Frequent Miler on the Air

We've been gradually telling the “origin stories” of each team member in Frequent mIler. Today, we'll talk about how Stephen came to join Frequent Miler.Frequent Miler origin story - Stephen's story(01:04) - When did Stephen first get into the points and miles travel hobby?(04:41) - Stephen remembers the stackable IHG promo codes(05:39) - Stephen's wife helped him pull the trigger on some early credit cards like the US Airways credit card with a bonus after just one purchase(07:54) - Stephen recalls his earliest credit cards (which he has noted in a spreadsheet, of course!) (09:35) - In 2016, Stephen and his wife decided that (in two years), they would start a roadtrip to every state in the US. They prepared by piling up on hotel credit cards.(11:30) - When did Stephen get into gift card reselling? (14:29) - How did Stephen get involved with Frequent Miler?(15:36) - Stephen remembers being excited that Frequent Miler had linked to his website! He was also very active in the Frequent Miler Insiders Facebook group.(16:51) - Stephen remembers being invited to write for Frequent Miler to help cover Nick's paternity leave. He wasn't sure it would cooperate with the roadtrip he was about to begin, but his wife helped encourage him to go for it! (A Frequent Miler author theme).(18:23) - Nick talks about how he came to recommend Stephen as his paternity leave coverage. Stephen's useful posts in the Frequent Miler Insiders group made him the first person Nick thought of. (19:62) - How did Stephen become the "king of stacking"?(22:21) - Stephen talks about how his time at Frequent Miler has been.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

On this podcast episode, we find out that Turkish has killed their million mile promo, we talk about Ritz card rumors, and we shed some light on how Greg's uncle can redeem his transferable points for cash.Giant Mailbag(01:30) - One reader tries to convince Greg to do the JetBlue 25 for 25 promotionMega Airline Promo Updates(04:53) - Turkish kills their 6 continent, 1 million mile promoFind out more about that promo in our previous podcast episode here. (Or read our post about it here.)(09:09) - Etihad tries to make their promo relevant(13:20) - JetBlue promo(s)Learn more about the JetBlue 25 for 25 promo here.Learn about the Dunkin' promo here.Card News(21:25) - Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (new offer)(22:17) - UBS Visa Infinite: increased fees, increased benefitsCrazy Thing(28:01) - Rumor: Is the Ritz card going to increase fee to $695 on Aug 1? Apparently not...Bonvoyed(36:31) - Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan seems to be having a spat of hacked accountsAwards, Points, and More(38:49) - Porter Airlines now bookable using Alaska Airlines miles. Prices start at 4.5k/6kMain Event: No longer traveling? How to cash out your transferable points(41:03) - The premise...(43:23) - Brokers? Please no. Explicitly allowed options only will be discussed today(46:00) - American Express Membership Rewards(53:06) - Bilt Rewards(55:53) - Capital One Miles(57:18) - Citi ThankYou Rewards(1:01:01) - Chase Ultimate RewardsQuestion of the Week(1:06:35) - How can you book a JetBlue flight with Etihad miles to an airport Etihad claims doesn't exist?Subscribe and FollowVisit 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

This Ask Us Anything, Live first aired on July 2nd, 2025 (00:51) - From Ryan - Nick you probably know Turkish airline rewards redemptions better than anyone else in the world. Would you recommend to your loyal readers (like me!) to do the Turkish 1MM Challenge? (04:17) - If you find yourself points and miles bankrupt, at 5/24, and in Amex pop-up jail what can one do to get enough points to take a nice trip? (06:08) - What's the FM team's thoughts on buying groups to hit massive spending limits for sign up bonuses? (09:05) - ​I have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Spark Miles Select Business Credit Card. I'm canceling my Venture X. Do I have to move points to the Spark Miles Select before canceling to retain the points? (09:57) - OK, still confused about the Chase Sapphire Reserve if I got the Chase Sapphire Preferred with 100K 2 months ago do I still qualify for the "new" bonus if I haven't hit the bonus yet? (13:22) - Are you surprised that the multipliers on the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve card didn't change more substantially? Particularly the dining staying the same compared to 4x on American Express® Gold Card and 5x on Citi Prestige. (14:42) - For the JetBlue 25 for 25, you can't do multi city points bookings on one PNR. Will sequential one ways be protected if you follow the multi-city ticket between one-ways? (17:54) -​​With all the funny business that Hertz is starting to pull on phantom damage being charged by AI, are you/would you still rent from them? (23:25) - Have we heard any updates or ETA on the new Alaska Premium card? (24:12) - ​Is booking Mr & Mrs Smith via Hyatt more expensive than booking direct? A property hinted they prefer guests to book direct than 3rd parties, including Hyatt. Suggesting that Hyatt is a 3rd party. (26:17) - Would love to know from the team, what's the best first class product you each have ever flown? (33:06) - With the changes to Southwest, how does using a flight credit to pay the taxes and fees on a points booking affect its flexibility? (34:52) - With half of the year gone by, what's on track so far to win the bonvoyed award of the year? (38:24) - You all say Chase Ultimate rewards points are great for Hyatts. What are each of your top 3 Hyatt Properties in Asia and Europe (42:13) - Booked a flight from Lisbon to Atlanta on Delta. KLM was the carrier even though it was ticketed on Delta. I can't get them to give me my SkyMiles. Any ideal how to get these posted? (44:43) - ​​Has Nick set up a professional mic on arm inside a car?? (46:20) - Does The Edit by Chase Travel℠ and Amex FHR make hotel elite status obsolete?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 – “swappin' back n' forth” by up @ night

Since this episode was filmed from a plane, you'll notice it doesn't have the same audio quality you're used to. Thanks for your patience and please enjoy!(00:23) - The Dunkin' / JetBlue promo for 3 months of Mosaic 1 status and Dunkin' Boosted statusRead more about the JetBlue / Dunkin' plane here.(01:18) - Uh oh...an equipment swap! (01:59) - What do you need to do (and did Greg do it wrong?)(02:51) - Why Greg decided to fly the Dunkin' plane despite having no intentions to do the JetBlue 25 for 25 promotion(04:39) - How is Nick going to do the JetBlue 25 for 25 promo?(05:58) - How is this going to work with a family of 4 (with young kids!)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

In today's Frequent Miler on the Air episode, Greg bypasses 5/24, Nick flies a donut plane towards earning status and 350,000 miles, and we run the numbers on Turkish's million mile promo.Giant Mailbag(01:58) - Virgin Atlantic substantially increases fees on award tickets. But one door closes, another opens.Read more about Virgin Atlantic increasing fees on award tickets here.Card News(04:17) - Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Card approved over 5/24Bonvoyed(09:46) - Chase Ink Business Premier®: Effective October 7th, 2025, you will be eligible to receive referral bonus awards for new Chase Business card customers only.(13:00) - Chase Aeroplan transfers are SLOW(14:43) - American Express is reducing Emirates transfer ratio to 5:4(18:12) - Will Southwest nerf the Companion Pass next?Awards, Points, and More(23:20) - Flying Blue: better saver award availability for Platinum elitesJetBlue Promo Updates(29:20) - Promo reminder: fly to 25 destinations, get 350K + 25 years statusFind our episode about the JetBlue promo here.(30:13) - Nick comments on why he decided to go for it, why he's flying the Dunkin' flight, and the Capital One travel price match experience(40:52) - Greg discusses his initial evaluation and why he decided noMain Event: fly to 6 continents, earn 1 million miles(53:03) - Turkish airlines promo: Fly Across 6 Continents – Earn 1 Million Miles!(55:55) - Eligible flights(1:01:36) - Example itinerary for epic trip(1:06:46) - Are we going for it?Question of the Week(1:16:22) - This listener saved up American Express Membership Rewards points for a round the world trip, but then ANA eliminated their round the world award chart. Are there other ways to book a round-the-world trip?Subscribe and FollowVisit 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

