Frequent Miler on the Air
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A number of high end credit cards give you Priority Pass membership. Priority Pass offers access to airport lounges, restaurants, and experiences (e.g. Be Relax Spa, Minute suites, Game Space etc), which can be pretty useful. But which of the current pathways to this membership is the best, (especially if you'd still like access to those restaurants)? (01:52) - feedback on the pronunciation of Qatar. (Mail Bag) (03:45) - Hilton Honors Business Card, which will be increasing its annual fee from $95 to $195, along with some other changes. (Card Talk) (14:03) - United Pooling appeared Friday, then disappeared hours later, then re-appeared (Crazy Thing) (19:19) - You can't use pooled United miles for partner redemptions, only United & United Express (Crazy Thing) (25:55) - National Car Rental double credit for registered users' weekend rentals between April 4 through June 8, 2024 (Mattress Running the Numbers) Read more about this National Car Rental deal here. (29:36) - Regional first class awards for 12.5K, 16.5K, 22K points thanks to Qatar Avios (Award Talk) (32:00) - Read more about this regional sweet spot here. (35:58) - Preferred Hotels bookable online Check out the Preferred Hotels Coffee Break episode here. (40:31) - Choice Privileges Experiences might be worth a look MAIN EVENT: THE BEST PATH TO PRIORITY PASS (45:08) - Full Priority Pass offers access to airport lounges, restaurants, and experiences (e.g. Be Relax Spa, Minute suites, Game Space etc.) (47:43) - Chase Sapphire Reserve & Ritz lose restaurants (49:06) - Check out our Card Talk segment of last week's podcast episode 247 where we talked about the Ritz Card https://frequentmiler.com/podcast-mastering-marriotts-madness-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep247/#Card_Talk_Ritz and its access to Priority Pass. (51:38) - Wack-a-mole Alternatives to still get restaurant access with your Priority Pass (52:48) - Venture X Biz (Read more about the Venture X Business card here. (53:55) - US Bank Altitude Reserve (8 visits) (Read more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve card here https://frequentmiler.com/USBAR/#Goto.) (55:43) - Business Altitude Connect (4 visits) (Read more about the Business Altitude Connect card here.) (56:16) - Bank Of America Premium Rewards Elite (4 memberships) (Read more about the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite card here.) (1:00:15) - UBS Visa Infinite Business (Read more about the UBS Visa Infinite Business card here.) (1:00:54) - UBS Visa Infinite (Read more about the UBS Visa Infinite card here.) (1:01:25) - Citi Prestige (no longer available if you don't already have it) (1:02:09) - Barclays Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard (Read more about the Barclays Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard here.) (1:07:06) - Deciding between two hotels, one with cash (and therefore a Hilton points-earning opportunity) or Hyatt points. How do you make the choice? (Question of the Week) isit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/
Choice Privileges has made it easier to book their Preferred hotel partners, finally providing a way to book these online with your Choice points! (02:41) - Overview of Preferred Hotels bookable online with Choice Points Read about how to Preferred Hotels are now bookable online with Choice Points: https://frequentmiler.com/preferred-hotels-now-bookable-online-with-choice-points/ (04:22) - What's the best ways to get Choice points? (07:43) - Read about buying points with a (sometimes available) cash and points trick: https://frequentmiler.com/a-sweet-spot-hotel-and-a-rookie-mistake/#Choice_Privileges_Cash_Points_The_cheap_way_to_buy_Choice_points (10:08) - Particularly exciting hotels in the Preferred Hotels collection (bookable online with Choice Points) (10:58) - U.S. options... (13:23) - International options... (14:18) - iPrefer (Preferred Hotel’s rewards program) (17:11) - Pros... (here's why you may want to do this) (18:34) - Cons... (here's what to watch out for!) (19:46) - Closing thoughts...does this change our approach to looking for hotels or earning points? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. You’ll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here: https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-miler-on-the-air/ Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
In some ways Marriott can be the Frankenstein’s monster of rewards programs. There's lots of good stuff about the program...and lots of bad stuff too, all sloppily sewn together. (01:36) - More advice about how to pronounce "Qatar"! (Mailbag) Read our post on how to pronounce "Qatar": https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-pronounce-qatar/ (08:46) - Ritz Carlton Card (Card Talk) Read more about the Ritz Carlton card here: https://frequentmiler.com/yes-the-ritz-card-is-now-the-best-value-marriott-card/ (21:41) - Alaska wants you to pay to see ads (Crazy Thing) (25:00) - Buy Choice points with 50% bonus (0.69c per point) (Mattress Running the Numbers) Read more about the Choice points discount here: https://frequentmiler.com/buy-choice-points-with-30-discount-0-69cpp/ (33:20) - United to offer family mileage pooling (Award Talk) (37:45) - Chilean airline JetSmart to adopt American’s AAdvantage loyalty program later this year (Award Talk) (40:47) - Finnair points are now Avios (but there doesn’t yet appear to be a way to move them to BA, Iberia, etc.) (Award Talk) (43:59) - JetBlue is cancelling routes (Award Talk) (46:56) - Wells Fargo autograph journey now live 1 to 2 choice (Award Talk) MAIN EVENT: MASTERING MARRIOTT’S MADNESS (48:39) - Huge number of hotels worldwide (nearly 9,000) This post can help you find out if you're eligible for the various Marriott cards: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-card-eligible/ (52:36) - Bonvoy Basics Read our complete guide to Marriott Bonvoy here: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-complete-guide/ (1:04:25) - Earning points See the best credit card offers here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-offers/ (01:09:42) - Earning free night certificates (01:10:30) - Earning elite status Listen to our Easy Marriott elite status episode here: https://frequentmiler.com/easy-marriott-elite-status/ Read: Shortcuts to Marriott Elite status https://frequentmiler.com/shortcuts-to-marriott-platinum-elite-status/ (01:14:57) - Questions about paying for rent with the Alaska card via Bilt... with high rent of $3600/mo, which card should I use...Alaska with the fee or Bilt without the fee? (Question of the Week) to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit - "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder
Bilt is gaining Alaska as a transfer partner...but it's losing American Airlines as a partner in June. This has Greg and Nick asking...which miles are better? (00:33) - Bilt has gained Alaska Airlines as a transfer partner, but will lose AA as a transfer partner in June (01:42) - AA and Alaska have a few things in common... (03:34) - Greg argues why American Airline miles are better (06:07) - Nick argues why Alaska Airlines are better (10:10) - Final Answer... Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. You'll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here: https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-miler-on-the-air/ Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
