The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

News, news, and more breaking travel news. There’s been so many big stories in the travel world lately, Gunnar and Kyle blew up the normal show format and spent the episode going beyond the headlines, breaking down everything you need to know. There’s more on new pricing shenanigans from airlines and Uber, the ins and outs of Alaska’s new loyalty program, a big upgrade for Google Flights, and much much more. Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - A self-indulgent review of Gunnar’s favorite hotel in the world: Under Canvas in Glacier (now bookable with Hyatt points!)05:13 - PSA: Global entry interviews are easier to find than ever09:20 - Alaska/Hawaiian’s new award program and why we won’t call it by its name. Plus, the new Alaska/Hawaiian Atmos premium credit card and some new routes to Europe. 17:40 - A leak of what’s coming for the Amex Platinum Card in September20:50 - Chase-to-Emirates transfers have an expiration date23:10 - A new worst way to use Delta SkyMiles – insurance!25:10 - Google Flights adds a basic economy filter and unveils an interesting new AI function31:20 - The data couldn’t be clearer: Book the earliest flight of the day to avoid delays and cancellations35:40 - A word from our sponsor (us): Stay up on all the news with our free Daily Beat newsletter36:30 - One simple choice for your Uber ride will affect your price39:25 - The Amex Centurion Lounge in Dallas is getting a big expansion43:00 - Delta and other airlines are overcharging for upgrades48:00 - The Tulum bubble has burst as airlines keep pulling out 52:10 - A listener wants to branch out from Delta but doesn’t know what card to start with56:30 - On the spot: The biggest stories from Kyle’s careerProduced by Gunnar Olson & Nick SeratiEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

This week’s podcast is honestly just a selfish exercise for Gunnar, who uses his coworker’s expertise to plan a trip to the 2026 Olympics, get tips on flying with kids, and brag about how to make Thrifty Traveler Premium the best flight deal alert service out there. This week we welcomed Thrifty Traveler’s Product Manager, Tracey Burtch, to talk about how her time representing Team USA Figure Skating sparked a love of travel and how she now devotes her career to helping others do the same. Plus, Tracey recaps her biggest (and embarrassingly recent) travel mistake and some of her favorite deals ever. Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Finding something out: Introducing Thrifty Traveler’s best athlete (former Team USA figure skater and our product manager, Tracey Burtch!)02:35 - Something hot: Tracey’s favorite deals of all time05:00 - Something cold: An embarrassingly recent travel mishap07:00 - The Extra Mile: How to evolve your travels over time – including Tracey’s “aha” moments11:00 - Making Thrifty Traveler better and easier for travelers to use as Product Manager of TT14:45 - How Tracey is pulling off a trip to the 2026 Italy Olympics23:00 - Booking TAP Air Portugal business class and where to fly to visit the Italy games27:00 - A super selfish listener (host?) question about tips for flying with children – and the layover that “just kept giving”30:40 - On the Spot: Choose your next trip…off the studio wallProduced by Gunnar OlsonEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

Points and miles aren’t worth anything if you can’t use them. If you want to fly lie-flat business class (most of us, right?), it can be excruciating to find flights you can actually book with points. But some stand out as being much easier to book - if not downright easy. Gunnar and Kyle shine the spotlight on the airlines and routes where it’s easiest to score that business class seat using miles. Plus, they chat about rising surcharges on award tickets and look at why Gunnar is adding a new credit card to his wallet ASAP … from an airline he rarely flies.Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Finding something out: The best bits from our interview with Jason02:15 - Kyle issues a correction to his bougiest travel take: SkyMiles + Champagne04:00 - Something Hot: This American Airlines 80K-mile card sign-up bonus09:00 - Something Cold: The Taxes & Fees are Too Damn High – which airlines are worst? (Ahem: Emirates…)15:12 - A word from our sponsor: Us … and how you can find business class availability with Thrifty Traveler Premium16:40 - The Extra Mile: All of the easiest business class seats to book with points and miles20:30 - Why Finnair might be the best of them all (and one of the fanciest) and with easy-to-earn Avios23:20 - The other easiest-to-book options when flying lie-flat to Europe34:40 - The key to book Qatar Airways QSuites40:30 - Listener Question: How to pair award tickets with cash bookings on a group trip44:45 - On the Spot: Gunnar’s dream additions to the “easiest-to-book biz class” listProduced by Gunnar Olson & Erica KamrowskiEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

