Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!

Last show of 2021! Hilton has a status match offer you should consider, especially since you could earn Diamond status for 14 months. We're joined by Spencer from Straight to the Points this week to talk about his awesome award search newsletter. Lastly, we wrap up the year with a nod to next year and how you should be thinking about your travel planning. Don't forget that you can leave us a voicemail or text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

The gang is all here this week. Summer Hull, Richard Kerr and Julian Kheel are all back on the show to share where they ended up with elite status in 2021. We're also looking ahead to 2022 and what we hope to achieve as well as what we think the future holds for travel loyalty. SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't started watching Sex And The City and don't want a big spoiler, fast forward to the 5-minute mark. Thanks, Summer! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Crazy day to be podcasting! Since Richard Kerr and I recorded this episode less than 48 hours ago we had to pull a segment out where we discussed the new Chase Ink Premier card. The details are murky at best and we'll report back as soon as we have a clearer picture. The dust hasn't even fully settled yet on the crazy Simply Miles promotion that launched earlier this week and we're digging into the details. We hope you got "a little taste." We also answer a couple of listener questions from some folks who are ready to start traveling internationally! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

We've got a bunch to cover this week. Aeroplan launched their new US-based credit card and there are plenty of reasons to consider it for your travels. They came up with some pretty neat features. We also grill Richard Kerr on his recent cruise and dig into a reader question about what his strategy should We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

The dust has barely settled on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and Richard Kerr joins me to give our reactions to this year's deals. He also shares an epic story about one person maximizing their mileage earning strategy on Black Friday. We also dig into changing travel restrictions related to Omicron, a new COVID-19 variant. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

As we head into Thanksgiving I'm answering listener questions and sitting down with Gary Leff. Here's some more info on the Radisson Rewards changes we reference in the show today. And, if you're interested in signing up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard you can use code PIM4BILT to bypass the waitlist. (Side note: I don't get a dime if you sign up, I just think it's a solid card). We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Holy cow! We made it to 200 episodes. There are so many people to thank for getting us this far. But, the person to thank the most is you. If you're reading this you're one of the nearly million folks that have tuned into an episode of the Miles to Go podcast. To me, that's pretty darn cool! Richard Kerr is back with me this week and we're talking about the new Venture X card from Capital One. A 100,000 point sign-up bonus is pretty awesome! On top of that, we spent a day last week doing an incredible challenge raising a bunch of money for an incredible charity. We ran for 20 miles and for 15 hours across all the parks at Disney World. We've raised almost $20,000 for critically-ill children to have an incredible vacation with their family at no expense to them. I hope you'll consider a small donation. Here's the link! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

If you're listening to this episode on Wednesday, the day it drops, I'm at Disney World trying to raise a bunch of money for some special kids. I hope you'll consider sharing and/or donating! First up, we're talking about 3 incredible Southwest credit card offers. Hitting the sign-up bonus on one of these cards gets you almost to a companion pass, and at the perfect time of year. We'll tell you how to earn one of the most valuable travel perks for 2 years! Then, I sat down with Nick from Frequent Miler on Moskito Island. We had fun podcasting from the pool! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

SIDE NOTE: The funniest part of the episode may be the last 5 seconds. Really. Big changes in the travel world this week and not all of it is good. Richard Kerr is back with us and he's not alone. Returning to the show are Julian Kheel of CNN Underscored and Summer Hull of The Points Guy. First, the gang discusses the Marriott changes. Marriott plans to move away from award charts completely, scrambling the landscape on what your Bonvoy points are worth. Meanwhile, American Airlines is reimagining their loyalty program. TLDR, this might be good news for you. Here's an easy way to understand the changes. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

