncapped free night certificates

(28:28) - Read about the Hilton Honors American Express Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxHilton/#Goto

(28:40) - Read about the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxHiltonBiz/#Goto

(29:19) - Read about the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/hilton-honors-american-express-surpass-card/#Goto

(30:00) - Read about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AmxHiltonAspire/#Goto

(31:18) - Earning free nights

(43:51) - Earning rebates to keep cards net free

(51:22) - Greg's strategy

(1:01:00) - Nick's thoughts

(1:05:01) - Is booking anything better than booking nothing? (Question of the week)

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

In addition to our regular weekly podcast, we also host an Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube once a month where the Frequent Miler team answers listener questions about points, miles, rewards cards, and whatever else comes to mind. This special episode (67) was streamed live on May 8, 2024 and introduces our 2024 annual team challenge!

(06:10) - Hi FM Team, now that we are approaching Summer, what you are most looking forward to this Summer?

(13:35) - how do you plan on handling the requirement for onward travel that many countries have in this challenge?

(15:37) - What's the "budget" for the contestants in this challenge?

(18:09) - Scoring? (And) Will the judges share their scoring criteria in advance?

(19:06) - Will there be any opportunity for reader/viewer engagement at the convergence points?

(24:00) - I hope you plan to document via Instagram stories this time! That's been my favorite way to watch along with the previous challenges in real time

(28:48) - Can you guess where you're each getting sent?

(32:17) - What is a place you are hoping you aren’t sent to?

(35:39) - Thoughts on the strata? And the strata elite? Do you think there will be family language?

(37:40) - Do you think that citi rebranding the premier signals a much better chance of a prestige replacement/csr comp coming in the next year or so?

(40:30) - Thanks for all the awesome content! Citi has denied P2 and I premier 3 times in the last 2 years, should I product change my DC to Premier since it’s going away or try for Strata Elite?

(42:13) - hi team! what's going on with transfers to Virgin? are points getting stuck in transit lately? would you advise holding off on transfers to virgin?

(44:11) - Can you speak on the capital one VX business priority pass rumors? My newly issued card is a visa and I’ve read on other blogs that the visas won’t have restaurant access. Is this true?

(46:46) - FHR Points question please - My Platinum AU is getting a points cost 33% higher than I get for the same stay, ideas on the reason?

(49:29) - Question: what are the most rewarding ways to get 529 gift of college gift cards?

(51:21) - Name your 6 must hit destinations if you were booking an ABA around the world trip

(55:39) - Is it worth to move 100k out of Fidelity to Meryl to get platinum honors ? Did FM team saw any inconvenience on maintaining 100k in Meryl

(58:36) - hi. I was recently informed by an Air France representative that it's permissible to forgo the first leg of a reward ticket and still utilize the second leg. Can you confirm this?"

Visit this link to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Some credit cards offer extra perks or progress toward elite status for big spenders. On this week's episode, we talk about which of those bonuses might be worth the spend. But before we get into that, this episode is full of news you can use and tips to keep in mind in regular segments like Card Talk and Mattress Running the Numbers.

(00:00) Intro

(01:26) A tip we neglected to mention regarding positioning flights (Giant Mailbag)

(05:33) Card Talk

(05:46) Venture X Business card losing Priority Pass restaurant access for new Visa cards (Card Talk)

(08:57) Qatar Airways Cardless Cards (Card Talk)

(15:16) What crazy thing . . . did Cardless do this week? 

https://frequentmiler.com/cardless-appears-to-have-a-1-card-restriction/

(19:32) Mattress running the numbers: Is it worth spending to Qatar Airways elite status?

Note: The Qatar Club Infinite card also comes with bonus Qpoints in the first year, which reduce the path to renewing status for your second year. The spend we discussed regarding renewal of status really applies to status for year 3 and beyond.

(28:17) Award Talk

(28:20) Flying by the Seat of our Points: Frequent Miler's 2024 challenge

https://frequentmiler.com/flying-by-the-seat-of-our-points-last-minute-travel-challenge/

(31:33) You can now use JetBlue points to book Etihad and vice versa

https://frequentmiler.com/earn-redeem-between-jetblue-and-etihad/

(35:30) Bilt adds a new transfer partner....Hilton Honors

https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-adding-hilton-as-newest-transfer-partner-but-transfer-ratio-is-poor/

(37:32) Use Finnair Avios to book Nordic & Scandinavian hotels for great value

https://frequentmiler.com/use-finnair-avios-to-book-scandinavian-hotels-at-2c-per-point-or-better/

(40:30) Amex Travel positive experience honoring a fare

(46:04) Our favorite big spend bonuses

(46:45) Alaska Airlines companion certificates

https://frequentmiler.com/as/

https://frequentmiler.com/asbiz/

(48:16) Hilton Surpass card free night certificate

https://frequentmiler.com/amxhiltonbiz/

(49:14) Hyatt consumer & business cards

https://frequentmiler.com/woh/

https://frequentmiler.com/wohbiz/

(57:39) IHG Premier & Premier Business cards

https://frequentmiler.com/ihgprem/

https://frequentmiler.com/ihgbusiness/

(1:01:47) Barclays Aviator Silver Loyalty Point bonuses & companion certificate

https://frequentmiler.com/aviatorsilver/

(1:06:20) Aeroplan 

https://frequentmiler.com/aeroplan/

(1:09:25) Question of the Week: How did Greg build up capacity for his player 3?

Music credit: Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Nick just came back from a weekend in Toronto at the Toronto Travel Summit. In today's Coffee Break episode, he'll share 4 cool things he learned there.

 

(2:00) - Air France is working on upgrades using miles that sounds like it might be very reasonable.

(07:30) - Aeroplan intends to bring back family pooling the same as it was.

(09:17) - Aeroplan is actually working on getting partner space back up and running.

(12:56) - Hotels could be a good use of Finnair Avios

(18:08) - Networking at these things continues to be great! Lots of interested / interesting people & creators with different angles.

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. 

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Sometimes you book an award ticket that requires you to do some positioning in order to catch that flight - for instance if the flight doesn't depart from your home airport. There are a few best practices to keep in mind when booking these "positioning flights", which we'll discuss in today's Frequent Miler on the Air episode.

(01:08) - One reader writes in: "If you have Platinum Honors, I would rank the BofA Premium Rewards Elite card the highest for Priority Access by far. The airline credit offset is very easy to use and you get them all at once so there's no obnoxious coupon book"... (Mail Bag)

(03:20) - BOA Premium Rewards (not elite) card (Card Talk)

Learn more about this card: https://frequentmiler.com/boaPR/#Goto

Revisit Frequent Miler on the Air Episode 204 here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-would-we-spend-1-million-dollars/

(04:57) - Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite card (Card Talk)

Learn more about this card: https://frequentmiler.com/BOAPremiumRewardsElite/#Goto

(11:17) - Cardless launching two Avianca LifeMiles cards (Card Talk)

(12:35) - Marriott Homes & Villas 50K (Mattress Running the Numbers)

(16:12) - Transfer bonuses (Award Talk)

(21:29) - United increases prices on partner biz class awards within Europe & Asia (Award Talk)

(24:06) - Nick: able to change Aeroplan award (Award Talk)

(29:50) - Daily Getaways (Award Talk)

Main Event: Tips for booking Positioning Flights

(32:26) - Award discovery tools like PointsYeah DayDream Explorer tool and Seats.Aero make it easy to find awards such as "business class for 4 from "North America" to "Europe"

(36:22) - Avoid checking bags!

(37:37) - Departure positioning tips: what NOT to do

Read Greg’s mad dash story (What NOT to do) here: https://frequentmiler.com/my-award-alert-flight-change-and-a-risky-layover/

(40:33) - Day before is best

(41:36) - Non-stop is best (less chance of delay)

(41:56) - If not night before.... book primary positioning flight with long airport layover

(43:15) - Useful to have lounge access for layover

(46:02) - Book freely cancelable alternate positioning flight

(49:20) - If back-up positioning flight isn’t an option, consider booking back-up for entire one-way trip

(50:18) - Best options for free last-minute cancelations

(56:48) - Back to Greg’s story. How he somewhat protected myself:

(1:08:29) - Are there any certificates (like companion certificates) that disappear when you cancel the card? (Question of the Week)

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Today's Coffee Break episode was inspired by a recent email we got asking... how did Frequent Miler get started? Since our Coffee Break episodes are 20 minutes or less, we started but telling Greg's side of the Frequent Miler origin story.

