Frequent Miler on the Air

Greg and Nick have a LOT of cards between the two of them and they can't possibly carry all of them in their real-life physical wallets. What happens instead is that they tend to rotate the cards in their wallets based on what the current bonuses are, whether or not there are cards they're trying to reach a spend requirement on...and...whether or not they can find the physical card. In this episode, they'll cover the major real-life spend categories and which cards they're carrying for those purposes. (01:19) - Which cards do Greg and Nick carry for Grocery spend? Learn more about the Savor card here. (02:06) - Learn more about the Amex Gold card here. (03:31) - Which cards do we carry around for Gas? Learn more about the Wyndham Business Earner Card here. (04:09) - Learn more about the Amex Business Gold card here. (05:24) - Which cards do we carry around for dining? (08:28) - Which cards do we carry around for Travel? Learn more about the Sapphire Reserve card here. (12:27) - Which cards do we carry around for Pharmacy? Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited card here. (14:30) - Which cards do we carry for spend everywhere else? Learn more about the Bank Of America Premium Rewards card here. (16:50) - Learn more about the Bank Of America Unlimited Cash Rewards here. Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

In this episode, Greg and Nick will look at 4 ways to access Delta Sky Clubs, they'll reveal a hot reader tip for a free stay in Atlantis in the Bahamas, and they'll discuss the Air France / KLM Flying Blue devaluation. Check out the full episode below. (01:28) - It seems like a lot of people are running into issues lately with using the $200 platinum credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts.  (07:03) - United TravelBank glitch (now resolved) [Reported on Reddit] (09:50) - Air France KLM Flying Blue award prices increase by 15-25% to/from Europe Read more about this price change here. (18:02) - It's not too late to book Atlantis even if your Caesars Diamond status is about to go away. (20:28) - Sky Clubs vs other airport clubs Read more about how to get into Delta Sky Club Lounges here. (23:01) - Overall Requirements (24:12) - #1 Premium Credit Cards (24:27) - Amex Platinum (not to be confused with Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum) Learn more about the Amex Platinum card here. (31:31) - Delta Reserve consumer or business Learn more about the Delta Reserve card here. See: How to get Delta Sky Club access for you and your family here. (39:58) - #2 Fly Delta One; or any Sky Team airline in business or first class (42:56) - #3 Elite Status Check out our blog post: Shortcuts to Delta elite status here: https://frequentmiler.com/delta-elite-shortcuts/ Or check out our episode "Easy path to Delta Elite status in 2024 Ep281" here: https://frequentmiler.com/easy-path-to-delta-elite-status-in-2024-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep281-11-15-24/ (45:51) - #4 Sky Club Membership Learn more about Delta Choice Benefits here: https://frequentmiler.com/delta-choice-benefits/ (55:16) - Many times when I'm booking stays, there's only availability for standard rooms. How do approach getting an upgrade if there's no availability? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

In today's podcast episode Greg and Nick will talk about the things they wish Marriott would add to their program to make it a really great program. They argue these things shouldn't even have to cost Marriott that much to implement. Read more about our Marriott Bonvoy Wishlist here. (01:24) - Fix the Platinum Elite free breakfast benefit Find our resource for figuring out whether or not you get free breakfast here. (05:00) - Clear Nightly Upgrade Awards from the time of booking (08:21) - Remove the 15K limit on free night certificate top-offs (11:11) - Waive resort fees on free night stays Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

There are a few ways now where you can earn elite status on airlines entirely through hotel stays! This is sort of a new development that we're excited to discuss in today's podcast. (01:32) - Whoops: Forgot United offers elite earnings on award tickets (UA flights only) Find episode 288 here. (04:09) - IHG Choice Benefit annual lounge membership trick worked this year (05:58) -  One reader finds a way to get an offer to upgrade back to Amex Platinum for 50K bonus points after 2K spend. (08:03) - Alaska Biz Card 70K offer is back: 70K miles and Companion Fare™ Learn more about the Alaska Business card here. (09:27) - Costco card goes up to 5% at Costco Gas on 1/19/25. All other gas/EV will stay at 4% (12:32) - US Bank Altitude Go: beginning on April 15, 2025, cardholders will be limited to earning 4x on the first $2,000 in dining, takeout and restaurant delivery purchases each quarter. Learn more about that update here (13:45) - Sonesta credit card taking a siesta Learn more about the Sonesta siesta here (15:34) - Pay1040 fees up, down, all around (21:42) - Hyatt promo: Earn double elite night credits for stays at Under Canvas properties Read more about that Hyatt promo here (28:21) - Marriott Choice Benefit 40K expiry (33:30) - BA goes revenue-based (Read more about that change here (34:45) - Daily Getaways Dead: The program has been discontinued (36:29) - Marriott ->> United Premier Silver AND Air Canada Aeroplan 25K Read more about that here (40:59) - Hyatt ->> American Airlines Read more about this option here (50:49) - Hyatt Explorist/Globalist elite members can trade Hyatt points for status for a day (53:33) - Not as many shortcuts with Hyatt as with Marriott Read more about this here (1:03:00) - Should I mattress run with Advantage Hotels the rest of my way to AA Executive Platinum status? (1:06:14) - How do you value your time, for example when an hour of effort will save you a small chunk of change? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

