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PODCAST

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

Thrifty Traveler

Welcome to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast – a travel podcast where we dig into the latest travel news and trends and discuss all the best ways to earn and redeem your points and miles! From the ins and outs of booking cheap flights, exploring the best ways to use your airline miles, or diving into other next-level money-saving travel tips, your hosts Gunnar Olson and Kyle Potter will bring you the best of Thrifty Traveler every week! Follow us today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you

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All Episodes

01:04:16

What We Do When Travel Goes Wrong: How to Survive...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/11/13

Almost everything went wrong in air travel over the past week and change - including for Gunnar and Kyle’s own flights - as the shutdown took a nasty turn with thousands of delays and cancellations. Shutdown or not, the guys dig into all the strategies they use to get through air travel disruptions (relatively) unscathed. Tune in for tips for booking, tracking your flights, and how to get things back on track. They also discuss what’s next after the shutdown (hopefully) ends, give some kudos to Bilt

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00:45:47

Biz Class Bonanza, New Lounges & 6 Big News Stories

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/11/06

It’s another news breakdown! This week on the show, we dig into eight big news stories in travel, from Southwest’s newest lounge (including our suggestions for what Southwest should offer), more new lounges in Salt Lake City, the dramatic return of Australia and New Zealand business class points deals, and some surprisingly good news from both United and Hilton. Plus, Gunnar finally finds a workaround to talk about Canada on the pod … while giving Kyle some editorial control. Teamwork!This week’s

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01:01:54

A Trip to Bora Bora, New Zealand & Australia —...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/10/30

On this week’s podcast, Kyle recaps a whirlwind trip that included an overwater villa in Bora Bora, driving the wild landscapes of New Zealand, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, and a 10-seat mezcal bar in Sydney - booked almost entirely using points and miles … including several business class flights! The guys walk through how he did it, cover some highlights and hard lessons, too. Plus, they talk about some stellar SkyMiles sales to Mexico, an update on how the ongoing government shutdown

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00:53:42

Mistake Fares 101: How to Snag the Cheapest Flights...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/10/23

It’s finally time for a mistake fare episode! Kyle and Gunnar talk about the most exciting fares in the world of flight deals, when airlines accidentally sell tickets at ridiculous discounts. The guys talk through their favorite mistake fares from over the years, how to find and book the next one, and what you need to watch for. Plus, they discuss why holiday flight deals are so much better this year, their new favorite mileage program that might not be on your radar, and Delta’s possibly

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00:57:39

Inside The Premium Travel Boom: Airlines Are Going...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/10/16

This week, Gunnar and Kyle (who both coincidentally wore fresh Lululemon gear on the pod, courtesy of new $75 credits) spend some extra time digging into the ongoing government shutdown and what it means for travelers heading to airports today, tomorrow, next week and beyond. But the big topic of the day is diving into the premium travel boom, as airlines install fancier seats, build new airport lounges, and generally cater to the upper crust. Gunnar and Kyle debate whether or not that’s good news

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00:58:14

Beating the Rental Car Companies & Hotel Chains, with...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/10/09

This week, a bonafide travel hacker and self-proclaimed “bad boy of the travel industry” joins the show to discuss his two services that help millions travel more for less.Jonathan Weinberg is the founder and CEO of our beloved AutoSlash and, more recently, HotelSlash. So who better to hop on the podcast and make both Gunnar and Kyle smarter about the worlds of hotel and car rental booking? Jonathan talks about his career before getting into travel – including his firsthand experience being in the

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00:53:15

Tools of the Trade: How We Earn, Organize & Redeem...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/10/02

Using points and miles to travel for less is what we’re all about … but even two brilliant, handsome podcasters like us (yes, that’s sarcasm) need some help to earn more of them, get organized, and redeem those awards for better travel. So this week, we open up our toolboxes and run through the tools we use to travel better - including a few tools we created for our listeners to use for free! Come to get smarter about points and miles, stay to hear the rollercoaster that is Gunnar’s self-esteem

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00:49:47

Bye Basic Economy, How Hilton Screwed Us & Other Huge...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/25

Gunnar and Kyle celebrate their recent travel bookings (a.k.a. “Getting Booksy”) before diving into an extremely busy couple days of travel news. Gunnar introduces an unhinged new “Stoke Scale” to help the guys rank a flurry of new route announcements from Italy to Hong Kong, and more. Plus, they break down stories you need to know about the Park Hyatt Tokyo, Hilton’s woes, Delta’s future in Mexico City, some intriguing new Capital One transfer partners, and more! Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Kyle

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00:55:38

The New Amex Platinum Card: The Good, The Bad & The...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/18

Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - The new Amex Platinum Card has a new look … but does it matter?02:10 - The nuts and bolts of the new (and improved?) Platinum Card from American Express – and our reaction in 5 words or less04:00 - Something Hot: The Platinum Card credits you love aren’t going anywhere06:45 - Something Cold: An eye-watering $895 annual fee11:15 - Want more travel rewards and credit card news sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Extra Mile newsletter today! 11:45 - We go

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01:04:52

Why Flighty is Our Favorite Travel App, with CEO Ryan...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/17

This week, the guys dig deep on their favorite travel app: Flighty! Ryan Jones, the CEO of the incredibly powerful and beautifully designed flight tracking app, joins the podcast to explain how Flighty keeps travelers up-to-date using data data and what they’ll love about the new iOS features on the app. Plus, the guys compare their own delay data, pick their favorite underrated features, and discuss other travel apps and websites that are doing it best.Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - Introducing

