Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Learn the best and worst days to fly for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, plus when to book to save on airfare.

Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss the best days to fly and book around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's to help you dodge crowds and save on holiday airfare this year. They break down why airfare has climbed so much in 2026, which travel days could be cheapest or most crowded for each holiday, how far in advance to book domestic and international holiday flights, the cheapest and most newly discounted destinations for holiday travel, and how to put expiring credit card credits to use before the year ends. They also share their favorite festive travel traditions, from Christmas markets in Berlin to a giant Peeps drop on New Year's Eve.

Then, they break down the latest travel headlines, including the American Express Platinum's newly renamed lodging credit and its Airbnb Luxe option, Airbnb's new limits on checkout chores and host fines, Bilt's 2027 program changes, a refresh and higher annual fee for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card, free BlueFirst upgrades for JetBlue Mosaic members, and Hilton's new option to pay with points at checkout.

Join Sally and Meghan November 5th for a night of live Q&A, games (hint: brush up on those obscure travel credit card benefits), and mingling with fellow travelers! The drinks are on us. And yes, there are prizes, courtesy of some of the travel brands you already use. Meet other locals who love traveling with points and miles. RSVP required. Let us know if you’re coming and we’ll save you a spot. https://partiful.com/e/OOSMfQpFw9PPNn4Cat0H

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

American Express Platinum Review: Top-Notch Lounge Access, Big Credits

Chase Sapphire Reserve Review: A High-End, High-Maintenance Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: Strong Option for Travel Rewards

Bilt Palladium Card: Rewards on Housing Are Almost Secondary

Bilt Obsidian Card: Fine for Foodies, Complex for Housing

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card Review: Worth the Fee for Airline Loyalists

JetBlue Premier Review: $300 Credit, Lounge Access and More

Resources discussed in this episode:

Travel Inflation Report: October 2026

The Busiest Travel Days Around Thanksgiving in 2026

The Best Days to Travel Around Christmas In 2026

AmEx Adds Airbnb Perks, Restricts Platinum’s $600 Hotel Credit

Reasonable house rules and requests

Bilt Improves Bilt Cash, but Keeping 4% Back Takes Action

American Airlines Revamps Platinum Select Credit Card, Increases Annual Fee to $150

JetBlue Expands TrueBlue® Benefits for 2027, Bringing Space-Available Upgrades to All Mosaic® Members

Hilton Becomes First Major Hotel Brand to Offer Digital Solution to Pay with Points

What’s the Value of Hilton Points?

Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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What does Southwest's loyalty overhaul mean for the Companion Pass, elite status and credit card earning in 2027?

Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss Southwest's Rapid Rewards overhaul to help you figure out whether the Companion Pass and elite status are still within your reach in 2027. They break down how the Companion Pass becomes a perk of the new Platinum tier, why credit card welcome offers and bonus categories will no longer count toward it, and whether the lower tiers of Southwest elite status offer more than a Southwest credit card. They also cover the new Milestone Rewards and individual Companion Pass trips, international airline partners and other new ways to use points, and a first look at Southwest's upcoming lounges.

Then, they break down the latest travel headlines, including United dropping Premier Qualifying Flights as a way to earn elite status, Delta's refreshed Delta One business class, a dual-earning promo and status challenge from World of Hyatt and Air Canada Aeroplan, and Rove adding JetBlue as a transfer partner.

Join Sally and Meghan for a night of live Q&A, games (hint: brush up on those obscure travel credit card benefits), and mingling with fellow travelers! The drinks are on us. And yes, there are prizes, courtesy of some of the travel brands you already use. Meet other locals who love traveling with points and miles. RSVP required. Let us know if you’re coming and we’ll save you a spot. https://partiful.com/e/OOSMfQpFw9PPNn4Cat0H

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Review: Modest Perks, Big Bonus

Southwest Premier Credit Card Review: The Middle Seat of Cards

Southwest Priority Card Review: So-So Perks for the Price

United Explorer: Richer Rewards, Perks You’ll Actually Use

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card Review: Worth the Fee for Airline Loyalists

Atmos Rewards Summit Card: Perks as Rare as They Are Valuable

Resources discussed in this episode:

Southwest to Tie Companion Pass to New Top Tier, Add Perks

Early Look: Inside Southwest’s Upcoming Lounges

United Makes Elite Status All About Spending

Delta One Upgrades Its Food and Amenities

Want even more expert travel insights and points and miles hacks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to find award availability for hard-to-book business class flights and hotels using your points and miles to travel.

Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss how to find availability for hard-to-book award flights and hotels to help you get more value from your points and miles when you travel. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including American Express’ plans to open and expand Centurion Lounges in Newark, London, Houston and Philadelphia, American Airlines’ largest-ever Admirals Club lounge coming to Charlotte, expiring credit card transfer bonuses to Marriott Bonvoy, Flying Blue and Japan Airlines, the first-ever Encanto stage show aboard the upcoming Disney Believe cruise ship, Expedia’s 2027 travel trends report, and a reminder to join the waitlist for Smart Travel IRL, the show’s first in-person meetup in New York.

Then, joined by NerdWallet lead travel writer Craig Joseph, they discuss how to land hard-to-get award seats and hotel rooms, with tips and tricks on using award search tools and alerts to catch availability when it opens up, when booking far in advance or close to departure could pay off, and how flexible dates, positioning flights and speculative bookings could help you score aspirational redemptions.

