There have been some negative changes coming out of Citi that we'll be talking about in today's podcast episode.

(00:43) - Citi Custom Cash® Card discontinued for new applications, but it may still be possible to product-change to it

You can read more about this discontinuation here.

(01:16) - Citi Custom Cash® Card details

(04:23) - Citi had been on a roll...

(04:42) - Citi points have been declining in value

You can read about some of the negative Citi changes here

(05:16) - But still has excellent options

(06:33) - Is it worth going out of one's way to get Citi Citi Custom Cash® Card while it's available for product changing?

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Visit FrequentMiler.com

Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free.

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Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Should I split a points transfer into smaller buckets? Frequent Miler reader Keith wrote in with this question:

I tried to transfer 560K points to Air France to snag a redemption. had previously transferred about 280k points from Amex to KLM, I thought for sure the points would have similarly come through with Chase. Sadly, the points took 4 days to transfer, and I missed my booking window. Looking back, should I have spread my point transfers across different currencies to lower the transfer risk? I could have also covered the transfer using Capital One or Amex points. How do you balance speed with lowering the risk that your points will miss their intended purpose?

We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Sunday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to [email protected].

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Today's episode will provide a whole grab bag of tips for how to find those impossible award bookings for your award travel goals.

(02:32) - Here's a grab bag of techniques, and keep in mind it's often necessary to use multiple

(03:09) - Be flexible!

(06:48) - Look towards the end of the booking schedule: use points that can book farther out

(08:26) - Positioning flights

(20:59) - Programs that reserve more space for their own members

(22:22) - Programs that reserve more space for elite members/cardholders

(24:17) - Programs that allow more awards for more points

(26:47) - Married segment logic awards (e.g. san-lax-tyo available, but lax-tyo not available)

(35:07) - Consider programs that allow a stopover

(39:04) - Award tool Alerts

(41:44) - Paid flights

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Frequent Miler Beginner's Guide

https://frequentmiler.com/start-here/

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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The World of Hyatt new award charts are live now, and we have thoughts! We'll give our first impressions in this episode, and you can read more about the new award charts here.

(00:25) - World of Hyatt's new award charts are live

(01:44) - Where it hurts the most

(04:05) - It's not all doom and gloom

Read more about our first impressions here.

(11:55) - Analysis

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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Frequent Miler's Best Offers Page

https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

Earn 8x or redeem with Chase Travel℠ Points Boosts? Frequent Miler reader Bryant wrote in saying...

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card providing 8X points on travel and hotel, doesn’t it always make sense to book through Chase and get the multiplier? That being said, what then is the best way to utilize the points to maximize their value?

We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Sunday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to [email protected].

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

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As more and more people get into the points & miles game, we're seeing an acceleration of devaluations. Opportunities to earn points disappear. Point prices go up. Transfer ratios go down. Is this the beginning of the end?

Will the points game survive?

Giant Mailbag

(00:46) - Gil has a warning story about being Bonvoyed by Bonvoy... Boundless

Main Event: Will the points game survive?

(06:28) - Devaluations keep hitting

(14:14) - Positive trends that we're seeing at the time of this recording (May 1 2026).

(15:15) - Doing this for 15 years

(17:37) - Enjoying elite status

(21:10) - Earning points getting easier

(27:54) - New opportunities to earn transferable points keep appearing

(29:00) - Point transfer opportunities are often increasing

(30:26) - Using points sometimes improves

(31:28) - Airlines

(38:37) - Hotels

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Visit FrequentMiler.com

Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free.

https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Blogging on the road is pretty easy, but podcasting from the road is a different story. In this episode, we'll talk about how.

(01:12) - Internet issues

(05:39) - Microphone issues

(14:27) - Improvised laptop stands

(19:38) - Lighting issues (dark hotel rooms, cars, etc.)

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Frequent Miler Beginner's Guide

https://frequentmiler.com/start-here/

My credit card application was declined. Now what?

We get this kind of question a lot. And the truth is, credit card application strategies may vary by bank.

For example, you can read our Complete Guide to credit card application rules (by bank) here. Let's say you have a letter that says there were too many new accounts, too much available credit, not enough usage of existing credit, etc. Then what? Don't forget that you can always call and ask for reconsideration...

We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Monday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to [email protected].

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

We talk a lot about the ultra-premium credit cards with expensive annual fees, but there are plenty of people interested in credit cards with more modest annual fees. Luckily, there are some great $95 credit cards that can be supplemented with fee-free cards for a great travel rewards strategy.

