Frequent Miler on the Air
Earn miles without flying. Frequent Miler is all about getting the most out of the loyalty game. You can easily earn hundreds of thousands of points and miles without traveling, then learn how to use those points towards luxury travel. In this podcast, Frequent Miler founder Greg, and senior author Nick debate current topics in the points & miles world.
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How we use our Amex Gold Card coupon credits | Coffee Break Ep45 | 2-14-25
02/14/2025
How we use our Amex Gold Card coupon credits | Coffee Break Ep45 | 2-14-25
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 (01:07) - $325 annual fee Find out (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 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 | Ask Us Anything, Live Ep72 | 2-5-25
02/11/2025
Would you pay more for fully refundable rewards? What do you do with pets when you travel? These questions and more | Ask Us Anything, Live Ep72 | 2-5-25
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 (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 (24:02) - are you guys surprised at how many people completed the challenge? (25:00) - I know Greg went big with Alaska transfer, I'm curious how big the rest of the team has gone? And do any of you think the merger and Amex transfer will cause a devaluation soon? (28:32) - Any word yet on Chase’s 1 million point giveaway winners (that ended last week)? (29:13) - any thoughts on aeroplan 25 status match from Marriott Titanium? could be interesting for booking economy award tickets for upgrades on long haul flights? (30:47) - Marriott & Hilton appear out of favor with you these days. Hyatt remains your favorite but If you don't or can't stay at Hyatt, what is now your hotel chain of choice between IHG, Choice, Wyndham or? (33:34) - new SW companion pass promo (personal card, 4K spend in 3 months): is this just through end of 2025? Seems like a great opportunity to try.I can make that spend in a week! (34:32) - have any of you ever had to transfer airports in Taipei. i have a 4-hr layover during which i have to travel between airports with a carry-on. is that even possible? (36:24) - What are the best opportunities for long haul business class availability for 4 "when schedule opens?" With 4 travelers and bound by school schedules I want to book ahead but it's getting very hard. (38:37) - Thoughts on the recent update to Citi’s T&Cs on welcome bonuses for their strata premier when product changing. Seems like it’s a blow against churning (40:26) - How much more are you willing to pay for award ticket that is fully refundable? I find myself going for AA or United flights even though UA may be cheaper on LifeMiles for example (45:23) - really curious... do any of you have pets? what do you do with them when traveling? (51:48) - How often do you folks buy points? I recently started buying IHG, Hilton, Avianca, and Avios points when they are on sale, and find it a great alternative for folks with low spend. (53:36) - any awesome hotel redemptions coming up for you guys? Subscribe and Follow Visit to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit - "swappin' back n' forth" by
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Capital One: Get more for your Double Miles | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep293 | 2-7-25
02/07/2025
Capital One: Get more for your Double Miles | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep293 | 2-7-25
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 Rewatch the entire (10:27) - Get Southwest Companion Pass through 2/28/26 Learn (13:25) - Frontier Platinum status fast track: Earn 20k Elite Status Points by 4/30/25 Learn (18:46) - Transfer bonuses (21:13) - Earn 20x Avios on hotel bookings & 15x on car hire (book by 2/24/25) Learn (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 (33:54) - My experience applying for the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) Learn (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? Visit 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
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How Hilton can win our loyalty | Coffee Break Ep44 | 2-4-25
02/04/2025
How Hilton can win our loyalty | Coffee Break Ep44 | 2-4-25
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 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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Points & Miles 2 Player Mode | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep292 | 1-31-25
