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In case you aren't already familiar with today's guest, Gilbert Ott is an ever-curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning more than 200,000 miles a year (with the exception of 2020 and 2021, for obvious reasons!), and his travel exploits are regularly featured on Good Morning America, BBC, The Sunday Times, Travel & Leisure, CNN, and other leading news outlets. Obsessed with deals, destinations, and luxury travel, Gilbert is constantly in search of an edge, and shares all of his travel tips and tricks on God Save the Points, his well-known travel, points, and miles blog. GSTP Premium Program ➡️ ➡️ More Details Here!In today's episode, we have a casual discussion about all things travel with Michael, Steve, and Gilbert, each sharing a little bit of this and a little bit of that for the first episode of our sixth season. Gilbert shares his perspectives on travel during COVID, from Airbnb to the impact on loyalty programs, room service, and check-ins, and Michael has a wild bit of Caesars Palace history to share that involves pigs and piranhas! All this and more when you tune in today!Want to contact us or share something?Email us at:tips@travelzork.comZorkFestCasino&Travel Loyalty (#Miles & #Points) Event+ Podcaster Potluck
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
Is it possible to make flying so safe in the time of COVID-19 that your chances of catching the disease are 1 in a million? Delta thinks so. Gilbert joins us again this week from God Save The Points to discuss Delta's audacious plan for COVID-free flights. We're also talking about the small but growing list of countries that will let you enter if you can prove that you've already had COVID-19 (and recovered). And, we end the show with a bit of Gilbert unleashed as he discusses the recent shutdown of American Express cardholders playing fast and loose with the rules. Don't forget to enter our awesome giveaway! In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Wyndham partnership with Barclays, Wyndham Rewards has given me 10 awesome prize packs to give away to you guys! 10 lucky listeners will win a year of Wyndham Rewards Diamond status, their top-tier status! Along with a year of Diamond status, you'll also receive 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, enough to redeem for a free night at thousands of hotels around the world. You can enter here, and stay tuned for ways to earn extra entries in the contest over the coming weeks! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! This week's episode of the Miles to Go is brought to you by the NEW Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Designed with road trippers and road warriors in mind, apply today and you could earn up to 45,000 bonus points, enough for up to 6 free nights at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham around the world. Whether it’s the no-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, the $75-annual fee Earner Plus Card or the $95-annual fee Earner Business Card, Wyndham Rewards has a card that’s right for you. Plus, with up to 8x points on eligible hotel stays and gas purchases, up to 5x points on marketing, advertising and utilities purchases with the Earner Business Card, and up to 4x points on restaurant and grocery purchases, your next getaway could be closer than you think. Earn like you mean it every day and get to free nights faster with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at wyndhamrewardscreditcard.com. Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you’d like to hear about!
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
We lead off the show with a bit of travel news. Saint Lucia will be open to tourists next week. Should you go? And, before this week's guest joins us to talk Santorini, he decided to fly across the ocean this week. See how it went. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us attract more listeners! We're joined this week by Gilbert Ott of God Save The Points to talk about one of the most picture perfect places in the world. Santorini is a Greek island paradise that should definitely be in your future. Gilbert has visited multiple times and shares some of his best tips on how to do Santorini right. If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you’d like to hear about! Hope you enjoy the show!