* In today's episode of Frequent Miler on the Air, we'll talk about different "hidden" opportunities to find great award availability when you otherwise strike out trying to find international lie-flat awards, for example. * * (01:13) - Advantage shopping portal vs AAdvantageHotels...when do these bookings' miles post...check in date or purchase date? (Mailbag) * * (05:36) - I noticed that you are not doing the mattress running the numbers segment - any particular reason? (Mailbag) * * (08:00) - Amex Platinum consumer card is dropping SiriusXM from digital entertainment May 8 (Card Talk) * * Learn more about this Amex Platinum change here: https://frequentmiler.com/siriusxm-to-be-removed-from-eligible-services-for-amex-digital-entertainment-credit/ * * (11:50) - The American Express Business Platinum card 250K offer is still available in a roundabout way. (Card Talk) * * Read more about the steps for finding that offer here: https://frequentmiler.com/incredible-250k-welcome-offer-for-the-amex-business-platinum-targeted-link/ https://frequentmiler.com/incredible-250k-welcome-offer-for-the-amex-business-platinum-targeted-link/ * * (16:14) - United triggers a flight as "supposed to be a paper ticket" upon check in... (Crazy Thing) * * (22:33) - Hyatt will be losing SLH partnership on May 15 (Award Talk) * * Learn more about the Hyatt/SLH partnership ending here: https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-slh-partnership-ending-5-15-24-important-things-to-know/ * * (25:12) - New Alaska award chart slowly going live and expected to be complete by 3/31/24. (Award Talk) * * Read more about the Alaska award chart slowly going live here: https://frequentmiler.com/huge-alaska-announces-unified-award-charts/ * * (29:14) - Bilt adds Alaska as a partner (Award Talk) * * (30:00) - Bilt loses AA as a partner in June (Award Talk) * * Read more about Bilt's loss of AA as a partner here: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-losing-american-airlines-as-transfer-partner-in-june/ * * (35:09) - Ritz upgrade success (again!) (Award Talk) * * (36:33) - Delta’s new companion certificates really work as advertised (Award Talk) * * Read more about Delta's enhanced companion certificates here: https://frequentmiler.com/delta-companion-certificates/ * * (38:17) - Delta: update about extending elite status with MQM rollovers (Award Talk) * * Read more about the last ever Delta MQM rollover here: https://frequentmiler.com/the-last-ever-delta-mqm-rollover/ https://frequentmiler.com/the-last-ever-delta-mqm-rollover/ * * (40:45) - Award search tool comparisons, including award discovery tools (Award Talk) * * Read more about award exploration tools here: https://frequentmiler.com/a-new-breed-of-award-discovery-tools/ * * Main Event: Where to Find Hidden Award Flights * * (45:17) - Opportunities to find great award availability when you otherwise strike out trying to book international lie-flat awards... * * (46:20) - Aeroplan has better award space for Singapore Airlines than Singapore itself * * (48:05) - JetBlue Mint, book with Qatar Avios * * See our video about how to find and book JetBlue Mint flights to the Caribbean using Qatar Avios: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-mint-to-the-caribbean-for-26000-avios-where-and-how-to-find-it/ * * (50:12) - ITA booked with Virgin Atlantic miles (widely available as of the last time Nick looked...) * * (52:04) - Hawaiian Air has very good award space to Asia * * (54:00) - Emirates: Book lower class of service and upgrade with points at airport * * (55:32) - Flying Blue: Don't trust the calendar * * (57:57) - AA, Flying Blue: often get much better pricing by flying to/from smaller airports * * (01:01:18) - Many airlines (Eva Air, Qatar, Etihad, Lufthansa, BA, Virgin, Turkish, etc) offer better award availability to their own members * * (01:10:33) - Book good-enough refundable flights and wait until close-in to find great flights. * * (01:14:04) - Sometimes cash (or pay with points) is best option * * (01:19:39) - Read our post about how to find great deals with Google Flights: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-find-incredible-flight-deals-with-google-flights/ * * (01:19:56) - We review a unique case study where verification details delayed a credit card so long that a new application was required...but in that time, the bonus increased... (Question of the week) * *
In addition to our regular weekly podcast, we also host an Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube once a month where the Frequent Miler team answers listener questions about points, miles, rewards cards, and whatever else comes to mind. This episode (65) was streamed live on March 6, 2024 and can be viewed in full here. Here are all the questions asked during this episode (with timestamps): (05:03) - Have you noticed that Emirates charges insane fuel surcharges out of countries that ban/restrict them? (06:19) - When you book Rio Las Vegas with Hyatt points do you not have to pay resort fee and get elite benefits like late checkout? (08:55) - Would you recommend closing the Chase Marriott business credit card, waiting 30 days, then applying for the AMEX Marriott business credit card? I will keep my JPM Ritz Carlton credit card open. (11:24) - Can you have more than one Ritz card per person? (12:46) - As the SLH-Hyatt partnership starts to wind down, I wanted to ask each of you if you might give us ideas/favorites to try and book? (19:20) - Any tips on how to help avoid jetlag for my kids? (20:15) - I appreciate your “current point transfer bonuses” page. Any plans to create a current buying points and miles list? (21:01) - Which app is better for managing Flying Blue points, KLM or Air France? (21:40) - I have to book a Latam flight. What's my best option? (23:20) - Getting ready for the Beyonce at the Sphere announcement, as soon as those dates leak it's going to be a race to book something before the algorithm sends hotel rates sky high. Any tips or tricks? (25:35) - There’s a few Marriott sign up bonuses going around. How would you choose between: 5 free nights (up to 50k each; up to 250k total), vs ~185k straight up points? (29:57) - Any tools to use for planning a road trip in other countries? So many possibilities (i.e. which order to visit things in, transit times, etc) makes my planning spiral out of control. (35:40) - What is the best airline to credit miles to for each alliance? It's easy enough to understand the value of the miles, but harder to evaluate all the earning rates. (39:20) - Chase 5/24 question, should I tempt fate and try to apply for the Marriott Boundless 5 free night offer while currently at 5/24? (12 months left) (41:55) - Any tips for booking one of the rarer hotel points redemptions? If I book the hotel, I probably won't be able to find biz class flights for those dates. And vice versa if I book the flights first. (47:52) - Despite the usual recommendation not to speculatively transfer, are there levels of earning (100s of 1000s, millions) and levels of spending that make it worthwhile? (54:53) - What are your thoughts on the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card? (58:36) - How do we manage Amex cards beyond year one to maintain good standing with Amex? For example when would it be ok to close, downgrade, apply for cards, how many months apart, etc?