01/31/2025
Points & Miles 2 Player Mode | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep292 | 1-31-25
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 (12:13) - IHG Premier offer up to 170K after $4K spend in 3 months Learn more about (13:33) - IHG overlapping promos Learn more about (14:58) - Learn more about (19:10) - Marriott's overlapping promos: Learn more about (25:58) - Marriott increases top-end point prices Read our (30:30) - CardPointers Learn more about CardPointers here (32:48) - Book TAP Air with JetBlue points (39:13) - More rewards Check out our (43:38) - More spend (44:56) - Companion Flights Find our Find our Complete Guide to Find our (46:10) - Find our (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? Visit 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
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World of Hyatt is broken. Here's how to fix it. | Coffee Break Ep43 | 1-28-25
01/28/2025
World of Hyatt is broken. Here's how to fix it. | Coffee Break Ep43 | 1-28-25
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 (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 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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Rocking Shopping Portals for Huge Rewards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep291 | 1-24-25
01/24/2025
Rocking Shopping Portals for Huge Rewards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep291 | 1-24-25
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 (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 (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 (1:12:08) - Stacking Opportunities For more stacking ideas, check out (1:13:43) - Learn more about (1:15:26) - Gift Cards (1:16:32) - Learn more about (1:18:05) - Super Stack Example (1:24:26) - What's the deal with Hilton Gift Cards? Visit 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
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What's in Our Wallets? (Jan 2025) | Coffee Break Ep42 | 1-21-25
01/21/2025
What's in Our Wallets? (Jan 2025) | Coffee Break Ep42 | 1-21-25
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 (02:06) - Learn more about the (03:31) - Which cards do we carry around for Gas? Learn more about the (04:09) - Learn more about (05:24) - Which cards do we carry around for dining? (08:28) - Which cards do we carry around for Travel? Learn more about the (12:27) - Which cards do we carry around for Pharmacy? Learn more about (14:30) - Which cards do we carry for spend everywhere else? Learn more about . (16:50) - Learn more about Visit 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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Your ticket to the Delta Sky Club | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep290 | 1-17-25
01/17/2025
Your ticket to the Delta Sky Club | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep290 | 1-17-25
In this episode, Greg and Nick will look at 4 ways to access Delta Sky Clubs, they'll reveal a hot reader tip for a free stay in Atlantis in the Bahamas, and they'll discuss the Air France / KLM Flying Blue devaluation. Check out the full episode below. (01:28) - It seems like a lot of people are running into issues lately with using the $200 platinum credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts. (07:03) - United TravelBank glitch (now resolved) [Reported on Reddit] (09:50) - Air France KLM Flying Blue award prices increase by 15-25% to/from Europe Read more about (18:02) - It's not too late to book Atlantis even if your Caesars Diamond status is about to go away. (20:28) - Sky Clubs vs other airport clubs Read more about how to get into (23:01) - Overall Requirements (24:12) - #1 Premium Credit Cards (24:27) - Amex Platinum (not to be confused with Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum) Learn more about (31:31) - Delta Reserve consumer or business Learn more about See: (39:58) - #2 Fly Delta One; or any Sky Team airline in business or first class (42:56) - #3 Elite Status Check out our blog post: Or check out our episode (45:51) - #4 Sky Club Membership Learn more about (55:16) - Many times when I'm booking stays, there's only availability for standard rooms. How do approach getting an upgrade if there's no availability? Visit 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
