Watch Us On YouTube! In this week's episode, Richard and Ed deep dive into the Bilt Rewards program. It's more than just a credit card- it's an entire loyalty ecosystem! Hear all the ins and outs of the program, including how to maximize earning Bilt points, Bilt status, Rent Day strategies, and even a look into the near future of the program. Sign up for Bilt Rewards here! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! If you're loo...
Jul 16, 2025•46 min
Watch Us On YouTube! We're finally detailing Ed's exciting trip to Tokyo Disneyland. Are the official Disney hotels worth the price? Plus, there are some new Chase referral bonus rules to be aware of. Air France is increasing the value of its elite status- a rarity in the points and miles world! A dad jumped off the Disney Dream to save his child- Ed has some thoughts! Ritz-Carlton has some business woes, and so does Spirit Airlines! Plus, all the banter you know and love in this week's episode....
Jul 09, 2025•44 min
Watch Us On YouTube! This week, we're answering the tough question: who owns the armrest in the middle seat ? A flight attendant announcement has Ed all fired up. Weather woes plague Ed and Richard this week- how did Ed get to NYC?? Ed has a hotel review of the Standard High Line, one of the newest Hyatt properties to join the portfolio. Richard jumps on the soapbox to let the world know what he thinks about bank portals. And finally, there are two fun promos from airlines this week- we'll discu...
Jul 02, 2025•41 min
Chase and Amex make big changes to their credit card benefits. Are they still worth holding after their devaluation? Emirates transfers return to flexible points currencies, after some backend work from the airline. The airline still has some fun 5th Freedom routes around the world that award travelers should be aware of! Chase Sapphire Reserve is now available for applications, with a "refreshed" slate of benefits, and a higher annual fee. And, with Chase refreshing their top-tier card offering...
Jun 25, 2025•35 min
Watch us on YouTube! Chase Sapphire Reserve is making big changes. Should this card be in your wallet or is it time to set it aside? American Airlines is getting rid of their upgrade award chart and moving to dynamic pricing. Why is this so bad for travelers? Jetblue has a pretty incredible status match offer right now, with the opportunity to status match from almost all US airlines. Richard and Ed take a moment to reflect on the tragic loss of life in the recent Air India crash. And, they also...
Jun 18, 2025•39 min
Watch us on YouTube! Richard got the chance to stay at one of the new Standard Hotels in NYC. Take a look at his first experience, including the upgrade he scored on his stay. Capital One made some big changes to lounge access. This will impact all Venture cardholders starting next year. These are changes you need to know about if you hold one of these cards. Alaska Airlines has some new promo awards to incredible destinations around the world. Rome, Bangkok, Lisbon and more! They're launching n...
Jun 11, 2025•34 min
Watch us on YouTube! Southwest Airlines officially launched bag fees this week. At the same time, they also took away free same-day changes on some fares for top-tier elite members. It has not been a good week for Southwest customers. Both Richard and Ed scored a great business class deal to Africa on Etihad. Did you get in on this deal? American Airlines is getting into the Touchless ID Precheck game. Have you signed up yet? Airlines rolled out different fares if you're traveling on your own ve...
Jun 04, 2025•41 min
Watch us on YouTube! It's a big week for Bilt Rewards members. No, not because Richard is camping. Thank goodness he didn't add an RV component to Bilt Rewards. Not only did Bilt announce Qatar Airways Privilege Club as their 16th airline partner, they announced an unprecedented 200% transfer bonus to Accor hotels for Gold and Platinum Bilt members on Rent Day. Ed shares his first experience using TSA PreCheck Touchless ID since RealID has gone into effect. Hilton has hit 200,000 points a night ...
May 28, 2025•42 min
Watch us on YouTube! Delta made some changes to their fare structures that are likely to lead to confusion for some travelers. Richard and Ed are weighing in on those changes. Bilt has added their 20th transfer partner. Japan Airlines is a very useful program to get to Japan and other points in Asia, but has been a difficult program to transfer points to. That changes with this new partnership! A listener shares a heartfelt story about their recovery and some very kind words for the co-hosts. Fr...
