Amex Gold gets a slight touch-up | Coffee Break Ep104 | 5-5-26

Amex has been refreshing its credit cards lately, but the American Express® Gold Card changes are more like a slight touch up. (00:37) - What's changed?(04:02) - What's the same?(05:25) - What do we think?Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn HeadsMentioned in this episode:Frequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

CORRECTION NOTICE: On 5/5/26 this episode was corrected to remove incorrect information about Points Advance bookings. Originally we'd incorrectly stated Points Advance bookings don't lock in a booking's price, when in fact they do. Can I save points on a Hyatt award with a date change trick? Frequent Miler reader Matt wrote:I recently succeeded in changing a Hyatt award stay to avoid cancelling and forfeiting the Hyatt points. I'm wondering if that could be a strategy to leap past the upcoming changes to the World of Hyatt program. For example, I would create a reservation using points at a Hyatt property now and change the date later for a stay that is currently not bookable because it is more than 13 months away. Has anyone successfully used this strategy in previous years when category changes were announced, avoiding the need to make up point differences due to the associated program changes at that time? I understand that this is highly prospective and perhaps wishful thinking, but it could mean a sizeable savings in Hyatt points!We’ve been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we’ve turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Monday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you’d like to submit, you can send it to [email protected] in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

In today's episode, we'll talk about how Chase Point Boost is going bust, how Avianca sucks some life out of LifeMiles, and rewards for spending BIG.Giant Mailbag(01:16) - Mike says "I have a subscription to Award Wallet Plus, and it has a “Merchant Category Lookup Tool,” where you can enter a merchant name and it will give the related merchant category name..."Find our Wells Fargo Journeys Forward episode 354 here(05:50) - Visit frequentmiler.com/awardwallet hereUpgrade to AwardWallet Plus for 6 months (one time upgrade only): Click the down arrow next to your name within AwardWallet, and click “Upgrade Using a Coupon”, then enter: FrequentMiler (this will only work for those who have never upgraded before)Card News(07:18) - Royal Caribbean launches two new credit cards: Royal One and Royal One PlusCrazy Thing(10:20) - Finnair 18 month expirationMattress Running the Numbers(17:37) - Buy Marriott Points for as low as 0.89 cents eachBonvoyed(21:33) - Chase Points Boost goes BustRead more about Chase Points Boost going bust hereRead more about Chase reducing redemption rates here(35:46) - Air Canada Aeroplan devaluationLearn more about Aeroplan devaluing their award chart here(38:58) - Avianca LifeMiles changesAwards, Points, and More(45:31) - Wells Fargo adds transfer partner: Cathay Pacific (Autograph, Autograph Journey)(47:16) - See our Instant Gift Card Deals post hereMain Event: Best Bonuses for Huge Spend(49:47) - Today we'll focus on cards that earn big rewards after really big spend ($50K or more)(52:24) - Bilt cards $50K: Platinum status(56:49) - Marriott Bonvoy® Brilliant® American Express® Card $60K(1:02:15) - Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card $60K (100K Companion cert)(1:09:00) - Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card $75K(1:15:17) - Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Card $120K:(1:17:13) - The Business Platinum Card® from American Express $250K(1:23:43) - Aeroplan® Credit Card $1M: Free award companion for the rest of the calendar year and all of next year with $1 Million spendSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Frequent Miler Beginner's Guidehttps://frequentmiler.com/start-here/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

Hyatt is changing their award charts on May 20th, 2026, and it's pretty devastating with a new 5-tier pricing system and huge increases in prices. Today, we'll see if there's some good news in all of this. (00:12) - New 5-level award charts: lowest, low, moderate, upper, top (prev: off-peak, standard, peak)(02:08) - Is there any good news?(06:59) - Some good news about premium suites(11:49) - Thoughts and analysisVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn HeadsMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