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Our Marriott Bonvoy Wishlist | Coffee Break Ep41 | 1-14-25
01/14/2025
Our Marriott Bonvoy Wishlist | Coffee Break Ep41 | 1-14-25
In today's podcast episode Greg and Nick will talk about the things they wish Marriott would add to their program to make it a really great program. They argue these things shouldn't even have to cost Marriott that much to implement. (01:24) - Fix the Platinum Elite free breakfast benefit Find our (05:00) - Clear Nightly Upgrade Awards from the time of booking (08:21) - Remove the 15K limit on free night certificate top-offs (11:11) - Waive resort fees on free night stays Visit 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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Airline Elite Status via Hotel Stays | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep289 | 1-10-25
01/10/2025
Airline Elite Status via Hotel Stays | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep289 | 1-10-25
There are a few ways now where you can earn elite status on airlines entirely through hotel stays! This is sort of a new development that we're excited to discuss in today's podcast. (01:32) - Whoops: Forgot United offers elite earnings on award tickets (UA flights only) . (04:09) - IHG Choice Benefit annual lounge membership trick worked this year (05:58) - One reader finds a way to get an offer to upgrade back to Amex Platinum for 50K bonus points after 2K spend. (08:03) - Alaska Biz Card 70K offer is back: 70K miles and Companion Fare™ Learn more about . (09:27) - Costco card goes up to 5% at Costco Gas on 1/19/25. All other gas/EV will stay at 4% (12:32) - US Bank Altitude Go: beginning on April 15, 2025, cardholders will be limited to earning 4x on the first $2,000 in dining, takeout and restaurant delivery purchases each quarter. (13:45) - Sonesta credit card taking a siesta (15:34) - Pay1040 fees up, down, all around (21:42) - Hyatt promo: Earn double elite night credits for stays at Under Canvas properties (28:21) - Marriott Choice Benefit 40K expiry (33:30) - BA goes revenue-based (34:45) - Daily Getaways Dead: The program has been discontinued (36:29) - Marriott ->> United Premier Silver AND Air Canada Aeroplan 25K (40:59) - Hyatt ->> American Airlines (50:49) - Hyatt Explorist/Globalist elite members can trade Hyatt points for status for a day (53:33) - Not as many shortcuts with Hyatt as with Marriott (1:03:00) - Should I mattress run with Advantage Hotels the rest of my way to AA Executive Platinum status? (1:06:14) - How do you value your time, for example when an hour of effort will save you a small chunk of change? Visit 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
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Greg's experience booking a Preferred Hotel with Choice points | Coffee Break Ep40 | 1-7-25
01/07/2025
Greg's experience booking a Preferred Hotel with Choice points | Coffee Break Ep40 | 1-7-25
You can book Preferred Hotels with Choice Privileges points, (which has a 1:2 transfer rate from Citi Thank You points), or Preferred Hotel points (which has a 1:4 transfer rate from Citi Thank You points). There are reasons to book with one points over another, but is this worth doing? Greg's recent experience booking a Preferred Hotel with Choice points can help shed some light on the question. (01:24) - The Seagate Hotel & Spa Delray Beach Florida (01:48) - Different booking options... (05:17) - Booking experience... (12:17) - Hotel stay experience (the good and bad) Visit 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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10 point-ish things we're most looking forward to | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep288 | 1-3-25
01/03/2025
10 point-ish things we're most looking forward to | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep288 | 1-3-25
