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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Alaska's fascinating premium Card Summer 2025 | Coffee Break Ep37 | 12-17-24
12/17/2024
Alaska's fascinating premium Card 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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Advanced Award Booking Techniques | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep279 | 11-1-24
11/01/2024
Advanced Award Booking Techniques | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep279 | 11-1-24
If you learn a few advanced tricks, you can book awards for less miles than you'd think, and for better products or flights than you might think as well. (01:07) - About our Coffee Break: Earn miles while saving and paying for college | Coffee Break Ep31 | 10-28-24 | Podcast See (01:36) - Giftcards dot com added fee - it still seems to be earning GCdotcom rewards, but might not last (02:14) - One reader says as of 2024, you can rollover 529s into Roth IRAs. Learn more about our ongoing challenge at (05:44) - Quick recap SAS Eurobonus allows points pooling (Read more about ) (06:52) - Stephen is all booked! Read (08:35) - Read (11:36) - Greg: "Speed and Style" Read (17:05) - Marriott Homes & Villas promo: Stay 2+ nights & spend $1k+ to earn 30K bonus points Read more about the (18:24) - Choice enhances program in 2025 Read about (20:19) - Virgin Atlantic's dynamic award pricing is live Read more about (23:03) - United increasing elite requirements for 2025 (24:41) - DOT Refund Rule (26:56) - JetBlue's excellent status match Find our episode about . (27:39) - Last minute bookings/changes (29:53) - Same day changes (32:09) - What is Skiplagging? (35:37) - Mix cabins for lower prices (39:25) - Start to End Distance based pricing (43:37) - Weird pricing (45:50) - Distance based award tricks... (51:59) - Avoid sucky programs (1:01:33) - How can I time an Amex Platinum consumer card downgrade to gold card in order to get maximum credits from each, and what happens if I upgrade again later... would I get the benefits again? 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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Earn miles while saving and paying for college | Coffee Break Ep31 | 10-28-24
10/29/2024
Earn miles while saving and paying for college | Coffee Break Ep31 | 10-28-24
In today's coffee break, we'll talk about how to earn miles while saving for, and paying for college. There are mileage earning strategies for contributing to college savings, paying for college, or paying towards student loans. (01:23) - Use rewards credit cards to buy "gift of college" gift cards Read more about : (02:26) - Best options for buying Gift of College gift cards (06:06) - Best online option for buying Gift of College gift cards Visit here (07:56) - Use either of above to earn welcome bonuses with ANY card (08:37) - The Great Double Dip for earning while saving for college, and then again while spending for college 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 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep278 | 10-25-24
10/25/2024
Million Mile Madness 2024 | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep278 | 10-25-24
Have you heard about our newest team challenge yet? The good news is we have some prizes to share this time, and the bad news is...it is proving to be way more challenging than expected! (01:25) - One reader sends their appreciation for the fresh look of our podcast on YouTube. (02:47) - You can find (03:41) - Waived award redemption fees / surcharges, even on one-way tickets – with Cardless Qatar Card (08:02) - Citi adds Preferred Hotels iPrefer at 1:4 ratio [new transfer partner] (13:24) - Amex launches 200K Biz Gold / 250K BizPlat referral offers Learn more about the Learn more about the (17:42) - Hawaiian Business Card duplicate account number issue resolved...and more thoughts about Hawaiian / Alaska merger (21:15) - Chase reduces travel protections (31:45) - What crazy thing . . . .did Air France do this week? (36:37) - Transfer bonuses from Citi to Virgin and Wyndham: Yay or nay? (39:23) - Million Mile Madness! Find out more about (40:20) - SAS EuroBonus Millionaire basics... (42:29) - Is the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promo worth it? (52:12) - Million Mile Madness 2024 - how you can participate and what you could win! (1:03:08) - Stephen's challenge status so far... Help (1:05:14) - Nick's challenge status so far... Help . (1:09:51) - Read our post on . (1:12:25) - . (1:15:44) - Greg's challenge status so far... Help . (1:26:15) - Check out . (1:28:08) - What are some best practices to make sure points don't expire? 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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AA vs Alaska: Which miles are more valuable? | Coffee Break Ep30 | 10-22-24
