Milenomics ² Podcast - No Annual Fee Edition

Episode 47: Show Notes What happens when Thanksgiving travel takes you across the Atlantic and through the heart of Europe? In this episode, Tom and Trevor share their Thanksgiving travel experiences through Budapest, Vienna, and even a nostalgic stop in Bratislava. They provide insightful perspectives on international travel during the holidays, exploring iconic destinations, and managing the inevitable surprises of globetrotting with family. Hear about Trevor's family trip to Budapest, the challenges of holiday travel, and memorable stays at the luxurious Párisi Udvar and Park Hyatt Vienna. Learn about the breathtaking Christmas markets of Austria, the charm of Budapest’s historic baths, what makes Europe a family-friendly travel destination, and Vienna’s famed zoo. They also recount the magic and mishaps of travel during the festive season, why they would do it again, lessons on European tipping culture, and more! To discover tips, tricks, and stories that will inspire your next holiday adventure, tune in now! Key Points From This Episode: [00:38] Tom and Trevor’s Thanksgiving travels and the destinations they explored. [01:38] Tom’s journey westward to Las Vegas, his experience flying Spirit Airlines, and staying at the Encore and Rio. [12:38] Why traveling on Thanksgiving was not a good idea, his time in Hawaii, and Tom's experience of traveling home. [17:30] Trevor’s family trip to Budapest, including the stunning Park Hyatt Vienna and the challenges of traveling with a toddler. [22:41] The history and charm of Vienna, what makes the Christmas markets special, and why the hotel stay cost more than expected. [26:32] Booking shuttle transfers, driving through Bratislava, staying at the stunning Párisi Udvar, and what Trevor enjoys about traveling in Europe. [31:41] A deeper dive into Vienna’s attractions, more Christmas markets, and visiting the oldest zoo in Europe. [36:30] Eating out on the last night in Austria and an interesting cultural lesson on tipping. [40:34] Pitfalls of Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa, including a stressful Frankfurt connection. [49:05] Final thoughts on the joys and mishaps of Thanksgiving travel. Quotes: “I’ve not always had the best opinion of Spirit, but honestly, if you go in with the right attitude, sometimes you are pleasantly surprised.” — @TktweetsKim [0:04:04] “There is so much to see in Europe. You could throw a stone and hit three countries.” — @tmount [0:30:08] “It seems like you can – spit and you will hit a Christmas market or a palace in Europe.” — @TktweetsKim [33:42] “Even among Europeans —they have different tipping cultures. Tipping is almost a third rail in so many different places.” — @tmount [38:22] “Lufthansa is always a fun airline to fly.” — @tmount [46:04] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Spirit Airlines Encore Resort Debra Schroeder Párisi Udvar Hotel Rio Hotel Alaska Airlines Park Hyatt Vienna ShuttlesfromBudapest Vienna Zoo Austrian Airlines Lufthansa Milenomics Thomas Kim on X Trevor Mountcastle on X

Episode 46: Show Notes. The travel space is constantly evolving, and the way in which airlines handle rewards systems is no different. Today on Travel Stories, we are joined by Thrifty Traveler editor Kyle Potter to discuss the miles and points game, airfare trends, and becoming a premium Thrifty Traveler. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Kyle’s career, the air revenue trends Kyle has noticed, what’s happening in travel awards, and more! We delve into the world of miles and points as Kyle shares his perspective on the trends before discussing why travelers playing this game can be optimistic about future benefits. He even shares a story from his trip to Hanoi, discusses his 2025 travel predictions, and talks about great travel tools. Finally, our guest tells us about Thrifty Traveler Premium and the benefits of this service. Thanks for listening! Key Points From This Episode: [02:36] A warm introduction to today’s guest, Kyle Potter.  [05:35] What Kyle is seeing in airfare trends today.  [12:48] The changes that are happening in the award travel spaces. [18:27] A reminder that the world of miles and points travelers is really small.  [25:45] What Kyle thinks is causing trends from reward perspectives.  [29:24] The optimistic side of how airlines react to miles and points ‘millionaires’.  [33:07] Kyle shares a memorable travel story from his trip to Hanoi.   [39:45] What Kyle sees happening in travel in 2025 and his opinion on change fees.  [44:48] The award tools that Kyle thinks are good and why he prefers manual search.  [50:00] Kyle talks about Thrifty Traveler Premium, what they offer, and the cost of it.  Quotes: “Travel can’t grow forever. – Things are going to plateau at some point but they really haven’t yet.” — @kpottermn [7:43] “I still think we’ve got some good runway here for cheap domestic travel.” — @kpottermn [12:09] “Many airlines out there have wised up to just how much they’re giving away to people who have points to play with.” — @kpottermn [27:39] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Kyle Potter on LinkedIn Kyle Potter on X Kyle Potter on Instagram Thrifty Traveler Seats.aero Flighty Thomas Kim on X Trevor Mountcastle on X

