Travel, Points + Miles Podcast
286
July 8, 2026
Are Credit Card Points Still Worth It? and More Listener Q&A
#286: With credit card fees climbing, credits getting harder to use, and points constantly devaluing, it's fair to ask whether earning points and miles is even worth it anymore. In this AMA, Chris breaks down why the fees are still worth it for him (and who they're not worth it for), common mistakes to avoid when running the numbers, and when cash back makes the most sense. He also walks through how to start from scratch, when a high annual fee actually pays for itself, and how to squeeze more o...
284
June 24, 2026
20+ Credit Card Benefits You’re Probably Not Using
#284: Chris breaks down the credit card benefits that save real money but rarely get attention, from getting a cracked iPhone repaired for free to purchase protections, travel coverage, and a deep bench of lesser-known perks. Learn exactly which card to reach for on every purchase, so you're always covered and never leaving money on the table. Partner Deals Fora: Become a Fora Advisor today Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent Mercury: Help your business grow with...
276
April 29, 2026
Saving $30K+ on the Perfect Spring Break Japan Trip with Amy Fox
#276: Learn how Chris and Amy booked four nonstop business class seats and a week at the Park Hyatt Tokyo almost entirely on points. They break down the strategy, key takeaways for traveling with kids, Chris' AI-powered trip planner, and more. Partner Deals Upwork: Free job posting to find, hire, and pay top freelance talent Wispr Flow: Try effortless voice dictation for free Fora: Become a Fora Advisor today MasterClass: Learn from the world's best with 15% off Aura Frames: $25 off the...
274
April 15, 2026
The Surprising History of Points and Miles
#274: Chris walks through the complete history of points and miles and breaks down the $140 billion machine behind them, so you can get more out of every point you earn. He covers the legal accidents that made credit cards wildly profitable, why loyalty programs are worth more than the airlines, the psychology behind why you keep hoarding points, and more. Partner Deals Storyworth: Share your mother's stories in a custom book (+ up to $20 off) Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for yo...
272
April 1, 2026
My Process for Booking Travel with Points & Miles
#272: Learn how to turn your points into significantly better travel experiences by following a simple, repeatable system. We cover how to plan, find award availability, choose the right tools, and decide between portals vs. transfers, plus the mindset shifts that make the whole process work. Partner Deals Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal inf...
270
March 18, 2026
Ski Trip Mishaps, AI Interior Design, Reflecting on Life and More
#270: Chris and Amy discuss lessons from three ski trips with kids, using AI to redesign rooms on a budget, their favorite new gadgets, navigating high-deductible health plans, and more. Partner Deals NetSuite: Free KPI checklist to upgrade your business performance Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth Trust & Will: Get 20% off personalized, legally binding estate plans DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Upwork: Free job posti...
269
March 11, 2026
Navigating Transfer Bonuses, Hyatt Devaluation, New Card Offers and More
#269: Chris breaks down why he transferred >200k points for a transfer bonus and how to know when they're actually worth it. He also covers Hyatt's new award chart changes, the latest elevated welcome offers, and how he's using multiple AI agents to optimize his work and life. Partner Deals Copilot Money: Free 2 months access to my favorite personal finance app with code HACKS2 Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for you and your family Gusto: Free 3-month trial of the #1 payroll softwa...
267
Feb. 25, 2026
Credit Cards: What's in My Wallet for 2026
#267: Chris reviews his credit card lineup for 2026, sharing which cards he's keeping and canceling and why. He also covers how to evaluate annual fees, the best cards across major spending categories, and the apps he uses to stay on top of it all. Link to Cards Mentioned: https://chrishutchins.com/blog/whats-in-my-wallet-for-2026/ Partner Deals MasterClass: Learn from the world's best with 15% off Wispr Flow: Try effortless voice dictation for free Mercury: Manage, move, and grow your ...
