Episoder
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A few years ago American Express introduced this kind of model for their Platinum card where they increased their annual fee, but attempted to make up for it by offering a whole collection of credits and rebates that could be valuable if you did the work to make use of them and happened to have natural needs for them. In other words, these new benefits felt a lot like coupons, thus introducing the nickname for these kinds of card benefits. Now, United seems to be taking a page from American Express' book by "couponizing" their credit cards.
(02:02) - Denbigh writes in about our "getting started with points and miles" episode saying "Thank You for an episode worth the time, even for an experienced practitioner."
Find our Getting started with points & miles episode 298 here.
(4:02) - As previously reported, Southwest is planning reduced earnings on paid flights, expiring flight credits, charging for checked bags, and changing the value of points
(04:50) - Point value changes already taking place
Read more about the variable points values here.
(07:23) - Other Info revealed in Southwest's recent video
Read more about their updates in that video here.
(12:05) - No-go for Capital One / Discover acquisition. DOJ doesn't like it
Read more about this DOJ decision here.
(12:56) - Citi (seemingly) no longer allowing product changes between card families
(15:53) - Greg apparently never got credit for one of his 15 flights...
(19:38) - Air France / KLM saver availability from the US stinks
(24:23) - Bilt April Rent Day: Up to 100% bonus to Avios
(27:59) - Wyndham point sale not as fixed as we thought (thru April 15)
Find our Wyndham’s Excellent Point Sale episode 50 here.
(29:00) - Six United cards have increased annual fees, decreased benefits (slightly) and added "coupons"
(30:32) - Summary of changes
(45:45) - New Card Line-Up Overview
(46:28) - "Coupon" Deep Dive
(1:01:04) - If you still want a United card, which is best?
Read more about which United card is best here.
(1:05:42) - Which club card is best?
(1:08:27) - How do you manage the fear of account shut-down?
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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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
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Manglende episoder?
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Winning the game doesn't have to be hard. Points & miles is like complicated board game -- seems overwhelming at first. But the rewards for winning are incredible. In today's main event we'll show you how to get started.
(02:09) - Tyler writes in about success with Chase travel insurance
Read more about Chase Sapphire Reserve & Ritz-Carlton cards' excellent travel protections here.
(03:58) - Bilt rent payment method is changing - read more about it here.
(07:27) - Chase biz cards: Pre-approved offers showing when logged in - read more about it here.
(09:43) - Wyndham launches debit card, which you can read about here.
(12:24) - Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard increased to 40k points, which you can read about here.
(14:17) - Citi Rewards+ card may be discontinued soon
(16:47) - Read more about the Wyndham point sale here.
(17:53) - A listener writes in to say, "I feel like I Bonvoyed Marriott last month" by using a 35K cert for a Marriott in Guyana worth $675/night!
(21:09) - Expires April 15, 2025.Hyatt Homes & Hideaways 3x promo
(23:04) - Delta eliminates surcharges from Europe
(25:07) - Frontier offering free Economy Bundle + free checked bag with promo code FREEBAG, which you can read about here.
(26:45) - Get GigSky 15 day international data plan free w/ Visa Infinite & Signature cards + 10% off plans with a promo code, which you can read more about here.
(28:50) - Redeem 2,000 Wyndham Rewards points for 2 Minor League Baseball tickets (Book by 3/26/25) - read more about it here.
(30:35) - Use Hilton for Business for better cancellation terms and no deposits, which you can read more about here.
(32:12) - Savewise: compare portals + find stacks - read more about it here.
(41:05) - Earn credit card rewards (big picture)
(42:47) - Check out Episode 214 about how to earn millions of points from credit card welcome offers here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-earn-millions-of-points-from-credit-card-welcome-offers/
(43:43) - Visit our Best Offers resource here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/
(44:08) - Check out Greg's picks for the best current credit card bonuses here: https://frequentmiler.com/top-current-credit-card-offers/
(45:45) - Don't do this unless you pay in full monthly
(48:35) - What about credit score?