(01:47) - in 2011 Greg first learned about this points and miles hobby when his current employer at the time issued a "no travel" decree...

(04:22) - Greg started a blog for his friends...because it was easier then emailing everyone about what he'd learned.

(05:29) - Greg almost immediately became intrigued with stacking opportunities.

(07:06) - Greg was also very focused on increasing spend on his credit card which he later learned was called "manufactured spending."

(08:17) - Before long, Randy of Boarding Area discovered Greg and invited him to join.

(10:38) - Greg meets some other Boarding Area bloggers and learns how to monetize his blog.

(14:15) - In early 2012 Greg's "real job" restructures and he gets laid off, inspiring him to set an earnings goal for the blog.

(16:02) - Greg discovers Vanilla Reload cards...

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

There are many ways to book luxury hotels (credit card points, hotel points, etc) and this can be a great way to stay in some amazing luxury accommodations you'd never justify paying cash for. We'll dive into this today.

(01:43) - Please share an experience when a positioning flight had not gone to plan, perhaps share a "Positioning Flight From Hell" type of experience. (Mailbag)

Read about Greg's positioning flight mayhem here.

(06:23) - On our Instagram post, @marriottbonvoy's account trolls Hyatt by saying "Fortunately for our guests, we don’t play games with welcome gifts, points, and awards at Luxury locations such as St. Regis, JW Marriott, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, and more but that’s just us." (Crazy Thing)

See our post: Marriott Platinum Elite Free Breakfast Simplified

(12:12) - 30% transfer bonus Amex to Virgin (Mattress Running the Numbers)

(15:17) - MaxFHR.com (Award Talk)

Read more about MaxFHR here.

(17:09) - Equinox credit for massages (Award Talk)

(21:10) - Bilt’s new Rent Day snoozer

(24:27) - Bilt BLADE

Read more about the Bilt Blade partnership here. 

Read Greg's Blade flight review here.

(30:01) - Hyatt’s sad rollout of Mr & Mrs Smith

Main Event: Luxury lodging... on points

(41:52) - Find our "Which is the most rewarding hotel loyalty program? | Ep193 | 3-11-23" here.

(42:54) - Major hotel chain luxury brands

(43:34) - Hyatt

(45:53) - Hilton

(47:55) - Marriott

(54:03) - IHG

(58:12) - Wyndham

(59:10)  - Read Nick's post about free cruise opportunities.

(59:34) - Choice Privileges

(1:01:36) - Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH): Book with Hilton points (coming soon).

Read more about the Hilton SLH partnership here.

(1:05:49) - Preferred Hotels & Resorts

(1:09:05) - Leading Hotels of the World (LHW)

(1:11:23) - Fine Hotels & Resorts & The Hotel Collection

(1:13:28) - What's the best way to start on the Marriott credit card journey? (Question of the Week)

See our chart for figuring out which Marriott cards you're eligible for.

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Until recently, Hyatt had a relationship with Small Luxury Hotels (SLH), but it was recently announced that Hilton will now be the one integrating SLH hotels. We'll talk about what that looks like in this week's Coffee Break episode.

(0:58) - Background: What is SLH?

Read more about this SLH update here: https://frequentmiler.com/fantastic-updates-about-hiltons-integration-of-slh/

(02:15) - Hilton’s approach to SLH

(08:40) - Why Hilton 120K isn’t so different from Hyatt 40K

(14:56) - Favorite SLH properties

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

American Airlines status isn't as easy as it used to be, but there are some shortcuts for those who think they'll be flying American Airlines enough to really want it. We'll discuss those shortcuts in this episode of Frequent Miler on the Air.

(00:58) - Reader, Matt has been frustrated by Bilt's customer service... (Mailbag)

(07:16) - AAdvantage® Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard (Card Talk)

Find out more about this card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AviatorRed/#Goto

We covered these a year ago in the show: Amassing American Airlines Miles | Ep199 | 4-22-23, which you can find here: https://frequentmiler.com/amassing-american-airlines-miles/

(10:22) - AAdvantage® Aviator Silver World Elite MasterCard® (Card Talk)

(19:01) - Capital One switches Venture card from Visa to MasterCard...but switches Venture X Biz from MasterCard to Visa (Crazy Thing)

(22:03) - Transfer bonus from Citi to Accor (Mattress Running the Numbers)

(26:26) - Strawberry Hotels (formerly Nordic Choice) Summer Pass (Mattress Running the Numbers)

(33:42) - Etihad A380 first class apartment awards available New York to Abu Dhabi (Award Talk)

(37:48) - Qatar cards from Cardless (Award Talk)

(39:56) - Daily Getaways (Award Talk)

Read more about the Daily Getaways here: https://frequentmiler.com/daily-getaways-2024-complete-preview-of-all-the-deals/

Main Event: Shortcuts to AA elite status

(45:26) - American Airlines Elite Overview

(48:40) - Loyalty Point Rewards

(50:42) - Shortcuts to American Airlines Elite Status

(1:04:03) - What is the role of AI in the travel-hacking space? (Question of the Week)

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit - "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Tragically, United appears to to be blocking saver award space from Star Alliance partner bookings. In this coffee break episode we'll talk about what that means.

(0:59) - Overview of United's recent changes

Read more about these United changes here. 

(01:09) - Why it matters

(07:11) - Research findings - what we've found out digging a little deeper...

(09:50) - Are United miles now more valuable?

(14:19) - Are United credit cards now more valuable? (extra award space)

Visit here to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. You'll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Winning the game doesn't have to be hard. Points & miles is like complicated board game -- seems overwhelming at first. But the rewards for winning are incredible. In today's main event we'll show you how to get started.

(02:09) - Tyler writes in about success with Chase travel insurance

Read more about Chase Sapphire Reserve & Ritz-Carlton cards' excellent travel protections here.

(03:58) - Bilt rent payment method is changing - read more about it here.

(07:27) - Chase biz cards: Pre-approved offers showing when logged in - read more about it here.

(09:43) - Wyndham launches debit card, which you can read about here.

(12:24) - Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard increased to 40k points, which you can read about here.

(14:17) - Citi Rewards+ card may be discontinued soon

(16:47) - Read more about the Wyndham point sale here.

(17:53) - A listener writes in to say, "I feel like I Bonvoyed Marriott last month" by using a 35K cert for a Marriott in Guyana worth $675/night!

(21:09) - Expires April 15, 2025.Hyatt Homes & Hideaways 3x promo

(23:04) - Delta eliminates surcharges from Europe

(25:07) - Frontier offering free Economy Bundle + free checked bag with promo code FREEBAG, which you can read about here.

(26:45) - Get GigSky 15 day international data plan free w/ Visa Infinite & Signature cards + 10% off plans with a promo code, which you can read more about here.

(28:50) - Redeem 2,000 Wyndham Rewards points for 2 Minor League Baseball tickets (Book by 3/26/25) - read more about it here.

(30:35) - Use Hilton for Business for better cancellation terms and no deposits, which you can read more about here.

(32:12) - Savewise: compare portals + find stacks - read more about it here.

(41:05) - Earn credit card rewards (big picture)

(42:47) - Check out Episode 214 about how to earn millions of points from credit card welcome offers here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-earn-millions-of-points-from-credit-card-welcome-offers/

(43:43) - Visit our Best Offers resource here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

(44:08) - Check out Greg's picks for the best current credit card bonuses here: https://frequentmiler.com/top-current-credit-card-offers/

(45:45) - Don't do this unless you pay in full monthly

(48:35) - What about credit score?