Giant Mailbag

(01:20) - Melissa writes in with a question about locking in Hyatt prices before May 20th

(04:48) - Jonathan writes in offering a few key data points to update our Hyatt points advance article, which you can find here

Card News

(08:48) - American Express adds $300 in ChatGPT credits on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Business Gold Cards

(12:40) - See our updated resource for the best cards for Priority Pass here

Crazy Thing: Priority Pass Restaurants

(16:04) - Priority Pass Restaurants

Awards, Points, and More

(18:02) - Mastercard Launches Mastercard Airport Dining Experience (‘Taste By/Of Priceless’ Airport Lounges)

(22:13) - JetBlue and United Unlock Reciprocal Loyalty Benefits

(25:51) - Read Nick's post about Citi Travel for rental cars here

(30:49) - Read more about Sixt offering prepaid fuel for $49.99 for rentals in the US for Sixt ONE members here

(34:31) - Points Path Pro now shows United discounted cardholder pricing

(36:23) - Read more about how to keep airline miles and hotel points alive here

Main Event: Best $95 travel credit card combo

(37:37) - We'll focus on which combination of credit cards might make sense for someone to use, but we'll stick to a $95 annual fee budget. We'll focus on transferable points and include cash back that can be converted to transferable points

(40:27) - Capital One

(42:21) - Chase

(47:54) - Citi

(52:03) - Wells Fargo

(56:07) - Other considerations

(1:01:05) - Best Mixed-Bank $95 Wallet

(1:10:40) - Nick's pick for best $95 wallet

(1:13:39) - Greg's pick for best $95 wallet

Subscribe and Follow

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Frequent Miler's Best Offers Page

https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

With most ultra-premium cards it's possible to simply add up how much you value each perk and see if it meets or exceeds the annual fee, but this card is mostly valuable for its high earning rate from spend... It's definitely worth $495 in the first year due to the welcome bonus, but what about after that?

(01:38) - Palladium Card details

Learn more about the Bilt Palladium card here

(02:37) - Bilt Cash

(06:03) - Is the Palladium card worth $495 in exchange for...

(06:35) - Consider other cards

(07:14) - Our take

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 – Annie Yoder

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network

Visit FrequentMiler.com

Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free.

https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Do any of the luxury hotel booking platforms (like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®) allow booking for others? If you are hotel chain agnostic, should you have a hotel credit card? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on May 6th, 2026.

(00:16) - I have 14999 Delta Sky Miles and need one more lousy point to be able to book an award ticket. I can transfer 1000 points from Amex, but that seems like a waste. I tried to convince Delta support to comp me a point, but they were seemingly unable to help. Any suggestions (other than getting the Delta Amex card)?

(04:03) - If you have complete flexibility to position to any airport in Europe to fly home to the USA, are flexible on arrival airport in the USA/Canada/Mexico, and time wasn’t a constraint, but you would like a good points redemption in J (not first), where would you position to and which airline would you book on?

(08:39) - ​If you are hotel chain agnostic, should you have a hotel credit card?

(12:24) - Question on 5/24 if over, are there any data points on the United or Southwest business card?

(14:38) - Should we now value Membership Rewards points higher than Chase Ultimate Rewards points? I'd rather have an American Express Platinum Card® than a Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card at this point. Would you guys disagree?

(19:50) - Do any of the luxury hotel booking platforms (e.g., Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®, The Edit by Chase Travel℠, etc.) allow booking for others?

(22:57) - ​At what cash back rate do you prefer cash over miles/points (excluding when you are working on a welcome offer)?

(27:50) - Do you think we'll finally see an Ultimate Rewards Hyatt transfer bonus in the future?

(30:15) - Question - Greg has mentioned a few times about being able to pay for the fees on British Airways with Avios, as a card benefit. I can't seem to see how to make that work. Any more details?

(34:43) - ​For airlines that allow a stopover on an award flight, has your experience required a phone call reservation, or have you booked a stopover online?

(37:03) - ​Can I apply corporate codes when booking hotels through Rove? Can Rove act like a shopping portal? Get corporate rates and Rove miles.

(39:00) - ​​Is it possible to product change the old aviator if I've had it for less than a year now that it was product changed? I know banks frown upon this before the first annual fee posts.

(40:58) - ​Barclays American Airlines card transferred to Citi. What would be the best course of action to get the welcome offer on the Citi American Airlines card now that I have one, but haven't previously gotten the welcome offer?

(44:01) - ​​Does the FM team know if I make a reservation with the 25k Atmos Summit Companion certificate, and later cancel the reservation before the original expiry, if the certificate is returned and can be reused?

(44:38) - ​Can I use Hyatt points for suite upgrades with cash booking through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®?

(45:49) - ​​​What's each team member's biggest regret in their points and miles journey?

Mentioned in this episode:

Visit FrequentMiler.com

Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free.

https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world

This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.

Voyascape Podcast Network