I've had some crazy travel experiences over the years but spending a weekend on a private island was honestly never something I thought I would achieve. Then, out of left field Richard Kerr invited me to spend the weekend on Moskito Island, a private island owned by Sir Richard Branson in the British Virgin Islands. International travel is messy right now and we cover all the hoops we had to jump through on this adventure. We also talk about my application for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard and why it may just be the best no-fee credit card out there right now. If you're thinking about signing up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard, use code PIM4BILT to skip the waitlist. Note: I don't earn a penny if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard. I did visit their private island but paid my own way to get there. TLDR, sign up for the Bilt card because I think it's great, not because I'm earning money by you signing up. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

A decade after rolling out their first credit card, Hyatt is introducing their first card geared towards small business. We have Ari Levin, Vice President of Partner Marketing at Hyatt joining us on the show today to break down key details of the new card. After that, Richard Kerr joins me afterwards (from an undisclosed private island) to break down the Hyatt Business Credit Card If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

I'm trying to convince Richard Kerr to buy my RV...... And, in travel news: AMEX is shutting down more accounts. We dig deep on this one. Is Spirit Airlines now a mainstream airline? Is Southwest swapping roles with Spirit? If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Who knows where Richard Kerr is this week? Delta is launching some interesting new international routes next year. The UK is making it easier (kind of) for foreigners. Chase Ultimate Rewards is discounting gift cards. Should you take advantage of it? $10 AMEX credit per month on groceries. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Richard Kerr is still camping his way around the country and joins us from the great state of Delaware today. We covered a bunch of travel news including: Delta wants to have a nationwide no-fly list. United flight attendants don't want customers to expect clean bathrooms on planes. More new AMEX Plat changes coming? Government wants US airlines to fix unruly passengers. Delta offering BOGO fares out of Seattle. US is relaxing COVID rules for international travelers. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

We've got two interesting developments this week if you love to travel. First up, Richard Kerr goes over the newly announced changes to the Bilt Rewards Mastercard. It may just be the best way for you to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles and also has great 1:1 transfer partners like World of Hyatt. Miles to Go listeners have special early access to bypass the wait list for the Bilt Mastercard. Go to biltrewards.com/waitlist and add your name, then enter the code PIM4BILT for early access. If you enjoy the suite life on the road, Hilton has started testing pre-arrival suite upgrades. If the technology works as well as their new connecting room feature, this will be a home run for travelers looking for that awesome upgrade on their next vacation. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

We're talking travel again this week, as always. There's news about Southwest extending their alcohol ban on planes, an interesting Southwest Companion Pass deal that we break down and more new route delays. Richard Kerr and I also spend a few minutes remembering 9/11. 20 years later that day still carries so much weight for those of us that lived through it. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! We've been hearing for years that JetBlue will be flying to London. It's finally here and it's awesome. Seth Miller from Paxex.Aero was on the inaugural flight and has now flown both the economy class product and the new Mint Studio. He's sharing a boatload of information with us about why this is the product you want to fly the next time you go across the pond. I also answer a listener question about COVID-19 testing abroad. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

The Fearsome Foursome is back! Richard Kerr is back with us and he's not alone. Returning to the show are Julian Kheel of CNN Underscored and Summer Hull of The Points Guy. We're talking about the Chase Sapphire changes, lots of new bits and pieces to analyze, then over analyze! Here's Julian's update on the changes to both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. We also catch up on elite status and talk about the newest pandemic precautions in Hawaii. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Are cruise ships charging extra for housekeeping? One listener writes in to point one what may be the next hidden fee you can expect when you cruise. We're also talking about my Canada border mistake and which credit card is the right one to use on your next Marriott stay. Richard Kerr is back again with me discussing all of the details, as well as the details behind the Civil Air Reserve Fleet, something the government activated to help out with the situation in Afghanistan. It's the first time in 20 years that the Civil Air Reserve Fleet has been called up. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659, or call and leave a voicemail‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

