Have Banks Lost the Plot with Premium Travel Cards? Ft. Nick Serati

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, Gunnar (fresh off paternity leave!) and Kyle bring Thrifty Traveler’s co-founder and credit card expert, Nick Serati, on the show to help break down all the recent moves from Chase, Amex, and Capital One. And they ask the $900-plus question: With annual fees approaching $1,000 a year, are we hitting a breaking point?

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0:00 - Introducing Nick … & our new studio!

1:13 - Catching Gunnar up on all the big travel news he (& you) missed

05:48 - Something Hot: Chase’s huge bonus on the new Sapphire Reserve

10:37 - Something cold: Chase’s messy eligibility rule changes

15:23 - A word from our sponsor (us … and our really cool CardPilot tool that’ll help you pick your next travel card!)

17:00 - The Extra Mile: Diving into the “premium” travel credit cards arm race

19:17 - What’s next for the Amex Platinum Card?

20:13 - Capital One throws down the gauntlet with the best lounge yet

21:49 - A fourth big premium card on the horizon? All eyes on Delta

23:20 - Why “premium” travel is all the rage right now

26:20 - Doing the math on premium cards & big annual fees

29:48 - Why banks are all turning their top cards into glorified coupon books

33:40 - The real value of these top-dollar travel cards

39:50 - Listener Question: The best 4-5 credit cards to get started

44:06 - On the Spot: What do Nick & Gunnar love about being dads?

Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman
Edited by David Strutt
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot

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