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00:50:04

Mistake Fares & Award Availability: Insider Tips from...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/11

This week, we interview the most interesting man in travel: Peter Thornton! As Thrifty Traveler’s Senior Award Deal Analyst, Peter is responsible for finding all the best uses for your points and miles, but his long career in travel has touched nearly every aspect of the industry. From being a flight attendant to finding mistake fares for Airfare Watchdog and now analyzing points and miles deals, Peter knows more about airfare than anyone out there. And he’s the only one who played guitar for Ja

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01:15:23

Ask Us Anything: Amex Credits, Delta Upgrades, and...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/04

It’s our first ever mailbag episode! Kyle’s on vacation, so we lined up a bunch of the best questions we’ve been asked and gave you our best advice. We tackle topics such as positioning flight tips, what we would pay for a Delta One upgrade, how to maximize your Amex Platinum credits with a refresh coming, destinations that exceeded our expectations, airlines as NFL quarterbacks, and the best and worst parts about our jobs. And remember: Be like Kyle and take your vacation days, people!Watch us on

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01:04:41

All Our Best Tricks & Tools to Find the Cheapest...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/28

We’re going back to basics this week by showcasing all the strategies, tips and tricks that we use to book the cheapest flight - every single time we fly. That requires some mythbusting about the dumbest tips out there (here’s looking at you, incognito searchers and Tuesday-only bookers) and shed some light on the actual best tips (i.e. Google Flights Explore and price alerts). Never get fleeced on flights again with these tips. Special shoutout to the sponsor of this week’s episode, Abundo

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00:59:37

Upgrade Prices, RIP Alaska Miles & More Big Travel...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/21

News, news, and more breaking travel news. There’s been so many big stories in the travel world lately, Gunnar and Kyle blew up the normal show format and spent the episode going beyond the headlines, breaking down everything you need to know. There’s more on new pricing shenanigans from airlines and Uber, the ins and outs of Alaska’s new loyalty program, a big upgrade for Google Flights, and much much more. Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - A self-indulgent review of Gunnar’s favorite hotel in the world:

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00:33:30

A Family Trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics w/ TT’s...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/14

This week’s podcast is honestly just a selfish exercise for Gunnar, who uses his coworker’s expertise to plan a trip to the 2026 Olympics, get tips on flying with kids, and brag about how to make Thrifty Traveler Premium the best flight deal alert service out there. This week we welcomed Thrifty Traveler’s Product Manager, Tracey Burtch, to talk about how her time representing Team USA Figure Skating sparked a love of travel and how she now devotes her career to helping others do the same. Plus,

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00:48:20

Lie-Flat for Less: 9 Biz Class Seats You Can Easily...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/07

Points and miles aren’t worth anything if you can’t use them. If you want to fly lie-flat business class (most of us, right?), it can be excruciating to find flights you can actually book with points. But some stand out as being much easier to book - if not downright easy. Gunnar and Kyle shine the spotlight on the airlines and routes where it’s easiest to score that business class seat using miles. Plus, they chat about rising surcharges on award tickets and look at why Gunnar is adding a new

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01:06:51

Delta One to Hawaii & a Love-Hate of Cruises with...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/31

The hilarious Jason Matheson - host of The Jason Show on FOX and a 20-year veteran of morning talk radio - joins the show to talk all things travel with Kyle and Gunnar. Claiming to be Thrifty Traveler’s #1 fan, Jason tells us what Canadian city sparked his love of travel before diving deep into what he loves about Hawaii and Disney. He also tries to sell the guys on cruising and he even reveals his bougiest travel take. Join us for the funniest episode of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast yet!Watch us

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00:49:13

Will AI Wreck Air Travel?

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/24

The world of airfare is changing before our eyes. Airlines have jacked up the price of one-way flights and targeted solo passengers with higher fares, too. And, more troublingly, carriers like Delta (and others) are now leaning on AI to set airfare … raising the prospect of personalized pricing. What does it all mean? Kyle and Gunnar break it all down on this week’s episode, telling you how airfare is changing, why, and who’s responsible. Plus, why this is your year to go to Costa Rica … and the

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00:53:47

Travel Like Gunnar & Kyle - The Tips, Tricks & Apps...

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/17

We’re in the heart of the summer travel season, so Gunnar and Kyle put together a Travel Survival Guide to help you grease the wheels of your next trip. The guys dig into the best ways to avoid delays and cancellations (including sharing their own worst delays), plus tell you all the apps, tools, and knowledge you should bring with you on your trip to make it go smoothly this summer or fall. The guys also talk about TSA’s new (and drastically improved) shoe policy and the insane thing CLEAR wants to

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00:54:09

Is Award Travel Actually Getting … Easier?

The Thrifty Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/10

It’s the news every points and miles aficionado has been waiting for: After years of pain, award travel is, in fact, getting easier. Alongside an undeniable trend in red-hot cheap airfare, outstanding deals keep popping up to redeem your points - whether you’re on the hunt for a discounted economy deal or a notoriously hard-to-book lie-flat award ticket.So Gunnar and Kyle dig into what’s driving this lovely new trend and, most importantly, the dozen or so deals that have us thinking that award

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39 results

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