Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

A Norway Trip Report...on today’s Milenomics² Podcast 01:00 Scope: 2 weeks in Norway. Oslo, Tromso, Lofoten then back to Oslo for a few days.  Wanted to get away from people.  Love the coast, and Norway has a LOT of coastline Spent most of our time in the arctic Circle (but not considered the arctic) Map: 10:12 Outbound: Air France. LAX-CDG Plus a 4hr layover. Flight was smooth and the daytime departure was nice Got to experience the new LAX Air France lounge. Open 3 weeks ago. New is always better. 4hrs in CDG was perfect with kids. Got through immigration, train to the 2F terminal, settled into a lounge, everyone showered and then about 45 minutes later we were off to the gate Kids meal was pre-ordered and was great. CDG-OSL very basic, service by Amelia (by Air France) 20:10 Getting to Oslo from the airport Fly to vs Vy.  Trains run every 10-20 minutes. Travel time is less than 30 minutes.  Flytoget calls itself the 'fastest' airport train. This might be true, but only by a minute or two. Vy is a few minutes slower. Faster than driving even. Flytoget has Kids free vs VY so the prices start to converge when you take this into consideration approx $12 - 24 per person one way. Taxi was about $125. We had 4 of these one ways to do so we needed to get good at them. Vy app is not as good as the Ruter app for buying tickets with US credit cards. Stick to the Ruter app. Ruter and VY app cannot buy flytoget tickets, so Ruter + Flytoget app are the ideal combo. Tickets can also easily be bought at the ticket machines. 25:20 Clarion hotel the hub (a strawberry hotel) Location is great, just off Oslo central station 810(!) rooms. Norway's Largest hotel. Did not feel this big. Booked family size room for 16000 points With a Strata Premier this is 8000 TYP transferred to Choice. Included a pull out sofa which was already set up for us. Includes full buffet breakfast with omelette and crepe station. Nice, newish hotel.  Certainly a great way to spend TYP and appreciate they book family rooms. Came back and worked to get connecting rooms. Seemed willing to even give some partial extra credit for the family room vs. 2 regular rooms. 30:58 Oslo: World city, really a great feel to the city, full of energy, parks and fantastic amounts of museums. 20+ Hours of daylight. People outdoors and a city that is alive. Paris and Prague feels. But English is a first or second language in most signs and interaction. Summer in Norway is Wildflower season. The landscaping in the cities is beautiful. Be Aware of your surroundings at night. There were some sketchy areas we stumbled into. Nothing too rough but still, be aware. Food was easy to find and diverse Interesting food halls: Oslo Street Food or Barcode Street Food Most world cuisine was easy to find and well done. Getting around is so easy. There are very few people driving cars. Taxis only really. Malls. So many m

Trevor, an adventurous traveler, shares captivating tales from his recent family trip to the stunning French and Italian Rivieras. He discusses the joys and challenges of multi-generational travel, highlighting how logistics can complicate family outings. Trevor reveals insider tips on hotels, accommodations, and even the best local dining experiences. He brings listeners along for a cheese tour and shares humorous misadventures from their drives. Get ready to be inspired for your own Mediterranean family escape!

Explore a menagerie of travel topics in this episode: from a Vegas hotel experience to airline industry insights, including possible mergers. Discover the evolution of airport lounges, lifestyle influences on travel choices, and the real cost of inflation during a trip to Charlotte. A fun and thought-provoking discussion awaits!