I desperately wanted to name the episode "We don't care about that crap". You'll have to listen to figure out why! The Canadian border opened up recently and we drove up to visit family. It was over 40 hours of total driving. We learned a bunch about the new process for crossing the border (spoiler alert: it's complicated). We also snuck across a provincial border without really knowing we were doing that. Richard Kerr and I are discussing all of the details. We're also talking $27 airport beers and why Richard disagrees with some conventional wisdom on credit card perks. Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Tests ArriveCAN App (required to enter Canada) Check-in Form For Nova Scotia We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659, or call and leave a voicemail‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Boy, is it a full house on this week's episode! Richard Kerr is back with us and he's not alone. Returning to the show are Julian Kheel of CNN Underscored and Summer Hull of The Points Guy. They've all been guests before but never all at the same time. We've been trying to make this happen for a while and the stars finally aligned. I'm hoping we can make it happen again soon. We're talking about the newest transfer partner for Chase Ultimate Rewards, Aeroplan. The popular flexible currency travel program has added another great option for card holders to redeem their points. We also discuss whether you should be booking great international travel deals right now. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Richard Kerr is back on the show and we cover a lot this week. On top of discussing Richard's continued bad decision-making, we cover Delta's decision to hit the reset button on elite status. And, in our credit card corner, we're discussing potential Chase Sapphire changes, the new Wyndham credit card offer and what it actually takes to get a Citi Premier card. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Richard Kerr is back on the show with me and we're talking about travel, of course. COVID-19 is starting to creep back into travel, affecting it in plenty of different ways. You need to be aware of the travel landscape if you're planning to travel so you don't get stuck in the pitfalls. Here's what he and I are seeing on the road. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

The big news of the week was Citibank announcing they've added the American Airlines AAdvantage program as a temporary transfer partner. Will it be permanent? We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

AMEX is making changes to the annual fee on one of their most expensive cards. They're adding benefits as well. Is this a good thing? Richard Kerr and I also compare notes on what it's like to be a road warrior today, and we review the RV trip from hell. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Hilton has been busy lately, in ways that will make some folks (namely families) very happy and in other ways that are likely annoy many travelers. We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show!

Gilbert from God Save The Points stops by this week to give us the lowdown on Madrid and Barcelona. Two wonderful cities. Which one should you choose? Good news! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Richard Kerr is back with us again and we finally get to learn what his new job is. He's joined by Dave Canty, Head of Loyalty for BILT. Dave ran the loyalty programs at places like IHG and JetBlue after spending time at Starwood Preferred Guest. The BILT team has designed a program that allows anyone who rents an apartment, home, condo, you name it to earn valuable miles or points on that monthly expense. They have some incredible partners (American Airlines, Hyatt and a whole lot more). Hear about the launch of BILT on this week's episode. Good news! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Richard Kerr joins me again this week. The guy just keeps showing up. We might be stuck with him for a while. There were a handful of travel news stories that we wanted to talk about this week. There were positive COVID tests on a cruise ship even though everyone was supposed to be vaccinated. And, there are two credit cards that Richard and I dig into that might be on your radar. 100,000 point sign-up bonuses are hard not to like! Good news! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Richard Kerr joins me again this week. We had so many questions from last week's episode that we couldn't get to in time. So, we decided to roll out a part 2. Even then we didn't cover everything you guys asked. So, look for us to squeeze those questions into future episodes. Good news! We have a new way for you to reach us with your questions. You can text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! Special thanks to the Award Travel 101 Facebook Group for helping us out! You won't find a friendlier group of helpful travel experts. It's free to join. If you're not a member, what are you waiting for? If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Richard Kerr joins me again this week and we're answering your questions. Where to travel, which countries are open, what's the best credit card? Heck, we even answer a few questions about our RVs if you're into that kind of thing. If you have a question you can e-mail me at [email protected]. And, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and ask your question there. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Elite status is something I've chased for 20 years as a road warrior. Has the time finally come where that's the wrong goal to have? Changes during the pandemic have changed the value of elite status in a number of ways. Seth Miller from PaxEx.aero joins us this week to discuss why it might not be worth chasing elite status anymore. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Now that I'm back on the road I've noticed a few things missing, like food on airplanes, housekeeping at hotels and breakfast at hotels where it's generally included in the room rate. Richard Kerr joins me to puzzle through the current offerings in the air and at hotels. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