Award program changes often sting, but remember that those storm clouds often have a silver lining. On this week's episode, we discuss the bright spots in the most recent hotel and airline program devaluations (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:45) Giant Mailbag triple-header! See episode 244 for more details about Platinum cards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDh7EUEsf2Y (00:01:50) Schwab bonus with $10mil (00:02:56) Schwab mortgage counts toward assets (00:05:50) Don't forget Amex corporate cardholders get statement credits (00:07:22) Card Talk: Wells Fargo is launching their transferable points program https://frequentmiler.com/wells-fargo-launching-autograph-journey-visa-card-transferable-points-up-to-5x-earnings-more/ (00:19:33) What crazy thing . . . did Turkish Miles & Smiles do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-offers-an-award-sale-thats-very-turkish-miles-smiles-of-them/ (00:23:46) Award Talk (00:23:47) American Airlines Award Sale: Seats for 5K each way https://frequentmiler.com/american-airlines-award-sale-500k-seats-for-5k-miles-with-great-availability/ (00:27:59) Rio Las Vegas joins World of Hyatt https://frequentmiler.com/world-of-hyatt-benefits-at-rio-las-vegas-your-questions-answered/ (00:30:20) Main Event: Bright spots in the latest award devaluations (00:30:48) Hyatt devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/ouch-hyatts-2024-devaluation-has-been-announced-its-not-pretty/ (00:41:07) Wyndham Vacasa devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/wyndham-vacasa/ (00:47:14) Etihad devaluation (00:53:46) ANA devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/the-ana-devaluation-its-not-all-doom-and-gloom/ (01:02:10) Turkish devaluation https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-might-be-demolishing-its-award-chart/ (01:10:09) Question of the Week: If you book a hotel through the AAdvantage shopping portal, will the miles be dated based on the booking date or the checkout date? Music credit: Annie Yoder
We love talking about points and miles all day, every day. That's why we've decided - in addition to our full-length Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episodes, we're going to share a little something to enjoy during your Tuesday coffee break too. Not a full hour of discussion and analysis like you'll find on the full episodes, but a mini version with a single topic of focus. While Greg and Nick are traveling, Frequent Miler teammates Stephen and Carrie covered this Coffee Break episode for a topic particularly suited for Stephen. (01:28) - This Coffee Break topic came from our last Ask Us Anything, Live when one of our listeners asked, "If you could live anywhere in the U.S. based solely on points and miles opportunities, where would you live?" (01:58) - Stephen and his wife have been on a 7 year road trip to explore every state in the US. (03:22) - Which places stand out as particularly good for points and miles enthusiasts and why? (03:56) - Earning opportunities are a significant factor in how Stephen evaluates each destination. (04:52) - Texas is particularly good for Stephen's points-earning strategies. (05:54) - Ohio (and particularly Cincinnati) is also good for Stephen's points-earning strategies. (06:40) - How do those destinations work for award booking? (Or does that matter?) (08:01) - How much do points and miles factors impact Stephen's decision about where to live? (12:50) - Is destination better than destination (as in continuing to be nomadic?) (14:01) - What is Buc-ees? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. You'll find all other Frequent Miler on the Air episodes here. Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
American Express has four different Platinum cards, all with a $695 annual fee. In this episode Greg and Nick not only help differentiate these Platinum cards from one another, they also pick out which one is best (or which is best for which kind of need.) (01:30) - Data point on calling for reconsideration for targeted 200K Amex business platinum card. Do people without business cards yet have better luck? (Mailbag) (03:14) - What crazy thing did Asiana do this week? Well...seems like their phone line goes to a very wrong recording. (Crazy Thing) (05:42) - Etihad is updating their loyalty program in June (Award Talk) (09:33) - American Express has 4 different Platinum cards (which have $695 annual fees) (Main Event) (13:30) - What do all the Platinum cards have in common (13:50) - Find out what might count for the Airline Incidental Fee credit (16:29) - What are some Business Platinum card features, unique to the business card? (18:35) - What are some features that are unique to the consumer Platinum cards? (23:18) - Is there anything that's unique to the normal "vanilla" Platinum card? (25:30) - Is there anything that's unique to the Charles Schwab Platinum card? (27:09) - Is there anything that's unique to the Morgan Stanley Platinum card? (31:45) - Which of these American Express Platinum cards is the best? (35:41) - Greg's final pick (36:19) - Nick's final pick (40:03) - What can I do with leftover Qantas points? (Question of the Week) Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit - "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder
Back in January, Nick saw that Bilt was going to have a huge transfer bonus to Aeroplan (one of his favorite mileage programs)...but he didn't have a Bilt card yet. With luck on his side though, he suspected he could get the card and get over 100K Aeroplan miles in just a matter of days. Greg thought he was insane, but Nick's gamble payed off. (02:48) - What is Bilt and why was Nick interested? Learn more about the Bilt card here. (03:16) - What was the Bilt bonus that finally got Nick's attention? We published those transfer bonus details here. (04:25) - Nick outlines the challenge in his timing, applying for the card ~6 days before the scheduled transfer bonus opportunity with lots of things to get done in that time. (06:39) - Nick discovered he still needed to make 5 transactions on his new card, which he was able to do with the digital card he'd gotten upon approval. (08:45) - Nick got lucky and the card arrived early (with one day to spare), and right around then he also got the email for a 5X offer... (10:11) - The second dilemma: in order to maximize the 5X for 5 days of spend he'd need to spend $12,500, which was more than the card's credit limit. To read Nick's more detailed account of this, make sure and read his "How Nick Built his own Bilt bonus" post here. (12:42) - Nick breaks down his ~$18K in spend which landed him with 62K Bilt rewards which then became 124K Air Canada Aeroplan miles. (15:02) - Nick remembers the points-pooling ability in Air Canada Aeroplan. (16:06) - Greg and Nick talk about how gambles like this can play a significant role in this game. Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
