Talking All Things with Michael Trager and ZorkFest Episode 13: Show Notes. This week, on our lucky Episode 13, we welcome Michael Trager from TravelZork. We sit down and hear from Michael about his comical, but just as incredible, TWA story, and how he got into revenue luxury travel. We discuss all things related to rewards credit cards, the 5/24 rule, and what we like and dislike about loyalty points. We also include a quick game, called Guess the Fare and hear about Michael’s best-ever aggres...
Jun 19, 2023•52 min
Episode 12: Show Notes Mileage runs used to be fun and exciting travel bursts that allowed you to visit many destinations in a short space of time while racking up tons of miles. Today, however, things are a bit different and mileage runs are no longer prevalent. Trevor and TK take a trip down memory lane to the good old days when mileage runs were common practice. Our hosts begin by sharing their first joint mileage run and the nested itinerary that came with it. We explore what a trip in vain ...
Jun 04, 2023•43 min
The Changing Landscape of Cruising Episode 11: Show Notes The landscape of cruising has changed drastically since the last time we spoke about it on the podcast, just four months ago. In this episode, we fill you in on the changes, both positive and negative, and discuss the maintained value of cruises, despite the changes. We also give you a detailed trip report of our recent Royal Caribbean cruise on the impressive Wonder of the Seas , from the entertainment and casino experience to the cabins...
May 22, 2023•48 min
0:41 Chase Approving Sapphire Applications Over 5/24? Both of us have been approved over 5/24 for a CSP Sam: Also approved for a CSR the next day Data points of this working for some, not working for others. No clear pattern. Worth a shot, but the priority should be the CSP over the CSR first. 04:29 Chase Sapphire Preferred Bonuses Bumped Through Referral 80,000 points $4,000 spend in 3 months, $95 annual fee not waived first year To generate a referral link: https://chase.com/referafriend 06:17...
May 07, 2023•18 min
We Assess the Current State of the Six Largest US Airlines...on today’s Milenomics² (No Annual Fee Edition) Podcast 0:24 Premise of the Discussion Everyone’s situation is different. Different hometown airport(s), different common destinations, different enthusiasm for taking on points & miles complexity to defray airfare costs, etc. That being the case, there’s are no one-size-fits-all solutions in this game That said, there are tendencies and trends that are worth being familiar with as it’...
Apr 15, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Return to Asia Episode 9: Show Notes. Welcome back to another episode of Travel Stories, where this week we talk about returning to Asia! Over the past few years, the award availability to get to Asia has been limited but we are hoping that it will start to flow back. In this episode, Trevor dives into his recent family trip to Singapore and Bali and we get to hear all about it. From the flights they selected, the equipment they flew, the experience in business class, meal service, and fifth fre...
Apr 06, 2023•51 min•Ep. 9
0:23 Japan Trips : Past, present, and future 13:40 Disney Parks : What we're seeing, what we're hearing, and how do you approach advising clients? 29:00 Disney Concierge Cruise : Worth it? Check out Joe's Disney Deciphered Podcast To book a Disney vacation through Joe: josephcheung@travelmation.net Subscribe to the Milenomics Podcast Network for more... Thanks to Joe for coming on the show!...
Mar 23, 2023•33 min
An Epic Guys Trip Episode 08: Show Notes. When you take a trip around the world with your friends, you are bound to come away from it with some pretty crazy stories. Today on the show, we are joined by Joey (who had the idea for this trip) and Geoff, who, along with our hosts TK and Trevor, went on an epic guys' trip around the world in June of 2018. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about our itinerary, how we booked optimal flights, and the points we earned along the way. We give a breakdown of the v...
Mar 20, 2023•59 min
Episode 07: Show Notes. We met today’s guest, Joey, in Las Vegas in 2017, so we decided to bring him onto the show for a deep dive into how to make the most of your time and your money on The Strip! Joey has been going to Vegas so long that you could actually play $1 craps, so it’s safe to say he’s an expert in the area. Money goes further in Vegas than it does in most other cities if you know what you’re doing, so tune in today for our top tips on everything from how to save on resort fees and ...
Mar 05, 2023•53 min
We're just back from Tokyo and excited to share this trip report. We're up to Episode 187 on our Patreon feed but wanted to publish this here on the No Annual Fee feed since it's been a while since we've done a free show. Enjoy! 0:30 Discuss: Lots of Interest and Pent Up Demand for Japan 1:50 Premise of the Trip 2 adults 2 kids: 18 and 15 18 is actually considered a child age in Japan for some things 3:45 Panic Moment: Did I forget to buy a couple of return tickets? I’ve booked and canceled this...
Mar 01, 2023•59 min
Full-Time Travel with Brennan Anderson Episode 06: Show Notes. Everybody needs to travel at some point in their lives, whether for vacation or business, but what about full-time travel? Is traveling full-time even possible? To help us answer these questions is our very first guest on the podcast, Brennan Anderson, who is traveling the world with his wife on a full-time basis. In our conversation, we delve into all the aspects of long-term travel, what is needed, and the overall experience. We st...