We're joined this week for a very different wallet than mine. Seth Miller, who writes at PaxEx.Aero and also co-hosts the Dots, Lines and Destinations podcast, joins us this week. We were joined recently by Gary Leff of View From the Wing to break down his wallet. And, Richard Kerr joined us to break down my wallet. Seth has a different travel style when compared to me or Gary. He also values elite status differently, so I was interested to see what credit cards he relies on to earn points and miles. I think you'll find it interesting as well! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

If you're a frequent listener, you might remember an episode last year where Richard Kerr guest-hosted Miles to Go to break down what's in my wallet. This week we're digging into Gary Leff's wallet. Gary writes the View From The Wing blog and has a lengthy history of travel credit cards in his wallet, probably even longer than mine! We talk about credit cards quite a bit on the show, since they're a great way to earn enough miles and points for your next vacation. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

The head of the European Union announced earlier this week that the member countries of the EU would be open to Americans this year who are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine (currently all 3 vaccines offered in the US are approved). Should you go? I'm weighing the pros and cons of planning a trip to Europe this summer. And, we wrap up our 3-part interview with Richard Kerr about our recent camping trip that was equal parts disaster and fun (okay, definitely more disaster than fun). A couple of links we referred to during the show: How I Ended Up Buying Two Pickup Trucks Renting An RV If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Credit cards that earn flexible currency, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, have really ruled the roost when it comes to my favorite ways to earn miles and points. But, some recent changes by Capital One have really upped their game. Does that mean you should be giving them a second look? And, we'll also be joined by Richard Kerr again to go through the disaster that was our recent camping trip. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

It's a great question. After a year of largely staying home and earning miles and points from credit card purchases, it's time to start traveling for many folks (and will be soon for many more). Should you be paying cash for airline tickets and hotel rooms or burning down that pile of miles and points? Richard Kerr from The Points Guy and Kyle Potter from Thrifty Traveler are helping me answer that question on this week's episode. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Plenty going on this week! Delta was one of the airlines to announce shortcuts to status this week. When will we see more of this? And, Hilton hotels sending out strong signals that customers should expect fewer amenities in the future. What's on the chopping block? Lastly, Richard Kerr joins me for another camping fail. He always seems to get plenty of enjoyment out of my camping misery. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

I've been keeping tabs on the travel world as I get closer to being back on the road. This week I caught up with folks who traveled within the past 10 days. First, we catch up with Paul Singh, a friend and co-investor in a number of startup companies. He's been on the road a couple times a month, hopping on airplanes, connecting in hubs, renting cars, all the things road warriors used to do. Then, we catch up with Summer Smith-Hull, Director of Travel Content at The Points Guy. She just got back from a ski trip with her family, and she's got all the lowdown on ski slopes, luxury resorts and leisure flights. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

When I decided to start Miles to Go, it was due in part to years of listening to Dots, Lines & Destinations. It's a podcast run by three friends who frequently come off the rails while digging deep into the world of travel. It's definitely a different show than Miles to Go. But, I've been a guest on their show a number of times and enjoy listening to them on a weekly basis. We recorded a joint show this week, and there's even some bonus content where we get even crazier! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Many of you have hotel credit cards that award free night certificates, usually on an annual basis when you pay the annual fee. When's the right time to use them, especially when you consider hotel rates are all at crazy low levels? Meanwhile, I've got Leslie Harvey from Trips With Tykes back on the show this week. We're talking about some places to consider if you want to drive to your spring break vacation this year instead of flying. We also touch on the surprise announcement that Disneyland is allowed to reopen. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

