December 12, 2024 • 41 mins
Brian Kelly – better known as “The Points Guy” - is one of the leading experts on travel and mastering the game of the $26 billion global loyalty rewards business reward business. Just in time for the holiday season, he shares essential tips for making travel more comfortable and enjoyable, the best apps and card services to help anyone earn more reward points, and the secrets of maximizing loyalty programs for travel.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I mean a million AMX points at a very minimum
is ten thousand dollars in pre travel, so you've got
at least twenty grand just with your AMX points, which
certainly even if you have to pay full price, takes
this seeks.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
He talks so quickly and you have to listen really
carefully because then you know that you're going to save
some money. Hi, everybody. Brian Kelly is the passionate travel
enthusiast better known as the Point Sky. What started as
a passion for tracking miles and points led to a
(00:31):
successful business, and today millions of travelers turn to the
Point Sky or advice on maximizing loyalty programs for travel.
Welcome to my podcast, Brian.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Thanks for having me Martha.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It's so nice to see you after oh a few months,
I haven't seen you.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yes, I think we had dinner this summer. And then
of course we had our epic cruise to Greenland last
year or two years ago.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Was fun, so fun. Never Doceland and Greenland. Yes, yeah,
and before that Brian and I traveled as Fallbard, which
is in the Arctic Circle, and that was that was
a very fun trip.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
I always think I get travel perks when traveling, but
traveling with you, some people just go to see the
seed involvement, and we learned a lot we did.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We learned a lot about where does food come from?
And how secure is the food supply for the rest
of the world.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Right this small bard is one of the most fascinating places.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Beautiful, and I got so many interesting things there and
I didn't use any points. But when did the idea
of the point sky occur to you?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So it was in the late two thousands. I was
working for Morgan Stanley and I was traveling a ton.
I was trying to think of what side hustle I
could do because I wasn't making a lot of money,
and I just I've always been very good with points,
you know, back to the nineties, I was, I was
using points with.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
It like you were just curious about it or what.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So my dad, I was always a tech whiz, Like
when I was seven, I had my first computer. I
taught myself ms DOS. I was like a little hacker
and you know, got on Prodigy and Aol Internet way
back in the day. So my dad had gotten a
job at a startup and needed me to book his travel.
He was working from home without a secretary. So my
first job at age eleven was booking his trips and
(02:13):
he'd pay me ten dollars a trip.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
And then one day he said, I have all these
frequent flyer miles if you can figure out how to
use them. And I called up the airlines. I schmoozed,
you know, with Shila from American Airlines, and I figured
out how to get our family of six to the
Cayman Islands. So I figured out, like, there's these points
are really valuable. So every year I would use points.
And this is the nineties, never in a million years
that I think, you know, fast forward this would become
(02:37):
a career of mine.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
So and a real business, a real business and a
profitable business for you.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
And at first it was not a blog even it
was just a travel agency. So in Wall Street I
had a lot of people who had points and miles,
and I realized, like, no one knows how to use them.
And I've even work in the tech division. These PhDs
and computer science would come to me and be like, ran,
how do I use my points? And that was like
a light bulb moment for me. I'm like, how are
all these really smart people? And no one knows how
(03:05):
to use points.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Something not cashing in on something that everybody gets if
everybody pays attention exactly.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
So I started a side hustle business to points guy
was I was a travel agent for points, So you'd
pay me fifty bucks, and I when I would come
home from my job at Morgan Stanley, I'd come home
check my emails and if I could help you, I'd say, Okay,
PayPal me, you know, one hundred dollars for two tickets,
and I'll tell you how to go to Rome using
your points. So, just using the knowledge I was in
my head, I started making a couple hundred one thousand
(03:35):
bucks a month, and being twenty six in Manhattan living
paycheck to paycheck, like a thousand bucks a month was nice,
you know, sure was. Eventually, about six months into that,
a friend said, you know, you've got a blog, blog
blog blog, and I had adjusting the movie Julia, the
Julia Child's movie about the blogger who started a blog
that became super famous. And I remember watching that movie
(03:56):
in two thousand and nine thinking how cool would that
be if your life you could just pursue your passion.
And it literally ended up happening to me. I started blogging.
I started blogging for fun, and within about six months.
I remember my first cocktail party in New York. Someone
said you're the Points guy, and I saw their eyes
light up, and they of course talk my ear off
(04:16):
because I've realized so many people just wanted to talk
about travel, and this like niche world of points.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So now, how many followers do you have.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
The points go dot com or upwards of ten million
people visiting a month, and you know millions on social media.
We have a newsletter that a million people read every week.
There's plenty of travel influencers who have millions of followers.
I think I've always just been about organic how to advice.
So it may not be as pretty as a beautiful
photo of Iceland, but I'll tell you how to get
to Iceland on points, which I think is more about it.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I was just picking Brian's brain over a quick lunch
before the podcast, and I have close to two million points.
They do accumulate quickly, and I haven't used any of
them in a while, and I'm trying to make a
try up to Namimbia, which is quite a distance and
quite expensive to get to Namibia get to go to Johannesburg.
(05:07):
So I'm going to take your advice.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, and of course you love a challenge, Martha. So
three weeks before the busiest travel week of the year,
going on one particular flight. But even with your AMX,
I mean, a million MX points at a very minimum
is ten thousand dollars in free travel. So you've got
at least twenty grand just with your AMX points, which
certainly even if you have to pay full price, takes the.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
See he talks, he talks so quickly, and you have
to listen really carefully because then you know that you're
going to save some money.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
The point is points are currency. They are they are,
and I want people to understand that in this day
with so much inflation and everyone's you know, people are
not getting the job the bonuses even to cover cost
of living. So I think now more than ever, if
you want to get ahead, and you don't need to
be going to Namibia or far flung places, if you
want to go to Orlando, if you want to you know,
(05:54):
see family on fly Southwest, the points game is for you.
And that's what I really believe and excited to teach
people in my upcoming book that this is not just
for the elite.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And we have his book right in our hands. This
is just a galley. This is just the galley how
to Win at Travel Brian Kelly, founder of The Point Sky,
and it's coming out in February fourth, February twenty five.
You have to get this book. And really, if you
read it, you're going to save money. You're going to
make yourself some money. And by saving money, and I
(06:28):
love this idea. I'm so glad you finally wrote a
book because we as friends are always trying to pick
his brain.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And so now I can say to people, just read
my books. I can finally enjoy well the book I
wanted to take an approach. It's it's an easy read
and some of the chapters, you know, you can go
back in reference. I have a whole chapter what to
do when airlines cancel your flights? What are your rights?
Here's how to get what you want? You know, how
to use the terminology when you approach a gate agent.
(06:54):
There's a certain speek that US travelers have and I'm
teaching everyday people for example, like if you think you're
gonna if your flight's delayed and you're going to miss
your connection, which happens quite a bit. You can even now,
when you're in flight, on the in flight Wi Fi,
you message that airline and you say, can you protect
me on the next flight. Most people wait until they
(07:16):
miss their connection and then there's no seats left. What
I teach you in the book is get ahead of
the game. You've got to be proactive and you can
ask the airline. What they will do protecting you is
actually book you on a second ticket, so if you
do miss your first connection, you already have a seat saved.
And this is like, these are some of the tactics
that help you. They want to help you, but frankly,
(07:36):
the system is set up. You know, if you're a
top tier elite traveler, they're going to automatically protect you.
If you don't have elite status, and if you're not
spending a lot, they will, but you need to advocate
for yourself. And frankly, the airlines bank on most people
just saying give me whatever you'll give me, because it's
easier for them to deal with. But I like to
empower people to say, be nice, but ask for this,
(07:58):
because if you don't ask, you're not going to get
it in most cases.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
This is why I have Ryan on the podcast today
because you actually can save money, be smart and travel. Well.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah, one of the not just like points. I can't
believe how many people have a fear of flying. It's
actually one of the top questions I geld asked. I've
even dated people who had fears of flying and that
didn't work out well.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
But I'm always sure afraid to get on it.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, I know so many people, and which befuddles me because,
as I talk about in the book, travel is I
mean air travels extraordinarily safe. Like there's a stat in
the book you have to travel every single day for
over one hundred thousand years to statistically die in a
plane crash, and.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That you know, all the population of the world correct.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
So it's so safe to travel. Yet at the same time,
fear of flying seems to be going up. And there's
a lot of reasons that could be. But but in
the book, I talked to doctors. I sat down with
Whoopee Goldberg, who she wouldn't fly for years. She would
how did she get from East Coast to Wist. She
bought a dur of us and she had three full
time drivers, and it would take.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Her a week two days.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
It was like, I think she could do it in
two and a half days. But for years and years,
and when Sister Act hit, she contractually had to go
to London, and so she tells the story in the book.
