Stay ConnectedEarn 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.
Copyright: © Frequent Miler
Greg and Nick recently both flew the same Etihad First Class route between Paris and Abu Dhabi in the first class apartments. Greg flew the morning flight from Paris to Abu Dhabi and Nick flew the reverse, an evening flight. Which one was a better experience?
(00:51) - Why did Nick pick the evening flight that he picked?
(01:40) - When using American Airline miles, availability is tough.
(03:40) - What makes Etihad first class apartments special?
(06:33) - Greg thinks the route isn't long enough to enjoy all the perks if you're also trying to sleep.
(07:24) - Nick shares his experience with the evening/night flight.
(10:48) - Greg explains what he likes better about the more daytime version of this flight
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Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
Today we learn that we're all wrong about Wyndham, we discuss some miscellaneous tips to save on flights, we hear from someone who's traveling the world one day at a time, and much more...
(03:07) - "I got the Chase Ink Cash last summer and immediately tested to see if YouTube TV would qualify for the 5x Ultimate Rewards points. ...it didn't."
(05:07) - Use Walmart scan and go and it may code as an online grocery expense for 3x on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
(08:05) - One listener opened a card to get a better boarding position. What crazy thing(s) have Greg and Nick done when opening credit cards?
(11:40) - Apparently you can move points online from one Wells Fargo Autograph card to another, (and in that way, could covert cash back to transferable points.)
(14:42) - Correction about the 10% discount for the Wyndham Earner card. "For properties where the award can be booked online, Members who are Earner cardmembers must be logged into their Wyndham Rewards account and have enough points in their account to obtain the award at the pre-discounted redemption level."
(18:08) - Because you can often buy Wyndham points for under 1cpp (and a couple times now under 0.8cpp), is booking Vacasa rentals with Wyndham points really a way to get good value out of transferrable points for lodging?
(21:43) - "I have never heard you discuss and unsung benefit of the Platinum card (consumer at least). With select airlines Amex travel sometimes has a cheaper fare in premium cabins."
(27:23) - "On the most recent episode you shared some tips related to the AA aviator companion pass and just wanted to share some additional experiences..."
(34:12) - Sometimes airlines charge less per ticket when buying for multiple people vs. just 1 ticket. This listener has a datapoint to add.
(36:56) - "Each time after I book via Alaska ( because you cannot change your Alaska number on these bookings, not that I have found ) I get on American Airlines chat and add my American Airlines number for my Executive Platinum status benefits.."
(41:10) - "I don't hear people talk much about PointsYeah and tracking existing award tickets. I book a lot of domestic travel for my family where travel dates are fixed and times are limited. I have started tracking all my bookings with PointsYeah (like I do the cash fares with google flights) and I can't tell you how many points back I have received."
(44:45) - "I was listening to a recent episode and heard Greg talk about booking an American Airlines business class flight with connections in economy and being able to select Main Cabin Extra for no additional cost when using Alaska miles. I decided to try this with an AA premium economy flight I already booked for my mother and I using Alaska miles to Paris with a connection in Economy..."
(46:46) - "Your Question of the Week last week about whether there’s a minimum trip length for you to make a trip “worth it” inspired me to share my story..."
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've been gradually telling the "origin stories" of each team member in Frequent mIler. Today, we'll talk about how Tim came to join Frequent Miler.
(00:52) - How did Tim get started in miles and points?
(02:12) - Around 16 or 17, Tim and his brother planned out a series of roadtrips to try to see beyond their Midwestern home.
(06:24) - To prepare for his honeymoon years later, Tim volunteered for medical research studies to raise money. His goal: take his new wife to the top 5 places she wanted to see. (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, and Ireland.)
(09:10) - After all that travel, Tim and his wife ended up with a bunch of United miles. He started to learn a bit about miles when he attempted to use those United miles to fly home for the holidays.
(13:07) - Gradually, Tim started to learn more, starting with a Southwest credit card.
(14:14) - When Tim started entering the wine making industry, he started traveling more for work and had the opportunity to join an expensed trip to South Africa if he could get himself there. As a tall guy, he was motivated to figure out a way to fly business class.
(20:31) - Tim and his wife planned a trip to the Maldives, which got Tim even deeper into the hobby, especially when he sort of stumbled upon a type of mistake fare of sorts where his stay was earning points as though it were a paid stay.