As we got a month or so into the pandemic, it became pretty clear that many of us wouldn't be able to get much value from travel credit cards. When you consider how much some of annual fees can be on various cards, it's important to make sure you're getting enough value to keep those cards in your wallet/purse. Who best to discuss the best credit card perks out there? How about a guy who showed up to his first podcast appearance with a ziploc baggie filled with credit cards! Julian Kheel, Senior Finance Editor at CNN joins us this week to take about his favorite credit card perks. We don't get to touch on all of his favorites, so you can read the rest of them here. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Just about a month ago Hyatt announced that many of their resorts in Latin America would be providing free COVID-19 testing for guests traveling to America after their stay. With the US now requiring a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country, it was a good move by Hyatt. Nick Serati, co-founder of Thrifty Traveler, covers a couple of key areas for us this week. First, he's got a great review of the new Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. Then, he and I break down what it was like to go through the free COVID testing at the resort and to travel back to the US shortly after the new regulations were in place. First-hand experiences like this should help you plan your next trip! You can find Nick on Twitter and Instagram and you can also get a discount on Thrifty Traveler Premium by using the code "THRIFTY". Lastly, I close out the show with some thoughts on recent changes that could be positive news for road warriors. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

This week I'm breaking down a reader question on which credit he should keep and which one he should ditch. And, we'll catch up with Becky Pekora again, this time to talk about a trip to Iceberg Alley. Don't forget, we're giving away a free year of Straight to the Points premium service to two lucky listeners. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

We've got two new topics for you this week and both can make your next dream vacation a whole lot more achievable. Spencer is back with us from Straight to the Points talking about his new premium service. To celebrate the launch, we're giving away a free year of premium service to two lucky listeners. His service is super clutch for finding award inventory for that awesome trip you've been trying to plan. How easy? He'll deliver all the information on how to book right to your inbox (or text). It doesn't get much easier than that! And, if you're a small business owner, we have all the details on the new Brex sign-up offer, where you can earn up to 110,000 points. Those can be transferred to airlines such as JetBlue, Air France/KLM and Emirates for free flights to almost anywhere you can imagine. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

As we look into the crystal ball of travel, there are still clouds. However, the fog is lifting just a bit and we can start to see some really great travel deals on the horizon. I've finally started thinking about travel, just like a lot of other folks. There are some tremendous deals, whether you're spending cash or using miles and points. Summer Hull and Richard Kerr join me this week to talk about some of the trips you should be thinking about booking now before these great opportunities disappear. Whenever Richard is on the show you can be assured he'll be lobbing insults my way and correcting me when I get out of line. Summer is along for the ride as chief referee and the smartest traveler in the room. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

So much to talk about in travel this week. American Express dropped a whole slew of limited-time statement credits for virtually all their travel cards. Make sure you take advantage of these credits! The UK is instituting a government-supervised quarantine for travelers arriving from 22 high risk countries. Canada is taking it a step further, and mandating quarantine for a minimum of 3 nights in a government-supervised hotel, at $500 a night plus testing costs! American Airlines is cracking down on people who play around a bit with the rules. The US may require a negative COVID-19 test for domestic flights. Hyatt is adding some pretty awesome properties for families. Hawaii is one of a handful of places you can go and enjoy a "resort bubble". If you're wondering what that is, we've got a firsthand experience of what it's like. Don't forget to enter our awesome giveaway! In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Wyndham partnership with Barclays, Wyndham Rewards has given me 10 awesome prize packs to give away to you guys! 10 lucky listeners will win a year of Wyndham Rewards Diamond status, their top-tier status! Along with a year of Diamond status, you'll also receive 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, enough to redeem for a free night at thousands of hotels around the world. You can enter here, and stay tuned for ways to earn extra entries in the contest over the coming weeks! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! This week's episode of the Miles to Go is brought to you by the NEW Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Designed with road trippers and road warriors in mind, apply today and you could earn up to 45,000 bonus points, enough for up to 6 free nights at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham around the world. Whether it's the no-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, the $75-annual fee Earner Plus Card or the $95-annual fee Earner Business Card, Wyndham Rewards has a card that's right for you. Plus, with up to 8x points on eligible hotel stays and gas purchases, up to 5x points on marketing, advertising and utilities purchases with the Earner Business Card, and up to 4x points on restaurant and grocery purchases, your next getaway could be closer than you think. Earn like you mean it every day and get to free nights faster with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at wyndhamrewardscreditcard.com. Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