What are "Chase points boosts"? In this episode, we'll explain and evaluate this new system for establishing the value of Chase Travel ℠ bookings.(00:21) - Explaining a few confusing elementsLearn more about this here.(03:30) - Chase points boosts (flights)(04:50) - What does a points boost mean for flights?(09:19) - As far as flights are concerned, is this a good change?(13:59) - Chase points boosts (hotels)(14:08) - The Edit hotels(18:41) - As far as hotels are concerned, is this a good change?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

JetBlue is offering 350,000 points plus 25 years of elite status if you fly JetBlue to 25 destinations before the end of the year. Today we'll look at that promotion a little more closely, but we'll also hear from a "nerdy dad", and will hear about some crazy credit card approvals. (01:04) - John the Nerdy Dad sends a shoutout to his teenage kids(03:36) - Chase Sapphire Preferred offer(04:59) - Chase Sapphire Reserve now available through referrals(07:32) - Chase approves despite user selection of "no" on the popup(12:21) - Citi ThankYou transfer bonuses through July 19Hilton: 21 more SLH properties are now bookable via Hilton Honors, with 4 properties removed(13:19) - Read about even more SLH properties bookable via Hilton points here.(13:55) - Capital One Shopping: check your redemption optionsMain Event: JetBlue's 25 year 350,000 point mileage run(14:55) - JetBlue is running a 25 For 25 promotion quick thoughts and terms(19:22) - How does this compare to the SAS Eurobonus Millionaire promo we saw last year?(22:13) - Some important things to know about JetBlue(24:19) - Quick review of terms(26:48) - Mosaic 1 Status(29:33) - What might make this hard with JetBlue(34:03) - How to get status in time for this promoRead more about the JetBlue status match here.(44:01) - JetBlue credit cards(47:42) - Are we considering this promo?(1:03:17) - What are the best practices for using elite status to actually maximize value?Subscribe and FollowVisit 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

Updated new cardmember bonus offers just came out for the newly-refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve card (consumer version) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. Everyone's talking about it...but are they worth pursuing for everyone?You can read more about these offers here.(00:52) - Chase Sapphire Reserve welcome offer: 100K points + promo credit good for up to $500 towards a single Chase Travel℠ booking after $5K spend in 3 months(02:01) - There are some things to keep in mind about that $500 promo credit(07:20) - Is this worth pursuing for some people?(11:12) - Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business welcome offer: 200K points after $30K spend in first 6 months(18:37) - Do we think this card is worth pursuing (personally)?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

Today we'll talk about how Chase is breaking up the family (rule), we'll discuss whether American Express is high when introducing "as high as" offers, and we'll talk about how Chase has made the Chase Sapphire Reserve card harder to explain and harder and recommend.(01:27) - How to move Avios between British Airways, Qatar, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair(04:56) - Major refresh coming to The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express "later this year"Read more about this here.(10:53) - The Business Platinum Card® from American Express ending 35% points rebate on business & first class flights except for selected airlineRead more about this here.(13:03) - It seems American Express and Delta may be working on an even more premium card(15:10) - Chase launching business version of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card Monday June 23.Find our Coffee Break episode 59 "The real Sapphire Reserve for Business" here.(16:20) - Removing Sapphire family rule, expanding 48 month rule & allowing new cards without welcome offersLearn more about this here.(20:39) - Chase Travel℠ portal ending 1.5c & 1.25c redemptions, replacing with Points BoostRead more about this here.(24:28) - Mesa Homeowners Card now transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan & SAS EuroBonus(26:52) - Gift of College Cards now sold at Stop & Shop(29:47) - Jetblue status matchRead more about this here.(31:10) - Good Flying Blue business class award availability to/from Europe(32:13) - Transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Marriott BonvoyMain Event: Sapphire Reserve: More costly, coupony, and complicated(34:01) - New Chase Sapphire Reserve card summary(40:57) - Unchanged perks(41:42) - New perks(44:53) - Unchanged coupons(45:38) - New coupons(1:04:52) - Old vs new(1:14:36) - Chase Sapphire Reserve card timeline(1:29:30) - Is there a way to game this into one more lower Annual Fee? If for instance we requested changing the billing cycle, could we move it up so it gets billed on Oct 25th and thus is $550?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

Chase is out with new details about their Sapphire Reserve for business card...and there are a few ways our predictions from last week were way off. Today, we'll talk about how we were wrong about the Sapphire Reserve for Business card.The real Sapphire Reserve for BusinessFind our predictions episode here: https://frequentmiler.com/predicting-the-sapphire-business-card-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep310-6-13-25/(01:03) - $795 fee, free employee cards, and earning rate details...(02:32) - Major perks of the card(06:51) - Major "coupon-like" credits of the cardVisit giftcards.com/reservebusiness here.(11:17) - Nick's initial Review(13:42) - Greg's initial ReviewVisit 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

*Our apologies for the occasional connection issues with Nick's audio*What the heck does "Mattress Cycling the Hyatt Numbers" mean? We'll find out in today's episode. We'll also talk about using online chat with Hyatt to get your way, and we'll predict the details of the new Chase Sapphire Business card.(01:25) - Did we just beat a Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast?Listen to Tim's origin story episode here.(02:51) - You can now move your Chase credit lines between cards online(05:26) - Capital One Spark Cash: $1500 after $15K in 3 months. $95 annual fee waived 1st year. 2% on all spend(07:52) - Rakuten closing accounts for too many "ineligible" orders.Read more about Rakuten account shutdown here.(11:28) - New Hyatt promo is offering up to 16k bonus points on stays at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House & Hyatt StudiosRead more about the Hyatt promo here.(16:01) - How to turn this mattress run into a mattress cycle...(19:07) - Hyatt buys some all-inclusive group that included properties in a number of other ecosystems (Hilton, IHG, Wyndham). But all award reservations were cancelled with no notice -- not honoring awards booked through other programs. Some people really got a raw deal here, being cancelled on a few days' notice with no alternative accommodation offered(23:37) - JetBlue restricting access to Mint for partner programs(26:17) - Updated RRV process(29:55) - Highlights from Nick's 2.5-week trip to Europe...Main Event: Predicting the Sapphire Business Card(39:28) - What we know for certain: nothing beyond "coming this Summer"(41:33) - What we think we know about the refreshed consumer Sapphire ReserveRead more about our predictions for the new consumer card here.(51:23) - Questions about the business card...(1:06:43) - If our predictions are correct...would this card still be worth it?(1:09:55) - We've heard you talk about Capital One miles and Major League Baseball tickets. Can you use cash to get the same tickets?Read more about this opportunity here.Subscribe and FollowVisit 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

