Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast

Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card Review | 120K Bonus, 25% Award Discount, $400 Credits & $395 Fee

Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast is joined by James from the Churn and Burn Podcast to discuss the newly released Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card.

This new premium Wyndham credit card has a $395 annual fee and offers up to a 120,000-point welcome bonus, with 90,000 Wyndham Rewards points after $6,000 in spend and another 30,000 points after $750 in Wyndham purchases.

Justin and James explain how the bonus works, who may be eligible, and whether the card makes sense for travelers who like Wyndham Rewards, casino status matches, and high-value hotel redemptions.

They also discuss the card’s biggest ongoing benefits, including a 25% discount or rebate on Wyndham award bookings, 30,000 anniversary points, a possible 30,000-point free night certificate after five Wyndham nights, and the potential for Wyndham points to avoid expiration while holding the card.

The episode also covers the card’s earning rates, including 8X points at Wyndham, 4X on grocery stores, 4X on dining, and 4X on travel, with special attention to the uncapped grocery category.

Timestamps

00:00 Podcast Intro Theme
00:32 Wyndham Premier Card Overview
01:26 First Impressions And Barclays
02:54 Welcome Bonus Breakdown
04:32 Core Perks And Rebates
06:51 Earning Rates And Value
07:54 Statement Credits Deep Dive
13:07 Apply Or Pass Decision
16:46 Sponsor Break And Links
19:09 Best Wyndham Redemptions
23:08 Comparisons And Who It Fits
25:43 Listener Question And Business Card
27:27 Status And Caesars Angle
30:03 Wrap Up And Guest Plugs
34:40 Outro And Support The Show

—
🎙️ 📢 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

👉 …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.
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 responds to an NBC News article titled “How High-End Credit Card Perks Are Hurting Shoppers Who Pay in Cash.”

Original article:
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/credit-card-perks-hurt-shoppers-pay-cash-debit-rcna346905

The article frames credit card rewards as a wealth transfer tied to economic inequality, but Justin argues the story misses several major points about credit cards, cash, small businesses, and responsible rewards strategy.

In this solo episode, Justin challenges two central claims from the article: that merchant swipe fees disproportionately hurt low-income and middle-income Americans, and that credit card processing fees unfairly damage small businesses. He argues that the article ignores the real costs and risks of cash, including labor, theft, slower checkout lines, accounting errors, trips to the bank for deposits, and security concerns.

Justin also explains why many businesses accept credit cards despite processing fees, including increased sales, easier recordkeeping, faster transactions, and greater customer convenience.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro Theme Song
00:32 Episode Setup And NBC Critique
02:20 Host Story And Why Rewards Help
03:58 Swipe Fees Explained
04:56 Hidden Costs Of Cash
06:44 Why Businesses Take Cards
07:56 No Guilt Using Rewards
10:24 Saving On Groceries And Gas
12:08 Rewards Beyond Luxury Travel
13:31 Protections And Lifestyle Credits
17:47 Break And Announcements
19:49 Get Started With Points
23:46 Level Up With More Cards
26:02 Wrap Up And Where To Follow
27:00 Outro Theme Song

—
🎙️ 📢 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! 🌍🎧

—

💜 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

👉 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 & Miles with Matt Clausen | Rove Stacking, Wells Fargo Cards, JetBlue Premier, and Getting Started

Justin Vacula welcomes Matt Clausen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast for a conversation about getting started with points and miles, smart card strategy, and some of today’s more interesting opportunities in travel rewards.

Recorded on May 11, 2026, this episode covers beginner-friendly advice, recent credit card news, and redemption examples that show how valuable the hobby can be.

Justin and Matt begin by talking about meeting at Justin’s Willow Grove, Pennsylvania meetup before getting into one of the most interesting topics in the episode: Rove stacking.

Matt shares how he got started in points and miles, beginning with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and explains how his card strategy has evolved over time. The discussion includes his current setup with Hilton cards, Chase cards, JetBlue cards, and Wells Fargo cards, along with examples of successful redemptions, including a Wyndham stay booked through Wells Fargo’s 1:2 transfer ratio to Wyndham Rewards.

00:00 Podcast intro theme
00:32 Meet Matt Clausen
01:31 Rove stacking explained
03:05 Matt’s points and miles origin story
06:15 Starting and navigating Chase rules
08:06 Rebuilding a card strategy
09:50 Best redemptions so far
11:11 Europe trip planning
13:16 Card issuer realities
14:19 Amex Graphite discussion
15:41 Support the show
19:48 Why Wells Fargo may be underrated
25:04 JetBlue Premier card discussion
30:07 Convincing the skeptics
35:01 Wrap-up and where to find Matt
35:49 Outro and credits

—
🎙️ 📢 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/

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/