(23:12) - In 2021, Tim was starting to tire of working in the wine industry and was itching for something new. His wife was helping him brainstorm his dream job and he said "I'd love to write for Frequent Miler." About a week later, he saw the job posting for a new author at Frequent Miler.
(27:34) - Nick and Greg shares their impression of Tim's application and interview.
(33:18) - So what does Tim get most excited about now, in the points and miles hobby?
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
This week we'll lean about the "ultimate life hack", we'll gripe about how we're being Bonvoyed every which way, and we'll debate: is the points and miles game dead?
(01:14) - Listeners respond to our "Points for the next generation" podcast Ep306 with some great life hacks...
You can find our "Points for the next generation" podcast Ep306 here.
(08:53) - Nick's schedule change story
Read more about Nick's schedule change story here.
(16:17) - The Blackjack Apprenticeship Podcast
Find our guest appearance on the Blackjack Apprenticeship podcast "AP Life Skills: Maximizing Your Edge with Credit Card Rewards" on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here...
(17:43) - Hilton 200K awards: See: Hashing out Hilton's Devaluation | Coffee Break Ep56 | 5-20-25 here
(18:45) - Bonvoyed: Marriott elites shouldn't expect suites
(22:02) - Marriott's Dearborn Inn Autograph Collection: No free breakfast for Platinum Elites
(25:16) - Citi Strata Premier, Prestige cashout drops to 0.75 (but with easy work-around)
(27:46) - Bilt: Reducing all non-Bilt cards to 0.5 pts/dollar (like Amex) when paying rent starting 6/21
(31:21) - St Pancras Chambers Club permanently closed
(33:57) - Virgin Atlantic award sale: Only 4,800 points to fly to/from UK through September 2025
(38:50) - Air France / KLM Flying Blue cuts redemption rates for 2026 Delta flights
(41:29) - Easy Money w/ ShopBack portal
Learn more about our Shopback portal promo here: https://frequentmiler.com/shopback-portal-promo-for-frequent-miler-readers-20-signup-bonus-20-when-spending-20-in-may/
(45:43) - New Kimpton Secret Password: “Social Sent Me”
(47:50) - Doomsday Events
(50:15) - On the other hand, welcome bonuses higher than ever
(51:58) - Category bonuses higher than ever
(54:00) - More opportunities for transferable points than ever before
(57:02) - Transfer bonuses very common
(59:27) - New award sweet-spots keep popping up all the time
(1:03:10) - Great tools make it easier to find awards
(1:10:09) - Valuable promotions pop up randomly
(1:17:45) - Do devaluations like Hilton's feel like a bigger deal to non-bloggers (who maybe have fewer 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.
Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
Without warning, Hilton increased its top standard room rate for many hotels, which follows a big increase in December last year. Most increased around 5K points, but some much more, especially at the high end.
(00:27) - Hilton increased top standard room rate for many hotels, which follows a big increase in December last year
(05:23) - A few examples for high end properties impacted
(06:30) - How serious of a devaluation is this?
(13:56) - Have we lost faith with Hilton?
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 today's episode we'll talk about how you can still book Emirate first class awards, we'll discuss Spirit Airlines is going premium, and we'll look at how you can prepare your kids for points and miles.
(01:29) - Does anyone else feel like American Express' customer service is above and beyond the rest?
(09:33) - Chase Instacart benefits on many cards
(17:07) - Buy Marriott Points for as low as 0.89 cents each (or maybe lower)
Read more about buying Marriott points here.
(23:33) - Emirates restricting first class availability to elite members from 5/12/25
(24:14) - Read about booking Emirates first class with Qantas or Air Canada miles here.
(27:43) - Too good to last: Rakuten stops offering rewards for Chase cards
(30:08) - Japan Airlines added as a new Bilt transfer partner
(32:23) - Combined Alaska/Hawaiian loyalty program now expected in August
(38:31) - Spirit updates
(47:57) - Sign up for airline accounts to earn miles now
(57:39) - How do you track all these accounts?
(1:04:29) - Help them build credit history
(1:10:13) - Help them build college savings
Read more about earning miles for college savings here.
Or find the best options for buying Gift of College gift cards here.
(01:18:52) - See our Plastiq guide here.
(1:22:15) - Help them build rewards balances & let them help you build yours
(1:23:06) - Help them build their credit card collection
(1:39:08) - Why isn't anyone talking about the Accor Signature Annual Membership given their airline transfer partners (many with a 1:1 ratio)?
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
How would we use that 100K bonus, and which vacation home rental platform has the best value? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on May 7th, 2025.
(03:54) - Hi! Q for Stephen: what’s your credit card strategy now that you’ve moved? For everyone: If you lived outside the US but could still have US credit cards, which cards would you keep?
(06:45) - Last month, y'all outlined how many cards you open each year- often 12-20. How many do you close each year?
(10:23) - I don’t know if I really want to know this answer (haha) but did anyone have luck with Atlantis after the Wyndham/Caesars status match deal went dead earlier this year?
(12:47) - Any news when we can book Philippine Airlines with Alaska miles? Any ideas to get more Alaska miles to book Philippine Airlines tickets?
(17:21) - Am going to book an Air France award ticket. Fees are $400+. If I use Amex Plat for this, will I get 5x? Will I get trip protection/insurance?
(18:38) - What is the best use of the recent 100K Chase point offering in terms of Flights overseas? Read our Best Use of Chase Ultimate Rewards points resource here.
(30:32) - Can you explain the expiration date reset if merging Avios from other programs with different expiration dates? Read our Avios expiration dates post here.
(32:14) - I was just bumped from an SQ J ticket that was booked as part of my RTW itinerary. Do you guys know what kind of compensation to ask for? They offered $525 USD and a Garuda Flight
(34:18) - Do authorized users of Ink Preferred or Sapphire be able to transfer points to their airline accounts?
(35:25) - Is the option to get both personal Hawaiian cards now dead? (I have both, but P2 does not have both yet)
(36:16) - Would Chase allow me to hold multiple Ritz Carlton cards simultaneously? If yes, how?
(38:07) - Which vacation home rental program do you recommend for its value?
(43:28) - Anyone get/use the Mesa card?
(45:03) - Any hidden gems in Puerto Rico that you guys would recommend? I have a trip coming up later this year that I haven't planned much for
(46:26) - What's the most memorable reaction you've seen from someone experiencing miles and points who wasn't used to it
(47:17) - Which cards does Greg actually use for travel and dining as opposed to the one-off benefits?
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 – “swappin’ back n’ forth” by up @ night
Takeaways:
In today's episode, we'll talk about how The Standard is coming to Hyatt...(but we're too old for it). Nick will enlighten Greg about the fact that Air France flies to French Polynesia, and we'll talk through our recent award booking stories.
(01:24) - A correction about the Delta Business Gold card (with a $150 hotel credit, not $200 as mentioned in the episode).
(02:23) - Would a speculative Discover Miles card be worth it for the 3x everywhere for the first year, with the chance that those all become transferable to C1 miles when the merger goes through?
(08:05) - Greg acquired Smartly 4% card, downgraded Chase Sapphire Reserve, and got approved for Chase Sapphire Preferred
(20:06) - Citi Rewards+ may be achievable for some
(22:54) - Cardless removes one card per lifetime limit
(24:10) - Qatar cards increased offers
(29:54) - Rakuten’s shopping portal has a great new trick | Coffee Break Ep55 | 5-5-25 (Earn Amex and Chase cards at once)
Check out the coffee break episode 55 here.
(34:52) - TPG: "Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred: A $95 annual fee showdown"
(37:57) - Hyatt integration of The Standard
(43:15) - Air Tahiti bookable via Flying Blue
(47:19) - Nick: Hilton free night extendable
(50:43) - Gondola no longer requires access to your email
(52:09) - Greg: Booked premium cabin flights to Japan for his son
Read more about this trip here.
(1:01:28) - Nick: Booked unexpected trip to Bora Bora
(1:18:54) - Greg: Booked lie-flat round trip to London for 3
(1:34:28) - Why do people choose to do all this work for travel rather than just cash back?
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
In today's episode, we'll talk about why we like the Rakuten shopping portal and also discuss a great new trick Rakuten has up its sleeve...
(00:42) - What is a shopping portal?
(01:15) - Choose cash back or Amex Membership Rewards points (must link Amex card)
(02:55) - Great refer-a-friend promos ($40/4K)
(04:08) - Frequent 10x, 15x, 20x promotions
(04:43) - Portal includes travel sites like IHG, Marriott, Choice, Hertz, Avis, Expedia, some airlines
(05:13) - Double dip with hotel / car rewards / airline miles etc.
(06:38) - In-store offers
(07:08) - NEW: read about new Rakuten credit card bonuses here.
(10:26) - Our Rakuten referral links:
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