May 21, 2025•46 min
Watch us on YouTube! On top of some travel slow downs, RealID is officially in place. What does this mean for travelers? It's not as bad as expected, but it's still annoying. Ed talks about his one day in Taipei, including their stop at Taipei 101. Richard and Ed talk through some interesting deals in the market right now. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to hav...
May 14, 2025•36 min
Tune in as Seth Miller from PaxEx.Aero and Dots, Lines & Destinations joins us again. We talk about Richard's favorite route coming back, and Seth goes into detail on the state of Wi-Fi on airplanes. But, the big topic is Newark Airport, and the utter disaster it is right now. We'll try our best to answer that question for folks. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd ...
May 08, 2025•40 min
Delta does Richard dirty again, and adds to his stack of delays in 2025. Bilt's May Rent Day features up to a 100% transfer bonus to Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards program. Bilt Rewards now allows you to pay rent with any credit card. Listen to Ed discuss why he thinks this can lead to bigger and better things. It's free to sign up for the Bilt Rewards network and earn points. Use Ed's referral link to sign-up. American Airlines has some very interesting status offers out there for customers ...
May 01, 2025•45 min
Watch Us On YouTube! We're talking about Ed's flights to Japan, including business class on Delta's Airbus A350 and Japan Airlines 787-9. He also flew economy class on Starlux Airlines and was REALLY impressed. How much would you pay for a first class upgrade ? We're giving you our opinion on how much we would pay. Bilt Rewards now allows you to pay rent with any credit card. Listen to Ed discuss why he thinks this can lead to bigger and better things. It's free to sign up for the Bilt Rewards n...
Apr 23, 2025•48 min
Watch Us On YouTube! NEW: Time stamps are listed at the bottom of the notes! A recent sad story is a cautionary tale for why you should carry a carbon monoxide detector when you travel. Virgin Atlantic has hiked the fees they charge with award tickets. Does this make them a bad option for award redemptions? A listener of the show checks in with a really good value using Hyatt's new "elite for a day with AA" benefit. Lastly, United launched some really interesting new routes. #virginatlantic #car...
Apr 16, 2025•40 min
Watch Us On YouTube! NEW: Time stamps are listed at the bottom of the notes! We're excited to welcome a special guest, Michelle Gonzalez, founder of LAX to Luxury ! She's diving into Bolivia and Peru with us, recapping her recent crazy trip. And, we have an in-depth conversation on Taco Bell, which Richard thoroughly disapproves of. https://laxtoluxury.com/ If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to...
Apr 09, 2025•37 min
Watch Us On YouTube! NEW: Time stamps are listed at the bottom of the notes! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard is back from his first trip to Biloxi and he's filling us in on all the details. Ed had his first issue on American since returning to the airline recently. Will it change his future decisions? There are signs that travel is slowing down. What can you expect to see this summer? There's a new 100K sign-up...
Mar 26, 2025•46 min
Watch Us On YouTube! NEW: Time stamps are listed at the bottom of the notes! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! We get an update on Richard's blood clot saga before digging into a new Marriott brand and reduced loyalty participation . Is this the new normal for Marriott. Ed borrows Richard's soapbox and tries to avoid an explicit rating for the show while talking about how United pulled the rug out from underneath him on ...
Mar 19, 2025•51 min
Watch Us On YouTube! NEW: Chapters are listed at the bottom of the notes! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Southwest dropped some news this week, and it was all uniformly bad. These were not small changes, and many customers will be upset. "Bags Fly Free" is no longer a surety on Southwest. Many customers, including those that don't have elite status or a credit card with the airline, will now pay for checked bags. Fare...
Mar 12, 2025•33 min
Watch Us On YouTube! NEW: Chapters are listed at the bottom of the notes! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard wants to make sure viewers and listeners understand the history of the Detroit Pistons. But, we're much happier to hear about the award he won at his Daddy-Daughter dance. Ed is asking for the audience's help to decide where he should take his daughter on a summer trip. He also defines the term "Masqueraded...
