The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

By Thrifty Traveler

Welcome to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast – a travel podcast where we dig into the latest travel news and trends and discuss all the best ways to earn and redeem your points and miles! From the ins and ... more

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FAQs about The Thrifty Traveler Podcast:

How many episodes does The Thrifty Traveler Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 97 episodes available.

Best of The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Drafting the Perfect 5-Card Travel Wallet: Who Wins?
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. Watch us on YouTube! Join the conversation! Sign up for the free Thrifty Traveler Podcast Slack community today. 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 Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot 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! Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
August 27, 202651min
Number 2: Delta’s Weirdest Card Offer & Google’s Huge Points Play
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! 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 ⛵ Watch us on YouTube! Join the conversation! Sign up for the free Thrifty Traveler Podcast Slack community today. 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 Video editing by Kyle Thomas Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot 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! Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
September 03, 202658min
Number 3: Starter Kit, Vol. 1: The Keys to Find the Cheapest Flights
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/ Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas Video editing by Kyle Thomas Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot 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! Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
August 25, 202639min
Number 4: Starter Kit, Vol. 2: Mastering Credit Cards & Piling Up Points
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: Get Organized: Track and organize your points and credit cards using our credit card benefit tracker, a personal spreadsheet, or a note on your smartphone. Set a goal & work backwards: Set your travel goals first, then figure out what points, miles, and credit cards can get you there. Use the “Potter Pause”: Activate that mental block before you make any purchase so you can maximize every dollar you spend. Ramp up your “accidental earning”: Link your loyalty programs, sign up for shopping and travel portals, and nibble around the edges to stack up points and miles. 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 Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot 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! Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
September 01, 202646min
Number 5: Coming Soon: Starter Kit, a Series to Get Started in Points & Miles
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 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! Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
August 21, 20262min