On episode 243 of Frequent Miler on the Air, Greg and Nick dissect the different factors that make a transferable program "the best". Use the timestamps below to navigate to each individual topic within the episode. (01:38) Uni Portable Toll Transponder (Mail Bag) (07:22) Capital One to acquire Discover (Card Talk) (12:12) New Amex refer-a-friend bonuses through May 22 (+10x restaurants worldwide, up to $25K spend for 3 months) (19:22) AA charges more per person for 1 person to fly Madison to Phoenix than for 2 (Crazy Thing) (22:52) Hyatt Bonus Journeys through 4/30/24 (Mattress Running the Numbers) (29:29) Citi 30% transfer bonus to Virgin through March 16th (Award Talk) (31:50) AwardTool (one-ups PointsYeah, but with controversy...) (37:13) PointsYeah adds child award search (39:40) American Airlines news (46:05) Contenders for best transferable points program: Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Bilt Rewards (Main Event) (48:01) Best transferable points program for: point earning opportunities (56:00) Best transferable points for: transfer partners (1:03:19) Best transferable points for: pay with points awards (1:09:04) Best transferable points for: points management (like moving from one person to another) (1:19:49) Nick’s pick for overall best transferable points program (1:21:26) Greg’s pick for best transferable points program (1:23:27) Nick's runner-up pick for overall best transferable points program (1:25:42) Greg's runner-up for overall best transferable points program (1:31:04) Would you feel comfortable booking a Small Luxury Hotel of the World property knowing that the relationship with Hyatt will be ending soon and would you wait for the hopeful integration of Mr. and Mrsh. Smith properties... (Questions of the Week) Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit: "Ocean Deep" by Annie Yoder
We love talking about points and miles all day, every day. That's why we've decided - in addition to our full-length Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episodes, we're going to share a little something to enjoy during your Tuesday coffee break too. Not a full hour of discussion and analysis like you'll find on the full episodes, but a mini version with a single topic of focus. On this "Coffee Break" mini episode, Greg and Nick chat about a pair of Marriott offers for 5, 50K free night certs (and who this opportunity may be good for.) (02:24) - The consumer card has a lower spend requirement...but does that mean it's the better option? Check out the Marriott consumer card here, and the Marriott business card here. (03:26) - What is the Marriott "matrix of doom" and why are business cards easier for navigating the matrix? (Read this post to find out which Marriott cards you're eligible for.) (06:13) - The business card is the only option for stacking. (06:36) - Is this a good offer (regardless of whether you get the business or consumer version?) (08:38) - What are the drawbacks of free night certs? (10:50) - How does using a cert impact the fifth night free benefit? (14:23) - Let's review...is this a smokin' hot deal for everyone? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit - Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
In this episode, Greg gives Nick a lesson in which Delta credit cards are best (and which are best for a smattering of different goals.) His ultimate conclusion might surprise you. (01:25) Cheryl is back! (Mail Bag) (02:40) Whitney has a question about our "Mastering Avios" episode 241 (Mail Bag) (09:20) Greg gives an AA Executive card update (Card Talk) (17:10) T-Mobile Magenta status is mostly a nothingburger (Crazy Thing) (24:05) Turkish devaluation is real (Award Talk) (26:26) Nick talks about his AA elite status mad dash (Award Talk) (29:13) Greg talks about his Alaska match (Award Talk) (31:58) Greg talks about his experience booking JetBlue Mint to London (Award Talk) (40:19) Which Delta Card is Best? (Main Event) (40:31) Overview of Delta cards (40:38) You might remember our episode on Delta's Big Flip-Flop | Ep225 | 10-21-23 (41:11) Delta Gold Card Overview (41:49) Delta Platinum Card Overview (43:21) Delta Reserve Card (47:23) Coupons: Are any Delta cards free after rebate? Best card depends on what you value... (00:58:56) If you value Delta miles... (01:03:32) If you value free checked bags... (01:04:08) If you value the companion ticket... (01:04:54) If you value elite status... (01:08:43) If you value Sky Club access... (01:14:17) Conclusion: The best Delta card may not be actually even be a Delta card... (01:15:30) “What happens if you apply for a credit card and then immediately after the offer increases? ” (Question of the Week)
Avios is the rewards currency for British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar, and soon Finnair. This means it's worth some attention. On this week's episode, we discuss how you can earn, use, and maximize this reward currency. Here are some of the topics you'll find in the episode... (01:41) Player Two chimes in (Mailbag) (03:37) Chase British Airways Visa Signature® Card (Card Talk) Learn more about this card: https://frequentmiler.com/ba/ (09:30) Turkish award search shows random non-partner flights (Crazy Thing) (13:30) Best Western: Stay Twice & Earn Free Night Voucher (Mattress Running the Numbers) Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/best-western-stay-twice-earn-free-night-voucher/ (17:37) Turkish devalues (Award Talk) Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-might-be-demolishing-its-award-chart/ (22:03) SLH ditches Hyatt for Hilton (Award Talk) Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/small-luxury-hotels-slh-ditches-hyatt-for-hilton/ (26:10) Bilt announces milestone rewards (Award Talk) Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-introduces-unrewarding-milestone-rewards/ (31:50) Referral points don’t count towards Bilt status, h/t Chris from All the Hacks (Award Talk) (32:58) Mastering Avios, the rewards currency for BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar, and (soon) Finnair (Main Event) Read all about Avios here: https://frequentmiler.com/complete-guide-to-avios-british-airways-iberia-and-aer-lingus/ (33:22) Earning Avios (34:30) Moving Avios between programs Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-transfer-avios-between-aer-lingus-ba-and-iberia/ (40:52) BA Household Accounts (42:40) Using Avios Read more about using Avios with Jet Blue: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-mint-to-the-caribbean-for-26000-avios-where-and-how-to-find-it/ (01:03:37) How do you plan acitivites? (Question of the Week)