You can book Preferred Hotels with Choice Privileges points, (which has a 1:2 transfer rate from Citi Thank You points), or Preferred Hotel points (which has a 1:4 transfer rate from Citi Thank You points). There are reasons to book with one points over another, but is this worth doing? Greg's recent experience booking a Preferred Hotel with Choice points can help shed some light on the question. (01:24) - The Seagate Hotel & Spa Delray Beach Florida (01:48) - Different booking options... (05:17) - Booking experience... (12:17) - Hotel stay experience (the good and bad) Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

(00:00) - It's a new year and we're excited about all the "point-y" things happening for us in 2025! Give this episode a listen to find out what we're looking forward to. (01:07) - One reader's interesting experience disbanding a United miles pool highlights a possible hack and brings up a few questions.... Learn more about miles-pooling here: https://www.united.com/en/us/mileageplus/miles-pooling/ (04:17) - Can a pool leader leave a miles pool? (04:35) - Can I leave a miles pool after joining? (07:25) - Chase United card devaluation: TravelBank credits instead of statement credits (11:10) - Chase Aeroplan PYB (Pay Yourself Back) Travel limited to 200K (13:51) - Marriott Choice Benefit 40 night selection expiry Read more about this update here: https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-choice-benefits/  (16:27) - IHG Ends Annual Lounge Pass Loophole In 2025 (19:52) - Pay taxes via credit card slightly cheaper (starts at 1.75%) but down to 2 processors PayUSATax gone ("We are no longer processing federal tax payments on behalf of the IRS.") Learn more about paying taxes with a credit card here: https://frequentmiler.com/pay-taxes-via-credit-card/ (25:21) - Greg and Nick’s "Bonvoyed" pick: Hyatt breaks our hearts with Mr & Mrs Smith Read our "Bonvoyed of the year" post here: https://frequentmiler.com/frequent-milers-peoples-choice-bonvoyed-awards-2024-edition/ (26:47) - Readers' "Bonvoyed" picks... (28:10) - Our picks for for Deal of the Year Read our "Deal of the Year" post here: https://frequentmiler.com/2024-deal-of-the-year-and-readers-choice-vote/ (29:02) - Readers' picks for Deal of the Year (31:01) - Small Luxury Hotels SLH (33:07) - Preferred hotels & Resorts (35:30) - Alaska Mileage Plan mixed partner awards (40:13) - Earning Alaska elite status through award bookings (42:51) - Alaska premium card (45:00) - Digging into SAS awards (47:17) - Finding a great Vacasa redemption (I bought points) (49:17) - Finding great Capital One Miles deals See the "Deal of the Year" episode here: https://frequentmiler.com/deal-of-the-year-2024-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep287-12-27-24-podcast/ (52:09) - Getting back into the swing of bank account bonuses (54:05) - Trying out the AA bus from PHL-ACY. (58:57) - Would a Delta Gold status be useful for a Korean Air flight booked via Delta miles? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

The Smartly Credit Card (with opportunity for up to 4% cash back everywhere) has us wondering...when should you value cash back over other points and miles or transferable currency rewards? (00:26) - Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cash back Learn more about the Smartly card here. (01:21) - Using 2x everywhere points card is like buying points for 2 cents each (05:12) - So, is cash the final answer? No! (09:07) - So what's the ideal strategy? (13:36) - Learn more about the Hyatt milestone spending here. Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