What do you do when you don't have enough hotel miles? And why aren't we letting all 100K Vacay competitors use Chase points? We answered these and many other questions on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube which first aired on June 4th, 2025.(07:36) - ​​What is your favorite all inclusive you've stayed at? I've been to Punta Cana but want to try other locations. (10:14) - Do you keep the points when you PC Wells Fargo cards? For example if you PC to the no longer available Visa signature card can you then use the points for 50% more for airfare? (11:07) - Does purchasing gift cards count towards welcome offer spend? (15:02) - How can you tell what resort fees IHG will charge when booking award stays? (16:59) - Hello, thoughts on changes to amex biz plat dell credit? #1 Using buying groups for $1k credit? #2 Thoughts for the future, meaning more discounts instead of 1:1. (21:26) - ​​Does anyone know what to expect with United/JetBlue partnership? I'm moving from Houston to Boston this fall and ready to divorce Southwest. (25:48) - What do you guys do when you have an overwhelming amount of airlines miles, and not enough hotel miles? Read more about Capital One Shopping changes here: https://frequentmiler.com/capital-one-shopping-gift-card-redemption-options/(39:12) - what do you think about the lounge changes that are coming to Capital One? (41:56) - I plan to start funding a 529 for my wife's law school payments. I will be mixing in purchases of the $500 GoC cards. I am worried about clawbacks. Do you know of any data points for clawbacks? (43:06) - Why not let someone use Chase points on the upcoming Challenge since it was the 100K from getting the Sapphire Preferred?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 – “swappin' back n' forth” by up @ night

On today's Frequent Miler on the Air, we look at 2 cards offering 5 free nights, we recall the 5 ways we've been Bonvoyed recently, and we announce the 2025 Frequent Miler team challenge! (01:41) - We learn how to pronounce Dugroz(02:53) - "...any tools or shortcuts you use to quickly size up a biz class product without opening 6 tabs and a YouTube black hole? I know equipment swaps happen, but I'd love to avoid turning every redemption into a minor research thesis."(09:05) - Best Offers Card Exploration Tool (Beta)Try out our card exploration tool here.(11:30) - 5 free night offers from ChaseSee how we value free night certificates here.(16:36) - Capital One Shopping pulls even more gift card redemption optionsRead more about this here.(20:16) - Venture X (& Venture X Business Card): lounge access changes for additional cardholders & primary cardholder guestsRead more about this here.(26:50) - Iberia devaluation: Business class between US & Europe now starting at 40,500 miles one way (previously, 34K for off-peak)(28:08) - Citi replaces Rewards+ card with new Strata card (not to be confused with the Strata Premiere)(29:51) - United Excursionist Perk killed off(31:57) - You can still upgrade to Emirates first class without elite status(33:37) - Tim published: How to book EVA Air Infinity MileageLands awards (for multiple people)Read more about this here.(35:12) - Earn Hyatt bonus points when using Peloton during staysRead more about this here.(37:01) - JetBlue / United partnership, some details announced(39:26) - What are IHG points worth?Read more about this here.Main Event: Announcing the 100K Vacay team Challenge!(44:26) - Compete to see who can book the most amazing 100,000 point vacation(44:55) - The 100K Benchmark Trip(46:42) - Three challengers, each with 100,000 points from a different currency(48:25) - Two Judges(49:21) - $1,000 cash budget(50:49) - Rules(57:11) - Who will win? (strengths and weaknesses)(1:11:18) - Are the no preset spending limit cards actually more restrictive than the standard cards with credit limits?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

Greg and Nick recently both flew the same Etihad First Class route between Paris and Abu Dhabi in the first class apartments. Greg flew the morning flight from Paris to Abu Dhabi and Nick flew the reverse, an evening flight. Which one was a better experience?(00:51) - Why did Nick pick the evening flight that he picked?(01:40) - When using American Airline miles, availability is tough.(03:40) - What makes Etihad first class apartments special?(06:33) - Greg thinks the route isn't long enough to enjoy all the perks if you're also trying to sleep.(07:24) - Nick shares his experience with the evening/night flight.(10:48) - Greg explains what he likes better about the more daytime version of this flightVisit 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

Today we learn that we're all wrong about Wyndham, we discuss some miscellaneous tips to save on flights, we hear from someone who's traveling the world one day at a time, and much more...(03:07) - "I got the Chase Ink Cash last summer and immediately tested to see if YouTube TV would qualify for the 5x Ultimate Rewards points. ...it didn't."(05:07) - Use Walmart scan and go and it may code as an online grocery expense for 3x on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.(08:05) - One listener opened a card to get a better boarding position. What crazy thing(s) have Greg and Nick done when opening credit cards?(11:40) - Apparently you can move points online from one Wells Fargo Autograph card to another, (and in that way, could covert cash back to transferable points.)(14:42) - Correction about the 10% discount for the Wyndham Earner card. "For properties where the award can be booked online, Members who are Earner cardmembers must be logged into their Wyndham Rewards account and have enough points in their account to obtain the award at the pre-discounted redemption level."(18:08) - Because you can often buy Wyndham points for under 1cpp (and a couple times now under 0.8cpp), is booking Vacasa rentals with Wyndham points really a way to get good value out of transferrable points for lodging?(21:43) - "I have never heard you discuss and unsung benefit of the Platinum card (consumer at least). With select airlines Amex travel sometimes has a cheaper fare in premium cabins."(27:23) - "On the most recent episode you shared some tips related to the AA aviator companion pass and just wanted to share some additional experiences..."(34:12) - Sometimes airlines charge less per ticket when buying for multiple people vs. just 1 ticket. This listener has a datapoint to add.(36:56) - "Each time after I book via Alaska ( because you cannot change your Alaska number on these bookings, not that I have found ) I get on American Airlines chat and add my American Airlines number for my Executive Platinum status benefits.."(41:10) - "I don't hear people talk much about PointsYeah and tracking existing award tickets. I book a lot of domestic travel for my family where travel dates are fixed and times are limited. I have started tracking all my bookings with PointsYeah (like I do the cash fares with google flights) and I can't tell you how many points back I have received."(44:45) - "I was listening to a recent episode and heard Greg talk about booking an American Airlines business class flight with connections in economy and being able to select Main Cabin Extra for no additional cost when using Alaska miles. I decided to try this with an AA premium economy flight I already booked for my mother and I using Alaska miles to Paris with a connection in Economy..."(46:46) - "Your Question of the Week last week about whether there's a minimum trip length for you to make a trip “worth it” inspired me to share my story..."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

We've been gradually telling the "origin stories" of each team member in Frequent mIler. Today, we'll talk about how Tim came to join Frequent Miler.(00:52) - How did Tim get started in miles and points?(02:12) - Around 16 or 17, Tim and his brother planned out a series of roadtrips to try to see beyond their Midwestern home.(06:24) - To prepare for his honeymoon years later, Tim volunteered for medical research studies to raise money. His goal: take his new wife to the top 5 places she wanted to see. (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, and Ireland.) (09:10) - After all that travel, Tim and his wife ended up with a bunch of United miles. He started to learn a bit about miles when he attempted to use those United miles to fly home for the holidays. (13:07) - Gradually, Tim started to learn more, starting with a Southwest credit card.(14:14) - When Tim started entering the wine making industry, he started traveling more for work and had the opportunity to join an expensed trip to South Africa if he could get himself there. As a tall guy, he was motivated to figure out a way to fly business class.(20:31) - Tim and his wife planned a trip to the Maldives, which got Tim even deeper into the hobby, especially when he sort of stumbled upon a type of mistake fare of sorts where his stay was earning points as though it were a paid stay. (23:12) - In 2021, Tim was starting to tire of working in the wine industry and was itching for something new. His wife was helping him brainstorm his dream job and he said "I'd love to write for Frequent Miler." About a week later, he saw the job posting for a new author at Frequent Miler. (27:34) - Nick and Greg shares their impression of Tim's application and interview.(33:18) - So what does Tim get most excited about now, in the points and miles hobby?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