The hilarious Jason Matheson - host of The Jason Show on FOX and a 20-year veteran of morning talk radio - joins the show to talk all things travel with Kyle and Gunnar. Claiming to be Thrifty Traveler’s #1 fan, Jason tells us what Canadian city sparked his love of travel before diving deep into what he loves about Hawaii and Disney. He also tries to sell the guys on cruising and he even reveals his bougiest travel take. Join us for the funniest episode of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast yet!Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Introducing Thrifty Traveler’s #1 Fan01:02 - We fix CLEAR and put airport speakerphone users on the no-fly list05:35 - The new Delta One Lounge impresses at LAX … but would you eat the sushi?13:00 - Who’s fighting back against AI and “surveillance-based” airfare pricing?18:50 - Jason tells us about the latest flight deal that impressed him and his friends (use promo code TTPOD for $20 off your first year of deals!)20:00 - Jason’s travel story: how Vancouver (& The Fantastic Four) sparked his love of travel22:30 - What’s next on Jason’s travel bucket list? And what got taken off the list because of “critters.”23:20 - His long love affair with Hawaii & why Jason loves Oahu the most28:30 - Why everyone needs to go see Susan at the Mai Tai Bar32:15 - Jason’s Delta loyalty – the good, the bad, the ugly, and when he cheats on them with United…38:00 - Jason pitches the guys on (most) cruises41:00 - Why his first Disney Cruise blew him away45:30 - Tips to do Disney for adults51:00 - Why did Jason get into travel and how he became Thrifty Traveler’s #1 fan58:45 - Listener Question: Are flexible points worth the pain? Should you just retreat to Delta SkyMiles?01:02:50 - On the spot: Jason and Kyle’s bougiest travel taste, take, or ruleProduced by Gunnar Olson & Nick SeratiEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

The world of airfare is changing before our eyes. Airlines have jacked up the price of one-way flights and targeted solo passengers with higher fares, too. And, more troublingly, carriers like Delta (and others) are now leaning on AI to set airfare … raising the prospect of personalized pricing. What does it all mean? Kyle and Gunnar break it all down on this week’s episode, telling you how airfare is changing, why, and who’s responsible. Plus, why this is your year to go to Costa Rica … and the airline that both Kyle and Gunnar are embarrassed to have never flown before. Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Did AI write this intro?01:08 - Should we be worried about AI-fueled airfare?02:43 - Want to go to Costa Rica? Go this year (while deals are white hot)06:25 - The surprising return of one-way airfare penalties11:45 - Stay current on the news: Subscribe (for free!) to The Daily Beat email newsletter13:00 - As AI enters airfare, how does airfare actually work right now?19:30 - By penalizing one-way travelers and solo travelers, the airlines are shifting strategies…22:25 - How Delta (& others) are actually starting to use AI to price flights27:00 - What is Fetcherr? What they’re doing for Delta - and the article they didn’t want you to see34:40 - What can we do to protect ourselves from AI? Are there any guardrails out there? 41:20 - Listener Question: Done with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card? What to pick up next?46:10 - On the spot: What airlines have you not flown? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson NewmanEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

We’re in the heart of the summer travel season, so Gunnar and Kyle put together a Travel Survival Guide to help you grease the wheels of your next trip. The guys dig into the best ways to avoid delays and cancellations (including sharing their own worst delays), plus tell you all the apps, tools, and knowledge you should bring with you on your trip to make it go smoothly this summer or fall. The guys also talk about TSA’s new (and drastically improved) shoe policy and the insane thing CLEAR wants to charge you for now. Stick around for Gunnar’s bougiest travel take. Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Finding something out: What’s your worst flight delay?04:30 - Something Hot: TSA reverses course on shoes-off policy in all security lanes08:25 - Something Cold: CLEAR wants to charge you for what, now?11:55 - A word from our sponsor (us, & how you can sign up for our free flight deal alerts and book roundtrip flights to Ireland under $299!)13:25 - The Extra Mile: All the best travel tips and tricks to avoid delays & cancellations and be a better traveler this summer17:00 - Using Google Flight Price Alerts and rebooking your flights for a voucher19:30 - You need to be using Aerolopa when you pick (or upgrade) your seats21:40 - Why Kyle and Gunnar use TripIt to organize their reservations28:20 - Gunnar gushes about his favorite app for dealing with disruptions: Flighty32:10 - PreCheck saves you from 98% of things you hate about going through the airport35:30 - Window or aisle?41:30 - The travel debit card that every member of our team has: Charles Schwab46:40 - Listener Question: Carry-on or checked bag with a 2-hour layover in Paris50:45 - On the Spot: Gunnar’s snobbiest travel takeProduced by Gunnar Olson & Erica KamrowskiEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

