Frequent Miler on the Air

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

In today's episode we'll discuss what's up with Hilton gift cards, we'll intensely debate Virgin Atlantic award charts, cover 2 different points millionaire promos, then finally, we'll tell you how to earns tons of rewards through shopping portals. (01:29) - One reader reports on their success with the Southwest Companion Pass with just one of the Southwest business cards when it had the elevated 120k offer. Read more about the companion pass here. (04:29) - Chase Bonvoy Bold: now features Chase's Pay Yourself Back benefit. (08:36) - Citi changed transfer rates to Flying Blue to 1.25 (temporarily) (11:38) - Qantas devaluation Aug 5th Check out our Complete List of Transferrable Points Partners here. (18:30) - SAS Eurobonus Millionaire update (22:49) - Chase Travel giving away 1 million Ultimate Rewards points to 10 winners (24:12) - Virgin Atlantic still has award charts (32:43) - Westgate Resorts now bookable w/ Choice Privileges (35:15) - Portal Overview (43:00) - Our favorite shopping portals (starting with Rakuten) (55:54) - Portal Myths Learn more about common shopping portal myths here. (1:12:08) - Stacking Opportunities For more stacking ideas, check out The Art of Extreme Stackery | Ep231 | 12-2-23 here. (1:13:43) - Learn more about card linked offers here. (1:15:26) - Gift Cards (1:16:32) - Learn more about buying gift cards at discount (e.g. Pepper) here: https://frequentmiler.com/instant-gift-card-deals (1:18:05) - Super Stack Example (1:24:26) - What's the deal with Hilton Gift Cards?

Greg and Nick have a LOT of cards between the two of them and they can't possibly carry all of them in their real-life physical wallets. What happens instead is that they tend to rotate the cards in their wallets based on what the current bonuses are, whether or not there are cards they're trying to reach a spend requirement on...and...whether or not they can find the physical card. In this episode, they'll cover the major real-life spend categories and which cards they're carrying for those purposes. (01:19) - Which cards do Greg and Nick carry for Grocery spend? Learn more about the Savor card here. (02:06) - Learn more about the Amex Gold card here. (03:31) - Which cards do we carry around for Gas? Learn more about the Wyndham Business Earner Card here. (04:09) - Learn more about the Amex Business Gold card here. (05:24) - Which cards do we carry around for dining? (08:28) - Which cards do we carry around for Travel? Learn more about the Sapphire Reserve card here. (12:27) - Which cards do we carry around for Pharmacy? Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited card here. (14:30) - Which cards do we carry for spend everywhere else? Learn more about the Bank Of America Premium Rewards card here. (16:50) - Learn more about the Bank Of America Unlimited Cash Rewards 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, Greg and Nick will look at 4 ways to access Delta Sky Clubs, they'll reveal a hot reader tip for a free stay in Atlantis in the Bahamas, and they'll discuss the Air France / KLM Flying Blue devaluation. Check out the full episode below. (01:28) - It seems like a lot of people are running into issues lately with using the $200 platinum credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts.  (07:03) - United TravelBank glitch (now resolved) [Reported on Reddit] (09:50) - Air France KLM Flying Blue award prices increase by 15-25% to/from Europe Read more about this price change here. (18:02) - It's not too late to book Atlantis even if your Caesars Diamond status is about to go away. (20:28) - Sky Clubs vs other airport clubs Read more about how to get into Delta Sky Club Lounges here. (23:01) - Overall Requirements (24:12) - #1 Premium Credit Cards (24:27) - Amex Platinum (not to be confused with Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum) Learn more about the Amex Platinum card here. (31:31) - Delta Reserve consumer or business Learn more about the Delta Reserve card here. See: How to get Delta Sky Club access for you and your family here. (39:58) - #2 Fly Delta One; or any Sky Team airline in business or first class (42:56) - #3 Elite Status Check out our blog post: Shortcuts to Delta elite status here: https://frequentmiler.com/delta-elite-shortcuts/ Or check out our episode "Easy path to Delta Elite status in 2024 Ep281" here: https://frequentmiler.com/easy-path-to-delta-elite-status-in-2024-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep281-11-15-24/ (45:51) - #4 Sky Club Membership Learn more about Delta Choice Benefits here: https://frequentmiler.com/delta-choice-benefits/ (55:16) - Many times when I'm booking stays, there's only availability for standard rooms. How do approach getting an upgrade if there's no availability?