This week we'll lean about the "ultimate life hack", we'll gripe about how we're being Bonvoyed every which way, and we'll debate: is the points and miles game dead?(01:14) - Listeners respond to our "Points for the next generation" podcast Ep306 with some great life hacks...You can find our "Points for the next generation" podcast Ep306 here.(08:53) - Nick's schedule change storyRead more about Nick's schedule change story here.(16:17) - The Blackjack Apprenticeship PodcastFind our guest appearance on the Blackjack Apprenticeship podcast "AP Life Skills: Maximizing Your Edge with Credit Card Rewards" on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here...(17:43) - Hilton 200K awards: See: Hashing out Hilton's Devaluation | Coffee Break Ep56 | 5-20-25 here(18:45) - Bonvoyed: Marriott elites shouldn't expect suites(22:02) - Marriott's Dearborn Inn Autograph Collection: No free breakfast for Platinum ElitesRead more about this here.(25:16) - Citi Strata Premier, Prestige cashout drops to 0.75 (but with easy work-around)(27:46) - Bilt: Reducing all non-Bilt cards to 0.5 pts/dollar (like Amex) when paying rent starting 6/21(31:21) - St Pancras Chambers Club permanently closed(33:57) - Virgin Atlantic award sale: Only 4,800 points to fly to/from UK through September 2025(38:50) - Air France / KLM Flying Blue cuts redemption rates for 2026 Delta flights(41:29) - Easy Money w/ ShopBack portalLearn more about our Shopback portal promo here: https://frequentmiler.com/shopback-portal-promo-for-frequent-miler-readers-20-signup-bonus-20-when-spending-20-in-may/(45:43) - New Kimpton Secret Password: “Social Sent Me”Main Event: The end of the points & miles game?(47:50) - Doomsday Events(50:15) - On the other hand, welcome bonuses higher than ever(51:58) - Category bonuses higher than ever(54:00) - More opportunities for transferable points than ever before(57:02) - Transfer bonuses very common(59:27) - New award sweet-spots keep popping up all the time(1:03:10) - Great tools make it easier to find awards(1:10:09) - Valuable promotions pop up randomly(1:17:45) - Do devaluations like Hilton's feel like a bigger deal to non-bloggers (who maybe have fewer 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.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Without warning, Hilton increased its top standard room rate for many hotels, which follows a big increase in December last year. Most increased around 5K points, but some much more, especially at the high end.(00:27) - Hilton increased top standard room rate for many hotels, which follows a big increase in December last year(05:23) - A few examples for high end properties impacted(06:30) - How serious of a devaluation is this?(13:56) - Have we lost faith with Hilton?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

In today's episode we'll talk about how you can still book Emirate first class awards, we'll discuss Spirit Airlines is going premium, and we'll look at how you can prepare your kids for points and miles.(01:29) - Does anyone else feel like American Express' customer service is above and beyond the rest?(09:33) - Chase Instacart benefits on many cards(17:07) - Buy Marriott Points for as low as 0.89 cents each (or maybe lower)Read more about buying Marriott points here.(23:33) - Emirates restricting first class availability to elite members from 5/12/25(24:14) - Read about booking Emirates first class with Qantas or Air Canada miles here.(27:43) - Too good to last: Rakuten stops offering rewards for Chase cards(30:08) - Japan Airlines added as a new Bilt transfer partner(32:23) - Combined Alaska/Hawaiian loyalty program now expected in August(38:31) - Spirit updatesMain Event: Points for the next generation(47:57) - Sign up for airline accounts to earn miles now(57:39) - How do you track all these accounts?(1:04:29) - Help them build credit history(1:10:13) - Help them build college savingsRead more about earning miles for college savings here.Or find the best options for buying Gift of College gift cards here.(01:18:52) - See our Plastiq guide here.(1:22:15) - Help them build rewards balances & let them help you build yours(1:23:06) - Help them build their credit card collection(01:34:37) - Learn more about Travel Freely here: https://frequentmiler.com/take-the-stress-out-of-credit-card-bonus-hunting-travel-freely/(1:39:08) - Why isn't anyone talking about the Accor Signature Annual Membership given their airline transfer partners (many with a 1:1 ratio)?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

How would we use that 100K bonus, and which vacation home rental platform has the best value? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on May 7th, 2025.(03:54) - ​​Hi! Q for Stephen: what's your credit card strategy now that you've moved? For everyone: If you lived outside the US but could still have US credit cards, which cards would you keep?(06:45) - ​​Last month, y'all outlined how many cards you open each year- often 12-20. How many do you close each year?(10:23) - ​​I don't know if I really want to know this answer (haha) but did anyone have luck with Atlantis after the Wyndham/Caesars status match deal went dead earlier this year?(12:47) - Any news when we can book Philippine Airlines with Alaska miles? Any ideas to get more Alaska miles to book Philippine Airlines tickets?(17:21) - Am going to book an Air France award ticket. Fees are $400+. If I use Amex Plat for this, will I get 5x? Will I get trip protection/insurance?(18:38) - ​​What is the best use of the recent 100K Chase point offering in terms of Flights overseas? Read our Best Use of Chase Ultimate Rewards points resource here. (30:32) - ​​Can you explain the expiration date reset if merging Avios from other programs with different expiration dates? Read our Avios expiration dates post here.(32:14) - ​​I was just bumped from an SQ J ticket that was booked as part of my RTW itinerary. Do you guys know what kind of compensation to ask for? They offered $525 USD and a Garuda Flight(34:18) - ​​Do authorized users of Ink Preferred or Sapphire be able to transfer points to their airline accounts?(35:25) - ​​Is the option to get both personal Hawaiian cards now dead? (I have both, but P2 does not have both yet)(36:16) - Would Chase allow me to hold multiple Ritz Carlton cards simultaneously? If yes, how?(38:07) - ​​Which vacation home rental program do you recommend for its value?(43:28) - ​​Anyone get/use the Mesa card?(45:03) - Any hidden gems in Puerto Rico that you guys would recommend? I have a trip coming up later this year that I haven't planned much for(46:26) - What's the most memorable reaction you've seen from someone experiencing miles and points who wasn't used to it(47:17) - Which cards does Greg actually use for travel and dining as opposed to the one-off benefits?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 – “swappin' back n' forth” by up @ night

Takeaways: The Frequent Miler on the Air podcast has officially joined the Voyascape podcast network, which signifies a shift in a few ways. Listeners of the audio version will notice new network identifiers and advertisements, which were previously absent from the podcast. (Viewers via YouTube will not see any change.) The transition to Voyascape will not alter the core content of the podcast, as we remain committed to producing original material without external influence, as always. Advertisers featured in the podcast will primarily be travel-related, ensuring relevance to the audience's interests. But we'll look for advertisers who are not too related to the specific topics we tackle in our episodes, so we can maintain the integrity of the content and make sure it's very clear to listeners the difference between the podcast content and the host-read ad segments. By joining Voyascape, we aim to diversify our revenue streams, moving beyond reliance on credit card affiliate links. The collaboration with Voyascape also presents an opportunity to potentially expand our audience by attracting new listeners interested in travel.