10/22/2024
AA vs Alaska: Which miles are more valuable? | Coffee Break Ep30 | 10-22-24
In a lot of ways, American Airlines and Alaska are similar programs - both in the One World alliance for example, with some reciprocal elite benefits as well. But they're plenty different as well. We'll discuss how these programs differ and why you mind find one better than the other. (00:26) - Comparing AA to the new Alaska program (starting 1/1/25) (00:34) - American Airlines and Alaska are Similar programs in a lot of ways... (01:48) - Why AA miles might be more valuable... (05:30) - Why Alaska miles may be more valuable... (08:36) - Free stopover on one-way award Learn : https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-book-alaska-mileage-plan-stopover-awards-video/ (10:57) - So which one do we think is best? 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 Airline's Exciting Mileage Plan Enhancements | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep277 | 10-18-24
10/18/2024
Alaska Airline's Exciting Mileage Plan Enhancements | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep277 | 10-18-24
Alaska Airlines is making some big changes in 2025! We'll talk about why we think these changes are exciting...(and will share an exciting announcement of our own!) (01:20) - Greg was recently curious about if the Hawaiian Miles personal card would be getting elevated offers and one reader says the answer is yes! Check your emails for higher offers! Listen to our : https://frequentmiler.com/podcast-alaska-hawaiian-airlines-wedding-planning-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep269-8-23-24/ (03:25) - Fly 15 SkyTeam airlines (and credit to SAS or redeem SAS miles) by end of year and get 1 MILLION MILES... you all had ideas for us related to this challenge... (05:29) - Greg's post "" (Read the post here: https://frequentmiler.com/catching-up-on-2-weeks-of-big-miles-points-news) (07:04) - For the first time ever, the FM team will do 2nd challenge within 1 year...and we want you to participate! Read more about our : https://frequentmiler.com/start-your-engines-for-frequent-miler-million-mile-madness/ (19:47) - Alaska / Hawaiian transfers live (22:28) - Spirit Airlines adds free WiFi and ditches award fees for Free Spirit members. (23:56) - Virgin Atlantic to go to dynamic award pricing - companion and upgrade vouchers may become more usable (28:33) - Choice Privileges max award pricing for Preferred Hotels reduced from 118k to 87k. Only 9 out of 310 are currently priced 80K or higher. Meanwhile, 68 properties are priced 30K or lower. (30:43) - Bilt adds Accor Live Limitless and TAP Air Portugal as transfer partners. (36:18) - Marriott & Aeroplan launch reciprocal status match opportunity. (42:42) - Huge mostly positive changes to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan coming 2025... Read more about the e: https://frequentmiler.com/alaska-mileage-plan-updates-earn-status-with-award-flights-credit-cards-shopping-portal-spend-more-other-changes/ (43:03) - Earning Elite Status with Alaska Airlines (53:59) - Mileage Plan Milestones (1:04:46) - Other changes (1:13:11) - Some more negative changes (1:15:14) - Summary of our assessments (1:17:46) - Someone wrote in asking if the Alaska changes change our mind about whether it makes sense to earn Alaska miles when paying rent through Bilt 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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Hyatt's partnership with AA: Deepened or Devalued? | Coffee Break Ep29 | 10-15-24
10/15/2024
Hyatt's partnership with AA: Deepened or Devalued? | Coffee Break Ep29 | 10-15-24
Recently news broke that Hyatt and American Airlines plan to change their partnership with each other. Was the partnership "deepened" like we suggested when we , or was it "devalued" ? (Or is it somehow both?) (00:41) - Read our post (02:49) - What is the current Hyatt / AA relationship like? (Until 12/31/24) (03:39) - New AA benefits for Hyatt elites... (08:33) - Comparing Old vs New (13:27) - Stephen's thoughts (14:21) - Nick's thoughts (16:57) - Greg't thoughts 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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How Nick booked his baller family of 4 round the world adventure featuring Taylor Swift in Europe, a free Mediterranean cruise, tropical beaches in Mauritius, and DisneySea in Japan | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep276 | 10-11-24
10/11/2024
How Nick booked his baller family of 4 round the world adventure featuring Taylor Swift in Europe, a free Mediterranean cruise, tropical beaches in Mauritius, and DisneySea in Japan | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep276 | 10-11-24
