Shows / The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
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…
Episodes
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Basic Fares Get Worse, Bilt & Amex Changes & More Travel News
Yes, airlines have raised fares left and right … but they’re doing it in another way that might have flown under your radar. This week, the guys analyze why…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
12 Biz Class Seats You Can Actually Book with Points
There’s nothing quite like booking a lie-flat seat using points instead of forking over $3,000 or more. But it’s no slam dunk: Finding award availability to…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Inside the Airlines & the Future of Points, with Zach Griff
What aren’t the airlines saying out loud? How will tech and AI shape our travels? And what’s the future of award travel look like? Those questions are big…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
A New Tool to Save on Flights, Pricey Airports, Hyatt’s Continued Slide & More
This week, the guys break down all the travel news that’s fit to podcast … and there’s a lot of it. That includes a brand-new (and free) tool to save on…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Which Airline Miles Are Actually Worth Using in 2026?
So much changes so fast in the world of points and miles, it’s easy to lose track. So in this episode of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast, the guys go through…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
How to Save on Your Holiday Flights (& When to Book)
Heading home for the holidays can be expensive, especially this year… but it doesn’t have to be. We’re in the heart of holiday flight booking season, so Gunnar…
The Thrifty Traveler PodcastStarter Kit Vol. 5, Tips for Traveling Better & Cheaper
You’ve earned the points, you’ve booked the trip … but how do you make your travels more enjoyable? On this (perhaps not final?) episode of Starter Kit, the…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Are You Making These Mistakes with Your Points & Miles?
Earning and redeeming points can be full of trip hazards … and Gunnar’s tripped on almost all of them. So this week, the guys outline the biggest award travel…
The Thrifty Traveler PodcastStarter Kit Vol. 4, The Best Tools to Get Ahead in Travel
Award travel can feel overwhelming and complicated … but not with the right tools and organization. This week on our special Starter Kit series, Kyle and…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
No Gatekeeping: The 10 Best Redemptions in Points & Miles
Some deals are just unbelievably good in the world of points and miles … and a select few are too good to last forever. That’s why the guys are shining the…
The Thrifty Traveler PodcastStarter Kit, Vol 3: How to Transfer & Redeem Your Hard-Earned Points
It’s time to learn how to redeem those points and miles you’ve earned for travel … and while it might seem scary, this is the fun part! We walk through the…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Delta’s Weirdest Card Offer & Google’s Huge Points Play
Google Flights is making a big move into the points and miles game, United’s CEO’s egotistical comments, Delta’s weird (but arguably best-ever?) credit card…
The Thrifty Traveler PodcastStarter Kit, Vol. 2: Mastering Credit Cards & Piling Up Points
If you want to get into redeeming points and miles, you need to earn them first. So in our second installment of our Starter Kit series, Gunnar and Kyle break…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Drafting the Perfect 5-Card Travel Wallet: Who Wins?
Gunnar’s gone, so Kyle and Nick go head-to-head in a fantasy football style draft to build the perfect five-card travel wallet ... with a lot riding on the…
The Thrifty Traveler PodcastStarter Kit, Vol. 1: The Keys to Find the Cheapest Flights
Are you ready to get started with points, miles, and all things cheap travel? It all starts with airfare, so in this first installment of our new Starter Kit…
The Thrifty Traveler PodcastComing Soon: Starter Kit, a Series to Get Started in Points & Miles
Introducing “Starter Kit” - a dedicated series of special bonus episodes to help you get started in points and miles, become a true award travel “sicko” or…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Biz Class Faceoff: Delta One vs. United Polaris
Kyle is out on vacation, so … Kyle is in - the younger, arguably cooler, and definitely taller Kyle, that is. Our podcast editor & social media guru, Kyle…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Airfare Absurdities, the Battle for Seattle & Other Travel News
From a bizarre (and arguably absurd) Delta flight pricing quirk, new and disappearing Alaska Atmos redemptions, American’s late premium push, or the ongoing…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Live from Fargo! Tips for Traveling (& Saving) from Smaller Airports
The guys took the show on the road: Coming to you live from TEDxFargo in North Dakota in late July, Gunnar and Kyle devoted an episode of the show to airports…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Japan & Delta SkyMiles Deals: So Hot Right Now
Kyle joins the show from the Park Hyatt Tokyo on this special Japan-themed episode. While the sun slowly rises behind him, Kyle first revisits his scorching…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
The Current State of Points & Miles Deals in 2026
The world of all things points and miles is changing rapidly. So to dig into where things are at and what’s ahead, Gunnar and Kyle bring in the man they call…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
How the Pros Use Google Flights
Booking cheap travel starts and ends with Google Flights, which is why Gunnar and Kyle devoted a full episode of the podcast to how to use our favorite website…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Is Airfare Dropping & Where to Find Late Summer Deals
Forget what you’ve heard about flight prices: There’s still time to get a great summer flight deal … if you know where to look. That’s what Gunnar and Kyle…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Top 10 Flight Deals of 2026 (So Far)
It’s the halfway point in 2026, so Gunnar ranked up the 10 best flight deals (and three best hotel deals) of the year so far … and Kyle got to air all of his…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Amazing Hawaii Redemptions, Delta Highs & Lows and Other News
Gunnar and Kyle brag about gettin’ booksy before diving into a busy week of news: The single best redemption using Southwest miles, translating an airline…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Something(s) Hot: What’s Going Right in Travel
Don’t dwell on the bad stuff, the guys remind themselves … because there’s plenty to be excited about in travel right now! So this week on the pod, Gunnar and…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Live From Minneapolis! The Highs and (Disgusting) Lows of Travel
An audience of close to 300 travelers joined us at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis for an unhinged episode and the very-first (but not last) live recording…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
With Record Card Bonuses, Banks are Going Crazy (in a Good Way!)