It’s the news every points and miles aficionado has been waiting for: After years of pain, award travel is, in fact, getting easier. Alongside an undeniable trend in red-hot cheap airfare, outstanding deals keep popping up to redeem your points - whether you’re on the hunt for a discounted economy deal or a notoriously hard-to-book lie-flat award ticket.So Gunnar and Kyle dig into what’s driving this lovely new trend and, most importantly, the dozen or so deals that have us thinking that award travel has finally turned a corner. We’re calling it (working title) “Hot Flight Summer.”Come for Hot Flight Summer and stay for Gunnar’s hot fireworks take, a revelation about Kyle’s reality TV viewing habits, and why Virgin Atlantic really ticked us off this week.Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Introducing … “Hot Flight Summer”03:16 - Something Hot: Cash airfare continues to drop (think sub-$300 roundtrip flights to Europe!)08:45 - Something Cold: Virgin doubled taxes and fees on biz class awards13:50 - A word from our sponsor (us, and our Thrifty Traveler Premium service that’s finding more deals than ever!)15:43 - The Extra Mile: Hot Flight Summer, or why we think award travel is (finally) getting easier21:00 - The rise of the elusive “Unicorn Alert” (even if Emirates hates us)24:30 - Business class award deals to Australia and across the Pacific are back!29:15 - Gunnar gushes about the Cathay’s The Pier First Class Lounge34:45 - Booking partner awards – including the rare Delta One redemptions36:00 - And don’t forget about economy flights, too! 40:15 - The exceptions: Star Alliance ,Iberia’s biz class devaluation, and Amex transfers to Emirates43:15 - Listener Questions: How to fly to Australia/New Zealand using points and miles, in biz class or economy48:45 - On the Spot: A listener checks in from Kyle’s favorite hotel in the world while Kyle taps into his Love Island fandom to couple up with – and dump from the island – two recent dealsProduced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson NewmanEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

Higher annual fees. More perks. New lounges. It never stops.The big banks are going bigger than ever on their “premium” travel credit cards. So, Gunnar (fresh off paternity leave!) and Kyle bring Thrifty Traveler’s co-founder and credit card expert, Nick Serati, on the show to help break down all the recent moves from Chase, Amex, and Capital One. And they ask the $900-plus question: With annual fees approaching $1,000 a year, are we hitting a breaking point? Watch us on YouTube!0:00 - Introducing Nick … & our new studio!1:13 - Catching Gunnar up on all the big travel news he (& you) missed05:48 - Something Hot: Chase’s huge bonus on the new Sapphire Reserve10:37 - Something cold: Chase’s messy eligibility rule changes15:23 - A word from our sponsor (us … and our really cool CardPilot tool that’ll help you pick your next travel card!)17:00 - The Extra Mile: Diving into the “premium” travel credit cards arm race19:17 - What’s next for the Amex Platinum Card? 20:13 - Capital One throws down the gauntlet with the best lounge yet21:49 - A fourth big premium card on the horizon? All eyes on Delta23:20 - Why “premium” travel is all the rage right now26:20 - Doing the math on premium cards & big annual fees29:48 - Why banks are all turning their top cards into glorified coupon books33:40 - The real value of these top-dollar travel cards39:50 - Listener Question: The best 4-5 credit cards to get started44:06 - On the Spot: What do Nick & Gunnar love about being dads? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson NewmanEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

