The Thrifty Traveler Podcast Inside the Travel Influencer Boom, with MaxMilesPoints
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Jun 19, 2025 Max Do, known as MaxMilesPoints, is a prominent travel influencer specializing in points and miles. In this engaging conversation, he shares his journey from a 9-to-5 job to becoming a full-time creator, driven by a $10,000 hotel deal. They discuss the explosive growth of travel influencers, both the perks and drawbacks, and analyze recent changes in premium credit card offerings from American Express and Chase. Plus, Max shares insights on exciting new travel lounges and tips for navigating travel with kids.
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Premium Cards Shift to Lifestyle
- Premium travel credit cards are shifting focus from pure travel perks to lifestyle benefits.
- This trend aligns Chase's Sapphire Reserve card more closely with American Express's Platinum card model.
Low-Cost Credits Favor Cities
- Travel card credits like rideshare or gym memberships are low-cost perks exploited by banks due to breakage.
- These benefits mostly appeal to urban users, leaving rural customers less able to utilize them.
Booked Award While Feeding Baby
- Max booked a rare Starlux business class award early one morning while feeding his newborn.
- Flight deals alerts allow spontaneous bookings even during busy personal moments.