It's fascinating. They actually she got the FAA to allow her.
They had an anesthesiologist put her down and rolled her
onto a private jet And fast forward to now what
has a beautiful property in Italy and she flies domestically.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Oh good.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
So she talks about all the things throughout the years
that helped her cope, because we all know someone in
our life who suffers from that.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So when do these kinds of loyalty programs that offer
points and rewards first start to develop? Because I sort
of remember, but I can't really place the date.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, So in nineteen seventy eight, the US government deregulated airfare.
So pre nineteen seventy eight, no matter the airline you flew,
it was a set price to fly New York to
LA and it was very expensive. It was on average
ten percent of the average American salary to travel. Very
few people traveled. It was really for the wealth.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
They were real stewardesses. Yes, well, I actually I knew
some of these stewardesses.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I actually debunked. I think we're in the best age
of travel today, an incredible time for travel. It's actually
more accessible, it's cheaper. May seem expensive today, but it's
actually much cheaper, much safer. And the fact you can
now fly, you can now fly to Australia NonStop, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's what that's how I go to Australia in Singapore.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, in the eighties, the airlines realized they had to
start competing, so that's where they started creating frequent flyer
programs and the airlines. It's a tough business. Airlines go
bankrupt all the time. And in the two thousands the
airlines realized and Delta was the first one. Amex bailed
Delta out of bankruptcy. Amex went to Delta and said,
we're going to pre buy a billion dollars worth of
frequent flyer miles to use for our credit cards. And
(10:49):
that's what saved Delta Airlines.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And now Delta is really one of the premiere I
just flew to Rome on Delta and the new lounge
at Kennedy Airport in New York. The Delta one Lounge
is Oh my gosh, it's so fantacy. It was incredible.
I was I had never been in there. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Yeah, And that's why I want all to drink everything.
That's why I think when people start to travel and
see that side of travel, I think so many people
who hate travel today just because they're being bullied around.
They're in the worst seat on the plane. And so
I have you know, in the book I talk about it,
even if you're gonna fly economy, there's huge differences in
how you choose your seats, and no, but no one
teaches you this. No one teaches you to look at
(11:28):
the plane type. And even just knowing the plane type
you're flying on your trip to Paris, choosing the right
one could mean you know much better for your sleep
and rest the air the frequent flyer programs today airlines
make more money by their frequent flyer programs, and they
do flying airplanes. The way the system works in the
United States, when you use a credit card, let's call
it two percent of that purchase price. It's called the
(11:50):
interchange feed. The credit card company makes money for every
dollar purchase. So when you use a credit card, there's
two percent of that purchase is going the merchant is paying,
and then the credit our companies kicking us all back
basically one percent of that. So the airlines realize, you know,
for people, if you fly Delta once or twice a year,
Delta's only making money a couple times a year. If
Delta can get you a Delta credit card or American
(12:13):
whatever airline it may be, every single time you purchase coffee,
you go to the groceries, they're getting a cut of
every single dollar you spend. And Delta there was just
a stat one percent of total USGDP is put on
a Delta American Express card. So, simply put, these loyalty
programs are the most compelling and lucrative marketing platform ever created.
(12:33):
And that's why I tell people in the beginning of
the book, you got to get in on the program.
This is not a fad. They're not going away, they
are changing.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Do they expire?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
So most airlines have gotten rid of expiration except American Airlines.
Shame on them. They need to get rid of that
and to keep that miles active. It's very very simple,
it's pretty easy to play the game. I think so
many people just have myths or have not been educated
on how to do it.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
In our travel Asians who are who people still use
and they still serve a very very useful purpose on
do they encourage you?
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Travel agents are amazing and I talk about in the
book when to use them when not to. There's actually
now similar to how I started the Points guy, there
are travel agencies that will help you use your points.
So if you're listening to this podcast and you're like, okay, great,
well I'm not going to take the time to just
all of a sudden become an expert, you don't have to.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
So there's a fight an Asian thing.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, So point dot me is the website that's an
actual tool. It's like Google Flights. It'll let you search
for flights using your points. That's what I was on
my way here when I was looking at your impossible
Namibia flights to book. But that's when I found out
it actually told me, Hey, if you know, Martha really wanted,
you could actually fly for one hundred twenty thousand points
business class on the dates you're flying. Most people who
(13:49):
are somewhat flexible, and I would even say that people
have never been to Africa, stop in Nairobi, go to
the giraft manner, which I'm sure your grandkids would love.
You know, the Hemingway Hotel is beautiful. You stop for
a day in Nairobi. You can even the elephants when
you land at the Nairobi airport.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
He's selling me I have a two million.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Points for a honeymooning couple who wants to go to
South Africa. I would just say, hey, because these frequent
flyer programs will actually let you stop over for free.
So you could fly JFK to Nairobi, spend a couple
days in beautiful Nairobi and then all for one hundred
and twenty five thousand points versus fifteen grand. And what
I would say to people, you know, spend that fifteen
grand on fabulous safaris and don't give it to the
(14:28):
airlines invested in the cool meals when you get there.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So wish loyalty programs credit cards do you recommend most highly?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So many people have, you know, their airline credit cards
are nice for getting your free check bags or whatever.
But I think that one of the biggest mistakes I see,
especially successful people, is oh, you know, I fly one
airline and I just it's simple. I'm just gonna have
my American Airlines credit card that just gets me where
I want to go. That's a mistake. Almost twenty twenty five.
You want to get a credit card that gives you
transferable points. This is the name of the game. So
(15:06):
historically that was AMEX Platinum and AMEX Gold because when
you a crew Amex points, you can transfer to thirty
different partners. You can transfer to Virgin Atlantic, to Emirates,
so it opens up tons of opportunities. But it's not
just Amex anymore. Chase Sapphire to the Chase Sapphire Reserve
the AMEX Gold card, And funny enough, you know many
(15:26):
people of the Platinum, and I like the Platinum for
lounge access. The AMEX Gold card gives you four points
per dollars on all dining and groceries. So for most
American families you're spending a ton. The Platinum card only
gives you one point. Oh so so many people say, well,
that's silly. The Platinum cards some points for every dollar, yes,
on dining and groceries. So when people when I go
to dinner with Fantasy CA.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I have a red card, what are the red cards
get you.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I think is that a plumb card. The red card
would be a I think that's like a cash back
business card.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I think I need to do an audit on.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Your accounts and you have to see I need it.
That's why I'm really doing podcast.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
But the Capitol one venture X card's another great one.
That card gives two points on every dollar spent.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
So the goal is you're going to use your Amix
Gold card for dining and groceries four points per dollars,
very lucrative. Built a company that I helped found Built.
If you pay rent, everyone should pay with a Built MasterCard,
no annual fee. Built is a game changing program. You
earn not only do you earn points for rent, but
Built will report your rent payment to the credit bureau. So,
(16:27):
for young people trying to build credit, your biggest expense
normally that forever it was just a check and that
was off the credit system. So you're not getting credit
for paying that monthly rent that so many of us pay.
Built now gives you points that are very valuable. And
because this big expense that you're showing your very responsible paying,
your credit score goes up and when your credit score
(16:48):
goes up, your mortgage payment and rates go down. So
that's why, Like my book is called how to Win
a Travel but I talk about how playing this game
smartly it's really winning at life. It teaches you how
to approach everything and look at it to tailor it
to exactly benefit you.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
What are some of the most creative ways to earn miles?
Like I traveled with a posse of four, four of
us or five of us.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Well, first things first, everyone, so you know kids under
two you can't earn points because they're free unless you
buy them a ticket. But everyone, I mean, starting day
one with kids, start sign them up for frequent flyer
programs for a whole host of reasons. It'll make even
just booking their tickets easier when all their information's preloaded.
The biggest area people are not earning points is online shopping.
So everyone shops online. Now listen here. People never go
(17:35):
directly to a retailer's website. Never go to sas dot Com,
never go to north Face, Nike, whatever. Always click through.
It's called a shopping portal. And these shopping portals, there's
Rakutin is the biggest one out there. You download this
rakutin app and it says cash backs. You can earn
up to twenty percent cash back. But the little known
trick is you can actually earn that in Amex points instead,
(17:57):
which are actually more valuable than cash back. So and
anytime you go to shop online, you can earn American
Airlines miles or Delta, whatever types of points you're looking
to get. All you do is you click through a
shopping portal to the retailer through through that airline's shopping portal.
