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
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
In today's podcast episode we'll talk about Seats.aero enhancements, The Amex Green mystery, and credit cards that are rarely talked about but worth a look.
(00:46) - Mea Culpa re Marriott/Japan Airlines
(05:11) - Amex Green card intrigue
(10:44) - Nick's Bilt hotel experience
(15:29) - Chase offers: new terms about "abuse", which you can read about here
(17:56) - Transfer up to 60K points between Wyndham & Caesars through 9/11/26, which you can read about here
(21:24) - Citi may be adding JAL as a transfer partner, which you can read about here
(24:57) - Singapore Airlines now requires minimum of 1K miles to search for award flights which you can read about here
(27:49) - Qatar walks back restrictions for some elites, which you can read about here
(29:30) - Delta status match terms/condition I didn't know about
(31:50) - Seats.aero enhancements, which you can read more about here
(36:59) - Gondola updates
(40:27) - Reader Elliot gave us a request: "I've got a number of favorite credit cards that I virtually never hear talked about"
(41:12) - The favorites rarely discussed and what we think
(51:08) - Rakuten American Express® Card and what we think
(59:00) - The Wells Fargo Choice Privileges Mastercard Select and what we think
(1:02:07) - Casino cards like the MGM Rewards World Elite Mastercard®, Unity™ by Hard Rock Mastercard® Credit Card and Caesars Rewards® Visa Signature® Card (and what we think)
(1:09:02) - Which hidden gem cards did Elliot miss?
(1:10:36) - Can we name any other card that gives you 2 free checked bags? Read more about free checked bags via credit cards here
(1:15:52) - Others?
(01:32:57) - Check out our Best Offers Page for a database of credit card offers 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 – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
Greg's been thinking through how to handle the recent shutdown of his Wells Fargo checking account. Worried the shutdown would eventually impact his credit cards, he had to make a decision about where to transfer his points...
(01:30) - Greg's Wells Fargo shutdown
(08:54) - Reader tip
(13:03) - Nick's advice
(16:20) - Greg's decision
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
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
Does being an authorized user affect your eligibility for a new credit card offer? Reader Mike emailed us with this question:
My wife has the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and I am an authorized user. Now, I want to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for myself. Is being an authorized user on the card you want to apply for have any consequences?
We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Sunday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to mailbag@frequentmiler.com.
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
In today's episode, we'll talk about how Wells Fargo shut down Greg's checking account, we'll ask "Did Marriott devalue again?", and we'll look at the many ways to turn hotel status into airline status.
(01:12) - Rick shares a note about Bilt Cash at Walgreens
(04:25) - Chase Freedom Flex® dropping foreign transaction fees, but also losing cell protection
(06:22) - Capital One Shopping: 95% back at Instacart (new members)
(12:05) - Rove adds Qantas
Read more about Rove adding Qantas as a transfer partner here
(13:30) - Choice points on sale through July 20
(14:21) - Greg's Wells Fargo shutdown
Learn more about Greg's Wells Fargo shutdown here
(24:58) - Nick's Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables Blunders
(31:07) - FHR Las Vegas observances
(35:10) - Marriott devaluation... or not?
Read Stephen's thoughts about the supposed devaluation here
(37:43) - How to apply Marriott free night certs to upgraded rooms
Learn more about this here
(42:29) - First up: New Airline + Hotel partnerships
(42:58) - Read more about the Hyatt / Aeroplan partnership here
(53:00) - Read more about Marriott and Japan Airlines here: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-japan-airlines-launch-deeper-partnership-earn-bonus-points-get-status-match-earn-status-points-more/
(1:01:00) - Key hotel/airline match-ups (and other hotel/airline tie-ups)...
(1:16:35) - Special topic: Airline hotel portals
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
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
Bonvoy is the program we love... to hate. Having said that, we'd be lying if we said there were no redeeming features of this program. In this episode, we'll talk about the pros and cons of the Marriott Bonvoy program.
(00:58) - Pros
(06:53) - Cons
(11:50) - See our resource (or "matrix") for determining which Marriott card you may be eligible for 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 – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
What are our favorite USA destinations? If you go for the AA elite status as your Hyatt milestone benefit, when does the AA status expire? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on June 3rd, 2026.
(00:43) - Why does BILT still have “Coming Soon” for Blacklane and Blade BILT Cash redemptions after nearly 6 months? Sure feels like many of us are gonna have a glut of expiring, unusable BILT Cash at year’s end… *sigh*
(03:04) - What do you guys do for internet access on your phones when traveling abroad…pay for international service through your carrier, purchase a VPN, something else I maybe don’t know about? Haha
See our GigSky posts here: https://frequentmiler.com/tag/gigsky/
(11:41) - Curious what each of you would say are your top favorite Hyatt stays? I want to book a couple hotels for next year before Hyatt continues their devaluation rollout.
(17:44) - A question on credit card travel protections. If you use different credit cards for different parts of your trip (e.g., one for flights, another one for hotels, maybe a third for car rentals)
(19:04) - I’m now at 4/24, so I want to apply for the 100K Chase Sapphire Preferred card for myself. Is being an authorized user on the card you want to apply for have any negative consequences?
(20:25) - How does the Hyatt Milestone (100+ nights) reward for AA Platinum status for a year work? Does it give you LP to top you up to Platinum status? What’s the process after that to earn Platinum Pro?
