Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast

June 2026 Rove Report: 50% Transfer Bonus to Turkish Miles&Smiles + What’s New at Rove

Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast welcomes returning guest Carissa Rawson to discuss Rove’s June 2026 transfer bonus to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and the latest updates from Rove.

From June 1 through June 30, 2026, Rove is offering a 50% transfer bonus to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, meaning 1,000 Rove Miles transfers into 1,500 Turkish Miles&Smiles miles. Justin and Carissa explain how the promotion works, why Turkish Miles&Smiles can be valuable, and what points and miles travelers should know before transferring.

Carissa explains how Rove Miles work as a flexible travel rewards currency that can be earned through hotel bookings, flight bookings, and online shopping. She highlights Rove’s strong hotel earning rates of up to 25X miles and the Rove Shopping portal with around 13,000 stores.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro
00:44 What Is Rove?
02:00 June Turkish Transfer Bonus
02:52 Turkish Miles&Smiles Sweet Spots
05:35 Booking Tips And Surcharges
06:58 How To Earn Rove Miles In Time
08:41 Promo Fine Print
10:37 Break And Announcements
12:39 Rove Updates
13:38 Team Growth And Office Life
15:45 Meetups And Travel Plans
17:19 More Rove Features Coming
17:48 Where To Find Carissa
18:51 Closing And Credits

—
🎙️ 📢 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/

Bilt Bulletin May 2026 | Bilt Cash, Point Accelerators, Grubhub Changes, Priority Pass Confusion & New Rent Card Options

Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast is joined by returning guest Darren for a May 2026 Bilt Bulletin, covering the latest Bilt Rewards updates, Bilt Cash strategy, point accelerators, rent payment options, and recent changes affecting Bilt cardholders.

Justin and Darren discuss how they are using the Bilt Palladium Card, Bilt Cash, and Bilt’s point accelerator system. They review their recent earning and redemption stats, look at the new tracker showing total accelerator spend, and discuss how these tools may help users.

They also cover the change to the monthly $10 Grubhub credit, which moved from a balance-add gift card style benefit to a per-order discount code. Justin and Darren explain why this change may still be useful, especially now that it can stack with the American Express Gold Card Grubhub credit.

The episode also addresses a brief Priority Pass restaurant access glitch, the World Legend Mastercard Taste of Priceless lounges in Hong Kong and São Paulo, with Mexico City expected soon, and new ways to pay rent with non-Bilt credit cards. One new option discussed is earning 3X Flying Blue points on rent payments with a 3% fee.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro And Setup
02:06 Bilt Basics Overview
04:30 Spending Stats And Status
08:46 Bilt Bananas And App Updates
10:53 Grubhub Credit Changes
15:23 Priority Pass Confusion
16:54 Taste Of Priceless Lounges
18:18 Show Announcements Break
20:42 Pay Rent With Air France Credit Card
23:37 Rent Day Guessing Game
24:29 Listener Question: Bilt Cash
32:29 Miami Trip And Cruise Plans
36:55 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/

👉 …many other podcast platforms

—
💜 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 → 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
✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!)
✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬
✨ Bonus content 🎁

—
🌐 Stay Connected With Me:

👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast

🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl

📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/

JetBlue Premier Credit Card Refresh: 100K Bonus, Mosaic Status Potential, $300 Travel Credit & BlueHouse Lounge Access

Recorded in May 2026, Justin Vacula and returning co-host Darren discuss the refreshed JetBlue Premier Credit Card and whether it's worth the $499 annual fee.

They explain the new limited-time 100,000 point welcome bonus, JetBlue Mosaic status opportunities, the annual 25-tile bonus, earning 1 tile per $1,000 in spend, and whether high spend on the card can make sense for travelers chasing Mosaic status.

Justin and Darren also discuss key JetBlue Premier Card benefits, including the 15% points rebate after award travel, up to $300 in annual statement credits for hotels and car rentals booked through TrueBlue Travel, and JetBlue BlueHouse lounge access, with JFK open now, Boston expected in summer 2026, and Fort Lauderdale being discussed as a future lounge location.

They also cover companion pass statement credits tied to $15,000 and $75,000 in annual spend, the $150 authorized user fee, Barclays approval standards, and downgrade options.

Timestamps:
00:00 Podcast Intro Theme
00:32 JetBlue Premier Overview
02:23 100K Bonus Breakdown
04:17 Mosaic Status Math
09:00 Points Rebate And Credits
12:17 Earning Rates And Strategy
13:43 BlueHouse Lounge Access
15:29 Support The Show Break
18:15 Companion Pass Spend Perks
22:51 Fees, Authorized Users, And Approvals
27:14 Keeper Card Or Downgrade
29:16 JetBlue Flying Experience
30:38 DC Waldorf Trip Report
35:43 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/

📡 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/

Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast welcomes Carissa from Rove to discuss the new “It Pays to Chase More Rove Miles” promotion, running May 21 through May 31, 2026.

In this episode, Justin and Carissa explain how Rove users can earn elevated Rove Shopping rewards with select merchants offering up to 15X Rove miles. They also discuss stackable opportunities with Chase’s new Paze 10X Ultimate Rewards benefit on eligible Sapphire and Freedom cards, which can apply on up to $1,500 in monthly purchases.

Carissa shares some of her favorite Rove bookings and redemptions, responds to listener questions about eBay and giftcards.com rate cuts, teases upcoming transfer-related news, and previews future Rove updates, including app improvements, in-store and dining features, and upcoming meetups in New York City and beyond.

Timestamps

00:00 Points And Miles Intro
00:32 Welcome And Guest Setup
01:07 St. Louis Meetup Stories
02:02 Promo Overview And Dates
02:47 Stacking Chase Paze
05:27 Merchant Boost Highlights
06:23 Rove Platform Basics
07:58 Office And Team Updates
09:14 Upcoming Rove Meetups
09:56 Chase Credits And Travel Philosophy
11:50 Support And Announcements
13:51 Listener Question: Coolest Booking
16:39 Meetup Suites And Events
17:59 eBay and Giftcards Questions
20:26 App Beta And Summer Teasers
21:58 Why Join Rove
25:03 Socials And Closing
26:55 Outro Music Credits
27:00 Final Sign Off

—
🎙️ 📢 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

👉 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/

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/