It’s official: The banks are losing their minds … with some of the best welcome bonuses we’ve ever seen, all at once. The guys start the show by debating…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Airline Alliances: The Key to Booking Flights for Fewer Points
SkyTeam and Star Alliance might seem like boring corporate brands, but understanding airline alliances - and how to use them to your advantage - is absolutely…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Surprise: Chase Souped Up the Sapphire Preferred Card!
The single-best travel credit card - the one we recommend most, especially for beginners - somehow just got even better. Chase just unveiled some shockingly…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Booking 5-Star Hotels in Italy, Airline Upgrade Scams & More News
Gunnar is back from Italy (and he’s completely insufferable about it …), so the guys break down his trip through Rome and beyond and how he booked some amazing…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
The Biggest Winners & Losers from Hyatt’s Massive Changes
It’s a Brave (?) New World … of Hyatt. The hotel chain (almost) everybody loves officially brought down the hammer with some sweeping and painful changes to…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Roasting YOUR Worst Travel Mistakes
Gunnar and Kyle have already made fools of themselves with their most embarrassing travel mistakes. Now it’s your turn in the spotlight. After a deluge of…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Cheap Flights Are Still Out There: How to Find Them
We know, we know: The flight prices have gotten rough out there, travelers … but not everywhere. So on this week’s pod, Gunnar and Kyle devote the show to…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Dropping Airfare, Thailand & The Case Against Points & Miles
It’s the episode where we all get to be jealous of Kyle’s trip to Thailand. Luckily, he tells us how to book it and why his inkling to avoid using points and…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
How to Earn a Million Points & Fly Delta One for Less
This week, we go in-depth on Delta One business class from a person who is too young to know this much about flying Delta’s premier product around the world…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Bilt Has Us Wondering: Is Chase Still King of Travel Rewards?
Thrifty Traveler Co-Founder Nick Serati helps us answer a pressing points and miles question: Is Chase still the most important travel rewards program? After…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
The 14 Things We Never Travel Without (& the 1 Thing We Hate)
It’s amazing how a pair of headphones, a pillow, or a carry-on bag can make or break your trip. That’s why we’re going through all of our favorite travel gear…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
The Dirty Little Secrets of Points & Miles
Not everything is as easy as travel and points and miles influencers make it look. Have you ever wondered, “How are these people earning all of these points?”…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Mistake Fares, Merger Murmurs & Battling Bag Fees
We’re shining a spotlight on baggage (both travel and emotional …) this week as airlines raised bag fees almost in unison. So the guys talk through what…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Our Biggest, Most Embarrassing Travel Mistakes
Travel isn’t always perfect and we certainly aren’t either. This week on the show, Gunnar and Kyle cop to the worst travel mistakes they’ve made over the year…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Bag Fees Go Up, United Throws Down & 10 More News Stories
The news has been relentless to kick off the spring, so the guys spend the show tackling a dozen different stories. There’s an update on those awful TSA lines…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
WTF is Happening with Flight Prices & What We’re Doing
Gunnar is back from a rain-soaked trip to Hawaii to talk about oil prices, airfare, and what’s next for flight prices - plus, an update on what’s happening at…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Ask Us Anything: Biz Class to Australia, How We Earn Points & Big Pod News!
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 over to…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
More Flights, Fewer Points: 5 Underrated Mileage Programs
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 and miles…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
More Southwest Drama, United’s Bold Move & More Big News
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-gates, what…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
The Best (& Worst) Business Classes in the World
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 combined…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
RIP World of Hyatt? Dissecting Big, Bad Changes
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 the show to…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
How We Find Cheap Flights: Inside Thrifty Traveler with Founder Jared Kamrowski
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 and CEO…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Sneaky Delta Perks, Summer Travel Slowdown & 8 Other News Stories
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-known Delta…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
“These Bros Ain’t Loyal”: Why You Shouldn’t Chase Elite Status in 2026
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 isn’t smart…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Our 5-Step Checklist: What We Do After Booking Flights
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 after that matters…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Is the Points Party Ending in 2026?
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 - not just for…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
What’s in Our Wallets & Our 2026 Points Planners
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 question: What’s…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Cheaper Fares Abroad, Big Bilt News, a Merger & 7 Other Big News Stories
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 for international…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Biz Class to See Santa in Finnish Lapland: Gunnar’s Trip Report
Join us for a special bonus episode as Gunnar recaps his recent trip to Finnish Laplan. Gunnar walks through his exceptional experience in Finnair Business…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Let Us Cook: Our Spiciest Travel Pet Peeves & Hot Takes
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 travel takes…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Where You’ll Find the Best Flight Deals in 2026
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 another…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Our Ho-ho-holiday Mailbag, ft. Voicemails, Travel Mistakes, Canada & More
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 voicemails…
- The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Who Wins Our First Class & Lavatory Awards? Plus More 2025 Superlatives
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 some 2025…