(00:00) - It's a new year and we're excited about all the "point-y" things happening for us in 2025! Give this episode a listen to find out what we're looking forward to. (01:07) - One reader's interesting experience disbanding a United miles pool highlights a possible hack and brings up a few questions.... Learn more about miles-pooling here: (04:17) - Can a pool leader leave a miles pool? (04:35) - Can I leave a miles pool after joining? (07:25) - Chase United card devaluation: TravelBank credits instead of statement credits (11:10) - Chase Aeroplan PYB (Pay Yourself Back) Travel limited to 200K (13:51) - Marriott Choice Benefit 40 night selection expiry Read more about this update here: (16:27) - IHG Ends Annual Lounge Pass Loophole In 2025 (19:52) - Pay taxes via credit card slightly cheaper (starts at 1.75%) but down to 2 processors PayUSATax gone ("We are no longer processing federal tax payments on behalf of the IRS.") Learn more about paying taxes with a credit card here: (25:21) - Greg and Nick’s "Bonvoyed" pick: Hyatt breaks our hearts with Mr & Mrs Smith Read our "Bonvoyed of the year" post here: (26:47) - Readers' "Bonvoyed" picks... (28:10) - Our picks for for Deal of the Year Read our "Deal of the Year" post here: (29:02) - Readers' picks for Deal of the Year (31:01) - Small Luxury Hotels SLH (33:07) - Preferred hotels & Resorts (35:30) - Alaska Mileage Plan mixed partner awards (40:13) - Earning Alaska elite status through award bookings (42:51) - Alaska premium card (45:00) - Digging into SAS awards (47:17) - Finding a great Vacasa redemption (I bought points) (49:17) - Finding great Capital One Miles deals See the "Deal of the Year" episode here: (52:09) - Getting back into the swing of bank account bonuses (54:05) - Trying out the AA bus from PHL-ACY. (58:57) - Would a Delta Gold status be useful for a Korean Air flight booked via Delta miles? Visit 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
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When are points better than cash & vice versa? | Coffee Break Ep39 | 12-31-24
12/31/2024
When are points better than cash & vice versa? | Coffee Break Ep39 | 12-31-24
The Smartly Credit Card (with opportunity for up to 4% cash back everywhere) has us wondering...when should you value cash back over other points and miles or transferable currency rewards? (00:26) - Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cash back Learn more about (01:21) - Using 2x everywhere points card is like buying points for 2 cents each (05:12) - So, is cash the final answer? No! (09:07) - So what's the ideal strategy? (13:36) - Learn more about Visit 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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Deal of the Year 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep287 | 12-27-24
12/27/2024
Deal of the Year 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep287 | 12-27-24
What are the best miles and points deals we've seen in 2024, and which deals came out above the rest? In today's episode of Frequent Miler on the Air, we'll decide what we think the best miles and points deal of 2024 was. (01:05) - Feedback about Greg's "Frequent Miler’s 2024 State of the Business Report" Read Greg's (08:12) - Additional datapoints regarding possible Atlantis stays for after February 1st (12:14) - Greg's Marriott Mattress Run (20:48) - Capital One Offers (26:18) - Easily extend National Free Day (28:41) - Catch our (29:11) - Buy Aeroplan miles for 1.14cpp: (30:41) - Big payouts via Capital One Shopping (36:35) - Virgin goes dynamic & lowers surcharges (40:00) - Bilt transfer bonus up to 150% to Flying Blue, Virgin Points, and IHG One Rewards (Jan 1) (42:19) - Bilt transfer bonus up to 100% to Alaska (July 1) (44:05) - Amex +10x restaurants referral offer (47:11) - 120K Ink Business Preferred offer + 40K referral (48:27) - Hilton SLH (53:20) - Alaska's awesome shorthaul AA pricing (57:41) - SAS Eurobonus Millionaire : https://frequentmiler.com/sas-eurobonus-millionaire-promo-frequently-asked-questions-million-mile-madness-2024/ (1:00:02) - Which did we actually take advantage of? (Or which didn't we?) (1:01:59) - So...which was the best? (1:11:10) - (1:13:17) - Can you swap a cash seat you've already purchased with Southwest with a companion seat with your companion pass instead? Subscribe and Follow Visit 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
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Alaska / Hawaiian credit card strategy - which card should you get now? | Coffee Break Ep38 | 12-24-24 | Podcast
12/24/2024
Alaska / Hawaiian credit card strategy - which card should you get now? | Coffee Break Ep38 | 12-24-24 | Podcast