In today's podcast episode Greg and Nick will talk about the things they wish Marriott would add to their program to make it a really great program. They argue these things shouldn't even have to cost Marriott that much to implement. Read more about our Marriott Bonvoy Wishlist here. (01:24) - Fix the Platinum Elite free breakfast benefit Find our resource for figuring out whether or not you get free breakfast here. (05:00) - Clear Nightly Upgrade Awards from the time of booking (08:21) - Remove the 15K limit on free night certificate top-offs (11:11) - Waive resort fees on free night stays 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

There are a few ways now where you can earn elite status on airlines entirely through hotel stays! This is sort of a new development that we're excited to discuss in today's podcast. (01:32) - Whoops: Forgot United offers elite earnings on award tickets (UA flights only) Find episode 288 here. (04:09) - IHG Choice Benefit annual lounge membership trick worked this year (05:58) -  One reader finds a way to get an offer to upgrade back to Amex Platinum for 50K bonus points after 2K spend. (08:03) - Alaska Biz Card 70K offer is back: 70K miles and Companion Fare™ Learn more about the Alaska Business card here. (09:27) - Costco card goes up to 5% at Costco Gas on 1/19/25. All other gas/EV will stay at 4% (12:32) - US Bank Altitude Go: beginning on April 15, 2025, cardholders will be limited to earning 4x on the first $2,000 in dining, takeout and restaurant delivery purchases each quarter. Learn more about that update here (13:45) - Sonesta credit card taking a siesta Learn more about the Sonesta siesta here (15:34) - Pay1040 fees up, down, all around (21:42) - Hyatt promo: Earn double elite night credits for stays at Under Canvas properties Read more about that Hyatt promo here (28:21) - Marriott Choice Benefit 40K expiry (33:30) - BA goes revenue-based (Read more about that change here (34:45) - Daily Getaways Dead: The program has been discontinued (36:29) - Marriott ->> United Premier Silver AND Air Canada Aeroplan 25K Read more about that here (40:59) - Hyatt ->> American Airlines Read more about this option here (50:49) - Hyatt Explorist/Globalist elite members can trade Hyatt points for status for a day (53:33) - Not as many shortcuts with Hyatt as with Marriott Read more about this here (1:03:00) - Should I mattress run with Advantage Hotels the rest of my way to AA Executive Platinum status? (1:06:14) - How do you value your time, for example when an hour of effort will save you a small chunk of change?

You can book Preferred Hotels with Choice Privileges points, (which has a 1:2 transfer rate from Citi Thank You points), or Preferred Hotel points (which has a 1:4 transfer rate from Citi Thank You points). There are reasons to book with one points over another, but is this worth doing? Greg's recent experience booking a Preferred Hotel with Choice points can help shed some light on the question. (01:24) - The Seagate Hotel & Spa Delray Beach Florida (01:48) - Different booking options... (05:17) - Booking experience... (12:17) - Hotel stay experience (the good and bad) 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

