This week, Kyle walks us through how he booked an epic trip to England and Scotland using points and miles. There’s a business class award to London, an economy flight home, and plenty of flights, hotels and other travel expenses in between.
Plus, the guys discuss how on earth Phoenix got its first nonstop flight to Asia and we say goodbye to the Southwest we knew and loved. Do yourself a favor and stick around for Gunnar’s cant-miss, ridiculous story of his own trip to London … when he learned some of England’s beer-drinking rules the hard way at a consequential Chelsea match.
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Show Notes
- 00:45 – Our top tips for the busy summer travel season (& will Real ID matter?)
- 05:45 – Something hot: Phoenix’s strange (but explainable) Starlux nonstop flight to Taipei
- 10:30 – Something cold: Pouring one out with a goodbye to the old Southwest
- 16:10 – The Extra Mile: Exactly how Kyle booked a points & miles trip to England and Scotland this summer
- 19:15 – How he (and about seven other Thrifty Traveler team members!) booked business class for just 29,000 points each way thanks to Virgin’s new pricing mode
- 22:00 – Booking a nonstop Delta flight home … but not with SkyMiles
- 28:30 – The best car rental booking tool out there: AutoSlash
- 31:00 – Booking a hotel stay at a castle in Scotland using Hilton points (at the old, cheaper rate)
- 32:30 – Using Capital One’s $300 travel credit to fill in the rest
- 37:00 – Gunnar’s legendary story of learning England’s beer-drinking laws at a Chelsea soccer match the hard way…
- 42:10 – Listener Question: The Concorde in our studio
- 45:45 – On the Spot: Travel re-treads, or what trips would we try again? Or not?
Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman
Edited by David Strutt
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot
We loved Oban. We went to Oban by train from Glasgow. We took a boat tour to Mull, Iona, Staffa, and Lunga. We went during puffin nesting season and saw so many puffins. I highly recommend this tour company.
https://westcoasttours.co.uk/tours/tour-mull-iona-and-staffa/
Fellow travel enthusiast from the Midwest here!
Just wanted to share my travel social media username/handle – @TravelSizeBudget on Facebook and Instagram. I attended Thrifty Traveler University a few years ago regularly follow TT’s amazing content. I started @TravelSizeBudget last year to offer my own unique spin on travel – from the usual (points and miles, affordable fares) to the less common (savings and convenience on food, souvenirs and more). Thanks for continuing to inspire me, Thrifty Traveler!
Great podcast! Thanks for all the great information.
Hello Gunnar,
I am enjoying and appreciating all you travel savings information. Would you please help us finding an appropriate venue to get results form lost bag by United? In June last yWe re senior citizens 1K United. Last year in June we checked 6 bags from LAX to HNL. One of the bags never arrived and we filled a claim at HNL. There was lack or no communication from United including corporate. We provided photos and invoices for 4 pro racing high end OZONE kites $12,500.00. The bag never made it “downstairs” after being check at 1K counter at LAX. I wrote countless letters , got a lots of lying and contradicting run around or no responses. Now we found out someone is selling our stolen kites on E-Bay because they all have serial numbers and person who bought one of the kites very ‘cheap” called Ozone co. to ask why is someone selling a $4,000.OO kite for $1,500.00 and the company contacted us since they have record of us paying a full price. E-Bay is not taking any responsibility. Now United finally e-mailed us claiming they do not cover “sports equipment”. Our bags were handed to United employees and they should be responsible. Would you have any suggestions how can we recover our losses? I would appreciate any suggestion you could provide. I know its not what you are about but since you have lots of travel experience maybe you know something that can help us. Keep up the good work.