エピソード

  • Alaska's Big Loyalty Changes, a 20% Family Award Rebate, and Hyatt's All-Inclusive Gamble

    Alaska's Big Loyalty Changes, a 20% Family Award Rebate, and Hyatt's All-Inclusive Gamble
    2026/10/14
    Watch Us On YouTube! Take advantage of our ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Ed and Richard are back with a packed episode of Miles To Go, and Alaska Airlines is making some of the most interesting loyalty moves we've seen in a while. Alaska's Atmos Rewards program is rolling out new ways to earn and save, including a debit card, a no-annual-fee credit card, and six new loyalty communities. One benefit really stands out: families can receive 20% of their miles back when booking eligible award flights for children 12 and under—even on partner airlines. Richard has already signed up, and both guys think Alaska deserves credit for finding creative ways to reward travelers. There's also good news for Bilt members who want Alaska status. A new benefit allows members of Alaska's Global Locals community to earn status points when transferring rewards into Atmos. Richard explains why this could be particularly useful for topping off an elite qualification balance at the end of the year. Next, Park Hyatt is getting into the all-inclusive business. The upcoming Park Hyatt Riviera Maya promises a luxury experience without the constant worry of restaurant and bar bills. But can an all-inclusive resort deliver the quality Park Hyatt guests expect? Ed and Richard debate premium alcohol, à la carte dining, and whether award pricing makes this an attractive redemption. They even check availability live, finding nights starting at 55,000 Hyatt points. Then comes a potentially lucrative deal from Capital One Shopping, where targeted Expedia offers have reached 25% back. Richard shares a strategy for triggering better shopping offers, and Ed wonders how these promotions can possibly make financial sense. The guys also answer a listener question about using Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards on reservations made through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, revisit the possibility of commercial flights from Manassas Airport, and discuss why Richard has increasingly abandoned airline loyalty in favor of simply booking the best price and schedule. Plus: Richard's struggling houseplant, Ed's microphone problems, and why an airline that offers first class and reliable Wi-Fi at a much lower fare could become a serious threat to the legacy carriers. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Alaska's new Atmos Rewards benefits New debit card and no-annual-fee credit card A 20% award-booking discount for joining the debit-card waitlist Six loyalty communities Free checked bags for qualifying Alaska residents A 20% mileage rebate on eligible children's award tickets ✈️ Bilt and Alaska strengthen their partnership Global Locals community benefits One status point for every 25 eligible points transferred Topping off elite status without another flight Richard addresses speculation about the Bilt–Alaska partnership ✈️ Park Hyatt goes all-inclusive Park Hyatt Riviera Maya Can luxury and all-inclusive coexist? À la carte dining instead of buffet-focused service Premium liquor and other luxury expectations Award nights starting at 55,000 points Why Richard avoids hotels during opening week ✈️ United's debit card: Is it worth having? Potential access to discounted award inventory Monthly balance requirements An unresolved question about spending requirements ✈️ Capital One Shopping offers up to 25% back Targeted Expedia hotel offers How Richard finds better shopping rebates Disney hotel bookings through Expedia Why the economics are so puzzling ✈️ Stacking Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits Can Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards be applied? How qualifying hotel bookings work Combining hotel elite benefits with Amex FHR ✈️ Manassas Airport and the future of airline competition Could low-cost carriers make Manassas work? Frontier's potential with Starlink Wi-Fi Why Richard is becoming an airline free agent Have legacy airlines ...
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    29 分
  • Is American Airlines Quietly Becoming the Better Choice?

    Is American Airlines Quietly Becoming the Better Choice?
