Free checked bags via credit cards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep353 | 4-10-26

About this episode

This episode discusses how to avoid checked bag fees through credit card benefits and highlights recent changes in credit card offers.

In this podcast episode, we'll talk about how Rakuten doubles select credit card signup bonuses, JetBlue polishes its previously lackluster Premier card, and how to avoid paying those increasing checked bag fees. Giant Mailbag (00:58) - Rick asks about EU regulation 261 Read our post, "$700 richer: My easy UK261 claim experience with United Airlines" here Card News (04:09) - JetBlue Premier Mastercard ($499) Read more about the JetBlue Premiere Mastercard here Awards, Points, and More (07:04) - Rakuten offering bonuses on select Bank of America cards Learn more about the Rakuten bonus here Or learn about the Rakuten referral here (11:33) - Rove adds Virgin Atlantic (and changes url to rove.com) Main Event: Free checked bags via credit cards (13:15) - Learn more about free checked bags via credit card here (14:35) - General info about free checked bags (16:34) - Strategy for infrequent flyers of a particular airline. Example: you don't usually fly Delta, but you have one flight coming up... (22:15) - Which airlines require paying with a specific card to get free checked bags? (24:20) - How many travel companions get free checked bags? (27:08) - Do you get free checked bags on…

People in this episode

Host: Frequent Miler

Topics covered

• credit card benefits
• travel tips
• checked bag fees
• airline rewards
• credit card bonuses

Keywords

• checked bags
• credit cards
• JetBlue
• Rakuten
• travel rewards

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rakuten, JetBlue, Bank of America, Virgin Atlantic, Turbotax

Products: JetBlue Premier Mastercard

More episodes of Frequent Miler on the Air

• Chase's Hyatt gut punch & refreshed Sapphire Preferred® | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep362 | 6-12-26 · June 12, 2026 · 1h 26m
• Wells Fargo's Premier version of the Autograph Journey | Coffee Break Ep109 | 6-9-26 · June 9, 2026 · 17 min
• What’s the single best card for your "player two"? | Ask us Anything Ep87 | 6-3-26 · June 7, 2026 · 57 min
• Life after Citi | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep361 | 6-5-26 · June 5, 2026 · 1h 40m
• Citi cancels 5X earnings | Coffee Break Ep108 | 6-2-26 · June 2, 2026 · 16 min
• Should I split a points transfer into smaller buckets? | Question of the Week Ep5 | 5-31-26 · May 31, 2026 · 8 min