Frequent Miler on the Air

Our two favorite Amex transfer partners offer access to a wide array of awards that make for fascinating possibilities, whether great award chart values or flexible routing rules or a lot more. This week, we debate which is best from a wide range of angles. 00:51 Giant Mailbag: Watch out for "free" award cancellations 6:36 Mattress running the Numbers: 14K Wyndham points with a 3-night stay 12:07 Awards we booked this week 19:38 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates 32:42 Main Event: Which is the best Amex transfer partner -- Air Canada Aeroplan or ANA? 34:48 Transfer time 39:28 Award Charts 44:58 One-way awards 49:24 Fuel surcharges 55:32 Partner airlines 1:01:32 Stopovers 1:04:30 Award space for their own members 1:06:32 Change fees 1:08:10 Mileage Expiry 1:12:19 Lap infant fees 1:20:23 Question of the Week: Is Plastiq ever worth it for the 2.85% fee?  Join our email list: frequentmiler.com/subscribe Music credit: Annie Yoder

Friends don't let friends pay full price for hotels. Here are some of the tools we use to slice and dice the price of lodging. 00:44 Giant Mailbag: Pop-up averted over the phone 4:14 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/ 15:34 What crazy thing....did Marriott Bonvoy do this week? When it says you can't use suite night awards, maybe that's not true . . . 23:45 Mattress running the numbers: Buying IHG points for 0.5c each https://frequentmiler.com/buy-ihg-points/ 28:53 Main Event: Extreme hotel savings 29:40 Buying points on sale 36:45 Specialty rates 40:46 Card-linked offers (Chase Offers, Amex Offers, SimplyMiles, etc) https://frequentmiler.com/card-linked-programs-the-networks-they-run-on-aka-which-programs-stack/ 43:44 Portals 49:14 Membership sites (Capital One Spring, Greyhound, etc) https://frequentmiler.com/capital-one-spring-priceline-save-hotels/ 52:25 Hotels.com stacking 54:25 Best Rate Guarantees 1:01:16 Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle 1:03:48 Wyndham business to Caesars to Free room 1:05:12 Follow sites for deeply discounted prices 1:07:20 Question of the Week: Do you have an update on American Airlines Loyalty Points? https://frequentmiler.com/american-airlines-loyalty-points-game-update-halfway-through-whos-in-front/ Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder

Want to sleep cheap in the city that never sleeps? Using hotel points can save you a boatload on your next New York City vacation, but not all award options are created equally. This week, Greg and Nick discuss your best bets. 00:58 Giant Mailbag Double Header (First up: IHG welcome bonus free night not top-off-able) 03:56 Marriott free night certificates extendable after all 9:39 What crazy thing...did IHG do this week? 14:39 Mattress running the numbers: Locking in the 20% back Marriott offer for good rates in the future and abroad 21:27 Awards we booked this week 25:33 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates 30:20 Main Event: The best free nights in the Big Apple 31:38 Hilton 38:00 Hyatt 45:50 IHG 51:35 Marriott 1:03:25 Choice 1:07:46 Wyndham 1:09:33 Radisson 1:14:48 Can you get off a cruise ship early to fly home? Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder

As we plan for our 3 Cards, 3 Continents dream trips, we can't quite have it all. There have been dreams we've had to put on hold for future trips and this week Greg and Nick discuss a couple of those fantastic trips they hope to take one day but couldn't fit into this challenge. 00:45 Giant Mailbag: Chase reconsideration success 4:00 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates https://frequentmiler.com/tag/3cards3continents/ 16:45 What crazy thing.....did IHG and Chase do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-premier-140k-welcome-offer-free-night-certificate-cant-be-topped-off/ 21:08 Awards we booked this week 25:03 Main Event: The dream trip that got away 27:30 Greg's free night certificate wish list https://frequentmiler.com/best-uses-for-marriott-free-night-certificates/ 33:24 Nick's tropical paradises lost https://frequentmiler.com/aeroplan-plans-for-future-dream-trips/ 56:52 Question of the Week: What's the strategy for a person with high business spend?

[Update: The wrong episode was initially loaded. This update includes the correct episode.]. Wondering how to find those elusive business class awards? Greg and Nick discuss the tricks in their toolbags. 00:28 Giant Mailbag 1:48 Mattress running the numbers: Daily Getaways https://frequentmiler.com/daily-getaways-2022-first-2-weeks-of-offers-announced/ Are any of these deals worth speculatively buying? Our analysis: 3:46 IHG points for half a cent each 4:35 Hilton points for half a cent each 4:47 Wyndham points for 1.17c each 5:30 Best Western at 0.55cpp 6:38 Choice points for 0.52cpp 8:35 Marriott gift cards for 20% off Hyatt points 11:31 #3Cards2Continents3Updates https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/ 23:34 Awards we booked this week 27:00 What crazy thing....did London Heathrow Airport do this week? 30:18 Main Event: PLEASE tell us how to find business class awards. 1:11:17 When is Ask Us Anything? Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder

Want to travel all around the world in business class for about as many points as most people use for a simple round trip to Europe? This show has the tips you need to book the famed ANA Round the World award -- and reasons why you might want to consider paying a few more miles and booking your trip via Air Canada Aeroplan instead. 1:25 Giant Mailbag: About those Virgin Atlantic awards . . . https://frequentmiler.com/virgin-atlantic-opens-award-space-gates-enhances-air-france-mile-value/ 3:45 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 Updates https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-2022-team-challenge-3-cards-3-continents/ 5:45 What crazy thing...did Marriott Bonvoy do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/bonvoyed-again-what-marriott-gives-it-can-take-away/ 8:41 Awards we booked this week 14:45 Main Event: How to book round the world awards 15:27 ANA Round the World https://frequentmiler.com/tips-for-booking-anas-round-the-world-award/ 40:40 Using Air Canada Aeroplan to achieve similar goals 53:25 How do you handle an early morning arrival at London (or in general)? Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder

Virgin Atlantic has promised to open up at least 12 award seats on every flight. This has led to unprecedented award availability. Here's how to make the most of it. 1:27 Giant Mailbag: How to log into hotel wi-fi with a Chromebook 4:44 3 Cards 3 Continents 3 Updates Stephen cashes out 50K Membership Rewards Greg exchanges 40K ThankYou points for 56K Avios Nick needs to cancel his first booking 14:59 Mattress Running the Numbers: Biltmore Arizona 18:35 Awards we booked this week (St Pancras, London) 23:07 Main Event: Virgin Atlantic releases award floodgates 45:53 Question of the week: Are Marriott SNAs worth anything anymore?

Got to cancel your card but don't know what to do with your points? Here are your best options. 00:58 3 Cards, 3 Continents, 3 updates 17:31 Giant Mailbag: Comments from live stream draft audience https://frequentmiler.com/drafting-the-dream-results-who-got-which-cards/ 21:32 What crazy thing . . . did the Curve credit card do this week? 26:05 Main Event: Where to park your transferable points https://frequentmiler.com/brex-it-what-to-do-with-100k-brex-points/ 28:37 Air France / KLM Flying Blue 33:16 Emirates? No. 33:50 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles 37:26 Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer? No, 37:50 Virgin Atlantic 40:07 Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar) 43:05 Air Canada Aeroplan 48:03 Avianca LifeMiles 54:12 Qantas? (nope) 54:26 Our favorites 58:22 Question of the Week: What's your favorite brand of luggage? How about your favorite piece of travel-related gear? Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder

You're planning a dream trip to 3 continents; which 3 credit cards would you choose for the best combination of welcome bonuses and card benefits? This week, we talk strategy for our upcoming draft -- because once one of us makes a selection, the other two will be left scrambling to strategize the next move. 1:25 Giant Mailbag 2:38 Awards we booked this week Link to the SimplyMiles deal we referenced: https://frequentmiler.com/incredible-the-240x-simplymiles-deal-is-being-honored/ 11:22 Mattress running the numbers: Marriott Homes & Villas stacking deals https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-homes-and-villas-stay-five-nights-get-2x-points-and-free-night-award/ 18:40 Main Event: Drafting the Dream: Strategies for drafting the best 3 card, 3 continent dream trip https://frequentmiler.com/challenge-3-cards-3-continents-buckle-up/ Link to read about the previous 40K to Far Away challenge: https://frequentmiler.com/40k-to-far-away-afterglow-help-us-design-the-next-40kfaraway-challenge/ 51:09 Post Roast https://frequentmiler.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-should-i-keep-it/ 54:21 Question of the Week: Is there a downside to having multiple car reservations and deciding at the counter which update is best? Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder

Yes, you can continue to march on the Amex point parade even after you've signed up for all the cards. 00:53 Giant Mailbag: What's the best loyalty program outside of the United States? 4:18 Mattress running the numbers: Magazines.com stacking deals https://frequentmiler.com/magazines-com-citi-offer-giving-15-on-20-spend-stack-with-aa-portal-simplymiles-or-40x-rakuten/ 9:08 What crazy thing did....Curve do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/is-the-curve-card-ready-for-prime-time-hint-not-yet/ 14:25 Main Event: Amex end game 15:52 No Lifetime Language offers (NLL) 19:26 A "lifetime" may be shorter than you think https://frequentmiler.com/bending-amexs-lifetime-rule/ 22:50 Downgrade / Upgrade path 26:11 Ways to earn more points with your existing cards (first up: referrals) 31:11 Authorized user / Additional cardholder bonuses https://frequentmiler.com/20k-membership-rewards-bonus-with-new-authorized-user-and-2k-spend-targeted/ 34:07 Pay Over Time bonuses https://frequentmiler.com/amex-20000-mr-for-enrolling-in-pay-over-time-check-link-to-see-if-youre-targeted/ 41:04 Retention Offers https://frequentmiler.com/a-well-timed-retention-offer-yields-18-75x-without-a-new-account/ 44:45 Post roast Nick Roasts Marriott https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-award-booking-adventure/ 48:21 Greg Roasts Nick https://frequentmiler.com/the-hidden-cost-of-point-transfers-should-you-take-advantage-of-that-transfer-bonus/ 53:09 Question of the Week: I got an Amex authorized user bonus. How long do I need to keep the AU accounts open? Join our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ Music credit: Annie Yoder