(51:33) - Three types of cards, welcome bonus only, "sock drawer" cards, wallet cards

(55:44) - Consider Travel Freely (which you can learn more about here )

(1:01:09) - Learn ways to increase your spend (without really increasing your spend)

Listen to this "13 ways to increase credit card spend" podcast Episode197 for more: https://frequentmiler.com/13-ways-to-increase-credit-card-spend-and-get-most-of-it-back/

(1:03:40) - More rewards with Shopping Portals and bank offers (e.g. Amex Offers, Chase Offers)\

(1:06:03) - Spend your points for travel!

(1:09:58) - Use tools to find valuable ways to use your points - read this post for which award search tool is best: https://frequentmiler.com/which-award-search-tool-is-best/

(1:14:53) - Check out our post about which hotel award tool is best: https://frequentmiler.com/which-hotel-award-search-tool-is-best/

(1:15:27) - Keep track of your points with AwardWallet, which you can read more about here: https://frequentmiler.com/awardwallet/

(1:18:38) - Multi-Player

Listen to podcast episode 292 "Points & Miles 2 Player Mode" here: https://frequentmiler.com/points-miles-2-player-mode-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep292-1-31-25-podcast/

(1:20:55) - Greg did a long weekend trip to London using points (flying Delta One) which sounded like a lot of effort (and points) for such a short trip. Is there an ideal?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

We don't talk about IHG One Rewards program much, but it may be a more valuable program than you think, especially if you keep our 10 tips in mind. Listen for more! 

You can find Greg's interview on the All the Hacks podcast here: https://www.allthehacks.com/greg-frequent-miler-flight-award-tools/

(03:42) - Reader Jeff (featured on last week's giant mailbag) answered questions about how he booked Delta One to Tokyo for 85K and how he visited Delta lounges in Atlanta and Denver...(Mail Bag)

(10:42) - IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (Card Talk)

You can listen to our discussion about IHG premier cards on Ep193 of the Frequent Miler on the Air Podcast here: https://frequentmiler.com/which-is-the-most-rewarding-hotel-loyalty-program/

(14:23) - Bilt sent emails to cardholders with membership shut-down alerts...but then quickly reversed it with an apology. (Crazy Thing)

(19:32) - Book Hawaiian Airlines w/ JetBlue points: updated award chart (Award Talk)

Read our JetBlue guide here: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-trueblue-guide/

(25:19) - Planning for Wynn status match for free Holland America cruise (Award Talk)

Read our post on getting free cruises from status matches: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-get-free-cruises-by-gaming-casino-status-matches/

(32:05) - MaxMyPoint to help find a standard room (Award Talk)

Read more about tools like MaxMyPoint here: https://frequentmiler.com/tools-for-finding-impossible-hotel-awards/

Main Event: 10 Tips for Rocking IHG One Rewards

(34:51) - IHG One Rewards Overview

(41:13) - IHG Credit cards

You can listen to our discussion about IHG premier cards on Ep193 of the Frequent Miler on the Air Podcast here: https://frequentmiler.com/which-is-the-most-rewarding-hotel-loyalty-program/

(42:05) - 10 Tips for rocking IHG One Rewards

(01:12:18) - How can I do Disney effectively with credit cards? (Question of the Week)

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

In addition to our regular weekly podcast, we also host an Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube once a month where the Frequent Miler team answers listener questions about points, miles, rewards cards, and whatever else comes to mind. This episode (66) was streamed live on April 3, 2024 and can be viewed in full here: Frequent Miler Live: Ask Us Anything Here are all the questions asked during this episode (with timestamps)

(00:30) - Read more about how to find Qatar QSuites award space here.

(07:12) - Hey Greg, Did you notice that there were some QR flights that were available thru jetblue but NOT british airways?

(08:17) - Do any of you use the app Flighty? If yes, any improvements you want them to make?

(10:19) - Hello! Is there a reason so many credit cards are dropping Priority Pass?

(12:45) - what program do you have the strongest love/hate relationship with?

(17:20) - Which ways of booking business/premium econ domestic flights have the best availability at a reasonable cost? I'm trying to make longer positioning flights more comfortable for 2-5 people

(18:55) - what's the best way to pay for my 28 day Marriott stay, CSR, Ritz, or Hyatt for getting Globalist status? thanks

Read Stephen's post about long-term hotel stays in states where you may not have to pay taxes: https://frequentmiler.com/staying-30-nights-in-a-hotel-you-might-not-have-to-pay-the-taxes/

(21:12) - Nick, on a podcast you said you were going to pick-up the Brilliant even without the SUB. Would you not consider temporarily product changing your Ritz card(s) to be eligible for the SUB?

(22:55) - Any favorite resources for finding interesting things to do in a country? I have several destinations that I want to visit for 1-2 things I know about, but would need more to fill the trip

(27:07) - I earned a bunch of Capital One points hoping to use them one day on Turkish, but with the devaluation what do you think some other good uses are?

Read our Capital One Complete Guide 

Read our Capital One Sweet Spots post

(30:26) - I have a question how can I book Swiss rail Pass? I’ve tried everywhere and I just can’t find it. Is there a way to use any airline points or just pay cash for that?

(32:19) - Several Airlines use Avios and they may have different expiration policy. Can I transfer from one to the other to avoid expiration? Thanks!

(35:09) - can the amex 10+ referral multiplier stack? 

(36:12) - When applying for a second Ink card, is it similar to the initial application or you have to explain to Chase that the new card is for a different business? 

(37:15) - Greg and Nick both said they would prefer Alaska miles over AA miles. I heard their reasons why but can you all name any sweet spots with Alaska? after the last two devaluation great deals are missing

Read the post about Alaska Award Chart, Winners, Losers, and Sweet Spots here

(40:16) - About to apply for the Venture X & I’m curious if u know anything about the black box that is their approval algorithm. Specific DPs?

(41:24) - can you reiterate some best practices to limit the risk Amex not treating tax payments as eligible spend for the signup bonus?

(44:30) - With the Robinhood card, and the USBAR, wouldn’t it make more sense to buy points vs getting points on a card?

(45:40) - Cruise questions. It seems that Caesars status alone is no longer enough for cruise matches and they ask for other offers so trip to AC is a must? I that correct? If so, better to wait until July 1st?

(50:42) - As someone who just started the point game. Am I too late with all the devaluation going on? I started with Amex and working on the Amex points game now.

(54:08) - Is there a way to avoid an airline in google flights explore tab? There’s an option to toggle in the regular flights tab but not in the explore tab.

(54:50): Which one of these humans is the frequent miler?

(56:26) - How can I keep my Hawaiian Points from expiring? I recently cancel my Hawaiian credit card

(56:59) - Who has flown the most miles?

Visit this link to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. You'll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here.

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What is the best Capital One Miles card?

(01:35) - Pop quiz for Nick about filling in the gaps of a reader's trip report (Giant Mailbag)

(13:32) - Jetblue’s Peak and off-Peak pricing... for checked bags (Crazy Thing)

Read more about Jetblue's peak and off-peak baggage pricing here: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-increasing-checked-baggage-fees-will-now-have-peak-off-peak-pricing/

(17:55) - Alaska Airlines offering up to 50% off award sale to Maldives, Tahiti & more (Award Talk)

Read more about this Alaska Airlines award sale here: https://frequentmiler.com/alaska-airlines-offering-economy-premium-economy-award-sale-to-maldives-tahiti-more/

(19:40) - Read our post on the best time to visit any country here: https://frequentmiler.com/the-best-time-of-year-to-go-to-every-country-in-the-world-in-one-table/

(19:54) - Qatar business class award availability find

Main Event: Which is the best Capital One Miles card?

(24:48) - Why Capital One Miles matter.

(31:55) - Capital One Miles cards

(37:32) - So which is the best Miles card?

Check out the Capital One Venture X card here (https://frequentmiler.com/VentureX/#Goto), or the Capital One Venture X Business card here (https://frequentmiler.com/VentureXBiz/#Goto)

(41:23) - But Cash Back cards matter too!

