Episode Details

We’re all too accustomed to hotels and airlines making negative changes, but Hyatt genuinely broke our hearts this week. So Gunnar and Kyle devote the show to diving into some massive changes on tap for what is (or perhaps was?) the most popular and valuable hotel points program. We’re talking nasty award rate increases, confusing pricing systems, a few silver linings, and what you should do before the hammer falls. Plus, Gunnar reviews his experience on the new (& improved?) Southwest Airlines, plus they help a listener navigate the dreaded  Chase 5/24 credit card rule.

Watch us on YouTube!

00:00 - Gunnar’s review of the “new” Southwest 

03:20 - Welcome back … from the Park Hyatt Tokyo! 

04:30 - The “Goat Rodeo” with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry 

10:30 - Puerto Vallarta chaos & what to do about your upcoming Mexico trip

15:25 - A word from our sponsor: Sign up for The Extra Mile Newsletter today!

16:14 - World of Hyatt’s positively nasty new award chart changes

35:00 - Listener Question: How far above “5/24” should you go? 

40:20 - On the Spot: How 2 hockey fans celebrated a golden weekend

Send us your “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast” video! Keep it short, tell us who you are and where you are, and say “Welcome Back to the Thrifty Traveler Podcast.” Then, upload it to thriftytraveler.com/voicemail so we can feature your video on the show! 

Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas

Video editing by Kyle Thomas
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot

Support the show by leaving us a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts! 

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

Follow us on…
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.