In today's episode, we're going to be considering the Alaska / Hawaiian credit card strategy and asking the question: which card should you get now, if any? (01:38) - Current lineup of Alaksa / Hawaiian credit cards (02:17) - Learn more about the Bank of America Alaska Consumer card here: (02:34) - ...and the Bank of America Alaska Business card here: (02:46) - Learn more about the Barclays Hawaiian Consumer card here: (03:15) - ...and the Barclays Hawaiian Business card here: (04:35) - Considering Hawaiian cards (06:02) - Considering Alaska cards (07:40) - What's the best strategy? Visit 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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The 2024 Bonvoyed Awards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep286 | 12-20-24
12/20/2024
The 2024 Bonvoyed Awards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep286 | 12-20-24
Today we'll take a look back at the year and talk about what loyalty programs have done to us instead of for us. This is for the loyalty grinches! (01:07) - Revisiting a question we'd answered previously about whether or not several domestic flights a month would be enough for earning status. (06:18) - One reader has some information to share about the Atlantis property they booked now (before their Caesar's Diamond status disappears) for a stay in the future... (10:12) - Flying Blue: Sends emails saying "Congratulations you are now a Flying Blue Ultimate member" (11:44) - IHG: Purchase EQPs. 120K price: $640, no... $800, no... $1000, back to $640... (16:27) - Nick flies to Mexico but doesn't leave the airport (21:12) - Greg and Nick forgot about Bilt Find (23:42) - Preferred Hotels: Greg's ongoing Preferred Hotel booking saga (29:48) - AA: Can now use miles to book Hawaiian flights from mainland US (31:39) - Aviator Silver companion cert ain't all that (38:14) - Hilton Aspire resort credit-eligible hotel list un-shrinks (39:40) - Marriott Upgrade Awards now clear five days out (again) (43:27) - Southwest: assigned seating (46:31) - 2023 Bonvoyed Awards Recap... 2024 Dis-Loyalty Nominees... (51:38) - Chase & Capital One priority pass drops restaurants (55:56) - Virgin goes dynamic (59:08) - Virgin devalues Delta One to Europe (1:02:36) - Wyndham Vacasa devaluation (1:06:19) - BA & Qatar raise prices for short-haul partner awards (AA, Alaska) (1:09:54) - Etihad nerfs award cancelations and point expirations (1:15:43) - Bilt reduces Rent Day earnings to 1K bonus points (1:18:50) - Wyndham Biz kills free cruises (1:21:20) - Hyatt integrates Mr & Mrs Smith (1:23:14) - Final picks (1:30:20) - Why are there so many pop-up ads on your site? Visit 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
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Up to 4% Back Everywhere: US Bank's Smartly Card | Card Talk Ep10 | 12-19-24
12/19/2024
Up to 4% Back Everywhere: US Bank's Smartly Card | Card Talk Ep10 | 12-19-24
Us Bank's Smartly Visa Signature card has no annual fee but also no welcome bonus. Even so, because of a benefit from their savings account which can increase earnings on the card, it's worth a discussion on today's Card Talk episode. (00:21) - What are the basics of the U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card (01:06) - You can increase earning with a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and have certain amounts deposited w/ US Bank... (02:53) - You'll need a Smartly Savings Account (04:13) - But you can point your money toward Self Directed Investing (08:03) - Be careful how you redeem rewards (10:08) - How does the US Bank Smartly Card compare to Bank of America's Platinum Honors? Visit 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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Alaska's fascinating premium card (Coming Summer 2025) | Coffee Break Ep37 | 12-17-24
12/17/2024
Alaska's fascinating premium card (Coming Summer 2025) | Coffee Break Ep37 | 12-17-24
Alaska has announced that a premium card is coming in the Summer of 2025. They've given us just little bits of information so far, but in this episode, we'll talk about what those details are. (01:03) - Pre-register by 12/31/24. Get 500 miles now, 5K extra miles later if/when you sign up for card. (01:44) - Basic details...annual fee of $395 and earn Global Companion Award Certificates (05:20) - Receive waived award ticket fees ($12.50 partner award fee, not surcharges) (05:42) - Earn 3x miles on eligible foreign purchases Visit 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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Greg & Nick's Favorite 2024 Awards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep285 | 12-13-24
12/13/2024
Greg & Nick's Favorite 2024 Awards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep285 | 12-13-24