264
Feb. 4, 2026
Deep Dive on Bilt Rewards and New Bilt 2.0 Cards
#264: Learn how the Bilt ecosystem works, from earning Bilt Rewards to the new cards, transfer partners, perks, and where the real value is. Whether you’re new or already earning, this is a practical guide to using Bilt strategically and avoiding common mistakes. Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure) DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Copilot Money: Free 2 months access to my favorite personal finance app with code HACKS2 Shopify: $1/month trial for the easiest e-co...
263
Jan. 28, 2026
How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A
#263: Chris breaks down exactly how he’s earned millions of points and miles, and why simplicity matters more than optimization. He covers signup bonuses, spending strategies, credit score impacts, business cards, cash-back alternatives, and how to decide when a card (or perk) is actually worth it. Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure) Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for you and your family Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent Gusto: Free 3-month trial of th...
262
Jan. 21, 2026
Points & Miles in 2026: What's New, What's Dying & What's Next with Brian M
#262: Learn how to navigate major changes in points and miles while maximizing travel rewards in 2026. Chris and Brian M cover Bilt 2.0, the Mesa card shutdown, how to evaluate annual fees, find award availability, and what’s likely (and unlikely) to change this year. Partner Deals Trust & Will: Get 20% off personalized, legally binding estate plans MasterClass: Learn from the world's best with 15% off Thrive Market: 30% off your first order of organic groceries + a free $60 gift NetSuite:...
260
Jan. 7, 2026
Top 10 Takeaways from 2025
#260: Chris distills the most powerful lessons from over 50 episodes in 2025 into 10 actionable takeaways that changed how he thinks about money, time, health, relationships, purpose, and more. Partner Deals Gusto: Free 3-month trial of the #1 payroll software Notion: Try Notion Agent free to automate tedious tasks and streamline your work Superhuman: Free month of the fastest and best email with code ALLTHEHACKS DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Bilt Rewards: Earn...
258
Dec. 17, 2025
My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles
#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys value. Partner Deals Superhuman: Free month of the fastest and best email with code ALLTHEHACKS DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web LMNT: Free sample pack of my favorite electrolyte drink mix Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maxim...
252
Oct. 29, 2025
Family Travel on Points: Tips, Tricks and Tactics with Nick Reyes
#252: Chris and Nick share strategies to make family travel affordable and stress-free with points and miles. They cover how to find multiple award seats, book business class for families, and their best tips for traveling with kids, from managing jet lag and delays to finding family-friendly hotels, must-have travel gear, and more. Nick Reyes is a writer at Frequent Miler and co-host of the Frequent Miler On The Air podcast. He is an avid traveler who's been to 60+ countries and loves collec...
249
Oct. 8, 2025
Earn More Points in Multiplayer Mode with Kai
#249: 3x your points and miles with a multiplayer strategy. We break down how to earn, manage, and maximize rewards with a partner, family, or friends. Plus, learn how to handle the logistics, emotions, and systems that make it all work. Kai is the founder and host of The Daily Churn Podcast, where he shares his churning journey. In 2024, Kai and his partner earned a total of $40,000 and 5 million points. Partner Deals MasterClass: Learn from the world's best with 15% off Mercury: Help ...
247
Sept. 24, 2025
Deep Dive on Bank of America Credit Cards (Up to 5.25% Cash Back)
#247: Chris dives into Bank of America’s credit card lineup and why he has 5 different BoA cards right now. He'll go over how the Preferred Rewards program can help you earn unlimited 3.3% back on everything. Finally, he also covers approval rules, credit limits, unique perks like free museum access, and more. Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure) Gusto: Free 3-month trial of the #1 payroll software Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth Fabric: Afford...
245
Sept. 10, 2025
How Much Are Points and Miles Worth in 2025?
#245: Ever wonder what points are really worth? I'll break down the different types of points, how to calculate their value, and the biggest mistakes people make along the way. You’ll also learn when cash back might be the smarter choice and my personal card strategy for maximizing credit card rewards. Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure) Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for you and your family MasterClas...