* In addition to our regular weekly podcast, we also host an Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube once a month where the Frequent Miler team answers listener questions about points, miles, rewards cards, and whatever else comes to mind. This episode (64) was streamed live on Jan 31, 2024 and can be viewed in full here: Frequent Miler Live: Ask Us Anything * * Here are all the questions asked during this episode (with timestamps) (00:44) - Should Nick upgrade his Aviator card? (04:12) - Would you advise to get United Club card and pay the annual fee with 30k points? Is it a good deal? (06:03) -Just got my first Amex a BLUE BUSSINESS PLUS. how do I avoid pop up jail when I’m ready to apply to other Amex cards (07:27) - Chase and Barclays have declined me due to too many credit checks. How do you work around this? (09:38) - What are the best hotel keeper cards currently? (14:32) - What is a reasonable cost to upgrade from economy to business on a transatlantic flight? (16:36) - I have the Bonvoy Boundless, planning on getting the Brilliant, and then upgrading the Boundless to the Ritz-Carlton. What is the best timing for upgrading and applying to get all the free night certs? (19:34) - Does it make sense to transfer Chase points to Marriott to top up free night certificates? (22:06) - Would you hold off on getting American Airlines cards, given your prediction that a devaluation is coming soon? (27:18) - This question is for everyone. If you could live anywhere in the U.S., or the world for that matter, based solely on travel hocking opportunities, where would you live? (31:58)- What's your prediction on Wells Fargo transfer partners, there was a leak that WF autograph Journey is getting 5x on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on travel and dining with $95 annual fee (33:19) - Is it worth spending $15K on your Hyatt card through Plastiq to get a free night certificate? (34:29) - Will Chase not approve my SouthWest Performance Business card if I didn’t put any post-sign-up-bonus spend on my SouthWest Premier Business card I got a few months ago? (35:09) - How do I keep my Delta Platinum status or get to Diamond this year (36:30) - Has Bilt changed the game with their 150% transfer bonuses regarding the rule of thumb against doing speculative transfers? (42:30) - What credit card would you recommended to maximize hotel award redemption for a family of five? (45:59) - With all AMEX Platinums being part of the same family and can only get one sign up bonus for this family, are there any strategies or benefits to getting more than one AMEX Platinums (of any version)? (48:43) - How is Greg dealing with Detroit Lion loss to the San Francisco 49ers? Which city has best airline and hotel redemption to Vegas? (53:00)- I'd love to hear some hotel tips from things Stephen has learned from his 50 state road trip. I'm planning a month long road trip and would love tips on maximizing value of points
On this week's Frequent Miler on the Air, Greg and Nick talk about some game-changing transfer bonuses that have got them thinking..."The Bilt card ain’t just for renters anymore" 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:12 - Giant Mailbag (Bilt transfer bonuses are bogus) 00:04:18 - Card Talk (Big changes to Delta Credit cards...) 00:13:29 - Crazy Thing: (Dany says "I’ve had a Chase Ink $95 card for 10 years and this year they sent out a 10 year gift of coffee and some treats from a veteran owned company. Today I got the 1099 in the mail for it!") 00:15:54 - Mattress Running the Numbers (IHG promo: Earn 40k bonus points every 4 nights at Iberostar properties) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-promo-earn-40k-bonus-points-every-4-nights-at-iberostar-properties/ 00:18:48 - Award Talk (Award Discover Tools) 00:24:34 - Main Event (Game changing transfer bonuses) 00:24:34 - Old advice: the fee free Bilt card is GREAT for renters but with limited ways to earn points, it’s not great for points & miles hobbyists. 00:25:19 - New advice: Bilt is great for points & miles hobbyists too 00:33:04 - Bilt Card Overview 00:35:00 - Bilt elite status / transfer bonuses Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/how-nick-built-his-own-bilt-bonus/ 00:39:15 - Is there a Bilt welcome bonus? 00:42:01 - Earn points primarily through card spend 00:46:20 - Sample strategy for Silver status 00:48:21 - Sample strategy for Gold status 00:50:46 - Strategy for Platinum status 00:56:23 - Who should consider this? 01:03:34 - Downsides & risks 1:05:47 - Question of the Week Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to keep up to date with Frequent Miler content, and email us at mailbag@frequentmiler.com to submit a question for our "Question of the Week" segment.
On this episode, Greg and Nick discuss the question of whether or not you can pay your taxes with a credit card. (Spoiler - you can!) 00:01:35 - Using ChatGPT to squeeze $300 from the Ritz-Carlton card (Giant Mailbag) Read More: https://frequentmiler.com/ritz-fee-credits-what-works/ 00:10:57 - Capital One Spark Cash Plus: 2% Everywhere (Card Talk) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/c1scplusbiz/ 00:16:30 - Pepper App (Crazy Thing) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/pepper-app-get-5-10-back-on-amazon-walmart-and-more-plus-20-back-via-referral-maybe-15-via-portal/ 00:23:07 - Paris Hilton’s Slivingland on Roblox: Win 111,111 Hilton points, Diamond status (Mattress Running the Numbers) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/win-111111-hilton-honors-points-or-diamond-status-with-roblox-partnership/ 00:31:30 - Free Delta stopovers via Air France / KLM Flying Blue (Award Talk) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/flying-blue-multi-stopover-experiment/ 00:36:10 - Luxury stays (Leading Hotels of the World) thanks to Citibank (Award Talk) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/sampling-leading-hotels-of-the-world-lhw-thanks-to-citi-thankyou-rewards/ 00:41:07 - Main Event: Pay Taxes, Earn Big Rewards Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/pay-taxes-via-credit-card/ 00:41:37 - Paying Federal taxes with a credit card 00:42:23 - Why pay a fee to use a credit card? 00:54:33 - What about other taxes? 00:58:06 - Is it OK to overpay taxes? 00:59:52 - Does it make sense to pay quarterly estimated taxes this way? 1:00:26 - What to do when the payment processor doesn't like my business credit card? 01:02:51 - 90 days to use ’em or lose ’em: Where would you transfer your points? (Question of the Week) Read more: https://frequentmiler.com/90-days-to-use-em-or-lose-em-where-would-you-transfer-your-points/ Music Credit: Annie Yoder @annilion