Feb 17, 2023•42 min
Christmas Markets Episode 05: Show Notes Nothing quite rivals the European Christmas markets during the festive season. Trevor recently went on a multi-city Christmas trip with his family, spanning three generations. In this episode, we hear about his travels from Paris to Berlin and on to Vienna and Prague. Trevor shares his observations of the Christmas markets in each city, as well as his accommodation and culinary experiences in each destination. This is timely as it’s a great time to start ...
Jan 27, 2023•45 min
Editor's Note: Episode 3 of Travelstores only appeared on the Milenomics Patreon Feed. How To Get the Most Out of Your Cruise Key Points From This Episode: Today’s topic: How to get the most out of your cruise. The COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected the cruise industry. How the state of the cruise industry has changed over the past year. The most popular time to go out to sea. Why cruises can be seen as an economical travel alternative. Where most people are going on cruises right now. How th...
Jan 09, 2023•50 min•Ep. 4
Although we're up to Episode 180 on Patreon feed it's been a while since we've done a No Annual Fee show. We're back today discussing things we're doing as 2022 comes to a close: 1:08 Credit card double and triple dip opportunities 3:30 Wrapping up credit card incidental usage 11:30 Credit card Q4 5x categories 14:10 Credit card milestone bonuses 16:35 Status top-off 19:40 Hotel certificate usage (lots of Hiltons seem to expire) 23:20 Buy miles in programs where yearly caps make sense 25:10 Book...
Dec 20, 2022•28 min
Editor's Note: Please welcome Travelstories with Tom (@ tktweetskim ) and Trevor ( @tmount ) who many of you already know. They'll share episodes here from time to time. Enjo y! Episode 02: Show Notes. In today’s episode, Trevor and Tom broach the topic of the International Gateway that everyone loves to hate. We’re referring, of course, to JFK International Airport in New York City. From its unique features and plane-spotting opportunities to the logistical challenges it presents, this episode ...
Nov 23, 2022•36 min
Editor's Note: Today we host a new show on the network. Please welcome Travelstories with Tom (@ tktweetskim ) and Trevor ( @tmount ) who many of you already know. They'll share episodes here from time to time. Enjoy! Welcome to Travelstories, where we get into the details of traveling, flight planning, and collecting miles and points! Flying with Japan Airlines (JAL) is always a treat. And although we didn’t enter Japan, we have flown through it with JAL en route to Manila. In today’s episode, ...
Nov 09, 2022•38 min•Ep. 1
We're back today with a discussion about finding award travel to Japan for a family from both the west coast and the east coast of the US, now that Japan is finally set to reopen for tourism. Info from US Embassy in Japan Set to reopen October 11, 2022 Finally! Let the planning begin. JAL award availability patterns far out seem mostly the same with a few notable exceptions First, I don’t see JAL reliably opening 2 in First/2 in Business at schedule open any more (as was the case before the pand...
Sep 29, 2022•20 min
It's been too long since we've released a No Annual Fee epsiode. This week we take stock of the many Amex offers currently available, many of which can earn welcome bonuses even if you've had - or still have - the card. There's some nuance to it through, which we cover in detail. Enjoy! 0:25 Amex Opportunity Roundup NLL 250,000 Business Platinum ( link to check , may still get pop-up) $30,000 in 6 months Additional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the card...
Jul 30, 2022•37 min•Ep. 61
Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess comes back to chat with Robert about... 0:45 Travel Trends Prices on airfare and lodging as travel comes back big time Seeing this domestically and internationally? 11:05 The Sad State of Amex Platinum Travel ( Loyalty Lobby ) 19:15 The Bahamas Baha Mar Atlantis 33:25 Italy Hotels mentioned: Laconda Rossa Palazzo Margherita 49:15 Disney Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser New Wish Ship 54:15 Luxe Recess Parenting Disney Weekend Finding Joy Inside & Out Thanks to Robi...
May 09, 2022•1 hr
Milenomics community member Lillian joins me to talk about her trip to Uruguay, Argentina, Tahiti and beyond. I'd recommend taking a look at Google Maps while listening to follow along. Enjoy! 0:30 Premise and Parameters 4:50 AA Business Class 115k pp round trip AUS-MIA-MVD Accessed the Centurion lounge and AA Flagship Admirals Club in MIA 11:00 Montevideo, Uruguay SORO Montevideo, Curio Collection by Hilton for 18k a night The location is perfect for biking on La Rambla and for good dining with...
