0:21 Transfer Bonuses

08:24 United Premium Cabin Awards (on United Metal) Gets Even More Expensive (Live and Lets Fly)

15:21 JetBlue Plus 80,000

16:14 Heightened Amex Bonvoy Welcome Bonuses

Main Topic: Partner Award Bookings

17:59 Qantas As An Alternative to British Airways for Domestic AA Partners Awards

23:42 Booking JetBlue Mint with Qatar Avios

A Norway Trip Report...on today’s Milenomics² Podcast

01:00 Scope: 2 weeks in Norway. Oslo, Tromso, Lofoten then back to Oslo for a few days. 

10:12 Outbound: Air France. LAX-CDG Plus a 4hr layover.

20:10 Getting to Oslo from the airport Fly to vs Vy. 

25:20 Clarion hotel the hub (a strawberry hotel)

30:58 Oslo:

Episode 38: Show Notes

Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel the stunning coastlines and towns of the French and Italian Rivieras? In this episode, we dive into Trevor’s recent adventure to these iconic Mediterranean destinations. From the highs and lows of traveling with family to insightful travel recommendations, Trevor provides his takeaways from his trip. In our conversation, we discuss his reasons for the trip, the logistics and planning aspects behind it, and what he thought of the hotels and Apartment rentals. Explore why multi-generational travel complicates logistics and learn why cruise ships are the best option for older travel partners. Hear about what Europe gets right about children's play parks, Zurich airport’s sky deck, dining in a French vineyard, making an authentic pizza with his family, and a memorable cheese tour. Trevor also shares his thoughts on why one hotel made his list of the worst places to stay, what he enjoyed most about flying home on Swiss Airlines, and much more. Join us and get inspired to plan your own Riviera family adventure! Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

Quotes:

“I would say don’t split up [at the airport] because you just end up giving yourself more anxiety than you really need.” — @TktweetsKim [25:12]

“[My family and I] tend to do multi-generational travel a lot, but it is usually cruise ship related, and that has a lot of things that help buffer those restriction points.” — @TktweetsKim [30:03]

“When you have to deal with the old, the young, and the in-between, it does complicate the logistics quite a bit.” — @TktweetsKim [30:24]

“My focus of late has been really trying to get more unique [travel] experiences.” — @Tmount [40:45]

“The trip was incredible, everybody was very happy, and everyone was really happy with their seats on the way home too.” — @Tmount [1:16:58]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Château des Demoiselles

List for Travel Play Areas / Parks

Obicà Duomo | A tip from Pat and Mike  @PatMikeL – Go during happy hour (I think 5-8) for Aperativo’s

Episode 37: Show Notes

In today’s organic, stream-of-consciousness episode, we take a look at some of our recent travel experiences, explore current industry trends, and share our take on what we think may happen in the not-so-distant future. Our menagerie of travel stories begins with Thomas’s experience of the Rio Las Vegas before diving into the mileage run that took him to Nevada. Then, we explore the current state of the airline industry, possible mergers to look forward to (or be worried about), the lifestyle choices that influence our travel choices, and the implausible airline merger that would be a match made in heaven. We also discuss the evolution of standard airport lounges, asses how they weigh up against membership and rewards lounges, and examine how Trevor’s trip to Charlotte reminds us of the real cost of inflation. For a laid-back, conversational episode that is both fun and thought-provoking, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

Quotes:

“The biggest deterrent for me in any environment for me is tobacco smoke.” — @tmount [04:40]

“Ultimately, when we travel, we want to have options. That’s number one.” — @tmount [28:48]

“Either Jet Blue will have a lounge within the decade or they won’t exist in a decade.” — @TktweetsKim [33:37]

“I don’t know of an airline merger that has happened in less than 24 months.” — @TktweetsKim [37:45]

“That’s only 4,500 Alaska miles, I mean, why not? Honestly, some of these trips that we take, it’s more expensive to pay for the Uber.” — @TktweetsKim [42:42]

“With what it costs to dine out now, it definitely feels like more of a luxury item than it used to.” — @TktweetsKim [44:16]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rio Las Vegas 