Season 4 Episode 10: Paula Ebben, Jon Keller and Liam Martin can't stop talking about that Peloton ad, Keller talks to longtime Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, Liam gets some travel secrets from travel blogger Gilbert Ott, and Dr Mallika Marshall explains why Liam is wrong about human hibernation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today we are getting into a bit of a touchy subject – using points and benefits ethically. The episode is inspired by a blog post. There is a perception for a minority of folks that it is all right to abuse the system since we, the consumers, are frequently exploited by these big corporations. But what happens when more and more people misuse benefits? What does this mean for the future of the industry and the next traveller’s experience? Joining us to talk about the issue is Gilbert Ott who wrote about this topic on God Save The Points. We have a conversation about the diverse feedback his opinion invited. We also talk manufactured spending, lounge access, the customization of benefits and bag (“brag”) tags. Join us for all of this and more!Key Points From This Episode:• How the misuse of the greedy puts the future of a “hobby” or interest at risk.• Potentially "robbing" other travellers of enjoyable experiences by abusing the system.• The potential problems with manufactured spending to ramp up travel points.• A common justification for people who misuse these programs.• The need for programs to allow for customisation so that customers can choose benefits.• Optimisation gone wild and not compromising where you want to go just for the benefits.• The perks of having a dishevelled look when flying first class!Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:God Save The Points Read this ==> ARE TOO MANY TRAVELERS BREAKING ETHICAL LOYALTY PERK BOUNDARIES?GSTP on Twitter GSTP on InstaJames FrancoZorkCast FaceBook Group- JOIN TODAY! (Continue and Start the Conversation)TravelZorkZorkCast on TwitterZorkCast on Insta© 2019 ZorkCast © 2019 TravelZork
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
This week we're talking about heading to the "Land Down Under" with Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points! Tune in to get his expert take on all the must do's anyone headed to Sydney, Australia should add to their list. In addition to Sydney, Gilbert and Ed also chat about making the most of your time in the land of Oz with insight on Cairns, Melbourne and Brisbane. Second on today's episode, Shawn Coomer from Miles to Memories recaps his recent 'Round the World Trip to every Disney Resort! He and Ed chat about the similarities and differences between all six resorts, how many days you should budget for each one and what to expect before you get there.Links10 "Must Do's" for Your First Time in Sydney, AustraliaEvery Disney Park In The World In 6 Weeks? With A Toddler?!? Crazy, But We Did It!Thanks to Our Sponsor!AutoSlashAutoSlash's mission is focused and clear: to help you get the best possible rental car rate, and then to share their expertise with you so you have the best trip possible. They take the same flexible rates you find on the rental companies’ own sites and then apply the best coupons to them. Sometimes the savings are modest. A lot of times they’re big. Sometimes they’re massive. They do in minutes what it would take you hours to do. And they do it all for free.NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea PodcastDon’t forget to check out the NowBoarding Podcast – with a NEW show format! Tune in for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!
Today on the show we welcome Gilbert Ott from God Saves the Points! Gilbert is here to talk about his article which explains how he was wrong about his predictions for British Airways and their CEO, Alex Cruz. When our guest saw the early actions of BA's then-new CEO, he predicted bad weather ahead for the company and the article he published on the matter went viral, even attracting Cruz's attention. Alex Cruz assured Gilbert of several things, all of which have subsequently come true, at which point Gilbert admitted being wrong and applauded the company and their leader for what has been significant progress and decisions in the interim. In our conversation, we go over some of the details of the matter and what really impressed Gilbert about Cruz's work. We also talk about how other airlines are dropping the ball in this arena, and the rising importance of experiential award offers in the travel industry. Plus a little bit of Bonvoy talk. For all this and more, join Michael and Gilbert today!Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:God Save The Points Read this ==> TWO YEARS AGO I TOLD BRITISH AIRWAYS CEO ALEX CRUZ TO QUIT. I WAS WRONGGSTP on Twitter GSTP on InstaZorkCast FaceBook Group- JOIN TODAY! (Continue and Start the Conversation)TravelZorkZorkCast on TwitterZorkCast on Instagram© 2019 ZorkCast © 2019 TravelZork
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
The big news this week is United's decision to transition away from award charts to dynamic pricing. How will this affect you? Ed's got the pros and cons. Jen Yellen from Deals We Like has a great Hyatt status match offer and Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points fills us in on Paribus, a new website that makes sure you get the lowest price for your hotel room.LinksGilbert's post on ParibusParibusHyatt Status Match & ChallengeThanks to Our Sponsor!AutoSlashDon't forget to check out the NowBoarding Podcast - with a NEW show format! Tune in for a recap of the week's latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!
Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! We're kicking off our newly updated show format! In addition to our traditional interviews with BoardingArea bloggers, now you can also catch some the week's latest news, deals and top posts found on BoardingArea! This week Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points joins host Ed Pizza to chat about some of the top news and posts on BoardingArea. The gents cover Apple's new "revolutionary" credit card, WOW Airlines, TSA "suspicious" behavior policy Links The Truth About the "Revolutionary" Apple Credit Card THE END: WOW Airlines Cancels All Flights Here’s What ‘Suspicious Behavior’ Can Get You Stopped at the Airport Hyatt Offering Fast Track Status Match and Challenges to Select Members Don't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
This week "Producer Mike" LaRosa from Coworkaholic offers his take on everything you need to know about Bali in 10 minutes or less! There's also plenty of laughs when Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points shares his experience of Marriott's "millennial" brand with a review of the Moxy Milan Linate Airport.LinksMike's post on BaliGilbert's post on MoxyThanks to Our Sponsor!AutoSlashDon't forget to check out the NowBoarding Podcast - with a NEW show format! Tune in for a recap of the week's latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!
Welcome to Now Boarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! We're kicking off our newly updated show format! In addition to our traditional interviews with BoardingArea bloggers, now you can also catch some the week's latest news, deals and top posts found on BoardingArea! This week "Producer Mike" from Coworkaholic joins host Ed Pizza to share his recent experience overstaying a visa in India. Ed's got an update on Google Flight's latest features. Plus, in a twist of fate: both of their favorite posts from last week are from NowBoarding guest host, Gilbert Ott of God Save the Points! Links That Time I Had to Pay $300 to Get Out of India Google Flights Will Now Tell You If Your Flight is a Good Deal Here's the Diet CIA Operatives Use to Beat Jet Lag... The Clever App Helping People Save When Hotel Prices Drop Don't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.
Welcome to Now Boarding: The Official Boarding Area Podcast! Each week one of Boarding Area's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and blogger at Pizza in Motion. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. How they got into blogging about flights, hotels, credit cards and other deals; their favorite destinations and preferred credit cards and loyalty programs.Keeping in the theme of mixing up the show's format, today we turn the tables on Ed and he's the guest! Thanks to our special guest host Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points for joining in on the fun and all the laughs!Show NotesEd's Blog: Pizza in MotionEd's Posts on The Points GuyDon't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.
Welcome to Now Boarding: The Official Boarding Area Podcast! Each week one of Boarding Area's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cock pit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer of Pizza in Motion. On each Now Boarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. How they got into blogging about flights, hotels, credit cards and other deals; their favorite destinations and preferred credit cards and loyalty programs.This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our awesome interview with Gilbert Ott of God Save the Points. Self described as a tennis fan, food snob and former music guy, he's also an expert on transatlantic travel, finding flight deals and where to go for a great cocktail.We'll be back next week with a new interview!
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
You’re going to want to move fast once you hear the news that’s coming from World of Hyatt this week! Summer Hull AKA Mommy Points from TPG Family is back with Award Travel 101’s Richard Kerr to break down all the changes impacting redeeming stays using their Points + Cash option. We’ve also got a great segment with Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points where he shares his experience booking some last minute flights for up to 40% less than booking direct! Thanks to our Sponsors! BookYourAward.com No-Jet-Lag Show Notes & LinksWhat Families Need to Book Before Hyatt's Points + Cash ChangesThe Good and Bad News From Hyatt Introducing Pricier Award CategoryHyatt Confirms Points + Cash Devaluation, Announces Additional Changes Gilbert’s blog post on using CTrip for his American Airlines ticket Gilbert’s blog post on using CTrip for his British Airways ticket Ed's post on more Marriott Problems Check Out Some of Our Favorite Travel Podcasts We Travel There
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
Joining Ed this week is Spencer Howard from Straight to the Points, back on the show for News & Notes and some news to share of his own! Topics include updates on the Hong Kong Airlines error fares from last week, Southwest Airlines’ new Early Bird pricing and their new Rapid Rewards Priority Visa card. Following that, Gilbert Ott from God Save the Points is back to share five places that look like the Maldives, but won’t break the bank. Thanks to our Sponsors! Gogo In-Flight Internet BookYourAward.com No Jet Lag Timestamps 01:35 - It’s Official: RIP SPG 04:50 - Korean Air & Chase Ultimate Rewards News 06:40 - Hong Kong Airlines Error Fare 10:13 - Southwest Airlines News 14:00 - Spencer’s New Email Newsletter 19:46 - If You Can’t Get to the Maldives...These Alternatives Are Just As Good 27:28 - This Country’s Got 99 Islands... 34:18 - TF2P Show Notes & Links The New Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Priority Visa Southwest Airlines Early Bird Check-In Moving To Dynamic Pricing Hong Kong Airlines Is Honoring Those Incredible Business Class Fares To Asia Straight To The Points - Email Newsletter Sign Up Five Places That Look Like The Maldives, But Won’t Break The Bank… Check Out One of Our Favorite Travel Podcasts Vacation Mavens Family Travel Podcast
Welcome to Now Boarding: The Official Boarding Area Podcast! Each week one of Boarding Area's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cock pit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer of Pizza in Motion. On each Now Boarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. How they got into blogging about flights, hotels, credit cards and other deals; their favorite destinations and preferred credit cards and loyalty programs. Kicking off episode 1 is Gilbert Ott of God Save the Points Self described as a tennis fan, food snob and former music guy, he's also an expert on transatlantic travel, finding flight deals and where to go for a great cocktail.
Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!
Episode 015 is chock full of deals, tips, news and reviews this week! First up, some news and notes on recent access policy changes to the Amex Centurion Lounges. Our newest guest, Gilbert Ott from God Saves the Points, shares his tips on how to find the best hotel rates online. Our weekly It’s a BIG Deal brings our friend Jen Yellin from Deals We Like back to talk about how you can earn major points by using a credit card for big payments that usually require a check. Lastly, Spencer Howard from Straight to the Points is back with a review of how you can get “Around the World” on just one Amex sign-up bonus! Thanks to our Sponsors! Gogo In-Flight Internet BookYourAward.com Timestamps 1:20 - Changes to Amex Centurion Lounge Access Policy 5:40 - Do these changes make you want to drop your Amex card? (p.s. - we want to hear from you!) 7:19 - How to maximize your award redemption with BookYourAward.com 9:10 - Finding the best hotel rates...the difference between public vs. private pricing 13:00 - The lowest price vs. loyalty program qualifying nights/dollars/perks/stays 17:00 - Loopholes to avoid and apps that help you guarantee the best rate 19:30 - What’s Plastiq and how you can earn points by paying bills that usually require checks 25:00 - New MasterCard promotions when paying through Plastiq 29:30 - “Around the World” trip for just 125,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points 33:00 - Don’t forget the super cheap fares that help you hop around Europe 36:00 - The real lesson here is more than just this trip 40:55 - TF2P Show Notes & Links Ed’s Blog: Pizza in Motion Gilbert’s Guide to Finding Low Hotel Rates DoNotPay.com All of Jen’s Posts on Plastiq Spencer’s Post: "Flying Economy Around the World for Less than 125,000 Membership Rewards Points" Spencer’s Post: “You Earned 125,000 Membership Rewards Points! Now What?!”
In this episode, I talk with Gilbert Ott of God Save the Points about getting out of economy and into first class on a budget. Gilbert is a points and miles expert and leaves us with salient tips to elevating your travel experiences inexpensively. Relevant links: God Save the Points Travel Fanboy - Patreon Zorkfest Heat to TravelFanboy.com for more tips, reviews, and trip reports!
Today on the show, we discuss a recent article that appeared on Bloomberg Pursuits, which deals with Luxury Travel Tips. GILBERT OTT of GODSAVETHEPOINTS.COM joins us for the conversation. The article under the sub-heading "DISTINGUISHED TRAVEL HACKER" was titled "The Two Words That Will Help Get an Airline Upgrade Over the Phone." You just have to listen to our discussion, and how this article is patently false and misleading. Also, be sure to check out ZorkFest.com the loyalty conference at the end of May in Las Vegas. Meet, mingle and learn from Gilbert in Las Vegas. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: [Original Article] The Two Words That Will Help Get an Airline Upgrade Over the Phone VIDEO PROOF THAT “TWO WORDS” WON’T GET YOU BUSINESS CLASS UPGRADES… ZorkCast FaceBook Group (Continue and Start the Conversation) TravelZork ZorkCast on Twitter ZorkCast on Instagram © 2018 ZorkCast © 2018 TravelZork