Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

An Epic Guys Trip Episode 08: Show Notes. When you take a trip around the world with your friends, you are bound to come away from it with some pretty crazy stories. Today on the show, we are joined by Joey (who had the idea for this trip) and Geoff, who, along with our hosts TK and Trevor, went on an epic guys' trip around the world in June of 2018. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about our itinerary, how we booked optimal flights, and the points we earned along the way. We give a breakdown of the various hotels we stayed at, including the polarizing St. Regis in Singapore, some of the best meals we had, and the variety of planes we got to fly on during our trip. You’ll also learn how we managed to get our own private tour of an A380 Airbus and the lovely responses we got when we gifted our crew and attendants with special gifts. From Sydney to South Korea, Madrid, and Santiago, Chile, we had a whirlwind of a time and even got ourselves into a close call with one of our final flights. Tune in to hear all about our epic tales, long flights, unforgettable taxi rides, and much more! Key Points From This Episode: [00:11] Introducing today’s guests, Geoff and Joey, and our epic guys' trip in June 2018. [01:52] A shoutout to FlyerTalk and its under-credited Premium Deal Fares section. [03:49] An overview of the flight itinerary for our round-the-world trip. [05:06] The variety of planes we flew on, including the 747-400 on Qantas and the Singapore 777-300ER. [10:04] Our arrival in Sydney, the memorable meal we had, and our stay at the Park Hyatt. [11:32] Find who we saw in their airline pajamas during our breakfast at the Park Hyatt. [13:05] The special events that were happening at the Sydney Opera House during our time there and our experience of the pop-up Centurion Lounge. [15:09] The priority pass restaurants we visited in the international terminal in Sydney. [16:57] Our experience of the Qantas Lounge and what it has to recommend itself. [17:25] Giving gifts to the attendants and flight crew and the range of reactions we’ve seen. [20:09] Our arrival in Singapore and our positive opinion of St. Regis Singapore. [22:36] Some of the best meals we had in Singapore.  [25:09] One of Joey’s favorite flights on the trip and our arrival in Incheon, Korea. [26:50] The incredible chicken restaurant we were recommended by a taxi driver and our hike at the Heungryunsa Temple. [31:04] The two consecutive nights we spent flying and our experience of Dubai’s First Class Lounge. [33:39] Our day flight from Dubai to Madrid and how we got to explore the cockpit of an A380 Airbus. [36:08] The Prado Museum in Madrid, why there was such an enormous queue, and how TK got roped into taking photos for Russian influencers. [37:32] The dive bar we visited after our trip to the Prado Museum, called Taberna El Rincón de José and the best gin and tonics we’ve ever had. [39:43] Our eventful Uber trip to the airport, and how our driver accidentally took us to the pilot’s entrance. [45:21] The close call we had with catching our flight to Santiago, why our first-class tickets saved us, and how the rest of us got separated from TK. [52:08] Our stay in W in Santiago, the hike we went on, and why we’d like to return to Santiago, Chile. [53:32] Our final flights home and the miles we had accumulated throughout our trip. [56:58] What our next round-the-world trip might look like. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: FlyerTalk

Episode 07: Show Notes. We met today’s guest, Joey, in Las Vegas in 2017, so we decided to bring him onto the show for a deep dive into how to make the most of your time and your money on The Strip! Joey has been going to Vegas so long that you could actually play $1 craps, so it’s safe to say he’s an expert in the area. Money goes further in Vegas than it does in most other cities if you know what you’re doing, so tune in today for our top tips on everything from how to save on resort fees and leverage the food and beverage credits to what airlines to fly. We also discuss whether hiring a car in Vegas is a good idea, how the new operators on The Strip are going to change things for visitors, and our top restaurant and hotel recommendations!  Key Points From This Episode: [01:01] Why Vegas holds a place in Tom and Joey’s hearts.  [01:40] Joey’s Vegas claim to fame. [02:12] How gambling in Vegas has changed since Joey’s early days. [03:18] Vegas restaurant recommendations. [09:43] Pros and cons of the main hotels on the Strip in Vegas.  [18:54] Vegas’ worst kept secret.  [19:28] How to save on resort fees in Vegas.  [20:53] Benefits of visiting Vegas during the week. [21:26] Tips for leveraging the food and beverage credits.  [26:53] The best buffet option in Vegas.  [28:13] The recent increase in operators on The Strip, and what this means for Vegas tourists. [29:25] Important information to note about parking in Vegas.  [30:33] Weighing up whether or not to hire a car in Vegas.  [36:41] How MyVegas works.  [40:23] Top tips for traveling to and from Vegas.  [44:30] The story of how we all met!  Tweetables: “When I started gambling in Las Vegas, there was a thing called 50 cent roulette chips. They’re now getting rid of $1 roulette chips. Inflation is real over there in the City of Sin.” — Joey [0:02:12] “One of the things I really like about Vegas is you can really find something for your price range.” — Tom Kim [0:04:24] “I think we’re going to see more arbitrage opportunities, probably more status matching, as some of the new operators start sucking money away from Caesars and MGM.” — Tom Kim [0:28:45] “[Vegas] is a place where luxury is on sale so your 200 dollars goes a lot further than in a lot of other cities.” — Tom Kim [0:36:27] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Park MGM NoMad Library Peppermill Secret Pizza Lemongrass & Lime Gordon Ramsay Steak Carversteak Din Tai Fung Resorts World The Cosm