In this episode, we dive into the adventures of Spencer Howard, the founder of Straight To The Points, as he shares his recent Asia Pacific trip experience. Straight To The Points is a service that helps travelers find and book premium airline award tickets using points and miles, helping save time and money. In our conversation, Spencer shares his incredible 6-week journey through New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, highlighting the breathtaking sights and unique experiences he and his family encountered. Hear about his flight on Air New Zealand, what makes it a family-friendly airline, and tips for traveling with a newborn. Discover why convenience is key when traveling with a newborn, the importance of planning, and how he planned the overall trip. We discuss Hyatt alternatives in Sydney, his scenic route to Tokyo, and why you should go to a baseball game in Japan. Spencer also shares his favorite hotel stays, what makes for a great hotel experience, invaluable travel hacks, and more! Join us as we unpack the ins and outs of planning your Asia Pacific trip with Spencer Howard! Key Points From This Episode: [00:00] Introducing today’s guest, Spencer Howard. [01:41] Outline of today’s topic and what listeners can expect. [03:38] His motivation for the trip and traveling with a newborn. [06:29] Flying Air New Zealand from Texas, Houston. [10:00] The main difference between Queenstown and Aukland. [11:47] Finding a hotel, getting around, and how to use your points in New Zealand. [15:04] Why he chose convenience over price when making bookings. [17:15] Spencer’s New Zealand highlights and why he would go back. [22:05] Sightseeing in Sydney and his stay at the Capella Sydney. [27:04] His alternative route to Tokyo and changing the itinerary on a trip. [31:18] His Japan experience, the hotels, and going to a baseball game. [42:52] What inspired him to go to Japan and how he planned the trip. [47:28] Find out more about Spencer and his company, Straight To The Points. Quotes: “Air New Zealand obviously does not have first-class but they will let you buy the bigger seat. That was worth it.” — @spencerformiles [6:57] “Convenience matters, I think, when you are traveling with a little one.” — @spencerformiles [15:46] “[The Capella Sydney Hotel] truly is an amazing hotel that I would prefer to stay in when I go back.” — @spencerformiles [22:35] “You can get, what I would say is a reasonably priced, nice hotel in Sydney if you are not using points.” — @spencerformiles [24:37] “Finding the information important to your travel faster I think is important so I am just trying to save people some hours.” — @spencerformiles [50:09] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Spencer Howard on LinkedIn Spencer Howard on X Spencer Howard on Instagram Straight To The Points Points Wire Air New Zealand Virgin Atlantic British Airways

Exploring Q3 5x categories for credit cards, transfer bonuses for airline miles, DeltaOne lounges, decline in giftcard usefulness, challenges with ATM fees for international travel, and benefits of eSIM data plans for staying connected abroad.

Delve into the world of bank points programs for deeply discounted airfare, not free. Explore the benefits of Chase UR with straightforward earning and domestic partners like United and Southwest. Learn about the challenges of booking with the Chase Travel Portal and maximizing Amex MR points for travel savings and flexibility. Discover strategies for maximizing credit card rewards and navigating the complexities of rebate features for successful redemption benefits.

Join Thomas and Trevor as they share their travel adventures in Madrid, discussing gin & tonic ice cubes, airport lounge experiences, maximizing points redemption, and cautionary tales of pickpocketing incidents. They also explore the evolution of Lufthansa's first-class service and the amenities of the Airbus A340-600.

Travel enthusiast and author Nick Reyes shares travel hacks and redemption stories, discussing the evolution of Avianca's lifemiles program, bucket-list adventures made accessible with miles and points, and the wonders of travel as education. He also provides tips on saving time and money on adventures around the world.

Debra Schroeder shares her expertise on cruising and miles/points, starting with her '94 AA promotion. Topics include cruise pricing trends, strategies for booking cruises, challenges with food provisions, and Deb's travel aspirations. Dive into Deb's journey to pinnacle membership in cruise loyalty programs and the urgency in seizing free cruise opportunities. Learn about accumulating points and a teaser for a future episode on bloggers' impact on cruising.

A traveler recounts his unexpected excitement during a trip to Cairo after airport experiences in Canada, a review of Chase Sapphire Lounge, inflight Qatar Qsuite experience, layover in Doha, cultural observations in Dubai and Cairo, chaotic traffic in Cairo, crafting nested itineraries for cost-effective travel.