Do we book speculatively, hoping for a schedule change? | Question of the Week Ep8 | 7-5-26

Do we book speculatively, hoping for a schedule change? | Question of the Week Ep8 | 7-5-26

Do we book speculatively, hoping for a schedule change? Reader "LR" sent us the following question: > "I was intrigued by a recent post about schedule changes in another group that I follow. This particular person noted that anytime United or AA makes a schedule change of any type, you can change your flight at no additional cost to your preferred route. Sometimes you may even have flexibility within several days of the original flight. So my question is, is this a tactic that you all use if you book flights far in advance? Pick the cheapest award price from one city to another, and then hope for a schedule change in order to change it to your preferred route? And then on an even more complicated note- have any of you had success following a schedule change, of changing from a flight in “first class (non-lay-flat seats)” to a different flight on “Delta One” or AA’s “flagship business” or United Polaris (etc, all of which have lay-flat seats)? I assume these are considered different classes and would require a fee upgrade. I’m trying to book flights home from Hawaii next March, and I’m wondering if this kind of tactic may work." We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Sunday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to mailbag@frequentmiler.com. Mentioned in this episode: Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below. Voyascape Podcast Network [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/partnershipsfrequentmiler]

12 things to know about Hyatt's devaluation | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep365 | 7-3-26

On today's episode, we'll see how the 5x airline card saga continues, Nick will give us more reasons to use the Southwest app, we'll hear some exciting news about Frontier, and we'll dive deep into Hyatt's devaluation. GIANT MAILBAG (01:06) - More comments about our comments about there being "No airline cards offer 5x or more" CRAZY THING: CHASE (03:41) - Points Boost is sometimes different between Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card & Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Card BONVOYED (07:22) - Lifemiles+ eliminates free cancellation benefit for new subscribers AWARDS, POINTS, AND MORE (11:35) - Alaska Wallet funds can now be used for AS companion fares again (12:20) - Rove adds Frontier as a transfer partner Read more about Frontier being added as a Rove transfer partner here [https://frequentmiler.com/frontier-added-as-a-rove-transfer-partner-get-25-transfer-bonus-through-7-31-26/] (15:30) - Nick's Southwest notes MAIN EVENT: 12 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HYATT'S DEVALUATION (21:18) - Hyatt recently introduced new award charts. We dug into the numbers... Read more about the changed value of Hyatt points here [https://frequentmiler.com/what-are-hyatt-points-worth/] (22:20) - 1. Median point value dropped ~10% (23:10) - 2. Cherry-picked value dropped <10% (24:34) - 3. It could have been much worse (26:31) - 4. It will probably be much worse next year (27:46) - 5. Points more valuable with certain brands (30:37) - 6. Points less valuable with certain brands (32:14) - 7. Points are less valuable at high end (34:27) - 8. Points are more valuable at low end (35:54) - 9. Many cities offer excellent value (39:45) - 10. Singapore offers surprisingly poor value: 1.0 (40:47) - 11. Worst and best values barely budged (41:52) - 12. Mr & Mrs Smith not as bad as we thought SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ [https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/] to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zAQHcu57q9QmYEKaDBpEU?si=JylqRM-FRhuVsWSE5oCIvA] Mentioned in this episode: Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/frequentmiler] Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below. Voyascape Podcast Network [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/partnershipsfrequentmiler]