Mar 05, 2025•41 min
Watch Us On YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! We get another update on Richard's calf, and it's not a good one. Richard and Ed are answering a listener question about how tough it is to find award space to Tokyo right now. Ed asks Richard whether he would prefer to have American Airlines Executive Platinum status or United 1K status if he could have one lifetime status. It's also our poll question of the week sp...
Feb 26, 2025•39 min
Watch Us On YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard was within 24 hours of embarking on his family trip to London before he had a curve ball thrown at him. What should have been an episode about their trip to London turned quickly into how to unravel a complex family vacation while minimizing expenses. A Delta regional jet crash in Toronto miraculously results in no lost lives. Southwest conducts a sizable lay...
Feb 19, 2025•36 min
Watch Us On YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard and Ed are recapping another crazy week in travel. Ed has had a handful of American Airlines flights this year to compare to his United experiences. He's outlining the positive and negative of both. Ed also visited the Palazzo in Vegas this week now that the hotels are part of World of Hyatt. He's sharing what the hotel looks like. Richard is sharing a summar...
Feb 12, 2025•49 min
Watch Us On YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard delivers a recap on a "slice of Americana". Ed talks about the 250K AAdvantage Loyalty Point level and how he previously missed the value there. Richard and Ed discuss recent United and Marriott award pricing hikes, and they end up on different sides of the issue. https://pizzainmotion.boardingarea.com/2025/02/01/is-united-airlines-raising-the-price-of-anytim...
Feb 06, 2025•53 min
If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard and Ed are recording from EPCOT in the midst of a 40th birthday celebration and impromptu Slack meetup. Frontier bit Richard on his way to Disney World, canceling his flight. Is this a sad end to Frontier Tales? United Airlines seems to have shown Ed the door as it relates to his Global Services status. Ed talks about what's next, including his first paid American Airlines flight...
Jan 29, 2025•25 min
Watch Us On YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Ed asks for Richard's help (and the audience) on which AAdvantage Milestone Reward he should select. Richard and Ed are also answering a Slack member's question about which one credit card they would choose, if they could only have one. There's an update on the UK ETA, and a listener question about how to get to Asia, as well as another Slack question about using Sou...
Jan 22, 2025•34 min
Watch us on YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! In a Miles To Go first, Ed is throwing the challenge flag and asking Jeremiah for an instant replay review on comments Richard made in a previous episode. Who's right? Tune in to find out. Richard and Ed are also diving into the swampy world of airline policies for customers of size. Airlines don't make it easy to deal with this ahead of time, and airline employees d...
Jan 15, 2025•48 min
Watch us on YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard and Ed are mapping out their 2025 elite status requirements. Ed wonders if he should consider a change in airline elite status now that he's earned lifetime status with United Airlines. Richard is also diving deep into how Bilt Rewards transfers points to various airline and hotel loyalty programs. Listen in as he breaks down the whole process. We're also ans...
Jan 08, 2025•42 min
Watch us on YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Richard and Ed are looking back on 2024 to figure out what went right and what went wrong in their long year of travel. Join us as they laugh and cry about another year on the road. If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the trav...
Jan 01, 2025•34 min
Watch us on YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Big news for World of Hyatt fans. After losing the MGM collection of properties in Vegas and adding the Rio, Hyatt has two big upcoming additions. Both Venetian and Palazzo will be joining the World of Hyatt program. Meanwhile, the Centurion Lounge in Atlanta is having a lot of trouble passing health inspections. We also answer listener questions about traveling to P...
Dec 25, 2024•37 min
Watch us on YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating . That helps us grow our audience! Ed is sharing some crazy United award pricing. It's another example of how you need to be on your toes if you want to find the best award deals. The UK has instituted a new policy that will require an electronic travel authorization. Be sure to listen to this segment so you don't get tripped up the next time you travel to the UK. This includes transit passengers! Lin...
Dec 18, 2024•36 min