In today's episode, we'll look at how Nick booked his baller family of 4 a round-the-world adventure featuring Taylor Swift in Europe, a free Mediterranean cruise, tropical beaches in Mauritius, and DisneySea in Japan! (01:28) - Beware of agents erroneously telling you your free night certificate is not applicable at SLH properties! (05:30) - What is this segment even about? (And how should you evaluate opportunities?) (11:42) - Amex airline fee reimbursements Learn more about (19:05) - Read more about (22:22) - Getting to Europe on JetBlue in Mint (business) class via Qatar Avios Read how to book (27:25) - Getting around Europe (35:04) - “Free” MSC cruise from Venice to Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, and Italy Read how to get (39:45) - Venice to Paris: Air France Business Class via Virgin Atlantic for 9,000 points + ~$22 each (45:19) - Big Air Canada Aeroplan award from Paris to Japan (1:01:40) - Train to Tokyo (1:10:49) - Tokyo to Hawaii to New York (1:24:45) - Amex Gold card now has a coupon for a $7 Dunkin' credit. Does it work for Baskin Robins too? 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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Chase Ink Business Premier | Card Talk Ep9 | 10-10-24
10/10/2024
Chase Ink Business Premier | Card Talk Ep9 | 10-10-24
Not to be confused with the Preferred card, the Chase Ink Business Premier card is different in a few very important ways - most notably, it is a charge card and does not transfer directly to travel partners. (00:10) - The Chase Ink Business Premier is quite different from the Chase Ink Business Preferred, discussed in (01:28) - This is a Visa Signature Business Charge Card (02:23) - Earning with the Chase Ink Business Premier card (02:53) - Points are best used by cashing out (unlike other Chase Ink cards, which earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to partners.) (05:37) - Purchase protections include Cell phone protection (up to $1K per claim) and Travel protections (06:58) - Watch our video tutorial for or read . 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 – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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Is the Maldives worth it? | Ask Us Anything Ep70 | 10-2-24
10/08/2024
Is the Maldives worth it? | Ask Us Anything Ep70 | 10-2-24
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 originally aired on October 2, 2024. Greg was busy vacationing, but the rest of the gang answered a broad range of listener questions about points, miles, and rewards cards. (00:35) - Is the Maldives worth it? (06:25) - Nick, how painful will the virgin dynamic pricing be? (08:03) - Is anyone finding it harder to use debit cards for money orders? (10:45) -Why is award availability to Asia so bad right now, and is there any relief in sight? (15:13) - Which US airport hub do you like to transit through (ie ease of traveling through terminal, number of connecting destinations, lounge access, etc) (18:40) - Miles and Earn Burn is saying that the recently AMEX Biz Gold to Plat upgrade offer links may not be "safe" to use. What is your take? (20:44) - When do you think the strata elite or wells beyond will come out? (24:37) - In general, what services do you rec for big or ongoing purchases that don’t usually take credit cards? Other than the % fee, should we be careful using these services? (29:40) - Delta Amex companion certificates terms are very restrictive. Any best practices to find eligible fare class for non-holiday weekends far in advance? Read Greg's post about companion certificates here: Watch our How To video about using Delta Companion Certificates here: (31:42) - What has been the most outstanding deal so far in 2024 and will you do a coffee break if an outstanding deal happens? (36:33) - Hi FM Team, what was your most difficult / challenging travel experience and what did you learn from it? (49:25) - What do you guys think about Aero plan card in the context of them extending the PYB for travel at 1.25 Cpp especially with possible transfer bonus from Chase. Good way to cash Chase UR Points ? (51:32) - Does Amex allow stacking of offers? Specifically, looking to stack a $100 credit with a 15k MR point bonus for a Leading Hotels resort in Rome. The hotel is listed on both Amex offers. Thanks (52:47) - If the Barclays Aviator red converts to Citi Strata, can I product change to a Custom cash and immediately apply for Citi Strata for the SUB? (54:10) - Is there any airline proram where if i buy my ticket with miles I can still earn miles? TY 4 all you do! 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.