We're just back from Tokyo and excited to share this trip report. We're up to Episode 187 on our Patreon feed but wanted to publish this here on the No Annual Fee feed since it's been a while since we've done a free show. Enjoy! 0:30 Discuss: Lots of Interest and Pent Up Demand for Japan 1:50 Premise of the Trip 2 adults 2 kids: 18 and 15 18 is actually considered a child age in Japan for some things 3:45 Panic Moment: Did I forget to buy a couple of return tickets? I’ve booked and canceled this trip so many times I’ve lost count Managing multiple PNRs booked across several different channels Didn’t realize a couple tickets were purchased as roundtrip. Whew. Discuss: How do you manage this? 8:20 Airport Upgrades for JAL International Flights (Direct Link) We departed Boston - Tokyo today, nonstop with 3 of us in Business Class on AsiaMiles awards and 1 of us in Premium Economy booked with JAL Miles transferred from Marriott long ago. I've been monitoring award space for 1 more Business Class seat, but nothing materialized. No partner award opened up close in, and even when booking with JAL miles nothing was available at any award level. A week ago they sent an option to bid on the upgrade with cash starting at $625. I passsed. I called JAL a few days ago inquring about upgrades. The agent said I'd need to cancel and rebook and nothing was available in Business Class. My last hope was a same day airport upgrade and...it worked! When we got to the check-in counter I asked about airport upgrades with JAL miles, for my son's Premium Economy JAL Award to Business Class. The agent first said Business Class was sold out, but then went to check with her supervisor. She came back and said that since we booked with Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles that we couldn't upgrade. But when I explained to her that I booked his ticket with JAL miles that an upgrade was possible. It took 4 or 5 reps there, me recalling my JAL frequent flyer number on the spot ("write it down on this piece of paper, I'll wait"), and 30,000 JAL miles but they upgraded him. I originally booked his seat for 32,500 JAL miles + $396. I'd like to avoid those taxes + fees in the future, but booking JAL miles did indeed improve upgrade options as I hoped. If the upgrade didn't work out, we selected seats for the rest of us at the back of Business Class with him at the front of the Premium Economy cabin. That likely would have worked out quite well - it really is close with just a curtain separating. But this worked out great. A good backup if you need just 1 or 2 more seats to round out an itinerary where partner/low level space isn't behaving. 15:20 BA Lounge at Boston Logan Quite nice Not crowded for mid-day departure since not many flights 16:00 Outbound Flight: JAL Business Class Nonstop to Boston Wasn’t spectacular but the direct flight was just what we needed to get the whole group behind this return trip to Japan No matter how you cut it: 14 hours is…a long flight. 17:45 Narita Arrivals Probably the most grueling international arrival I’ve experienced Seemed like a ton of flights coming in at the same time

