Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast

Getting Started in Points and Miles | Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast In this episode of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast, host Justin Vacula breaks down the art of using credit card points, miles, and casino loyalty programs to save money on travel and travel in style. Justin shares how he went from discovering poker to focusing on credit card rewards, stacking offers, and traveling at next to no cost. Joined by Frank and Trey from the Poker Dealer School of Philadelphia, Justin explains the fundamentals of miles and points, how to safely manage many credit cards, and how poker, points, and miles rely on math, discipline, and strategy. You’ll learn how to: Maximize credit card rewards without going into debt Combine casino comps with points and miles for huge value Use apps and tools to track offers and organize your cards Think about expected value like a poker player when making financial decisions If you’re a poker player, casino regular, or just someone who wants to travel more for less, this episode is for you. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Interview with Frank and Trey from Poker Dealer School 01:39 Justin’s Journey into Miles and Points 02:47 Scaling Up Credit Card Rewards 03:51 Starting the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast 06:17 Credit Card Strategies and Tips 17:16 Favorite Trips and Experiences 19:30 Combining Credit Card Perks with Casino Comps 24:32 Learning Poker and Credit Card Fundamentals 25:08 Useful Apps for Credit Card Management 25:53 Exploring Credit Card Rewards and Offers 27:02 Podcast Break and Sponsor Message 27:54 JetBlue 25 for 25 Challenge 32:41 Coaching and Educating on Credit Cards 36:05 Philosophy and Credit Card Strategies 38:30 Navigating Credit Card Rules and Benefits 43:52 Final Thoughts and Advice — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 TuneIn → https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast-p1275539/ 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events. https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/ — ✨ Thank You for Listening & Supporting the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast! Stay tuned for more tips, strategies, and stories to help you optimize your travel, rewards, and lifestyle. 🚀🌍💳

Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: Maximizing Points & Miles with Carissa Rawson of Rove In this episode of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast, host Justin Vacula chats with Carissa Rawson from Rove to dive into the latest Rove promos, tools, and features that can supercharge your travel. They cover smart ways to earn and redeem Rove miles without opening new credit cards, so you can travel more while spending less. You will hear about the upcoming Travel Tuesday deals, how Rove stacks with existing loyalty programs, and what exciting new features are on the roadmap for 2026. Justin and Carissa also chat about upcoming travel meetups, community events, and how listeners can plug into the Rove ecosystem. If you are looking to make your travel more affordable, flexible, and fun, this episode is packed with practical strategies and real-world examples. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast 00:45 Meet Carissa Rawson from Rove 01:46 What is Rove and how it works 04:28 Travel Tuesday and Cyber Monday promotions 07:19 Strategies for maximizing rewards with Rove 10:46 Upcoming events, meetups, and ways to get involved 16:29 Listener questions and feedback 22:47 Final tips, takeaways, and closing thoughts — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 TuneIn → https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast-p1275539/ 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 Podbean → https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/vvdph-a3425/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast 👉 Pocket Casts → https://pocketcasts.com/podcasts/1a722d50-2d0a-0138-96d6-0acc26574db2?_prerender=true 👉 Podchaser → https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-1153719 👉 Podcast Addict → https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/3497422 👉 Castbox → https://castbox.fm/channel/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast-id4351553?country=us 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events. https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/ — ✨ Thank You for Listening & Supporting the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast! Stay tuned for more tips, strategies, and stories to help you optimize your travel, rewards, and lifestyle. 🚀🌍💳

Hunter Threadgill, a travel rewards expert and founder of Professor of Points, joins to dissect the value of the Chase Sapphire Reserve in 2026. He breaks down the practical benefits, including the $300 travel credit and exclusive dining perks. The pair discusses real-world applications of credits like StubHub and DoorDash, and weigh the financial math of keeping versus downgrading the card. Hunter emphasizes the importance of tailoring benefits to individual lifestyles, making a case for retaining the card while revealing advanced tactics for optimal use.