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10 Best and 5 Worst uses of ThankYou Rewards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep275 | 10-4-24
10/04/2024
10 Best and 5 Worst uses of ThankYou Rewards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep275 | 10-4-24
Last week we talked about , but now we'd like to discuss some of the best (and worst) ways you can use your Citi ThankYou Rewards. Catch last week's episode about (01:17) - In a recent podcast Greg stated that United hadn’t before offered discounted business class awards to elites. One listener writes in with a correction that Platinum and 1K have had expanded access to saver awards in business class. (04:06) - How to evaluate credit card welcome bonus offers Compare all (11:57) - Counting down the best uses of ThankYou Rewards from least favorite to most favorite... Learn more about the (13:40) - 10. Transfer to Wyndham to book Vacasa, Cottages, etc. (15:30) - 9. Transfer to Emirates. Book Emirates 1st class for 102K (JFK to Milan, or Newark to Athens) Learn (17:19) - 8.Transfer to Turkish to book 10K one-way to/from Hawaii (18:12) - 7.Virgin: fly AF/KLM Business class to Europe starting at 48,500; also intra-Europe as low as 4K (19:55) - 6.Transfer to Avianca LifeMiles to book business class to Europe for 70K without surcharges (LifeMiles+) (22:11) - 5.Transfer to Choice 1 to 2. Book Nordic hotels, Japan, Preferred, etc. (24:19) - 4.Transfer to Leaders Club. Book Leading Hotels of the World for 1.6cpp (25:24) - 3.Transfer to Qatar Avios. Book Qatar QSuites for 70K Learn more about (27:30) - 2.Transfer to EVA Air Infinity MileageLands. One-way business class flights from the US to Taipei cost 75K to 80K miles (30:27) - 1.Transfer to Qatar Avios then to Iberia. Book Iberia biz class from east coast to Spain for 34K off-peak or 50K peak (33:42) - BEST USE: Transfer to Flying Blue. Book Air France/KLM biz class to Europe for 50K Learn more about (36:31) - Find out about (40:18) - WORST 5: Counting down from best of the worst to worst of the worst (40:34) - 5.Buy gift cards (41:46) - 4.Book travel through Citi (43:46) - 3. Transfer to AeroMexico (or transfer to ANY program to book low-value award) (44:59) - 2. Pay with Points (0.8 cpp value) (46:44) - 1. Shop with Points (usually: 0.8 cpp value) (49:38) - Do you have tips about rental car programs and how to maximize value with car rental rewards? 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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US Bank Altitude Connect | Card Talk Ep8 | 10-3-24
10/03/2024
US Bank Altitude Connect | Card Talk Ep8 | 10-3-24
This is one no-fee, cash back card that's worth talking about because of a few unique features, which we'll discuss in today's Card Talk. (00:34) - Basic details of the US Bank Altitude Connect card Read more about . (01:19) - Other (more unique) card perks (like complimentary Priority Pass Select with 4 free visits) Learn more about the . (03:23) - This card also comes with up to $100 in credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (03:40) - US Bank Altitude Connect also comes with "GigSky" through November 15, 2025. GigSky advertises that you can "stay connected in over 125 countries with complimentary GigSky global mobile data plans." (08:11) - Important note: points cannot be moved from the Altitude Connect card to the Altitude Reserve card 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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How to book the world's greatest hotels with points | Coffee Break Ep28 | 10-1-24
10/01/2024
How to book the world's greatest hotels with points | Coffee Break Ep28 | 10-1-24