It puts a cookie on your computer and it tracks
all your expenses. So not only do you get points
(18:17):
for using your credit card, your ams to make the.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Or engineer, are you listening to this show?
Speaker 1 (18:23):
He's nodding his head.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah. Do you do all of this? A few things?
A few? Are you going to do all of them? Now?
A lot more? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Well yeah, especially with kids. I mean you you rack
up so much in expenses, so shopping online that's just
the single easiest. It's a click of a button and
it's double dipping. You get your credit card points for
making all those expenses, and then you get these additional
points just for clicking the button to shop through the
shopping portal, you can really get points. I mean, I
say these days, you know, if you're going to give
a wedding gift, you can get gift cards, you know,
(18:53):
like I just like I just said, the AMEX gold card,
or for graduation gifts. Instead of giving cash, you could
buy one of many very enticing gift cards from your
local supermarket. And guess what the five hundred dollars gift
card that you might buy that's earning you four x
points because it's purchased at a grocery store, which is
four x y amics goal. You see where I'm going
with this. I see you know, you start doing a
(19:15):
home renovation and instead of having your contract or buy
all that stuff from home depot or wherever, you buy it. Yes,
your interior designer, you know many of these. You know,
your party planner, you're getting points. Of course they are
unless you ask for them. So points are everywhere. I
think I want to enlighten people to say, wait a minute,
like you know when you go out to dinner with
(19:35):
your friend and there's always that one friends like, oh,
I'll put it on my credit card. Just you know,
I know why.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I know I got on to that earlier in the
company because we're allowed at our company to keep our
points exactly, so the one who picks up the check
gets the points.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
And speaking of these and then you expense. So that's
how I I mean at Morgan Stanley, that's what I
was doing. I was paying for career fairs at MIT
twenty thousand dollars. I write about it in the book
where all of my colleagues we're like, you're the hero
of HR because I was the expense guy. Everyone thought
I was doing it to be nice, those fools I
was setting around the world. I was so broke. I
call it my points rich cash poor portion of my life.
(20:12):
It was cheaper for me to fly to London first
class for a weekend, and I had all this elite
status with the hotel, so I got free breakfast, I
had free canapes in the afternoon. And then it was
to stay in New York City because if I went
out in New York and I had had no money,
so I'd be out to dinner with friends, and I
was that mortified person like, oh no, when it comes
time to split, like I don't have any money. So
(20:33):
I would travel first class, taking the subway to JFK
to fly British airways first class.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
On the weekends. What fun. So most travelers are on
economy budgets, what are three chips for getting a first
class experience?
Speaker 1 (20:47):
So interestingly, one of the biggest trends that has happened,
and the pandemic helped shift this. A decade ago, first
class used to be exorbitantly expensive, like it would even
just flying to Miami, it would be three thousand dollars
one way, and the airlines would basically fill the cabins
with their frequent flyers, so they were giving away eighty
percent of those first class seats, so you had to
be an elite traveler. So for everyday people, no one's
(21:10):
spending three thousand. What happened with the pandemic is they
flipped it. So now they're selling almost all those seats
in first class, but at a discount, a much lower
discount than what first class used to be. So the
easiest way is upgrading using your frequent flyer miles. You
know these days, just getting a single credit card bonus
fifty sixty thousand points. So get a credit card or
(21:30):
two that gives you big points bonuses. And I want
to reiterate this too, the credit card games amazing and
it can be essentially an unlimited gravy train of free travel.
But very important, but you must pay your bills off
in full every month. If you start opening up credit
cards and you're paying interest, the thirty percent APR will
(21:51):
destroy the value. So I never want anyone to open
up credit cards, even if you have an inkling like
I might start spending past my do not it? However,
good advice. Yeah, so get a credit card, use your
points to upgrade. And I mean, you're not going to
get an upgrade for your honeymoon. That's like people always say, well,
it's my honeymoon, the airline is going to do it.
But I will say this, it never hurts to ask once.
(22:14):
I would never bank on it. But when I was
extremely poor and I'm six foot seven, and I was
flying to Buenos Aires and in coach, and I was
driading that ten and a half hour flight, and I
remember going up at JFK. I was like, I went
up the gate agent. I knew she was sassy, and
I was like, I kind of went up and just
did a little bit of sass with her, and I
was like, you know, if the flight's over sold, in economy, Like,
(22:36):
if you have to upgrade someone, I would be I'll
take that responsibility for you off your hand. I was
like joking, what they're in. This woman was who's used
to people screaming at her all day, but I was
just having fun with her. She giggled and was like,
you gotta be kidding me, but like laughed. And then
when I was boarding that flight, the beat beat beat
happened and it spit out the business class ticket. Oh great,
so being very nice. It's not gonna happen every time.
(22:58):
But you know, at hotels there is a twin You
can put a twenty dollars bill between your ID and
credit card to the front desk agent in Vegas. That
works quite a bit, but'll at least give you a
nicer room. So I think I would bank on people
using your points or you know at check in, a
lot of airlines will let you bid for an upgrade,
So put in you know what you think you might
get it.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
For all excellent advice and making travel nicer and better.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
I remember when we flew to Oslo, you made a
baked potato and caviar on the plane. Is that a
do you do that on every flight or just oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
We tried it. We tried to take something delicious to
eat because the plain food still is not just enough.
And I don't know why. I just don't know. Yah,
wouldn't you be happy with a baked potato and caviar?
Seriously all that other stuff that they serve.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Do you ever eat airplane food?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Very very rarely?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
But will you eat in the lounge like if it
looks good? Or do you just try to eat it home?
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I try to eat it home. I mean that's the
way we are. But I want you, you know, I
want I want you. I would think it would be
so nice, But the cheese and crackers even that on
the way to roam was not so good this time.
And you're going to Italy where there's fantastic cheese. Where
is that cheese? You know?
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Has it TSA ever stopped you for bringing caviar through?
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Oh yes, we've got Kevin Charky got into big trouble
with cavia.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Oh so you make it. He's your caviar mule.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Yeah, but you're very careful now, you don't do anything
to irritate anybody.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, because you know, if you ever bring my friend
brought up a banana from the plane. They often have
the net. If you ever bring that through you can
get huge fines. And in the US, so I global
entry is key being able to zip this and you
can lose your global entry by bringing in fruit or anything.
So everyone before every flight, go through your bag, double
check for any orange you might have taken from the hotel.
(24:45):
Because global we don't play globble.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Entry is so perfect, I mean we just it took
us like no time to get out of the airport
on Sunday from Rome. Yep, the only t Truman who's
only twelve. It takes a while for them to read
his face.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Yep, since my son, who's baby, got it as a baby.
Now it actually his baby face. It was registering, but
now he turned two, I think his face turned enough
where to get it. It's an issue. But for people listening,
a lot of credit cards will give you global entries
one hundred twenty dollars for five years, and that lets
you go through the immigration when coming home from abroad.
But it also includes tsa pre check. Yes, so what
(25:21):
most people don't realize and pre check is when you're
flying domestically through any airport, so you get both through
one hundred twenty bucks and most credit cards will reimburse you.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
You don't have to take your shoes off.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
You don't have All children from the age of one
day and older have to have their own global entry.
And if you try to bring your kid through global entry,
even if they're two years old, you can lose your
global entry. So that's once again an important thing I
want to do out, yes, right, but global entry is key.
It's the best one hundred and twenty dollars you'll spend.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
So you and I we took two amazing expeditions together.
What did you learn from our trip to Smallbard? About
about travel and about camaraderie and all of that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
I think one of my most magnificent memories that night
when we walked up to that Michelin starred restaurant up
a hill. And I do love travel bringing together people
of all shapes and sizes. That trip was really it
was a ragtag group of people all over the place, Europeans,
the LA contingent actresses, and so I love that, Like
(26:19):
how our lives are so scripted in a lot of ways.
When we get comfortable in our own little groups of
friends and the holidays can be the same. So I
love what travel can just you know, you meet fascinating people.
