Bilt Bulletin April 2026

New Royal Caribbean Royal ONE Plus Credit Card

Bank of America Royal Caribbean Credit Card Review (70,000 Points) | Apply or Skip? Justin Vacula and returning co-host Darren discuss the new Bank of America Royal Caribbean Royal ONE Plus Visa Signature credit card. In this episode of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast, they review the card’s 70,000-point welcome bonus after $3,000 in spending within 90 days, worth about $700 in Royal Caribbean rewards that can be used for onboard credit, cruise fare discounts, drink packages, excursions, and more. Justin and Darren discuss the card’s main features, including 4x points on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea purchases, the $99 annual fee, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, priority boarding, and the $200 annual cruise discount after $20,000 in spend. The conversation also compares this new Royal Caribbean card with other Bank of America credit cards, including Alaska, Premium Rewards, and cash-back business cards, as well as broader travel card competitors such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X. Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro theme 00:32 Welcome and episode setup 01:40 Royal Caribbean card bonus basics 04:20 Earning rates and card comparisons 08:50 Annual fee and card perks 10:26 Downgrade options and potential pitfalls 11:20 Bank of America alternatives including Alaska and Atmos 14:48 Break and announcements 18:32 Premium Rewards and cash-back alternatives 26:52 Who should apply and who should skip 28:20 Upcoming travel plans 32:26 Wrap-up and outro — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 TuneIn → https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast-p1275539/ 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more: https://getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars: https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool https://www.withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy 👉 Use my Descript referral link to edit your podcast episodes, videos, and more. Descript offers tools, including studio sound, removal of filler words, and the ability to edit from a generated transcript. https://descript.cello.so/yiM83psckcY — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/

Dave Ramsey Show: Horrible Relationship and Money Advice!

Justin Vacula reacts to a viral Dave Ramsey Show clip where a caller says she has around $90,000 in student loan debt, has been with her boyfriend for six years, and says he will not propose until she is debt-free. He pays her rent, they've been together for six years, but Dave Ramsey and his co-host Jade says this isn't good enough. In this reaction, Justin responds to Dave Ramsey and Jade Warshaw telling the caller to “dump him,” calling the boyfriend toxic, and suggesting she "deserves" someone better. Jade Warshaw also calls living together before marriage "a bum idea." Justin argues that the situation is more complicated than that. He questions why the boyfriend is being framed as the villain when he is already financially supporting the household and may simply want to avoid taking on legal and financial liability before marriage. Original Video from Dave: https://youtu.be/SwxuiHeI7RQ?si=FMwJY1LB_KHoiB9b Timestamps: 00:00 Viral Ramsey Clip Setup 01:22 Caller Debt And Context 03:02 Boyfriend Won’t Propose Yet 04:01 “Dump Him” Reaction 06:57 Princess Queen Narrative 07:58 Living Together Twist 09:08 Cohabitation Debate 11:20 Jade Warshaw says living together before marriage is a "bum idea" 15:44 Debt Alignment Contradictions 19:26 Marriage And Debt Standards 22:15 Premarital Counseling Spin 27:32 Final Takeaways And Sign Off — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 TuneIn → https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast-p1275539/ 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more: https://getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars: https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool https://www.withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy 👉 Use my Descript referral link to edit your podcast episodes, videos, and more. Descript offers tools, including studio sound, removal of filler words, and the ability to edit from a generated transcript. https://descript.cello.so/yiM83psckcY — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/

