Google Flights is making a big move into the points and miles game, United’s CEO’s egotistical comments, Delta’s weird (but arguably best-ever?) credit card offer, and a bevy of new Europe routes all headline a big news roundup to close out the summer. Tune in as Gunnar and Kyle dole out advice about transferring points to Hyatt, analyze the boom in flights to the slopes, look into some puzzling Chase Sapphire Lounge news, and review the Delta One Lounge in Seattle, KLM’s Premium Comfort seats, and Gunnar’s latest glamping adventure!

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00:00 - & the winner of our credit card draft is…

02:15 - What’s going on with Gunnar’s voice?

03:10 - Staley welcomes us back from South Africa!

04:20 - Google Flights gets into the points game

08:40 - United’s cardholder discounts: Solid, but no slam dunk

15:20 - Let’s Play: Translate! That! Airline CEO! (ft. United’s Scott Kirby)

22:55 - Delta’s weird (but awesome) credit card offer

27:00 - New route nerd out: Europe flying goes sky high

33:20 - A word from our sponsor, Saily!

34:25 - Will this be the end of pre-departure drinks?

36:40 - Chase drops its only lounge reservation system

38:00 - American’s new (& worse?) premium card

39:05 - Analyzing the flight boom to ski resorts

42:30 - Delta One Lounge Seattle review

44:00 - KLM: Premium Comfort vs. Biz Class

47:05 - Gunnar’s latest glamping adventure

48:45 - The most & least expensive airports for a beer

51:20 - A listener asks: Should you speculatively transfer from Chase to Hyatt?

55:35 - On the spot: The ideal number of travel beers?

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

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If you want to get into redeeming points and miles, you need to earn them first. So in our second installment of our Starter Kit series, Gunnar and Kyle break down the best strategies for earning tons of travel rewards. While it might start with credit cards as the engine of an earning strategy - and the guys spend some time outlining their strategies and busting credit score myths - there are plenty of other ways to rack up all the points and miles you need, too.

Watch us on YouTube!

Our Starter Kit is sponsored by Thrifty Traveler Premium, the world’s best flight deal service. Get $20 off your first year of Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alerts - use promo code “START” at thriftytraveler.com/premium. 

00:00 - What would do with a blank slate in points & miles?

02:35 - The most important step for earning tons of points

07:50 - Understanding award travel credit cards

15:40 - What to consider when signing up for a credit card?

22:20 - Our favorite starter travel rewards credit cards

29:30 - Go deeper: Sign up for our free Extra Mile newsletter!

30:00 - How to earn points & miles with strategic spending

37:30 - The ways to earn points & miles without credit cards

Volume 2 Flight Plan: 

Related Episodes:

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/ep-67-record-card-bonuses/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/bonus-ep-chase-sapphire-preferred-update/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/ep-61-how-to-earn-a-million-points/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/episode-46-whats-in-our-wallets/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/episode-30-award-travel-tools-of-the-trade/

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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Gunnar’s gone, so Kyle and Nick go head-to-head in a fantasy football style draft to build the perfect five-card travel wallet ... with a lot riding on the outcome, thanks to a last-minute bet. But before the draft, they unpack American’s (long-overdue) reversal to seatback screens, United’s splashy 2027 international expansion, and Flying Blue’s horrible news. Plus, they answer a listener’s questions about insurance that comes from top travel credit cards.

Thanks to our sponsor, Saily! Download Saily’s app and use code THRIFTY at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase. Learn more at saily.com/thrifty.

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00:00 - The state of travel credit cards in 2026 is…

03:44 - Igor welcomes us back from Torrey Pines

05:57 - American’s seatback-screen reversal and United’s 13 new routes

12:20 - Boo: Flying Blue’s new three-tier award pricing

19:45 - A word from our sponsor, Saily

20:45 - The Extra Mile: Drafting the best five-card wallet 

46:22 - A listener asks: Which cards have the best built-in travel insurance?

49:55 - Fantasy draft punishment

Vote for who had the best wallet on our YouTube: 

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

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Are you ready to get started with points, miles, and all things cheap travel? It all starts with airfare, so in this first installment of our new Starter Kit series, Gunnar and Kyle walk through how to find the cheapest flight possible, every single time. The guys cover the tips, tricks, tools, and (most importantly) the mindset you need to find cheap flights and start traveling more for less.

Watch us on YouTube!

Our Starter Kit is sponsored by Thrifty Traveler Premium, the world’s best flight deal service. Get $20 off your first year of Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alerts - use promo code “START” at thriftytraveler.com/premium. 