Full-Time Travel with Brennan Anderson Episode 06: Show Notes. Everybody needs to travel at some point in their lives, whether for vacation or business, but what about full-time travel? Is traveling full-time even possible? To help us answer these questions is our very first guest on the podcast, Brennan Anderson, who is traveling the world with his wife on a full-time basis. In our conversation, we delve into all the aspects of long-term travel, what is needed, and the overall experience. We start by learning about the required preparation, what motivated Brennan to travel long-term, and how to fund traveling the world. Hear about the incredible places he and his wife have visited, his experience with last-minute and advanced bookings, what cruise line he would recommend, his Maldives experience, joining an archeological dig site, and much more! Tune in to learn about the realities of traveling full-time with Brennan Anderson! Key Points From This Episode: [00:47] Introducing Brennan and where he is currently based. [01:41] Outline of today’s show and the topics that will be covered. [02:25] Find out why Brennan and his wife decided to pursue long-term travel. [05:21] How Brennan and his wife were able to afford full-time travel. [07:13] Whether they check-in or carry-on their luggage.  [10:04] The type of travel insurance he and his wife use.  [12:12] Overview of the cruises and travel deals they took advantage of. [17:51] He shares his overall experience using URComped. [21:11] Differences between Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International. [25:11] What the Maldives was like and other travel highlights. [32:09] He shares his amazing experience of being a part of an archeological dig. [36:48] Discover how much the archeological dig experience cost them. [38:00] His biggest surprises and the lessons learned so far while traveling.  Tweetables: “All of the entertainment was incredible on Royal Caribbean, not as much on Carnival.” — @MissionMediaVid [0:21:51] “[The Maldives] was by far the most spectacular place that we have been so far.” — @MissionMediaVid [0:25:24] “It really was a great experience to learn about not only the process of archeology but actually getting to find a few things.” — @MissionMediaVid [0:36:21] “If you are willing to put in the work, apply, and research other opportunities, it sounds like there are a lot of free opportunities through colleges and universities.” — @MissionMediaVid [0:37:03] “The most surprising thing has been just how easy it has been to transition into nomadic life.” — @MissionMediaVid [0:38:00] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Brennan Anderson Brennan Anderson on Instagram Brennan Anderson on Twitter Brennan and Megan Anderson Carnival Cruise Line Royal Caribbean International Allianz Travel

Christmas Markets Episode 05: Show Notes Nothing quite rivals the European Christmas markets during the festive season. Trevor recently went on a multi-city Christmas trip with his family, spanning three generations. In this episode, we hear about his travels from Paris to Berlin and on to Vienna and Prague. Trevor shares his observations of the Christmas markets in each city, as well as his accommodation and culinary experiences in each destination. This is timely as it’s a great time to start planning for a 2023 Christmas market trip, as reward availability is just opening up. Tune in to learn about the point redemption opportunities involved in Trevor’s recent trip and how to do Christmas markets in style! Key Points From This Episode: [00:18] Introducing today’s topic: Christmas markets. [00:38] Why now is a good time to plan for a Christmas market trip. [01:08] Trevor’s past European Christmas market experiences. [02:07] How many times he traveled to Europe in 2022! [02:44] The point redemption opportunities involved in his recent Christmas market trip. [07:54] Trevor’s Christmas market food experience in France. [11:05] His Parisian hotel experience. [12:58] Trevor’s German Christmas market and hotel experience in Berlin. [17:14] The pros and cons of the hop-on-hop-off bus in Berlin. [19:28] Trevor shares his observations of each market he visited in Berlin. [25:00] A recount of his stay in Vienna.  [33:21] The benefits of staying 60 nights in the higher program. [35:05] The connectability of Vienna. [35:34] The multiple Christmas markets in Vienna and their unique features. [37:18] The Viennese food that stood out to Trevor and his family. [37:57] How he traveled to Prague. [39:34] Why he chose to stay in the Hilton Old City. [43:38] Trevor’s overall feeling about his recent multi-generational, multi-city trip. Correction: When discussing the Andaz Vienna am Belvedere’s Executive Suite, Trevor stated it may have been 1,100 square meters; it was actually 108 square meters, which translates to 1,162.5 square feet. Tweetables: “Hotels can be a dime a dozen, but if you want a specific hotel, when you’re talking about the holiday season, you need to start really early.” —@tmount [0:00:53] “German Christmas markets are really the Christmas markets in Europe.” — @tmount [0:13:28] “Not every market is open every day, at least in Berlin.” — @tmount [0:23:53] “The Christmas markets in Europe are so beautiful and they’re so doable with a little bit of planning ahead.” — @tmount [0:44:34]

