This week’s podcast is honestly just a selfish exercise for Gunnar, who uses his coworker’s expertise to plan a trip to the 2026 Olympics, get tips on flying with kids, and brag about how to make Thrifty Traveler Premium the best flight deal alert service out there.
This week we welcomed Thrifty Traveler’s Product Manager, Tracey Burtch, to talk about how her time representing Team USA Figure Skating sparked a love of travel and how she now devotes her career to helping others do the same. Plus, Tracey recaps her biggest (and embarrassingly recent) travel mistake and some of her favorite deals ever.
Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Be sure to subscribe to get each new episode every Thursday morning.
Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected].
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Show Notes
- 00:00 – Finding something out: Introducing Thrifty Traveler’s best athlete (former Team USA figure skater and our product manager, Tracey Burtch!)
- 02:35 – Something hot: Tracey’s favorite deals of all time
- 05:00 – Something cold: An embarrassingly recent travel mishap
- 07:00 – The Extra Mile: How to evolve your travels over time – including Tracey’s “aha” moments
- 11:00 – Making Thrifty Traveler better and easier for travelers to use as Product Manager of TT
- 14:45 – How Tracey is pulling off a trip to the 2026 Italy Olympics
- 23:00 – Booking TAP Air Portugal business class and where to fly to visit the Italy games
- 27:00 – A super selfish listener (host?) question about tips for flying with children – and the layover that “just kept giving”
- 30:40 – On the Spot: Choose your next trip … off our studio wall
Produced by Gunnar Olson
Edited by David Strutt
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot
Episode #19 – Kyle, I feel ya big time RE: standing in line for security and people are not prepared or act surprised that they need to remove metal, liquids, etc. Hello… what have you been looking at for the last 20 minutes while waiting? Paying attention to your surroundings and taking social cues helps everyone. Phew, exits soapbox! (I think this can apply to the check-out line in the grocery store too! :-))
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.