The Thrifty Traveler Podcast

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 Gunnar walk through all the websites, apps, and tools they use to...

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 light on some of the best deals in all of points and miles...

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 basics of redeeming your points – including a step-by-step...

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 offer, and a bevy of new Europe routes all headline a big news...

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 down the best strategies for earning tons of travel rewards...

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 series, Gunnar and Kyle walk through how to find the cheapest...

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 just brush up on your skills and knowledge on all things cheap...

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 Thomas, joins Gunnar on the show to recap his recent flight in...

From a bizarre (and arguably absurd) Delta flight pricing quirk, new and disappearing Alaska Atmos redemptions, American’s late premium push, or the ongoing “Battle for Seattle,” there’s no shortage of travel news for...

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 not named JFK, LAX, MSP, ORD, or the other big hubs. The...

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 hot take about the rise of SkyMiles before the guys dig into...

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 “St. Peter” – Thrifty Traveler’s Senior Award Analyst and...

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 - including some of the advanced features that can help you...

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 discussed this week along with a deep dive on where things...

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 gripes and grievances about Gunnar’s list. In a six-month...