One of my favorite episodes! If you ever read this Nick, can you tell us how you got tickets to Fiji for 4 in business. I would love to be able to go one day!
Thank you for mentioning that Hyatt SUB is actually 45k and not 60k! Was really disappointed when we hit the spend and expected our 2nd 30k bonus and didn’t get it! :/ Wish they would be more transparent about their SUB
Nick & Greg: it is a pleasure to listen to your podcast almost everyday on my way to work for the past whole year. I have learned so much about the points & miles game, how to maximize my spending and the ability to travel in style for less. I can't agree more that this points and miles game could be very addicting, could be even seen as irrational to some people, but is very rewarding to me as it truly has helped to open new amazing ways of travel that I could never think or dream of before. For example, I just got back from an international trip to Asia. It was almost 3 weeks long, to 4 different countries, on business class flights booked with airlines miles, C1 miles, free night stays via points or certificates with Hyatt & Marriott hotels or Hilton resorts, transportation cost refunded by different credit card perks (CSR, Amex). Traveling around the world almost for free is actually a real thing!
Nick, this podcast really humanized you. 99% of the time you guys are unrelatable but you seemed like a regular person who is grateful for the things in your life. I want to see a Nick podcast now.
Love the story about how you stumbled into the points and miles game. I, at 39, planning a paid trip to Europe with my wife and after applying for a United Explorer Card, stumbled upon credit card channels on TH-cam. So my wife and I did our 24 day Euro trip hopping through Europe after having gotten a Venture X card. Just having Lounge access made my wife excited about credit cards. Our future trips with Business class flights and luxury hotel stays will only strengthen that excitement. So many points only wish I did what you guys do for a living so I could also have the time! Haha
What a great podcast I don't do nearly as much international as you two, but my next trips are Tampa in 4 weeks, DC in 6 weeks and Clearwater in 2 months. All flights and hotel nights will be on points or certs, including Westins and Wyndham Grand! That is just getting started on the summer travel schedule!
Is there a good tool to compile hotel booking option? I.e. agencies, directly with the hotel, etc? If not, what is you guys’ method for finding hotel? Right now I am stumped. I want to go to San Diego so I opened all the hotel programs I know and found the best deals then went to all the agencies I know and searched up those deals on the agencies to see if there was something better. Am I doing things in the wrong order?
I do something similar. In theory something like Trivago should also show prices when booked directly with the hotel chain, but I've found those aren't always accurate and so I like to search everywhere. -Stephen
That giant mailbag guy has a point and I found myself pondering the same thing. A lot of the things in the credit card game is forcing us or asking us to spend money to get some other benefit that we are trying to quantify by points or miles. The easiest way is always to simply not spend the money or not sign up for that card and spend the six thousand or fifteen thousand dollars, the savings is always higher by not spending the money. And frankly the quality of life does not change. The average person if they weren't spending so much money, literally a month's rent to live in a two-bedroom apartment in many of these countries is the price of two hotel nights. And you don't have to take flights back and forth several times per year from your home in the US. What Nick was saying is you may have kids and you might benefit from the free breakfast etc. But the easiest answer would simply to be not stay at the hotel or eat a healthier breakfast you make yourself that costs you $1.50. Just because they charge you $70 does not mean it's worth that much.
Loved the segment on The World Unlocked…… humble beginnings
One of my favorite episodes! If you ever read this Nick, can you tell us how you got tickets to Fiji for 4 in business. I would love to be able to go one day!
Thank you for mentioning that Hyatt SUB is actually 45k and not 60k! Was really disappointed when we hit the spend and expected our 2nd 30k bonus and didn’t get it! :/ Wish they would be more transparent about their SUB
Nick & Greg: it is a pleasure to listen to your podcast almost everyday on my way to work for the past whole year. I have learned so much about the points & miles game, how to maximize my spending and the ability to travel in style for less. I can't agree more that this points and miles game could be very addicting, could be even seen as irrational to some people, but is very rewarding to me as it truly has helped to open new amazing ways of travel that I could never think or dream of before. For example, I just got back from an international trip to Asia. It was almost 3 weeks long, to 4 different countries, on business class flights booked with airlines miles, C1 miles, free night stays via points or certificates with Hyatt & Marriott hotels or Hilton resorts, transportation cost refunded by different credit card perks (CSR, Amex). Traveling around the world almost for free is actually a real thing!
Nick, this podcast really humanized you. 99% of the time you guys are unrelatable but you seemed like a regular person who is grateful for the things in your life. I want to see a Nick podcast now.
Love the story about how you stumbled into the points and miles game. I, at 39, planning a paid trip to Europe with my wife and after applying for a United Explorer Card, stumbled upon credit card channels on TH-cam. So my wife and I did our 24 day Euro trip hopping through Europe after having gotten a Venture X card. Just having Lounge access made my wife excited about credit cards. Our future trips with Business class flights and luxury hotel stays will only strengthen that excitement. So many points only wish I did what you guys do for a living so I could also have the time! Haha
What a great podcast I don't do nearly as much international as you two, but my next trips are Tampa in 4 weeks, DC in 6 weeks and Clearwater in 2 months. All flights and hotel nights will be on points or certs, including Westins and Wyndham Grand! That is just getting started on the summer travel schedule!
Good episode, I have to agree that we have one of those ahhhh moment when thinking about travelling for free or almost free just hit right inside.
I am not sure I would use Globalist status enough to warrant the 13 more nights I would need. BUT I am tempted for sure.
If I had a Category 1 property near me I would. Net 47k points for Globalist? Count me in! Unfortunately the lowest category near me is a 3.
I feel like sending instant emails feels like something an app notification would be better suited for… imagine a frequent miler app 🤔
Is there a good tool to compile hotel booking option? I.e. agencies, directly with the hotel, etc? If not, what is you guys’ method for finding hotel? Right now I am stumped. I want to go to San Diego so I opened all the hotel programs I know and found the best deals then went to all the agencies I know and searched up those deals on the agencies to see if there was something better. Am I doing things in the wrong order?
I do something similar. In theory something like Trivago should also show prices when booked directly with the hotel chain, but I've found those aren't always accurate and so I like to search everywhere.
-Stephen
That giant mailbag guy has a point and I found myself pondering the same thing. A lot of the things in the credit card game is forcing us or asking us to spend money to get some other benefit that we are trying to quantify by points or miles. The easiest way is always to simply not spend the money or not sign up for that card and spend the six thousand or fifteen thousand dollars, the savings is always higher by not spending the money. And frankly the quality of life does not change.
The average person if they weren't spending so much money, literally a month's rent to live in a two-bedroom apartment in many of these countries is the price of two hotel nights. And you don't have to take flights back and forth several times per year from your home in the US.
What Nick was saying is you may have kids and you might benefit from the free breakfast etc. But the easiest answer would simply to be not stay at the hotel or eat a healthier breakfast you make yourself that costs you $1.50. Just because they charge you $70 does not mean it's worth that much.
What if I’m subscribed to instant email list, and I want more? :)
Thank you for an amazing podcast and everything you do!