Episodios

  • More Air India & Boeing Questions, Frontier Free Miles, and Why You Always Need a Backup Flight

    More Air India & Boeing Questions, Frontier Free Miles, and Why You Always Need a Backup Flight
    Feb 11 2026
    Watch Us On YouTube! Air India and Boeing are back in the headlines, and the questions aren't getting smaller. This week, Ed and Richard break down what we know — and what we don't — about the latest fuel switch reporting, what responsibility lies with Boeing versus airline operations, and why early narratives in aviation stories are often incomplete. From there, things get lighter: Frontier is giving away 5,000 miles (yes, really), Hyatt launches a new promotion that's worth a closer look, Aeroplan adds ITA Airways as a partner, and we revisit one of the most important lessons in modern travel: always have a backup flight plan. If irregular operations have taught us anything lately, it's that flexibility isn't optional anymore. Scroll down for timestamps and details. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE More Air India and Boeing questions What's being reported about fuel switches Where Boeing responsibility starts and stops Why early aviation reporting can be misleading Frontier's 5,000 mile giveaway How the promotion works Who should (and shouldn't) care Why free miles aren't always free Hyatt's latest promotion What Bonus Journeys is offering When this promo actually makes sense Comparing Hyatt vs Marriott value Aeroplan adds ITA Airways Why this is bigger than it sounds Routing and redemption implications How this expands Star Alliance strategy Why you always need a backup flight What happens during irregular ops Same-day backup strategy How points give you more flexibility The bigger travel takeaway Airline reliability trends Why flexibility beats loyalty Planning for chaos instead of perfection EPISODE 423 TIMESTAMPS 0:47 – Welcome and setting the stage 3:05 – Air India fuel switch reporting explained 8:22 – Boeing responsibility versus airline operations 13:40 – Why early aviation stories can mislead 17:18 – Frontier's 5,000 free miles promotion 21:04 – Hyatt's new promotion: worth it or not? 26:33 – Aeroplan adds ITA Airways 31:15 – Why you should always have a backup flight 36:02 – Using points for flexibility during irregular ops
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    30 m
  • Frontier Wants to Do What? And What If Airlines Went a Different Direction With Fees?

    Frontier Wants to Do What? And What If Airlines Went a Different Direction With Fees?
    Feb 4 2026
    Watch Us On YouTube! Frontier Airlines has a new idea, and… yeah, it's a lot. This week, RIchard is back and they are joined again by Julian to unpack Frontier's proposal to board planes using stairs, what that says about ultra-low-cost carrier economics, and why the airline experience keeps drifting further away from what passengers actually want. From there, the conversation turns to fees — bag fees, seat fees, priority fees — and a bigger question: what if airlines went in a completely different direction instead of charging for checked bags? The group also dives into United's premium seat expansion plans, whether transcon flying is getting better or worse, and how airlines keep optimizing everything except the customer experience. ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Frontier's latest boarding idea • Why Frontier wants to use stairs instead of jet bridges • What this says about ULCC cost structures • What do the guys think about this idea? ✈️ The real problem with airline fees • How bag fees shape passenger behavior • Why airlines are addicted to à-la-carte pricing • Whether a simpler pricing model could actually work ✈️ What if airlines tried something different? • Bundled pricing vs unbundled chaos • Lessons airlines refuse to learn • Why customer goodwill still matters ✈️ United's premium seat push • More premium seats, fewer regular ones • What this means for transcon flyers • Paying more for a worse experience ✈️ Airline optimization gone too far • Boarding, seating, and operational tradeoffs • Why airlines keep chasing the wrong metrics • The widening gap between airline math and passenger reality Timestamps: 0:45 – Welcome back & setting the stage 3:12 – Frontier's stair-boarding idea explained 7:18 – Why this tells you everything about ULCC economics 11:42 – Bag fees and unintended passenger behavior 16:05 – What if airlines charged for carry-on bags instead? 21:30 – Why airlines won't give up fee revenue 25:44 – United's premium seat expansion plans 30:18 – Transcon flying: better seats, worse value 34:52 – Airline optimization vs passenger experience Scroll down for timestamps and details. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/
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    44 m
  • Bilt Cash Explained, Heathrow Finally Gets It Right, and the Truth About Free Airline Wi-Fi

