Frequent Miler on the Air

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 is going to Berlin, but he may not stay in Berlin for the weekend. He hasn't yet booked a flight home, so he could hop over to another European city and fly home from there. Nick recommended Prague, but are there other places Greg should consider?
Coffee Break: Weekend in Europe, where should Greg go?
(00:17) - See our August 28th podcast "Hidden Gem Awards" here
(01:20) - See Carrie's suggestions here
(02:53) - Feedback about Prague and other options by train
(06:55) - Flight options
(10:03) - Other listener/reader suggestions:
(17:19) - Greg's decision...
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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
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
Should I keep my ultra-premium card to preserve 1:1 point transfers? Chuck wrote in with this question, asking:
Do you think other banks will do something similar to what Chase did with Hyatt — requiring the highest end card in order to maintain the 1:1 transfer? Will Citi require the Strata Elite for AA? Will C1, Will Amex? I wouldn't want to cancel an elite card only to later learn I need it to maintain value of points. Your thoughts?(01:05) - Do we think other banks will do this?
Subscribe and Follow
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
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
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 speculate about Hyatt credit card changes, reveal 9 Secret Chase Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables restaurants, and dig into Alaska Atmos Rewards: Which is better, earning by distance, price, or segments?
Wild Card Update
(02:15) - Congratulations to Tim!
Check out the recap videos here
Giant Mailbag
(03:35) - Correcting mistakes from last week's podcast episode
See last week's podcast episode about IHG's new card lineup here
(07:47) - Speculation about Chase
Bonvoyed: Wyndham
(13:54) - New Award buckets live as of 9/15 and Wyndham Rewards RRV drops 15%
Learn more about this here
This Week in Points
(23:17) - AA economy award sale to Sydney from 25K points
(24:21) - Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card
(26:22) - United free checked bags on award tickets
Read more about free checked bags
(28:55) - 9 Secret Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Table restaurants
Find the dining credit map here
Personal Points
(34:21) - US Bank travel center for the save
(37:13) - Messed up re: United status match
Learn more about my quest for Flying Blue Platinum status: https://frequentmiler.com/my-quest-for-flying-blue-platinum-status/
Main Event: Alaska Atmos: Choose how you earn
(44:50) - Atmos Rewards: Choose how you earn
(47:50) - Rewards by price paid (the most complicated option)
(49:52) - Partner earn rates (other than AA)
(55:12) - Elite status considerations
(57:20) - Examples
(1:12:20) - Overall Conclusion
Subscribe and Follow
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
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
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
The Wild Card challenge has officially wrapped, with the final scores and official winner announced in our live YouTube broadcast on October 7th, 2026. Review the scoring and listen to the live broadcast here.
As a reminder, for this challenge, our contestants picked from different wild card decks to set the parameters of their trips. First, they selected travel destinations, then hotel, airline, and transferable points cards, which provided their points and miles budgets. And finally, they selected power-ups and obstacles to make their travels a little more realistic to the challenges our readers and listeners face, and make things a little more interesting! Finally, they had to meet together in Melbourne, Australia, a destination that was revealed as a complete surprise in our card draw livestream.
Total scores after Destinations 1 & 2
As a quick reminder, here were the scores each of the contestants earned after the first two destinations:
Greg
Destination 1 = 102
Destination 2 = 106
Total score = 208
Nick
Destination 1 = 105
Destination 2 = 115
Total score = 220
Tim
Destination 1 = 107
Destination 2 = 123
Total score = 230

Destination 3 scoring
During the livestream on Wednesday night, we judges awarded the scores for their third and final destination: Melbourne, Australia.
Here's a breakdown of what each of them earned:
Greg
Flights
Wallet-friendliness – 8
Ingenuity – 9
Luxury – 6
Duplicability – 10

Accommodation
Wallet-friendliness – 6
Ingenuity – 6
Luxury – 9
Duplicability – 10

Activities
Wallet-friendliness – 7
Ingenuity – 10
Luxury – 10
Duplicability – 10

Mini challenge description
Many of our readers use miles and points for their honeymoons. Pick an activity you could imagine including in a honeymoon trip. – 10

Additional bonus points
We were impressed with Greg's gameplay whereby he paid for his hotels using airline miles and paid for nearly all his flights using hotel points - 10

Total points for Destination 3 – 121
Total points for Destinations 1 & 2 – 208
Total points for the entire trip – 329
Nick
Flights
Wallet-friendliness – 7
Ingenuity – 8
Luxury – 7
Duplicability – 10

Accommodation
Wallet-friendliness – 7
Ingenuity – 8
Luxury – 8
Duplicability – 10

Activities
Wallet-friendliness – 10
Ingenuity – 9
Luxury – 9
Duplicability – 10

Mini challenge description
Many of our readers travel with picky eaters. Order a dish you think is locally authentic, but wouldn't scare off a picky eater. – 10

Additional bonus points
Nick was a real trooper considering he had to fly across the Atlantic three times despite not having to actually visit Europe as part of the challenge, as well as for managing to fit in so many activities despite the lack of sleep - 10

Total points for Destination 3 – 123
Total points for Destinations 1 & 2 – 220
Total points for the entire trip – 343
Tim
Flights
Wallet-friendliness – 10
Ingenuity – 10
Luxury – 10
Duplicability – 10

Accommodation
Wallet-friendliness – 9
Ingenuity – 9
Luxury – 10
Duplicability – 10

Activities
Wallet-friendliness – 8
Ingenuity – 10
Luxury – 9
Duplicability – 10

Mini challenge description
Many of our readers travel with young children. In this destination, find an activity that would be infant-friendly, but not a snooze fest for Mom and Dad. – 0

Additional bonus points
Tim had arguably the best set of cards that were picked for the challenge, but what he did with them far exceeded what we imagine many people thought he'd be able to do with them - 10

Total points for Destination 3 – 125
Total points for Destinations 1 & 2 – 230
Total points for the entire trip – 355
Rewatch the livestream below
(01:15) - Recap of Greg's previous score
(01:40) - How did Greg get home?
(04:08) - Greg's final score
(07:49) - Team rebuttal for Greg's score
(11:28) - Recap of Nick's previous score
(12:18) - How did Nick get home?
(15:03) - Nick's final score
(20:09) - Team rebuttal for Nick's score
(24:11) - How did Tim get home?
(27:46) - Recap of Tim's previous score
(28:03) - Tim's final score
(35:19) - Did anyone wish they'd made use of the option to fully redraw cards?
(39:47) - At any point in this challenge were you truly dead tired?
(46:33) - What surprised you most about your activities or destinations?
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
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
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
Just like we've seen with most of Chase cards, Bilt has announced it will be moving to a 4:3 transfer rate with Hyatt starting in January. So, what's the best way to get Hyatt points now?
Learn more about this here
(01:12) - Option 1: Earn Bilt 3x (or more)
(05:05) - Option 2: Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
(09:08) - Option 3: Hyatt card
(11:04) - Read about Hyatt Milestone spending here
(14:18) - Will Bilt do transfer bonuses?
(16:16) - Is it worth pursuing Hyatt points post deval?
(19:50) - Which approach will we take?
Subscribe and Follow
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
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
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.