Full details of the Marriott and MGM partnership are out and can only be accurately described as "a match made in Bonvoyland". 00:00 Intro 01:38 Turkish Airlines status match is back! (Giant Mailbag) https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-airlines-status-match-get-1-2-years-of-star-alliance-gold-with-very-reasonable-requirements/ 04:36 Amex Platinum 150K offer is back! (Card Talk) https://frequentmiler.com/amxplat/ 12:12 T-Mobile Home Internet Moneymaker ("Mattress running the numbers") https://frequentmiler.com/moneymaking-t-mobile-home-internet-deal-get-150-mastercard-gift-card-portal-earnings/ 17:54 JetBlue / Spirit Merger Blocked (Award Talk) 20:59 New Chase Sapphire Lounge at New York LGA (Award Talk) 22:41 Marriott’s marriage to MGM Resorts: A match made in Bonvoyland (Main Event) https://frequentmiler.com/no-marriott-match-to-mgm-but-elite-nights-live-on-mgm-marriott-partnership-details/ 22:51 Marriott / MGM partnership overview 24:19 Partnership benefits 25:15 Why aren't we very excited about this partnership? 25:35 Points transfer at a poor ratio 26:33 Ambassador match is only available to those with invite-only MGM status 27:49 No good status match for anyone but MGM Noir 29:33 Benefits are only scheduled to last through 12/31/24 31:41 What benefits do Marriott Platinum and Titanium members get in Las Vegas? 39:21 Will you earn 3x on the Altitude Reserve when checking out on a website with Apple Pay or Google Pay? (Question of the Week) Music credit: Annie Yoder
Whether you want to earn airline elite status from the comfort of your couch or switch alliances without starting from scratch, this week we talk about how you can score shortcuts to get the status you want. 00:00 Intro 02:28 Giant Mailbag 02:51 Greg-a-culpa 04:43 Nick-a-culpa: Air France actually does have an award chart https://viewfromthewing.com/air-france-introduces-new-award-chart-free-stopovers/ 07:09 T-Tip 11:53 Card Talk: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard https://frequentmiler.com/f9/ 22:00 Mattress Running the Numbers: SimplyMiles stack for Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express https://frequentmiler.com/simplymiles-spend-100-at-holiday-inn-or-holiday-inn-express-earn-930-aadvantage-miles-loyalty-points/ 29:04 Award Talk: AA enhancements 29:50 Apply systemwide upgrades online 30:24 Earn miles when paying for upgrades 31:20 Cancel basic economy and get something back for $99 32:13 Loyalty Point choice benefit 34:58 Main Events: Shortcuts to airline elite status 35:00 What is airline elite status? 38:36 Lots of shortcuts exist 39:36 Having credit cards to get perks 41:56 Earning elite status through credit card spend 47:11 Shopping for status 49:56 Status matches 50:47 American Airlines status match 54:44 Delta status match 56:05 United status match 58:18 Alaska status match 58:38 Turkish status match 01:05:58 Southwest A-list status match 01:08:47 Buying status 01:13:27 Other ways to get elite status 01:17:00 Air France: earn XPs without flying 01:18:29 Question of the Week: Is it safe to complete spending for stuff on 12/31? Music credit: Annie Yoder
Each member of the Frequent Miler team made predictions for what will happen in loyalty news and credit cards in 2024, but this week we review which of those predictions we think are absolute hogwash and which you can bet your bottom dollar will happen in 2024. 00:00 Intro 01:30 Giant Mailbag 10:42 Award Talk: An Aeroplan cautionary tale 14:20 Follow up on Bonvoyed Awards https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-readers-choice-bonvoyed-awards-2023-edition/ 16:56 Follow up on Deal of the Year https://frequentmiler.com/deal-of-the-year-2023-2/ 18:24 Main Event: Spit-shining our 2024 crystal ball https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2024-predictions-for-points-miles-and-travel/ 18:30 A look back at 2023 prediction results 22:04 Nick's predictions: Hogwash or cat bath? 24:39 Greg's predictions: Hogwash or cat bath? 28:52 Carrie's predictions: Hogwash or cat bath? 30:38 Stephen's predictions: Hogwash or cat bath? 34:15 Tim's predictions: Hogwash or cat bath? 46:24 Question of the Week #1: Should I reduce withholdings to make estimated tax payments with a credit card? https://frequentmiler.com/pay-taxes-via-credit-card/ 46:19 Question of the Week #2: Does it ever make sense to apply for a card knowing that you'll not get the welcome bonus? 50:49 Question of the Week #3: Have you considered releasing Ask Us Anything as a podcast? Music credit: Annie Yoder
Between those deals we have identified and those highlighted by readers, which was the single best deal of 2023 in the points & miles space? This week, Greg and Nick consider the contenders and crown a champion. 00:00 Intro 01:14 Giant Mailbag 05:45 Card Talk: Amtrak Preferred Card https://frequentmiler.com/amkworld/ 10:24 What crazy thing . . . did Bilt Rewards do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-rent-day-promos-75-150-transfer-bonuses-to-flying-blue-virgin-ihg/ 14:44 Earning Bilt elite status https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-rewards-will-double-elite-status-thresholds-in-2024/ 26:15 Award Talk: Choosing a Marriott 25K Cert, 17K points, or something else 32:08 Award Talk: Can't cancel? Then change. 34:39 The single best deal of 2023 35:20 Virgin Voyages cruise deals with points https://frequentmiler.com/virgin-voyages-7-night-european-cruises-for-only-62k-points/ 37:38 Bilt's Hyatt Globalist fast track https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-globalist-fast-track-through-bilt-rewards-for-rent-day/ 39:56 Bilt's 100% transfer bonus to Air France / KLM Flying Blue https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-rewards-get-100-transfer-bonus-to-flying-blue-may-1-only-new-promo-rewards/ 41:33 Bilt's 75-150% transfer bonus to Virgin https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-august-rent-day-up-to-150-transfer-bonus-to-virgin-atlantic/ 42:46 Marriott Homes & Villas 40K bonus with 4 nights (and no minimum spend) https://frequentmiler.com/incredible-marriott-promo-earn-40000-bonus-points-on-a-4-night-stay/ 44:47 Choice Privileges College Gameday deals https://frequentmiler.com/choice-privileges-offering-college-sports-experiences-bookable-with-points/ 50:00 Capital One Travel Sale (Flights and hotels for pennies) https://frequentmiler.com/get-flights-for-pennies-capital-one-travels-incredible-sale-for-cardholders/ 51:40 Capital One Shopping $200 referral bonus for both sides https://frequentmiler.com/both-sides-now-get-30-when-referring-to-capital-one-shopping/ 54:16 30x Lufthansa Miles & More miles per dollar spent https://frequentmiler.com/wow-lufthansa-miles-more-is-giving-30x-miles-on-booking-com-reservations/ 58:20 Reader contributions https://frequentmiler.com/90k-offers-now-available-both-online-in-branch/ 01:04:26 Greg's pick for Deal of the Year 01:08:25 Nick's pick for Deal fo the Year 01:14:49 Question of the Week: Is Nick out of his mind? Music credit: Annie Yoder