    Bilt Cash Explained, Heathrow Finally Gets It Right, and the Truth About Free Airline Wi-Fi
    Jan 28 2026
    Watch Us On YouTube! Scroll down for timestamps and details. Much to the disappointment of thousands of M2G fans around the world, Julian Kheel is back with Ed this week as they dig deeper into Bilt Cash, now that Bilt has finally filled in some of the missing details. They break down what works, what's confusing, and why expiration rules might actually limit how much spend ends up on the card. From there, the conversation shifts to travel news: Heathrow quietly becoming one of the easiest international airports to clear security, American Airlines' messy rollout of "free" Wi-Fi, Delta's long-awaited plan to replace coffin-class seats (eventually), and why JetBlue continues to embarrass the legacy carriers on connectivity. Plus, a reminder about a 15% Miles To Go listener discount on one of our favorite award-search tools. 🎧 Listener Discount Miles To Go listeners can enjoy 15% off Points Path Pro using the code M2G at checkout. 👉 https://pointspath.com/pricing ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ More clarity on Bilt Cash • Monthly credits, lifestyle perks, and dining options • The points accelerator (boost) explained • Why the system is powerful — but still complicated ✈️ The biggest issue with Bilt Cash • Expiration rules and limited rollover • Why this may actually reduce spend for heavy users • How Bilt could fix it ✈️ Heathrow security finally modernizes • No more strict liquid limits • Laptops stay in bags • Why the UK is quietly beating the U.S. on airport security ✈️ Free airline Wi-Fi… sort of • American Airlines' rollout problems • Why communication matters as much as technology • Concerns about bandwidth as Wi-Fi adoption grows ✈️ JetBlue, United, and Starlink • What JetBlue proves is possible • Early Starlink impressions • Why "working Wi-Fi" shouldn't be this hard ✈️ Delta's coffin-class replacement is coming (eventually) • Why the 787 is great news • Why 2031 is… not • Paying more miles for an inferior product ✈️ Points Path update & listener discount • Free vs Pro features • New tools coming soon • 15% off with code M2G ⏱️ Episode 421 Timestamps 0:49 – Welcome back & Julian returns to the show 5:29 – Bilt fills in the gaps on Bilt Cash 7:40 – Monthly credits, menus, and the points accelerator 11:08 – The biggest flaw: expiration and rollover limits 16:44 – Heathrow drops liquid limits and laptop rules 22:51 – Why the U.S. still lags on airport security 23:45 – American Airlines' "free" Wi-Fi rollout problems 26:59 – JetBlue, Starlink, and whether free Wi-Fi can actually work 30:28 – Points Path features + 15% MTG listener discount 34:21 – Delta's coffin-class replacement… arriving in 2031 Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/
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    41 m
  • Bilt Changes (Again), A Bad United Idea And A Discount On One Of Our Favorite Travel Tools

    Bilt Changes (Again), A Bad United Idea And A Discount On One Of Our Favorite Travel Tools
    Jan 21 2026

    Watch Us On YouTube!

    Scroll down for timestamps and details.

    Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun

    Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show!

    If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience!

    If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways.

    • Monthly access
    • Annual access
    • Personal consultation plus annual access

    We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month.

    Follow Us!

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast

    Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/

    Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/
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    45 m
  • Bilt Card 2.0 Is Here: Five Bananas, Bilt Cash, and New Cards Explained

    Bilt Card 2.0 Is Here: Five Bananas, Bilt Cash, and New Cards Explained
    Jan 14 2026
    Watch Us On YouTube! Big changes are coming to Bilt — and yes, it involves bananas. 🍌 This week, Ed is joined by Kerr to break down Bilt Card 2.0, the introduction of Bilt Cash, and why the program is evolving now. They walk through the reasoning behind the changes, explain how the new two-currency system works, and dig into the value proposition of all three new cards — Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium. If you've been confused, skeptical, excited, or nervously clutching your five bananas… this episode is for you. ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Why Bilt is changing now • The "five banana" problem explained • Why devaluing points was not an option • How Bilt thinks about long-term sustainability ✈️ Introducing Bilt Cash • Why Bilt added a second currency • How Bilt Cash works alongside Bilt points • Flexibility vs forced redemptions ✈️ Earning & using Bilt Cash • 4% Bilt Cash back on non-rent spend • Unlocking points on rent or mortgage • Transfer bonuses, fitness, travel, and neighborhood perks ✈️ Card-by-card breakdown • Bilt Blue – no annual fee, transferable points • Bilt Obsidian – grocery or dining choice, hotel credit • Bilt Palladium – 3.3x effective earning, lounge access, elite status ✈️ The math behind the Palladium card • How spend converts into points • Why Kerr says it's his top-of-wallet card • Who this card is — and isn't — for ✈️ What happens next • Launch week expectations • Feedback from the community • Why this is just the beginning of Bilt Cash Scroll down for timestamps and details. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly accessAnnual accessPersonal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/
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    34 m
  • Hot, Flaming Dumpster Fire: Our 2025 Travel Year in Numbers

    Hot, Flaming Dumpster Fire: Our 2025 Travel Year in Numbers
    Jan 7 2026

    Watch Us On YouTube!

