From dirt-cheap awards to Hawaii to nearly-free airport parking and the best free airport tours worldwide, this week we discuss the top travel hacks learned from past frequent miler challenges as we prepare to set off on our latest such challenge.

3:00 Giant Mailbag

8:30 3 Cards 3 Continents 3 Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

20:22 Main Event: Top travel hacks learned from past Frequent Miler challenges

20:33: 7.5K miles to Hawaii

https://frequentmiler.com/7-5k-each-way-to-hawaii-with-turkish-miles-and-smiles/

25:13 United Excursionist Perk

https://frequentmiler.com/maximizing-and-understanding-united-excursionist-perks/

31:16 Czech Airways from Prague to Seoul

32:14 Hong Kong to London for 12.5K miles

35:00 Free airport tours and hotels

https://frequentmiler.com/the-best-stopover-deals-worldwide/

37:50 Trip to New York for $19 per day / cheap airport parking

https://frequentmiler.com/my-19-new-york-city-challenge/

41:40 Manual bookings through Avianca LifeMiles

https://travellingtheworld.boardingarea.com/2016/09/book-lifemiles-awards-not-available-online/

https://frequentmiler.com/when-lifemiles-com-shows-no-availability-try-a-manual-booking/

Want ultra-luxury perks like lounge access and elite status at a bargain-basement price? This week, Greg and Nick discuss how to get the most bang for your buck by maximizing annual credits on your ultra-premium credit cards.

1:21 GIant Mailbag

5:47 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

15:22 Awards we booked this week

19:45 What crazy thing....did Amex do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/12-transfer-bonuses-from-amex-membership-rewards/

30:00 Mattress Running the Numbers: Craftsy through SimplyMiles https://frequentmiler.com/stack-craftsy-offers-for-small-profit-4050-american-airlines-miles-loyalty-points/

37:34 Luxury Perks for Free (After Rebate)

38:46 Capital One Venture X card 46:50 Amex Platinum Card

1:24:22 Amex Business Platinum

1:38:55 Amex Hilton Aspire card

1:46:44 Question of the Week: Is it worth transferring speculatively (given the transfer bonuses available) if you know which programs you often use?

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Music credit: Annie Yoder

Hyatt's top-tier Globalist elite status is easy to want, but it seems difficult to get. This week, we talk hacks to get you there faster.

1:14 Giant Mailbag

4:30 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

14:22 What crazy thing....did IHG do this week? 18:39 What crazy thing...did Nick do this week?

25:30 Awards we booked this week

29:46 Mattress running the numbers: Buying Hyatt points for 1.68c per point

33:38 Main Event: Elite status Hyatt Hacks

https://frequentmiler.com/shortcuts-to-hyatt-elite-status/

38:30 World of Hyatt Credit Cards

43:56 Promotions (Current promo = double elite nights with new business card and current Bonus Journeys)

49:40 Challenges

56:50 Partnerships (SLH, MGM)

1:02:58 Hosting meetings

1:04:32 Mattress runs

1:09:37 Friends & Family

1:14:01 Is it worth going after Globalist status given Guest of Honor, ways to book suites, and Hyatt Prive?

https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-get-top-tier-hyatt-elite-benefits-without-status/

https://frequentmiler.com/getting-the-elite-experience-without-elite-status-via-luxury-partner-programs/

1:25:23 Question of the Week: Are nonrefundable rates more attractive if using a card with good travel protections?

1:05 Giant Mailbag: How to find and book awards on Virgin Atlantic's website

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIh2Bosgas8&lc=Ugw-T8OXIc04QG7G0cp4AaABAg

3:41 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 1 update

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

9:58 Awards we booked this week 1

9:16 Mattress running the numbers: Winc Wines AA Loyalty Point Mileage Run

https://frequentmiler.com/stackable-aadvantage-offer-2500-miles-and-4-bottles-of-wine-for-10/

22:41 What crazy thing....did Marriott Bonvoy do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/rumor-mid-tier-marriott-cards-may-be-coming-next-month/

26:26 Main Event: New Marriott Cards are Coming (Probably) https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-gregs-bountiful-bevy-of-brilliant-predictions/

1:07:22 Question of the Week: How can I find Hyatt properties by category or location?

https://frequentmiler.com/want-to-see-hyatts-full-footprint-theres-a-map/

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Music credit: Annie Yoder

Our two favorite Amex transfer partners offer access to a wide array of awards that make for fascinating possibilities, whether great award chart values or flexible routing rules or a lot more. This week, we debate which is best from a wide range of angles.

00:51 Giant Mailbag: Watch out for "free" award cancellations 6:36 Mattress running the Numbers: 14K Wyndham points with a 3-night stay 12:07 Awards we booked this week 19:38 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates 32:42 Main Event: Which is the best Amex transfer partner -- Air Canada Aeroplan or ANA? 34:48 Transfer time 39:28 Award Charts 44:58 One-way awards 49:24 Fuel surcharges 55:32 Partner airlines 1:01:32 Stopovers 1:04:30 Award space for their own members 1:06:32 Change fees 1:08:10 Mileage Expiry 1:12:19 Lap infant fees 1:20:23 Question of the Week: Is Plastiq ever worth it for the 2.85% fee?  Join our email list: frequentmiler.com/subscribe Music credit: Annie Yoder

Friends don't let friends pay full price for hotels. Here are some of the tools we use to slice and dice the price of lodging.