(21:13) - Sorry if this has been asked before…..is there going to be another live podcast?? I really want to go if there will be another one! My vote is Omaha ;) Center of the country and not too far for anyone
(22:10) - Do you have any advice for upgrading from Club World to First class on British Airways? Can it be done with Avios, or cash? You guys are the best!!! Thanks for all you do.
(24:08) - On your latest coffee break, if you go for the AA elite status on your Hyatt milestone, when does the AA expire?
(27:08) - Do you have any tips for how to get a Business card NLL offer from Amex?
(31:40) - Then my question would be what are your favorite USA destinations? Wouldn’t that be a fantastic podcast?
See Stephen's post about underrated US destinations here: https://frequentmiler.com/6-underrated-states-to-visit-for-a-domestic-vacation/
(36:30) - What’s the summer /2026 challenge ? Can we get India involved as a destination/layover /Stopover?
(36:52) - For Stephen and Tim — looking for their thoughts on the BILT ecosystem currently and how they use the new 2.0 cards
(43:46) - Have any of you personally interacted with EES yet? How long was the delay leaving the eu? Is it less when leaving a smaller airport on a direct flight to a US destination?
(46:13) - Would love to hear the teams experience with the Atmos Summit card and reaching status.
(50:00) - Greg, what's the update for the Citi saga?
(51:29) - Do you use any app to manage and monitor all the credit cards and their benefits or just use excel sheet?
(56:00) - Stephen did you try the clam pizza?
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
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
On today's podcast episode, if you couldn't get enough of Basic Economy, don't worry! Delta has introduced Basic Business. We'll share a potential trick for getting 25,000 AA miles for free, and talk about Credit card Travel Credits: which are worthwhile and which are worthless.
(01:10) - Joaquin says, "One thing I haven’t considered before listening to you was to monitor the price of a hotel or flight after booking to cancel and rebook it if the price drops."
(07:40) - Delta introduces Basic Business (and Premium Select, and First)
(13:54) - Delta Stays is better than Greg thought
Read more about Delta Stays here
(17:23) - Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card OpenTables
(20:38) - Hilton expands partnership with Explora Journeys (luxury cruises)
(23:27) - Many premium cards come with travel credits to justify their annual fees.
We rank them...
(24:31) - General travel credits
(26:16) - Airfare & Airline Fee credits
(32:03) - Hotel credits
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
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
Greg earned a 3-night Hyatt milestone reward, which means he's faced with a choice of what to pick. He's got 90 days to pick that reward, but he's whittled away a lot of that time and now just has a few weeks left to decide.
(01:22) - 30 Night milestone rewards
(02:10) - Pick One: 2K Next Stay Award
(03:30) - Club Access Awards (2)
(04:22) - $25 FIND Experience Credit
(06:14) - 2 Preferred Seat Coupons on American Airlines
(07:19) - What should Greg pick?
(10:23) - Which Hyatt milestone rewards are best at each milestone?
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
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
Do we book speculatively, hoping for a schedule change? Reader "LR" sent us the following question:
"I was intrigued by a recent post about schedule changes in another group that I follow. This particular person noted that anytime United or AA makes a schedule change of any type, you can change your flight at no additional cost to your preferred route. Sometimes you may even have flexibility within several days of the original flight. So my question is, is this a tactic that you all use if you book flights far in advance? Pick the cheapest award price from one city to another, and then hope for a schedule change in order to change it to your preferred route? And then on an even more complicated note- have any of you had success following a schedule change, of changing from a flight in “first class (non-lay-flat seats)” to a different flight on “Delta One” or AA’s “flagship business” or United Polaris (etc, all of which have lay-flat seats)? I assume these are considered different classes and would require a fee upgrade. I’m trying to book flights home from Hawaii next March, and I’m wondering if this kind of tactic may work."
We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Sunday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to mailbag@frequentmiler.com.
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
This podcast episode is sponsored by Saily. Saily is an ESIM service app created by the security experts behind NordVPN. Instead of paying absurd daily rates to your home carrier or swapping SIM cards on arrival, Saily gives you flexible prepaid data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download Saily from your app store and use our code FREQUENTMILER at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. https://saily.com/frequentmiler
On today's episode, we'll see how the 5x airline card saga continues, Nick will give us more reasons to use the Southwest app, we'll hear some exciting news about Frontier, and we'll dive deep into Hyatt's devaluation.
(01:06) - More comments about our comments about there being "No airline cards offer 5x or more"
(03:41) - Points Boost is sometimes different between Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card & Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Card
(07:22) - Lifemiles+ eliminates free cancellation benefit for new subscribers
(11:35) - Alaska Wallet funds can now be used for AS companion fares again
(12:20) - Rove adds Frontier as a transfer partner
Read more about Frontier being added as a Rove transfer partner here
(15:30) - Nick's Southwest notes
(21:18) - Hyatt recently introduced new award charts. We dug into the numbers...
Read more about the changed value of Hyatt points here
(22:20) - 1. Median point value dropped ~10%
(23:10) - 2. Cherry-picked value dropped <10%
(24:34) - 3. It could have been much worse
(26:31) - 4. It will probably be much worse next year
(27:46) - 5. Points more valuable with certain brands
(30:37) - 6. Points less valuable with certain brands
(32:14) - 7. Points are less valuable at high end
(34:27) - 8. Points are more valuable at low end
(35:54) - 9. Many cities offer excellent value
(39:45) - 10. Singapore offers surprisingly poor value: 1.0
(40:47) - 11. Worst and best values barely budged
(41:52) - 12. Mr & Mrs Smith not as bad as we thought
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
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape.com/advertsing.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