COVID-19 continues to create travel pitfalls for many folks. Summer Hull is an experienced traveler and even she has run into a few curve balls she didn't see coming. She joins us again today to tell you how to avoid travel pitfalls right now. We talk about ski trips, vacation rentals and some tips on how to protect yourself if you're traveling right now. Don't forget to enter our awesome giveaway! In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Wyndham partnership with Barclays, Wyndham Rewards has given me 10 awesome prize packs to give away to you guys! 10 lucky listeners will win a year of Wyndham Rewards Diamond status, their top-tier status! Along with a year of Diamond status, you'll also receive 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, enough to redeem for a free night at thousands of hotels around the world. You can enter here, and stay tuned for ways to earn extra entries in the contest over the coming weeks! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! This week's episode of the Miles to Go is brought to you by the NEW Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Designed with road trippers and road warriors in mind, apply today and you could earn up to 45,000 bonus points, enough for up to 6 free nights at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham around the world. Whether it's the no-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, the $75-annual fee Earner Plus Card or the $95-annual fee Earner Business Card, Wyndham Rewards has a card that's right for you. Plus, with up to 8x points on eligible hotel stays and gas purchases, up to 5x points on marketing, advertising and utilities purchases with the Earner Business Card, and up to 4x points on restaurant and grocery purchases, your next getaway could be closer than you think. Earn like you mean it every day and get to free nights faster with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at wyndhamrewardscreditcard.com. Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Lots of travel news to cover this week, and we've also got some timely tips to make sure you're earning the most miles and points you can, whether you're sitting on the couch or on a beach far away. Jon Nickel-D-Andrea joins us co-host for news this week. The biggest travel news of the week was the US announcing that all passengers arriving on an international flight will be required present a negative test result for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours of their flight to the US. That's definitely going to mess with some travel plans. Marriott has announced some changes that will help folks qualify for elite status in 2021. Alaska Airlines has announced they're adding another elite tier for loyal customers who accrue 100,000 miles per year with the airline. American Express has new bonus categories for cardmembers to help offset those painful annual fees. And, Mike LaRosa from Coworkaholic joins us to talk about some ways to earn miles and points you might be missing out on. Don't forget to enter our awesome giveaway! In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Wyndham partnership with Barclays, Wyndham Rewards has given me 10 awesome prize packs to give away to you guys! 10 lucky listeners will win a year of Wyndham Rewards Diamond status, their top-tier status! Along with a year of Diamond status, you'll also receive 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, enough to redeem for a free night at thousands of hotels around the world. You can enter here, and stay tuned for ways to earn extra entries in the contest over the coming weeks! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! This week's episode of the Miles to Go is brought to you by the NEW Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Designed with road trippers and road warriors in mind, apply today and you could earn up to 45,000 bonus points, enough for up to 6 free nights at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham around the world. Whether it's the no-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, the $75-annual fee Earner Plus Card or the $95-annual fee Earner Business Card, Wyndham Rewards has a card that's right for you. Plus, with up to 8x points on eligible hotel stays and gas purchases, up to 5x points on marketing, advertising and utilities purchases with the Earner Business Card, and up to 4x points on restaurant and grocery purchases, your next getaway could be closer than you think. Earn like you mean it every day and get to free nights faster with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at wyndhamrewardscreditcard.com. Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!