The ADHD Traveler's Guide to Airport Security, Budgeting and Staying on Schedule
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Another hotel program is changing its award chart, which means some top-tier hotels are going to get more expensive when booked on points. Devaluation, anyone? Plus, there's a new Delta One Lounge out there. Welcome to Smart Travel from NerdWallet, a deep dive into the tips, tools, and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Tess Vigeland, in for Megan Coyle.
And I'm Sally French.
And we're the travel nerds, ready to help you plan your next big trip.
And let's just hope you remember to bring your passport for that trip. My officially diagnosed ADHD brain has forgotten to bring my passport before, but today's episode is all about tips and tricks for traveling with ADHD.
And I think it's got some pretty useful tricks for neurotypical brains as well, Sally. I promise this episode feels like the ultimate roundup of travel tips and dealing with fires, or maybe as you said, just forgotten passports.
But first, before we get to all that good stuff, is our disclaimer, and that is that we'll talk about a few credit card companies that are NerdWallet partners in this episode. That does not influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms, and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of posting, but things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening. For the latest details, follow the links in the episode description. Now, if you have a stash of Wyndham points or you've been thinking about earning some, you might want to pay close attention.
Yeah, Wyndham Rewards just announced that they are completely shaking up their famous fixed award night structure. For years, they've had three distinct tiers, but starting in September on the 15th of 2026, that's expanding to four tiers, like a really tall wedding cake.
Ooh, I like that. Now, before everyone panics and assumes this is a standard run-of-the-mill devaluation, There's actually a mix of good and bad news here. Let's start tests with the good. Wyndham is introducing a new lower tier. That means free nights will start now at just 5,000 points. That is actually down from their previous minimum, which was 7,500 points.
That's pretty great for budget road trips or quick airport stays.
Totally. I'm with you there. Of course, there is always catch. Always catch. Of course. They are also introducing a brand new higher end tier.
Oh no, I knew this was coming.
They say it's a small number. We don't know exactly how many, but some of their most elevated properties are going to jump up to 45,000 points a night.
Wow. So the fancy hotels are getting more expensive, of course.
Tess, this is a trend that we have been seeing with many other brands. Hyatt recently did something just like this. Everyone's jumping on the trend. So as far as those two middle tiers, though, they are staying at the fixed 15,000 and 30,000 points. Wyndham is reshuffling hotels across the board, though, so some hotels are moving up. A lot of those luxury, lifestyle, and all-inclusive properties very likely are going to go even more up to that 45,000-point ceiling.
You know, the silver lining here is that Wyndham is keeping their promise of fixed redemption rates. So there is still no dynamic pricing, no seasonal spikes, which I know you and Megan always talk about how much you love those. Plus, they're giving us a pretty good heads up. These changes don't take effect until, as we said, mid-September.
Book right now if you have a specific Wyndham property in mind, especially if it's one of those expensive all-inclusive properties. I would say get it on the books today.
Exactly. You can book most properties up to a year in advance to lock in the current lower award rates.
Also, pro tip, Wyndham points are refundable if your plans change. Even better, if you book a hotel now and its rate actually drops to that new 5,000-point tier in September, Wyndham will refund you the difference.
So there's really zero risk here in booking early, but a pretty massive risk if you wait. So you heard it here first, folks. We should also mention that Built got a new transfer partner this week.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–4:19
2
What travel loyalty program changes should Wyndham points holders know about?
4:19–12:44
3
How does Bilt's new transfer partnership affect hotel reward redemptions?
12:44–20:18
4
What new amenities does the Delta One lounge at LAX offer and who can access it?
20:18–30:55
5
How did Sally realize her ADHD and how did it change her travel habits?
30:55–55:11
Speakers
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