(44:26) - Cash Back cards

(47:05) - So which is the best cash back card Check out the SaverOne card here: https://frequentmiler.com/C1SVO/#Goto

(50:46) - But what's the best card combo?

Read more about the Venture One card here: https://frequentmiler.com/C1V1/#Goto

Read more about the Venture card here: https://frequentmiler.com/C1VR/#Goto

Check out other Capital One credit cards here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-offers/#CapOne

(56:28) - Which issuers allow you to have more than one of the same card? (Question of the Week)

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zAQHcu57q9QmYEKaDBpEU?si=JylqRM-FRhuVsWSE5oCIvA

 

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Recently Nick wrote about a new credit card from Robinhood that will apparently offer a flat 3% back on most purchases. On this coffee break episode, we speculate as to whether or not this is too good to last.

(0:30) - Robinhood Gold Card (and Gold membership)

(02:37) - Read more about Robinhood Gold, the Robinhood Gold card, and the promo here: https://frequentmiler.com/robinhood-gold-card-to-offer-3-back-everywhere/

(04:21) - IRA match

(06:57) - Amazing referral deal: actual 36c 10K Gold credit card or $1,100 with 10 referrals who sign up for Robinhood Gold and pay at least their first monthly or annual subscription fee.

(11:57) - What about the whole Gamestop thing?

(14:50) - Is Robinhood safe to keep money in?

(15:50) - Is this too good to last?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. 

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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A number of high end credit cards give you Priority Pass membership. Full Priority Pass offers access to airport lounges, restaurants, and experiences (e.g. Be Relax Spa, Minute suites, Game Space etc), which can be pretty useful. But which of the current pathways to this membership is the best, (especially if you'd still like access to those restaurants)?

(01:52) - More feedback on the pronunciation of Qatar. (Mail Bag)

(03:45) - Hilton Honors Business Card, which will be increasing its annual fee from $95 to $195, along with some other changes. (Card Talk)

(14:03) - United Pooling appeared Friday, then disappeared hours later, then re-appeared (Crazy Thing)

(19:19) - You can't use pooled United miles for partner redemptions, only United & United Express (Crazy Thing)

(25:55) - National Car Rental double credit for registered users' weekend rentals between April 4 through June 8, 2024 (Mattress Running the Numbers)

Read more about this National Car Rental deal here.

(29:36) - Regional first class awards for 12.5K, 16.5K, 22K points thanks to Qatar Avios (Award Talk)

(32:00) - Read more about this regional sweet spot here.

(35:58) - Preferred Hotels bookable online

Check out the Preferred Hotels Coffee Break episode here.

(40:31) - Choice Privileges Experiences might be worth a look

Main Event: The Best Path to Priority Pass

(45:08) - Full Priority Pass offers access to airport lounges, restaurants, and experiences (e.g. Be Relax Spa, Minute suites, Game Space etc.)

(47:43) - Chase Sapphire Reserve & Ritz lose restaurants

(49:06) - Check out our Card Talk segment of last week's podcast episode 247 where we talked about the Ritz Card and its access to Priority Pass.

(51:38) - Wack-a-mole Alternatives to still get restaurant access with your Priority Pass

(52:48) - Venture X Biz (Read more about the Venture X Business card here.

(53:55) - US Bank Altitude Reserve (8 visits) (Read more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve card here.)

(55:43) - Business Altitude Connect (4 visits) (Read more about the Business Altitude Connect card here.)

(56:16) - Bank Of America Premium Rewards Elite (4 memberships) (Read more about the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite card here.)

(1:00:15) - UBS Visa Infinite Business (Read more about the UBS Visa Infinite Business card here.)

(1:00:54) - UBS Visa Infinite (Read more about the UBS Visa Infinite card here.)

(1:01:25) - Citi Prestige (no longer available if you don't already have it)

(1:02:09) - Barclays Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard (Read more about the Barclays Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard here.)

(1:07:06) -  Deciding between two hotels, one with cash (and therefore a Hilton points-earning opportunity) or paying Hyatt points. How do you make the choice? (Question of the Week)

isit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Choice Privileges has made it easier to book their Preferred hotel partners, finally providing a way to book these online with your Choice points! 

(02:41) - Overview of Preferred Hotels bookable online with Choice Points Read about how to Preferred Hotels are now bookable online with Choice Points: https://frequentmiler.com/preferred-hotels-now-bookable-online-with-choice-points/

(04:22) - What's the best ways to get Choice points?

(07:43) - Read about buying points with a (sometimes available) cash and points trick: https://frequentmiler.com/a-sweet-spot-hotel-and-a-rookie-mistake/#Choice_Privileges_Cash_Points_The_cheap_way_to_buy_Choice_points

(10:08) - Particularly exciting hotels in the Preferred Hotels collection (bookable online with Choice Points)

(10:58) - U.S. options...

(13:23) - International options...

(14:18) - iPrefer (Preferred Hotel’s rewards program)

(17:11) - Pros... (here's why you may want to do this)

(18:34) - Cons... (here's what to watch out for!)

(19:46) - Closing thoughts...does this change our approach to looking for hotels or earning points?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here: https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-miler-on-the-air/

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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In some ways Marriott can be the Frankenstein’s monster of rewards programs. There's lots of good stuff about the program...and lots of bad stuff too, all sloppily sewn together.

(01:36) - More advice about how to pronounce "Qatar"! (Mailbag)

Read our post on how to pronounce "Qatar": https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-pronounce-qatar/

(08:46) - Ritz Carlton Card (Card Talk)

Read more about the Ritz Carlton card here: https://frequentmiler.com/yes-the-ritz-card-is-now-the-best-value-marriott-card/

(21:41) - Alaska wants you to pay to see ads (Crazy Thing)

(25:00) - Buy Choice points with 50% bonus (0.69c per point) (Mattress Running the Numbers)

Read more about the Choice points discount here: https://frequentmiler.com/buy-choice-points-with-30-discount-0-69cpp/

 (33:20) - United to offer family mileage pooling (Award Talk)

(37:45) - Chilean airline JetSmart to adopt American’s AAdvantage loyalty program later this year (Award Talk)

(40:47) - Finnair points are now Avios (but there doesn’t yet appear to be a way to move them to BA, Iberia, etc.) (Award Talk)

(43:59) - JetBlue is cancelling routes (Award Talk)

(46:56) - Wells Fargo autograph journey now live 1 to 2 choice (Award Talk)

Main Event: Mastering Marriott’s Madness

(48:39) - Huge number of hotels worldwide (nearly 9,000)

This post can help you find out if you're eligible for the various Marriott cards: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-card-eligible/

(52:36) - Bonvoy Basics Read our complete guide to Marriott Bonvoy here: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-complete-guide/

(1:04:25) - Earning points See the best credit card offers here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-offers/

(01:09:42) - Earning free night certificates

(01:10:30) - Earning elite status Listen to our Easy Marriott elite status episode here: https://frequentmiler.com/easy-marriott-elite-status/

Read: Shortcuts to Marriott Elite status https://frequentmiler.com/shortcuts-to-marriott-platinum-elite-status/

 (01:14:57) - Questions about paying for rent with the Alaska card via Bilt... with high rent of $3600/mo, which card should I use...Alaska with the fee or Bilt without the fee? (Question of the Week)

 to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit - "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Bilt is gaining Alaska as a transfer partner...but it's losing American Airlines as a partner in June. This has Greg and Nick asking...which miles are better?

We love talking about points and miles all day, every day. That's why we've decided - in addition to our full-length Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episodes, we're going to share a little something to enjoy during your Tuesday coffee break too. Not a full hour of discussion and analysis like you'll find on the full episodes, but a mini version with a single topic of focus.

(00:33) - Bilt has gained Alaska Airlines as a transfer partner, but will lose AA as a transfer partner in June

(01:42) - AA and Alaska have a few things in common...