In this episode, Greg and Nick review some of the hotel and flight awards that stood out for each of them in 2024 so they can determine the best of the best for their 2024 award travels. (01:06) - Bilt buy house benefit correction See the (02:42) - Greg's latest experience booking Preferred hotels with Choice points See the (10:17) - Greg: "You’re a SAS EuroBonus Millionaire!” (11:56) - Nick: Yikes! (19:24) - Stephen: 1 more needs to be credited (21:32) - Business Platinum gains $200 Hilton credit! (29:48) - IRS temporarily displayed lower fees for paying taxes by credit card (32:04) - Should Greg mattress run 1 Marriott night? (37:24) - Alaska news (41:48) - Waldorf Astoria New York now bookable with points and free night certificates. (44:22) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights (52:20) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights (56:59) - Best flight pick overall (1:00:32) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels (1:11:07) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels (1:21:05) - Beat hotel pick overall (1:22:54) - Other top experiences in 2024 (1:30:07) - Which airline would you prioritize to fly and earn miles with: American, United, or Southwest? Visit 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
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Taking AAdvantage of AA's New MonogAAmy | Coffee Break Ep36 | 12-10-24
12/10/2024
Taking AAdvantage of AA's New MonogAAmy | Coffee Break Ep36 | 12-10-24
Citi recently announced that they will become the exclusive issuer of American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards in the United States, starting in 2026. What does that really mean for points and miles enthusiasts, and how can we take maximum advantage? (Or shall we say "AAdvantage"?)( (00:26) - Citi will become the exclusive issuer AAdvantage credit cards in the U.S. starting in 2026. (01:41) - We wonder if maybe AA will become a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards (02:54) - We wonder if maybe Citi will create Aviator cards that are ONLY available to those who are transitioned over from Barclays (05:07) - Listen to our (06:01) - Are AA miles valuable now? (07:27) - Will AA miles be valuable later? (10:56) - Should you get the Aviator Red now? (14:07) - Should you upgrade to the Aviator Silver? (19:11) - Listen to our Visit 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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Preparing For The End of 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep284 | 12-6-24
12/06/2024
Preparing For The End of 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep284 | 12-6-24
There are a lot of things in the points and miles world that kind of come to a head at the end of the year, so you'll want to know what you should be taking care of here at the end of 2024. And of course, read our (01:30) - What happens when a Choice Rewards hotel booking has no record of your reservation, but the points are missing? (07:32) - Preferred Hotels now bookable with iPrefer points (16:34) - Amex 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic (21:31) - Earn elite status (23:05) - Do you have enough MQDs for Delta elite status? (24:48) - Remember to time your SouthWest companion pass properly Read our (28:37) - Marriott Bonvoy: Easiest option is Bonvoy Brilliant, but you can read about (44:11) - Use airline incidental credits by December (47:42) - Platinum $200 calendar year. See (56:19) - Apply for cards with annual credits (57:47) - Transfer / pool points (1:02:19) - Redeem points or miles for annual rebates (1:03:48) - With the Caesar's Diamond status match ending, is there anything Wyndham Earner Business card-holder's should take advantage of now? Read more about Visit 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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Predicting the next credit card collectibles | Coffee Break Ep35 | 12-3-24
12/03/2024
Predicting the next credit card collectibles | Coffee Break Ep35 | 12-3-24
There are credit cards out there which are not available new, but are still supported for those who already have them. In this episode, we have a prediction about a few cards that will soon be this kind of "collectible" card. (00:26) - What is a credit card collectible? (01:20) - Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card (02:15) - Citi Prestige (04:43) - Capital One Venture One card (08:02) - Ritz Card (09:57) - US Bank Altitude Reserve (13:05) - Barclays Aviator Silver?
