Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!

The head of the European Union announced earlier this week that the member countries of the EU would be open to Americans this year who are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine (currently all 3 vaccines offered in the US are approved). Should you go? I'm weighing the pros and cons of planning a trip to Europe this summer. And, we wrap up our 3-part interview with Richard Kerr about our recent camping trip that was equal parts disaster and fun (okay, definitely more disaster than fun). A couple of links we referred to during the show: How I Ended Up Buying Two Pickup Trucks Renting An RV If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Credit cards that earn flexible currency, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, have really ruled the roost when it comes to my favorite ways to earn miles and points. But, some recent changes by Capital One have really upped their game. Does that mean you should be giving them a second look? And, we'll also be joined by Richard Kerr again to go through the disaster that was our recent camping trip. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

It's a great question. After a year of largely staying home and earning miles and points from credit card purchases, it's time to start traveling for many folks (and will be soon for many more). Should you be paying cash for airline tickets and hotel rooms or burning down that pile of miles and points? Richard Kerr from The Points Guy and Kyle Potter from Thrifty Traveler are helping me answer that question on this week's episode. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Plenty going on this week! Delta was one of the airlines to announce shortcuts to status this week. When will we see more of this? And, Hilton hotels sending out strong signals that customers should expect fewer amenities in the future. What's on the chopping block? Lastly, Richard Kerr joins me for another camping fail. He always seems to get plenty of enjoyment out of my camping misery. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

I've been keeping tabs on the travel world as I get closer to being back on the road. This week I caught up with folks who traveled within the past 10 days. First, we catch up with Paul Singh, a friend and co-investor in a number of startup companies. He's been on the road a couple times a month, hopping on airplanes, connecting in hubs, renting cars, all the things road warriors used to do. Then, we catch up with Summer Smith-Hull, Director of Travel Content at The Points Guy. She just got back from a ski trip with her family, and she's got all the lowdown on ski slopes, luxury resorts and leisure flights. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

When I decided to start Miles to Go, it was due in part to years of listening to Dots, Lines & Destinations. It's a podcast run by three friends who frequently come off the rails while digging deep into the world of travel. It's definitely a different show than Miles to Go. But, I've been a guest on their show a number of times and enjoy listening to them on a weekly basis. We recorded a joint show this week, and there's even some bonus content where we get even crazier! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Many of you have hotel credit cards that award free night certificates, usually on an annual basis when you pay the annual fee. When's the right time to use them, especially when you consider hotel rates are all at crazy low levels? Meanwhile, I've got Leslie Harvey from Trips With Tykes back on the show this week. We're talking about some places to consider if you want to drive to your spring break vacation this year instead of flying. We also touch on the surprise announcement that Disneyland is allowed to reopen. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

As we got a month or so into the pandemic, it became pretty clear that many of us wouldn't be able to get much value from travel credit cards. When you consider how much some of annual fees can be on various cards, it's important to make sure you're getting enough value to keep those cards in your wallet/purse. Who best to discuss the best credit card perks out there? How about a guy who showed up to his first podcast appearance with a ziploc baggie filled with credit cards! Julian Kheel, Senior Finance Editor at CNN joins us this week to take about his favorite credit card perks. We don't get to touch on all of his favorites, so you can read the rest of them here. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

Just about a month ago Hyatt announced that many of their resorts in Latin America would be providing free COVID-19 testing for guests traveling to America after their stay. With the US now requiring a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country, it was a good move by Hyatt. Nick Serati, co-founder of Thrifty Traveler, covers a couple of key areas for us this week. First, he's got a great review of the new Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. Then, he and I break down what it was like to go through the free COVID testing at the resort and to travel back to the US shortly after the new regulations were in place. First-hand experiences like this should help you plan your next trip! You can find Nick on Twitter and Instagram and you can also get a discount on Thrifty Traveler Premium by using the code "THRIFTY". Lastly, I close out the show with some thoughts on recent changes that could be positive news for road warriors. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

This week I'm breaking down a reader question on which credit he should keep and which one he should ditch. And, we'll catch up with Becky Pekora again, this time to talk about a trip to Iceberg Alley. Don't forget, we're giving away a free year of Straight to the Points premium service to two lucky listeners. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you'd like to hear about!