(00:00) - It's a new year and we're excited about all the "point-y" things happening for us in 2025! Give this episode a listen to find out what we're looking forward to. (01:07) - One reader's interesting experience disbanding a United miles pool highlights a possible hack and brings up a few questions.... Learn more about miles-pooling here: https://www.united.com/en/us/mileageplus/miles-pooling/ (04:17) - Can a pool leader leave a miles pool? (04:35) - Can I leave a miles pool after joining? (07:25) - Chase United card devaluation: TravelBank credits instead of statement credits (11:10) - Chase Aeroplan PYB (Pay Yourself Back) Travel limited to 200K (13:51) - Marriott Choice Benefit 40 night selection expiry Read more about this update here: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-choice-benefits/  (16:27) - IHG Ends Annual Lounge Pass Loophole In 2025 (19:52) - Pay taxes via credit card slightly cheaper (starts at 1.75%) but down to 2 processors PayUSATax gone ("We are no longer processing federal tax payments on behalf of the IRS.") Learn more about paying taxes with a credit card here: https://frequentmiler.com/pay-taxes-via-credit-card/ (25:21) - Greg and Nick's "Bonvoyed" pick: Hyatt breaks our hearts with Mr & Mrs Smith Read our "Bonvoyed of the year" post here: https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-peoples-choice-bonvoyed-awards-2024-edition/ (26:47) - Readers' "Bonvoyed" picks... (28:10) - Our picks for for Deal of the Year Read our "Deal of the Year" post here: https://frequentmiler.com/2024-deal-of-the-year-and-readers-choice-vote/ (29:02) - Readers' picks for Deal of the Year (31:01) - Small Luxury Hotels SLH (33:07) - Preferred hotels & Resorts (35:30) - Alaska Mileage Plan mixed partner awards (40:13) - Earning Alaska elite status through award bookings (42:51) - Alaska premium card (45:00) - Digging into SAS awards (47:17) - Finding a great Vacasa redemption (I bought points) (49:17) - Finding great Capital One Miles deals See the "Deal of the Year" episode here: https://frequentmiler.com/deal-of-the-year-2024-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep287-12-27-24-podcast/ (52:09) - Getting back into the swing of bank account bonuses (54:05) - Trying out the AA bus from PHL-ACY. (58:57) - Would a Delta Gold status be useful for a Korean Air flight booked via Delta miles?

The Smartly Credit Card (with opportunity for up to 4% cash back everywhere) has us wondering...when should you value cash back over other points and miles or transferable currency rewards? (00:26) - Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cash back Learn more about the Smartly card here. (01:21) - Using 2x everywhere points card is like buying points for 2 cents each (05:12) - So, is cash the final answer? No! (09:07) - So what's the ideal strategy? (13:36) - Learn more about the Hyatt milestone spending 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

What are the best miles and points deals we've seen in 2024, and which deals came out above the rest? In today's episode of Frequent Miler on the Air, we'll decide what we think the best miles and points deal of 2024 was. (01:05) - Feedback about Greg's "Frequent Miler's 2024 State of the Business Report" Read Greg's "Frequent Miler's 2024 State of the Business Report" here. (08:12) - Additional datapoints regarding possible Atlantis stays for after February 1st (12:14) - Greg's Marriott Mattress Run (20:48) - Capital One Offers (26:18) - Easily extend National Free Day (28:41) - Catch our "Bonvoyed of the Year" episode from last week to see which loyalty snafus we thought were the worst in 2024. (29:11) - Buy Aeroplan miles for 1.14cpp: Read more about buying Aeroplan miles here. (30:41) - Big payouts via Capital One Shopping (36:35) - Virgin goes dynamic & lowers surcharges Read more about Virgin's dynamic pricing here. (40:00) - Bilt transfer bonus up to 150% to Flying Blue, Virgin Points, and IHG One Rewards (Jan 1) (42:19) - Bilt transfer bonus up to 100% to Alaska (July 1) (44:05) - Amex +10x restaurants referral offer Read more about this Amex referral offer here. (47:11) - 120K Ink Business Preferred offer + 40K referral (48:27) - Hilton SLH (53:20) - Alaska's awesome shorthaul AA pricing Read more about the Alaksa award chart winners and losers here. (57:41) - SAS Eurobonus Millionaire Read more about the SAS Eurobonus Millionaire challenge here: https://frequentmiler.com/sas-eurobonus-millionaire-promo-frequently-asked-questions-million-mile-madness-2024/ (1:00:02) - Which did we actually take advantage of? (Or which didn't we?) (1:01:59) - So...which was the best? (1:11:10) - Read more about this story here: https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2015/05/25/frequent-flyer-history-latinpass-million-miles-mileage-runs-that-bankrupted-a-company/ (1:13:17) - Can you swap a cash seat you've already purchased with Southwest with a companion seat with your companion pass instead? Subscribe and Follow

