Miles to Go Podcast

Bilt Just Fixed One Of Its Biggest Problems

3.3K views · 1w ago · 42:35

This week on Miles To Go, Ed Pizza and Richard Kerr dig into a packed list of loyalty program updates, starting with some welcome news for Bilt members Bilt Cash will no longer expire at the end of the calendar year. Instead, it moves to a rolling 12-month expiration schedule, giving members more flexibility to use their rewards.

Topics: Halloween banter, Miami and Richard's laser-tag victory · Bilt Cash moves to rolling 12-month expiration · Bilt Daily Rewards: instant prizes and million-dollar possibilities · New Bilt credit card rules and the 4% Bilt Cash decision · Changes to Bilt Cash hotel redemptions · Hertz and SIXT elite status and Home Away From Home points redemptions

Southwest Just Killed One of the Best Deals in Travel

8.6K views · 1w ago · 55:37

Guests: Leslie Harvey, Adam Duckworth

Southwest just made one of the best deals in travel much harder to get. And United Airlines isn't making elite status any easier—or cheaper. This week, Ed is joined by Leslie Harvey of Trips With Tykes and Disney Deciphered to break down Southwest's major Rapid Rewards overhaul coming in 2027. The biggest change?

Topics: Leslie Harvey returns to discuss Southwest's big changes · Southwest overhauls Rapid Rewards and Companion Pass · New milestone rewards and reduced points earning · Is Southwest still worth flying without Companion Pass? · Ed's surprising Southwest assigned-seating experience · Adam Duckworth on Travelmation, Las Vegas and Five Guys

This Airline Will Give You 20% of Your Miles Back Just for Flying With Your Kids

2.5K views · 3w ago · 30:06

Ed and Richard are back with a packed episode of Miles To Go, and Alaska Airlines is making some of the most interesting loyalty moves we've seen in a while. There's also good news for Bilt members who want Alaska status. A new benefit allows members of Alaska's Global Locals community to earn status points when transferring rewards into Atmos. Richard explains why this could be particularly useful for topping off an elite qualification balance at the end of the year.

Topics: Alaska announces new Atmos debit and credit cards · Alaska's six communities and 20% family award rebate · Bilt transfers can help earn Alaska elite status · Park Hyatt's first all-inclusive resort · Live award search: 55,000–65,000 Hyatt points per night · Capital One Shopping: up to 25% back on Expedia

We Weren’t Paying Attention to This $350 Credit Card. Maybe We Should Have Been.

3.5K views · 3w ago · 32:46

Ed and Richard are back home this week, and there's plenty to discuss—including some news that won't make Hyatt fans particularly happy. First, a listener asks about Richard's recent stay at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. Richard thinks it's perfectly fine for a business trip, but for tourists he'd rather stay closer to Old Montreal. That also leads to a quick history lesson from Ed about Canada's classic railway hotels.

Topics: Richard reviews the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal · Bilt changes Hyatt transfers from 1:1 to 4:3 · Is the $95 Citi Strata Premier underrated? · The $350 IHG card that deserves another look · How far do 60,000 IHG points actually go? · American and United target Delta elites

This Plane May Have TOO MANY Premium Seats

74K views · 1mo ago · 41:12

Ed and Richard are back together after a weekend in New York—and before they can get to travel, there are some important matters to resolve. Richard has strong opinions about restaurant eggs, Ed has an explanation for his highly unusual chicken-wing-eating technique, and Julian and Jillian apparently think a perfectly reasonable honeymoon itinerary involves going from the Maldives to Lapland to Iceland.

Topics: Bilt adds Amtrak as its 26th transfer partner · Follow-up, restaurant eggs and Richard's Cracker Barrel problem · Julian's completely normal Maldives–Lapland–Iceland honeymoon · Citi Double Cash + Strata Elite: a better way to earn American miles? · Another Boeing 737 MAX software issue · Fourth Night Free hotels and Fourth Day Free car rentals

Is Citi Strata Elite Underrated? Plus Porter’s E2 Surprise and $399 “Private” Flying

10K views · 1mo ago · 43:45

Ed and Richard are back, and Richard's Flight Wall is finally making its on-camera debut—although New York airspace isn't exactly cooperating. Ed recaps a very AvGeek-heavy few days, including Cranky Dorkfest at LAX, where aviation fans got up close with everything from a United 787 and American's AirCal livery to Southwest's 1776 MAX 8 and Lufthansa's 100th-anniversary 747.

Topics: Richard's Flight Wall makes its on-camera debut · Ed recaps Cranky Dorkfest at LAX · Montreal's YHU and Ed's first Porter E195-E2 flight · Five hours on a regional jet: was it actually comfortable? · Have Ed and Richard been overlooking Citi Strata Elite? · Ed reviews his first real Blacklane experience

When Flying to Japan Costs Less Than Flying to Orlando

5.2K views · 1mo ago · 38:02

Guest: Summer Hull

The whole gang is here! Ed and Richard are joined by Summer Hull and newly ChatGPT-certified travel genius Julian Kheel for an episode that somehow takes 17 minutes to get to the news—and makes pretty good use of those 17 minutes.

JetBlue Adds First Class. Now Can It Get You There On Time?

1.5K views · 1mo ago · 53:59

Guest: Points Path

JetBlue is finally adding domestic first class—but is a nicer seat really what the airline needs most? Ed and Richard are joined by Points Path founder Julian Kheel for a packed episode that starts with JetBlue's plans for three rows of domestic first class. The guys like plenty about the JetBlue onboard experience, but there's an elephant in the room: operational reliability.

Topics: JetBlue finally reveals its domestic first-class plans · Does JetBlue need first class—or better reliability? · Why domestic airfare has gotten so expensive · The numbers behind JetBlue's operational struggles · Is JetBlue "depremiuming" the rest of the cabin? · Julian weighs in on Google's AI award search

Google AI Can Search Award Flights. But Can You Trust It?

2.1K views · 2mo ago · 42:03

Google is officially getting deeper into the points-and-miles world, and Ed and Richard have plenty of questions. Google is adding travel functionality to AI Mode that can search for points-and-miles availability directly from participating airlines and hotel programs. Initial integrations include Alaska, Hawaiian, American, Choice, Hilton and Wyndham, with Flying Blue, Hyatt, LATAM and Lufthansa among those expected to follow.

Topics: Google brings points-and-miles searches to AI Mode · Richard tests Google's award search live · Wrong prices, missing results and Google's accuracy problem · Live test: finding a Marriott award during a Braves home game · Would Ed and Richard actually use Google AI to book travel? · Bilt's new Blacklane partnership

Flying Blue Unbundles Awards, Alaska Adds Europe, and Who Really Deserves That Upgrade?

1.8K views · 2mo ago · 30:44

Who actually deserves that empty first-class seat—and should an airline ever downgrade a passenger to make room for its own crew? Ed and Richard kick things off with two very different upgrade situations on American Airlines. Richard found himself first on the upgrade list with two seats remaining, only to see those seats occupied by non-revenue flight attendants.

Topics: Richard gets skipped for a first-class upgrade · Non-revs vs. deadheading crews: who should get the seat? · Should an award passenger ever be downgraded for a pilot? · Flying Blue introduces Light, Standard and Flex awards · Business class without lounge access, seat selection or flexibility · Starlux sells miles for an eye-popping four cents each

American Cuts Upgrades, Delta Adds More First Class, and Bilt Cash Takes Flight

2K views · 2mo ago · 44:46

Ed and Richard are back home after another exhausting stretch of travel, and Richard has survived Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas—barely. Before getting into the airline news, they recap the Vegas experience, including $25 asparagus, $34 cocktails, increasingly unfriendly casino odds, Bellagio’s surprising food problem, and why “free parking” has somehow become a legitimate Las Vegas selling point.

Topics: Surviving Virtuoso Travel Week and the Vegas heat · Bilt Cash can now pay for Blade helicopter flights · Vegas prices, free parking and Bellagio’s food problem · United’s aging planes, broken Wi-Fi and the convenience of SNA · Ed’s first D23 and the biggest Disney announcements · New details change the Amanvari hotel controversy

Our Take On The Crazy YouTube Amanvari Kerrfluffle And American Raises Lounge Prices

1.8K views · 2mo ago · 29:27

Airline lounge access keeps getting more expensive—and Ed and Richard are wondering who is actually paying these prices. That leads to a broader discussion about whether airport lounges deserve as much weight as they get when travelers evaluate premium credit cards. Crowding, long lines, limited space, and inconsistent food all make Ed question how much real value lounge access adds.

The Chase Lounge Debate, Richard’s Birthday, and Julian’s Very Expensive Honeymoon

566 views · 3mo ago · 20:55

This week is a little different—and a lot more fun. Ed is joined in person by Richard Kerr, Summer Hull from The Points Guy, and Julian Kheel from Points Path as the group gathers in Las Vegas to celebrate Richard's birthday. Before diving into travel topics, they swap stories about their first meetings, early podcast appearances, and how surprisingly bad they all are at remembering each other.

Topics: Richard's birthday and how everyone first met · Chase Lounge access changes explained · Will Chase Lounges become as crowded as Centurion Lounges? · Summer reviews Capital One Landings at LaGuardia · What are premium airport lounges really worth? · The hidden value of the Ritz-Carlton Card

These Premium Cabin Awards Still Exist... If You Know Where to Look

771 views · 3mo ago · 29:24

Guest: Clint Henderson

This week Ed is joined by Clint Henderson from The Points Guy for a deep dive into some of the best premium-cabin award opportunities still available—and why flexibility is becoming more important than ever. The conversation also explores why holding a United credit card is becoming increasingly valuable, with cardholders gaining access to dramatically better award pricing than non-cardholders.

Topics: Clint Henderson joins the show · Slack Community updates and Points Path Flex Alerts · Bilt's new Accor Live Limitless status match · Why United credit cards unlock better award pricing · Award pricing inflation and where the best value still exists · Hyatt's growing Suite Upgrade Award exclusion list

Best Travel Movies Of All Time, Vegas Luxury And Boeing Oversight

533 views · 3mo ago · 35:03

Severe weather created another difficult weekend for travelers, and Richard opens the episode with the story of getting his sister home after JetBlue canceled her flight and could not offer another option for several days. The solution involved a train to Baltimore, a Southwest flight and a reminder of why keeping points available for emergencies can be so valuable.

Topics: Weather cancellations and getting Richard’s sister home · Ed reviews the MGM Skylofts · Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 100,000-point offer · Debating the best travel movies ever · Boeing regains aircraft-certification authority · Slack Community and Points Path benefits