(03:34) - Greg argues why American Airline miles are better 

(06:07) - Nick argues why Alaska Airlines are better

(10:10) - Final Answer... Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. You'll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here: https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-miler-on-the-air/ 

Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

In today's episode of Frequent Miler on the Air, we'll talk about different "hidden" opportunities to find great award availability when you otherwise strike out trying to find international lie-flat awards, for example.    (01:13) - Advantage shopping portal vs AAdvantageHotels...when do these bookings' miles post...check in date or purchase date? (Mailbag)   (05:36) - I noticed that you are not doing the mattress running the numbers segment - any particular reason? (Mailbag)   (08:00) - Amex Platinum consumer card is dropping SiriusXM from digital entertainment May 8 (Card Talk)   Learn more about this Amex Platinum change here: https://frequentmiler.com/siriusxm-to-be-removed-from-eligible-services-for-amex-digital-entertainment-credit/   (11:50) - The American Express Business Platinum card 250K offer is still available in a roundabout way. (Card Talk)   Read more about the steps for finding that offer here: https://frequentmiler.com/incredible-250k-welcome-offer-for-the-amex-business-platinum-targeted-link/   (16:14) - United triggers a flight as "supposed to be a paper ticket" upon check in... (Crazy Thing)   (22:33) - Hyatt will be losing SLH partnership on May 15 (Award Talk)   Learn more about the Hyatt/SLH partnership ending here: https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-slh-partnership-ending-5-15-24-important-things-to-know/   (25:12) - New Alaska award chart slowly going live and expected to be complete by 3/31/24. (Award Talk)   Read more about the Alaska award chart slowly going live here: https://frequentmiler.com/huge-alaska-announces-unified-award-charts/   (29:14) - Bilt adds Alaska as a partner (Award Talk)   (30:00) - Bilt loses AA as a partner in June (Award Talk)   Read more about Bilt's loss of AA as a partner here: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-losing-american-airlines-as-transfer-partner-in-june/   (35:09) - Ritz upgrade success (again!) (Award Talk)   (36:33) - Delta’s new companion certificates really work as advertised (Award Talk)   Read more about Delta's enhanced companion certificates here: https://frequentmiler.com/delta-companion-certificates/   (38:17) - Delta: update about extending elite status with MQM rollovers (Award Talk)   Read more about the last ever Delta MQM rollover here: https://frequentmiler.com/the-last-ever-delta-mqm-rollover/   (40:45) - Award search tool comparisons, including award discovery tools (Award Talk)   Read more about award exploration tools here: https://frequentmiler.com/a-new-breed-of-award-discovery-tools/   Main Event: Where to Find Hidden Award Flights   (45:17) - Opportunities to find great award availability when you otherwise strike out trying to book international lie-flat awards...   (46:20) - Aeroplan has better award space for Singapore Airlines than Singapore itself   (48:05) - JetBlue Mint, book with Qatar Avios   See our video about how to find and book JetBlue Mint flights to the Caribbean using Qatar Avios: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-mint-to-the-caribbean-for-26000-avios-where-and-how-to-find-it/   (50:12) - ITA booked with Virgin Atlantic miles (widely available as of the last time Nick looked...)   (52:04) - Hawaiian Air has very good award space to Asia   (54:00) - Emirates: Book lower class of service and upgrade with points at airport   (55:32) - Flying Blue: Don't trust the calendar   (57:57) - AA, Flying Blue: often get much better pricing by flying to/from smaller airports   (01:01:18) - Many airlines (Eva Air, Qatar, Etihad, Lufthansa, BA, Virgin, Turkish, etc) offer better award availability to their own members   (01:10:33) - Book good-enough refundable flights and wait until close-in to find great flights.   (01:14:04) - Sometimes cash (or pay with points) is best option   (01:19:39) - Read our post about how to find great deals with Google Flights: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-find-incredible-flight-deals-with-google-flights/   (01:19:56) - We review a unique case study where verification details delayed a credit card so long that a new application was required...but in that time, the bonus increased... (Question of the week)  

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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In addition to our regular weekly podcast, we also host an Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube once a month where the Frequent Miler team answers listener questions about points, miles, rewards cards, and whatever else comes to mind. This episode (65) was streamed live on March 6, 2024 and can be viewed in full here.

Here are all the questions asked during this episode (with timestamps):

(05:03) - Have you noticed that Emirates charges insane fuel surcharges out of countries that ban/restrict them?

​(06:19) - When you book Rio Las Vegas with Hyatt points do you not have to pay resort fee and get elite benefits like late checkout?

(08:55) - ​​Would you recommend closing the Chase Marriott business credit card, waiting 30 days, then applying for the AMEX Marriott business credit card? I will keep my JPM Ritz Carlton credit card open.

(11:24) - Can you have more than one Ritz card per person?

(12:46) - As the SLH-Hyatt partnership starts to wind down, I wanted to ask each of you if you might give us ideas/favorites to try and book?

(19:20) - ​Any tips on how to help avoid jetlag for my kids?

(20:15) - ​​I appreciate your “current point transfer bonuses” page. Any plans to create a current buying points and miles list?

(21:01) - ​​Which app is better for managing Flying Blue points, KLM or Air France?

(21:40) - ​​I have to book a Latam flight. What's my best option?

(23:20) - ​​Getting ready for the Beyonce at the Sphere announcement, as soon as those dates leak it's going to be a race to book something before the algorithm sends hotel rates sky high. Any tips or tricks?

(25:35) - ​​There’s a few Marriott sign up bonuses going around. How would you choose between: 5 free nights (up to 50k each; up to 250k total), vs ~185k straight up points?

(29:57) - ​​Any tools to use for planning a road trip in other countries? So many possibilities (i.e. which order to visit things in, transit times, etc) makes my planning spiral out of control.

(35:40) - ​​What is the best airline to credit miles to for each alliance? It's easy enough to understand the value of the miles, but harder to evaluate all the earning rates.

(39:20) - ​​Chase 5/24 question, should I tempt fate and try to apply for the Marriott Boundless 5 free night offer while currently at 5/24? (12 months left) 

(41:55) - ​​Any tips for booking one of the rarer hotel points redemptions? If I book the hotel, I probably won't be able to find biz class flights for those dates. And vice versa if I book the flights first.

(47:52) - ​​Despite the usual recommendation not to speculatively transfer, are there levels of earning (100s of 1000s, millions) and levels of spending that make it worthwhile?

(54:53) - ​​What are your thoughts on the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card?

(58:36) - ​​How do we manage Amex cards beyond year one to maintain good standing with Amex? For example when would it be ok to close, downgrade, apply for cards, how many months apart, etc?

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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(00:10) - In this episode we talk about the airline rewards programs and hotel rewards programs that seem to be changing in value. Some of them are going up in value and some are going down. 

(00:42) - Alaska Mileage Plan miles are going up in value

(02:08) - Southwest points are going down

Listen to our episode about these Southwest changes here.

(02:45) - Avianca Lifemiles are going down

(04:43) - Hilton points are going up

(06:12) - Hyatt points are going down

(10:36) - Which transferable points are going up or down?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Award program changes often sting, but remember that those storm clouds often have a silver lining. On this week's episode, we discuss the bright spots in the most recent hotel and airline program devaluations

(00:00:00) Intro (00:01:45) Giant Mailbag triple-header! 

See episode 244 for more details about Platinum cards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDh7EUEsf2Y (00:01:50) Schwab bonus with $10mil (00:02:56) Schwab mortgage counts toward assets (00:05:50) Don't forget Amex corporate cardholders get statement credits (00:07:22) Card Talk: Wells Fargo is launching their transferable points program https://frequentmiler.com/wells-fargo-launching-autograph-journey-visa-card-transferable-points-up-to-5x-earnings-more/

(00:19:33) What crazy thing . . . did Turkish Miles & Smiles do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-offers-an-award-sale-thats-very-turkish-miles-smiles-of-them/ (00:23:46) Award Talk (00:23:47) American Airlines Award Sale: Seats for 5K each way https://frequentmiler.com/american-airlines-award-sale-500k-seats-for-5k-miles-with-great-availability/

(00:27:59) Rio Las Vegas joins World of Hyatt https://frequentmiler.com/world-of-hyatt-benefits-at-rio-las-vegas-your-questions-answered/

(00:30:20) Main Event: Bright spots in the latest award devaluations

(00:30:48) Hyatt devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/ouch-hyatts-2024-devaluation-has-been-announced-its-not-pretty/ (00:41:07) Wyndham Vacasa devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/wyndham-vacasa/

(00:47:14) Etihad devaluation (00:53:46) ANA devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/the-ana-devaluation-its-not-all-doom-and-gloom/

(01:02:10) Turkish devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-might-be-demolishing-its-award-chart/ (01:10:09) Question of the Week: If you book a hotel through the AAdvantage shopping portal, will the miles be dated based on the booking date or the checkout date?