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10 frequent flyer-ish things we're thankful for | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep283 | 11-29-24
11/29/2024
10 frequent flyer-ish things we're thankful for | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep283 | 11-29-24
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we're chatting about the 10 "Frequent Flyer-ish" things we're thankful for! (01:01) - A reader shares all the ways their recent trip was impacted by Frequent Miler tips! (02:58) - It in the hands of SAS now! (05:50) - Wyndham Biz drops Caesar's match (09:38) - Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card: Up to 120K miles (12:10) - Bonvoy Brilliant cardholder “Luxury Experience Rate” at participating properties (16:09) - Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash: 24-month extended warranty (17:11) - U.S. Bank Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cashback (22:03) - C1 Shopping targeted deals (26:46) - Bilt - earn points when buying a home & using an eXp Realty agent (29:41) - Huge welcome bonuses continue (31:37) - Awesome category bonuses continue (33:01) - The Amex points parade marches on (34:48) - Paying taxes great way to meet min spend (36:13) - PayPal waives credit card fees when doing good Listen to our . . (39:25) - Transferable points programs keep expanding (43:42) - Award chart sweetspots live on Find . (50:06) - Free changes and cancelations continue for US airlines (except for basic economy types of fares) (52:09) - Status matches create opportunities (55:00) - Airlines continue to make business and first class more aspirational (58:22) - Loyalty partnerships create sweet opportunities (1:03:41) - See our . (1:06:26) - When you get a new card, what's the checklist of tasks you do to keep it all organized? Visit 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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Million Mile Madness' home stretch. It's all over but the voting | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep282 | 11-22-24
11/22/2024
Million Mile Madness' home stretch. It's all over but the voting | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep282 | 11-22-24
Greg, Nick, and Stephen are spent the last two weeks competing to satisfy the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promo with the most style, affordability, and speed. If you've been following along by reading their journal posts, you know that this was a much harder task than they bargained for and they relied on reader input along the way. We've got some cool prizes planned for the reader who was most helpful including certificates to cover five free Hilton hotel nights and more! But to determine that winner, we need your help deciding which traveler achieved the goal with the most SAS! (00:22) - SAS offering 1 million miles to anyone who registers and flies 15 qualifying SkyTeam airlines (01:00) - FM turned it into a team challenge: (02:50) - During the challenge the team met live on Youtube a couple of times. There we recapped what we'd achieved to-date and the judges awarded us interim scores. (03:30) - Catch up on the live check-in recordings during the Million Mile Madness challenge (1:21:00) - Wrap up of Nick's final travel days after the last live check-in (1:24:38) - We will host a final livestream on Tuesday November 26th PM ET where final scores will be announced. Subscribe and Follow Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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Our Favorite Credit Card Perks | Coffee Break Ep34 | 11-19-24
11/19/2024
Our Favorite Credit Card Perks | Coffee Break Ep34 | 11-19-24
Rewards credit cards are often most valuable for their welcome bonuses, but many of them also have very valuable perks just for having the card. So which credit cards have the best perks for a variety of categories? (Learn more about all the .) (00:40) - Best airport lounge benefits? (07:34) - Best Automatic Elite status (10:45) - Best award discount/rebate (12:59) - Best Automatic Free Night (no spend required) (15:57) - Best Companion Ticket (18:45) - Best miscellaneous perk Visit 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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Easy path to Delta Elite status in 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep281 | 11-15-24
11/15/2024
Easy path to Delta Elite status in 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep281 | 11-15-24
United recently announced an . Will Delta follow suit? Luckily, for this year, there's still time... (02:18) - A reader has a datapoint for us about the Equinox credit saying: "My wife successfully used the equinox credit for a massage. She enrolled in an equinox plus membership that came with a 7 day free trial. She was able to book and complete her massage within the 7 day trial period. The credit posted within 2 days and she canceled the membership." (06:17) - Last year Delta announced a drastic increase in elite requirements in 2024 for the 2025 elite year. After a public outcry, they reduced the requirements so much that in 2024 it is easier than ever to earn Delta elite status. Read more about the (08:05) - Multiple elite levels... (13:44) - Besides paying big $ for flights, how can you get status? (19:02) - (23:03) - In summary, what are the easiest paths... (24:48) - Delta cards may be expensive but offer a lot of value Learn more about , and the (31:17) - What's the best way to do a long-haul holiday flight for a family with young children? See Visit 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
