Today we'll take a look back at the year and talk about what loyalty programs have done to us instead of for us. This is for the loyalty grinches!

(01:07) - Revisiting a question we'd answered previously about whether or not several domestic flights a month would be enough for earning status.

(06:18) - One reader has some information to share about the Atlantis property they booked now (before their Caesar's Diamond status disappears) for a stay in the future...

Read more about booking the Atlantis hotel here.

(10:12) - Flying Blue: Sends emails saying "Congratulations you are now a Flying Blue Ultimate member"

(11:44) - IHG: Purchase EQPs. 120K price: $640, no... $800, no... $1000, back to $640...

(16:27) - Nick flies to Mexico but doesn't leave the airport

(21:12) - Greg and Nick forgot about Bilt

Find our podcast episode about the upcoming Alaska Premium card here.

(23:42) - Preferred Hotels: Greg's ongoing Preferred Hotel booking saga

(29:48) - AA: Can now use miles to book Hawaiian flights from mainland US

(31:39) - Aviator Silver companion cert ain't all that

Read our Aviator Silver companion cert first impressions here.

(38:14) - Hilton Aspire resort credit-eligible hotel list un-shrinks

(39:40) - Marriott Upgrade Awards now clear five days out (again)

(43:27) - Southwest: assigned seating

Read about Southwest's upcoming assigned seating here.

(46:31) - 2023 Bonvoyed Awards Recap...

2024 Dis-Loyalty Nominees...

(51:38) - Chase & Capital One priority pass drops restaurants

(55:56) - Virgin goes dynamic

(59:08) - Virgin devalues Delta One to Europe

(1:02:36) - Wyndham Vacasa devaluation

(1:06:19) - BA & Qatar raise prices for short-haul partner awards (AA, Alaska)

(1:09:54) - Etihad nerfs award cancelations and point expirations

(1:15:43) - Bilt reduces Rent Day earnings to 1K bonus points

(1:18:50) - Wyndham Biz kills free cruises

(1:21:20) - Hyatt integrates Mr & Mrs Smith

(1:23:14) - Final picks

(1:30:20) - Why are there so many pop-up ads on your site?

Us Bank's Smartly Visa Signature card has no annual fee but also no welcome bonus. Even so, because of a benefit from their savings account which can increase earnings on the card, it's worth a discussion on today's Card Talk episode.

(00:21) - What are the basics of the U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card

Learn more about this card here.

(01:06) - You can increase earning with a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and have certain amounts deposited w/ US Bank...

(02:53) - You'll need a Smartly Savings Account

(04:13) - But you can point your money toward Self Directed Investing

(08:03) - Be careful how you redeem rewards

(10:08) - How does the US Bank Smartly Card compare to Bank of America's Platinum Honors?

Alaska has announced that a premium card is coming in the Summer of 2025. They've given us just little bits of information so far, but in this episode, we'll talk about what those details are.

(01:03) - Pre-register by 12/31/24. Get 500 miles now, 5K extra miles later if/when you sign up for card.

(01:44) - Basic details...annual fee of $395 and earn Global Companion Award Certificates

(05:20) - Receive waived award ticket fees ($12.50 partner award fee, not surcharges)

(05:42) - Earn 3x miles on eligible foreign purchases

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

In this episode, Greg and Nick review some of the hotel and flight awards that stood out for each of them in 2024 so they can determine the best of the best for their 2024 award travels.

(01:06) - Bilt buy house benefit correction

See the previous episode where Greg talked about the Bilt buy house benefit here.

Read more about the Bilt Buy House benefit here.

(02:42) - Greg's latest experience booking Preferred hotels with Choice points

See the previous episode here.

(10:17) - Greg: "You’re a SAS EuroBonus Millionaire!”

(11:56) - Nick: Yikes!

(19:24) - Stephen: 1 more needs to be credited

(21:32) - Business Platinum gains $200 Hilton credit!

