Learning how to earn a ton of points and miles is critical to award travel. And while there are some tried-and-true earning strategies … sometimes, we do some seemingly strange things to add to our stashes.
Nobody has gone further than Thrifty Traveler’s credit card guru Jackson Newman, who joins the show to go tit-for-tat with the guys on who has earned points in weirder ways. The guys also walk through the (very normal) ways they continue to earn points for future travels and spell out where travelers are going wrong in their quest for rewards.
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In This Episode
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- 00:00 – Jackson joins the show & what’s a “vibes czar”?
- 01:20 – What points strategy seems crazy to the non-sickos?
- 02:40 – Roger & Kath welcome us back from England
- 03:30 – A listener asks: How can I meaningfully rack up points?
- 06:00 – Another listener asks: How to spend enough to earn big bonuses
- 08:30 – Why you shouldn’t fear (responsibly) opening credit cards
- 13:15 – The weirdest things we’ve done for points and miles
- 31:50 – A listener is worried about “Amex pop-up jail”
- 36:00 – Jackson challenges the guys’ “cents per point” takes
Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas
Video editing by Kyle Thomas
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot
How timely, Kyle and Zach’s most hated words from CEO’s and then I get this message from Southwest that will make me an Airline Free Agent in 2028 after my Companion Pass expires, “A more rewarding journey starts January 1, 2027.”
Do you think there is a chance Delta releases any additional award deals or deals in general for flights from nyc-europe again. Im hoping for a RT deal in Prem Select or D1 or at least one way to LHR or CDG from NYC. I wasn’t able to snag a deal a few weeks ago because I didn’t have enough miles, but now I do.
TBH this is closer than I imagined. Kyle has the best earning setup in my opinion, while Nick arguably would have the best year 1 setup. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a draw, or close to a draw.
We were in Japan for over a month this spring and when we tallied up our 10 favorite experiences none were in Tokyo and only one was in Kyoto. We loved Takayama, Nagano, wild areas in Shikoku and the Japanese Alps, and the rural areas in Western Honshu. For onsens that aren’t crazy crowded try the area around the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway in the mountains near Kamikochi.
BTW, before you go to Japan go online and listen to Japanese pronunciation of place names. Narita, Haneda, and even Kyoto and Tokyo aren’t pronounced the way you probably think and Japanese speakers might not understand you if you use English pronunciation. (For example, Tokyo and Kyoto are both two-syllables.)
Can I have more info about the vpn to use for getting more points?
Hi Mary, search Rakuten for “Express VPN” or “Nord VPN.” Both regularly offer close to 100% back – 100x points when you have your Rakuten account set up that way – for these purchases. At 100% cash back (100x points), you’re essentially buying points for 1 cent apiece if you don’t plan to use the service. Just don’t forget to cancel before the promo rate expires!