177. Mid-Year Points & Miles Review 2026: The 6 Changes That Matter Most
About this episode
The episode reviews significant changes in points and miles for 2026 and discusses their implications for travel strategies.
If you've been paying attention to points and miles this year and something has felt off, like the ground keeps shifting under the rules you thought you understood, you are not imagining it. I'm joined again by my good friend and points expert, Kevin Zanes, to make sense of it all. We are hitting pause at the halfway mark of the year to ask what the biggest stories in points, miles, and award travel have really been so far, and more importantly, what those changes tell us about where this whole hobby is headed. This year hasn't just brought the usual devaluations we all expect. It has brought step changes big enough to make both of us reconsider strategies we've relied on for years. Kevin and I each picked our top three stories and compared notes. We get into the Hyatt award chart overhaul and whether chasing Globalist status still makes sense, the new Qatar restrictions on booking award flights for family and friends, the three new Bilt cards and how they reshuffled where our everyday spend goes, and the way United is now tying its best award space and discounts to holding a co-branded card. I also walk through the Chase change I'm most worried about, a differential transfer…
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- 173. London on Points: Awards, Taxes & Insider Tips
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