How can you find the best value for your SkyMiles? Are Delta SkyMiles worthless? Can you book Delta One for cheap? Am I an idiot for caring about SkyMiles? These are the questions we get about the wildly popular (yet maddening) Delta SkyMiles program, so we do our best to answer all of them and more. Whether you want to book quick, cheap flights within the U.S. or fly business class to Asia (and everything in between), we go over all the best ways to earn and burn Delta SkyMiles.Watch us on YouTube!(00:00) - What level of Delta status does Kyle have?(00:45) - What would we do with 200,000 Delta SkyMiles? (05:00) - Some of the best ways to use SkyMiles(09:00) - And the worst…(14:00) - A word from our sponsor (us): Get the Extra Mile Newsletter to earn more miles(15:00) - Delta SkyMiles 101(17:00) - Why Delta prices SkyMiles awards differently than other airlines(20:30) - Inside the infamous “Sad State of SkyMiles” story from 2023(23:15) - Why SkyMiles Flash Sales are like “Clearance Meat”(28:45) - The best destinations to target for a good SkyMiles deal(34:00) - Where can you find a pseudo-Delta SkyMiles “award chart”?(36:00) - American Express credit cards and what Delta’s strategy with its profitable partner(39:30) - Delta One SkyMiles deals … are they even possible?(42:15) - How to find Delta SkyMiles redemptions outside of flash sales(45:30) - Are Delta SkyMiles worthless?(47:00) - The #1 key to getting good value from your SkyMiles(49:15) - Helping a traveler from SLC earn SkyMiles fast(53:00) - What one change would Gunnar make to the SkyMiles program?Produced by Gunnar Olson & Long TranEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

Gunnar's still enjoying the new life of a girldad, so Kyle brought our first-ever special guest on the show: Max Do - better known as MaxMilesPoints. As one of the biggest and best social media creators covering points and miles, Max is uniquely qualified to explain the rise of travel influencers - both the good and the bad - while sharing his own story of how he left his 9-to-5 job (it involves a $10,000 deal with a hotel brand). Plus, Kyle and Max talk through the big news from Chase and American Express ... and place their bets on just how high the Platinum Card's annual fee may go. Watch us on YouTube!0:00 - Introducing our first-ever guest: MaxMilesPoints!01:43 - Something Hot: The new JFK Capital One Lounge (ft. a cheesemonger and bagel bar)08:15 - Something Cold(ish): Chase & Amex’s top travel cards are getting even pricier16:43 - A word from our sponsor (us … and our flight deal service that even Max uses)18:30 - The Extra Mile: Why Max fell in love with travel and started MaxMilesPoints22:18 - 10,000 reasons why Max left his full-time job to become a full-time social media creator24:27 - The positives and negatives behind the explosion of travel influencers30:30 - Sharing a cocktail & slowing down your travels33:14 - Rapid fire questions with Max (& the time he went to the wrong airport)40:02 - Listener question: Which cities to visit in Vietnam? 43:01 - On the spot: The one thing Max would change in award travelProduced by Kyle Potter & Long TranEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

It’s time to talk to the Oz of our flight deal service: Jon Shallbetter, aka Jonny Nonny. Gunnar and Kyle bring Jon on the show to talk about his wizardry of all things Google Flights, finding and sending flight deal alerts, his favorite flight deal ever and worst-ever travel mistake, and more. Oh, and the guys grill Jon on the allegations that he drank Emirates dry … and he does an Admiral Ackbar impression?!Watch us on YouTube!0:00 - Did Jon actually cash Emirates’ supply of Dom Perignon?05:47 - Something Hot: Jon’s favorite deal of all time (it cost $62)07:52 - Something Cold: Jon’s worst travel mishap09:18 - Honorable mention: The worst travel pillow ever (ft. Admiral Ackbar)11:23 - A word from our sponsor (us … and the awesome flight deal service that Jon runs)13:14 - How Jon got started in travel and finding flight deals for living16:50 - The art of finding flight deals, mastering Google Flights & expanding into award travel23:04 - A quick primer on TT lingo (and the Delly nonny to Honny)25:55 - Lightning round with Jonny Nonny: Google Flights tips, the secrets of MSP & puppies30:27 - Listener question: Will this be a good year for flight deals? 33:43 - What do Jon & Kyle really think about their coworker? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson NewmanEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

What else would we talk about on this week’s podcast than one of the biggest stories in travel? The three largest U.S. airlines were quietly charging some solo travelers higher fares …until we caught them in the act! We break down this crazy story and discuss why - and how - it was happening. Plus, we laugh at Southwest’s botched rollout of its new baggage fees, look into some (awesome) rare Etihad partner award space, and Gunnar reveals what he thinks is the second sleaziest thing airlines do in airfare. Watch us on YouTube!(00:00) - An update on this solo traveler pricing tactic…(00:50) - Find Something Out (from Gunnar’s house!): How Kyle reported this important story(04:10) - Something Hot: Some rare Etihad partner award space in First Class and Business(07:30) - Something Cold: Southwest (unsurprisingly) botches its baggage fees rollout(12:00) - A word from our sponsor (us, and how Thrifty Traveler Premium can help find the best flight deals for you!)(14:00) - The Extra Mile: How and why airlines were charging more for solo and business travelers than everyone else(29:45) - A listener wants to start planning her Sept. 2026 trip now … but should she?(33:00) - On the Spot: What other sleazy airline tactics does Gunnar hate Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