In today's episode, we're going to be considering the Alaska / Hawaiian credit card strategy and asking the question: which card should you get now, if any? (01:38) - Current lineup of Alaksa / Hawaiian credit cards (02:17) - Learn more about the Bank of America Alaska Consumer card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AS/ (02:34) - ...and the Bank of America Alaska Business card here: https://frequentmiler.com/ASbiz/ (02:46) - Learn more about the Barclays Hawaiian Consumer card here: https://frequentmiler.com/HA/ (03:15) - ...and the Barclays Hawaiian Business card here: https://frequentmiler.com/HAbiz/ (04:35) - Considering Hawaiian cards (06:02) - Considering Alaska cards (07:40) - What's the best strategy? 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 take a look back at the year and talk about what loyalty programs have done to us instead of for us. This is for the loyalty grinches! (01:07) - Revisiting a question we'd answered previously about whether or not several domestic flights a month would be enough for earning status. (06:18) - One reader has some information to share about the Atlantis property they booked now (before their Caesar's Diamond status disappears) for a stay in the future... Read more about booking the Atlantis hotel here. (10:12) - Flying Blue: Sends emails saying "Congratulations you are now a Flying Blue Ultimate member" (11:44) - IHG: Purchase EQPs. 120K price: $640, no... $800, no... $1000, back to $640... (16:27) - Nick flies to Mexico but doesn't leave the airport (21:12) - Greg and Nick forgot about Bilt Find our podcast episode about the upcoming Alaska Premium card here. (23:42) - Preferred Hotels: Greg's ongoing Preferred Hotel booking saga (29:48) - AA: Can now use miles to book Hawaiian flights from mainland US (31:39) - Aviator Silver companion cert ain't all that Read our Aviator Silver companion cert first impressions here. (38:14) - Hilton Aspire resort credit-eligible hotel list un-shrinks (39:40) - Marriott Upgrade Awards now clear five days out (again) (43:27) - Southwest: assigned seating Read about Southwest's upcoming assigned seating here. (46:31) - 2023 Bonvoyed Awards Recap... 2024 Dis-Loyalty Nominees... (51:38) - Chase & Capital One priority pass drops restaurants (55:56) - Virgin goes dynamic (59:08) - Virgin devalues Delta One to Europe (1:02:36) - Wyndham Vacasa devaluation (1:06:19) - BA & Qatar raise prices for short-haul partner awards (AA, Alaska) (1:09:54) - Etihad nerfs award cancelations and point expirations (1:15:43) - Bilt reduces Rent Day earnings to 1K bonus points (1:18:50) - Wyndham Biz kills free cruises (1:21:20) - Hyatt integrates Mr & Mrs Smith (1:23:14) - Final picks (1:30:20) - Why are there so many pop-up ads on your site?

Us Bank's Smartly Visa Signature card has no annual fee but also no welcome bonus. Even so, because of a benefit from their savings account which can increase earnings on the card, it's worth a discussion on today's Card Talk episode. (00:21) - What are the basics of the U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card Learn more about this card here. (01:06) - You can increase earning with a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and have certain amounts deposited w/ US Bank... (02:53) - You'll need a Smartly Savings Account (04:13) - But you can point your money toward Self Directed Investing (08:03) - Be careful how you redeem rewards (10:08) - How does the US Bank Smartly Card compare to Bank of America's Platinum Honors?

