The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

This week, the guys break down all the travel news that’s fit to podcast … and there’s a lot of it. That includes a brand-new (and free) tool to save on flights when fares drop, new big card bonus offers, 11 (!) transfer bonuses, and a deep dive on what the heck has happened with World of Hyatt? Plus, they go through the airports with the highest airfare, Alaska’s big splash, and we wade into what Gunnar is calling the “Starlink scuttlebutt.”
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.
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Join the conversation! Sign up for the free Thrifty Traveler Podcast Slack community today.
00:00 - Gunnair has a new competitor: Pottair!
02:35 - Jen & Tom welcome us back from Ireland!
03:05 - Introducing our new FareTracker tool!
05:50 - New United card bonuses & the key to better biz class deals
09:55 - 11 (!) new transfer bonuses on our radar
13:10 - How to transfer 30K Delta SkyMiles for free
15:50 - Now the end of Bilt and Hyatt 1:1 transfers is coming …
18:00 - … and yet Hyatt keeps getting worse
20:30 - The U.S. airports with the highest airfare
23:35 - R.I.P. to this sweet spot from Japan Airlines
26:10 - A word from our sponsor: Bilt Rewards!
27:00 - New Alaska Atmos transfer partner(s)?
29:50 - Alaska’s fancy new biz class suites & more
34:20 - A (proposed) Chase Sapphire Lounge at SEA
36:40 - The Delta-Starlink scuttlebutt
41:40 - Rapid fire news and notes: Online passports & more
48:15 - Listener Question: How to manage price alerts
51:00 - On the Spot: What’s the biggest story in travel this year?

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 podcast@thriftytraveler.com
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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So much changes so fast in the world of points and miles, it’s easy to lose track. So in this episode of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast, the guys go through (almost) every single airline loyalty program and decide: Are they trending up or are they down? But they need some help, so flight deal analyst Katie Rollins joins to break things down … and also shares a legendary travel mishap. The gang also sorts through some hotel points programs and helps a listener deal with their PreCheck-less travel companions.
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 - Introducing Katie Rollins (& her trip to Iceland)
02:20 - Matt & Annika welcome us back from Albania!
03:15 - Something Hot: Leading Hotels of the World
06:15 - Something Cold: The Hyatt-Chase transfer “D-Day”
09:20 - A word from our sponsor, Saily!
10:15 - The best Thrifty Traveler Premium hotel & flight deals
11:30 - Our rankings: Who’s up and who’s down in airline loyalty programs
45:45 - The etiquette of ditching your non-PreCheck friends
48:15 - Revisiting Katie’s brutal rental car mistake in Iceland
53:30 - On the Spot: Luxury flights or hotels?


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 podcast@thriftytraveler.com
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…
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Heading home for the holidays can be expensive, especially this year… but it doesn’t have to be. We’re in the heart of holiday flight booking season, so Gunnar and Kyle give all their best tips for saving on flights on those high-demand holiday season flights. The guys go through when to book your trips (spoiler alert: sooooon), where to target for the best deal, and when to turn to your points and miles to get home for the holidays. Plus, the guys gush about Japan Airlines again, welcome the return of cheap flights to Europe, and revisit Kyle’s Hilton vs. Hyatt take.
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!
Watch us on YouTube!
Join the conversation! Sign up for the free Thrifty Traveler Podcast Slack community today.
00:00 - Our points & miles Santa Claus
00:40 - Advice for traveling over the holidays
01:50 - Julius in Malta welcomes us back to the show
02:50 - Something Hot: Hilton’s new card offers
06:30 - Something Hotter: Cheap flights to Europe return!
08:25 - Something Hottest: JAL miles keep getting better!
13:50 - A word form our sponsor: Monarch!
15:00 - What’s the best time to book holiday flights?
18:00 - And what the heck is going on with flight prices?
23:45 - Tips for finding cheaper flights over the holidays
31:50 - Holiday sweet spots: Traveling abroad & biz class
36:40 - Listener Question: Our flight cancellation playbook
41:15 - On the Spot: What’s the ideal Thanksgiving trip?