(51:33) - Three types of cards, welcome bonus only, "sock drawer" cards, wallet cards
(55:44) - Consider Travel Freely (which you can learn more about here )
(1:01:09) - Learn ways to increase your spend (without really increasing your spend)
Listen to this "13 ways to increase credit card spend" podcast Episode197 for more: https://frequentmiler.com/13-ways-to-increase-credit-card-spend-and-get-most-of-it-back/
(1:03:40) - More rewards with Shopping Portals and bank offers (e.g. Amex Offers, Chase Offers)\
(1:06:03) - Spend your points for travel!
(1:09:58) - Use tools to find valuable ways to use your points - read this post for which award search tool is best: https://frequentmiler.com/which-award-search-tool-is-best/
(1:14:53) - Check out our post about which hotel award tool is best: https://frequentmiler.com/which-hotel-award-search-tool-is-best/
(1:15:27) - Keep track of your points with AwardWallet, which you can read more about here: https://frequentmiler.com/awardwallet/
(1:18:38) - Multi-Player
Listen to podcast episode 292 "Points & Miles 2 Player Mode" here: https://frequentmiler.com/points-miles-2-player-mode-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep292-1-31-25-podcast/
(1:20:55) - Greg did a long weekend trip to London using points (flying Delta One) which sounded like a lot of effort (and points) for such a short trip. Is there an ideal?
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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(00:10) - In this episode we talk about the airline rewards programs and hotel rewards programs that seem to be changing in value. Some of them are going up in value and some are going down.
(00:42) - Alaska Mileage Plan miles are going up in value
(02:08) - Southwest points are going down
Listen to our episode about these Southwest changes here.
(02:45) - Avianca Lifemiles are going down
(04:43) - Hilton points are going up
(06:12) - Hyatt points are going down
(10:36) - Which transferable points are going up or down?
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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Bilt Rewards is a program that became famous for giving you rewards for your rent payments, but these days there are many ways to earn Bilt rewards. In this episode, we'll pay special attention to how you might want to use your Bilt points.
(01:15) - John writes in with a correction for Nick's statement that there's a "zero percent chance" the tax payment won't count toward the bonus.
(06:57) - Andrew writes in about applying for an Amex card by opening up a Private Browser and searching for the card there can bring up a higher offer.
(08:49) - Bilt 5x offers (targeted after asking for credit increase)
Learn more about the Bilt offer here.
Learn more about the Bilt spending offer for groceries, gas, and dining here.
(10:38) - Amex coupon credits and bonuses posting slowly (relax / don’t panic)
Learn more about Amex coupon credits and bonuses posting slowly here.
(13:30) - Marriott cracking down on "additional guest" reservations, which you can read more about here.
(20:47) - Southwest for the "win". Read about Southwest's disappointing updates here.
(23:28) - Check out our recent podcast episode about these Southwest changes here.
(23:38) - Nick finally gets his million
(25:14) - Reader winner updates
(28:38) - Excellent Virgin Atlantic business class availability as low as 29K points + $254
(31:26) - Aviator companion tickets for the win! Read more about this here.
(35:56) - Up to 40% transfer bonus from Capital One Miles to Etihad Guest
(41:25) - How not to use your Bilt points
(43:46) - 1.25 cpp: book travel through their portal
(44:41) - 1.5 cpp: Use points for house down payment
(46:23) - Transfer to partners
(1:16:55) - Here are the partners you shouldn't transfer to...
(1:18:20) - Wait for great Rent Day transfer bonuses
(1:20:26) - One reader asks about the Capital One pre-approval tool and whether or not it would cause a hard pull.
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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
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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
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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?
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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
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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?
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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
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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.
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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
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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 FollowMusic Credit - "swappin' back n' forth" by up @ night
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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?
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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
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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?
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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
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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?
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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
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