As we close out 2023, we take a moment to honor those loyalty programs that have dishonored their own members with the biggest snafus, most member-unfriendly changes, or other painful devaluations. 00:00 Intro 01:58 Giant Mailbag 04:51 Card Talk: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy & Bountiful cards https://frequentmiler.com/bonvoybevy/ https://frequentmiler.com/bonvoybountiful/ 10:41 What crazy thing . . . did Air France / KLM Flying Blue do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/amazing-business-class-to-europe-from-13500-miles-one-way/ 21:44 Award Talk: Bilt adds Avianca LifeMiles https://frequentmiler.com/now-transfer-bilt-rewards-to-avianca-lifemiles/ 24:48 Award Talk: IHG allows free point transfers between members....well, *some* members https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-offering-diamond-elite-members-free-points-transfers-to-other-members-but-not-the-other-way/ 27:27 Finnair Plus announces new award charts and info https://frequentmiler.com/finnair-plus-announces-award-chart-changes-to-take-effect-in-march-2024/ 38:19 Main Event: 2023 Bonvoyed Awards The Nominees.... 39:19: Marriott Bonvoys free night certificates https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-rules-for-extending-free-nights/ 41:19 Hyatt / MGM marriage goes bust https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-farewell-cheap-mattress-runs-status-matching/ 43:51 Wyndham vacates their high-value Vacasa bookings https://frequentmiler.com/wyndham-vacasa/ 45:41 Delta dumps their devastation https://frequentmiler.com/delta-elite-shortcuts/ 47:52 Chase guts their Pay Yourself Back program 49:07 Air Canada Aeroplan's Etihad alliance goes astray 52:00 Hotels.com becomes 5x less rewarding https://frequentmiler.com/huge-devaluation-of-hotels-com-rewards-new-one-key-program-only-giving-2-back/ 56:15 Nominee recap 56:42 Nick's pick for 2023 Bonvoyed Award 59:24 Greg's pick for 2023 Bonvoyed Award 1:02:41 Question of the Week: What is the best thing to do with 80,000 Membership Rewards points before we cancel Player 2's Amex Gold card? Music credit: Annie Yoder
It's fun to daydream about the flights and hotels we'd love to book with miles and points. This week, Greg and Nick discuss the redemptions they would most like to make if the stars aligned. 00:00 Intro 01:33 Giant Mailbag 06:38 Card Talk: Air France / KLM Flying Blue World Elite Mastercard https://frequentmiler.com/afklm/ 15:45 Main Event: The rewards we want the most 16:35 Greg: Air France La Premier (first class) 18:54 Emirates "new" First Class 19:30 Lufthansa New First Class (if it ever comes to be) 20:04 New Singapore Suites 22:13 Turkish business class nonstop Detroit to Istanbul 23:56 Nick: New Singapore Suites (on a long route!) 25:01 Etihad Apartments 27:18 Qatar Qsuites 28:29 NOT Air France La Premier 39:49 Hotel awards we want 39:54 Mr. & Mrs. Smith 40:32 Post Ranch Inn 41:29 Virgin Limited luxury safari camps -- via Mr. & Mrs. Smith 47:28 Intercontinental Khao Yai 48:20 Ritz-Carlton Al Bustan Palace 49:36 Am SLH property in Santorini 51:02 A luxury safari camp 53:46 A Celebrity or Norwegian cruise 56:24 I wasn't aware that there is a way to book American Airlines with Membership Rewards points. What are the options?
The year 2023 has seen our travels take us all over the world. This week, we look back and discuss our favorite award redemptions of the year 2023 and of all time. Subscribe to our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ 00:00 Intro 01:35 Giant Mailbag 04:10 Travel Talk 04:28 Alaska wants to buy Hawaiian Airlines 12:00 EU261 claim 14:33 Card Talk : Hawaiian Airlines credit cards 22:30 Award Talk: Avianca customer service might be better than its reputation suggests. 29:30 Main Event: Our favorite travel rewards of 2023 31:05 Special situation: Party of 5 (ANA First Class and LATAM Business Class) 35:34 Qatar QSuites (maybe) 37:06 British Airways Club World Suites 39:35 Air France business class 42:01 Turkish Airlines business class 47:24 Our all-time favorite flight awards 47:31 Etihad First Class Apartments 48:08 Old Singapore Suites / ANA First Class flight 50:29 Our favorite hotel redemptions of 2023 50:38 Eichert's Private Hotel in Queenstown, NZ (SLH via Hyatt) 52:11 Grand Hotel Victoria in Menaggio, Italy (on Lake Como) (SLH via Hyatt) 54:13 Kona Seaside Yacht Villa through Vacasa (Wyndham Rewards) 57:27 Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida 1:00:57 Greg honorable mentions: VIlla Copenhagen; Kimpton Fitzroy; Ventana Big Sur, Inn at Bay Harbor 1:02:57 Comfort Hotel Bolivar in Rome, Hyatt Regency Nice 1:04:44 Our all-time favorite hotel awards 1:05:48 Necker Island 1:09:36 St Regis Bora Bora 1:13:14 Non-flight or hotel rewards 1:13:30 BLADE helicopter flight 1:15:45 Cruising for free thanks to casino status matching 1:20:11 Which cards are worth getting in the hopes that they get grandfathered? Music credit: Annie Yoder
Extreme Rewards via Extreme Stacking: Stack portal rewards, category bonuses, and much more to take your shopping to the next level. __ __ __ __
"Free" up your companion by powering up to Companion Pass status. The timing is right, but be sure that you time the bonuses properly to score free travel for a companion for almost all of next year and all of the year after. 00:00 Intro 01:45 Giant Mailbag https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-offers/ 04:04 Card Talk: Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards 05:10 Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card 08:00 Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card 08:30 Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card 14:41 Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business 15:26 Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business 19:28 What crazy thing . . . did Capital One Shopping do this week? 25:20 Mattress running the numbers: Which is better: the 15% Avianca LifeMiles transfer bonus or 165% purchase bonus 33:38 Award Talk: Should you book Southwest flights via the Chase Travel portal? 44:14 Main Event: Your companion is now free to move about the country 44:32 Overview of the Companion Pass 1:16:48 Question of the Week: Help! How do I find partner awards bookable with my airline miles? Music credit: Annie Yoder