    2026/07/15
    Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Travel doesn't always go according to plan—and this week proves it. Ed and Richard swap stories from a week filled with thunderstorms, flight delays, rental car headaches, and what may be one of the worst Hyatt Place stays either of them has experienced. Richard recounts an unforgettable late-night arrival that included multiple defective rental cars, a chaotic hotel check-in, broken room amenities, and an experience that ultimately prompted him to complete a hotel survey for the first time in years. The conversation also takes a closer look at why American Airlines has quietly become Richard's airline of choice over the past several weeks. Between competitive first-class pricing, consistently excellent onboard service, reliable Wi-Fi, and solid meals, American is making a compelling case while Delta continues to work through operational challenges. Plus, a fascinating discussion about a Lufthansa 787 maintenance mistake, Denver Airport's long-awaited pedestrian tunnels, and Richard's review of the historic Arizona Biltmore. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Richard's travel nightmare Rental car problems at AtlantaA disastrous Hyatt Place stayWhy this finally earned a hotel survey ✈️ American Airlines keeps impressing Competitive first-class pricing Better domestic meal service Reliable Wi-Fi and outstanding crews ✈️ What's happening at Delta? Operational reliability concerns Schedule disruptionsHow the competitive landscape is shifting ✈️ Lufthansa's 787 maintenance mistake The missing safety pinWhy maintenance procedures matterA costly avoidable accident ✈️ Denver Airport's future walkways New pedestrian tunnelsWhy they're finally being built Whether they'll solve train disruptions ✈️ Arizona Biltmore review Historic resort impressions Citrus Club benefits Surviving 119-degree Phoenix heat ✈️ Slack Community update Points Path Pro discountNew Flex Alerts Upcoming member benefits ⏱️ Episode 445 Timestamps 0:47 – Welcome back and summer travel delays 8:08 – Richard's rental car disaster and Hyatt Place horror story 17:30 – Why American Airlines has become Richard's preferred choice 20:49 – Delta's operational challenges and airline strategy 27:22 – Lufthansa 787 nose gear collapse explained 30:09 – Slack Community updates and Points Path benefits 31:00 – Denver Airport's long-awaited pedestrian tunnels 35:10 – Arizona Biltmore review and surviving Phoenix in 119° heat
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    41 分
  • What Are You Actually Supposed To Do With A Hotel Butler?

    What Are You Actually Supposed To Do With A Hotel Butler?
    2026/07/22
    Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Severe weather created another difficult weekend for travelers, and Richard opens the episode with the story of getting his sister home after JetBlue canceled her flight and could not offer another option for several days. The solution involved a train to Baltimore, a Southwest flight and a reminder of why keeping points available for emergencies can be so valuable. Ed then reviews his family's stay at the MGM Skylofts in Las Vegas, including the spacious two-bedroom accommodations, the aging room features and his lingering question about what guests are actually supposed to ask a hotel butler to do. He and Richard compare Skylofts with Aria Sky Suites and consider whether the additional luxury benefits justify the much higher price. The conversation shifts to the complicated Marriott–MGM relationship. Ed explains why MGM Gold status and direct booking can sometimes beat booking through Marriott, especially when resort fees and restaurant spending are considered. Richard also discovers an especially poor Marriott points redemption: nearly 17,000 points to avoid paying a $30 base room rate while still owing the resort fee. Later, the guys debate the best travel movies ever made, discuss whether Boeing should once again be allowed to certify its own aircraft, answer a listener question about choosing a Tokyo hotel for a short visit and examine why domestic award travel has become so painful for families. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Weather disruptions and emergency travel planning A canceled JetBlue flight Taking the train to BWI for a Southwest alternativeWhy points provide an important travel safety net ✈️ Ed's MGM Skylofts experience The two-bedroom layout Butler service and luxury-hotel benefits Skylofts versus Aria Sky Suites Whether the premium price makes sense ✈️ The Marriott–MGM partnership Booking through Marriott versus MGM Resort fees on Marriott award staysWhy MGM Gold can make direct booking more attractive Missing Marriott credit for restaurant charges ✈️ Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100,000-point offer Why Richard applied again Rebuilding a transferable-points balance Marriott points versus Ultimate Rewards ✈️ The best travel movies Up in the Air Flight The Terminal Planes, Trains and Automobiles Back to the Future Catch Me If You Can ✈️ Boeing and FAA oversight Boeing regaining some aircraft-certification authority Whether Boeing can adequately oversee itself Increasing financial penalties for safety violations ✈️ Choosing a Tokyo hotel for a short trip Park Hyatt Tokyo versus Grand Hyatt TokyoWhy location may matter more than luxury Staying near a convenient subway station ✈️ Marriott and Japan Airlines A new JAL status-match opportunity Potential benefits for Marriott elites Rumors of JAL becoming a Citi transfer partner ✈️ The rising cost of domestic award travel Expensive flights for families Shrinking partner-award opportunitiesWhy domestic points strategies are disappearing ⏱️ Episode 446 Timestamps 0:48 – Weather cancellations and getting Richard's sister home 2:28 – Ed reviews the MGM Skylofts 6:45 – Marriott points, resort fees and MGM booking strategy 11:26 – Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100,000-point offer 15:11 – Debating the best travel movies ever 21:58 – Boeing regains aircraft-certification authority 26:08 – Slack Community and Points Path benefits 27:35 – Where to stay during a short Tokyo visit 29:39 – Marriott's JAL status match and transfer-partner rumors 31:41 – Why domestic award travel is getting so expensive
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    35 分
  • These Premium Cabin Awards Still Exist... If You Know Where to Look

    These Premium Cabin Awards Still Exist... If You Know Where to Look
    2026/07/29
    Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. This week Ed is joined by Clint Henderson from The Points Guy for a deep dive into some of the best premium-cabin award opportunities still available—and why flexibility is becoming more important than ever. Clint shares several recent bookings that include American's new Philadelphia-Prague route, Cathay Pacific's new Seattle-Hong Kong service, Starlux business class, and Japan Airlines First Class, along with the strategies that made each redemption possible. The conversation also explores why holding a United credit card is becoming increasingly valuable, with cardholders gaining access to dramatically better award pricing than non-cardholders. Later, Ed discusses Bilt's latest Rent Day promotion featuring a status match with Accor Live Limitless, explains why he found significant value from Accor Platinum status in Europe, and closes with a candid discussion about Hyatt's growing list of hotels that no longer accept Suite Upgrade Awards—and why that trend is becoming concerning for Hyatt loyalists. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Outstanding premium-cabin award bookings American's new Philadelphia–Prague route Cathay Pacific's Seattle–Hong Kong launch Starlux Business Class Japan Airlines First ClassWhy new route announcements create award opportunities ✈️ Finding award availability Alaska Mileage Plan sweet spots Positioning flights Acting quickly when inventory appears Tools for tracking award space ✈️ United credit card perks Exclusive cardholder award pricing Quest Card benefitsWhy United's strategy differs from Delta'sIs this the future of airline loyalty? ✈️ Points Path Flex Alerts Monitoring every flight on a route Finding hard-to-book awards Slack Community member benefits ✈️ Bilt's Accor status match Matching Bilt Gold and Platinum Benefits of Accor Platinum status Early check-in, late checkout and upgradesWhy Europe and Asia travelers should pay attention ✈️ Award pricing inflation Premium cabin pricing Domestic versus international valueWhy overseas awards remain one of the best uses of miles ✈️ Hyatt's expanding Suite Upgrade Award exclusions More than 100 excluded hotels Hyatt Regency Anchorage joins the listWhy Hyatt loyalists are becoming concernedIs Hyatt drifting toward Marriott's model? ⏱️ Episode 447 Timestamps 0:49 – Clint Henderson joins the show 5:23 – Incredible premium-cabin award bookings and new route opportunities 11:43 – Slack Community updates and Points Path Flex Alerts 14:00 – Bilt's new Accor Live Limitless status match 16:50 – Why United credit cards unlock better award pricing 21:41 – Award pricing inflation and where the best value still exists 23:15 – Hyatt's growing Suite Upgrade Award exclusion list 27:36 – Wrapping up and future travel plans
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    29 分
  • Our Take On The Crazy YouTube Amanvari Kerrfluffle And American Raises Lounge Prices

    Our Take On The Crazy YouTube Amanvari Kerrfluffle And American Raises Lounge Prices
    2026/08/12
    Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Airline lounge access keeps getting more expensive—and Ed and Richard are wondering who is actually paying these prices. This week on Miles To Go, they break down American Airlines' latest Admirals Club changes, including higher membership prices and a revamped Executive Card. With individual lounge membership now costing hundreds of dollars and family access climbing even higher, the guys debate whether the airline credit card is now the only logical way to buy into the ecosystem. That leads to a broader discussion about whether airport lounges deserve as much weight as they get when travelers evaluate premium credit cards. Crowding, long lines, limited space, and inconsistent food all make Ed question how much real value lounge access adds. Richard also shares a surprise about JetBlue Mint: even on an expensive transcontinental Mint ticket, lounge access still isn't included unless you're flying transatlantic. Then the conversation shifts to a brand-new luxury resort cancellation controversy, where a well-known YouTuber arrived only to find his reservation had been canceled at the last minute. Finally, Richard gives an update on his Frontier GoWild Pass—and admits that, despite owning it, he still hasn't actually managed to use it. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ American Airlines raises lounge prices Admirals Club membership gets more expensive Family access can cost up to four figuresWhy the Executive Card may be the better path ✈️ AA Executive Card changes Higher annual fee Vacation credits Lyft credit increase AAdvantage Hotels earningMore Loyalty Point opportunities ✈️ Are airport lounges overrated? Crowding at Centurion and Chase lounges Limited usefulness at your home airportWhy lounge access may not justify a premium annual fee ✈️ JetBlue Mint's missing lounge perk Transcontinental Mint still doesn't include lounge access Discounted paid entry insteadWhy Ed and Richard find the policy surprising ✈️ A luxury hotel opening controversy A reservation canceled the night before arrival Whether a hotel should cancel a reviewer's stayWhy opening-week hotel reviews can be misleading ✈️ Should you stay at a hotel right after it opens? Operational growing pains Incomplete facilitiesWhy both Ed and Richard prefer to wait ✈️ Frontier GoWild Pass update Richard still hasn't used it Limited availabilityWhy it may work better for retirees, students, or flexible travelers ⏱️ Episode 449 Timestamps 0:48 – Vegas heat, travel week setup, and getting started 2:39 – American Airlines raises Admirals Club pricing 6:38 – AA Executive Card changes and whether it's worth $695 10:38 – Are airport lounges really worth premium-card annual fees? 12:20 – JetBlue Mint still doesn't include lounge access on transcon flights 14:06 – M2G passes 9,000 YouTube subscribers 16:53 – Luxury resort cancels a YouTuber's reservation at the last minute 19:42 – Is reviewing a hotel during opening week actually useful? 21:53 – Frontier launches another GoWild Pass offer 22:34 – Richard's GoWild Pass update: has he used it yet?
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    29 分
  • American Cuts Upgrades, Delta Adds More First Class, and Bilt Cash Takes Flight

    American Cuts Upgrades, Delta Adds More First Class, and Bilt Cash Takes Flight
    2026/08/19
    Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Ed and Richard are back home after another exhausting stretch of travel, and Richard has survived Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas—barely. Before getting into the airline news, they recap the Vegas experience, including $25 asparagus, $34 cocktails, increasingly unfriendly casino odds, Bellagio's surprising food problem, and why "free parking" has somehow become a legitimate Las Vegas selling point. There's also some fresh Bilt news. Bilt has relaunched its partnership with Blade, allowing members to redeem Bilt Cash for up to two airport helicopter seats per year, along with the ability to use Bilt Points toward Blade flights. Ed also celebrates another year of Accor Platinum status through Bilt's returning status match. Then it's time to talk airlines. After some decidedly unimpressive United flights, Ed and Richard discuss American Airlines ending complimentary upgrades into premium economy on select three-cabin domestic routes. Is this actually a meaningful loss for elites—or just another acknowledgement that complimentary upgrades are already disappearing? Delta, meanwhile, is moving hard in the opposite direction when it comes to premium cabin capacity. Some A330-900neos will feature a whopping 56 Delta One suites, while new domestic aircraft will also feature substantially larger first-class cabins. But Richard raises an important question: if airlines add all those premium seats without adding crew, lavatories and galley capacity, will the experience actually feel premium? Plus, Ed recaps his first D23 experience, they revisit last week's Amanvari controversy after new details emerged, Richard questions what's happening with Delta's operational reliability, and Uber One announces an "improvement" that involves… giving members less. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Bilt Cash takes to the skies Bilt's revamped Blade partnership Using Bilt Cash for airport helicopter flights Redeeming Bilt Points toward Blade Accor Platinum status returns ✈️ Is Las Vegas getting too expensive? Free parking is now a selling point Resort fees and cheap room rates$25 asparagus and $34 cocktailsWhy Bellagio can be surprisingly difficult for a quick meal ✈️ United's aging aircraft problem Broken or nonexistent Wi-FiOld entertainment systemsWhy SNA is still a fantastic alternative to LAX ✈️ Ed's first D23 New Disney attractions Fixing the YetiNew roller coastersThe future of FigmentEd's take on Hyatt Regency Orange County ✈️ The Amanvari controversy gets more complicated New details about the canceled hotel stay What the original story left outWhy opening-week hotel reviews remain a bad idea ✈️ American changes complimentary