Editor's Note: Episode 3 of Travelstores only appeared on the Milenomics Patreon Feed. How To Get the Most Out of Your Cruise Key Points From This Episode: Today’s topic: How to get the most out of your cruise. The COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected the cruise industry. How the state of the cruise industry has changed over the past year. The most popular time to go out to sea. Why cruises can be seen as an economical travel alternative. Where most people are going on cruises right now. How the pandemic offered a unique opportunity to enjoy emptier cruise ships. The mindset shift you should make if you want to adopt cruising. Some of the most convenient benefits of cruises. The type of high-quality entertainment you can experience on cruise ships. The less enjoyable aspects of going on a full-capacity cruise. Tom and Trevor reflect on their Baltic cruise and what they appreciated about it. Why European cruises allow for a more authentic experience. Tom’s experience on his first Norwegian Cruise Line cruise and how it compares to Royal Caribbean. The differences between reserved and freestyle dining. Learn about the manufactured spending opportunities that you’ll find on a cruise ship. An overview of the variations in casino experiences on different cruise lines. The exciting benefits that you receive from casino loyalty reward programs. The opportunities for free and substantially discounted cruises if you don’t like gambling. Episode 04: Show Notes. When the COVID-19 pandemic first caused global lockdowns in early 2020, cruise lines were one of the many hard-hit industries that had to close down virtually overnight. Now, in 2022, the world has opened up considerably, and many industries have returned to pre-pandemic levels of operation (or close to it). Today on the show we discuss some of our most memorable cruise experiences and how cruise lines have recovered over the past year. Listening in, you'll hear Tom give a detailed breakdown of the loyalty programs that gave him access to free and discounted cruises and how that allowed him to spend over two months at sea in 2022. We reflect on how the pandemic created a unique opportunity to experience much emptier cruises, and what we’ll be missing now that they are back in full swing. Our conversation also covers the types of entertainment you can expect, the best ways to dine, and how to shift your mindset for the best cruise experience. If you’re curious about the world of cruises and how to make the most of your next trip, then be sure to stick around for this illuminating conversation!  Tweetables: “Cruising is almost unrecognizable from the state that it was in, in December of 2021.” — Tom Kim [0:01:06] “You have to make a mindset shift when you adopt cruising as something that you want to do.” — Tom Kim [0:05:54] “I've gotten dozens of free cruise offers from the casino loyalty program. And you don't have to gamble that much for them to start offering you stuff.” — Tom Kim [0:35:43] “Now that the ships are back to 100% capacity I think the casino offers are getting a little less generous.” — Tom Kim [0:45:31] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Royal Caribbean Norwegian Cruise Line Carnival

Although we're up to Episode 180 on Patreon feed it's been a while since we've done a No Annual Fee show. We're back today discussing things we're doing as 2022 comes to a close: 1:08 Credit card double and triple dip opportunities 3:30 Wrapping up credit card incidental usage 11:30 Credit card Q4 5x categories 14:10 Credit card milestone bonuses 16:35 Status top-off 19:40 Hotel certificate usage (lots of Hiltons seem to expire) 23:20 Buy miles in programs where yearly caps make sense 25:10 Book Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts for $200 Personal Platinum Credit We hope this has been a great year for you in points & miles. Happy Holidays!

Editor's Note: Please welcome Travelstories with Tom (@tktweetskim) and Trevor (@tmount) who many of you already know. They'll share episodes here from time to time. Enjoy! Episode 02: Show Notes. In today’s episode, Trevor and Tom broach the topic of the International Gateway that everyone loves to hate. We’re referring, of course, to JFK International Airport in New York City. From its unique features and plane-spotting opportunities to the logistical challenges it presents, this episode covers it all. Tune in to hear Trevor and Tom’s review of the airport's various lounges and nearby hotels, find out about the upcoming changes to this international gateway, and discover why everyone keeps finding themselves at JFK, despite its flaws. Key Points From This Episode: Today’s topic: JFK International Airport. The unique features of JFK. Who each terminal is owned by. The limited airside connectivity between terminals. The transport challenges and costs of getting in and out of JFK. A review of JFK’s lounges. The Virgin Clubhouses you can access with a platinum American Express card. Notable upcoming changes for Terminal 7 and Terminal 2. The hotel choices around JFK. JFK’s flaws. The plane spotting opportunity at JFK. Why people find themselves at JFK despite the fact that they love to hate it. Strategies for positioning, with regards to connecting flights through JFK. The logistical challenges JFK presents. The pros of flying to and from JFK. Tweetables: “[At] JFK there’s very limited, if not non-existent, airside connectivity between terminals.” — Tom Kim [0:03:05] “The Virgin Clubhouse is probably one of the most notable [lounges] and is definitely one to go visit if you have the opportunity.” — Tom Kim [0:09:21] “[There are] a lot of flaws in this major New York gateway to the world.” — Tom Kim [0:26:59] “[JFK] is probably the best plane spotting location on the East Coast.” — Tom Kim [0:27:14] “One of the reasons people love to hate JFK, yet still find themselves in JFK, is [that] you still find that award space.” — @tmount [0:29:32] “The incredible connectivity that you have from JFK is really where it shines.”— @tmount [0:34:23] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Trevor on Twitter JFK International Airport New York JFK Virgin Clubhouse