We all get especially excited when we use our points for knock-your-socks-off hotel properties. The Travel and Leisure's Top 100 list can be a useful way to get ideas about which properties have this wow-factor. Every year, Greg likes to go through this list and find which hotels can be reasonably booked with points. In this episode, he'll discuss his findings. (00:49) - The Best Points-Bookable Hotels in the World (2024) [based on Travel & Leisure Top 100] See Greg's (03:40) - How to book the Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG hotels (04:43) - How to book Hilton/SLH hotels (06:13) - Leading Hotels of the World / Leaders Club Learn more about (08:02) - See our (10:09) - Choice Privelages and Preferred Hotels (13:42) - The Citi Rewards+ advantage 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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How to Amass Citi ThankYou Rewards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep274 | 9-27-24
09/27/2024
How to Amass Citi ThankYou Rewards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep274 | 9-27-24
We've been talking a lot lately about such as transferring to Leading Hotels of the World, but how do you accumulate these points? That's what we'll talk about in today's episode of Frequent Miler on the Air. (01:20) - During Ask Us Anything, Greg said that Amex to Hilton transfer bonus would have to be 70% to match standard Chase to Hyatt transfer value. One reader thought of a situation where a 1.7 cents per point value could be reached via Bilt to Virgin Atlantic 125% transfer bonus for Platinum members. Watch our recent (07:53) - Hilton Aspire resort credit-eligible hotel list shrinks Read more about (09:29) - Targeted 120,000 Membership Rewards points Business Platinum upgrade offers Read more about (13:36) - Venture X and Venture X Business Cards: Hertz President's Circle status NOT ending 12/31. Read more about , and (14:50) - What crazy thing did Nick and Greg do? (They missed the 70K Hawaiian card bonus change to 50K, hours before discussing it on the podcast.) (15:10) - Listen to our conversation about (17:21) - What crazy thing did Barclays do? (21:15) - Targeted IHG double elite night credits on up to 2 stays through 12/31/24 () (28:01) - Wells Fargo Rewards® points now transfer to Virgin (29:02) - Targeted Avianca LifeMiles sale - 200% bonus (through MONDAY 9/30) () (31:46) - AA Targeted promo to get Loyalty Points when spending AA miles (32:37) - Melio business bill payment service now has paid membership tiers (35:28) - Pepper Rewards adds point history and pending point information . (39:23) - Spirit updates, including removing redemption fees and free wifi for Gold members (40:55) - ThankYou Rewards quick overview and basics Find out about . (46:23) - Welcome bonuses Learn more about the . Learn more about , and (50:54) - Earn through spend... (1:01:02) - Targeted Bonuses (1:02:44) - Retention Bonuses (1:07:19) - 2 person (or "2 player") strategy (1:10:10) - A reader won 50K American Airline miles from a work event and is considering accumulating more... 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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Citi tires of throupling. Will AA & Citi go exclusive? | Card Talk Ep7 | 9-26-24
09/26/2024
Citi tires of throupling. Will AA & Citi go exclusive? | Card Talk Ep7 | 9-26-24
There are two issuers of American Airline's credit cards - Citi and Barclays. But recent reports suggest American Airlines may be considering an exclusive arrangement with Citi as their only credit card issuer. (00:10) - Citi is in talks with American Airlines to become the sole issuer of American Airlines credit cards. Read more about the And read . (01:33) - Why might this be bad news? Read more about (05:10) - Why might this be good news? (08:58) - What should we do now to get ready for a Citi-only American Airlines credit card world? Read more about (13:09) - Read 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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Citi's transfer bonus to Leading Hotels of the World | Coffee Break Ep27 | 9-24-24
09/24/2024
Citi's transfer bonus to Leading Hotels of the World | Coffee Break Ep27 | 9-24-24