0:22 Delta Selling 80+% of First Cabin OMMAT VFTW Value is there--pricing of the upgrade is so low they're selling out elite Upgrades more than ever. Jumping off point for discussing Be Your Own Elite. Don't wait for an airline to give you what you want. Secure it yourself Great flight times are key because your time is valuable. The current state of airline status (in hopes of upgrades) Collecting airline miles (in hopes of outsized value on scarce redemptions) Co-branded paradox (spending on another card) Even being an airline employee (in hopes of free travel) has gotchas. 15:40 How to Move Forward (or How to Get Started) We discussed on the paid show how we need to get away from the idea that a single credit card signup can unlock significant “free” travel. A Demand Schedule will help you see your needs If you're not going on multiple trips a year, or don't need multiple seats just spend on a cashback card. Finally, This might not be the best blog in the world.

Episode 45: Show Notes. We’re always looking to try new things, but our recent trip to Colombia and Spain unlocked new levels of exploring the unknown! We centered the trip around 1 single itinerary, and didn’t have our flights home until more than halfway through the trip. Our exploration of two cities begins in the one with higher altitude than we’re used to: Bogotá, Colombia, and we explain how we devised our itinerary and why we insisted on flying LATAM. We assess the Priority Pass restaurant options at Houston Airport, how Bogotá welcomed us (and especially Thomas!) with a feast of local delights, what hotel hopping is like in Colombia, the attractions and activities of Colombia’s sprawling capital, and the exercise one can get traversing the El Dorado airport lounge. Then, we unpack everything that happened on our flight to our second destination, Madrid, with a brief interlude to the recent spate of airline alliance dissolutions. We discuss our first experience of AC Hotels by Marriot, how exploring new areas in Madrid led to a wonderful steak dinner for Trevor’s birthday, why we changed flights multiple times and what these changes cost, and why many hotels are choosing to consistently shuffle their inventories. To end, we detail the trip home via Germany on Lufthansa First Class, why Lufthansa’s onboard lavatory system always leaves us scratching our heads, the joys of Global Entry’s Mobile App, and an important event to look forward to on the 9th of December, 2024. Key Points From This Episode: [0:00:57] A tale of two cities and a diversity of altitudes. [0:01:41] No holiday left behind.  [0:02:49] How we devised our itinerary for Columbia, and why we insisted on flying LATAM.  [0:05:43] From Bogotá to Madrid, and every other flight in between.  [0:10:34] The Priority Pass restaurants that we visited at the Houston airport before departure. [0:15:16] Arriving in Bogotá, the Grand Hyatt, and a feast of local delights.  [0:19:36] Hotel hopping in South America, and our experience of the JW Marriot. [0:25:09] The Salt Cathedral, Monserrate Hill, and other attractions and activities in Bogotá.  [0:36:28] Why we loved the El Dorado lounge and everything from our flight to Madrid. [0:42:21] How airlines divorce themselves from their alliances.  [0:43:43] Landing in Madrid and trying something different – the Hyatt Madrid Residences.  [0:48:00] Exploring new areas of Madrid, and Trevor’s delightful steakhouse birthday dinner.  [0:51:14] A new hotel brand experience: AC Hotels by Marriot. [0:55:48] Discussing the modern shuffle of hotel inventories.  [0:59:30] The many flight changes from our trip and what they cost.  [1:01:44] Luxury remote stand experiences, Lufthansa First Class, and friendly faces abroad. [1:06:02] Unpacking Lufthansa’s lavatory system and unmatched onboard service  [1:13:30] Why we hope for the return of mobile lounges, and the joys of the DFW Mobile App. [1:22:10] What you can look forward to on the 9th of December in Arlington, Virginia.  Quotes: “[Bogotá] reminded me my of first trip to Bangkok and having pomelo; rose apple, and all these tropical fruits that you don’t find here in North America — that’s part of the joy of traveling; going to other environments; other places and being able to experience the local product.” — @TKtweetsKim [0:18:30] “For better or for worse, I feel like Bogotá is a city of ‘glad I did it once and checked the box.’” — @tmount [0:29:17] “LATAM, for the price of the ticket, I felt like we got very good value, but I don’t see that as a ‘go out of my way to do.’” — @tmount [0:41:10] “The thing that insulates us is we do have this miles and points hobby that helps quite a lot – we can at least utilize other currencies other than dollars or euros to help shoulder some of the burden of that financial cost.” — @TKtweetsKim[0:54:30] “Sometimes, you’ve just got to accept [paying more to change flights] to get the experiences you want.” — @tmount [1:01:37] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: LATAM Airlines Priority Pass Emirates Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar Landry’s Seafood United Club Grand Hyatt JW Marriott Hotel Monserrate Hill El Dorado Lounge SAS Star Alliance Qatar Hyatt Regency Madrid Residences AC Hotels by Marriot José Andrés Lufthansa DFW’s Mobile App Coles Thomas Kim on X Trevor Mountcastle on X