In today's episode, we'll talk about how The Standard is coming to Hyatt...(but we're too old for it). Nick will enlighten Greg about the fact that Air France flies to French Polynesia, and we'll talk through our recent award booking stories.(01:24) - A correction about the Delta Business Gold card (with a $150 hotel credit, not $200 as mentioned in the episode).(02:23) - Would a speculative Discover Miles card be worth it for the 3x everywhere for the first year, with the chance that those all become transferable to C1 miles when the merger goes through?(08:05) - Greg acquired Smartly 4% card, downgraded Chase Sapphire Reserve, and got approved for Chase Sapphire Preferred(20:06) - Citi Rewards+ may be achievable for some(22:54) - Cardless removes one card per lifetime limit(24:10) - Qatar cards increased offers(29:54) - Rakuten's shopping portal has a great new trick | Coffee Break Ep55 | 5-5-25 (Earn Amex and Chase cards at once)Check out the coffee break episode 55 here.(34:52) - TPG: "Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred: A $95 annual fee showdown"(37:57) - Hyatt integration of The Standard(43:15) - Air Tahiti bookable via Flying Blue(47:19) - Nick: Hilton free night extendable(50:43) - Gondola no longer requires access to your emailMain Event: Award Booking Stories(52:09) - Greg: Booked premium cabin flights to Japan for his sonRead more about this trip here.(1:01:28) - Nick: Booked unexpected trip to Bora Bora(1:18:54) - Greg: Booked lie-flat round trip to London for 3(1:34:28) - Why do people choose to do all this work for travel rather than just cash back?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

In today's episode, we'll talk about why we like the Rakuten shopping portal and also discuss a great new trick Rakuten has up its sleeve...(00:42) - What is a shopping portal?(01:15) - Choose cash back or Amex Membership Rewards points (must link Amex card)(02:55) - Great refer-a-friend promos ($40/4K)(04:08) - Frequent 10x, 15x, 20x promotions(04:43) - Portal includes travel sites like IHG, Marriott, Choice, Hertz, Avis, Expedia, some airlines(05:13) - Double dip with hotel / car rewards / airline miles etc.(06:38) - In-store offers(07:08) - NEW: read about new Rakuten credit card bonuses here.(10:26) - Our Rakuten referral links:Nick's Referral LinkGreg's Referral LinkStephen's Referral LinkTim's Referral Link

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 WalletFind 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 backMain 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 FollowVisit 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

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

We tend to ignore Wells Fargo cards because there are so many other great credit cards out there, but they actually do have some compelling cards out there. In today's episode we'll discuss which ones you might want in your wallet. (01:47) - Re: Clarifying our "Beyond 100K Sapphire Preferred" episode, which you can read more about here. (19:33) - Bigger Capital One VentureX Business Card offer via private banker Listen to the podcast episode about the public Capital One VentureX Business card offer here. (22:49) - Citi decreasing redemption rates on emirates starting 7/27 (26:24) - Read more about the OneKey Cash devaluation for Vrbo stays here. (29:10) - A top up fee for priority pass lounge access (32:10) - Read more about the Japan Airlines devaluation here. (35:26) - More Japan Airlines (JAL) news Learn about how to Book JAL with JetBlue points here. (39:29) - More Bilt news (44:55) - Learn how to use Bilt to pay student loans with points here. (46:24) - United MileagePlus Showing More Awards After Changing Settings (49:51) - Wyndham Points + Cash reservations now bookable with as few as 750 points (51:12) - Learn more about Gondola here: https://frequentmiler.com/gondola/ Main Event: A World-Class Wells Fargo Wallet (57:04) - Transferable points (59:27) - Notable Wells Fargo credit cards which have transfer abilities (1:01:07) - Notable Wells Fargo cash back cards, which can be moved to a transferrable point card (1:04:33) - Here's how you can build a world-class Wells Fargo wallet (1:07:44) - Downsides (and fun hypotheticals) (1:13:32) - See our current transfer bonuses resource here. (1:16:22) - How many of your millions of miles come from sign up bonuses vs credit card spending, and where does most of your credit card spend come from? Read more about how to increase credit card spend here, and watch our episode 197 about increasing spend here. 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

The Capital One Venture X Business card is out with a massive welcome bonus of 750K points...but the devil is in the details. Is this card really worth it? (00:27) - Capital One Venture X Business card details Read our Capital One Venture X Business card review here. (03:47) - The welcome bonus is broken down into two pieces: 150K after $30K in 3 months, then 200K after $200K ($170K more) in 6 months (04:52) - What's the total earnings with 2x for spend? (05:25) - Is it worth it? 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

If you just got 100K points from a brand new travel rewards card, you should know a few things to help make sure you're earning even more points, saving money, and getting great value. Plus we'll also look at "Amex referral reformatory rescinded" and how to earn points on RENT with any credit card. (01:30) - One reader shares a success story using the "email the GM" strategy... (03:37) - Capital One Venture X Business Card: Up to 350K Miles Read our review of the Capital One Venture X Business Card here. (06:55) - Amex referrals back for many (referral reformatory rescinded) (09:48) - Two Hawaiian cards in one day (my quick experience) (17:23) - Synchrony reintroduces Cathay Pacific card (21:06) - Bilt now offers rewards when you pay your rent with non-Bilt credit cards (26:48) - Virgin jacked up fees on KLM/ Air France then backed off (31:03) - Frontier Elite Gold status for $40 (35:22) - 30% transfer bonus from Citi to Virgin Atlantic thru May 17 Main Event (36:39) - Read our FAQ about this card here. (38:45) - Earn more points (59:09) - Save money (1:09:49) - Redeem points for great value (1:17:33) - DON'T TRANSFER TO... (1:20:50) - World of Hyatt credit card gives an additional Hyatt category 1-4 free night certificate with 15K spend in a calendar year. But with recent Hyatt category changes, is it still worth spending towards that goal? 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

On a recent podcast episode, we talked about all the important considerations when you're just getting start in the points and miles game. But in this episode, we'll go one step further and talk about which credit cards you might want to consider as someone just getting started. (00:10) - Listen to our "Getting started with points & miles" Ep298 here. (01:12) - Some of the things you might ideally look for are: great welcome bonuses, transferable points, a good way to use points without transferring, and maybe a card that's good for everyday spend... (02:00) - For those who want to go even further with hobby, you may want the many options to expand point earnings (02:39) - Read about the offer here. (07:01) - Read our review of the Capital One Venture card here. (10:25) - Read our review of the Citi Strata Premier card here. (13:27) - Read more about the Bilt card here. 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

In this episode, we highlight the credit cards that are becoming "collectables", we had a heated debate about "Strawberry season", discuss changes from ANA and Alaska Airlines, and share tips for saving on your domestic flights. (01:29) - Delta Sky Club access with multiple American Express platinum cards in your name... (06:40) - Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K (Read more about this offer here) (07:58) - United Business 125K ... (08:59) - Citi Rewards+ no longer available new OR for product changes (12:05) - US Bank Smartly changes for new cardholders as of 4/14. Read about the US Bank Smartly card changes here. (18:50) - Strawberry Hotels Summer Pass 2025 (Read more about this Strawberry Hotels Summer Pass here) (25:14) - IHG increases top award rates at Intercontinental hotels to 200K+ per night (27:02) - Amex Biz Plat nerfs Dell credits (31:57) - ANA Round the World award tickets are dead as of June 24th (34:46) - More ANA news starting June 24 Read more about these ANA updates here. (38:32) - Updates from Alaska Airlines (40:29) - Tools/services to find cheapest cash rates (e.g. google flights) (42:30) - Tools/services to find cheapest award prices (e.g. points path) Read our "Which Award Search Tool is Best" post here. (44:58) - Saving miles with partner awards (49:21) - Credit card travel discounts/rebates (52:59) - Find our Amex Airline Reimbursement Fees post here. (54:46) - Companion tickets (1:03:26) - Pay w/ points through a bank travel portal (1:05:30) - Cardholder award discounts (Delta, United, JetBlue, etc.) (1:06:32) - Discounted Airline gift cards (1:07:59) - Membership discounts (1:09:36) - Change the way you book it (1:17:46) - Read more about skiplagging here. (1:18:42) - Choosing between the Amex Hilton Aspire card or the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant card: Do you think Bonvoy will listen to the negative feedback and will get better? And will Hilton get worse because they've been too generous? 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