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Doing good and earning points with Kiva microloans | Coffee Break Ep33 | 11-12-24
11/12/2024
Doing good and earning points with Kiva microloans | Coffee Break Ep33 | 11-12-24
Kiva is a clearing house for microlenders to help them find funding for microloans. You don't earn interest on these loans, but this can be an interesting way to accumulate spend on reward cards without fees... (00:37) - Kiva is like a clearinghouse for microlenders to help them find funding Read more about Kiva loans here: (01:32) - You choose which loans to fund and how much to fund. (You do not earn interest. At best: 100% of money back.) But you can pay with credit card with no fee! (03:33) - How much $ can you float? (And how long can you float?) (04:22) - No guarantee of pay back (05:00) - Avg default rate: 1.82% (mine: 1.73%) (06:03) - Tool to make it easier to find safe loans: KivaLens Read about KivaLens here: And read about updates to KivaLens here: (06:40) - KivaLens gives you an ability to filter loan types (07:48) - KivaLens also gives you an ability to sort 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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1 Million Miles in 2 Weeks or Less | Frequent Miler on the air Ep280 | 11-8-24 | Podcast
11/08/2024
1 Million Miles in 2 Weeks or Less | Frequent Miler on the air Ep280 | 11-8-24 | Podcast
The SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promotion may turn out to be 2024's Deal of the Year. We just have to fly 15 SkyTeam airlines before the end of the year to earn 1 million miles. However, if for some reason SAS doesn't honor the promotion, they'll make it to our 2024 naughty list for sure. As you listen to this, Nick, Greg, and Stephen are in the air somewhere in the world trying to complete this promotion in 2 weeks or less. Learn all about the promotion and how we're going about tackling it in today's main event. (02:43) - A reader has a tip about the US Bank Travel Portal allowing AR point redemptions at 1.5c for Disney theme park tickets, at the Disney retail pricing... (04:34) - Trick for finding Finnair Avios award availability (06:44) - Opportunities to buy miles cheaply (can be great for people who can't get USA credit cards) (07:27) - (07:50) - Alaska/Hawaiian for 1.25c per mile (09:01) -What is Million Mile Madness? Follow the (15:39) - Hi FM Team, do you have any backup or contingency plans in place if one of your flights is cancelled or severely delayed? Good luck on your adventure! (19:12) - Departing soon? Best wishes to all the contestants (24:07) - Will there be a live wrap up show for the challenge? (26:50) - What have you done ahead of time for tight connections during your challenge? Like buying seats in the front of plane, familiarize the airport layout, etc… (31:11) - Which airline are you most and least looking forward to flying as part of the challenge? (37:11) - What is each contestant most confident they'll be the "best" at? (44:29) - I was trying to book a flight on AA using Alaska taking off in 2 days, and their website said that the itinerary is "too close to departure." Is this phantom award space? (46:05) - You know “player 2” is a common topic among the hobby. Would anyone here consider having their spouse joint one podcast explaining their thoughts of their significant other engaging in the hobby? (48:06) - My Hyatt globalist expires soon. Can/should I make bookings after expiration and guest of honor myself? (51:33) - Hawaiian biz card only offers 50k after $4k spend now (used to be 80k after $2k spend) Considering it may go away, should we jump on it now? (53:41) - Greg, Delta Amex companion certificates terms are very restrictive. Any best practices to find eligible fare class for non-holiday weekends far in advance? (54:58) - Is their a resource for which Hilton Resorts accept pre-payments? (55:47) - What is each contestant's personal mission? (1:00:44) - Does booking yourself a Hyatt GOH earning an additional elite night? (1:01:59) - Did you get confirmation that SAS will allow you to award the miles to the helpful readers? (1:02:41) - Do you think you'll run into each other during the challenge? (1:005:46) - The Amex Platinum card offer requires a lot of spend so one reader made an $11K estimated tax payment to meet that spend, but an agent later told them that kind of expense is not eligible for meeting spend requirement, outlining a few other ineligible expenses as well. Is this true? Visit 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
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How your Southwest Companion can fly for free | Coffee Break Ep32 | 11-5-24
11/05/2024
How your Southwest Companion can fly for free | Coffee Break Ep32 | 11-5-24
A Southwest Companion Pass can be massively valuable if you use it a lot. In this episode of Coffee Break, we'll break down how you can fly with a friend for free using the Southwest Companion Pass. (00:26) - Overview - read our (00:46) - What is the Southwest Companion Pass? (03:36) - What are the requirements to earn a Southwest Companion Pass? (04:28) - Which points count? (13:02) - Online Shopping for the Southwest Companion Pass through the Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal (14:25) - Hotel partners, or book hotels through Rocketmiles (15:03) - Rental Cars (15:09) - Referring businesses for SWABIZ (25K per business) Visit 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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