Leading Hotels of the World is a hotel loyalty program with loose affiliation to 400 luxury hotels around the world. You may recognize the name from Greg's recent post about the . (00:07) - What is Leading Hotels of the World Read Greg's recent post about the (01:35) - Citi standard Transfer to Leading Hotels of the World (02:35) - Leading Hotels of the World Details (and "Leader's Club" points) (04:05) - Greg's experience sampling Leading Hotels of the World using Citi ThankYou Rewards Read about (06:41) - Learn more about (07:41) - Who do we think this Citi transfer bonus is (and isn't) for? 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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Winning the Alaska x Hawaiian Airlines Merger | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep273 | 9-20-24
09/20/2024
Winning the Alaska x Hawaiian Airlines Merger | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep273 | 9-20-24
Alaska has announced that their merger with Hawaiian Airlines is complete! So what are the details, and what does this mean for us? We'll discuss this in today's episode. (01:36) - What's with the stupid virus pop-up on our website? (03:40) - Greg's update on the Pacific Northwest Points Travel Festival and some of the folks he met (09:04) - Read about 10-year old Walker's ! (11:57) - Learn more about . (12:50) - Big offers from Delta, Amex Marriot, IHG and more... Read more about Read more about the Read more about . Read more about the (25:22) - Read (30:00) - Read more about (31:39) - Read (33:14) - Read . (33:39) - Chase 50% transfer bonus to Marriott through 11/15. Learn more about . (37:15) - Rental car deals with Avis and National... (42:42) - Citi Transfer bonuses through Oct 19 Learn more about . Learn more about . (44:28) - Hilton adds over 100 additional SLH properties Read more about . (46:59) - In case you missed it, you can find our . (47:26) - Read more about . (47:54) - Quick facts (48:20) - Earn and redeem miles across both airlines (early 2025) (48:31) - Single loyalty program coming (Details mid 2025) (49:09) - Huaka'i by Hawaiian (for Hawaii residents) (50:16) - Seamless miles transfer (52:14) - We still have questions! (57:39) - Listen to . (1:01:39) - What are the short term opportunities to consider? (1:03:27) - Combine Alaska miles into one account for free! (1:06:10) - Apply now for Hawaiian Airlines cards before its too late...orr wait for better last-gasp offers? Learn more about the , and . (1:25:43) - A reader used their Amex Platinum to pay for the tax on an award ticket, then got a charge for trip delay. Doesn't this card already have travel delay covered, though? 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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Chase Ink Business Unlimited | Card Talk Ep6 | 9-19-24
09/19/2024
Chase Ink Business Unlimited | Card Talk Ep6 | 9-19-24
Learn about what makes the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card a popular business card, and learn how to apply. (00:10) - Learn more about the . (00:24) - Quick facts about the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card (00:43) - Chase Ink Business Unlimited earning rate: 1.5X on all purchases (01:17) - Sometimes you can earn more on specific categories: Currently you can earn 5X on Lyft through March 2025 for example (01:38) - Who can sign up for a business card like this? Learn about . (02:40) - The Chase Ink Business card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (03:15) - This card has slightly more lenient rules than other Chase 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 – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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Debate: 30% Amex to Hilton Transfer Bonus. Should we do it? | Coffee Break Ep26 | 9-17-24
09/17/2024
Debate: 30% Amex to Hilton Transfer Bonus. Should we do it? | Coffee Break Ep26 | 9-17-24
There's a 30% transfer bonus through September 30th from American Express to Hilton. This means during the transfer bonus, 1,000 points would. become 2,600 Hilton points. Is this a good transfer bonus? Greg and Nick debate that point in today's Coffee Break. (00:26) - Quick facts about the transfer bonus... (01:28) - Past bonuses (02:10) - Nick says "No" to the 30% Hilton bonus (07:55) - Greg says "Yes" to the 30% Hilton transfer bonus (12:23) - But what about the "joy of free"? Read our post about . (14:24) - Conclusion 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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