Chase Sapphire Reserve 2026: Keep or Downgrade? | Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth keeping in 2026 – or is it time to downgrade? Join host Justin Vacula and guest Beth on the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast as they break down the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s changing value proposition in a world of rising annual fees and constantly shifting perks. They walk through the major benefits one by one – including hotel credits, food delivery perks, entertainment and rideshare credits, and newer partner credits like StubHub – and talk about what they’re really worth in everyday use. Justin and Beth also explore downgrade paths, retention-offer strategy, cash-out options, and how the card fits into a broader points-and-miles setup in 2026. You’ll hear practical takes, listener questions, and real-world scenarios to help you decide whether to keep the CSR, downgrade, or shift your spend elsewhere. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Meet Beth 02:09 Chase Sapphire Reserve: keep, cancel, or downgrade? 02:54 Walking through the new and updated benefits 07:40 Travel credits, status perks, and how to value them 12:15 Dining, convenience store, and everyday credits 17:53 Entertainment, rideshare, and lifestyle perks 22:06 Fitness perks and lounge access in context 24:54 Are the lounge benefits really worth it? 25:16 Retention offers, fee hikes, and negotiation strategy 25:31 Cashing out points vs keeping them for travel 25:58 Upcoming events, appearances & announcements 27:39 Using CardPointers to organize and maximize rewards 28:33 Monthly meetups, listener community & social events 29:19 Frequent Traveler University and other live events 30:20 High-spend strategies with the Chase Sapphire Reserve 32:39 Smart downgrade and upgrade paths within the Chase lineup 35:42 Listener comments, questions & real-world scenarios 45:14 Future travel plans and how CSR fits (or doesn’t) 46:41 Final takeaways & farewell — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events. https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/ — ✨ Thank You for Listening & Supporting the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast! Stay tuned for more tips, strategies, and stories to help you optimize your travel, rewards, and lifestyle. 🚀🌍💳

Max Craig, the mastermind behind Points-to-the-Max and a miles-and-points expert, joins to unravel the secrets of earning the Southwest Companion Pass for 2026. He shares top credit card strategies and the ideal timing to maximize points efficiency. Listeners will discover the impacts of recent program changes, how to navigate hub routes, and when to avoid chasing the Companion Pass. With practical tips for both beginners and seasoned travelers, Max provides a roadmap to travel savings like no other!

Joseph Petrovic, an award-travel fanatic and Zorkfest organizer, dives into the art of maximizing miles and points for jaw-dropping travel experiences. He shares killer strategies for using credit cards effectively, tips on navigating complex loyalty programs, and insights into the changing landscape of travel post-pandemic. Joseph also emphasizes the fun of combining travel with casino loyalty, detailing how Zorkfest fosters community learning for enthusiasts. Plus, hear unique family travel stories, including first-class adventures to Japan!

Carissa Rawson, a representative from Rove Miles, dives into Rove’s new partnership with Miles & More, highlighting its value for U.S. travelers. She shares tips on maximizing points, the benefits of ultra-low award rates, and the flexibility of transferring miles. The discussion expands to strategies for earning rewards through hotel stays and potential new partnerships, including converting grocery points into Rove miles. Plus, she teases upcoming promotions and insights from her personal travel experiences!

Discover how to earn MGM Gold and Platinum status in 2026, unlocking perks like comped cruises and dining credits. The hosts dive deep into tier earning strategies, the benefits of the Iconic card, and how to stack rewards with myVEGAS. They share practical tips for maximizing credits and minimizing costs at MGM properties, and discuss the potential for status matching with cruise programs. Tune in for insights on upcoming events, regional deals, and maximizing your travel experience!

James He, an experienced travel hacker and elite status pro, shares insights on JetBlue’s 25 for 25 promotion. He explains how this challenge can lead to 25 years of Mosaic status and a windfall of TrueBlue points. James dives into real-world Mosaic benefits, smart booking strategies, and cost-saving hacks using card offers. He also discusses memorable stops during his challenge, including the unique quirks of various airports. Whether you're a travel novice or a frequent flyer, his tips on maximizing rewards are invaluable!

Delve into the world of credit card rewards as the hosts challenge The New York Times’ take on strategy vs. exploitation. Discover the nuances of churning versus long-term card strategies and learn how to stack rewards effectively. They tackle the myths surrounding credit scores and share the risks of responsible use. Is this a lucrative hobby or just numbers on a screen? The hosts provide insights into the community benefits of points accumulation and debunk the notion that it harms others, while encouraging smart, disciplined approaches to maximize value.