Join Sally and Meghan for a night of live Q&A, games (hint: brush up on those obscure travel credit card benefits), and mingling with fellow travelers! The drinks are on us. And yes, there are prizes, courtesy of some of the travel brands you already use. Meet other locals who love traveling with points and miles. RSVP required. Let us know if you’re coming and we’ll save you a spot. https://partiful.com/e/OOSMfQpFw9PPNn4Cat0H

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: Strong Option for Travel Rewards

World of Hyatt Card Review: Lavish Benefits, Reasonable Cost

Atmos Rewards Summit Card: Perks as Rare as They Are Valuable

American Express Platinum Review: Top-Notch Lounge Access, Big Credits

Resources discussed in this episode:

Smart Travel IRL: A meetup for travel and credit card nerds

American Express Continues to Expand the Centurion Lounge Network with Its Largest Lounge Yet, Further Strengthening its Presence in New York and London

Premium travel with a touch of southern charm: American announces its largest Admirals Club lounge in Charlotte

Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses: October 2026

Disney Believe Updates: New Disney Cruise Ship Sailing in Late 2027

Unpack ’27: The Trends in Travel

Atmos Rewards Adds New Ways to Earn, Plus Seats and Lounges

First Look: United’s Most Premium Plane With Polaris Studios

Flagship Suite seats are the new first: American Airlines unveils its premium-configured Boeing 777-300ER

Bilt Rewards Adds Japan Airlines as a Transfer Partner

The Best Award Travel Search Tools

Seats.aero Award Search Review: A Go-To for Expert Travelers

PointsYeah Award Search Review: A Great Tool for Points Collectors

Gondola Review: My Favorite Hotel Award Search Tool

Hyatt’s New Award Chart Raises Points Prices for Most Nights

Bilt to Reduce Hyatt Transfer Ratio to 4:3 in 2027

How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2026?

Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to use award travel search tools like Seats.aero to find flights you can book with points and miles.

Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss how to search for award flights across dozens of airline loyalty programs to help you get more value from your credit card points and miles. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including Bilt joining Chase in cutting its World of Hyatt transfer ratio, a new premium IHG card from Chase and changes to the rest of the IHG card lineup, elevated welcome offers on United credit cards, the Lyft app launching in Europe.

Then, joined by Ian Carroll, founder of Seats.aero, Meghan Coyle discusses how award search tools work and how to find hard-to-get award seats, with tips and tricks on when airlines tend to release award availability, how flexible dates and destinations could unlock better redemptions, and how to weigh taxes and fees and spot phantom availability before you transfer points.

Join Sally and Meghan for a night of live Q&A, games (hint: brush up on those obscure travel credit card benefits), and mingling with fellow travelers! The drinks are on us. And yes, there are prizes, courtesy of some of the travel brands you already use. Meet other locals who love traveling with points and miles. RSVP required. Let us know if you’re coming and we’ll save you a spot. https://partiful.com/e/OOSMfQpFw9PPNn4Cat0H

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

Dear Bilt Palladium: You’re Welcome to Move in, but You Won’t Pay the Rent

Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: Strong Option for Travel Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve Review: A High-End, High-Maintenance Card

IHG One Rewards Premier Review: Free Nights on a Gold Platter

IHG One Rewards Card Review: Plentiful Points, No Annual Fee

IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card: Elite Status and Baller Welcome Bonus

United Explorer: Richer Rewards, Perks You’ll Actually Use

United Gateway Card Review: A No-Annual-Fee Ticket to Airline Miles

United Quest Card: Piles of Perks and Credits, $350 Annual Fee

United Club Infinite Review: $695 Fee May Still Lure Lounge Lovers

American Express Platinum Review: Top-Notch Lounge Access, Big Credits

Resources discussed in this episode:

Smart Travel IRL: A meetup for travel and credit card nerds

Bilt to Reduce Hyatt Transfer Ratio to 4:3 in 2027

Is the New IHG Premium Card Worth Its $350 Fee?

Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders

Seats.aero Award Search Review: A Go-To for Expert Travelers

How to Calculate the Cent-Per-Point Value for Travel Redemptions

Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to book your first flight with points and miles, and how to tell whether an award flight is a good deal.

Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss the basics of booking flights with points and miles to help you turn a stash of rewards into your next trip. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including a new Atmos Rewards option that lets members choose how they earn points, upcoming Bank of America points transfers to Atmos, Bilt adding Amtrak as a transfer partner, a planned Chase Sapphire Lounge in Seattle, a new American Airlines and STARLUX codeshare partnership, and details on Smart Travel IRL, the show's first in-person meetup.

Then, they discuss how beginners can book flights with points and miles, with tips and tricks on figuring out what your points are actually worth, using award search tools to find availability across airlines, and knowing when it could make sense to transfer credit card points to an airline partner.

Enter for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card — and help us improve our show — by taking our listener survey! Find the survey and official sweepstakes rules here.

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

Atmos Rewards Business Card Review: More Value for the Most Loyal

Resources discussed in this episode:

Atmos Rewards Adds New Ways to Earn, Plus Seats and Lounges

Bilt Adds Amtrak as a Transfer Partner at a 2:1 Ratio

Exclusive: Chase Plans A 16,000-Square Foot Sapphire Lounge At Seattle Airport

American Airlines and STARLUX Airlines launch codeshare partnership to expand trans-Pacific flight options

Smart Travel IRL: A meetup for travel and credit card nerds

How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2026?

Credit Card Transfer Partners At A Glance

When Chase’s Points Boost Makes Sense For Business Class Flights

The Best Award Travel Search Tool for 2026

Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel.

The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices