The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Episodes
Ask Us Anything: Biz Class to Australia, How We Earn Points & Big Pod News!
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Against all odds, our baby - this humble travel podcast - is one year old! So the guys are celebrating the best way they know how: by turning the show...
More Flights, Fewer Points: 5 Underrated Mileage Programs
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, you can earn and redeem SkyMiles and Rapid Rewards points to your heart’s content. We won’t stop you. But it’s the next level of points an...
More Southwest Drama, United’s Bold Move & More Big News
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we round up all the recent travel news that’s fit to podcast! That includes Kyle’s experience with CLEAR’s (honestly amazing) new e-g...
The Best (& Worst) Business Classes in the World
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kyle and Gunnar are joined by Thrifty Traveler Chief Flight Deal Analyst (and Domino’s elite member) Jon Shallbetter, who helps them put the 37 comb...
RIP World of Hyatt? Dissecting Big, Bad Changes
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re all too accustomed to hotels and airlines making negative changes, but Hyatt genuinely broke our hearts this week. So Gunnar and Kyle devote t...
How We Find Cheap Flights: Inside Thrifty Traveler with Founder Jared Kamrowski
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do we find flight deals? How do you start a travel business? What’s next for Thrifty Traveler? For episode 50 of the show, we bring on Founder a...
Sneaky Delta Perks, Summer Travel Slowdown & 8 Other News Stories
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kyle is back from Costa Rica where he was breaking news from the beach! So the guys get caught up on all the latest travel news including a little-kno...
“These Bros Ain’t Loyal”: Why You Shouldn’t Chase Elite Status in 2026
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
People with status are often very loud about it (we’re looking at you Delta Medallions and Hyatt Globalists), but chasing airline and hotel loyalty ...
Our 5-Step Checklist: What We Do After Booking Flights
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to take your travels to the next level (and who doesn’t?), it’s not about what you do before booking a flight – it’s what you do a...
Is the Points Party Ending in 2026?
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A year ago, we saw signs award travel was on the upswing … but in 2026, we’re not so sure. Airlines’ constant tweaks to their mileage programs -...
What’s in our Wallets & Our 2026 Points Planners
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New year, new you, new travel card strategy? With the help of an extra special guest - TT co-founder Nick Serati - the guys answer the age-old questio...
Cheaper Fares Abroad, Big Bilt News, a Merger & 7 Other Big News Stories
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Watch us on YouTube!00:00 - About Gunnar’s controversial “Chicago-O’Hare is good” take…02:55 - Are airlines ditching higher one-way fares fo...
Biz Class to See Santa in Finnish Lapland: Gunnar’s Trip Report
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a special bonus episode as Gunnar recaps his recent trip to Finnish Laplan. Gunnar walks through his exceptional experience in Finnair Bus...
Let Us Cook: Our Spiciest Travel Pet Peeves & Hot Takes
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time to ratchet things up on the podcast this week. The guys have been too calm. This week on the pod, Gunnar and Kyle unleash their hottest tr...
Where You’ll Find the Best Flight Deals in 2026
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Where will you find the best flight deals in 2026? Where should you (and we!) travel this year? What else will shape the year of travel ahead - maybe ...
Our Ho-ho-holiday Mailbag, ft. Voicemails, Travel Mistakes, Canada & More
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the Thrifty Traveler Podcast Holiday Party, and what better way than to celebrate than with another mailbag episode?! We listen and react to vo...
Who Wins Our First Class & Lavatory Awards? Plus More 2025 Superlatives
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The end of the year is in sight, so it’s time for Gunnar and Kyle to pretend like they’re high schoolers on the pod (honestly, not a stretch) for ...
2 Ugly New Points Trends & 7 Other Big News Stories
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a December news roundup! On the latest Thrifty Traveler Podcast Gunnar and Kyle run through eight major news stories in travel and points and m...
Family Travel Tips with the Moms of Points Talk Squad
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is brought to you by Bilt. Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood by visiting joinbilt.com/thrifty. Make sure to use o...
From Guatemala to China & Ranking All the Disney Parks with Kasey DellaPenna
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The guys bring on co-worker and extra special guest Kasey DellaPenna - aka @kaseymeetsworld - to share her story of becoming a backpacking digital nom...
Is Lounge Access … Underrated? (& How to Get In for Less)
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Airport lounges aren’t just for the rich, the elite, and the bougie – we think they’re a crucial money-saving strategy for (nearly) all everyday...
What We Do When Travel Goes Wrong: How to Survive Delays & Cancellations
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 nast...
Biz Class Bonanza, New Lounges & 6 Big News Stories
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 su...
A Trip to Bora Bora, New Zealand & Australia — (Almost) All on Points!
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, scub...
Mistake Fares 101: How to Snag the Cheapest Flights on Earth
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 acciden...
Inside The Premium Travel Boom: Airlines Are Going All In on the 1%
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Beating the Rental Car Companies & Hotel Chains, with AutoSlash’s Jonathan Weinberg
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 mill...
Tools of the Trade: How We Earn, Organize & Redeem Points Smarter
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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) ne...