Points and Miles with Jason Steele

Miles & Points in 2026 with Jason Steele Justin Vacula hosts the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast with special guest Jason Steele, founder of CardCon and the Financial Affiliate Marketing Forum (FMAF), for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of miles and points in 2026. In this episode, Jason shares how he first got started with award travel, how he handles credit card annual fees, and why many travelers still get tremendous value from points and miles despite ongoing devaluations. Justin and Jason also discuss how to answer credit card skeptics, the importance of responsible credit card use, and why paying balances in full is essential for long-term success. They also dive into high-value redemption strategies, including Hyatt Globalist benefits, Wyndham sweet spots during major events, and how redemption choices can dramatically change the value of your points. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:45 Meet Jason Steele 01:26 Jason’s miles and points origin story 03:10 How to answer skeptics of points and miles 05:20 Real travel wins and success stories 06:10 Managing annual fees, retention offers, and downgrades 08:44 Dream trips and a month in rural Italy 10:20 Can you travel too much? 12:20 Credit cards, responsible use, and paying in full 13:47 Getting maximum value from points and miles 15:46 What is Card Con? 17:33 FMAF and Toronto plans 17:52 Clarifying the industry event audience 18:19 Show announcements 20:27 Why Jason is still optimistic despite devaluations 23:23 Wyndham sweet spots and outsized redemption value 25:17 New cards and emerging trends 29:25 Bilt Palladium reality check 31:53 Upcoming travel plans 33:12 Jason’s book and consulting work 35:21 Where to find Jason Steele 36:21 Final thanks and sign-off — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more: https://getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars: https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool https://www.withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/

Rove Report with Carissa | April 2026

Rove Report April 2026 | Virgin Atlantic & Virgin Red Added, App Beta, Sweet Spots, Meetups & More Justin Vacula welcomes Carissa Rawson from Rove back to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast to discuss the latest Rove updates for April 2026, including the addition of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red as new transfer partners. With these additions, Rove now offers 17 transfer partners. In this episode, Justin and Carissa break down some of the most interesting redemption opportunities now available through Rove, including Virgin Atlantic award flights such as JFK to London for 6,000 points one-way, with other routes from California starting at higher rates. Carissa also shares insights into how Rove has grown over its first year, including increased user trust, strong engagement with both hotel bookings and online shopping, and improvements to Rove’s shopping transparency tools. Additional updates include the iOS app beta, a new weekly newsletter, the move to Rove.com branding, hints about future transfer partners and transfer bonuses, upcoming May and June meetups, current hiring needs, survey opportunities for bonus miles, and more. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro theme 00:32 Rove monthly update 01:10 Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Red added 02:01 Virgin Atlantic sweet spots 03:38 Rove growth trends and user behavior 05:20 Promotions and shopping portal news 06:00 Air India and United sweet spot 07:37 Support and show announcements 10:27 Rove app beta and weekly newsletter 12:15 Future transfer partners and transfer bonus hints 12:52 More ways to earn with Rove 14:12 Meetups and upcoming travel plans 16:18 Credit card discussion 17:39 Hiring needs and user surveys 18:37 Million Mile Challenge 19:06 Wrap-up and outro — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more: https://getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars: https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool https://www.withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/

Bilt Bulletin April 2026

April 2026 Bilt Bulletin | Palladium Card, Points Accelerator, Bilt Cash Credits & Wyndham Update Justin Vacula and co-host Darren return with the April 2026 Bilt Bulletin on the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast, explaining the latest developments with Bilt Rewards, including the new Bilt Palladium card, Points Accelerator, Bilt Cash credits, and the addition of Wyndham as a transfer partner. In this episode, Justin shares his real-world experience with the Bilt Palladium card, including how it can earn 2x everywhere and up to 3x everywhere through Points Accelerator on qualifying spend. He also explains how Bilt members can transfer points to programs like Hyatt and Alaska Airlines, pay rent fee-free using Bilt’s account and routing number system, and stack monthly benefits for even more value. Justin and Darren also discuss Bilt Cash redemptions for dining, pharmacy, rideshare, and hotel credits, along with Bilt status levels, Rent Day bonuses, the new Wyndham Rewards partnership, the $200 two-night hotel credit, and the “Bilt Close Friends” invite program. They also respond to listener feedback, including criticism that Bilt may be too complicated compared with cards like the Capital One Venture X. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and setup 01:17 Bilt Palladium card basics 02:08 Early results and paying rent with Bilt 04:16 Elite status thresholds and Rent Day bonuses 06:11 Using Bilt Cash credits 09:34 Bilt Close Friends and events 11:22 Wyndham added as a Bilt transfer partner 12:46 Show support and ads 15:01 Stacking the $200 hotel credit 19:23 Listener feedback: Is Bilt too complicated? 25:17 New cards and family strategy 28:37 Wrap-up and outro — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 TuneIn → https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Hurdy-Gurdy-Travel-Podcast-p1275539/ 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more: https://getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars: https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool https://www.withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/