And I love that night you were doing a little
round table under by the fire and then someone came
in and said the northern lights. And we all ran
outside on this hill in the northernmost city and just
(26:41):
took in mother Nature.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Saw those amazing green lights.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
The northern lights. And we actually saw them again when
we were in Greenland in August, which was very rare
to see with that super moon. I mean, those are
the moment I love nature.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
And that camp in Newfoundland, remember that beautiful.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Green camp Kiachua. Yes, and interesting. I don't know if
you saw United Airlines now flying Nuok just opened their
new airport. Yeah, so United Airlines next year will be
flying NonStop to Nook. Nuok is n u Uk, right, Yeah,
it's the capital of Greenland and it's a little town
but they have US flight. They have a flight to
Nuk And it's a camp Kiyatua. It is this fabulous
(27:18):
tented camp.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
But you have to go out and by a beautiful woman, yes,
and with her who's children helper.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
It was magical up on a cliff overlooking those fjords
and just you know, fresh brooks of like water going
through the camp.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I mean so, even though Brian spends a lot of
time counting points and saving cash, he also enjoys the
traveling that he is the foremost proponent of. You really
I love that about you. I really think it's amazing
that you've kept your your awe of what you see
when you get there.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I believe travel can be a force for good in
the world. So I work with Nobel Peace Prize winners.
We do these youth peace conferences all around the world.
It's called Peace Jam and it's basically Nobel Laureate's educating
the next generation of peace leaders, which I think we
can all agree the world needs more of to be
pushing our next generation to solve conflict peacefully. So I've donated,
(28:12):
you know, and help others donate miles to charities. I
do make a wish, you know, at the Point Sky.
We team up with American Airlines and make a wish.
We do the best flight ever, which is when we
get Broadway actors an entire plane of wish kids and
we bring them to Disney and in the air they're
doing performances. So I, you know, I think, yes, I
love first class travel and the fancy caviar, but I'm
(28:32):
for the destination. I am for the moments that take
your breath away, and I think travel helps you just
reset and realize what's what's important in life.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I agree. And when people say, oh, where's the best
place you've ever been, you know what my answer is
where I haven't been yet, because I have that sort
of quest for learning something new, and that's one way
you can learn something new, to visit a new place.
(29:10):
So Brian travels. He has a traveler that goes with
him now, a two year old charming son called Dean.
And talk about how you've integrated a toddler into your
jet setting lifestyle. Because I see him on your shoulders,
I see him in your arm.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
I'm so lucky. He's well, I'm lucky, and I'm girding
my loins because he's my clone. He is just like
me mine going a million miles an hour, very inquisitive.
But I mean he because I had him via surrogacy.
So I decided single gay dad. It was always wanted
to be a dad, and I was like, I want
to be a dad in my thirties. So during the pandemic,
(29:47):
when I had some soul searching of what's the next phase,
and it became very clear that to become a dad,
I didn't know exactly what travel would be like, but
I knew I wanted to start early. Everyone I know
a lot of people in the travel industry, influencers who
have young kids, and I see them traveling families that
go around the world, and everyone said, just start them young.
And that's what they that's what they know, and that
(30:10):
you know, his first flight was at three days old,
flew home and he slept the whole flight. And but
I tell families, like in the beginning, it's easy when
you know, get him a douna, the Duna stroller where
it turns into a car seat and a stroller, so
you snap it into the airplane seat. They sleep most
of the time. It gets challenging at like the eighteen
month mark when they want to start running around, but
you figure out ways. You just keep them busy, that's
(30:30):
the biggest thing. Have a bag of tricks at all times.
And I'll just say to the other parents out there
who are debating, I was shocked at how child friendly
the rest of the world is. The US is one
of the most anti child places with Glarizon planes. You
go to Portugal, they will pull you aside. There are
special immage. You don't wait no long immigration line, they'll
take you and your kids to the front.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
So what advice do you have for people traveling during
the upcoming peak travel times.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, so there's always going to be road bumps the
biggest mistake. So you can fix a lot of your
problems before you leave your house. Everyone, especially people who
book months in advance. So the airlines these days change
flights all the time, and you know they'll cancel a
route or they'll put you on a different flight if
they cancel that frequency, And everyone should go online right now,
(31:15):
and if you've got upcoming travel, always double check because
sometimes your flight time might not have changed, but they'll
change the aircraft, which means you might be in a
middle seat. So it's a whole lot easier to fix
those issues before you go to the airport than when
there's no seats left. So everyone go in. You know,
you always double check your reservations before you leave, and
if the airline switches you to from the NonStop to
(31:37):
one with the stop. The Department of Transportation has new
rules as of October. So if your flight time changes
by three hours domestically or six hours internationally, you were
owed a full refund. So in the past, the airlines
could put you on a terrible flight with a crazy
connection and you had to take it. Now consumers need
to know. But this is what consumers need to know
their rights first of all, so so to survive the holidays, yeah,
(31:59):
just always double check your know your rights through the
Department of Transportation. And another thing, when airlines delay or
cancel your flight, they're cheap. The most are not giving
you a hotel, and if it is, it's usually going
to be horrible. But most people's credit cards have flight
cancelation and delay coverage. So your AMEX, your Chase card
will pay if there's a long delay. You can go
(32:20):
to a nearby hotel, get a day rate with your kids,
go to a pool, have a meal, and your credit
card will pay for that. And it shocks me how
few people know that when you use those credit cards,
those protections exist. Same thing with baggage. And finally, if
you're going to check a bag, everyone you must have
an air tag in your luggage. In fact, I put
it on my carry on. I put it my stroller.
(32:41):
I mean, having air tags will show you where your
bag is. And now the airlines just announced they're teaming
up with Apple and you'll be able to share your
air tag location with the airline soon, so it's integrated.
But knowing that your bag and I've had my son's
bag with of course all the most essential items. When
we were in Portugal, that was the one that didn't come.
I knew exactly where it was at every point in time,
(33:02):
and I knew when it landed at the airport. I
didn't wait for the hotel, you know, airport employees to
call me. I knew the minute it landed, so I
went to the airport and got it. So having that
air tag is critical.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I have two air tags sitting in a drawer and
I have not put them in my luggage. Oh how
bad am I?
Speaker 1 (33:18):
I mean, Mark, you can create a holiday wonderland, but
you can't simply just put an air tag.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
And I'm going through the minute I get on tonight.
What trends do you, Bryan see for the future of travel?
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah, so we at the point sky. We just did
an analysis, so there's some good and some bad trends.
I think in twenty twenty five. The cost of travel
is going to continue going up. There's a lot of
reasons aircraft. Boeing is in a state of disaster. I
mean they're supposed to be. Boeing is many years behind
on planes. Airbus even has so that's creating issues for
(33:52):
the airlines who are flying older planes grounding them. So
there's going to be continued roadbumps and traveling and the
cost of airfare going up and over. Tourism is a
big issue this summer. We saw in Barcelona the locals
were squirting tourists with water guns. I urge everyone start
really traveling the shoulder season. You going to Rome in
(34:13):
November much bet are much more enjoyable. So start And
I know a lot of families you know have spring break,
but instead of spring break in the Bahamas and paying
an exorbitant amount, think about Portugal. You know, the flights
can be the same. So just I encourage people to
start thinking against the grain going to more unique destinations.
(34:33):
I am an optimist in general, but the airlines Delta
came out with an investor day. They're going to continue
squeezing out revenue. So Jet Blue now charges for a
dynamic fee for check bags, meaning you don't even know
how much your bag's going to cost till you check in.
It could be up with seventy five dollars, you know,
one hundred dollars flight. So getting this is where getting
an airline cobra and if you fly Jet Blue several
(34:54):
times a year, just get the Cobra and it's eighty
bucks a year and you get you and your family
get free bags every time you fly.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
So I didn't even know that.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Yeah, so get an airline card for the perks, but
spend on a card that will let you transfer to
multiple airliness.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Everybody listening, you must get this book, How to Win
at Travel, coming out in February of twenty twenty five.
Can't wait for it to come out. Really, this is
a very useful book and I hopefully will help all
of us travel better and more efficiently and more luxuriously
in the future. I think it's so good of you
(35:29):
to write this book for us.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Thank you, Markin. Really, you've definitely been an inspiration in
the How to Space.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Now listen, I want to do a little lightning around
with you. Okay, check in or carry.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
On carry on when possible.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
What are your travel pet Peeves.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
This is a new one. I hate when people wear
a so stinkiness on planes. I don't mind those oh perfumes.
Can we have a discussion about oo oh ooh, Martha.
I was at Barry's boot camp yesterday and the guy
next to me had so much tom Ford ood I
actually had to move. I had to move od And
I mean, I don't know, Harry Mclair Angel, it's time
(36:05):
that we either dilute it or just put it to pasture,
because when you know, I agree, favorite seats, favorite seats.
I mean I'm a window seat guy, through and through
me too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Earliest travel memory my parents.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
We would go to Florida as kids, and actually my
dad and my two brothers, my dad taught us. We
were gaming family cards, Rummy and I remember learning blackjack
in the Florida keys, like using pennies, and that's like
one of my earliest Like me and my brothers and
my dad.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Favorite airline are you allowed?