Alaska has announced that a premium card is coming in the Summer of 2025. They've given us just little bits of information so far, but in this episode, we'll talk about what those details are. (01:03) - Pre-register by 12/31/24. Get 500 miles now, 5K extra miles later if/when you sign up for card. (01:44) - Basic details...annual fee of $395 and earn Global Companion Award Certificates (05:20) - Receive waived award ticket fees ($12.50 partner award fee, not surcharges) (05:42) - Earn 3x miles on eligible foreign purchases 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, Greg and Nick review some of the hotel and flight awards that stood out for each of them in 2024 so they can determine the best of the best for their 2024 award travels. (01:06) - Bilt buy house benefit correction See the previous episode where Greg talked about the Bilt buy house benefit here. Read more about the Bilt Buy House benefit here. (02:42) - Greg's latest experience booking Preferred hotels with Choice points See the previous episode here. (10:17) - Greg: "You're a SAS EuroBonus Millionaire!” (11:56) - Nick: Yikes! (19:24) - Stephen: 1 more needs to be credited (21:32) - Business Platinum gains $200 Hilton credit! (29:48) - IRS temporarily displayed lower fees for paying taxes by credit card (32:04) - Should Greg mattress run 1 Marriott night? (37:24) - Alaska news Read more about Alaska Airlines launching premium card here. (41:48) - Waldorf Astoria New York now bookable with points and free night certificates. (44:22) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights (52:20) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights (56:59) - Best flight pick overall (1:00:32) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels (1:11:07) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels (1:21:05) - Beat hotel pick overall (1:22:54) - Other top experiences in 2024 (1:30:07) - Which airline would you prioritize to fly and earn miles with: American, United, or Southwest? 

Citi recently announced that they will become the exclusive issuer of American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards in the United States, starting in 2026. What does that really mean for points and miles enthusiasts, and how can we take maximum advantage? (Or shall we say "AAdvantage"?)( Read more about the AA / Citi news here. (00:26) - Citi will become the exclusive issuer AAdvantage credit cards in the U.S. starting in 2026. (01:41) - We wonder if maybe AA will become a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards (02:54) - We wonder if maybe Citi will create Aviator cards that are ONLY available to those who are transitioned over from Barclays (05:07) - Listen to our recent podcast about credit card predictions here. (06:01) - Are AA miles valuable now? (07:27) - Will AA miles be valuable later? (10:56) - Should you get the Aviator Red now? Learn more about the AviatorRed card here. (14:07) - Should you upgrade to the Aviator Silver? (19:11) - Listen to our podcast episode about amassing Citi ThankYou Rewards 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

There are a lot of things in the points and miles world that kind of come to a head at the end of the year, so you'll want to know what you should be taking care of here at the end of 2024. And of course, read our end of year checklist for 2024 here. (01:30) - What happens when a Choice Rewards hotel booking has no record of your reservation, but the points are missing? (07:32) - Preferred Hotels now bookable with iPrefer points (16:34) - Amex 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic (21:31) - Earn elite status (23:05) - Do you have enough MQDs for Delta elite status? Check out our post here. (24:48) - Remember to time your SouthWest companion pass properly Read our Complete Guide to the SouthWest companion pass here. (28:37) - Marriott Bonvoy: Easiest option is Bonvoy Brilliant, but you can read about the many other options here. (44:11) - Use airline incidental credits by December (47:42) - Platinum $200 calendar year. See Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works? (56:19) - Apply for cards with annual credits (57:47) - Transfer / pool points (1:02:19) - Redeem points or miles for annual rebates (1:03:48) - With the Caesar's Diamond status match ending, is there anything Wyndham Earner Business card-holder's should take advantage of now? Read more about this status match ending 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

There are credit cards out there which are not available new, but are still supported for those who already have them. In this episode, we have a prediction about a few cards that will soon be this kind of "collectible" card. (00:26) - What is a credit card collectible? (01:20) - Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card Learn more about the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Card here. (02:15) - Citi Prestige Learn more about the Citi Prestige card here. (04:43) - Capital One Venture One card (08:02) - Ritz Card Learn more about the Ritz Card here. (09:57) - US Bank Altitude Reserve Learn more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve card here. Read about updates to the US Bank Altitude Reserve applications here. (13:05) - Barclays Aviator Silver? Learn more about the Barclays Aviator Silver card here: https://frequentmiler.com/aviatorsilver/