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 podcast@thriftytraveler.com
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…
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You’ve earned the points, you’ve booked the trip … but how do you make your travels more enjoyable? On this (perhaps not final?) episode of Starter Kit, the guys walk through the little things you can do to improve your entire trip, from the planning process to booking lodging, rental cars, and trains to making your airport experience easier - and even how to beat jet lag and find activities to do abroad. And in the name of keeping things thrifty, they spill the beans on the best way to cover these extra expenses with points and miles.
Watch us on YouTube!
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 - Has Kyle achieved travel nirvana?
02:50 - Tools & apps to organize your travel plans
07:50 - Make the airport easier: TSA, lounges & Flighty
20:00 - Lodging tips: Finding the best hotels & vacation rentals
26:05 - Saving on rental cars with Autoslash or Turo
31:00 - How to find other forms of transportation
32:45 - Tips for traveling better on the ground
45:30 - Your final flight plan!
47:00 - Kyle’s final advice to travelers: Get out there!
Volume 5 Flight Plan:
Organize your travel plans with TripIt, Google My Maps, and more, and understand your phone plan or eSim
Streamline your airport experience with TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Flighty, and other apps and services
Cast a wide net when looking for lodging: Don’t just search Airbnb and Google Hotels - go deeper
Stop overpaying for rental cars: Use tools like Autoslash or Turo for better rates
Use our tips to improve your travels on the ground (and earn Capital One miles to cover them!)
Related Episodes & Links Mentioned:
Ep. 31: Beating Rental Car Companies & Hotel Chains with Autoslash CEO Jonathan Weinberg
Bonus: Why Flighty is Our Favorite Travel App
TripIt — TripIt
Google — Google My Maps · Google Hotels · Google Maps / Street View
Saily — Saily eSIM
Airalo — Airalo eSIM
Thrifty Traveler Premium — Thrifty Traveler Premium Flight Deals (Use promo code START for $20 off your first year!)
TSA — TSA PreCheck · TSA Digital ID / Touchless ID information
CLEAR — CLEAR+
Global Entry / Mobile Passport Control — Global Entry / Trusted Traveler Programs · Mobile Passport Control information
Flighty — Flighty
LoungeReview — LoungeReview
American Express — Amex Global Lounge Collection
Airbnb — Airbnb · Airbnb Experiences ·Airbnb Reverse Image Search
Vrbo — Vrbo
AutoSlash — AutoSlash
Turo — Turo
Rome2Rio — Rome2Rio
Viator — Viator
Cashback Monitor — Cashback Monitor
Capital One — Capital One Offers · Capital One Travel · Capital One Miles redemption guide
Rakuten — Rakuten
Copenhagen Card — Official Copenhagen Card
Charles Schwab — Schwab Bank Investor Checking
AllTrails — AllTrails

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 podcast@thriftytraveler.com
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…
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Earning and redeeming points can be full of trip hazards … and Gunnar’s tripped on almost all of them. So this week, the guys outline the biggest award travel mistakes they’ve seen (and made) so that you can avoid making the same mistakes on your own travel journey. Plus, the guys break down some positive points news from Qatar Airways, walk through their analysis of where you can score “poor man’s business class,” an help a listener out planning a trip to Europe next year.
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 - R.I.P. the TSA line water bottle chug
02:45 - Holly welcomes us back from the Dolomites!
03:40 - The best flights to find “poor man’s business class”
10:30 - Qatar backs off its restrictive booking rules
15:50 - Thanks to our sponsor, Saily!
16:45 - The 10 most common award travel mistakes
45:00 - The 1-year-out award travel checklist
47:30 - On the Spot: How many of these mistakes has Gunnar made?
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 podcast@thriftytraveler.com
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…
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.