Apr 13, 2022•52 min
Too much news for our Patreon Podcast this week, so we broke the following out into this No Annual Fee Episode. Enjoy! 0:26 JetBlue News Roundup Boston to London service begins this summer ( Link ) Bids for Spirit ( Link ) Has service recovery issues ( Link ) 04:11 Marriott Bonvoy Dynamic Pricing Goes Live Seems to be a mixed bag Booked Ritz-Carlton Maldives for 335,000 now 385,000 (not bad) JW Marriott Bonnet Creek was 60k weekends, 50k weekdays, now < 50k each night which makes it a target ...
Apr 08, 2022•24 min•Ep. 60
This week I chatted with Milenomics community member CF Frost about his recent stay at the new Hilton LXR Mango House Seychelles and we do a deep dive into the Hilton program . You may remember CF from this post he wrote about a now-expired opportunity to get Amex Hilton Aspire cards without an annual fee. Those Aspire cards kick off free night certificates and resort credits that are now enabling trips like the one we discuss in this episode. Subscribers may also enjoy a trip report to the Wald...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 6 min
"Checking In" is a show on the Milenomics Podcast Network where I usually chat with members of the community about some specific trip, loyalty program, or method they've been using to generate points & miles. Today's show is a little different because my guest is Milenomics founder Sam Simon. And since it's a Disneyland trip report and totally "above board" we're releasing it here on the No Annual Fee feed. I once read a post on a forum somewhere questioning whether, in times when our countr...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Today's special episode is hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer. [Cold open] Harraseeket Inn holiday buffets: https://www.harraseeketinn.com/dine-1 Hello, and welcome to The Manifesto with Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, on the Milenomics Podcast Network. I’m Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, and I’m joined today by Ted Fleischaker, board member of Portland, Maine’s Etz Chaim Synagogue and publisher of the Up Portland newspaper. Ted, welcome to the Manifesto. [0:20] Plugs Etz Chaim: https://etzchaim-...
Dec 22, 2021•44 min
We discuss the addition of Wyndham/Vacasa as a Citi ThankYou Point transfer partner, ZIPAIR from LAX to Tokyo, Frontier leaving Newark, and a $500 brokerage bonus from "Tastyworks." Let's get right into it. Citi TYP Shakeup: AA Out (for now?) Wyndham In Wyndham 1:1 from Premier/Prestige, 5:4 from lower level cards Wyndham opens up Vacasa rentals--and really is a wonderful option for family travel Earlier this year I attempted to open a Wyndham Business card but was unsuccessful Now, 3x on Fluz o...
Nov 16, 2021•24 min
Three major loyalty programs updated their schemes this week. We discuss this and more in this week's No Annual Fee podcast... Marriott Bonvoy Changes ( Direct Link ) Doing away with award chart March 2022, points required will track cash price Free Night Certificate Top Off limited to 15k, starts “early 2022” Certificates/status extended again ( FM ) Hyatt Peak/Off-Peak Goes Live Gave a cursory look at booking some things last minute but...didn’t find award availability on the dates and destina...
Oct 28, 2021•27 min
Robert chats with Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess about trends she's seeing in the luxury travel market. They compare notes on recent travels with an eye towards planning for the coming year. Last Chatted in January, 2021 ( listen ) Vaccines were just becoming available Things looked like they were getting better, then Delta variant What are you seeing in terms of travel hesitancy right now? And how are future bookings impacted? More short term trips planned opportunistically? 3:20 Spring/Summer T...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Today's Podcast comes to you from Gideon The Freequent Flyer who has a companion piece to t his podcast on his site. Hello and welcome to The Manifesto with Gideon the Free-quent Flyer on the Milenomics Podcast Network. I am Gideon the Free-quent Flyer and I’m joined today by the Director of Travel Rewards at Bilt Rewards, Richard Kerr. Richard, welcome to the Manifesto. [0:30] Plugs Social: @KerrPoints everywhere Bilt Rewards: https://www.biltrewards.com/ [2:35] Background What was your path in...
Sep 21, 2021•50 min•Ep. 28
Today we're releasing an episode of "Checking In with Robert Dwyer" that's normally reserved for subscribers of the Milenomics Podcast Network . Robert chats with Joe Cheung about what it's like to visit Disney Parks these days, and what's coming in the near future to Disney World. 0:22 What Joe has been up to since Saverocity Observation Deck Producing Miles to Memories Podcast. Disney Deciphered Podcast. Disney Travel Agent. 1:30 What's Disney like now, what's it going to be in this "living wi...
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Four great credit card welcome bonuses to consider from Bank of America. Let’s discuss them, how we’d prioritize them, and also navigating the complicated and ever-changing approval standards over at Bank of America. 0:54 BofA Amtrak 50,000 + $100 Statement Credit ( DoC ) Do a dummy booking to see offer $79 AF not waived $2,500 min spend in 90 days Amtrak points are worth 2.9 cpp towards non-Acela, 2.56 cpp towards Acela So this welcome bonus is worth $1,450 + $100 - $79 = $1,471 for non-Acela O...
Aug 17, 2021•13 min•Ep. 57