What are the best miles and points deals we've seen in 2024, and which deals came out above the rest? In today's episode of Frequent Miler on the Air, we'll decide what we think the best miles and points deal of 2024 was. (01:05) - Feedback about Greg's "Frequent Miler’s 2024 State of the Business Report" Read Greg's "Frequent Miler’s 2024 State of the Business Report" here. (08:12) - Additional datapoints regarding possible Atlantis stays for after February 1st (12:14) - Greg's Marriott Mattress Run (20:48) - Capital One Offers (26:18) - Easily extend National Free Day (28:41) - Catch our "Bonvoyed of the Year" episode from last week to see which loyalty snafus we thought were the worst in 2024. (29:11) - Buy Aeroplan miles for 1.14cpp: Read more about buying Aeroplan miles here. (30:41) - Big payouts via Capital One Shopping (36:35) - Virgin goes dynamic & lowers surcharges Read more about Virgin's dynamic pricing here. (40:00) - Bilt transfer bonus up to 150% to Flying Blue, Virgin Points, and IHG One Rewards (Jan 1) (42:19) - Bilt transfer bonus up to 100% to Alaska (July 1) (44:05) - Amex +10x restaurants referral offer Read more about this Amex referral offer here. (47:11) - 120K Ink Business Preferred offer + 40K referral (48:27) - Hilton SLH (53:20) - Alaska's awesome shorthaul AA pricing Read more about the Alaksa award chart winners and losers here. (57:41) - SAS Eurobonus Millionaire Read more about the SAS Eurobonus Millionaire challenge here: https://frequentmiler.com/sas-eurobonus-millionaire-promo-frequently-asked-questions-million-mile-madness-2024/ (1:00:02) - Which did we actually take advantage of? (Or which didn't we?) (1:01:59) - So...which was the best? (1:11:10) - Read more about this story here: https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2015/05/25/frequent-flyer-history-latinpass-million-miles-mileage-runs-that-bankrupted-a-company/ (1:13:17) - Can you swap a cash seat you've already purchased with Southwest with a companion seat with your companion pass instead? Subscribe and Follow Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

In today's episode, we're going to be considering the Alaska / Hawaiian credit card strategy and asking the question: which card should you get now, if any? (01:38) - Current lineup of Alaksa / Hawaiian credit cards (02:17) - Learn more about the Bank of America Alaska Consumer card here: https://frequentmiler.com/AS/ (02:34) - ...and the Bank of America Alaska Business card here: https://frequentmiler.com/ASbiz/ (02:46) - Learn more about the Barclays Hawaiian Consumer card here: https://frequentmiler.com/HA/ (03:15) - ...and the Barclays Hawaiian Business card here: https://frequentmiler.com/HAbiz/ (04:35) - Considering Hawaiian cards (06:02) - Considering Alaska cards (07:40) - What's the best strategy? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Today we'll take a look back at the year and talk about what loyalty programs have done to us instead of for us. This is for the loyalty grinches! (01:07) - Revisiting a question we'd answered previously about whether or not several domestic flights a month would be enough for earning status. (06:18) - One reader has some information to share about the Atlantis property they booked now (before their Caesar's Diamond status disappears) for a stay in the future... Read more about booking the Atlantis hotel here. (10:12) - Flying Blue: Sends emails saying "Congratulations you are now a Flying Blue Ultimate member" (11:44) - IHG: Purchase EQPs. 120K price: $640, no... $800, no... $1000, back to $640... (16:27) - Nick flies to Mexico but doesn't leave the airport (21:12) - Greg and Nick forgot about Bilt Find our podcast episode about the upcoming Alaska Premium card here. (23:42) - Preferred Hotels: Greg's ongoing Preferred Hotel booking saga (29:48) - AA: Can now use miles to book Hawaiian flights from mainland US (31:39) - Aviator Silver companion cert ain't all that Read our Aviator Silver companion cert first impressions here. (38:14) - Hilton Aspire resort credit-eligible hotel list un-shrinks (39:40) - Marriott Upgrade Awards now clear five days out (again) (43:27) - Southwest: assigned seating Read about Southwest's upcoming assigned seating here. (46:31) - 2023 Bonvoyed Awards Recap... 2024 Dis-Loyalty Nominees... (51:38) - Chase & Capital One priority pass drops restaurants (55:56) - Virgin goes dynamic (59:08) - Virgin devalues Delta One to Europe (1:02:36) - Wyndham Vacasa devaluation (1:06:19) - BA & Qatar raise prices for short-haul partner awards (AA, Alaska) (1:09:54) - Etihad nerfs award cancelations and point expirations (1:15:43) - Bilt reduces Rent Day earnings to 1K bonus points (1:18:50) - Wyndham Biz kills free cruises (1:21:20) - Hyatt integrates Mr & Mrs Smith (1:23:14) - Final picks (1:30:20) - Why are there so many pop-up ads on your site? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Us Bank's Smartly Visa Signature card has no annual fee but also no welcome bonus. Even so, because of a benefit from their savings account which can increase earnings on the card, it's worth a discussion on today's Card Talk episode. (00:21) - What are the basics of the U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card Learn more about this card here. (01:06) - You can increase earning with a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and have certain amounts deposited w/ US Bank... (02:53) - You'll need a Smartly Savings Account (04:13) - But you can point your money toward Self Directed Investing (08:03) - Be careful how you redeem rewards (10:08) - How does the US Bank Smartly Card compare to Bank of America's Platinum Honors? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Alaska has announced that a premium card is coming in the Summer of 2025. They've given us just little bits of information so far, but in this episode, we'll talk about what those details are. (01:03) - Pre-register by 12/31/24. Get 500 miles now, 5K extra miles later if/when you sign up for card. (01:44) - Basic details...annual fee of $395 and earn Global Companion Award Certificates (05:20) - Receive waived award ticket fees ($12.50 partner award fee, not surcharges) (05:42) - Earn 3x miles on eligible foreign purchases Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