Maximize your charitable giving by earning a great return while doing good in the world. From ways to give without causing your favorite charity to incur processing fees to ways to earn thousands of points for your donation, this week we talk about how to do your charitable deeds (better). 00:00 Intro 01:13 Giant Mailbag 03:32 Giant Mailbag #2: United Quest card details 07:22 Card Talk: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card & Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card https://frequentmiler.com/venturex/ https://frequentmiler.com/VentureXBiz/#Goto 18:35 What crazy thing . . . did Marriott do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/apartments-four-points-express-more-details-about-these-2-new-marriott-brands/ 23:27 Award Talk 23:28 Alaska Mileage Plan March 2024 changes https://frequentmiler.com/huge-alaska-announces-unified-award-charts/ https://frequentmiler.com/new-alaska-award-chart-winners-losers-and-sweet-spots/ https://frequentmiler.com/alaska-us-anything-we-discuss-the-new-alaska-award-chart-video/ 37:06 Do you want to collect Alaska miles now? 39:06 Award Talk: Use JetBlue points to book Qatar flights https://frequentmiler.com/book-qatar-flights-with-jetblue-trueblue-points/ 42:15 Award Talk: Marriott free night certificate inside info https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-rules-for-extending-free-nights/ 46:55 Main Event: A good deed is its own reward, but we can do better. 47:15 How do you find charities that do good? (search tools) 48:20 GiveWell 50:03 PayPay Giving Fund 52:15 Kiva Microloans https://frequentmiler.com/why-i-love-kiva-for-earning-rewards-and-doing-good/ 55:29 How do you earn rewards on charitable gifts? 55:47 Ways to earn miles for donating through airline programs, etc 56:48 Credit Card Rewards 46:49 US Bank cards that earn 2x on charitable donations....meh 58:13 Bank of America 2.62% cash back 58:48 Credit Card Big Spend Bonuses https://frequentmiler.com/best-big-spend-bonuses/ 1:00:25 Buying Visa or Mastercard gift cards and using them to donate 1:03:17 Earn a new card welcome bonus https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-offers/ 1:06:25 Donating miles and points 1:08:20 Earn Air France elite credit 1:09:38 Question of the Week: Is it worth it to travel to Australia for just a week? Music credit: Annie Yoder
United Mileage Plus is an extremely popular program, but how can you get the best value out of the miles? This week, we talk about using flexible awards to your advantage, cheap intra-European awards, the Excursionist Perk, and a lot more. 00:00 Intro 01:20 Giant Mailbag #1: Can we get a Delta-free podcast? 02:35 Giant Mailbag #2 03:48 What crazy thing . . . did Delta do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/deltas-window-seat-shop-of-horrors/ 06:46 Card Talk: United Quest card https://frequentmiler.com/uaq/ 11:33 Mattress Running the Numbers: Citi transfer bonus to Accor Live Limitless https://frequentmiler.com/50-transfer-bonus-from-citi-to-accor-live-limitless-get-1-6-cents-per-point/ 17:34 Award Talk 18:00 Bilt adds Marriott as a transfer partner https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-added-as-bilt-rewards-transfer-partner/ 19:40 Marriott's secret award chart https://frequentmiler.com/marriotts-secret-award-chart/ 23:03 Marriott Choice Benefit changes https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-say-quiet-part-out-loud-with-new-upgrade-award-enhancements/ https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-choice-benefits-now-give-1000-off-mattress-bed-rather-than-40/ 29:24 Book JetBlue with Qatar Avios https://frequentmiler.com/book-jetblue-including-mint-with-qatar-avios/ https://frequentmiler.com/uh-oh-did-qatar-create-a-new-jetblue-award-chart/ 35:56 Main Event: Wringing value from United Miles 37:00 First up: the bad stuff 40:20 Higher award prices, but not bad value 41:40 Best uses of United miles 41:46 Dynamic pricing can work in your favor 44:35 Free changes and cancellations 48:55 Cheap intra-Europe flights (from 6K miles) 50:04 Sao Paulo to/from South Africa for 50K miles in business class 50:40 Fly across the length of Africa for less than 25K in economy or 50K in business class 52:15 United Excursionist Perk https://frequentmiler.com/maximizing-and-understanding-united-excursionist-perks/ https://frequentmiler.com/saving-thousands-of-miles-with-united-excursionist-perk/ https://frequentmiler.com/united-excursionist-perk-maps-visualize-regions-to-optimize-awards/ https://frequentmiler.com/leveraging-the-united-excursionist-perk-to-save-miles/ 57:42 Question of the Week: Will a bank extend the minimum spending requirement period? Music credit: Annie Yoder
American Airlines miles can be used to fly some of the fanciest airlines in the world. They can also be really handy for buying domestic flights to/from non-American Airlines hubs. On this week's episode, we discuss some of our favorite ways to get awesome value out of American Airlines miles. 00:00 Intro 01:23 Giant Mailbag 03:50 Card Talk 03:55 New Citi Application Rule https://frequentmiler.com/possible-citi-5-day-rule-causing-denials-for-too-many-inquiries/ 07:04 Plastiq news https://frequentmiler.com/plastiq-once-again-accepts-amex-cards/ 11:28 Card Talk: Delta Reserve cards https://frequentmiler.com/dlrsv/ https://frequentmiler.com/dlrsvbiz/ 22:46 What crazy thing . . . did Dollar Dig do this week? 26:55 Mattress Running the Numbers: Capital One Premier Collection promotion https://frequentmiler.com/amazing-deal-get-200-off-capital-one-premier-collection-potentially-free-hotel-stay/https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-find-hidden-capital-one-premier-collection-hotels/ 31:15 Award Talk: Hyatt / Mr & Mrs Smith promo 42:17 Main Event 42:30 How do you earn American Airlines miles? 44:51 Using miles for American Airlines flights 44:52 Close-in bookings 48:28 Flying from non-AA hubs 50:14 "Roll the dice" flights 52:16 American Airlines partner awards 53:07 North America to Africa (Great for Qatar Qsuites) 55:55 Europe to the Middle East (Great for Etihad apartments) 58:19 Middle East / India to Asia (Great for Etihad first or Qatar Qsuites) 1:00:08 Africa to Africa (get a lot of Qatar biz for a low price) 1:02:53 Asia to South Pacific 1:05:11 American Airlines partners 1:14:17 Question of the Week: Have I opened too many new accounts? Should I slow down? Music credit: Annie Yoder
Did you know that it is possible to get the same credit card that you have had before and get the new cardmember welcome bonus again? In fact, in some cases, you might be able to open a second of the same card that you currently have and get the bonus again. This week, we discuss the rules by issuer. 00:00 Intro 01:45 Giant Mailbag 05:01 Card Talk: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card https://frequentmiler.com/DLplat/ https://frequentmiler.com/DLplatbiz/ 17:37 Mattress Running the Numbers 17:41 Bilt Rent Day https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-november-rent-day-up-to-150-transfer-bonus-to-emirates-skywards/ 27:23 Award Talk 27:36 Air France KLM Flying Blue reduces award prices 33:50 Vacasa vacation rentals devalued https://frequentmiler.com/wyndham-vacasa/ 36:53 Main Event: When can you get the same card (and welcome bonus) again? 38:35 Amex 45:46 Bank of America 50:08 Barclays 53:21 Capital One 53:32 Citi 53:48 Chase 1:00:44 Question of the Week: What's up with award space from the West Coast? Music credit: Annie Yoder