Music credit: Annie Yoder

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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We love talking about points and miles all day, every day. That's why we've decided - in addition to our full-length Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episodes, we're going to share a little something to enjoy during your Tuesday coffee break too. Not a full hour of discussion and analysis like you'll find on the full episodes, but a mini version with a single topic of focus.

While Greg and Nick are traveling, Frequent Miler teammates Stephen and Carrie covered this Coffee Break episode for a topic particularly suited for Stephen.

(01:28) - This Coffee Break topic came from our last Ask Us Anything, Live when one of our listeners asked, "If you could live anywhere in the U.S. based solely on points and miles opportunities, where would you live?"

(01:58) - Stephen and his wife have been on a 7 year road trip to explore every state in the US.

(03:22) - Which places stand out as particularly good for points and miles enthusiasts and why?

(03:56) - Earning opportunities are a significant factor in how Stephen evaluates each destination.

(04:52) - Texas is particularly good for Stephen's points-earning strategies.

(05:54) - Ohio (and particularly Cincinnati) is also good for Stephen's points-earning strategies.

(06:40) - How do those destinations work for award booking? (Or does that matter?)

(08:01) - How much do points and miles factors actually impact Stephen's decision about where to live?

(12:50) - Is any destination better than no destination (as in continuing to be nomadic?)

(14:01) -  What is Buc-ees?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. You'll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here. 

Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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American Express has four different Platinum cards, all with a $695 annual fee. In this episode Greg and Nick not only help differentiate these Platinum cards from one another, they also pick out which one is best (or which is best for which kind of need.)

(01:30) - Data point on calling for reconsideration for targeted 200K Amex business platinum card. Do people without business cards yet have better luck? (Mailbag)

(03:14) - What crazy thing did Asiana do this week? Well...seems like their phone line goes to a very wrong recording. (Crazy Thing)

(05:42) - Etihad is updating their loyalty program in June (Award Talk)

- Find out what other programs' change and cancellation policies are.

(09:33) - American Express has 4 different Platinum cards (which have $695 annual fees) (Main Event)

- Learn more about the American Express Business Platinum card.

- Learn more about what we call the "vanilla" American Express Platinum card.

- Learn more about the American Express Charles Schwab Platinum card.

- Learn more about the American Express Morgan Stanley Platinum Card.

(13:30) - What do all the Platinum cards have in common

(13:50) - Find out what might count for the Airline Incidental Fee credit

(16:29) - What are some Business Platinum card features, unique to the business card?

(18:35) - What are some features that are unique to the consumer Platinum cards?

(23:18) - Is there anything that's unique to the normal "vanilla" Platinum card?

(25:30) - Is there anything that's unique to the Charles Schwab Platinum card?

(27:09) - Is there anything that's unique to the Morgan Stanley Platinum card?

(31:45) - Which of these American Express Platinum cards is the best?

(35:41) - Greg's final pick

(36:19) - Nick's final pick

(40:03) - What can I do with leftover Qantas points? (Question of the Week)

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit - "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Back in January, Nick saw that Bilt was going to have a huge transfer bonus to Aeroplan (one of his favorite mileage programs)...but he didn't have a Bilt card yet. With luck on his side though, he suspected he could get the card and get over 100K Aeroplan miles in just a matter of days. Greg thought he was insane, but Nick's gamble paid off.

(02:48) - What is Bilt and why was Nick interested? 

Learn more about the Bilt card here. 

(03:16) - What was the Bilt bonus that finally got Nick's attention? 

We published those transfer bonus details here. 

(04:25) - Nick outlines the challenge in his timing, applying for the card ~6 days before the scheduled transfer bonus opportunity with lots of things to get done in that time.

(06:39) - Nick discovered he still needed to make 5 transactions on his new card, which he was able to do with the digital card he'd gotten upon approval.

(08:45) - Nick got lucky and the card arrived early (with one day to spare), and right around then he also got the email for a 5X offer...

(10:11) - The second dilemma: in order to maximize the 5X for 5 days of spend he'd need to spend $12,500, which was more than the card's credit limit. 

To read Nick's more detailed account of this, make sure and read his "How Nick Built his own Bilt bonus" post here.

(12:42) - Nick breaks down his ~$18K in spend which landed him with 62K Bilt rewards which then became 124K Air Canada Aeroplan miles.

(15:02) - Nick remembers the points-pooling ability in Air Canada Aeroplan.

(16:06) - Greg and Nick talk about how gambles like this can play a significant role in this game.

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

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On episode 243 of Frequent Miler on the Air, Greg and Nick dissect the different factors that make a transferable program "the best". Use the timestamps below to navigate to each individual topic within the episode. 

(Our apologies for the continued audio issues with Nick's mic.)

(01:38) Uni Portable Toll Transponder (Mail Bag)

- Find the Uni transponder here.

(07:22) Capital One to acquire Discover (Card Talk)

(12:12) New Amex refer-a-friend bonuses through May 22 (+10x restaurants worldwide, up to $25K spend for 3 months)

- Learn more about the  Amex refer-a-friend bonus here.

- Learn about the Amex Consumer Gold Card here.

- Learn about the Amex Blue Business Plus Card here.

- Learn about the Amex Business Gold Card here.

(19:22) AA charges more per person for 1 person to fly Madison to Phoenix than for 2 (Crazy Thing)

(22:52) Hyatt Bonus Journeys through 4/30/24 (Mattress Running the Numbers)

- Learn more about the  Hyatt Bonus Journeys here.

(29:29) Citi 30% transfer bonus to Virgin through March 16th (Award Talk)

- Learn more about Virgin Sweet Spots here.

(31:50) AwardTool (one-ups PointsYeah, but with controversy...)

-  Learn more about AwardTool here.

(37:13) PointsYeah adds child award search

- Learn more about PointsYeah updates here.

(39:40) American Airlines news

- Read more about  transferring American Airlines points at half cent here.

- Read more about  American Airlines no longer offering points for flights booked through OTAs and raised checked bag prices here.

(46:05) Contenders for best transferable points program: Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Bilt Rewards (Main Event)

(48:01) Best transferable points program for: point earning opportunities

(56:00) Best transferable points for: transfer partners

(1:03:19) Best transferable points for: pay with points awards

(1:09:04) Best transferable points for: points management (like moving from one person to another)

(1:19:49) Nick’s pick for overall best transferable points program

(1:21:26) Greg’s pick for best transferable points program

(1:23:27) Nick's runner-up pick for overall best transferable points program

(1:25:42) Greg's runner-up for overall best transferable points program

(1:31:04) Would you feel comfortable booking a Small Luxury Hotel of the World property knowing that the relationship with Hyatt will be ending soon and would you wait for the hopeful integration of Mr. and Mrsh. Smith properties... (Questions of the Week)

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit: "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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We love talking about points and miles all day, every day. That's why we've decided - in addition to our full-length Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episodes, we're going to share a little something to enjoy during your Tuesday coffee break too. Not a full hour of discussion and analysis like you'll find on the full episodes, but a mini version with a single topic of focus.

On this "Coffee Break" mini episode, Greg and Nick chat about a pair of Marriott offers for 5, 50K free night certs (and who this opportunity may be good for.)

(02:24) - The consumer card has a lower spend requirement...but does that mean it's the better option? 