00:00 - Kicking off our Starter Kit: How we got started

2:52 - The two most important rules for finding cheap flights

7:09 - Why you NEED to start your search with Google Flights

11:24 - One-way flights versus roundtrip bookings

15:34 - Learning how to follow the deal, not the destination 

16:51 - Positioning flights: the key to cheaper international fares

18:56 - And the risks of using those positioning flights…

20:35 - The intricacies of airfare & what to avoid

24:38 - The art of rebooking flights to save even more

30:26 - Busting bogus airfare myths

33:35 - Your Flight Plan - Recap & to-dos from Ep. 1

36:48 - Up next in Starter Kit…

Vol. 1 Flight Plan: 

Think “Flights First”: Plan your trips around the best flight deals and book them before anything else

Book quickly: Utilize the 24-hour flight cancellation rule to get the best deals. Book fast, figure out the details later. 

Get to know Google Flights: By far the most powerful flight booking tool and the key to saving on airfare. Use its price calendar, the filters, and price alerts to book when prices drop

Start re-booking your flights: Set up price alerts on your existing flights and rebook when prices drop. It’s the most underrated way to save big on travel. 

Related episodes:

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/ep-72-google-flights/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/episode-47-post-booking-checklist/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/episode-25-book-the-cheapest-flight-every-time/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/episode-50-inside-thrifty-traveler/

https://thriftytraveler.com/podcasts/ep-70-top-10-flight-deals/

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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Introducing “Starter Kit” - a dedicated series of special bonus episodes to help you get started in points and miles, become a true award travel “sicko” or just brush up on your skills and knowledge on all things cheap travel. Over the course of several episodes, we’ll walk through the basics of finding cheap flights, the best ways to earn tons of points, how to transfer and redeem miles for maximum value, and all the tools we use to stay organized and get ahead.

Episode 1 of Starter Kit drops Tuesday, Aug. 25, with future installments coming every Tuesday into the fall. Each episode will  appear right here on the Thrifty Traveler Podcast feed, wherever you get your podcasts as well as on YouTube!

Our Starter Kit is brought to you by the world’s best flight deal alert service, Thrifty Traveler Premium. Sign up today at thriftytraveler.com/premium - use the special promo code “START” to get $20 off your first year. 

Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot

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Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

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Kyle is out on vacation, so … Kyle is in - the younger, arguably cooler, and definitely taller Kyle, that is. Our podcast editor & social media guru, Kyle Thomas, joins Gunnar on the show to recap his recent flight in United’s new “Elevated” Polaris business class cabin over to London and answers the question: How does it stack up against his beloved Delta One? Plus, the guys talk through some troubling trends with American AAdvantage miles, and review some Resy/Tock news.

Thanks to our sponsor, Monarch! Go to Monarch.com and use code “THRIFTY” to get your first year of Monarch Core half off at just $50!

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00:00 - A different (& better) Kyle weighs in with a business class take

02:42 - Megan welcomes back the show from Charleston

03:24 - Something Hot: Avios are getting … easier to redeem?

05:18 - Another Something Hot: So are Amex dining credits?! 

07:35 - Something Cold: The long-dreaded AAdvantage devaluation is underway

14:32 - A word from our sponsor: Monarch!

15:36 - The Extra Mile: Kyle pits United Polaris against Delta One

16:53 - Highlights & misses from United’s new “Elevated” Polaris biz class

31:20 - Final scorecard from United Polaris

31:32 - Kyle recaps the wins & losses from 10 (!!!) Delta One flights

42:09 - & a scorecard from Delta One

42:35 - And the final verdict is…

47:18 - A listener asks: Where to credit miles for a Lufthansa redemption?

51:58 - On the Spot: Tips to maximize a short stay

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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From a bizarre (and arguably absurd) Delta flight pricing quirk, new and disappearing Alaska Atmos redemptions, American’s late premium push, or the ongoing “Battle for Seattle,” there’s no shortage of travel news for Gunnar and Kyle to break down on the show this week. Plus, the guys help a listener with that age-old question of award travel: should you book a flight with lower mileage rates or fewer fees?

Thank you to our sponsor, Bilt Rewards! Earn points on rent and make your entire neighborhood more rewarding with Bilt. Sign up at joinbilt.com/thrifty.

And another thanks to North Dakota Tourism for sponsoring the show!

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00:00 - Being “back from Japan” is so tough

02:45 - Kelly & Wes welcome us back from Kona!

04:45 - Delta airfare absurdity: Athens for less than Atlanta?!

08:50 - RIP to this awesome biz class redemption

10:50 - But Philippine Airlines is now bookable with Alaska!