How can you find rooms for 4 in Scotland? Is Bilt worth it if your rent's only $1500? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on April 2nd, 2025. (03:29) -  ​​If you guys could only have cards from one issuer, which would you choose? (11:09) -  ​​What's your thought on how long the us bank 4% card could stay alive? (12:04) -  Do you guys have a comprehensive list of when each type of point expires? For example United Travel Bank expires 5 years after purchasing, Hyatt points i think expire 2 years if no activity etc. Read our post on "How to keep points and miles alive" here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-keep-points-and-miles-alive/ (12:34) - ​​Do you think Aeroplan is going to lose value bc of too mamy tiers of pricing for different partners? A big chunk of the value is mixing partners, that's hard if there's so much variance. (17:02) -  ​​Going to Europe for the first time from lax in 1 year. How do I get started figuring out how to use my many Amex mile Read our "Best ways to get to Europe with miles or money" post here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-ways-to-get-to-europe-with-miles-or-money/ You can find our "Which award search tool is best" post here: https://frequentmiler.com/which-award-search-tool-is-best/ (21:05) - Opinions everyone - Will Hyatt ever revamp their personal credit card? (21:56) -  In the US, you can have multiple people in a hotel room yet in Europe it seems impossible to put 4 people in a hotel room. Is there a way to do that in Scotland? Read Nick's post about booking Cottages.com with Wyndham here: https://frequentmiler.com/booking-cottages-com-via-wyndham-rewards/ (29:33) -  ​​When looking for points/miles redemptions, at what point in time before the flight do you consider paying with cash? (31:33) -  You guys stress opening up new cards for Sign up bonuses and using Categories multipliers. How many New Cards do you open for SUB each year and how often apart do you open them? (35:30) - ​​How many credit cards do you typically open in a calendar year and what's the split with the amount of new business versus personal cards? Read the complete guide to credit card application rules by bank here: https://frequentmiler.com/complete-guide-to-credit-card-application-rules-by-bank/ (40:56) - JW Masai Mara will charge you $4,950 PER NIGHT if you booked on points and you cancel less than 90 days out. CSR won't cover it because nothing has been charged on the card in advance. Thoughts? (46:37) - Hi, is it possible I can get a FREE Carnival cruise if I submit just a MGM gold status + Wynn Platinum? Trying to avoid making a trip to Atlantic City for more statuse (49:08) - ​​If my rent is $1500 a month is Bilt card worth a 5/24 spot?

There are some creative ways to use airline miles to fly further with less miles. In other words, you can see more and spend less. We'll talk about these fun tricks in today's episode. (01:00) - The validity of Etihad Guest Miles will be extended by 18 months based on qualifying member flight activity. We thought this means you have to credit paid flights to Etihad to extend your miles...but is that true? (04:20) - How do you handle domestic positioning flights? See our "Tips for booking positioning flights" episode 253 here. (09:30) - Amex targeted referral +5 points on travel & transit (11:21) - Learn more about Amex multi-referrals here. (11:27) - Amex Membership Rewards: You don't need a credit card to transfer to some partners Read more about this here. (15:10) - Chase: 80% transfer bonus to IHG through 4/30 (18:26) - Transfer bonuses (21:14) - Updates to popular award tools (22:56) - National Car Rental's One Two Free Promo Returns (27:43) - Virgin Atlantic jacks up Delta One surcharges departing Europe to more than $1,000 one-way Read more about dumping fees when booking Delta One here. (31:05) - Cautions about skiplagging / hidden city ticketing, etc... (37:34) - Married Segment Logic (42:23) - Start to End Distance Based/ Zone Based Award Pricing (47:25) - Mixed cabin award pricing (51:53) - Multi-partner awards (52:57) - Read Nick's post about Air Canada's United devaluation relief with multi-partner awards here. (58:59) - Creative routing (1:04:40) - Should people wait to get the other Hawaiian Airlines credit card (if they have one of the personal Hawaaiin credit cards already)? (There are two different consumer Hawaiian Airlines cards - one with Bank of Hawaii and one by Barclays (though confusingly both are issued by Barclays)). 

There's been a trend where credit card issuers increase annual fees on rewards cards, and attempt to make up for it by adding credits and rebates for somewhat random things (which often require a lot of mental effort and organization to put to use.) Today, we'll speculate how far this trend is going to go... (01:03) - Recent history of couponization (05:51) - Expected refresh of Platinum card Check out the Coffee Break episode 47 where we discussed an expected refresh here, or read more about even more refreshed Platinum card predictions here. (06:43) - Next Airline Card(s) (12:14) - Next Hotel Card(s) (15:20) - Next Consumer Transferable Points Card(s) (17:35) - Next Business Transferable Points Card(s) 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

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

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  

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: frequentmiler.com/travelfreely ) (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

(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

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.

What do we think are the best hotel programs for outsized value? Have we noticed some of the same Alaska Airlines quirks that our listeners have? What have our experiences with the EVA Air program been (if any)? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on March 5th, 2025. 00:40 - What's the most meaningful miles and points trip you've had? 03:16 - Inspired by Nick's “falling in love with Alaska” post… Let's play a miles themed version of the old FMK game (the acronym will make sense in a moment, Carrie!) We'll call it lust, marry, kill rather than the original name. Between Alaska, Aeroplan, and Avios, which is your torrid love affair, which would you settle down with, which ends up left behind? 05:47 - What's the teams thoughts on how long this Amex to Hawaii to Alaska gravy train will last? 10:56 - Were any of the frequent milers effected by the recent Amex shutdowns? 12:55 - Any tips to reduce/avoid parking fees at airports? I live far enough away that Uber or shuttles are just as much(or more), so is there anything I'm not thinking of? 17:15 - ​​Which airlines offer lie flat seats from the eastern half of the USA to Hawaii with at least some availability via points at a reasonable cost? 19:21 - ​​I don't have any business spend so I'm hesitant to apply for business cards and use it for personal expenses. Is it legal/allowed to put personal spend on business cards? 21:28 ​​Is the 15% Delta Amex discount a real discount or Delta increased the redemption rate before the discount is applied. Their miles seem to be $.012/mile after the 15%. Is their miles really that bad? 24:01 - hey everyone! have any of you ever booked an award flight with EVA? so many quirks to that program but 75-80k to Asia is a good deal. Would love to hear any if your experiences if you have. Thanks! 28:29 - what's up with Alaska's phantom award availability? I've noticed this especially with AA, award space will show in Alaska, sometimes other partners, then Alaska won't ticket. And on Alaska - have you noticed Alaska semi-dynamically pricing AA routes? IE award chart says route should be 7.5k but all routes instead price at 10k or 12.5k? 33:50 - ​​if I took a retention offer to keep amex gold. Will amex take back points if I take an upgrade to platinum offer? 34:31 - ​​I received an offer for the Caesars no annual fee card. with 5000 spend in three months giving me diamond status. Am I crazy for wanting to get it for the free parking, no resorts fee, and food credit 37:45 - When checking if a layover will offer enough time, how can I know in advance if I may be forced to pickup + recheck my bags? Either with a single or multiple carriers? 38:56 - I'm trying to potentially book a Maldives trip with Hilton FNC but I'd like to connect there in style on Qatar and/or Emirates. Considering free night certificates only last a year and flights often are best booked a year out, how would you navigate a trip where flights and hotels might both be high demand options or timelines 44:25 - Which hotel rewards program would you say lately offers the highest probability for outside value? To me, it's not close I believe Hilton shines in this respect. 51:45 - Have you ever gotten weird looks from the clerk while buying gift cards? 55:03 - ​​I found lots of availability at a SLH thru Hilton. Four nights bookable, but when I went to 5 nights, availability vanished. Is the hotel playing games to avoid 5th night free? Any workaround ideas