Bye Basic Economy, How Hilton Screwed Us & Other Huge Travel News
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle celebrate their recent travel bookings (a.k.a. “Getting Booksy”) before diving into an extremely busy couple days of travel news. ...
The New Amex Platinum Card: The Good, The Bad & The Oura Ring
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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?) Pla...
Why Flighty is Our Favorite Travel App, with CEO Ryan Jones
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the guys dig deep on their favorite travel app: Flighty! Ryan Jones, the CEO of the incredibly powerful and beautifully designed flight tra...
Mistake Fares & Award Availability: Insider Tips from Peter Thornton
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we interview the most interesting man in travel: Peter Thornton! As Thrifty Traveler’s Senior Award Deal Analyst, Peter is responsible fo...
Ask Us Anything: Amex Credits, Delta Upgrades, and Personal Questions
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 adv...
All Our Best Tricks & Tools to Find the Cheapest Flight, Every Time
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Upgrade Prices, RIP Alaska Miles & More Big Travel News You Need
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 form...
A Family Trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics w/ TT’s Tracey Burtch
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 tip...
Lie-Flat for Less: 9 Biz Class Seats You Can Easily Book with Points
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 excruciat...
Delta One to Hawaii & a Love-Hate of Cruises with TV’s Jason Matheson
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 wi...
Will AI Wreck Air Travel?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Travel Like Gunnar & Kyle - The Tips, Tricks & Apps We Swear By
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Is Award Travel Actually Getting … Easier?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 un...
Have Banks Lost the Plot with Premium Travel Cards? Ft. Nick Serati
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Higher annual fees. More perks. New lounges. It never stops.The big banks are going bigger than ever on their “premium” travel credit cards. So, G...
Delta SkyMiles Aren’t As Good (Or as Bad) as You Think
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can you find the best value for your SkyMiles? Are Delta SkyMiles worthless? Can you book Delta One for cheap? Am I an idiot for caring about SkyM...
Inside the Travel Influencer Boom, with MaxMilesPoints
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar's still enjoying the new life of a girldad, so Kyle brought our first-ever special guest on the show: Max Do - better known as MaxMilesPoints. ...
Getting Paid to Find Flight Deals, ft. Jon Shallbetter
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time to talk to the Oz of our flight deal service: Jon Shallbetter, aka Jonny Nonny. Gunnar and Kyle bring Jon on the show to talk about his wi...
Airlines Were Charging Solo Travelers More …Until We Called Them Out
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What else would we talk about on this week’s podcast than one of the biggest stories in travel? The three largest U.S. airlines were quietly chargin...
How Kyle Booked a Trip to England & Scotland on Points & Miles
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Kyle walks us through how he booked an epic trip to England and Scotland using points and miles. There’s a business class award to London...
Barcelona for Boston Prices: Europe Flight Deals are Bonkers Lately
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the show, Gunnar and Kyle talk about a recent, unprecedented run of roundtrip flights to Europe in the $400s, $300s, and even $200s. The ...
Why Gunnar Hates ‘Cents Per Mile’ & Loves Cold Destinations
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Kyle gets to fire up the grill and interview his co-host Gunnar his own career in journalism and travel, why he hates “cents per mile,”...
Punk, Politics & Travel w/ (Failed Uber Driver) Kyle Potter
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the show, we get to know co-host Kyle Potter a little better as Gunnar grills him on everything from his failed attempt at becoming an Ub...
Who Wins Our Frequent Flyer Program Fantasy Draft?
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The NFL Draft is over. Our Airline Mileage Program Draft is here as Gunnar and Kyle each pick their top 5 frequent flyer programs. Which airline pulle...
Big Five, Small Budget: Goin' on Safari with Points & Miles
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle pull out their binoculars to be your safari guides in this week’s episode. After going on their own safaris with the help of points ...
Travel is Cooling Down … & Flight Deals are Heating Up!
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle dive deep into the tenuous state of travel demand (it's slowing down) and what it means for travelers on the hunt for a bargain (good ...
The 10 Commandments of Points & Miles
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle go back to basics on the pod: It’s not the Five D’s of Dodgeball, it’s the 10 Commandments of Points and Miles. Whether you’re...
Chase’s Monster 100K Bonus Merits an Emergency Pod!
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle record a special, emergency episode to dive into the biggest news in travel in months: A new 100,000-point welcome bonus on the Chase ...
Is Hyatt Still Top Dog of Hotel Chains?
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hotels, hotels, and also hotels: That’s what episode four of the pod is all about. Gunnar and Kyle talk about some huge hotel credit card bonuses an...
A Decade of Deals, ft. Founder Jared Kamrowski
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle kindly invite Thrifty Traveler Founder Jared Kamrowski on his own show! Jared shares his favorite flights, worst travel mistakes, look...
What the %$#* was Southwest Thinking?
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle put Southwest on trial, explaining the (shortsighted) logic behind the airline’s incredibly unpopular changes to baggage and other n...
The Best Bets for Flight Deals in 2025
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gunnar and Kyle kick off the podcast by focusing on the cheapest destinations for a trip in 2025, discussing Chase’s dominance in the airport lounge...
Coming Soon...
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch us on YouTube instead! Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts - and if you’re excited, give us a five-star rating to help spread the wo...