Does product changing ruin trip protections? Frequent Miler reader Jay P wrote in saying:"I used my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to book a flight and hotel for a future trip. Now, I would like to product change my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card before that trip. Are there any negative impacts if I product change before travel?"We've been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Starting this week, we're turning the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Monday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you'd like to submit, you can send it to [email protected] in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

In today's episode, we'll talk about Amex Platinum shutting down paths for earning Delta airline fee credits, Google Hotels adding price drop alerts, and all the many paths that still exist for free cruises in 2026.Main Event: Cruising for freeGiant Mailbag(01:07) - Greg gets corrected about Bilt point accelerator vs Rent Day...Crazy Thing: Capital One Shopping(03:27) - Capital One brings Gmail to a crawlRead more about the unfortunate Capital One slow gmail issue hereBonvoyed: Amex Airline Fee Reimbursements(08:48) - Delta tricks are deadRead our resource for Amex airline fee credits and what still worksAwards, Points, and More(13:15) - Google Hotels adds price tracking(17:02) - Melio (pay bills with credit card)Learn more about Melio here(19:01) - Chase Travel℠ Points Boost increased to 2.5cpp for a few select propertiesRead more about Chase Travel℠ Points Boost increase here(21:21) - Guide to booking Preferred Hotels with points (Updated)Find our updated resource for booking Preferred Hotels online here(25:24) - Tools for finding point-bookable events (auctions and buy it now)Visit the discover tools Pointsevents.com and Pointauctions.comMain Event: Cruising for free(29:33) - Learn more about cruising for free in 2026 here(30:44) - There are three main options for free cruises in 2026(31:08) - Land-based casino loyalty programs & matches(36:26) - Why do casino elite statuses matter for free cruises?(49:00) - Cruise line direct match opportunities for “free” cruises(1:07:09) - Gambling on board might yield a free cruiseSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

Airline fuel surcharges are going up! We've recently seen Air France KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic increase surcharges on their awards and it's looking like a trend. In this podcast episode, we'll talk about the different ways you can avoid them.How to avoid airline surcharges (02:02) - Booking with an alliance partner that doesn't pass along surcharges(02:15) - Air France KLM Flying Blue booked with Virgin Atlantic or Japan Airline Mileage Bank milesLearn more about going to Europe starting on Air France or KLM Business Class using Virgin Atlantic points hereLearn more about Air France without surcharges via Japan Airline Mileage Bank miles here(04:02) - Rove milesLearn more about using Rove miles here (07:04) - Lufthansa booked through other Star Alliance partners(07:41) - One World is tricky...(11:38) - What can you do about high taxes coming back from the UK?(12:45) - For travel to and from Europe, consider JetBlue's flights booked through Qatar AviosLearn about booking JetBlue with Qatar Avios here(16:34) - SAS(17:51) - Airlines that don't charge surcharges in the first placeVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn HeadsMentioned in this episode:Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

In today's podcast episode, we'll watch as Capital One ventures into business, we'll discuss the best of the best award search tools, and we'll talk about how Wells Fargo is on the upswing.Giant Mailbag(01:00) - Nate has a tip to add to our Free checked bags via credit cards podcast Ep353Card News(04:41) - Capital One Spark Miles rebranded to Venture BusinessLearn more about the Capital One Spark Miles rebranding to Venture Business hereCrazy Thing: Choice Privileges(09:42) - Choice doubled points to Air France/KLM Flying BlueRead more about the Choice Privileges transfer bonus hereBonvoyed: AA(13:03) - AA bonvoys elite members flying basic economyRead more about American Airlines doing away with basic economy for elite members hereAwards, Points, and More(16:42) - We've updated our resource "Which award search tool is best?"Find our "Which award search tool is best" resource here(26:05) - Amex changes referral limits to 5 per year, per cardRead more about American Express' referral limit changes here(29:01) - Wells Fargo adds new transfer partner: Wyndham 1 to 2Read more about Wells Fargo's new transfer partner hereMain Event: Wells Fargo journeys forward(31:13) - Wells Fargo Rewards was a 3rd tier transferable points program(31:46) - That's starting to change...(32:46) - Wells Fargo Rewards advantages(34:09) - Transfer partners(37:22) - Wells Fargo rewards credit cardsLearn more about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card hereLearn more about the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card here(43:50) - Wells Fargo cash back cards(54:45) - WeaknessesQuestion of the Week(58:07) - Nick wonders... if Greg had the capacity to spend towards one single elite status, which would it be?Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkVisit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