Starting May 28 of this year, Southwest will be making some major changes to the things we've known and loved. For example Most people will be losing free checked bags on Southwest starting May 28 of this year, they'll be introducing basic economy, flight credits will now expire (after 6-12 months depending on what type of fare you bought) and the value of points will become much more variable. (01:49) - Commenter Brad says: "I'm an accountant who completely understands the math of cutting expenses or raising revenues to increase profit... I don't understand, though, what the business strategy is here. Building a strategy that revolves around hoping customers won't notice you're charging them more for a worse product doesn't seem like the kind of pitch that would get you an A in an MBA strategy class." Read the original post where this comment appeared here. (03:38) - 2 Bags No longer Fly Free for Most (pricing not yet disclosed) (05:58) - Basic economy fares (06:33) - Flight credits will expire (From May 28, 2025) (08:29) - Variable redemption rates 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

In today's episode we'll talk about how American Airlines out-crazies Citi, Southwest out-bonvoys Marriott, and we'll talk about what we think are the 5 best award search tools that make it much easier to find those coveted awards. (01:25) - One reader shares their concerns about tax payments made by an American Express card not counting towards sign up bonus spending. (05:28) - Read more about paying taxes with a credit card here and check out our podcast Episode239 about paying taxes to earn rewards. (05:45) - Capital One Venture X Business cards have a Rideshare Protection benefit (which you can read more about here.) (08:00) - Hilton cards offer free night thru 4/29 (which you can read more about here.) (10:29) - Wyndham Earner cards big bonuses Read more about these Wyndham Earner bonuses here. (13:39) - Citi: accidentally credited a client's account with $81 trillion when it meant to send only $280 (Read more about this here.) (15:22) - American Airlines made a huge blunder which you can read about here. (19:25) - Marriott StudioRes (26:00) - Southwest for the win Read more about Southwest slashing points earning on Wanna Get Away fares here. (29:52) - Alaska starting to roll out mixed partner awards Read more about this here. (32:23) - Aeroplan Family Points Sharing Returns Read more here. (35:20) - Hilton adds more and more SLH properties (38:06) - Find current transfer bonuses here. (41:14) - Read our post about award search tools here. (42:47) - Live Searches vs. Cached Discovery (47:23) - Alerts are KEY (50:25) - Flexible Live Search is very important (51:59) - Which is Best? (54:57) - Runner up (59:07) - Best for Beginners (1:02:28) - Best for advanced people (1:05:10) - Best add on (to use in addition to these other tools) (1:08:15) - Worth mentioning (1:12:17) - Discounts available in our post about which award search tool is best here. (1:12:28) - What should you do with your Capital One miles?

Word on the street is the Amex Platinum card is going to be "refreshed" which may mean new benefits, new cost, new rebates, and more. In this episode, we'll make some predictions about what we might see. (01:06) - Predicting the Refreshed Platinum Card annual fee (02:55) - Earning rate change? (04:04) - Coupon changes? (06:49) - Will the airline incidental fees credit change? (11:57) - Perk changes? 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

Hilton credit cards come loaded with perks that CAN BE worth more than the card's annual fee IF you use them well. On today's show, we discuss how we use these credits. (01:06) - Hilton points for the win that all starts with the Venture X credit card promo to enter into the special access raffle to buy Taylor Swift tickets. (06:24) - This person was trying to use up a $200 Hilton resort credit for themself and their player 2 account, booking on December 31st for a date beyond the expiration. (09:39) - Hilton has a bad habit of taking a substantial deposit (in this case, several hundred dollars) at many of its resorts at the time of booking. But is booking with points and cash (sliding the cash slider as far as possible) a way around this?. (15:15) - Learn more about the Hilton Aspire card here. (17:15) - Diamond status (18:42) - Annual Free Night Reward every year (20:19) - $400 Hilton Resort Credit per calendar year ($200 semi-annually) (22:11) - $200 Flight Credit ($50 per quarter for purchases directly with airlines or via Amex Travel) (24:05) - $199 CLEAR (R) Plus fee credit per calendar year (24:35) - $100 on-property credit with Aspire Card package (25:24) - Learn about the Hilton Surpass card here. (26:12) - Free night award after $15K spend in calendar year (27:55) - Free Gold status. Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend (28:40) - $200 in Hilton credits ($50 per quarter) (30:28) - Learn about the Hilton Business card here. (32:16) - Free Gold status. Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend (32:31) - $240 in annual credits for Hilton purchases (Up to $60 per quarter) (33:27) - Complimentary National Car Rental(R) Emerald Club Executive(R) status (34:07) - You gave advice that if using "2-player mode", both applicants should open their Hilton Aspire cards on the same day. If you didn't do that and your annual free nights don't post together, is there a way to fix this?

With a $350 annual fee, the Delta Platinum credit card is not cheap. But like most of these more expensive cards, it comes with perks and credits that help off-set that cost. Since Greg has this card, we'll find out how he makes use of these various perks and credits. Learn more about the Delta Platinum card here and the Delta Platinum Business card here. (00:15) - $350 (00:55) - 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) (02:22) - Annual $2,500 MQD Headstart (04:49) - Companion ticket each year upon card renewal Learn more about Delta Companion Certificates here. (07:36) - Delta Stays rebate (09:14) - $10/Month Rideshare (14:12) - $10/Month US Resy restaurants (16:58) - Priority boarding, first checked bag free on Delta flights, and complimentary upgrade list: get added to the complimentary upgrade list after Delta elite members and Reserve cardmembers (17:53) - Cell phone protection 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

On this week's episode, we talk about our Capital One mistake, how Uber has tried to "Bonvoy" us, and the many ways we use our Platinum credit card credits. (01:27) - OOPS: Capital One doesn't transfer to JetBlue like we implied (02:33) - BUT...then this week Capital One announced they ARE adding JetBlue as a transfer partner, (but at horrible rates) (05:24) - Hotel transfer bonuses, yay or nay? (10:29) - Uber adding 1.5% charge to rides abroad – here's how to avoid overpaying Read more about this Uber change here. (14:37) - How we use our Amex Platinum "coupon book" credits... (15:34) - Read more about maximizing American Express credit card rebates and credits here. (16:07) - Both consumer & business cards (30:50) - Amex Platinum (consumer card) Learn more about the Amex Platinum consumer card here. (48:37) - Amex Business Platinum Card Learn more about the Amex Business Platinum Card here and read the Platinum Guide here. (58:03) - Read about the indirect Amex Platinum benefits here. (58:51) - One reader asks for advice about a Qatar Airways issue they experienced on a cash flight (for Q-Suites) where the entertainment system went out and the reimbursement offered for this problem was unsatisfactory.