00:44 Giant Mailbag: Pop-up averted over the phone

4:14 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

15:34 What crazy thing....did Marriott Bonvoy do this week? When it says you can't use suite night awards, maybe that's not true . . .

23:45 Mattress running the numbers: Buying IHG points for 0.5c each

https://frequentmiler.com/buy-ihg-points/

28:53 Main Event: Extreme hotel savings

29:40 Buying points on sale 36:45 Specialty rates

40:46 Card-linked offers (Chase Offers, Amex Offers, SimplyMiles, etc)

https://frequentmiler.com/card-linked-programs-the-networks-they-run-on-aka-which-programs-stack/

43:44 Portals

49:14 Membership sites (Capital One Spring, Greyhound, etc)

https://frequentmiler.com/capital-one-spring-priceline-save-hotels/

52:25 Hotels.com stacking

54:25 Best Rate Guarantees

1:01:16 Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle

1:03:48 Wyndham business to Caesars to Free room

1:05:12 Follow sites for deeply discounted prices

1:07:20 Question of the Week: Do you have an update on American Airlines Loyalty Points?

https://frequentmiler.com/american-airlines-loyalty-points-game-update-halfway-through-whos-in-front/

Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Music credit: Annie Yoder

Want to sleep cheap in the city that never sleeps? Using hotel points can save you a boatload on your next New York City vacation, but not all award options are created equally. This week, Greg and Nick discuss your best bets.

00:58 Giant Mailbag Double Header (First up: IHG welcome bonus free night not top-off-able)

03:56 Marriott free night certificates extendable after all 9:39 What crazy thing...did IHG do this week?

14:39 Mattress running the numbers: Locking in the 20% back Marriott offer for good rates in the future and abroad

21:27 Awards we booked this week

25:33 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates

30:20 Main Event: The best free nights in the Big Apple

31:38 Hilton

38:00 Hyatt

45:50 IHG

51:35 Marriott

1:03:25 Choice

1:07:46 Wyndham

1:09:33 Radisson

1:14:48 Can you get off a cruise ship early to fly home?

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Music credit: Annie Yoder

As we plan for our 3 Cards, 3 Continents dream trips, we can't quite have it all. There have been dreams we've had to put on hold for future trips and this week Greg and Nick discuss a couple of those fantastic trips they hope to take one day but couldn't fit into this challenge.

00:45 Giant Mailbag: Chase reconsideration success

4:00 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/tag/3cards3continents/

16:45 What crazy thing.....did IHG and Chase do this week?

https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-premier-140k-welcome-offer-free-night-certificate-cant-be-topped-off/

21:08 Awards we booked this week

25:03 Main Event: The dream trip that got away

27:30 Greg's free night certificate wish list

https://frequentmiler.com/best-uses-for-marriott-free-night-certificates/

33:24 Nick's tropical paradises lost

https://frequentmiler.com/aeroplan-plans-for-future-dream-trips/

56:52 Question of the Week: What's the strategy for a person with high business spend?

[Update: The wrong episode was initially loaded. This update includes the correct episode.]. Wondering how to find those elusive business class awards? Greg and Nick discuss the tricks in their toolbags.

00:28 Giant Mailbag

1:48 Mattress running the numbers: Daily Getaways

https://frequentmiler.com/daily-getaways-2022-first-2-weeks-of-offers-announced/

Are any of these deals worth speculatively buying? Our analysis:

3:46 IHG points for half a cent each

4:35 Hilton points for half a cent each

4:47 Wyndham points for 1.17c each

5:30 Best Western at 0.55cpp

6:38 Choice points for 0.52cpp

8:35 Marriott gift cards for 20% off

Hyatt points

11:31 #3Cards2Continents3Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

23:34 Awards we booked this week

27:00 What crazy thing....did London Heathrow Airport do this week?

30:18 Main Event: PLEASE tell us how to find business class awards.

1:11:17 When is Ask Us Anything?

Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Music credit: Annie Yoder

00:28 Giant Mailbag

1:48 Mattress running the numbers: Daily Getaways

https://frequentmiler.com/daily-getaways-2022-first-2-weeks-of-offers-announced/

Are any of these deals worth speculatively buying? Our analysis:

3:46 IHG points for half a cent each

4:35 Hilton points for half a cent each

4:47 Wyndham points for 1.17c each

5:30 Best Western at 0.55cpp

6:38 Choice points for 0.52cpp

8:35 Marriott gift cards for 20% off

Hyatt points

11:31 #3Cards2Continents3Updates

https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/

23:34 Awards we booked this week

27:00 What crazy thing....did London Heathrow Airport do this week?

30:18 Main Event: PLEASE tell us how to find business class awards.

1:11:17 When is Ask Us Anything?

Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Music credit: Annie Yoder