But I’m a Diamond Guest

Hyatt Hotels 

Alaska Airline

United Airlines 

American Airlines 

Delta 

Asiana Airlines

Korean Airlines 

Cranky Flier 

Brett Snyder on LinkedIn 

In this episode, we dive into the adventures of Spencer Howard, the founder of Straight To The Points, as he shares his recent Asia Pacific trip experience. Straight To The Points is a service that helps travelers find and book premium airline award tickets using points and miles, helping save time and money. In our conversation, Spencer shares his incredible 6-week journey through New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, highlighting the breathtaking sights and unique experiences he and his family encountered. Hear about his flight on Air New Zealand, what makes it a family-friendly airline, and tips for traveling with a newborn. Discover why convenience is key when traveling with a newborn, the importance of planning, and how he planned the overall trip. We discuss Hyatt alternatives in Sydney, his scenic route to Tokyo, and why you should go to a baseball game in Japan. Spencer also shares his favorite hotel stays, what makes for a great hotel experience, invaluable travel hacks, and more! Join us as we unpack the ins and outs of planning your Asia Pacific trip with Spencer Howard!

Key Points From This Episode:

Quotes:

“Air New Zealand obviously does not have first-class but they will let you buy the bigger seat. That was worth it.” — @spencerformiles [6:57]

“Convenience matters, I think, when you are traveling with a little one.” — @spencerformiles [15:46]

“[The Capella Sydney Hotel] truly is an amazing hotel that I would prefer to stay in when I go back.” — @spencerformiles [22:35]

“You can get, what I would say is a reasonably priced, nice hotel in Sydney if you are not using points.” — @spencerformiles [24:37]

“Finding the information important to your travel faster I think is important so I am just trying to save people some hours.” — @spencerformiles [50:09]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Spencer Howard on LinkedIn

Spencer Howard on X

Spencer Howard on Instagram

Straight To The Points

Points Wire

Air New Zealand

Virgin Atlantic

British Airways

0:24 Q3 2024 5x Categories

04:05 Transfer Bonuses

08:33 New DeltaOne Premium Lounges Coming in 2024 (OMAAT)

13:26 Staggering Decline in Usefulness of giftcards.com Visa/MC GC

19:34 Checking Account with Free ATM Withdrawals Worldwide?

36:48 International Data for Cellphones. Current Status

0:55 Ranking Bank Points for Domestic Airfare

1:45 Overview: Highs and Lows of each Program

1:59 Chase UR

3:00 Earning Chase UR 

6:30 Southwest (W/ Chase UR)

7:43 Booking with the Chase Travel Portal: 

10:53 Amex MR Overview

12:41 Booking Travel with Amex MR

16:26 Earning Membership Rewards

18:55 Difficulties transacting with AMEX

While today is all about a long weekend in Madrid, Thomas and Trevor go on their usual tangents to bring you yet another information-drenched and fun-filled episode! We begin with our love for gin and tonic ice cubes and by explaining how today’s episode relates to many of our other Travel Stories. Then, Trevor walks us through his recent airport lounge experiences, how food and drinks compare, how to maximize your points redemptions, and taking short trips in first class versus longer trips in economy. Trevor then explains why he had to drop Mumbai from his Madrid trip itinerary, what you need to be cautious of when walking the streets of Madrid, and the entertainment options that are available in Spain’s capital for both kids and adults. To end, we discuss the evolution of Lufthansa’s first-class (cheers!) and what we like and dislike about recent amenity additions and removals, and we take a closer look at the now-unretired Airbus A340-600. 

Key Points From This Episode:

Quotes:

“I have to say that I’m becoming more and more impressed with this [Chase Sapphire] lounge.” — @tmount [04:04]

“One potential area of friction [was] reduced; removed completely because the [Virgin Atlantic] crew was just absolutely amazing.” — @tmount [09:53]

“Choice Hotels are like the unsung heroes of Europe.” — @tmount [23:33]

“If you’re in that situation; if you’re in an area where you’re going to have no personal space and [be] shoulder-to-shoulder with a lot of people you don’t know, it’s probably a good idea to secure your stuff.” — @TktweetsKim [30:26]

“If we can find those local places, we’re always happier for it.” — @tmount [34:51]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

‘Travel Stories Episode 8: Epic Guys Trip’ 

‘Travel Stories Episode 19: Converting a Maldives Skeptic’

Virgin Atlantic 

Chase Sapphire Lounge 

Capital One Loung

Chatting with Nick Reyes of FrequentMiler

Episode 34: Show Notes.

