Frequent Miler on the Air

Earn miles without flying. Frequent Miler is all about getting the most out of the loyalty game. You can easily earn hundreds of thousands of points and miles without traveling, then learn how to use those points towards luxury travel. In this podcast, Frequent Miler founder Greg, and senior author Nick debate current topics in the points & miles world.

  1. Gems from our Giant Mailbag | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep347 | 2-27-26

    3D AGO

    Gems from our Giant Mailbag | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep347 | 2-27-26

    In today's podcast episode, we'll talk about stacking dining credits, give a caution about gifting Marriott free night certificates, and will resurrect expired Southwest credits. Crazy Thing(00:57) - Southwest shows different seatmap availability to different passengers Read more about Nick's experience with Southwest's assigned seating here Awards, Points, and More(04:10) - Alaska Vacations adds discounts, VIP perks for elite members Read more about this here (07:05) - “Free” Norwegian cruise for Caesars Diamond Elite members Read more about this here (10:26) - Recent breaking news... Hyatt devaluation Find out more about the Hyatt devaluation here (14:43) - Wyndham Rewards added as new Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner Read more about this here (16:17) - Bilt has launched a transfer bonus Read more about this here [28:03:23 ad] Main Event: Gems from our Giant Mailbag(28:05) - Bridget says: DEN is an airport that has the security reservation program (DEN Reserve)... (29:44) - Chaim says: For Resy and Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables credits you can buy gift cards online for lots of restaurants that trigger the credit. Therefore, you can bank up multiple hundreds of dollars, and then when it works with your plans, you can splurge on an amazing dinner or two... (32:47) - Mark says: I just finished listening to the January 2 podcast. With regards to your answer for the question of the week about which cards you keep in your digital wallet, I recently discovered something about Apple wallet specifically that might be of use, at least to Greg since he is the only one of you using Apple... You can catch that episode here (36:16) - Nathan says: I just listened to episode 343 and wanted to share a data point regarding the $500 Gift of College gift cards... You can catch episode 343 here (39:29) - Mike says: If you look up IHG Destined One Night On Us, there's no result directly from IHG, but multiple hotel booking agents' websites reference a stay x nights get 1 night free promotion for participating hotels. For example: https://bonvivant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Q3-IHG-Destined-Stay-Pay-Promo-HFP.pdf (44:42) - Panayot says: Convert expired SWA credit to a LUV voucher... (48:51) - Tracy says: I have a data point relevant to your episode on gifting points and miles... Catch that episode here (52:19) - Melissa says: Thanks so much for the article on the pitfalls and warnings booking via I Prefer hotels... Hear some of the pitfalls of booking via iPrefer here and read more about using Citi points for I Prefer here (53:44) - Amalan says: Just sharing a couple of good data points from a quick weekend trip to Chicago... (55:27) - Jefferson says: Thanks to the FM team! Question of the Week(57:33) - Is there a formal appeal or consideration process when Citi declines for high amount of unused credit? Find out more about Citi application tips here Subscribe and FollowVisit 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 Mentioned in this episode: Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

    1h 7m
  2. Big United changes: Cardholders earn more, spend fewer miles | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep346 | 2-20-26

    FEB 20

    Big United changes: Cardholders earn more, spend fewer miles | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep346 | 2-20-26