Check out the Marriott consumer card here, and the Marriott business card here.

(03:26) - What is the Marriott "matrix of doom" and why are business cards easier for navigating the matrix? (Read this post to find out which Marriott cards you're eligible for.)

(06:13) - The business card is the only option for stacking.

(06:36) - Is this a good offer (regardless of whether you get the business or consumer version?)

(08:38) - What are the drawbacks of free night certs?

(10:50) - How does using a cert impact the fifth night free benefit?

(14:23) - Let's review...is this a smokin' hot deal for everyone? 

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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In this episode, Greg gives Nick a lesson in which Delta credit cards are best (and which are best for a smattering of different goals.) His ultimate conclusion might surprise you.

(While Greg schools Nick on this topic, you may notice that Nick's audio is a little subpar. We apologize for this and we're troubleshooting that for next episode.)

(01:25) Cheryl is back! (Mail Bag)

(02:40) Whitney has a question about our "Mastering Avios" episode 241 (Mail Bag) Read our Mastering Avios Episode 241 post here...

(09:20) Greg gives an AA Executive card update (Card Talk) Find the American Airlines Executive Card episode here...  Learn all about the AA Executive Card here... 

(17:10) T-Mobile Magenta status is mostly a nothingburger (Crazy Thing) Read our post on the T-Mobile Magenta status here...

(24:05) Turkish devaluation is real (Award Talk)

(26:26) Nick talks about his AA elite status mad dash (Award Talk) Read about Nick's mad dash to AA elite status here...

(29:13) Greg talks about his Alaska match (Award Talk)

(31:58) Greg talks about his experience booking JetBlue Mint to London (Award Talk) Read more about Greg's JetBlue Mint experience here...

(40:19) Which Delta Card is Best? (Main Event)

(40:31) Overview of Delta cards

(40:38) You might remember our episode on Delta's Big Flip-Flop | Ep225 | 10-21-23 Find the Delta's Big Flip-Flop | Ep225 here...

(41:11) Delta Gold Card OverviewFind out more about the Delta Gold Card here...

(41:49) Delta Platinum Card Overview Find out more about the Delta Platinum Card here...

(43:21) Delta Reserve Card Find out more about the Delta Reserve Card here...

(47:23) Coupons: Are any Delta cards free after rebate? Best card depends on what you value...

(00:58:56) If you value Delta miles... Find out more about the Amex Blue Business Plus card here...

(01:03:32) If you value free checked bags...

(01:04:08) If you value the companion ticket...

(01:04:54) If you value elite status...

(01:08:43) If you value Sky Club access...

(01:14:17) Conclusion: The best Delta card may not be actually even be a Delta card... Find Greg's post about which premium cards he's keeping and which he's canceling here...

(01:15:30) “What happens if you apply for a credit card and then immediately after the offer increases? ” (Question of the Week)

To subscribe to Frequent Miler content, visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/. And to submit a comment or question to our Mail Bag or Question of the Week segments, email us at mailbag@frequentmiler.com

 

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Avios is the rewards currency for British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar, and soon Finnair. This means it's worth some attention. On this week's episode, we discuss how you can earn, use, and maximize this reward currency.

Here are some of the topics you'll find in the episode...

(01:41) Player Two chimes in (Mailbag)

(03:37) Chase British Airways Visa Signature® Card (Card Talk)

Learn more about this card: https://frequentmiler.com/ba/

(09:30) Turkish award search shows random non-partner flights (Crazy Thing)

(13:30) Best Western: Stay Twice & Earn Free Night Voucher (Mattress Running the Numbers)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/best-western-stay-twice-earn-free-night-voucher/

(17:37) Turkish devalues (Award Talk)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-might-be-demolishing-its-award-chart/

(22:03) SLH ditches Hyatt for Hilton (Award Talk)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/small-luxury-hotels-slh-ditches-hyatt-for-hilton/

(26:10) Bilt announces milestone rewards (Award Talk)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-introduces-unrewarding-milestone-rewards/

(31:50) Referral points don’t count towards Bilt status, h/t Chris from All the Hacks (Award Talk)

(32:58) Mastering Avios, the rewards currency for BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar, and (soon) Finnair (Main Event)

Read all about Avios here: https://frequentmiler.com/complete-guide-to-avios-british-airways-iberia-and-aer-lingus/

(33:22) Earning Avios (34:30) Moving Avios between programs

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-transfer-avios-between-aer-lingus-ba-and-iberia/

(40:52) BA Household Accounts

(42:40) Using Avios

Read more about using Avios with Jet Blue: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-mint-to-the-caribbean-for-26000-avios-where-and-how-to-find-it/

(01:03:37) How do you plan acitivites? (Question of the Week)

 

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

In addition to our regular weekly podcast, we also host an Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube once a month where the Frequent Miler team answers listener questions about points, miles, rewards cards, and whatever else comes to mind. This episode (64) was streamed live on Jan 31, 2024 and can be viewed in full here: Frequent Miler Live: Ask Us Anything   Here are all the questions asked during this episode (with timestamps)

(00:44) - Should Nick upgrade his Aviator card? 

(04:12) - Would you advise to get United Club card and pay the annual fee with 30k points? Is it a good deal? 

(06:03) -Just got my first Amex a BLUE BUSSINESS PLUS. how do I avoid pop up jail when I’m ready to apply to other Amex cards 

(07:27) - Chase and Barclays have declined me due to too many credit checks. How do you work around this? 

(09:38) - What are the best hotel keeper cards currently?

(14:32) - ​What is a reasonable cost to upgrade from economy to business on a transatlantic flight? 

(16:36) - I have the Bonvoy Boundless, planning on getting the Brilliant, and then upgrading the Boundless to the Ritz-Carlton. What is the best timing for upgrading and applying to get all the free night certs? 

(19:34) - Does it make sense to transfer Chase points to Marriott to top up free night certificates? 

(22:06) - Would you hold off on getting American Airlines cards, given your prediction that a devaluation is coming soon? 

(27:18) - This question is for everyone. If you could live anywhere in the U.S., or the world for that matter, based solely on travel hocking opportunities, where would you live? 

(31:58)- What's your prediction on Wells Fargo transfer partners, there was a leak that WF autograph Journey is getting 5x on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on travel and dining with $95 annual fee 

(33:19) - Is it worth spending $15K on your Hyatt card through Plastiq to get a free night certificate? 

(34:29) - Will Chase not approve my SouthWest Performance Business card if I didn’t put any post-sign-up-bonus spend on my SouthWest Premier Business card I got a few months ago? 

(35:09) - How do I keep my Delta Platinum status or get to Diamond this year 

(36:30) - ​Has Bilt changed the game with their 150% transfer bonuses regarding the rule of thumb against doing speculative transfers?

(42:30) - What credit card would you recommended to maximize hotel award redemption for a family of five?

(45:59) - With all AMEX Platinums being part of the same family and can only get one sign up bonus for this family, are there any strategies or benefits to getting more than one AMEX Platinums (of any version)?

(48:43) - How is Greg dealing with Detroit Lion loss to the San Francisco 49ers? Which city has best airline and hotel redemption to Vegas?

(53:00)- ​I'd love to hear some hotel tips from things Stephen has learned from his 50 state road trip. I'm planning a month long road trip and would love tips on maximizing value of points

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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On this week's Frequent Miler on the Air, Greg and Nick talk about some game-changing transfer bonuses that have got them thinking..."The Bilt card ain’t just for renters anymore"

(00:00:00) - Start

(00:01:12) - Giant Mailbag (Bilt transfer bonuses are bogus)

(00:04:18) - Card Talk (Big changes to Delta Credit cards...)

(00:13:29) - Crazy Thing: (Dany says "I’ve had a Chase Ink $95 card for 10 years and this year they sent out a 10 year gift of coffee and some treats from a veteran owned company. Today I got the 1099 in the mail for it!") 