Speculative Bilt transfer bonuses | Coffee Break Ep112 | 6-30-26

When it comes to transfer bonuses, conventional wisdom has been not to transfer unless there's specific use in mind. But sometimes the bonus is too good to ignore. SPECULATIVE BILT TRANSFER BONUSES (00:16) - Conventional wisdom: don’t transfer without specific use in mind. But... (01:19) - With Bilt 2.0, earning hundreds of thousands of Bilt points is not so difficult anymore (04:11) - So which bonuses are worth doing for airline programs? Transfer bonuses where Greg & Nick disagree (or both said maybe) 1. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards 2. Air France-KLM Flying Blue 3. British Airways Avios 4. Avianca LifeMiles 5. Cathay Pacific Cathay 6. Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank 7. Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles 8. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Transfer bonuses Greg & Nick would NOT do 1. Etihad Guest 2. Emirates Skywards 3. TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go (26:15) - So which bonuses are worth doing for hotel programs? Transfer bonuses Greg & Nick would definitely do 1. Hyatt 2. Accor Transfer bonuses where Greg & Nick disagree (or both said maybe) 1. I Prefer Subscribe and Follow Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ [https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/] to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zAQHcu57q9QmYEKaDBpEU?si=JylqRM-FRhuVsWSE5oCIvA] Mentioned in this episode: Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below. Voyascape Podcast Network [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/partnershipsfrequentmiler] Frequent Miler Beginner's Guide https://frequentmiler.com/start-here/ [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/starthere]

How are you using AI for trip planning? | Question of the Week Ep7 | 6-27-26

How are you using AI for trip planning? Frequent Miler reader Jared wrote in: > I recently asked the Bilt Neighborhood Concierge AI which weekends a particular Bilt Home Away from Home hotel (Kimpton Journeyman) had availability between August and December. It gave a useful and seemingly accurate response. Have you recently found any other good uses of Bilt's or other AIs? We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Sunday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to mailbag@frequentmiler.com. Mentioned in this episode: Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below. Voyascape Podcast Network [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/partnershipsfrequentmiler]

Bilt Palladium Review: 6 month checkpoint | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep364 | 6-26-26

In today's episode, we'll talk about Qatar's crazy new rules if you want to redeem rewards for friends & family, how Wyndham is going to devalue (but it might not be so bad), and we'll take a look back at the first 6 months of Bilt 2.0: The good, the bad, and where things stand now. BILT PALLADIUM REVIEW: 6-MONTH CHECKPOINT GIANT MAILBAG (01:13) - Gary Leff has a couple of minor interesting notes on our recent ‘question of the week’ podcast episode Find our recent Question of the Week episode here [https://frequentmiler.com/book-airfare-through-credit-card-portal-or-direct-question-of-the-week-ep6-6-21-26/] CRAZY THING: QATAR AIRWAYS PRIVILEGE CLUB (07:51) - Want to use Qatar Avios to book flights for friends or family? Good luck! Read more about this Qatar Avios restriction here [https://frequentmiler.com/awful-new-qatar-airways-restriction-limits-ability-to-redeem-avios-for-other-people/] BONVOYED BY WYNDHAM (15:36) - Learn more about Wyndham Rewards new award pricing here [https://frequentmiler.com/wyndham-award-nights-will-range-from-5k-45k-points-per-night-from-9-15-26/] AWARDS, POINTS, AND MORE (19:43) - Learn about Bilt adding I Prefer 1:2 here [https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-adds-preferred-hotels-i-prefer-as-new-transfer-partner-at-12-ratio/] (23:24) - Learn more about the Hyatt / Under Canvas Promo: 15% points rebate on award stays here [https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-under-canvas-promos-get-15-points-rebate-on-award-stays-and-or-1x-american-airlines-mile-per-1/] (28:59) - Necker Island has new award pricing: 250K per night for 2 adults (35:08) - Random tips from Nick Main Event: Bilt Palladium Review: 6 month checkpoint (41:16) - Background: Bilt changed card issuers and moved from 1 card to 3 (51:39) - Palladium card details (54:10) - Bilt Elite Status details (55:41) - Bilt Cash details (1:01:48) - Nick's Review (1:10:49) - Greg's Review SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ [https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/] to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media. Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zAQHcu57q9QmYEKaDBpEU?si=JylqRM-FRhuVsWSE5oCIvA] Mentioned in this episode: Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world This podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below. Voyascape Podcast Network [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/partnershipsfrequentmiler] Frequent Miler's Best Offers Page https://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/ [https://frequent-miler-on-the.captivate.fm/bestoffers]