Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

Sam Simon and Robert Dwyer

A Milenomics Production-- News related to Points and Miles. Tips & Tricks on how to Earn More miles, Maximize Credit Card Rewards, and Travel more than ever before.

  1. TravelStories Episode 75: Catching Up With Nick Reyes of FrequentMiler

    MAR 23

    TravelStories Episode 75: Catching Up With Nick Reyes of FrequentMiler

    Note: This episode can be viewed with video on Youtube/Spotify. Summary In this episode, Tom Kim and Trevor Mountcastle welcome back Nick from The Frequent Miler to discuss the latest strategies in the award travel world. Nick breaks down his family’s massive undertaking of the JetBlue 25-for-25 promotion, his nuanced take on the Hyatt award chart changes, and his favorite tools for finding the best flight redemptions, including a surprising hack for Southwest Airlines. Key Points From This Episode: 0:00 – Introduction Tom and Trevor welcome back Nick. Brief catch-up on Nick’s recent travel adventures since his last appearance. 0:43 – The JetBlue 25-for-25 Family Challenge How Nick completed the challenge for his entire family of four. The logic behind securing 25 years of airline status for his young children. Strategy: Using Amex Membership Rewards points and the Business Platinum 35% rebate to fund the flights. Leveraging partner bookings like Etihad Guest for high-value JetBlue redemptions. 7:16 – Hyatt Award Chart Changes: To Panic or Not? Nick’s take on the recent devaluation: Why Hyatt remains the strongest hotel currency despite the hit to top-tier redemptions. The strategy of speculative bookings for "bucket list" properties like Park Hyatt Kyoto before price hikes. Comparing the rising cash rates of luxury hotels to the increasing point requirements. 18:25 – Aeroplan and the Current State of Flight Awards The pros and cons of Air Canada’s Aeroplan, including their massive partner network. The frustration of dynamic pricing with partners like United. The difficulty of finding award space to Asia in the current travel climate. 23:14 – Advanced Award Searching & The "Condor Hack" Using Alaska Airlines to book Condor with a stopover in Frankfurt en route to Bangkok. Nick’s favorite tools: AwardTool, Seats.Aero, and the Points Path Chrome extension. Autopilot: A new tool for automatically repricing paid flights for credits. 29:16 – Southwest Airlines Strategies & IT Glitches The shift to assigned seating and the impact on Southwest's value proposition. A bizarre IT glitch: Why Nick’s 8-year-old son could see award seats that Nick (a premium cardholder) could not. The benefits of the Southwest Priority and Performance Business cards. 36:00 – Family Travel: World-Schooling & The Librea Tar Pits Nick’s experience homeschooling his kids for a quarter while traveling to the Bahamas, Los Angeles, and French Polynesia. The educational value of travel: From the aquariums in Atlantis to prehistoric history in LA. 41:40 – The Casino Status Match & Free Cruises How Nick turned casino status matches into 14 free cruises. Reviewing Margaritaville at Sea: Why it’s surprisingly great for families despite its budget reputation. Pro Tip: Using the casino "cage" for organic spend/cash advances on cruises. 51:00 – Lifemiles & Flying Blue Subscriptions Is the LifeMiles+ subscription worth $20/month? (Hint: The 10% discount and free cancellations might be). The new Flying Blue subscription model and whether it’s worth it for promo awards. Keywords Hyatt award chart, travel hacking, JetBlue 25 for 25, Family travel, Aeroplan, Southwest Airlines

    1h 37m
  2. FEB 27

    Milenomics² Podcast [NOAF] Episode 80: Bilt Rent Day, Whoop, Chase and BofA changes

    0:21 Bilt JAL Transfer Bonus Normally 1:1, heightened for March 1 “rent day” Staying on-brand-complicated the amount of bonus varies depending on your Bilt status and use of Bilt Cash to further heighten the bonus So it’s 25-125% on March 1 JAL 1:1 BILT transfer partner is great, long term Need to have space aligned in both directions Miles expire 3 years (HARD expiry, no way to extend) Speculative…. Probably not for me.  $135 Bilt cash to unlock 25% additional uplift 05:38 Chase Sapphire WHOOP Offer This is an Offer, not a recurring benefit of the card (as of now, one-time) Offer must be activated first on Chase Direct Link from Whoop for more info $359 back on $359 on Sapphire Reserve, $100 back on $149 on Sapphire Preferred Ends 5/12/2026 10:07 Hyatt Award Chart Changes Direct Link to new award chart New award chart still tops out at Category 8, but now has 5 levels of demand within each category (previously 3) Means a standard room can be as cheap as 3,000/nt OR as much as 75,000/nt (Cat 8, Top demand) OR 110,000 (Cat 8 Premium Suite Top demand) Digital point sharing! What’s the upshot here? For me, as long as the program continues to offer solid value (2+ cpp most of the time, occasionally 3+ cpp) I’m still happy. 17:17 Chase Adds Wyndham as 1:1 Transfer Partner Citi also transfers to Wyndham, has a 25% bonus through March 21, 2026 Reason to even mention this is curiosity about whether Wyndham   is at all compelling anymore with the demise of Vacasa? Wyndham has hotels! (did you know?) And plenty of vacation rentals 15k - 30k per night, can make sense.  Again, speculatively doesn’t likely make sense.  21:04 BofA Preferred Rewards Press Release / Direct Link $1M is the new $100k: Now need $1M for 75% uplift on credit card earning Preferred: $30k - $100k 25% uplift on qualifying credit card rewards Preferred Plus: $100k - $1M 50% uplift (was 75%) Premier: $1M+ 75% uplift (was also 75%) Subscription credit for debit charges: $8/mo for Preferred Plus, $15/mo for Premier Expanded Access to Lifestyle Benefits Preferred Honors tier: Automotive savings on brands like BMW, Lexus, Audi, Volvo; access to arts and entertainments moments, including major league sports, concerts, Broadway shows, and opera; and premium travel experiences with partners including Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Virgin Hotels, and Sixt. Premier tier: Tier-exclusive luxury offers with Backroads, The Eden Residence Club, Mercedes, Sollis Health, and Blacklane, as well as curated private events, such as the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, Lamborghini, and CULTURED magazine. Starts May 2026, but uplift may stick around for existing customers: “Some benefits, like the credit card rewards bonus and no-fee safe deposit boxes, may be subject to change. If this applies to you, you'll keep your Preferred Rewards benefits for at least 6 months (after May 2026) 26:25 BOS-HNL Non-Stop Returns Direct Link On Delta, in “Winter” Also MSP-OGG Better to have an option than not! I’m hopeful they’ll have good uptake and expand this to more of the year. I think there’s demand for one non-stop BOS-Hawaii year-round (not two). If that’s Delta rather than Hawaiian, so be it? Robert: “Thanks for joining us for this week. For a more in-depth discussion about points miles visit us at patreon.com/milenomics. There you’ll get a special link to listen to additional content, right in your mobile podcast app or on your computer, where we speak more freely about topics like these. Sam: “As always you can catch us on social media. I’m @milenomics and Robert is @robertdwyer. Until then we’ll see you on the site.”

    29 min
  3. TravelStories Episode 73: Bucket List Australia Trip

    FEB 24

    TravelStories Episode 73: Bucket List Australia Trip

    Note: Video of this episode can be found on Youtube and Spotify! Coming soon to Apple Podcasts. In this episode, hosts Tom Kim and Trevor Mountcastle recount Trevor’s recent New Years trip to Australia that included visits to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. They discuss the challenges of booking flights using points and miles, the varying experiences with American Airlines and Qantas business class, and the highlights of their stay in Brisbane, including the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The conversation also covers their New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney, exploring local attractions like the Opera House and The Rocks, and the unique culinary experiences they encountered. The hosts also discuss Melbourne and her beautiful markets and the Australian Open. They discuss the challenges of booking travel during peak times, the logistics of traveling with family, including limited mobility considerations, and how we chose specific flight experiences to mitigate those logistical challenges, such as the importance of non-stop flights. Key Points From This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to the Australian Adventure 00:47 Planning the Trip: Points and Miles Challenges 04:55 Flight Experience: Comfort and Crew Dynamics 11:27 Arrival in Australia: First Impressions 17:55 Hotel Experience: Hyatt Regency Brisbane 21:21 Wildlife Encounters: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 26:37 Exploring Brisbane: Markets and Local Culture 27:47 Traveling to Gold Coast: A Budget-Friendly Choice 31:04 Accessibility Challenges in Air Travel 31:22 Packing Light for a Long Trip 34:56 Choosing Accommodations: From Hyatt to Apartments 36:28 New Year's Eve in Manly: A Family Celebration 44:11 Transitioning to Hyatt Regency: A Familiar Stay 48:10 Exploring Sydney: New Experiences and Local Markets 50:49 Cultural Experiences: A Visit to the Opera House 51:40 Experiencing the Sydney Opera House 52:46 Traveling to Melbourne: A New Adventure 53:52 Hotel Experiences and Upgrades 55:32 Booking Strategies for Travel 59:07 Exploring Melbourne: Markets and Local Culture 01:00:38 Weather Challenges in Melbourne 01:04:34 Dining Experiences and Service Culture 01:11:07 Unexpected Adventures at the Australian Open 01:16:56 Experiencing Sporting Events with Low Friction 01:19:07 Navigating Travel Logistics and Flight Changes 01:22:33 Dining Experiences in Airports 01:26:31 First Class Lounge Experience at Qantas 01:27:30 Reflections on Long-Haul Flights 01:34:15 Desire to Return to Australia and Future Travel Plans 01:36:51 The Value of Nonstop Flights