The American Express Gold Card has a $325 annual fee, but it offers up to $424 of value in credits. Here we'll talk about how we make sure to put those credits to use. Read more about maximizing American Express credit card rebates and credits here. (01:07) - $325 annual fee Find out more about the Amex Gold Card here. (01:19) - Category bonuses (01:42) - How do Greg and Nick use those category bonuses? (03:12) - Up to $424 in credits (or as we like to call them, "coupons"). (03:28) - Resy: $50 semi annually (08:59) - Uber: $10/month (12:12) - Dining partners: $10/month (Goldbelly, Wine.com, Five Guys, Seamless/Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory) (14:08) - Dunkin: $7/month 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

Would you pay more for fully refundable rewards? What do you do with pets when you travel? These questions and more came up in our Ask Us Anything, Live Ep72, originally broadcast live on 2-5-25. (04:31) - Who were our most-helpful followers for the Million Mile Madness challenge? These followers will be eligible for prizes for their help! (13:31) - How would you structure your credit card strategy with a P2? See our podcast episode about 2-player strategies here. (17:45) - Frequent Miler is by far my favorite travel blog. What blogs do you follow and why? (19:47) - ​​Any tricks to apply for 2 cards in 1 day? I feel like I read a post on how to do this but I can't find it now. Find our credit card application rules by bank here. (24:02) - are you guys surprised at how many people completed the challenge? (25:00) - I know Greg went big with Alaska transfer, I'm curious how big the rest of the team has gone? And do any of you think the merger and Amex transfer will cause a devaluation soon? (28:32) - Any word yet on Chase's 1 million point giveaway winners (that ended last week)? (29:13) - any thoughts on aeroplan 25 status match from Marriott Titanium? could be interesting for booking economy award tickets for upgrades on long haul flights? (30:47) - Marriott & Hilton appear out of favor with you these days. Hyatt remains your favorite but If you don't or can't stay at Hyatt, what is now your hotel chain of choice between IHG, Choice, Wyndham or? (33:34) - new SW companion pass promo (personal card, 4K spend in 3 months): is this just through end of 2025? Seems like a great opportunity to try.I can make that spend in a week! (34:32) - ​​have any of you ever had to transfer airports in Taipei. i have a 4-hr layover during which i have to travel between airports with a carry-on. is that even possible? (36:24) - What are the best opportunities for long haul business class availability for 4 "when schedule opens?" With 4 travelers and bound by school schedules I want to book ahead but it's getting very hard. (38:37) - ​​Thoughts on the recent update to Citi's T&Cs on welcome bonuses for their strata premier when product changing. Seems like it's a blow against churning  (40:26) - How much more are you willing to pay for award ticket that is fully refundable? I find myself going for AA or United flights even though UA may be cheaper on LifeMiles for example (45:23) - ​​really curious... do any of you have pets? what do you do with them when traveling? (51:48) - How often do you folks buy points? I recently started buying IHG, Hilton, Avianca, and Avios points when they are on sale, and find it a great alternative for folks with low spend. (53:36) - any awesome hotel redemptions coming up for you guys? Subscribe and Follow

On today's episode the fellas chat about how to get the Southwest Companion Pass with just one card, whether or not your Marriott points just became more valuable, and how to get great value out of Capital One miles. (01:17) - One of our younger readers talks about a huge award booking success, all achieved without pro award booking tools. (05:40) - Quick overview of the Million Mile Madness challenge Watch our Ask Us Anything, Live here. Rewatch the entire Million Mile Madness Challenge in one video here. (10:27) - Get Southwest Companion Pass through 2/28/26 Learn more about this here. (13:25) - Frontier Platinum status fast track: Earn 20k Elite Status Points by 4/30/25 Learn more here. (18:46) - Transfer bonuses (21:13) - Earn 20x Avios on hotel bookings & 15x on car hire (book by 2/24/25) Learn more about this here. (23:58) - Use JetBlue points to book TAP (25:04) - Refreshing posts about award booking tools (30:50) - Are Marriott points more valuable? Learn more about the value of Marriott points here. (33:54) - My experience applying for the UK's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) Learn more about the UK ETA here. (36:15) - Capital One Miles usually worth exactly 1 cent each (37:21) - Get more than 1 cent per mile via transfer partners (38:49) - Real-life examples... (49:04) - Cardholder exclusives (51:00) - Capital One cash back can be converted to miles (53:08) - Which flight reward search tool is best if I need specific dates and locations?

We love how Hilton incorporates partners like SLH and Autocamp for example. But there are things we don't love about Hilton too. Today we'll talk about the ways they could win our loyalty. (00:00) - We love how Hilton incorporates partners: SLH and Autocamp for example (00:25) - But here's what we don't love... (04:18) - Greg's suggestions for Hilton (05:04) - Hilton's meaningful milestone benefits start way too late (at 40 nights) (06:36) - Milestone benefits of early check-in certificates would really wow us 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

On this episode, we'll talk about a crazy new premium credit card, we'll debate double elite night hotel promotions to see if they're mattress run worthy, talk about a nice new way to use JetBlue points, and discuss how to double your rewards with a partner. (01:15) - One reader writes in about booking their family with roundtrip business class flights to Australia for Christmas and New Years!!! (05:00) - New JetBlue Premier Card... Learn more about the premier card here. (12:13) - IHG Premier offer up to 170K after $4K spend in 3 months Learn more about the IHG Premier card here. (13:33) - IHG overlapping promos Learn more about the targeted double elite nights here. (14:58) - Learn more about Double points here. (19:10) - Marriott's overlapping promos: Learn more about Double elite nights + 1K bonus per night here. (25:58) - Marriott increases top-end point prices Read our Marriott Complete Guide here. (30:30) - CardPointers Learn more about CardPointers here CardPointers here. (32:48) - Book TAP Air with JetBlue points (39:13) - More rewards Check out our How to video for maximizing rewards with Amex referrals here. (43:38) - More spend (44:56) - Companion Flights Find our How your Southwest Companion can fly 4 free | Coffee Break Ep32 here. Find our Complete Guide to the Southwest Companion Pass here. Find our Two for the price of one: How to get a free companion ticket | Ep218 here. (46:10) - Find our How to Use Delta Companion Certificates Video here. (47:33) - Free weekends (50:50) - One reader has One Amex Platinum Card and one Amex Business Platinum Card. If they cancel or downgrade one of the cards, how does that impact their Delta lounge access for the calendar year?

World of Hyatt has been a favorite amongst points and miles enthusiasts for years. You can use your points for excellent properties at typically excellent values and the elite benefits are actually valuable. But...they're far from perfect, especially more recently. Not to worry - we have some suggestions for what they can do to get back on track. (00:10) - Has been a great program for years Read our Hyatt wishlist here. (02:20) - Long term problem: limited number of hotels (04:29) - But they've killed a lot of the progress they'd made towards the footprint problem and moved instead towards dynamic award pricing (07:54) - Our suggestion: Fix Mr & Mrs Smith awards (10:54) - Or, more realistically: Fix free night certificates 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