    It's that time of year again. Ed and Kerr crack open Flighty, pull up the spreadsheets (mentally), and relive a very messy 2025 in travel. From 113 flights and 184,000 miles to delayed planes, aging aircraft, loyalty status debates, and questionable late-night routing decisions, this episode breaks down what actually happened on the road — and what we're changing in 2026.

    Spoiler: one year was a mess. The other was a hot, flaming dumpster fire. 🔥✈️

    Scroll down for timestamps and details.

    Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun

    Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show!

    If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience!

    If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways.

    • Monthly access
    • Annual access
    • Personal consultation plus annual access

    We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month.

    Follow Us!

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast

    Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/

    Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/

    ⏱️ Episode Timestamps (Apple Podcasts Order)

    • 0:50 – Welcome & setting the stage for our 2025 travel recap

    • 2:29 – Kerr's year by the numbers: flights, miles, airlines, and airports

    • 2:51 – Ed's busiest travel year ever: 113 flights & 184,000 miles

    • 5:39 – Delay stats, Flighty frustrations, and airline reliability breakdown

    • 7:27 – Aircraft nerd corner: oldest planes, newest planes, and repeat tail numbers

    • 10:07 – The destinations map: Europe, Asia, Hawaii… but still no South America

    • 12:04 – A brutal mistake: middle seat in Polaris on a polar route

    • 14:07 – Loyalty recap: Delta, United, American, Hyatt, Marriott & Hilton status

    • 19:29 – Was loyalty worth it? When blind loyalty stops making sense

    • 27:08 – Looking ahead to 2026: loyalty plans, credit cards, and travel strategy
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    33 m
  • Best & Worst Airports: Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Ed & Richard

    Best & Worst Airports: Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Ed & Richard
    Dec 31 2025

    Watch Us On YouTube!

    On this year-end episode of The Miles To Go Podcast, Ed Pizza and Richard Kerr ditch the news and answer rapid-fire travel questions that get way more personal than expected. They talk about places we wouldn't return to, where they want to go in 2026, their nerdiest "every trip" habits, and their hottest airport takes—best and worst.

    Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun

    Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show!

    If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience!

    If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways.

    • Monthly access
    • Annual access
    • Personal consultation plus annual access

    We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month.

    Follow Us!

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast

    Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/

    Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/
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    41 m
  • Harsh Changes To Chase Sapphire Reserve And AA Basic Economy

    Harsh Changes To Chase Sapphire Reserve And AA Basic Economy
    Dec 24 2025

    Watch Us On YouTube!

    This week on Miles to Go, Ed and Richard cover a packed slate of breaking travel and loyalty news that matters for road warriors.

    We dig into Chase Sapphire Reserve, which rolled out splashy new redemption options this summer only to quietly walk back its headline-grabbing 2¢-per-point Points Boost just months later. What does this mean for a card with a nearly $800 annual fee, and is it still worth holding?

    American Airlines quietly eliminated mileage and Loyalty Point earning on Basic Economy fares, raising big questions about who AA is actually trying to reward—and whether Basic Economy is now little more than a stripped-down cash fare.

    Plus, we talk about Bilt's newest transfer partner—Spirit Airlines—and why the data shows there's real demand for low-cost carrier redemptions, including Big Front Seat value. Add in holiday travel chaos, turbulence stories, and a few airline rants, and it's a full episode you won't want to miss.

    Finally, Mesa appears to be shutting down, leaving cardholders scrambling to figure out what happens to their points. Richard shares lessons learned about startup loyalty programs and when it makes sense to cash out early.

    Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun

    Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show!

    If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience!

    If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community. Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways.

    • Monthly access
    • Annual access
    • Personal consultation plus annual access

    We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month.

    Follow Us!

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast

    Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/

    Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/
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    42 m