JetBlue has announced some big changes to its Premier Mastercard, which was previously a real bummer of a card. So when these changes come in "the spring", will they make the card better, and worth that $499 annual fee?JetBlue Polishes its Premium Premier Mastercard(01:00) - New benefits coming to this cardRead more about the card changes here: https://frequentmiler.com/the-jetblue-premier-card-might-finally-become-worth-applying-for/(06:00) - Nick & Greg talk through a few questions like: Is this a good card or does it just seem like it compared to the old stinker? Is the new version of the card worth $499 per year? Is this worth $400 more than the Plus or Business card?(06:30) - What's good about this...(08:46) - What's bad about this...(09:59) - Is this overall a good card (and if so, for whom?)Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn HeadsMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkVisit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

What are some unusual cards you find yourself using? What are your least favorite airline websites? Which dead cards do you miss the most? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on April 8th, 2026.(01:10) - What are some unusual cards you find yourself using? (08:27) - Did the FM team partake in the British Airways shopping portal promotion for 250x Avios at Kate Spade? I think it’s a runner for deal of the year. (11:28) - What’s your favorite and least favorite airline loyalty website to use? (18:25) - With all the recent and pending devaluations, what hotel reward program, if any, would you recommend for someone who generally only stays in hotels for a week or two each year? (23:12) - I have tried getting a Capital One Venture X but they keep denying me. I have opened 3 personal and 2 business cards in the last 9 months. The last was Dec 31st. What do you think I should do? ​​(25:04) - Does the FM team have any success with credit card reconsideration with Bank of America (business cards)? Any tips? Thank you! ​​(26:51) - Have anyone's thoughts changed on the Bilt Palladium since they started using it? I have tried doing the math to see if it's worth it, but not sure I did the "bilt math" correctly ​​See Tim's post about the Bilt Palladium card here: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-2-0-rewards-you-most-when-you-spend-less/(30:22) - See our previous episode about Hyatt properties here: https://frequentmiler.com/which-hyatts-will-you-book-before-the-award-chart-changes-ask-us-anything-ep84-3-4-26/And see our former episode about how many credit cards we have here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-many-credit-cards-does-the-frequent-miler-team-have-ask-us-anything-ep-63/(31:05) - What airline loyalty top status is it worth pursuing? (34:19) - Tim, do you use Atmos Summit to rent cars overseas. Greg should update Auto Rental post to compare Bank of America Atmos Summit to compare to the othersSee our guide to Ultra premium card travel protections here: https://frequentmiler.com/ultra-premium-credit-card-travel-insurance/(37:18) - Do authorized users get the same discount on United award flights as the primary cardholders? ​​(38:14) - Does the Atmos give status points when paying rent on Bilt platform? (38:33) - The latest collectibles card episode was interesting, are there any dead cards that you particularly miss?See the collectibles podcast episode here: https://frequentmiler.com/credit-card-collectibles-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep352-4-3-26/(43:56) - How many Thank You points are you gonna transfer to Preferred hotels before devauationl? I'm thinking about 500k TYP or more Read Greg's strategy here: https://frequentmiler.com/preferred-hotels-worth-4x-transfers/(46:04) - Does United give elevated offers if you open a bank account? ​​(47:03) - If all airline miles were dynamic the same way Delta Skymiles were (ie around 1-1.5 cpp), would you still play the points and miles game and which cards would you actually find rewarding on spend? ​​(51:33) - Which programs are best for not showing phantom availability?Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “swappin’ back n’ forth” by up @ nightMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkVisit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/