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we're chatting about the 10 "Frequent Flyer-ish" things we're thankful for! (01:01) - A reader shares all the ways their recent trip was impacted by Frequent Miler tips! (02:58) - It in the hands of SAS now! (05:50) - Wyndham Biz drops Caesar's match Read about changes to casino status-matching for free cruises here. (09:38) - Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card: Up to 120K miles Read more about this card bonus here. (12:10) - Bonvoy Brilliant cardholder “Luxury Experience Rate” at participating properties Read more about this new Luxury Experience Rate here. (16:09) - Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash: 24-month extended warranty Read moe about the Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash 24-month extended warranty here. (17:11) - U.S. Bank Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cashback Read more about the US Bank Smartly card here. (22:03) - C1 Shopping targeted deals (26:46) - Bilt - earn points when buying a home & using an eXp Realty agent (29:41) - Huge welcome bonuses continue (31:37) - Awesome category bonuses continue (33:01) - The Amex points parade marches on (34:48) - Paying taxes great way to meet min spend (36:13) - PayPal waives credit card fees when doing good Listen to our Coffee Beak Episode about Kiva loans here. PayPal Giving Fund Fundraiser Hub. (39:25) - Transferable points programs keep expanding (43:42) - Award chart sweetspots live on Find AA's excellent partner award chart here. (50:06) - Free changes and cancelations continue for US airlines (except for basic economy types of fares) (52:09) - Status matches create opportunities (55:00) - Airlines continue to make business and first class more aspirational (58:22) - Loyalty partnerships create sweet opportunities (1:03:41) - See our how-to video for Rooms.aero here. (1:06:26) - When you get a new card, what's the checklist of tasks you do to keep it all organized? 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

Greg, Nick, and Stephen are spent the last two weeks competing to satisfy the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promo with the most style, affordability, and speed. If you've been following along by reading their journal posts, you know that this was a much harder task than they bargained for and they relied on reader input along the way. We've got some cool prizes planned for the reader who was most helpful including certificates to cover five free Hilton hotel nights and more! But to determine that winner, we need your help deciding which traveler achieved the goal with the most SAS! Cast your vote here! (00:22) - SAS offering 1 million miles to anyone who registers and flies 15 qualifying SkyTeam airlines (01:00) - FM turned it into a team challenge: (02:50) - During the challenge the team met live on Youtube a couple of times. There we recapped what we'd achieved to-date and the judges awarded us interim scores. (03:30) - Catch up on the live check-in recordings during the Million Mile Madness challenge Cast your vote here! (1:21:00) - Wrap up of Nick's final travel days after the last live check-in (1:24:38) - We will host a final livestream on Tuesday November 26th PM ET where final scores will be announced. Subscribe and Follow 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

Rewards credit cards are often most valuable for their welcome bonuses, but many of them also have very valuable perks just for having the card. So which credit cards have the best perks for a variety of categories? (Learn more about all the best current credit card offers here.) (00:40) - Best airport lounge benefits? (07:34) - Best Automatic Elite status (10:45) - Best award discount/rebate (12:59) - Best Automatic Free Night (no spend required) (15:57) - Best Companion Ticket (18:45) - Best miscellaneous perk 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

United recently announced an increase in elite requirements for 2025. Will Delta follow suit? Luckily, for this year, there's still time... (02:18) - A reader has a datapoint for us about the Equinox credit saying: "My wife successfully used the equinox credit for a massage. She enrolled in an equinox plus membership that came with a 7 day free trial. She was able to book and complete her massage within the 7 day trial period. The credit posted within 2 days and she canceled the membership." (06:17) - Last year Delta announced a drastic increase in elite requirements in 2024 for the 2025 elite year. After a public outcry, they reduced the requirements so much that in 2024 it is easier than ever to earn Delta elite status. Read more about the easy path to Delta elite status here. (08:05) - Multiple elite levels... (13:44) - Besides paying big $ for flights, how can you get status? (19:02) - Delta Status match, which you can read more about here. (23:03) - In summary, what are the easiest paths... (24:48) - Delta cards may be expensive but offer a lot of value Learn more about the Delta Platinum card here, and the Delta Reserve card here. (31:17) - What's the best way to do a long-haul holiday flight for a family with young children?  See which award search tools are best here.