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Oh yeah, I mean I can say I don't have
like I'm a free agent these days, I will say, well,
Etty hod Is, you know the Abu Dhabi based airline
has what's called the Residents and it's a double bed.
You get your own bedroom with double bed and you
why I love this is you can set the temperature
to the bedroom your own and I sleep at sixty
seven degrees, so frette linens and sixty seven degrees and
(37:01):
a closing door for fifteen hours to Abu Dhabi. It's
like that is the ultimate.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Oh, and I have to go to Abu Dhabi's I
will help you book it, Okay, I will call fabulous.
Favorite airport?
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Ooh, favorite airport? You know this one's you know, Singapore
Airport is you know, globally renowned, but I like saying
pomp Springs. It is the most charming outdoor desert airport.
It just makes me smile.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Most unforgettable travel experience.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
I have to say taking my parents. My parents are
my rock and so being able to take them on trips.
We did it an around the world trip. My dad
is Brian. I'm Brian and one of the people I
do charity work with in Ghana. As a thank you
to me for supporting their charity, he named his final
son Brian Kelly. Oh, so there's a little Brian Kelly
(37:50):
and Ghana. So my dad, mom and I we flew
from London to Akra and I'd use miles and it
was on the British Airway seven forty seven. And we
get on the plane and we're the only three people
in first class and my parents just look at me like,
you know, we're on the Queen of the Skies, this
iconic plane going. They just look at me like we're
going to Ghana for a baby. Man.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
It was like, yeah, that's the way.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
As a kid from Bucks County, you know, like that's.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
A hotel that does luxury the best.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Oh, I mean, I love Rosewood Hotels as like a brand.
They've got some really fabulous properties. But I love also adventures.
So Nihi is a hotel in Indonesia on the island
of Sumba. My friend Chris Perch owns it and it
was the number one hotel in the world through Travel
and Leisure several years. But it's it takes forever to
get there, but it is exquisite. There's wild horses that
(38:40):
run along the beach and they're really integrated into the
local culture. So I say skip Bali and go to Simba.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
You heard it here some best packing tip.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I am just a huge fan of the foal well.
Besides the air tag pack and air tag and everything.
But I do. I'm a fold I put everything, like
all my shirts, well, I'll start with my blazers and
then put shirts and then I just fold everything in
half and half and I almost never have to iron.
All my pants get stacked half half. They don't crease
because when they're in a big enough pack, it's not
(39:11):
tight enough to crease.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I have, I have a I have a very good thing.
I put all my dresses, all my shirts, all my
sweaters on hangers on the middle fingers hangers, and then
I put each piece of clothing in a plastic cleaner bag.
And when you fold that into thirds and lay them
down into your suitcase, nothing, nothing gets wrinkled.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
And then you're able to just hang it out. Because right,
let's talk about my other pet peeve in life is hotels.
Beautiful hotels. I'll get upgraded. The penow sweet and there's
three hangers. Yeah, what is going on? Hotels can?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
But that's my thing is it's absolutely.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Pen yeah, and it makes keeps them clean and it
makes yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
And I use and I use the trunk that Romoa
metal stuff trunk because you can.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
You ever do package you don't use packing cubes?
Speaker 2 (39:55):
Do you or know thing you never leave home without?
Speaker 1 (40:00):
When I travel, it's my Bo's headphones control your environment.
Even if there's a crying kid, who cares, I'll just
crank up my own music.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Bos So Brian, thank you so much for joining us today.
This has been not only enlightening but educational and very helpful.
Or do we follow you at?
Speaker 1 (40:18):
The Points Guy is the company's website, and social is
my personal travels and Points Guy, The Points Guy g
u I and then I'm at Brian Kelly on Instagram
and there you can or how to win at travel
dot com to pre order your book today.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Have a very happy Christmas and travel safely as we
all are going to.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Thank you, Martha, and happiest of holidays to you and
your family.
I mean a million AMX points at a very minimum
is ten thousand dollars in pre travel, so you've got
at least twenty grand just with your AMX points, which
certainly even if you have to pay full price, takes
this seeks.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
He talks so quickly and you have to listen really
carefully because then you know that you're going to save
some money. Hi, everybody. Brian Kelly is the passionate travel
enthusiast better known as the Point Sky. What started as
a passion for tracking miles and points led to a
(00:31):
successful business, and today millions of travelers turn to the
Point Sky or advice on maximizing loyalty programs for travel.
Welcome to my podcast, Brian.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Thanks for having me Martha.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It's so nice to see you after oh a few months,
I haven't seen you.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yes, I think we had dinner this summer. And then
of course we had our epic cruise to Greenland last
year or two years ago.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Was fun, so fun. Never Doceland and Greenland. Yes, yeah,
and before that Brian and I traveled as Fallbard, which
is in the Arctic Circle, and that was that was
a very fun trip.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
I always think I get travel perks when traveling, but
traveling with you, some people just go to see the
seed involvement, and we learned a lot we did.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We learned a lot about where does food come from?
And how secure is the food supply for the rest
of the world.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Right this small bard is one of the most fascinating places.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Beautiful, and I got so many interesting things there and
I didn't use any points. But when did the idea
of the point sky occur to you?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So it was in the late two thousands. I was
working for Morgan Stanley and I was traveling a ton.
I was trying to think of what side hustle I
could do because I wasn't making a lot of money,
and I just I've always been very good with points,
you know, back to the nineties, I was, I was
using points with.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
It like you were just curious about it or what.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So my dad, I was always a tech whiz, Like
when I was seven, I had my first computer. I
taught myself ms DOS. I was like a little hacker
and you know, got on Prodigy and Aol Internet way
back in the day. So my dad had gotten a
job at a startup and needed me to book his travel.
He was working from home without a secretary. So my
first job at age eleven was booking his trips and
(02:13):
he'd pay me ten dollars a trip.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
And then one day he said, I have all these
frequent flyer miles if you can figure out how to
use them. And I called up the airlines. I schmoozed,
you know, with Shila from American Airlines, and I figured
out how to get our family of six to the
Cayman Islands. So I figured out, like, there's these points
are really valuable. So every year I would use points.
And this is the nineties, never in a million years
that I think, you know, fast forward this would become
(02:37):
a career of mine.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
So and a real business, a real business and a
profitable business for you.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
And at first it was not a blog even it
was just a travel agency. So in Wall Street I
had a lot of people who had points and miles,
and I realized, like, no one knows how to use them.
And I've even work in the tech division. These PhDs
and computer science would come to me and be like, ran,
how do I use my points? And that was like
a light bulb moment for me. I'm like, how are
all these really smart people? And no one knows how
(03:05):
to use points.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Something not cashing in on something that everybody gets if
everybody pays attention exactly.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
So I started a side hustle business to points guy
was I was a travel agent for points, So you'd
pay me fifty bucks, and I when I would come
home from my job at Morgan Stanley, I'd come home
check my emails and if I could help you, I'd say, Okay,
PayPal me, you know, one hundred dollars for two tickets,
and I'll tell you how to go to Rome using
your points. So, just using the knowledge I was in
my head, I started making a couple hundred one thousand
(03:35):
bucks a month, and being twenty six in Manhattan living
paycheck to paycheck, like a thousand bucks a month was nice,
you know, sure was. Eventually, about six months into that,
a friend said, you know, you've got a blog, blog
blog blog, and I had adjusting the movie Julia, the
Julia Child's movie about the blogger who started a blog
that became super famous. And I remember watching that movie
(03:56):
in two thousand and nine thinking how cool would that
be if your life you could just pursue your passion.
And it literally ended up happening to me. I started blogging.
I started blogging for fun, and within about six months.
I remember my first cocktail party in New York. Someone
said you're the Points guy, and I saw their eyes
light up, and they of course talk my ear off
(04:16):
because I've realized so many people just wanted to talk
about travel, and this like niche world of points.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So now, how many followers do you have.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
The points go dot com or upwards of ten million
people visiting a month, and you know millions on social media.
We have a newsletter that a million people read every week.
There's plenty of travel influencers who have millions of followers.
I think I've always just been about organic how to advice.
So it may not be as pretty as a beautiful
photo of Iceland, but I'll tell you how to get
to Iceland on points, which I think is more about it.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I was just picking Brian's brain over a quick lunch
before the podcast, and I have close to two million points.
They do accumulate quickly, and I haven't used any of
them in a while, and I'm trying to make a
try up to Namimbia, which is quite a distance and
quite expensive to get to Namibia get to go to Johannesburg.