244
Sept. 3, 2025
How I Saved $10,000+ on Luxury Hotels
#244: I'll explain how I saved over $10k on luxury hotels in Costa Rica and Carmel Valley using points, free nights, and elite perks. I’ll walk you through every step, from how to book with points, when to buy them on sale, how to stack hotel credits, which hotel programs give you upgrades and free breakfast, and more! Partner Deals Daffy: Free $25 to give to the charity of your choice NetSuite: Free KPI checklist to upgrade your business performance Vuori: 20% off the most comfortable per...
242
Aug. 20, 2025
Deep Dive on Capital One Credit Cards and Miles (+ Why I Love Them)
#242: Chris dives into the Capital One credit card lineup, breaking down earning structures for miles and cash back, exciting benefits, and redemption strategies. He also covers the best 2-card combo, transfer partners, important application rules, and more. Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure) Superhuman: Free month of the fastest and best email with code ALLTHEHACKS Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent Trust & Will: Get 20% off personalized, legally binding esta...
241
Aug. 13, 2025
Earn More Points with New Cards, Bonuses, and Challenges in 2025
#241: We cover new credit cards, increased welcome bonuses, and major changes to existing cards and their benefits. Plus, learn how to rack up thousands of points through airline and hotel challenges and giveaways. Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure) Copilot Money: Free 2 months access to my favorite personal finance app with code HACKS2 DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth Fabric: Affordab...
240
Aug. 6, 2025
Top Airline & Hotel Transfer Partners to Maximize Your Points with Greg the Frequent Miler
#240: Transferring points is one of the best ways to maximize your points, so today we share the top airline and hotel transfer partners. We also cover strategies to get the most out of your points, including how to leverage transfer bonuses, identify sweet spots, avoid common mistakes, and more. Greg Davis-Kean is the founder of Frequent Miler, a blog dedicated to helping people maximize their travel rewards and loyalty programs, mostly without flying. He is also the host of the Frequent Mil...
238
July 23, 2025
18 Tactics for Booking Travel with Points & Miles
#238: Chris shares 18 tactics he’s used to get the best deals booking flights and hotels with points. Learn how to leverage flexibility, navigate transfer partners, use the right tools, identify “sweet spots,” avoid high fees, position flights, and so much more. Partner Deals MasterClass: Learn from the world's best with 15% off Trust & Will: Get 20% off personalized, legally binding estate plans Vuori: 20% off the most comfortable performance apparel I've ever worn Superhuman: Free month ...
236
July 9, 2025
Deep Dive on Amex Credit Cards and Membership Rewards Points
#236: Chris reviews and ranks the full American Express lineup of 30+ cards. He also breaks down Membership Rewards, transfer partners, approval rules, card-linked offers, unique perks, and more. Partner Deals Kick: 50% off your first year of self-driving bookkeeping w/ code CHRIS DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent NetSuite: Free KPI checklist to upgrade your business performance For all the deals, discou...
234
June 28, 2025
Bonus Ep: Earn Points on Mortgage, 100k+ Card Bonuses, New 4% Card, Devaluations and More
#234: In this bonus episode, Chris discusses the new Mesa Homeowners Card, some new big welcome bonuses, card and hotel program devaluations, two new points promotions, free summer activities and more. Resources Mentioned Mesa Homeowners Card Amex Platinum: Up to 175k Bonus Amex Gold: Up to 100k Bonus Coinbase One 4% Card Venture X Lounge Changes Hilton Devaluation Free Uber One for Delta Cards Hyatt Peloton Promo Plastiq Personal Payment Options Kids Bowl Free Free National Park Days Bank...
232
June 18, 2025
Credit Cards: What's in My Wallet for 2025
#232: Chris reviews his current credit card lineup for 2025. He also covers how to evaluate new/existing cards, some card changes for 2025, new cards he's excited about, the best cards for each major spending category, and apps to manage all your cards. Link to Cards Mentioned: https://chrishutchins.com/blog/whats-in-my-wallet-for-2025/ Partner Deals Trust & Will: Get 20% off personalized, legally binding estate plans Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent Gelt: Skip...