upgrades Premium economy on three-cabin domestic aircraft Routes where free upgrades are disappearingWhy Richard thinks chasing status for domestic upgrades is already a losing game ✈️ Delta dramatically expands premium cabins 56 Delta One suites on select A330-900neos Bigger first-class cabins on domestic aircraftThe potential problem with lavatories, galleys and staffingWhy more premium seats may not mean cheaper premium fares ✈️ What's happening with Delta? Richard's recent delays Delta becoming his worst-performing airline this year Another missed Shake Shack burger ✈️ Uber One gives members an "improvement" Ride credits drop from 6% to 5%Why corporate messaging sometimes makes things worse ⏱️ Episode 450 Timestamps 0:48 – Surviving Virtuoso Travel Week and the Vegas heat 2:48 – Bilt Cash can now pay for Blade helicopter flights 5:59 – Vegas prices, free parking and Bellagio's food problem 14:05 – United's aging planes, broken Wi-Fi and the convenience of SNA 17:22 – Ed's first D23 and the biggest Disney announcements 22:48 – New details change the Amanvari hotel controversy 26:14 – American ends some...
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    43 分
  • JetBlue Adds First Class. Now Can It Get You There On Time?

    JetBlue Adds First Class. Now Can It Get You There On Time?
    2026/09/09
    Watch Us On YouTube! Take advantage of our ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. JetBlue is finally adding domestic first class—but is a nicer seat really what the airline needs most? Ed and Richard are joined by Points Path founder Julian Kheel for a packed episode that starts with JetBlue's plans for three rows of domestic first class. The guys like plenty about the JetBlue onboard experience, but there's an elephant in the room: operational reliability. July data discussed on the show puts JetBlue at just 62% for on-time arrivals and a 91.7% completion factor. Richard and Julian argue that fixing the network and operation might be a higher priority than installing premium seats. There's another tradeoff. JetBlue can install first class without dramatically reducing the total number of seats because its cabins historically had generous legroom—but the new configuration significantly reduces Even More Space seating. That leads to a discussion about whether JetBlue is simultaneously premiumizing the front while "depremiuming" economy. Richard also has something else on his mind: domestic airfare. He's seeing some eye-watering prices for family trips, including roughly $2,400–$2,500 for four people on relatively short domestic trips. Julian says Points Path data used in a recent study is showing significant year-over-year increases in holiday pricing for both cash fares and miles, making locking something in early increasingly important. Then Julian weighs in on Google's new AI-powered points-and-miles search after Ed and Richard tested it last week. His verdict falls somewhere between theirs: there's potential, but the current product still struggles to return complete results. More fundamentally, Julian questions whether travelers actually want to book trips by chatting with an AI bot. The real prize, he argues, isn't simply showing every available fare—it's personalization that understands your points, credits and other assets and tells you which option is best for you. Air Canada has new routes coming, including a daytime Toronto–London flight, but its upcoming A321XLR configuration gets Ed's attention: just 14 lie-flat seats, no premium economy and an otherwise all-economy cabin at a time when airlines seem to be racing to add premium capacity. United, meanwhile, is adding a new app feature designed to help during delays. Travelers will be able to stand by for as many as three alternate flights and receive notifications if seats become available. Julian sees it as a useful, customer-friendly addition. Richard is…less convinced. Finally, Ed and Julian tackle a question close to home: Does the Washington, D.C. region really need a fourth commercial airport? Manassas Regional Airport has received permission to offer commercial service, potentially opening the door to carriers such as Avelo. Ed digs into the economics of Dulles, National and the broader DC market—and why making a fourth airport work may be harder than it sounds. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️JetBlue is finally getting domestic first class Three rows and 12 first-class seatsWhy JetBlue can add premium seats without a huge capacity reduction Whether premium cabins address JetBlue's actual problems ✈️ JetBlue's reliability problem 62% on-time arrivals in JulyA 91.7% completion factor Comparing JetBlue with other North American airlinesWhy Richard still chooses JetBlue despite the operational headaches ✈️ Domestic airfare is getting painful $2,400+ family trips When Europe can seemingly cost less than Orlando Using Delta companion certificates for other travelersWhy locking in refundable/rebookable fares early can make sense ✈️ Is JetBlue "depremiuming" economy? Fewer Even More Space seats Adding premium capacity at the frontWhat happens to the JetBlue economy experience ✈️ Julian weighs in on Google's AI award search Incomplete resultsWhy ...