In this episode, Greg and Nick review some of the hotel and flight awards that stood out for each of them in 2024 so they can determine the best of the best for their 2024 award travels. (01:06) - Bilt buy house benefit correction See the previous episode where Greg talked about the Bilt buy house benefit here. Read more about the Bilt Buy House benefit here. (02:42) - Greg's latest experience booking Preferred hotels with Choice points See the previous episode here. (10:17) - Greg: "You’re a SAS EuroBonus Millionaire!” (11:56) - Nick: Yikes! (19:24) - Stephen: 1 more needs to be credited (21:32) - Business Platinum gains $200 Hilton credit! (29:48) - IRS temporarily displayed lower fees for paying taxes by credit card (32:04) - Should Greg mattress run 1 Marriott night? (37:24) - Alaska news Read more about Alaska Airlines launching premium card here. (41:48) - Waldorf Astoria New York now bookable with points and free night certificates. (44:22) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights (52:20) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights (56:59) - Best flight pick overall (1:00:32) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels (1:11:07) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels (1:21:05) - Beat hotel pick overall (1:22:54) - Other top experiences in 2024 (1:30:07) - Which airline would you prioritize to fly and earn miles with: American, United, or Southwest?  Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Citi recently announced that they will become the exclusive issuer of American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards in the United States, starting in 2026. What does that really mean for points and miles enthusiasts, and how can we take maximum advantage? (Or shall we say "AAdvantage"?)( Read more about the AA / Citi news here. (00:26) - Citi will become the exclusive issuer AAdvantage credit cards in the U.S. starting in 2026. (01:41) - We wonder if maybe AA will become a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards (02:54) - We wonder if maybe Citi will create Aviator cards that are ONLY available to those who are transitioned over from Barclays (05:07) - Listen to our recent podcast about credit card predictions here. (06:01) - Are AA miles valuable now? (07:27) - Will AA miles be valuable later? (10:56) - Should you get the Aviator Red now? Learn more about the AviatorRed card here. (14:07) - Should you upgrade to the Aviator Silver? (19:11) - Listen to our podcast episode about amassing Citi ThankYou Rewards here. Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

There are a lot of things in the points and miles world that kind of come to a head at the end of the year, so you'll want to know what you should be taking care of here at the end of 2024. And of course, read our end of year checklist for 2024 here. (01:30) - What happens when a Choice Rewards hotel booking has no record of your reservation, but the points are missing? (07:32) - Preferred Hotels now bookable with iPrefer points (16:34) - Amex 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic (21:31) - Earn elite status (23:05) - Do you have enough MQDs for Delta elite status? Check out our post here. (24:48) - Remember to time your SouthWest companion pass properly Read our Complete Guide to the SouthWest companion pass here. (28:37) - Marriott Bonvoy: Easiest option is Bonvoy Brilliant, but you can read about the many other options here. (44:11) - Use airline incidental credits by December (47:42) - Platinum $200 calendar year. See Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works? (56:19) - Apply for cards with annual credits (57:47) - Transfer / pool points (1:02:19) - Redeem points or miles for annual rebates (1:03:48) - With the Caesar's Diamond status match ending, is there anything Wyndham Earner Business card-holder's should take advantage of now? Read more about this status match ending here. Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

There are credit cards out there which are not available new, but are still supported for those who already have them. In this episode, we have a prediction about a few cards that will soon be this kind of "collectible" card. (00:26) - What is a credit card collectible? (01:20) - Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card Learn more about the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Card here. (02:15) - Citi Prestige Learn more about the Citi Prestige card here. (04:43) - Capital One Venture One card (08:02) - Ritz Card Learn more about the Ritz Card here. (09:57) - US Bank Altitude Reserve Learn more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve card here. Read about updates to the US Bank Altitude Reserve applications here. (13:05) - Barclays Aviator Silver? Learn more about the Barclays Aviator Silver card here: https://frequentmiler.com/aviatorsilver/

