The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

Thrifty Traveler
  • 4.9 (180)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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 outs of booking cheap flights, exploring the best ways to use your airline miles, or diving into other next-level money-saving travel tips, your hosts Gunnar Olson and Kyle Potter will bring you the best of Thrifty Traveler every week! Follow us today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts and learn to travel more for less this year.

  1. 6D AGO

    More Flights, Fewer Points: 5 Underrated Mileage Programs

    Sure, you can earn and redeem SkyMiles and Rapid Rewards points to your heart’s content. We won’t stop you. But it’s the next level of points and miles programs that help you save even more and turn regular travelers into “sickos” like us. So the guys devote the show to spelling out five underrated airline mileage programs even everyday travelers can use to maximize their credit card points. Plus, a listener suggests a new nickname for fans of the show (there are dozens of you, we swear!) and Gunnar puts his all-time favorite airline programs on the Olympic podium.  Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Our “gateway drug” into points & miles  01:55 - TG welcomes us back to the show from snowy Niseko, Japan 03:45 - What airline programs are actually getting better?  06:50 - And which are overrated?  11:10 - A word from our sponsor: Sign up for our Extra Mile Newsletter 11:45 - Framing a discussion on top five “underrated” airline programs 15:10 - #1: Avios … but maybe not the one you’re thinking of 23:20 - #2: A newcomer full of sweet spots 32:05 - #3: Another quirky Japanese program loaded with value 40:10 - #4: The popular SkyTeam program that’s not rated high enough 47:30 - #5: The U.S. airline with the best miles 55:25 - Listener Question: “Thrifties” & changing loyalty numbers on bookings 59:50 - On the Spot: What’s your airline mileage program podium 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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 1m

  2. MAR 5

    More Southwest Drama, United’s Bold Move & More Big News

    This week, we round up all the recent travel news that’s fit to podcast! That includes Kyle’s experience with CLEAR’s (honestly amazing) new e-gates, what United’s up to with its credit card moves, a shocking-but-welcome move to require headphones onboard, Southwest’s carry-on bag problems literally everyone should have seen coming, hot and cold news from Avios, and much more! Plus, we help a listener get a refund and Gunnar declares whether he’ll ever fly Southwest again.  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.  Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Kyle’s weekend in Phoenix & using CLEAR’s new e-gates 03:35 - Richard from Florida welcomes us back to the show! 04:00 - United’s credit card changes make them essential 09:55 - Hallelujah: United mandates headphones onboard 12:45 - Hot and Cold in the Avios program: A new transfer bonus & new rules 18:42 - Another way to earn JAL miles 23:45 - A word from our sponsor Bilt Rewards 24:55 - Southwest makes seating, boarding, and baggage adjustments 29:45 - A new Southwest lounge at AUS?  31:38 - Updates from the Middle East and Puerto Vallarta 38:05 - Combined Resy & Tock restaurant list turns heads 41:10 - A sweet new Capital One Shopping promo 43:25 - Can you get refunded for a seat upgrade bought with cash? 46:55 - On the Spot: Would Gunnar ever fly Southwest again? 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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    50 min

  3. MAR 3 · BONUS

    The Best (& Worst) Business Classes in the World

    Kyle and Gunnar are joined by Thrifty Traveler Chief Flight Deal Analyst (and Domino’s elite member) Jon Shallbetter, who helps them put the 37 combined business class seats they’ve flown into tiers so you can tell what flights are worth your points and which ones may not be. From the best of the best to the experiences that are missing something to the flights that were flat-out forgettable, the guys break it all down, Qsuites to Icelandair and everything in between. Plus, they admit what they haven’t flown and Kyle and Jon reflect on their (romantic?) dinner in Qatar First Class.  Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Why it’s always surreal to fly business class 02:25 - Our flight deal guru Jon introduces the show! 02:45 - Tier 1: The best of the best 10:30 - Tier 2: Outstanding business classes 22:30 - Tier 3: Good, but missing something 32:42 - Sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium to fly biz class for less! 35:20 - Tier 4: The Almost good 44:20 - Tier 5: Disappointing business class flights 52:23 - On the Spot: Jon & Kyle’s romantic Qatar First Class flight 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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    57 min

  4. FEB 26

    RIP World of Hyatt? Dissecting Big, Bad Changes

    We’re all too accustomed to hotels and airlines making negative changes, but Hyatt genuinely broke our hearts this week. So Gunnar and Kyle devote the show to diving into some massive changes on tap for what is (or perhaps was?) the most popular and valuable hotel points program. We’re talking nasty award rate increases, confusing pricing systems, a few silver linings, and what you should do before the hammer falls. Plus, Gunnar reviews his experience on the new (& improved?) Southwest Airlines, plus they help a listener navigate the dreaded  Chase 5/24 credit card rule. Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Gunnar’s review of the “new” Southwest  03:20 - Welcome back … from the Park Hyatt Tokyo!  04:30 - The “Goat Rodeo” with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry  10:30 - Puerto Vallarta chaos & what to do about your upcoming Mexico trip 15:25 - A word from our sponsor: Sign up for The Extra Mile Newsletter today! 16:14 - World of Hyatt’s positively nasty new award chart changes 35:00 - Listener Question: How far above “5/24” should you go?  40:20 - On the Spot: How 2 hockey fans celebrated a golden weekend Send us your “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast” video! Keep it short, tell us who you are and where you are, and say “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast.” Then, upload it to thriftytraveler.com/voicemail so we can feature your video on the show!  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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    43 min

  5. FEB 19

    How We Find Cheap Flights: Inside Thrifty Traveler with Founder Jared Kamrowski

    How do we find flight deals? How do you start a travel business? What’s next for Thrifty Traveler? For episode 50 of the show, we bring on Founder and CEO Jared Kamrowski to show how the Thrifty Traveler sausage is made! Plus, Jared reacts to some new Delta routes to Hawaii, discusses the reality of points and miles availability, and helps a listener plan their first Europe trip.  Send us your “Welcome Back” video at ThriftyTraveler.com/Voicemail. Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Thrifty Traveler’s Founder & CEO gets Booksy, too! 03:30 - Timmy from Santa Monica welcomes us to the show!  04:15 - Delta’s new Hawaii routes – and their crappy biz class seats 08:05 - Traveler pain points: The reality of availability 12:55 - Sign up for The Extra Mile Newsletter today!  14:07 - A brief history of Thrifty Traveler 18:10 - The flight deal that started it all (& crashed the site) 22:00 - The evolution of Thrifty Traveler 26:45 - How do we find Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deals 31:00 - Tracking changes over the years at Thrifty Traveler 36:00 - What’s next for Thrifty Traveler – where’s the future of travel going? 39:45 - Helping a listener plan a (first-time!) Thanksgiving Europe trip for four 44:45 - Jared plays the airport code initials game 45:55 - What episode does our boss want us to do next? 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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    48 min

  6. FEB 12

    Sneaky Delta Perks, Summer Travel Slowdown & 8 Other News Stories

    Kyle is back from Costa Rica where he was breaking news from the beach! So the guys get caught up on all the latest travel news including a little-known Delta credit card perk he unearthed, some new credit card offers and rumors, some good news for travelers who love cheaper fares to Europe (but bad news for airlines) this summer, and more! Plus, a listener challenges our recent take … and the guys come up with a new bit. Yes, another one. 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.  Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Recapping Kyle’s Costa Rica trip 02:30 - Brian kicks off the show from Kenya 03:25 - Summer travel demand to Europe is dropping … and we love it 10:00 - A PSA to book (or re-book) your spring break flights 13:30 - Introducing our new daily (and free!) Extra Mile newsletter 15:35 - New Delta SkyMiles card sign-up offers …a nd upgrade offers 19:40 - Sky Club visits reset – plus our favorite way to add a few extras 22:00 - Kyle discovers the sneaky SkyMiles card premium snack perk 24:47 - A word from our sponsor: Bilt Rewards 25:50 - Rumors swirl about a souped-up Capital One dining card: The Savor X 29:05 - Boo: The Amex Platinum increased its spend requirement by 50% 31:25 - A sweet transfer bonus to Japan Airlines from Capital One 34:00 - Reviewing the Park Hyatt London River Thames 36:20 - Listener Question: Why no love for the Bilt Palladium Card (& our “U-Turn”) 42:10 - On the Spot: What are your airport code initials? Send us your “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast” video! Keep it short, tell us who you are and where you are, and say “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast.” Then, upload it to thriftytraveler.com/voicemail so we can feature your video on the show!  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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    45 min

  7. FEB 5

    “These Bros Ain’t Loyal”: Why You Shouldn’t Chase Elite Status in 2026

    People with status are often very loud about it (we’re looking at you Delta Medallions and Hyatt Globalists), but chasing airline and hotel loyalty isn’t smart for most travelers. It’s something we’re decidedly out on in 2026 and beyond. In “These Bros Ain’t Loyal”, we’re laying out the case against chasing status by identifying who status is for, and why it’s not the best way to travel more for less.  Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - What should we call this episode? 01:55 - John Melson introduces the show 03:00 - The best airline & hotel statuses 07:15 - The worst airline & hotel statuses 11:25 - Thrifty Traveler Premium Flight Deal Quiz! 13:44 - Why we’re out on travel loyalty 22:30 - Who is loyalty for? 26:15 - Who is travel “free agency” for?  28:45 - How to get status perks without status 37:45 - Listener Question: What about credit card points loyalty? 41:30 - On the Spot: Gunnar’s 2027 list 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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    44 min

  8. JAN 29

    Our 5-Step Checklist: What We Do After Booking Flights

    If you want to take your travels to the next level (and who doesn’t?), it’s not about what you do before booking a flight – it’s what you do after that matters most. So Gunnar and Kyle are diving in on this week’s pod, spelling out the five crucial steps they take after booking each and every flight to ensure they get the best deal and set themselves up for success. Plus, the guys got a little “booksy,” discuss a new airline partnership that’s piqued their interest, and help out a traveler planning a trip to Japan. 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.  Watch us on YouTube! 00:00 - Gunnar & Kyle’s recent (fancy) lie-flat bookings 02:39 - Roger introduces the show from Komodo, Indonesia! 03:35 - Something Hot: The new American & Aer Lingus partnership 08:00 - Something Hotter: New & improved travel credit card tracking 11:15 - A word from our sponsor: Bilt Rewards 12:30 - The 5 Things We Do After Booking a Flight 12:35 - 1st: Forward your trip to TripIt – an essential travel tool 16:05 - 2nd: Clean-up & manage your booking 19:15 - 3rd: Set up Google Flights price alerts and award tracking 28:10 - 4th: A quick look at major logistics (using the 24-hour rule!) 31:00 - 5th: Asking your wife, requesting PTO and other “life stuff” 37:00 - Listener Question: A mea culpa & how to approach booking a Japan trip 43:40 - On the Spot: Kyle’s Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge gameplan 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…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    47 min
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4.9
out of 5
180 Ratings

About

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 outs of booking cheap flights, exploring the best ways to use your airline miles, or diving into other next-level money-saving travel tips, your hosts Gunnar Olson and Kyle Potter will bring you the best of Thrifty Traveler every week! Follow us today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts and learn to travel more for less this year.

Information

  • Creator
    Thrifty Traveler
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Thrifty Traveler
  • Show Website
    The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

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