(05:07):
So I'm going to take your advice.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, and of course you love a challenge, Martha. So
three weeks before the busiest travel week of the year,
going on one particular flight. But even with your AMX,
I mean, a million MX points at a very minimum
is ten thousand dollars in free travel. So you've got
at least twenty grand just with your AMX points, which
certainly even if you have to pay full price, takes the.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
See he talks, he talks so quickly, and you have
to listen really carefully because then you know that you're
going to save some money.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
The point is points are currency. They are they are,
and I want people to understand that in this day
with so much inflation and everyone's you know, people are
not getting the job the bonuses even to cover cost
of living. So I think now more than ever, if
you want to get ahead, and you don't need to
be going to Namibia or far flung places, if you
want to go to Orlando, if you want to you know,
(05:54):
see family on fly Southwest, the points game is for you.
And that's what I really believe and excited to teach
people in my upcoming book that this is not just
for the elite.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And we have his book right in our hands. This
is just a galley. This is just the galley how
to Win at Travel Brian Kelly, founder of The Point Sky,
and it's coming out in February fourth, February twenty five.
You have to get this book. And really, if you
read it, you're going to save money. You're going to
make yourself some money. And by saving money, and I
(06:28):
love this idea. I'm so glad you finally wrote a
book because we as friends are always trying to pick
his brain.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And so now I can say to people, just read
my books. I can finally enjoy well the book I
wanted to take an approach. It's it's an easy read
and some of the chapters, you know, you can go
back in reference. I have a whole chapter what to
do when airlines cancel your flights? What are your rights?
Here's how to get what you want? You know, how
to use the terminology when you approach a gate agent.
(06:54):
There's a certain speek that US travelers have and I'm
teaching everyday people for example, like if you think you're
gonna if your flight's delayed and you're going to miss
your connection, which happens quite a bit. You can even now,
when you're in flight, on the in flight Wi Fi,
you message that airline and you say, can you protect
me on the next flight. Most people wait until they
(07:16):
miss their connection and then there's no seats left. What
I teach you in the book is get ahead of
the game. You've got to be proactive and you can
ask the airline. What they will do protecting you is
actually book you on a second ticket, so if you
do miss your first connection, you already have a seat saved.
And this is like, these are some of the tactics
that help you. They want to help you, but frankly,
(07:36):
the system is set up. You know, if you're a
top tier elite traveler, they're going to automatically protect you.
If you don't have elite status, and if you're not
spending a lot, they will, but you need to advocate
for yourself. And frankly, the airlines bank on most people
just saying give me whatever you'll give me, because it's
easier for them to deal with. But I like to
empower people to say, be nice, but ask for this,
(07:58):
because if you don't ask, you're not going to get
it in most cases.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
This is why I have Ryan on the podcast today
because you actually can save money, be smart and travel. Well.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah, one of the not just like points. I can't
believe how many people have a fear of flying. It's
actually one of the top questions I geld asked. I've
even dated people who had fears of flying and that
didn't work out well.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
But I'm always sure afraid to get on it.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, I know so many people, and which befuddles me because,
as I talk about in the book, travel is I
mean air travels extraordinarily safe. Like there's a stat in
the book you have to travel every single day for
over one hundred thousand years to statistically die in a
plane crash, and.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That you know, all the population of the world correct.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
So it's so safe to travel. Yet at the same time,
fear of flying seems to be going up. And there's
a lot of reasons that could be. But but in
the book, I talked to doctors. I sat down with
Whoopee Goldberg, who she wouldn't fly for years. She would
how did she get from East Coast to Wist. She
bought a dur of us and she had three full
time drivers, and it would take.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Her a week two days.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
It was like, I think she could do it in
two and a half days. But for years and years,
and when Sister Act hit, she contractually had to go
to London, and so she tells the story in the book.
It's fascinating. They actually she got the FAA to allow her.
They had an anesthesiologist put her down and rolled her
onto a private jet And fast forward to now what
has a beautiful property in Italy and she flies domestically.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Oh good.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
So she talks about all the things throughout the years
that helped her cope, because we all know someone in
our life who suffers from that.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So when do these kinds of loyalty programs that offer
points and rewards first start to develop? Because I sort
of remember, but I can't really place the date.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, So in nineteen seventy eight, the US government deregulated airfare.
So pre nineteen seventy eight, no matter the airline you flew,
it was a set price to fly New York to
LA and it was very expensive. It was on average
ten percent of the average American salary to travel. Very
few people traveled. It was really for the wealth.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
They were real stewardesses. Yes, well, I actually I knew
some of these stewardesses.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I actually debunked. I think we're in the best age
of travel today, an incredible time for travel. It's actually
more accessible, it's cheaper. May seem expensive today, but it's
actually much cheaper, much safer. And the fact you can
now fly, you can now fly to Australia NonStop, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's what that's how I go to Australia in Singapore.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, in the eighties, the airlines realized they had to
start competing, so that's where they started creating frequent flyer
programs and the airlines. It's a tough business. Airlines go
bankrupt all the time. And in the two thousands the
airlines realized and Delta was the first one. Amex bailed
Delta out of bankruptcy. Amex went to Delta and said,
we're going to pre buy a billion dollars worth of
frequent flyer miles to use for our credit cards. And
(10:49):
that's what saved Delta Airlines.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And now Delta is really one of the premiere I
just flew to Rome on Delta and the new lounge
at Kennedy Airport in New York. The Delta one Lounge
is Oh my gosh, it's so fantacy. It was incredible.
I was I had never been in there. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Yeah, And that's why I want all to drink everything.
That's why I think when people start to travel and
see that side of travel, I think so many people
who hate travel today just because they're being bullied around.
They're in the worst seat on the plane. And so
I have you know, in the book I talk about it,
even if you're gonna fly economy, there's huge differences in
how you choose your seats, and no, but no one
teaches you this. No one teaches you to look at
(11:28):
the plane type. And even just knowing the plane type
you're flying on your trip to Paris, choosing the right
one could mean you know much better for your sleep
and rest the air the frequent flyer programs today airlines
make more money by their frequent flyer programs, and they
do flying airplanes. The way the system works in the
United States, when you use a credit card, let's call
it two percent of that purchase price. It's called the
(11:50):
interchange feed. The credit card company makes money for every
dollar purchase. So when you use a credit card, there's
two percent of that purchase is going the merchant is paying,
and then the credit our companies kicking us all back
basically one percent of that. So the airlines realize, you know,
for people, if you fly Delta once or twice a year,
Delta's only making money a couple times a year. If
Delta can get you a Delta credit card or American
(12:13):
whatever airline it may be, every single time you purchase coffee,
you go to the groceries, they're getting a cut of
every single dollar you spend. And Delta there was just
a stat one percent of total USGDP is put on
a Delta American Express card. So, simply put, these loyalty
programs are the most compelling and lucrative marketing platform ever created.
(12:33):
And that's why I tell people in the beginning of
the book, you got to get in on the program.
This is not a fad. They're not going away, they
are changing.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Do they expire?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
So most airlines have gotten rid of expiration except American Airlines.
Shame on them. They need to get rid of that
and to keep that miles active. It's very very simple,
it's pretty easy to play the game. I think so
many people just have myths or have not been educated
on how to do it.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
In our travel Asians who are who people still use
and they still serve a very very useful purpose on
do they encourage you?
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Travel agents are amazing and I talk about in the
book when to use them when not to. There's actually
now similar to how I started the Points guy, there
are travel agencies that will help you use your points.
So if you're listening to this podcast and you're like, okay, great,
well I'm not going to take the time to just
all of a sudden become an expert, you don't have to.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
So there's a fight an Asian thing.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, So point dot me is the website that's an
actual tool. It's like Google Flights. It'll let you search
for flights using your points. That's what I was on
my way here when I was looking at your impossible
Namibia flights to book. But that's when I found out
it actually told me, Hey, if you know, Martha really wanted,
you could actually fly for one hundred twenty thousand points
business class on the dates you're flying. Most people who
(13:49):
are somewhat flexible, and I would even say that people
have never been to Africa, stop in Nairobi, go to
the giraft manner, which I'm sure your grandkids would love.
You know, the Hemingway Hotel is beautiful. You stop for
a day in Nairobi. You can even the elephants when
you land at the Nairobi airport.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
He's selling me I have a two million.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Points for a honeymooning couple who wants to go to
South Africa. I would just say, hey, because these frequent
flyer programs will actually let you stop over for free.
