How We Find Cheap Flights: Inside Thrifty Traveler with Founder Jared Kamrowski

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Feb 19, 2026

Jared Kamrowski, founder and CEO who turned a 2015 startup into a tech-forward flight-deal business. He reveals how that viral sale changed everything. They talk Delta’s new Hawaii routes and seat quality. They cover real award availability, how Thrifty finds and vets deals, the company’s pandemic pivot, AI tools and CardPilot, and planning a family Thanksgiving trip to Europe.

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ADVICE

Don’t Trust Influencer Shortcuts

Avoid assuming influencer posts show realistic booking steps because availability and complexity differ greatly.
Use services or invest time to learn how to actually find and book award and premium-space redemptions.

INSIGHT

Points Are A Massive Shadow Currency

Jared observed roughly 30 trillion points and miles in circulation in the U.S., creating a massive shadow currency.
He noted only a tiny fraction of that inventory actually gets redeemed for premium seats.

ANECDOTE

How Thrifty Traveler Began

Jared launched Thrifty Traveler in 2015 after repeatedly explaining points and miles at social gatherings.
He quit his federal job in 2017 after Thrifty Traveler Premium gained thousands of signups in its first week.

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How do we find flight deals? How do you start a travel business? What’s next for Thrifty Traveler? For episode 50 of the show, we bring on Founder and CEO Jared Kamrowski to show how the Thrifty Traveler sausage is made! Plus, Jared reacts to some new Delta routes to Hawaii, discusses the reality of points and miles availability, and helps a listener plan their first Europe trip.

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00:00 - Thrifty Traveler’s Founder & CEO gets Booksy, too!

03:30 - Timmy from Santa Monica welcomes us to the show!

04:15 - Delta’s new Hawaii routes – and their crappy biz class seats

08:05 - Traveler pain points: The reality of availability

12:55 - Sign up for The Extra Mile Newsletter today!

14:07 - A brief history of Thrifty Traveler

18:10 - The flight deal that started it all (& crashed the site)

22:00 - The evolution of Thrifty Traveler

26:45 - How do we find Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deals

31:00 - Tracking changes over the years at Thrifty Traveler

36:00 - What’s next for Thrifty Traveler – where’s the future of travel going?

39:45 - Helping a listener plan a (first-time!) Thanksgiving Europe trip for four

44:45 - Jared plays the airport code initials game

45:55 - What episode does our boss want us to do next?

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas

Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot

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