Heading home for the holidays can be expensive, especially this year… but it doesn’t have to be. We’re in the heart of holiday flight booking season, so Gunnar and Kyle give all their best tips for saving on flights on those high-demand holiday season flights.
The guys go through when to book your trips (spoiler alert: sooooon), where to target for the best deal, and when to turn to your points and miles to get home for the holidays. Plus, the guys gush about Japan Airlines again, welcome the return of cheap flights to Europe, and revisit Kyle’s Hilton vs. Hyatt take.
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In This Episode
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- 00:00 – Our points & miles Santa Claus
- 00:40 – Advice for traveling over the holidays
- 01:50 – Julius in Malta welcomes us back to the show
- 02:50 – Something Hot: Hilton’s new card offers
- 06:30 – Something Hotter: Cheap flights to Europe return!
- 08:25 – Something Hottest: JAL miles keep getting better!
- 13:50 – A word form our sponsor: Monarch!
- 15:00 – What’s the best time to book holiday flights?
- 18:00 – And what the heck is going on with flight prices?
- 23:45 – Tips for finding cheaper flights over the holidays
- 31:50 – Holiday sweet spots: Traveling abroad & biz class
- 36:40 – Listener Question: Our flight cancellation playbook
- 41:15 – On the Spot: What’s the ideal Thanksgiving trip?
Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas
Video editing by Kyle Thomas
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot
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!