So you could fly JFK to Nairobi, spend a couple
days in beautiful Nairobi and then all for one hundred
and twenty five thousand points versus fifteen grand. And what
I would say to people, you know, spend that fifteen
grand on fabulous safaris and don't give it to the
(14:28):
airlines invested in the cool meals when you get there.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So wish loyalty programs credit cards do you recommend most highly?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So many people have, you know, their airline credit cards
are nice for getting your free check bags or whatever.
But I think that one of the biggest mistakes I see,
especially successful people, is oh, you know, I fly one
airline and I just it's simple. I'm just gonna have
my American Airlines credit card that just gets me where
I want to go. That's a mistake. Almost twenty twenty five.
You want to get a credit card that gives you
transferable points. This is the name of the game. So
(15:06):
historically that was AMEX Platinum and AMEX Gold because when
you a crew Amex points, you can transfer to thirty
different partners. You can transfer to Virgin Atlantic, to Emirates,
so it opens up tons of opportunities. But it's not
just Amex anymore. Chase Sapphire to the Chase Sapphire Reserve
the AMEX Gold card, And funny enough, you know many
(15:26):
people of the Platinum, and I like the Platinum for
lounge access. The AMEX Gold card gives you four points
per dollars on all dining and groceries. So for most
American families you're spending a ton. The Platinum card only
gives you one point. Oh so so many people say, well,
that's silly. The Platinum cards some points for every dollar, yes,
on dining and groceries. So when people when I go
to dinner with Fantasy CA.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I have a red card, what are the red cards
get you.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I think is that a plumb card. The red card
would be a I think that's like a cash back
business card.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I think I need to do an audit on.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Your accounts and you have to see I need it.
That's why I'm really doing podcast.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
But the Capitol one venture X card's another great one.
That card gives two points on every dollar spent.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
So the goal is you're going to use your Amix
Gold card for dining and groceries four points per dollars,
very lucrative. Built a company that I helped found Built.
If you pay rent, everyone should pay with a Built MasterCard,
no annual fee. Built is a game changing program. You
earn not only do you earn points for rent, but
Built will report your rent payment to the credit bureau. So,
(16:27):
for young people trying to build credit, your biggest expense
normally that forever it was just a check and that
was off the credit system. So you're not getting credit
for paying that monthly rent that so many of us pay.
Built now gives you points that are very valuable. And
because this big expense that you're showing your very responsible paying,
your credit score goes up and when your credit score
(16:48):
goes up, your mortgage payment and rates go down. So
that's why, Like my book is called how to Win
a Travel but I talk about how playing this game
smartly it's really winning at life. It teaches you how
to approach everything and look at it to tailor it
to exactly benefit you.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
What are some of the most creative ways to earn miles?
Like I traveled with a posse of four, four of
us or five of us.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Well, first things first, everyone, so you know kids under
two you can't earn points because they're free unless you
buy them a ticket. But everyone, I mean, starting day
one with kids, start sign them up for frequent flyer
programs for a whole host of reasons. It'll make even
just booking their tickets easier when all their information's preloaded.
The biggest area people are not earning points is online shopping.
So everyone shops online. Now listen here. People never go
(17:35):
directly to a retailer's website. Never go to sas dot Com,
never go to north Face, Nike, whatever. Always click through.
It's called a shopping portal. And these shopping portals, there's
Rakutin is the biggest one out there. You download this
rakutin app and it says cash backs. You can earn
up to twenty percent cash back. But the little known
trick is you can actually earn that in Amex points instead,
(17:57):
which are actually more valuable than cash back. So and
anytime you go to shop online, you can earn American
Airlines miles or Delta, whatever types of points you're looking
to get. All you do is you click through a
shopping portal to the retailer through through that airline's shopping portal.
It puts a cookie on your computer and it tracks
all your expenses. So not only do you get points
(18:17):
for using your credit card, your ams to make the.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Or engineer, are you listening to this show?
Speaker 1 (18:23):
He's nodding his head.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah. Do you do all of this? A few things?
A few? Are you going to do all of them? Now?
A lot more? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Well yeah, especially with kids. I mean you you rack
up so much in expenses, so shopping online that's just
the single easiest. It's a click of a button and
it's double dipping. You get your credit card points for
making all those expenses, and then you get these additional
points just for clicking the button to shop through the
shopping portal, you can really get points. I mean, I
say these days, you know, if you're going to give
a wedding gift, you can get gift cards, you know,
(18:53):
like I just like I just said, the AMEX gold card,
or for graduation gifts. Instead of giving cash, you could
buy one of many very enticing gift cards from your
local supermarket. And guess what the five hundred dollars gift
card that you might buy that's earning you four x
points because it's purchased at a grocery store, which is
four x y amics goal. You see where I'm going
with this. I see you know, you start doing a
(19:15):
home renovation and instead of having your contract or buy
all that stuff from home depot or wherever, you buy it. Yes,
your interior designer, you know many of these. You know,
your party planner, you're getting points. Of course they are
unless you ask for them. So points are everywhere. I
think I want to enlighten people to say, wait a minute,
like you know when you go out to dinner with
(19:35):
your friend and there's always that one friends like, oh,
I'll put it on my credit card. Just you know,
I know why.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I know I got on to that earlier in the
company because we're allowed at our company to keep our
points exactly, so the one who picks up the check
gets the points.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
And speaking of these and then you expense. So that's
how I I mean at Morgan Stanley, that's what I
was doing. I was paying for career fairs at MIT
twenty thousand dollars. I write about it in the book
where all of my colleagues we're like, you're the hero
of HR because I was the expense guy. Everyone thought
I was doing it to be nice, those fools I
was setting around the world. I was so broke. I
call it my points rich cash poor portion of my life.
(20:12):
It was cheaper for me to fly to London first
class for a weekend, and I had all this elite
status with the hotel, so I got free breakfast, I
had free canapes in the afternoon. And then it was
to stay in New York City because if I went
out in New York and I had had no money,
so I'd be out to dinner with friends, and I
was that mortified person like, oh no, when it comes
time to split, like I don't have any money. So
(20:33):
I would travel first class, taking the subway to JFK
to fly British airways first class.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
On the weekends. What fun. So most travelers are on
economy budgets, what are three chips for getting a first
class experience?
Speaker 1 (20:47):
So interestingly, one of the biggest trends that has happened,
and the pandemic helped shift this. A decade ago, first
class used to be exorbitantly expensive, like it would even
just flying to Miami, it would be three thousand dollars
one way, and the airlines would basically fill the cabins
with their frequent flyers, so they were giving away eighty
percent of those first class seats, so you had to
be an elite traveler. So for everyday people, no one's
(21:10):
spending three thousand. What happened with the pandemic is they
flipped it. So now they're selling almost all those seats
in first class, but at a discount, a much lower
discount than what first class used to be. So the
easiest way is upgrading using your frequent flyer miles. You
know these days, just getting a single credit card bonus
fifty sixty thousand points. So get a credit card or
(21:30):
two that gives you big points bonuses. And I want
to reiterate this too, the credit card games amazing and
it can be essentially an unlimited gravy train of free travel.
But very important, but you must pay your bills off
in full every month. If you start opening up credit
cards and you're paying interest, the thirty percent APR will
(21:51):
destroy the value. So I never want anyone to open
up credit cards, even if you have an inkling like
I might start spending past my do not it? However,
good advice. Yeah, so get a credit card, use your
points to upgrade. And I mean, you're not going to
get an upgrade for your honeymoon. That's like people always say, well,
it's my honeymoon, the airline is going to do it.
But I will say this, it never hurts to ask once.
(22:14):
I would never bank on it. But when I was
extremely poor and I'm six foot seven, and I was
flying to Buenos Aires and in coach, and I was
driading that ten and a half hour flight, and I
remember going up at JFK. I was like, I went
up the gate agent. I knew she was sassy, and
I was like, I kind of went up and just
did a little bit of sass with her, and I
was like, you know, if the flight's over sold, in economy, Like,
(22:36):
if you have to upgrade someone, I would be I'll
take that responsibility for you off your hand. I was
like joking, what they're in. This woman was who's used
to people screaming at her all day, but I was
just having fun with her. She giggled and was like,
you gotta be kidding me, but like laughed. And then
when I was boarding that flight, the beat beat beat
happened and it spit out the business class ticket. Oh great,
so being very nice. It's not gonna happen every time.
(22:58):
But you know, at hotels there is a twin You
can put a twenty dollars bill between your ID and
credit card to the front desk agent in Vegas. That
works quite a bit, but'll at least give you a
nicer room. So I think I would bank on people
using your points or you know at check in, a
lot of airlines will let you bid for an upgrade,
So put in you know what you think you might
get it.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
For all excellent advice and making travel nicer and better.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
I remember when we flew to Oslo, you made a
baked potato and caviar on the plane. Is that a
do you do that on every flight or just oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
We tried it. We tried to take something delicious to
eat because the plain food still is not just enough.