(29:48) - IRS temporarily displayed lower fees for paying taxes by credit card

(32:04) - Should Greg mattress run 1 Marriott night?

(37:24) - Alaska news

Read more about Alaska Airlines launching premium card here.

(41:48) - Waldorf Astoria New York now bookable with points and free night certificates.

(44:22) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights

(52:20) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - flights

(56:59) - Best flight pick overall

(1:00:32) - Greg's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels

(1:11:07) - Nick's candidates for top awards in 2024 - hotels

(1:21:05) - Beat hotel pick overall

(1:22:54) - Other top experiences in 2024

(1:30:07) - Which airline would you prioritize to fly and earn miles with: American, United, or Southwest? 

Citi recently announced that they will become the exclusive issuer of American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards in the United States, starting in 2026. What does that really mean for points and miles enthusiasts, and how can we take maximum advantage? (Or shall we say "AAdvantage"?)(

Read more about the AA / Citi news here.

(00:26) - Citi will become the exclusive issuer AAdvantage credit cards in the U.S. starting in 2026.

(01:41) - We wonder if maybe AA will become a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards

(02:54) - We wonder if maybe Citi will create Aviator cards that are ONLY available to those who are transitioned over from Barclays

(05:07) - Listen to our recent podcast about credit card predictions here.

(06:01) - Are AA miles valuable now?

(07:27) - Will AA miles be valuable later?

(10:56) - Should you get the Aviator Red now?

Learn more about the AviatorRed card here.

(14:07) - Should you upgrade to the Aviator Silver?

(19:11) - Listen to our podcast episode about amassing Citi ThankYou Rewards here.

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

There are a lot of things in the points and miles world that kind of come to a head at the end of the year, so you'll want to know what you should be taking care of here at the end of 2024. And of course, read our end of year checklist for 2024 here.

(01:30) - What happens when a Choice Rewards hotel booking has no record of your reservation, but the points are missing?

(07:32) - Preferred Hotels now bookable with iPrefer points

(16:34) - Amex 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic

(21:31) - Earn elite status

(23:05) - Do you have enough MQDs for Delta elite status? Check out our post here.

(24:48) - Remember to time your SouthWest companion pass properly Read our Complete Guide to the SouthWest companion pass here.

(28:37) - Marriott Bonvoy: Easiest option is Bonvoy Brilliant, but you can read about the many other options here.

(44:11) - Use airline incidental credits by December

(47:42) - Platinum $200 calendar year. See Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works?

(56:19) - Apply for cards with annual credits

(57:47) - Transfer / pool points

(1:02:19) - Redeem points or miles for annual rebates

(1:03:48) - With the Caesar's Diamond status match ending, is there anything Wyndham Earner Business card-holder's should take advantage of now?

Read more about this status match ending here.

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

There are credit cards out there which are not available new, but are still supported for those who already have them. In this episode, we have a prediction about a few cards that will soon be this kind of "collectible" card.

(00:26) - What is a credit card collectible?

(01:20) - Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card Learn more about the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Card here.

(02:15) - Citi Prestige Learn more about the Citi Prestige card here.

(04:43) - Capital One Venture One card

(08:02) - Ritz Card Learn more about the Ritz Card here.

(09:57) - US Bank Altitude Reserve Learn more about the US Bank Altitude Reserve card here.

Read about updates to the US Bank Altitude Reserve applications here.

(13:05) - Barclays Aviator Silver? Learn more about the Barclays Aviator Silver card here: https://frequentmiler.com/aviatorsilver/

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we're chatting about the 10 "Frequent Flyer-ish" things we're thankful for!

(01:01) - A reader shares all the ways their recent trip was impacted by Frequent Miler tips!

(02:58) - It in the hands of SAS now!

(05:50) - Wyndham Biz drops Caesar's match

Read about changes to casino status-matching for free cruises here.

(09:38) - Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card: Up to 120K miles

Read more about this card bonus here.

(12:10) - Bonvoy Brilliant cardholder “Luxury Experience Rate” at participating properties

Read more about this new Luxury Experience Rate here.