Editor's Note: Today we host a new show on the network. Please welcome Travelstories with Tom (@tktweetskim) and Trevor (@tmount) who many of you already know. They'll share episodes here from time to time. Enjoy! Welcome to Travelstories, where we get into the details of traveling, flight planning, and collecting miles and points! Flying with Japan Airlines (JAL) is always a treat. And although we didn’t enter Japan, we have flown through it with JAL en route to Manila. In today’s episode, we’ll unpack our trip to Manila, what it was like traveling with JAL, and whether it lived up to our expectations. We take some time to reflect on the challenges we faced in booking our flights and how we decided to optimally spend our points, as well as why we chose JAL for our premium flight experience. Listeners will hear our thoughts on how the airports and lounges we visited have changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the special insight we got into Japanese culture during our trip. We also share a breakdown of our in-flight experience, the food and beverages we were most impressed by, and why staying at The Grand Hyatt in Manila was undoubtedly the best choice. Our primary goal with this trip was to have a premium flight experience, and while we faced some puzzling challenges along the way, we feel that it was well worth the stress and planning it took to get it done. To hear all the nerdy details of our trip, plus some smart saving tips, be sure to tune in today! Key Points From This Episode: The exciting news of Japan opening up on 11 October 2022. Why we chose to travel to Manila with Japan Airlines (JAL) for a premium flight experience. The challenges we faced when booking flights and organizing our trip to Manila. Our experience of the JAL check-in process. The special insight we got into Japanese culture when we arrived before check-in was officially open. A breakdown of our in-flight experience. Learn about JAL’s expansive menu options. Our thoughts on both the Western and Japanese menus. An overview of the drinks that were served and the exceptional whiskey we tried. A rundown of the special juices that are produced by JAL. How the Haneda JAL first class lounge has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The incredible aviation decorations in the Red Room of the JAL lounge. The economy flight that we took and why we were pleasantly surprised. How our experience of flying out differed from flying in. Our exceptional stay at the Grand Hyatt in Manila. How Manila exceeded our expectations. The last leg of our trip home and why we chose to rent a car. Tweetables: “I'm not a seafood fan. So the Japanese menu didn't really do too much for me. I had a couple of different items over the course of the two flights from that Japanese menu, but largely, it really was very heavy on the seafood.” — Trevor [0:15:05] “The last time I had been to this lounge was well pre-pandemic. They had a nice layout, a little bit of buffet, and a little bit of a la carte that you could order. This time they seemed to have adapted to the pandemic a little bit more.” — Trevor  [0:21:57] “The Red Room is still pretty cool. There are a lot of interesting artifacts there. They had lots of interesting aviation decorations and things like that. It still has a lot of charm.” — Tom [0:23:06] “I think it was worth it. [Even] with all the stress. That's why we're in this hobby. We love this stuff. We love travel planning. W

We're back today with a discussion about finding award travel to Japan for a family from both the west coast and the east coast of the US, now that Japan is finally set to reopen for tourism. Info from US Embassy in JapanSet to reopen October 11, 2022Finally! Let the planning begin.JAL award availability patterns far out seem mostly the same with a few notable exceptionsFirst, I don’t see JAL reliably opening 2 in First/2 in Business at schedule open any more (as was the case before the pandemic - see this post). Now only releasing 1 seat in First, and 2 in Business on the JFK-TYO route.Second, fuel surcharges are way up when using partner miles from non-US programs -or- JAL miles head-on. Alaska and AA have no fuel surcharges but their booking window opens far later than foreign carriers.Third, weekend departures/returns seem to have less availability than weekdays. Sweep for trends w/AA calendar search. Fourth, close-in award availability release patterns are not as good than they were before the pandemicFifth, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles have lost their appeal for this redemption even though they do see further out than British Airways. British Airways tends to have higher bank point transfer bonuses.Discuss: “Would you rather” award travel puzzlersHow do you feel about splitting your family up between cabins? First/Business. Business/Premium Economy. Does 2 and 2 make a difference vs 3 and 1?How about splitting flights? 2 go through one city, 2 go through another.Favorable exchange rate (link for 5 year chart) - check cash hotel bookings now to lock in rates, and compare to hotel points We'll follow up soon with a blog post summarizing changes in award travel trends to Japan, but for now we hope this discussion is helpful. This week on Episode 173 of the paid show we'll be discussing new Amex opportunities and more. We'd love it if you joined us on Patreon to listen to those shows and gain access to our Slack community.