    1h 40m
  4. TravelStories Episode 72: A Guys Trip to Malta

    JAN 29

    TravelStories Episode 72: A Guys Trip to Malta

    A Guys Trip to Malta Centered Around Lounge Hopping Episode 72: Show Notes Summary In this episode, hosts Tom Kim and Trevor Mountcastle share their travel experiences centered around an impromptu trip to Malta, highlighting their lounge hopping adventures. They discuss their flight itinerary, the luxurious Polaris Lounge in Chicago, and the Frankfurt First Class Lounge, emphasizing the importance of these experiences in enhancing their travel. The conversation also touches on their arrival in Malta, exploring the historical city of Valletta, and the unique aspects of their journey, including unexpected encounters and the cultural richness of Malta. In this episode, the hosts discuss their recent trip to Malta, including their experiences exploring the Old Town, the beaches, and their flight with British Airways to Gatwick. They share insights on navigating Gatwick to Heathrow, hotel booking strategies, and their extensive lounge hopping at Heathrow Terminal 3, highlighting the pros and cons of various lounges including the Centurion, British Airways, Qantas, and Cathay Pacific. The conversation wraps up with reflections on the trip's focus on lounges and the missed opportunities for outdoor exploration in Malta. Key Points From This Episode: 00:00 Lounge Hopping: The Trip's Driving Force 02:00 Flight Itinerary and Booking Process 03:25 Experiencing the Polaris Lounge 11:44 Lufthansa First Class Experience 21:17 Frankfurt Lounge Experience 27:37 Arrival in Malta and Hotel Lounge Review 29:38 Navigating the Airport Experience 31:57 Dining in the Skies: European Airlines 34:52 Hotel Comparisons: Regency vs. Centric 35:43 Exploring Malta: A Densely Populated Gem 36:46 Valletta: The Old Town Experience 40:45 Cruise and Maintenance: Malta's Unique Position 42:50 Gatwick to Heathrow: A Smooth Transition 46:42 Dining at Hyatt Place: A Pleasant Surprise 51:43 Lounge Hopping at Heathrow Terminal 3 53:36 The Changing Landscape of Airport Lounges 54:48 Lounge Hopping Experience 01:01:09 The Qantas Lounge Highlights 01:06:13 Cathay Pacific Lounge Experience 01:09:43 Flight Experience and Upgrades 01:22:13 Reflections on the Trip 01:23:33 NEWCHAPTER

    1h 24m
  5. TravelStories Episode 71: A Wide Ranging Conversation with Gary Leff

    JAN 8

    TravelStories Episode 71: A Wide Ranging Conversation with Gary Leff

    Note: The video of this episode can be found on Youtube or Spotify Summary In this episode of Travel Stories, hosts Tom Kim and Trevor Mountcastle welcome Gary Leff, of View From the Wing and the Freddie Awards to the show. We discuss memorable experiences in travel, the evolution of airline loyalty programs, the changing landscape of airline upgrades, and the impact of status on travel experiences. The conversation also delves into family travel, personal travel stories, and the value of travel experiences. Gary shares his insights on the future of airline loyalty programs and emphasizes the importance of enjoying the journey rather than cramming everything into one trip. Key Points From This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to Travel Stories and Guest Background 03:07 Memorable Experiences at Frequent Traveler University 05:46 The Evolution of Airline Loyalty Programs 09:01 The Changing Landscape of Upgrades and Entitlement 11:54 The Shift in Value Proposition for Frequent Flyers 14:29 The Future of Loyalty Programs and Personalization 17:30 Recognition and Emotional Connections in Loyalty Programs 20:23 Gamification and Customer Engagement Strategies 29:51 Navigating Credit Card Value and Offers 37:49 The Future of Co-Branded Credit Cards 54:31 Traveling with Family: A New Perspective 01:00:24 Shifting Travel Preferences and Experiences 01:03:14 Traveling with Kids: Strategies and Challenges 01:09:58 Memorable Travel Experiences: Stories from the Road 01:15:02 The Value of Travel: Understanding Different Cultures 01:21:08 Reflections on Travel: The Good and the Bad 01:25:33 Favorite Travel Deals: A Look Back at Opportunities

    1h 30m
4.4
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

A Milenomics Production-- News related to Points and Miles. Tips & Tricks on how to Earn More miles, Maximize Credit Card Rewards, and Travel more than ever before.

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