    In this episode, we'll talk about how Chase wants you to stay Calm and give a WHOOP, we'll talk about how Bank of America wants you to be a millionaire, and how United wants you to get its credit cards. Giant Mailbag(00:45) - Doug: Parking at a Bilt Neighborhood Parking garage on Hyatt award stay Card News(03:15) - It may be possible to product change US Bank Altitude Reserve Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/psa-it-may-be-possible-to-product-change-altitude-reserve-and-maybe-get-some-of-the-fee-back *NOTE* Shortly after we recorded, we learned that existing earning rates for Bank of America cards will last longer than we thought: Doctor of Credit has learned some positive news regarding changes for existing Preferred Rewards members: they will retain their current status until 3 months after their first anniversary date post-November 1, 2026. For example, if your anniversary date is 10/1, your 3-month clock won’t start until 10/1/27, and you will keep your current status level through 1/1/28 (provided you meet the current qualification requirements). That’s a bit of a band-aid on a broken leg, but it’s a much better timeframe than what we originally thought. (07:26) - Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card offers (MUST ACTIVATE OFFERS) Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-cardholders-can-get-a-free-calm-premium-annual-subscription/ (08:37) - WHOOP: Get $359 back after purchasing one year of WHOOP’s Life Membership (expires 5/12/2026.) Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-cardholders-can-get-a-free-year-of-whoop-fitness-wearable/ (10:45) - Bilt appears to be honoring 5x offer for many Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-cards-being-frozen-5x-not-being-honored-bilts-response-pound-sand-its-tpgs-fault/ Bonvoyed(17:30) - Bank of America Preferred Rewards changes Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/negative-bank-of-america-preferred-rewards-upcoming-changes-lower-bonus-rewards-higher-eligibility-requirements/ Awards, Points, and More(24:56) - FYI: How to pay taxes by credit card (Video) Watch a video about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-pay-taxes-by-credit-card-video/ (26:43) - United Travel Bank may no longer trigger airline incidental credits Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/united-travel-bank-may-no-longer-trigger-airline-incidental-credits-but-dont-panic-yet/ (29:53) - 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/get-a-40-bonus-when-transferring-chase-ultimate-rewards-to-virgin-atlantic/ (31:30) - Use Virgin points for WestJet Main Event: Big United changes: Cardholders earn more, spend fewer miles(36:17) - Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/united-mileage-plus-announces-huge-changes-to-earning-and-redeeming-miles/ (36:51) - Mileage earning (41:27) - Using United cards to book flights (43:19) - Redeeming Miles (48:46) - Children benefit (50:01) - Which United card is best for unlocking these features? Question of the Week(1:03:24) - Do you use AI to help you optimize your points and miles game? Subscribe and FollowVisit 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 Mentioned in this episode: Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

    1h 11m
  3. Private Island ultra-all-inclusive barefoot luxury: $2,500 rebate | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep345 | 2-13-26

    FEB 13

    Private Island ultra-all-inclusive barefoot luxury: $2,500 rebate | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep345 | 2-13-26

    In today's podcast, we'll talk about why you might not want to toss out that United credit card mailer, how Bilt has led us to coin a new term, and how Calala Island wants to pay you to book with points! Private Island ultra-all-inclusive barefoot luxury: $2,500 rebateGiant Mailbag(01:21) - Vijay: Using BOA Premier $100 airline fee credit Read more about Amex Airline fee reimbursements here Card News(05:18) - Fast track to United Silver status with targeted new card offers Read more about the fast track to United Silver status here Mattress Running the Numbers(07:20) - Marriott Earn 2,500 bonus points per stay + 1 bonus elite night per brand Read more about the new Marriott promo here Learn some shortcuts to Marriott elite status here Bonvoyed: Bilt(12:33) - TBD about denied mortgage payments Read more about various Bilt issues here (18:14) - Should we introduce the term "Biltvoyed"? Awards, Points, and More(21:42) - Nick's EU261 compensation claim Read more about Nick's EU261 copensation claim here: https://frequentmiler.com/finnair-flight-booked-with-alaska-atmos-rewards-eu261-claim/ (25:38) - Instacart and United team up (Read more here: https://frequentmiler.com/earn-up-to-10-5k-united-miles-when-shopping-with-instacart/) Private Island ultra-all-inclusive barefoot luxury: $2,500 rebate(30:00) - Calala Island: Private island with only 6 villas. All inclusive. "Barefoot luxury" "Ultra-all-inclusive" (37:00) - Two Big Buts... (38:53) - Read about getting to Calala Island here: https://onemileatatime.com/how-to-get-to-calala-island/ (43:03) - Derrick Dye at Travel on Points: Read a review about this property here: https://travel-on-points.com/review-calala-island-a-nicaribbean-luxury-property/ (47:09) - Is Calala Island worth it? (52:54) - Are we going to visit? (57:41) - Is this a luxury hotel point farms? Read about One Mile at a Time's "Point Farm" concept here: https://onemileatatime.com/insights/hotel-points-farms/ Question of the Week(1:09:02) - A question about travel insurance: what do I need on the front end (especially in terms of documentation) to prepare for contingencies? Subscribe and FollowVisit 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 Mentioned in this episode: Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