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we're chatting about the 10 "Frequent Flyer-ish" things we're thankful for! (01:01) - A reader shares all the ways their recent trip was impacted by Frequent Miler tips! (02:58) - It in the hands of SAS now! (05:50) - Wyndham Biz drops Caesar's match Read about changes to casino status-matching for free cruises here. (09:38) - Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card: Up to 120K miles Read more about this card bonus here. (12:10) - Bonvoy Brilliant cardholder “Luxury Experience Rate” at participating properties Read more about this new Luxury Experience Rate here. (16:09) - Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash: 24-month extended warranty Read moe about the Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash 24-month extended warranty here. (17:11) - U.S. Bank Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cashback Read more about the US Bank Smartly card here. (22:03) - C1 Shopping targeted deals (26:46) - Bilt - earn points when buying a home & using an eXp Realty agent (29:41) - Huge welcome bonuses continue (31:37) - Awesome category bonuses continue (33:01) - The Amex points parade marches on (34:48) - Paying taxes great way to meet min spend (36:13) - PayPal waives credit card fees when doing good Listen to our Coffee Beak Episode about Kiva loans here. PayPal Giving Fund Fundraiser Hub. (39:25) - Transferable points programs keep expanding (43:42) - Award chart sweetspots live on Find AA's excellent partner award chart here. (50:06) - Free changes and cancelations continue for US airlines (except for basic economy types of fares) (52:09) - Status matches create opportunities (55:00) - Airlines continue to make business and first class more aspirational (58:22) - Loyalty partnerships create sweet opportunities (1:03:41) - See our how-to video for Rooms.aero here. (1:06:26) - When you get a new card, what's the checklist of tasks you do to keep it all organized? Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Greg, Nick, and Stephen are spent the last two weeks competing to satisfy the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promo with the most style, affordability, and speed. If you've been following along by reading their journal posts, you know that this was a much harder task than they bargained for and they relied on reader input along the way. We've got some cool prizes planned for the reader who was most helpful including certificates to cover five free Hilton hotel nights and more! But to determine that winner, we need your help deciding which traveler achieved the goal with the most SAS! Cast your vote here! (00:22) - SAS offering 1 million miles to anyone who registers and flies 15 qualifying SkyTeam airlines (01:00) - FM turned it into a team challenge: (02:50) - During the challenge the team met live on Youtube a couple of times. There we recapped what we'd achieved to-date and the judges awarded us interim scores. (03:30) - Catch up on the live check-in recordings during the Million Mile Madness challenge Cast your vote here! (1:21:00) - Wrap up of Nick's final travel days after the last live check-in (1:24:38) - We will host a final livestream on Tuesday November 26th PM ET where final scores will be announced. Subscribe and Follow Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Rewards credit cards are often most valuable for their welcome bonuses, but many of them also have very valuable perks just for having the card. So which credit cards have the best perks for a variety of categories? (Learn more about all the best current credit card offers here.) (00:40) - Best airport lounge benefits? (07:34) - Best Automatic Elite status (10:45) - Best award discount/rebate (12:59) - Best Automatic Free Night (no spend required) (15:57) - Best Companion Ticket (18:45) - Best miscellaneous perk Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

United recently announced an increase in elite requirements for 2025. Will Delta follow suit? Luckily, for this year, there's still time... (02:18) - A reader has a datapoint for us about the Equinox credit saying: "My wife successfully used the equinox credit for a massage. She enrolled in an equinox plus membership that came with a 7 day free trial. She was able to book and complete her massage within the 7 day trial period. The credit posted within 2 days and she canceled the membership." (06:17) - Last year Delta announced a drastic increase in elite requirements in 2024 for the 2025 elite year. After a public outcry, they reduced the requirements so much that in 2024 it is easier than ever to earn Delta elite status. Read more about the easy path to Delta elite status here. (08:05) - Multiple elite levels... (13:44) - Besides paying big $ for flights, how can you get status? (19:02) - Delta Status match, which you can read more about here. (23:03) - In summary, what are the easiest paths... (24:48) - Delta cards may be expensive but offer a lot of value Learn more about the Delta Platinum card here, and the Delta Reserve card here. (31:17) - What's the best way to do a long-haul holiday flight for a family with young children?  See which award search tools are best here. Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder