We started The Thrifty Traveler Podcast last March, hoping that we could find a fun, new way to connect with travelers (and especially Thrifty Traveler readers and subscribers) every week. We didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this. 

Three-hundred-sixty-five days, 53 episodes (plus a few bonuses), a whole new podcast studio and equipment upgrade, 174 five-star ratings, and one hilariously negative review later, and here we are: The Thrifty Traveler Podcast has somehow become one of the top-rated and fastest-growing travel podcasts in the country. We honestly didn't see it coming.

We're honored and amazed at how many of you join us on the airwaves or virtually in the studio to talk travel every week. But mostly, Gunnar and I – with the indispensable help from our editors Sylvia and Kyle – are just having a ton of fun. 

If you haven't joined us yet, we wanted to give you a few options to get started with the podcast. From the best on-ramp for all things cheap travel, some news rundown episodes, or what was undeniably our funniest episode, we've got a little something for everyone in our 53-episode (and counting) library … and there's so much more to come. 

Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts and get the next episode every Thursday morning!

 

Best Episodes to Get Started 

There are a lot of travel podcasts out there – we listen to and love many of them! But many cater to the advanced points-and-miles crowd out there.

Every few episodes, we do our best to bring things back to basics.

Our “10 Commandments of Points & Miles” – the fifth episode of the show from way back in April 2025 – is the perfect example. We broke down the most important rules for earning and redeeming points and miles.

If it sounds very serious … trust me, it's not. We spend a lot of the show making fun of each other – including me torching Gunnar's clothing choices.

 

 

Queue up this episode on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform!

Another good one to get started with was the more recent “All Our Best Tricks & Tools to Find the Cheapest Flight” – a similar primer for all things cheap flights. And to take things to the next level with points and miles, our latest episode – More Flights, Fewer Points: 5 Underrated Mileage Programs – is a great place to start. 

 

Funniest Episode

We have a lot of fun every episode, no matter the topic. Gunnar is constantly rambling about Canada and his “two red wine” habit while flying. I've used the phrases “rawdogging” and “goat rodeo” on air … repeatedly. 

But the funniest show we've recorded to date was with TV host and avid traveler Jason Matheson. 

The host of “The Jason Show” on FOX Stations across the country is not only a hilarious guy but also a prolific traveler. He talked Delta loyalty (and philandering), overcrowded lounges, and helped shine some light on two things we know little to nothing about: Disney and cruises. 

It's everything hilarious about travel, all bundled into an hour. Check it out! 

 


 

Check out this episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

It's tough to top Jason and his one-liners like “spiders the size of fourth graders,” but Gunnar and I did our best on what is easily our most unhinged episode to date: the aptly named “Let Us Cook – Our Spiciest Travel Pet Peeves & Hot Takes.” 

 

News Roundups!

Sometimes, all you want from a podcast is to get caught up on the news. We cover the latest travel news on each and every show – we call those segments “Something Hot” and “Something Cold.” 

But every once in a while, we devote an entire show to run through all the news that travelers can use in an hour or less. Our latest news roundup was “More Southwest Drama, United’s Bold Move & Other Big News” where we dissected 10 of the newest stories in travel that we thought our listeners needed to know about – explaining the news, but also digging into why it matters to travelers. 

 

  

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whichever podcast platform you prefer!

We also devoted an entire episode to one of the biggest travel stories of 2025: Our scoop last year year that airlines were quietly charging solo travelers significantly higher fares than groups of two or more. 

 

 

Go back and listen to this episode on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else!

 

Best for Planning An Incredible Trip

We love sharing our own travel experiences on this show, and these aren't just wanderlusty travelogues. In some of our best episodes, we break down exactly how we booked trips – from the miles and points we redeemed to other money-saving travel tips and on-the-ground recommendations – to help you do the same.