    1h 19m
  4. Do we undervalue Delta card welcome offers? | Ask Us Anything Ep83 | 2-4-26

    FEB 8

    Do we undervalue Delta card welcome offers? | Ask Us Anything Ep83 | 2-4-26

    Do we undervalue Delta card welcome offers? How do you guys maximize SkyTeam? We answered these and many other questions on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on February 4th of 2026. (00:39) - Given the amount of travel and exposure to different cultures that the whole frequent miler team has had over the years, what experiences have changed how you live day to day back home? For example, after a trip to Italy, I became very interested in espresso to the point where I bought myself an espresso machine that I now use every morning. Has something similar happened for you all? (07:42) - Greg and Nick laugh at the idea of “things we do to keep the banks happy,” but only after they spent the Main Event discussing how they spend extraordinary amounts on credit cards – which surely keeps the banks happy! I appreciate Nick mentioning that his habit of keeping Amex cards >1 year might make Amex happy, but it’d be nice to keep some perspective given that most listeners/readers/watchers aren’t spending nearly the same amount as you two. So it’s logical that we might think more about “keeping the bank happy”. (13:23) - Should I open frequent flyer accounts at EVERY possible airline? Is there any downside? (14:57) - Has anyone here applied for the Disney Inspire card? (19:08) - What would you pay for a subscription to a benefit? How do you value the Alaska Atmos 100K companion fare? (23:06) - For issuers other than Amex, are there any pitfalls to be aware of when buying merchant-branded gift cards online to hit minimum spend for SUBs, from obvious gift card websites like DoorDash Gift Cards? (27:13) - I'm overwhelmed. Do you use a flowchart on how to make decisions on how something is booked? For Loyalty points, using points, using cash, using a portal, which portal... (32:55) - ​​Do you think we undervalue Delta card welcome offers? The 15% discount gives you more award flight buying power. 90k miles gives you the buying power of 103,500. Is that a bad way to frame it? (35:20) - Do you think of Citi transfers to AA as the best transfer option, similar to Chase and Hyatt? (40:26) - ​What are your thoughts about the revised BofA Air France/KLM Visa card? I have thought that that card is a acutally better for SkyTeam than any Delta Airlines related card. AF/KLM vs. Delta cards? (42:25) - ​​Is it possible to change which airline is credited to a flight after your bags are checked but before the flight departs? I'd like to get my free AA bags but have the flight credited to Alaska (46:13) - Best use of Wyndham now that Vacasa is gone and no Caesar match in Vegas? Any other options like Vacasa? (48:40) - ​​My friend wants to transfer 100,000 Citi points to me. I know that’s the yearly limit, and they expire in 90 days. My question is, if I get them then transfer them, do my ThankYou Points transfer first or the gifted ThankYou points (49:30) - ​Since Delta is crazily underwhelming, how do you guys maximize SkyTeam? (51:55) - Do any of the FM team ever get denied for credit cards? Has anyone ever been in pop-up prison? How do you avoid denials? 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

    57 min
5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Earn miles without flying. Frequent Miler is all about getting the most out of the loyalty game. You can easily earn hundreds of thousands of points and miles without traveling, then learn how to use those points towards luxury travel. In this podcast, Frequent Miler founder Greg, and senior author Nick debate current topics in the points & miles world.

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