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    53 分
  • Bilt Adds Amtrak, Aeroplan Gets Better, and Can an Airplane Have Too Many Premium Seats?

    Bilt Adds Amtrak, Aeroplan Gets Better, and Can an Airplane Have Too Many Premium Seats?
    2026/09/30
    Watch Us On YouTube! Take advantage of our ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Ed and Richard are back together after a weekend in New York—and before they can get to travel, there are some important matters to resolve. Richard has strong opinions about restaurant eggs, Ed has an explanation for his highly unusual chicken-wing-eating technique, and Julian and Jillian apparently think a perfectly reasonable honeymoon itinerary involves going from the Maldives to Lapland to Iceland. Eventually, travel news breaks out. First up is a partnership Richard knows particularly well: Bilt Rewards has added Amtrak Guest Rewards as its 26th transfer partner. Richard says the deal took roughly 14 months from the first phone call to launch and marks Amtrak's first traditional transfer partnership since Chase ended its relationship in 2015. Transfers are 2 Bilt points to 1 Amtrak point, and Richard argues the economics can still work because of the relatively high value of Amtrak points—especially when cash fares get expensive. There's also a follow-up to last week's Citi Strata Elite discussion. Listeners point out a potentially powerful pairing with Citi Double Cash: earn effectively 2 ThankYou Points per dollar on everyday purchases if you pay the balance in full, combine those points with Citi Strata Elite, and then transfer them to American Airlines AAdvantage. For someone specifically trying to build an AAdvantage balance, Richard thinks the strategy deserves consideration. Then Ed and Richard discuss a new software issue affecting the Boeing 737 MAX. According to the information discussed on the episode, a newer software version can cause issues with certain autopilot functions around an aborted landing/go-around. Boeing has identified a workaround involving the earlier software version, but Ed questions why increasingly powerful simulation and AI tools couldn't be used more extensively to find edge cases before software reaches aircraft. The Aeroplan credit card has also received a refresh. One new benefit provides a 15% discount on Air Canada flight rewards—and importantly, Ed says Aeroplan confirmed that it can stack with elite Priority Rewards. At the highest elite level, that creates the possibility of combining a 50% Priority Reward with the additional 15% card discount. The card is also making its fourth-night-free hotel award benefit permanent and adding a fourth-day-free benefit on car-rental redemptions. Finally, there's a strange problem developing around the Airbus A321XLR. Premium-heavy configurations planned by American and United may need ballast in the rear of the aircraft to keep the plane properly balanced. That's particularly interesting because adding otherwise unnecessary weight requires more fuel and could eat into the very long-range capability that makes the XLR attractive for "long, thin" international routes. That raises another question: How long are you willing to fly on a single-aisle airplane? Richard thinks a New York-to-California transcon is already approaching his limit. Ed is more willing to judge the experience by the quality of the seat rather than the number of aisles. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun 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 have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Bilt adds Amtrak as a transfer partner 2:1 transfers from Bilt Rewards to Amtrak Guest RewardsWhy Richard thinks the math can still workA Rent Day transfer bonusThe partnership took about 14 months to complete Amtrak's first traditional transfer partner since Chase ✈️ The world's easiest honeymoon to pack for Maldives Lapland Iceland Julian apparently has some flights to figure out ✈️ A better Citi strategy for earning American miles? Pairing Citi Double Cash with Citi Strata Elite Effectively earning 2 ThankYou Points per dollar on everyday spending when the balance is paid in full Combining the points Transferring to AAdvantageWhy the strategy gets Richard's attention ✈️ Another Boeing 737 ...
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