(00:15:54) - Mattress Running the Numbers (IHG promo: Earn 40k bonus points every 4 nights at Iberostar properties) 

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-promo-earn-40k-bonus-points-every-4-nights-at-iberostar-properties/

(00:18:48) - Award Talk (Award Discover Tools)

(00:24:34) - Main Event (Game changing transfer bonuses)

(00:24:34) - Old advice: the fee free Bilt card is GREAT for renters but with limited ways to earn points, it’s not great for points & miles hobbyists.

(00:25:19) - New advice: Bilt is great for points & miles hobbyists too

(00:33:04) - Bilt Card Overview

Read more about this card: https://frequentmiler.com/Bilt

(00:35:00) - Bilt elite status / transfer bonuses

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/how-nick-built-his-own-bilt-bonus/

(00:39:15) - Is there a Bilt welcome bonus?

(00:42:01) - Earn points primarily through card spend

(00:46:20) - Sample strategy for Silver status

(00:48:21) - Sample strategy for Gold status

(00:50:46) - Strategy for Platinum status

(00:56:23) - Who should consider this?

(01:03:34) - Downsides & risks

(1:05:47) - Question of the Week

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to keep up to date with Frequent Miler content, and email us at mailbag@frequentmiler.com to submit a question for our "Question of the Week" segment. 

Mentioned in this episode:

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This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Bilt Rewards is a program that became famous for giving you rewards for your rent payments, but these days there are many ways to earn Bilt rewards. In this episode, we'll pay special attention to how you might want to use your Bilt points.

(01:15) - John writes in with a correction for Nick's statement that there's a "zero percent chance" the tax payment won't count toward the bonus.

(06:57) - Andrew writes in about applying for an Amex card by opening up a Private Browser and searching for the card there can bring up a higher offer.

(08:49) - Bilt 5x offers (targeted after asking for credit increase)

Learn more about the Bilt offer here.

Learn more about the Bilt spending offer for groceries, gas, and dining here.

(10:38) - Amex coupon credits and bonuses posting slowly (relax / don’t panic)

Learn more about Amex coupon credits and bonuses posting slowly here.

(13:30) - Marriott cracking down on "additional guest" reservations, which you can read more about here.

(20:47) - Southwest for the "win". Read about Southwest's disappointing updates here.

(23:28) - Check out our recent podcast episode about these Southwest changes here.

(23:38) - Nick finally gets his million

(25:14) - Reader winner updates

(28:38) - Excellent Virgin Atlantic business class availability as low as 29K points + $254

(31:26) - Aviator companion tickets for the win! Read more about this here.

(35:56) - Up to 40% transfer bonus from Capital One Miles to Etihad Guest

(41:25) - How not to use your Bilt points

(43:46) - 1.25 cpp: book travel through their portal

(44:41) - 1.5 cpp: Use points for house down payment

(46:23) - Transfer to partners

(1:16:55) - Here are the partners you shouldn't transfer to...

(1:18:20) - Wait for great Rent Day transfer bonuses

(1:20:26) - One reader asks about the Capital One pre-approval tool and whether or not it would cause a hard pull.

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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On this episode, Greg and Nick discuss the question of whether or not you can pay your taxes with a credit card. (Spoiler - you can!)

00:01:35 - Using ChatGPT to squeeze $300 from the Ritz-Carlton card (Giant Mailbag) 

Read More: https://frequentmiler.com/ritz-fee-credits-what-works/

00:10:57 - Capital One Spark Cash Plus: 2% Everywhere (Card Talk)

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/c1scplusbiz/

00:16:30 - Pepper App (Crazy Thing)

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/pepper-app-get-5-10-back-on-amazon-walmart-and-more-plus-20-back-via-referral-maybe-15-via-portal/

00:23:07 - Paris Hilton’s Slivingland on Roblox: Win 111,111 Hilton points, Diamond status (Mattress Running the Numbers)

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/win-111111-hilton-honors-points-or-diamond-status-with-roblox-partnership/

00:31:30 - Free Delta stopovers via Air France / KLM Flying Blue (Award Talk)

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/flying-blue-multi-stopover-experiment/

00:36:10 - Luxury stays (Leading Hotels of the World) thanks to Citibank (Award Talk)

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/sampling-leading-hotels-of-the-world-lhw-thanks-to-citi-thankyou-rewards/

00:41:07 - Main Event: Pay Taxes, Earn Big Rewards

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/pay-taxes-via-credit-card/

00:41:37 - Paying Federal taxes with a credit card

00:42:23 - Why pay a fee to use a credit card?

00:54:33 - What about other taxes?

00:58:06 - Is it OK to overpay taxes?

00:59:52 - Does it make sense to pay quarterly estimated taxes this way?

1:00:26 - What to do when the payment processor doesn't like my business credit card?

01:02:51 - 90 days to use ’em or lose ’em: Where would you transfer your points? (Question of the Week)

Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/90-days-to-use-em-or-lose-em-where-would-you-transfer-your-points/

Music Credit: Annie Yoder @annilion

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Full details of the Marriott and MGM partnership are out and can only be accurately described as "a match made in Bonvoyland". 

00:00 Intro

01:38 Turkish Airlines status match is back! (Giant Mailbag)

https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-airlines-status-match-get-1-2-years-of-star-alliance-gold-with-very-reasonable-requirements/

04:36 Amex Platinum 150K offer is back! (Card Talk)

https://frequentmiler.com/amxplat/

12:12 T-Mobile Home Internet Moneymaker ("Mattress running the numbers")

https://frequentmiler.com/moneymaking-t-mobile-home-internet-deal-get-150-mastercard-gift-card-portal-earnings/

17:54 JetBlue / Spirit Merger Blocked (Award Talk)

20:59 New Chase Sapphire Lounge at New York LGA (Award Talk)

22:41 Marriott’s marriage to MGM Resorts: A match made in Bonvoyland (Main Event)

https://frequentmiler.com/no-marriott-match-to-mgm-but-elite-nights-live-on-mgm-marriott-partnership-details/

22:51 Marriott / MGM partnership overview

24:19 Partnership benefits

25:15 Why aren't we very excited about this partnership?

25:35 Points transfer at a poor ratio

26:33 Ambassador match is only available to those with invite-only MGM status

27:49 No good status match for anyone but MGM Noir

29:33 Benefits are only scheduled to last through 12/31/24

31:41 What benefits do Marriott Platinum and Titanium members get in Las Vegas?

39:21 Will you earn 3x on the Altitude Reserve when checking out on a website with Apple Pay or Google Pay? (Question of the Week)

Music credit: Annie Yoder

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Whether you want to earn airline elite status from the comfort of your couch or switch alliances without starting from scratch, this week we talk about how you can score shortcuts to get the status you want.

00:00 Intro

02:28 Giant Mailbag

02:51 Greg-a-culpa

04:43 Nick-a-culpa: Air France actually does have an award chart

https://viewfromthewing.com/air-france-introduces-new-award-chart-free-stopovers/

07:09 T-Tip

11:53 Card Talk: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard

https://frequentmiler.com/f9/

22:00 Mattress Running the Numbers: SimplyMiles stack for Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express

https://frequentmiler.com/simplymiles-spend-100-at-holiday-inn-or-holiday-inn-express-earn-930-aadvantage-miles-loyalty-points/

29:04 Award Talk: AA enhancements

29:50 Apply systemwide upgrades online

30:24 Earn miles when paying for upgrades

31:20 Cancel basic economy and get something back for $99

32:13 Loyalty Point choice benefit

34:58 Main Events: Shortcuts to airline elite status

35:00 What is airline elite status?

38:36 Lots of shortcuts exist

39:36 Having credit cards to get perks

41:56 Earning elite status through credit card spend

47:11 Shopping for status

49:56 Status matches

50:47 American Airlines status match

54:44 Delta status match

56:05 United status match

58:18 Alaska status match

58:38 Turkish status match

01:05:58 Southwest A-list status match

01:08:47 Buying status

01:13:27 Other ways to get elite status

01:17:00 Air France: earn XPs without flying

01:18:29 Question of the Week: Is it safe to complete spending for stuff on 12/31?

Music credit: Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network