This week, Kyle walks us through how he booked an epic trip to England and Scotland using points and miles. There’s a business class award to London, an economy flight home, and plenty of flights, hotels and other travel expenses in between. Plus, Phoenix gets its first nonstop flight to Asia and we say goodbye to the Southwest we knew and loved. Do yourself a favor and stick around for Gunnar’s cant-miss, ridiculous story of his own trip to London … when he learned some of England’s beer-drinking rules the hard way at a consequential Chelsea match.Watch us on YouTube!00:45 - Our top tips for the busy summer travel season (& will Real ID matter?)05:45 - Something hot: Phoenix’s strange (but explainable) Starlux nonstop flight to Taipei10:30 - Something cold: Pouring one out with a goodbye to the old Southwest14:50 - A word from our sponsor: Sign up for our (free) Daily Beat Newsletter today!16:10 - The Extra Mile: Exactly how Kyle booked a points & miles trip to England and Scotland this summer19:15 - How he (and about seven other Thrifty Traveler team members!) booked business class for just 29,000 points each way thanks to Virgin’s new pricing mode22:00 - Booking a nonstop Delta flight home … but not with SkyMiles28:30 - The best car rental booking tool out there: AutoSlash31:00 - Booking a hotel stay at a castle in Scotland using Hilton points (at the old, cheaper rate)32:30 - Using Capital One’s $300 travel credit to fill in the rest37:00 - Gunnar’s legendary story of learning England’s beer-drinking laws at a Chelsea soccer match the hard way…42:10 - Listener Question: The Concorde in our studio45:45 - On the Spot: Travel re-treads, or what trips would we try again? Or not?Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson NewmanEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

This week on the show, Gunnar and Kyle talk about a recent, unprecedented run of roundtrip flights to Europe in the $400s, $300s, and even $200s. The guys ask the important questions like “What is going in here?!” - and more importantly, stress that travelers should run to book a cheap trip to Italy, Greece, England and beyond this year. Plus, we’ve finally got an end date for a workaround to turn Amex points into Alaska, we talk about Delta’s gross Basic Economy rebrand, and Kyle reveals the cheapest flight (or 10) he’s ever booked. Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - The cheapest flights Kyle has ever booked03:20 - Something Hot: Why (& how) you should transfer your Amex points to Alaska…right now!07:30 - Something Cold: Hilton hikes award prices…again10:40 - Something Extra Cold: Delta’s gross "Basic" rebrand bait & switch15:20 - A word from our sponsor (us): Sign up for free Thrifty Traveler flight deal alerts today - or use code: TTPOD if you want to upgrade!17:10 - The Extra Mile: Breaking down a bonanza of cheap flights to Europe under $400 roundtrip! 31:23 - A listener asks: What will happen to my Hawaiian miles? 33:30 - On the Spot: The best beer Gunnar’s ever hadProduced by Gunnar Olson & Nick SeratiEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky

This week, Kyle gets to fire up the grill and interview his co-host Gunnar his own career in journalism and travel, why he hates “cents per mile,” his trip to Antarctica (?!), and how he feels about his looming future in family travel. Plus, the guys break down one of the best flight deals of the year, the lingering issues at Newark, and their biggest travel pet peeves. Watch us on YouTube!(00:00) - Our travel pet peeves (including a fired-up rant from Gunnar)(04:40) - Something Hot: Sizzling Europe fares in the $300s RT(08:10) - Something Cold: Emirates makes its First Class awards tougher to book…again(12:50) - A word from our sponsor: Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal (and hotel!) alertshttps://thriftytraveler.com/premium/(15:25) - Kyle grills Gunnar on this career in journalism and finding Thrifty Traveler(22:35) - Gunnar’s “aha!” moment in miles & earning his first flexible points(27:00) - Why Gunnar hates “cents per mile”(31:30) - His surreal trip to Antarctica(40:15) - Listener Question: What the *bleep* is going on at Newark (EWR)?(43:45) - On the spot: What airport & airline would Kyle avoid? Produced by Gunnar Olson & Long TranEdited by David StruttShow music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.comGet 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!Follow us on…InstagramYouTubeFacebookBluesky