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
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
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Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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 previous episode where Greg talked about the Bilt buy house benefit here.
Read more about the Bilt Buy House benefit here.
(02:42) - Greg's latest experience booking Preferred hotels with Choice points
See the previous episode here.
(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
Read more about Alaska Airlines launching premium card here.
(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?
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"?)(
Read more about the AA / Citi news here.
(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 recent podcast about credit card predictions here.
(06:01) - Are AA miles valuable now?
(07:27) - Will AA miles be valuable later?
(10:56) - Should you get the Aviator Red now?
Learn more about the AviatorRed card here.
(14:07) - Should you upgrade to the Aviator Silver?
(19:11) - Listen to our podcast episode about amassing Citi ThankYou Rewards here.
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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 end of year checklist for 2024 here.
(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? Check out our post here.
(24:48) - Remember to time your SouthWest companion pass properly Read our Complete Guide to the SouthWest companion pass here.
(28:37) - Marriott Bonvoy: Easiest option is Bonvoy Brilliant, but you can read about the many other options here.
(44:11) - Use airline incidental credits by December
(47:42) - Platinum $200 calendar year. See Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works?
(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 this status match ending here.
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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 Learn more about the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Card here.
(02:15) - Citi Prestige Learn more about the Citi Prestige card here.
(04:43) - Capital One Venture One card
(08:02) - Ritz Card Learn more about the Ritz Card here.
(09:57) - US Bank Altitude Reserve Learn more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve card here.
Read about updates to the US Bank Altitude Reserve applications here.
(13:05) - Barclays Aviator Silver? Learn more about the Barclays Aviator Silver card here: https://frequentmiler.com/aviatorsilver/
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
Read about changes to casino status-matching for free cruises here.
(09:38) - Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card: Up to 120K miles
Read more about this card bonus here.
(12:10) - Bonvoy Brilliant cardholder “Luxury Experience Rate” at participating properties
Read more about this new Luxury Experience Rate here.
(16:09) - Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash: 24-month extended warranty
Read moe about the Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash 24-month extended warranty here.
(17:11) - U.S. Bank Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cashback
Read more about the US Bank Smartly card here.
(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 Coffee Beak Episode about Kiva loans here.
PayPal Giving Fund Fundraiser Hub.
(39:25) - Transferable points programs keep expanding
(43:42) - Award chart sweetspots live on
Find AA's excellent partner award chart here.
(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 how-to video for Rooms.aero here.
(1:06:26) - When you get a new card, what's the checklist of tasks you do to keep it all organized?
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
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! Cast your vote here!
(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.
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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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 best current credit card offers here.)
(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 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
United recently announced an increase in elite requirements for 2025. 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 easy path to Delta elite status here.
(08:05) - Multiple elite levels...
(13:44) - Besides paying big $ for flights, how can you get status?
(19:02) - Delta Status match, which you can read more about here.
(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 the Delta Platinum card here, and the Delta Reserve card here.
(31:17) - What's the best way to do a long-haul holiday flight for a family with young children?
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: https://frequentmiler.com/why-i-love-kiva-for-earning-rewards-and-doing-good/
(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: http://www.kivalens.org/
And read about updates to KivaLens here: https://frequentmiler.com/kivalens-resurfaces-better-than-before/
(06:40) - KivaLens gives you an ability to filter loan types
(07:48) - KivaLens also gives you an ability to sort
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Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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