After going on safaris of our own with the help of points and miles in the last few years, we broke it all down on this episode: “Big Five, Small Budget: Goin' on Safari with Points & Miles”

 


 

Tune in on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite streaming app – we're on all of them!

This was one of our favorite episodes, and now it's up to you to decide: Who planned the better safari?

At the risk of sounding self-centered, I'll give an honorable mention to my breakdown of a whirlwind trip to French Polynesia, New Zealand, and Australia a few years ago.

 


 

Queue it up on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you tune in!

 

Best for Thrifty Traveler Superfans

There's no Thrifty Traveler without you loyal readers and subscribers. But part of what we set out to do with this podcast is show off all the ridiculously cool (and hilariously uncool) travelers we employ at this company.

From the people who are finding Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deals to the people who make our website work, everyone here at TT is full of stories. But where better to start than at the beginning? 

After making an early appearance on Episode #3, our founder and CEO Jared made his triumphant return to the podcast recently for some Thrifty Traveler backstory … and to pull back the curtain on how we find all these deals.

 


 

Tune in on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

If you're a Premium member, the next must-listen has to be our interview with the guy in charge of finding and sending every deal: “Getting Paid to Find Flight Deals, ft. Jon Shallbetter.” The irreverent boss behind the best flight deal alert service on the planet is not only a deal hawk, but a major goofball. 

Come for the flight deal insights, stay for the Admiral Ackbar impression. 

 


 

Catch this episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

We have many more lined up, including a recent episode with our own Tracey Burtch who explained how she flew her entire family to the 2026 Italy Olympics using points and miles; our influencer and affiliate manager, Kasey DellaPenna, on her trip to China and official rankings of Disney parks worldwide; and the most interesting person in the world, award travel guru Peter Thornton.

And if you haven't gotten enough of Kyle or me, we took turns interviewing each other:

 

The Nitty Gritty: Deep Dives & In-Depth Conversations

We love the big laughs. We love the news roundups. We love interviewing our friends. But what's a podcast without digging deeper? Every now and again, we do a deep dive into big, important topics in the industry – and sometimes, mix in some fun interviews with insiders, too. 

One recent example is our discussion about premium travel, where we dissected why airlines are spending so much time and money catering to their wealthiest passengers – and debate whether or not that's a good thing for everyday travelers like us.

It's called “Inside the Premium Travel Boom & Why Airlines are Going All In on the 1%.“

 

 

More recently, we posed the question: Is the Points Party Ending in 2026?

 

 

To best understand the travel industry, sometimes you need to bring in some outside perspectives, too. That's why we enlisted the services of Ryan Jones – the creator and CEO of our favorite travel app, Flighty. 

 

 

Catch this interview, titled “Why Flighty is Our Favorite Travel App, with CEO Ryan Jones” for a fun bonus episode.

 

What's Next? 

We're 53 episodes in, but really, we're just getting started.

You can count on us to continue to break down all the travel news you need to know most weeks to keep you up to date. We'll also continue to dive deep into airfare trends, explain the ins and outs of earning and redeeming points and miles, and so much more.

But since you made it this far, here's a sneak peak at what's ahead in the weeks and months to come: 

  • We're bringing out the mailbag next Thursday for another episode devoted to answering listener questions
  • We're still collecting tons of video footage from viewers like you to help welcome everyone back to the show each week – submit your video saying “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast” at thriftytraveler.com/voicemail now!
  • A few more electric guests that we really wish we could reveal, but can't yet! 
  • Prepare to mark your calendars! We've got big news about the podcast coming next week. 

Don't miss it! Subscribe now on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

 

Bottom Line

It's been one full calendar year of hilarious, irreverent, informative, and fun episodes of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast, and we can't wait for what's in store in the year ahead.

If you're looking to try out the podcast, or need something to send someone who is curious, consider one of the episodes above for some of our favorite stuff so far. Here's to the next year … and many more to come.

 

Previous Episodes of the Podcast to Check Out

Cheers to finding (and talking about) cheap flights!