Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

A Guys Trip to Malta Centered Around Lounge Hopping

Episode 72: Show Notes

Summary

In this episode, hosts Tom Kim and Trevor Mountcastle share their travel experiences centered around an impromptu trip to Malta, highlighting their lounge hopping adventures. They discuss their flight itinerary, the luxurious Polaris Lounge in Chicago, and the Frankfurt First Class Lounge, emphasizing the importance of these experiences in enhancing their travel. The conversation also touches on their arrival in Malta, exploring the historical city of Valletta, and the unique aspects of their journey, including unexpected encounters and the cultural richness of Malta. In this episode, the hosts discuss their recent trip to Malta, including their experiences exploring the Old Town, the beaches, and their flight with British Airways to Gatwick. They share insights on navigating Gatwick to Heathrow, hotel booking strategies, and their extensive lounge hopping at Heathrow Terminal 3, highlighting the pros and cons of various lounges including the Centurion, British Airways, Qantas, and Cathay Pacific. The conversation wraps up with reflections on the trip's focus on lounges and the missed opportunities for outdoor exploration in Malta.

Key Points From This Episode:

00:00 Lounge Hopping: The Trip's Driving Force

02:00 Flight Itinerary and Booking Process

03:25 Experiencing the Polaris Lounge

11:44 Lufthansa First Class Experience

21:17 Frankfurt Lounge Experience

27:37 Arrival in Malta and Hotel Lounge Review

29:38 Navigating the Airport Experience

31:57 Dining in the Skies: European Airlines

34:52 Hotel Comparisons: Regency vs. Centric

35:43 Exploring Malta: A Densely Populated Gem

36:46 Valletta: The Old Town Experience

40:45 Cruise and Maintenance: Malta's Unique Position

42:50 Gatwick to Heathrow: A Smooth Transition

46:42 Dining at Hyatt Place: A Pleasant Surprise

51:43 Lounge Hopping at Heathrow Terminal 3

53:36 The Changing Landscape of Airport Lounges

54:48 Lounge Hopping Experience

01:01:09 The Qantas Lounge Highlights

01:06:13 Cathay Pacific Lounge Experience

01:09:43 Flight Experience and Upgrades

01:22:13 Reflections on the Trip

01:23:33 NEWCHAPTER

Note: The video of this episode can be found on Youtube or Spotify

Summary

In this episode of Travel Stories, hosts Tom Kim and Trevor Mountcastle welcome Gary Leff, of View From the Wing and the Freddie Awards to the show. We discuss memorable experiences in travel, the evolution of airline loyalty programs, the changing landscape of airline upgrades, and the impact of status on travel experiences. The conversation also delves into family travel, personal travel stories, and the value of travel experiences. Gary shares his insights on the future of airline loyalty programs and emphasizes the importance of enjoying the journey rather than cramming everything into one trip.

Key Points From This Episode:

00:00 Introduction to Travel Stories and Guest Background

03:07 Memorable Experiences at Frequent Traveler University

05:46 The Evolution of Airline Loyalty Programs

09:01 The Changing Landscape of Upgrades and Entitlement

11:54 The Shift in Value Proposition for Frequent Flyers

14:29 The Future of Loyalty Programs and Personalization

17:30 Recognition and Emotional Connections in Loyalty Programs

20:23 Gamification and Customer Engagement Strategies

29:51 Navigating Credit Card Value and Offers

37:49 The Future of Co-Branded Credit Cards

54:31 Traveling with Family: A New Perspective

01:00:24 Shifting Travel Preferences and Experiences

01:03:14 Traveling with Kids: Strategies and Challenges

01:09:58 Memorable Travel Experiences: Stories from the Road

01:15:02 The Value of Travel: Understanding Different Cultures

01:21:08 Reflections on Travel: The Good and the Bad

01:25:33 Favorite Travel Deals: A Look Back at Opportunities

Festivus 2025

Episode 70: Show Notes

Keywords

Festivus, travel, airlines, loyalty programs, grievances, travel stories, miles, points, travel achievements, travel miracles

Summary

Our Annual Festivus Tradition continues! In this episode, we celebrate Festivus with special guest JT Genter, discussing our travel experiences. We air our grievances with airlines and loyalty programs, we share our feats of strength and celebrate our Festivus miracles. Break out your festivus pole and join us as we reflect on the past year.

Key Points From This Episode:

00:00 Intros

03:53 Airing of Grievances

28:18 Feats of Strength

56:42 Festivus Miracles

01:11:44 Wrapping Up

Episode 69: Show Notes

Trevor and Thomas are the ultimate travel friends, and part of what makes their trips so memorable is that they both maximize the journey as much as the destination! Today on Travel Stories, we are doing something a little bit different; we are breaking down the ins and outs of planning a guy’s trip so that you, too, can make your next trip about the journey, not just the destination! In this episode, you’ll hear all about how Thomas and Trevor decided where to go on this trip, some of their award searching strategies, the breakthrough that led to their location decision, and so much more! We delve into their lounge experiences before Thomas tells us about his disappointing trip home and the obstacles they faced with regard to hotel availability. They even talk about the three different award tickets they ended up with on this trip. Finally, our hosts tell us why so many of their trips are planned ‘at the last minute’ and how they each use their miles differently. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:04] Today’s topic: what planning a guy’s trip looks like and why we’re talking about this.

[04:24] Deciding where to go on this trip and how wide our aperture was for it.

[08:19] The power of using multi-city codes on Seats.aero and how we do award searching.

[12:35] The breakthrough that came from a Seats.aero alert and ultimately choosing Malta.

[17:42] Their lounge crawl at London Terminal Three and their other lounge experiences.

[19:19] An overview of the heartbreak they experienced when booking their trip home. 

[23:45] The importance of looking at different currencies when booking trips. 

[28:12] The obstacles that Trevor and Thomas ran into when booking hotels. 

[36:51] How they ended up with three different award tickets on this trip. 

[40:22] Some of the other trips we are planning and why there is always so much uncertainty.

[43:00] Why the value of miles is so unique to the person and how we use them differently.

Episode 68: Show Notes

Keywords

Mediterranean cruise, Delta One, travel experiences, family travel, cruise ports, Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas, travel tips, Barcelona, Sorrento, La Spezia, cruise, European cruising, cruise dining experience, service recovery, Mediterranean ports, travel tips, Emirates flight, travel inconveniences

Summary

In this episode, Trevor shares his recent family trip to Europe, highlighting their experiences flying Delta One, cruising on the Allure of the Seas, and exploring various Mediterranean ports. The conversation covers the challenges and joys of traveling with family, the dining experiences on the cruise, and the unique adventures in cities like Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Sorrento. Trevor reflects on the importance of planning and balancing exploration with relaxation during family travels.

Key Points From This Episode:

01:54 JFK's Delta One Lounge

09:11 Getting to Barcelona

12:44 Onboard the Allure of the Seas after its drydock

17:25 Ports of Call

30:15 Civitavecchia is not very close to Rome

38:14 Allure of the Seas Entertainment

45:14 Main Dining Disappointment

55:18 Why Med Cruises Make Sense

01:00:04 A quick hop to Milan on a Singapore Fifth Freedom Flight

01:03:21 Acqui Terme Overnight and Milan Touring

01:07:45 Protests in Milan

01:12:40 Emirates Fifth Freedom Flight Home and Wrapping Up