13:10 - Two awesome transfer bonuses this month

15:10 - Amex adds an interesting new hotel partner

18:40 - The overlooked 100K point Chase card offers

20:40 - A word from our sponsors: Bilt Rewards & North Dakota Tourism

22:45 - American adds Flagship Check-in at DFW …

26:45 - … but cuts some upgrades for elites …

33:00 - SkyMiles and Starbucks switch it up (again)

35:30 - Delta bullies out another airline

40:00 - But the Battle for Seattle rages on

45:10 - Would you rather: Lower award rate or fewer fees?

49:20 - On the Spot: Predicting the next fare war

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

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The guys took the show on the road: Coming to you live from TEDxFargo in North Dakota in late July, Gunnar and Kyle devoted an episode of the show to airports not named JFK, LAX, MSP, ORD, or the other big hubs. The guys swapped stories and shared tips about traveling from smaller airports and cities. They talk about their favorite (and least favorite …) experiences at small airports before diving into the top tips for finding better deals, using points and miles, and traveling smarter from smaller airports. Plus, a TTPOD fan forces Gunnar to reckon with his O’Hare take and (former Fargo resident!) Kyle delights in seeing Gunnar’s reaction to visiting Fargo for the first time.

This episode is presented by Visit Fargo-Moorhead!

And our thanks to North Dakota Tourism and Fargo Hector International Airport!

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00:00 - Kyle’s triumphant return to Fargo

01:15 - Our favorite travel beers

04:15 - The Fargo audience welcomes us back!

04:35 - Thanks to our presenting sponsor: Visit Fargo-Moorhead

06:15 - Swapping our best small airport travel experiences

16:30 - Our weirdest, quirkiest small airport stories

22:30 - Thanks to our sponsor: North Dakota Tourism

23:35 - How to save on flights from smaller airports

43:50 - Thanks to our sponsor: Fargo Hector International Airport

44:40 - The best part of flying out of a small airport

46:30 - How to make travel easier at smaller airports

51:45 - Programs to avoid for high fees and surcharges

54:30 - Gunnar’s official legal statement about O’Hare

56:15 - Kyle’s favorite Fargo memory & best Fargo beer

Video & Audio production by LiveWire

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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Kyle joins the show from the Park Hyatt Tokyo on this special Japan-themed episode. While the sun slowly rises behind him, Kyle first revisits his scorching hot take about the rise of SkyMiles before the guys dig into where to go in Japan, how to get there, and where to stay on your next trip. Plus, Gunnar gives his own hot take about jet lag, and Kyle gives advice on how to beat it.

Watch us on YouTube!

Download SAILY's app and use code THRIFTY at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details, go to https://saily.com/thrifty

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00:00 - Kyle is live from the Park Hyatt Tokyo!

02:35 - Kyle and Matt give us a Japan-themed welcome back

03:25 - Kyle’s scorching hot Delta SkyMiles take

09:45 - Pushing back on Kyle’s take and the “clearance meat” story

13:20 - Chase cuts Priority Pass users out of its lounges

16:25 - Kyle’s grueling 10 hours of DFW lounge hopping

18:50 - A word from our sponsor Saily! 

19:50 - The Extra Mile: Where to go in Japan

35:00 - How to fly to Japan: Haneda vs. Narita and flight deals

40:15 - Kyle’s review of the new JAL Biz Class on the A350

47:50 - Where to stay in Japan: Hyatt Regency, Conrad and more

55:20 - How to get around in Japan

57:37 - What points should Judy earn for biz class flights to Japan

01:01:00 - Kyle’s tips for beating jet lag

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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The world of all things points and miles is changing rapidly. So to dig into where things are at and what’s ahead, Gunnar and Kyle bring in the man they call “St. Peter” – Thrifty Traveler’s Senior Award Analyst and guru of all things award travel, Peter Thornton – to talk about the state of award availability and spell out the best uses of your points and miles as we enter the second half of 2026. Plus, they recap about some rare business class deals making a comeback, why airlines are throttling award searches … and, for some reason, talk a lot about cycling? 

Thanks to our sponsor, Bellroy! Check out Bellroy’s travel gear and get 10% off using this link. They've got the perfect design for any kind of traveler.

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00:00 - Introducing “St. Peter” and his adventure across Iowa

03:35 - Rami introduces the show from Emirates First Class!

04:35 - Rare business class awards are … back?

09:25 - Airlines are blocking award searches

15:15 - The Extra Mile: The current state of award availability

20:40 - Where to find economy award availability

23:30 - Where to find business class deals

27:15 - R.I.P. to the deals that got away

36:00 - Peter predicts: What’s coming next?

40:20 - A listener asks: How to find award space before calling to book

44:30 - Peter asks: What state would you bike across?

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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