(16:09) - Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash: 24-month extended warranty

Read moe about the Citi Double Cash & Custom Cash 24-month extended warranty here.

(17:11) - U.S. Bank Smartly Credit Card: Up to 4% cashback

Read more about the US Bank Smartly card here.

(22:03) - C1 Shopping targeted deals

(26:46) - Bilt - earn points when buying a home & using an eXp Realty agent

(29:41) - Huge welcome bonuses continue

(31:37) - Awesome category bonuses continue

(33:01) - The Amex points parade marches on

(34:48) - Paying taxes great way to meet min spend

(36:13) - PayPal waives credit card fees when doing good

Listen to our Coffee Beak Episode about Kiva loans here.

PayPal Giving Fund Fundraiser Hub.

(39:25) - Transferable points programs keep expanding

(43:42) - Award chart sweetspots live on

Find AA's excellent partner award chart here.

(50:06) - Free changes and cancelations continue for US airlines (except for basic economy types of fares)

(52:09) - Status matches create opportunities

(55:00) - Airlines continue to make business and first class more aspirational

(58:22) - Loyalty partnerships create sweet opportunities

(1:03:41) - See our how-to video for Rooms.aero here.

(1:06:26) - When you get a new card, what's the checklist of tasks you do to keep it all organized?

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

Greg, Nick, and Stephen are spent the last two weeks competing to satisfy the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promo with the most style, affordability, and speed. If you've been following along by reading their journal posts, you know that this was a much harder task than they bargained for and they relied on reader input along the way. We've got some cool prizes planned for the reader who was most helpful including certificates to cover five free Hilton hotel nights and more! But to determine that winner, we need your help deciding which traveler achieved the goal with the most SAS! Cast your vote here!

(00:22) - SAS offering 1 million miles to anyone who registers and flies 15 qualifying SkyTeam airlines

(01:00) - FM turned it into a team challenge:

(02:50) - During the challenge the team met live on Youtube a couple of times. There we recapped what we'd achieved to-date and the judges awarded us interim scores.

(03:30) - Catch up on the live check-in recordings during the Million Mile Madness challenge

Cast your vote here!

(1:21:00) - Wrap up of Nick's final travel days after the last live check-in

(1:24:38) - We will host a final livestream on Tuesday November 26th PM ET where final scores will be announced.

Subscribe and Follow

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

Rewards credit cards are often most valuable for their welcome bonuses, but many of them also have very valuable perks just for having the card. So which credit cards have the best perks for a variety of categories? (Learn more about all the best current credit card offers here.)

(00:40) - Best airport lounge benefits?

(07:34) - Best Automatic Elite status

(10:45) - Best award discount/rebate

(12:59) - Best Automatic Free Night (no spend required)

(15:57) - Best Companion Ticket

(18:45) - Best miscellaneous perk

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads

United recently announced an increase in elite requirements for 2025. Will Delta follow suit? Luckily, for this year, there's still time...

(02:18) - A reader has a datapoint for us about the Equinox credit saying: "My wife successfully used the equinox credit for a massage. She enrolled in an equinox plus membership that came with a 7 day free trial. She was able to book and complete her massage within the 7 day trial period. The credit posted within 2 days and she canceled the membership."

(06:17) - Last year Delta announced a drastic increase in elite requirements in 2024 for the 2025 elite year. After a public outcry, they reduced the requirements so much that in 2024 it is easier than ever to earn Delta elite status.

Read more about the easy path to Delta elite status here.

(08:05) - Multiple elite levels...

(13:44) - Besides paying big $ for flights, how can you get status?

(19:02) - Delta Status match, which you can read more about here.

(23:03) - In summary, what are the easiest paths...

(24:48) - Delta cards may be expensive but offer a lot of value

Learn more about the Delta Platinum card here, and the Delta Reserve card here.

(31:17) - What's the best way to do a long-haul holiday flight for a family with young children? 

See which award search tools are best here.