Few things are as exhilarating as a competitive travel challenge among like-minded peers! Speaking of birds of a feather, today we are joined by fellow travel enthusiast and author, Nick Reyes. Nick is a prime example of how to follow your travel dreams even when your wallet says that you can't, and today, he shares both new and old travel hacks that will help you conquer your next travel challenge! We learn about the evolution of Avianca’s lifemiles program, the flop of Nick's first redemption versus the joys of his most successful one, and how bucket-list adventures are more accessible than you may realize. We also discuss Nick's most complicated (yet worthwhile) travel hack before exploring the wonders of travel as education, the benefits of various rewards programs, the value of reviewing rewards charts, and how to properly plan for a long trip. To end, Nick Reyes shares even more helpful advice for saving time and money on your adventures around the world.

Key Points From This Episode:

Quotes:

“Before I discovered miles and points, my wife and I already had the travel itch. And so, we would work really hard, sometimes 60; 70; 80 hours a week, and then we would take a month or two off and go travel somewhere as cheaply as we could.” — @NickatFM [08:26]

“When we traveled on a shoestring budget back in the day, it was always like, 'Well, we're probably never going to be here again so we've got to see and do everything that we can'. And not having that pressure because of miles and points is such an incredibly liberating feeling.” — @NickatFM [15:32]

“[My kids] are learning geography not just by looking at it in a book and memorizing it for a test, but by going to places and seeing things. I think that's incredibly exciting because that's certainly not a world I grew up living in, nor one that I thought I'd be able to provide for my family someday.” — @NickatFM [19:36]

“Air Canada's Aeroplan has been something that has really inspired me to be interested in trying to push the boundaries, because their reward chart was made for people like us that get excited about figuring out, 'Okay, how far can I go? What can I do?'.” — @NickatFM [23:46]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Nick Reyes on LinkedIn

Nick Reyes on Instagram

Are you interested in cruises, and want to capitalize on miles and points, but feel unsure of where to start? Then this episode is for you! Today we sit down with, Debra Schroeder, who first became interested in miles and points back in ’94, when she bought an excess of cereal boxes to capitalize on an American Airlines promotional campaign. Her history with cruising goes back almost as far, starting in ’98. Fast forward to today and Deb has become an expert at optimizing her travel plans. Tuning in, you’ll learn how Deb first started writing her travel blog, Traveling Well for Less, and how she began posting deals and sharing her insights with other avid travelers. We talk with Deb about her evolution as a traveler and her enduring love of cruises, before hearing her advice on how to get the most out of your trips. If you’re curious about cruising or want to take your loyalty membership to the next level, then you won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation with Deb Schroeder!

Key Points From This Episode:

Quotes:

“The miles and points community, it's a large community, but it's funny how small it is, really. Everybody knows everyone.” — @TktweetsKim [01:38]

“In the last couple of years, there's been leadership change over at Royal Caribbean. So they're doing a lot of cost-cutting and different financial strategies and implementing different things that they didn’t [do] in the past.” — @DebraSchroeder [12:29]

“With all the different changes, they have to submit the manifests to customs, like 72 hours in advance. [So] you can’t get that last-minute deal that the Floridians are used to, where they could just stroll up to the port and book a cruise right there.” — @DebraSchroeder [15:27]

“It's incredible to think how loyal and dedicated customers are. The mania, the craziness of miles and points – extends to cruisers, just as much as people who love airlines and hotels.” — @TktweetsKim [31:25]

“Royal has the best loyalty program of all the cruise lines, in terms of what you get for your status. That is why so many of us have remained loyal to Royal because you get so much more.” — @DebraSchroeder [33:18]

“Get those free cruises now before you miss out on the oppo