And I don't know why. I just don't know. Yah,
wouldn't you be happy with a baked potato and caviar?
Seriously all that other stuff that they serve.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Do you ever eat airplane food?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Very very rarely?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
But will you eat in the lounge like if it
looks good? Or do you just try to eat it home?
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I try to eat it home. I mean that's the
way we are. But I want you, you know, I
want I want you. I would think it would be
so nice, But the cheese and crackers even that on
the way to roam was not so good this time.
And you're going to Italy where there's fantastic cheese. Where
is that cheese? You know?
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Has it TSA ever stopped you for bringing caviar through?
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Oh yes, we've got Kevin Charky got into big trouble
with cavia.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Oh so you make it. He's your caviar mule.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Yeah, but you're very careful now, you don't do anything
to irritate anybody.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, because you know, if you ever bring my friend
brought up a banana from the plane. They often have
the net. If you ever bring that through you can
get huge fines. And in the US, so I global
entry is key being able to zip this and you
can lose your global entry by bringing in fruit or anything.
So everyone before every flight, go through your bag, double
check for any orange you might have taken from the hotel.
(24:45):
Because global we don't play globble.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Entry is so perfect, I mean we just it took
us like no time to get out of the airport
on Sunday from Rome. Yep, the only t Truman who's
only twelve. It takes a while for them to read
his face.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Yep, since my son, who's baby, got it as a baby.
Now it actually his baby face. It was registering, but
now he turned two, I think his face turned enough
where to get it. It's an issue. But for people listening,
a lot of credit cards will give you global entries
one hundred twenty dollars for five years, and that lets
you go through the immigration when coming home from abroad.
But it also includes tsa pre check. Yes, so what
(25:21):
most people don't realize and pre check is when you're
flying domestically through any airport, so you get both through
one hundred twenty bucks and most credit cards will reimburse you.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
You don't have to take your shoes off.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
You don't have All children from the age of one
day and older have to have their own global entry.
And if you try to bring your kid through global entry,
even if they're two years old, you can lose your
global entry. So that's once again an important thing I
want to do out, yes, right, but global entry is key.
It's the best one hundred and twenty dollars you'll spend.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
So you and I we took two amazing expeditions together.
What did you learn from our trip to Smallbard? About
about travel and about camaraderie and all of that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
I think one of my most magnificent memories that night
when we walked up to that Michelin starred restaurant up
a hill. And I do love travel bringing together people
of all shapes and sizes. That trip was really it
was a ragtag group of people all over the place, Europeans,
the LA contingent actresses, and so I love that, Like
(26:19):
how our lives are so scripted in a lot of ways.
When we get comfortable in our own little groups of
friends and the holidays can be the same. So I
love what travel can just you know, you meet fascinating people.
And I love that night you were doing a little
round table under by the fire and then someone came
in and said the northern lights. And we all ran
outside on this hill in the northernmost city and just
(26:41):
took in mother Nature.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Saw those amazing green lights.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
The northern lights. And we actually saw them again when
we were in Greenland in August, which was very rare
to see with that super moon. I mean, those are
the moment I love nature.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
And that camp in Newfoundland, remember that beautiful.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Green camp Kiachua. Yes, and interesting. I don't know if
you saw United Airlines now flying Nuok just opened their
new airport. Yeah, so United Airlines next year will be
flying NonStop to Nook. Nuok is n u Uk, right, Yeah,
it's the capital of Greenland and it's a little town
but they have US flight. They have a flight to
Nuk And it's a camp Kiyatua. It is this fabulous
(27:18):
tented camp.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
But you have to go out and by a beautiful woman, yes,
and with her who's children helper.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
It was magical up on a cliff overlooking those fjords
and just you know, fresh brooks of like water going
through the camp.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I mean so, even though Brian spends a lot of
time counting points and saving cash, he also enjoys the
traveling that he is the foremost proponent of. You really
I love that about you. I really think it's amazing
that you've kept your your awe of what you see
when you get there.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I believe travel can be a force for good in
the world. So I work with Nobel Peace Prize winners.
We do these youth peace conferences all around the world.
It's called Peace Jam and it's basically Nobel Laureate's educating
the next generation of peace leaders, which I think we
can all agree the world needs more of to be
pushing our next generation to solve conflict peacefully. So I've donated,
(28:12):
you know, and help others donate miles to charities. I
do make a wish, you know, at the Point Sky.
We team up with American Airlines and make a wish.
We do the best flight ever, which is when we
get Broadway actors an entire plane of wish kids and
we bring them to Disney and in the air they're
doing performances. So I, you know, I think, yes, I
love first class travel and the fancy caviar, but I'm
(28:32):
for the destination. I am for the moments that take
your breath away, and I think travel helps you just
reset and realize what's what's important in life.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I agree. And when people say, oh, where's the best
place you've ever been, you know what my answer is
where I haven't been yet, because I have that sort
of quest for learning something new, and that's one way
you can learn something new, to visit a new place.
(29:10):
So Brian travels. He has a traveler that goes with
him now, a two year old charming son called Dean.
And talk about how you've integrated a toddler into your
jet setting lifestyle. Because I see him on your shoulders,
I see him in your arm.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
I'm so lucky. He's well, I'm lucky, and I'm girding
my loins because he's my clone. He is just like
me mine going a million miles an hour, very inquisitive.
But I mean he because I had him via surrogacy.
So I decided single gay dad. It was always wanted
to be a dad, and I was like, I want
to be a dad in my thirties. So during the pandemic,
(29:47):
when I had some soul searching of what's the next phase,
and it became very clear that to become a dad,
I didn't know exactly what travel would be like, but
I knew I wanted to start early. Everyone I know
a lot of people in the travel industry, influencers who
have young kids, and I see them traveling families that
go around the world, and everyone said, just start them young.
And that's what they that's what they know, and that
(30:10):
you know, his first flight was at three days old,
flew home and he slept the whole flight. And but
I tell families, like in the beginning, it's easy when
you know, get him a douna, the Duna stroller where
it turns into a car seat and a stroller, so
you snap it into the airplane seat. They sleep most
of the time. It gets challenging at like the eighteen
month mark when they want to start running around, but
you figure out ways. You just keep them busy, that's
(30:30):
the biggest thing. Have a bag of tricks at all times.
And I'll just say to the other parents out there
who are debating, I was shocked at how child friendly
the rest of the world is. The US is one
of the most anti child places with Glarizon planes. You
go to Portugal, they will pull you aside. There are
special immage. You don't wait no long immigration line, they'll
take you and your kids to the front.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
So what advice do you have for people traveling during
the upcoming peak travel times.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, so there's always going to be road bumps the
biggest mistake. So you can fix a lot of your
problems before you leave your house. Everyone, especially people who
book months in advance. So the airlines these days change
flights all the time, and you know they'll cancel a
route or they'll put you on a different flight if
they cancel that frequency, And everyone should go online right now,
(31:15):
and if you've got upcoming travel, always double check because
sometimes your flight time might not have changed, but they'll
change the aircraft, which means you might be in a
middle seat. So it's a whole lot easier to fix
those issues before you go to the airport than when
there's no seats left. So everyone go in. You know,
you always double check your reservations before you leave, and
if the airline switches you to from the NonStop to
(31:37):
one with the stop. The Department of Transportation has new
rules as of October. So if your flight time changes
by three hours domestically or six hours internationally, you were
owed a full refund. So in the past, the airlines
could put you on a terrible flight with a crazy
connection and you had to take it. Now consumers need
to know. But this is what consumers need to know
their rights first of all, so so to survive the holidays, yeah,
(31:59):
just always double check your know your rights through the
Department of Transportation. And another thing, when airlines delay or
cancel your flight, they're cheap. The most are not giving
you a hotel, and if it is, it's usually going
to be horrible. But most people's credit cards have flight
cancelation and delay coverage. So your AMEX, your Chase card
will pay if there's a long delay. You can go
(32:20):
to a nearby hotel, get a day rate with your kids,
go to a pool, have a meal, and your credit
card will pay for that. And it shocks me how
few people know that when you use those credit cards,
those protections exist. Same thing with baggage. And finally, if
you're going to check a bag, everyone you must have
an air tag in your luggage. In fact, I put
it on my carry on. I put it my stroller.
(32:41):
I mean, having air tags will show you where your
bag is. And now the airlines just announced they're teaming
up with Apple and you'll be able to share your
air tag location with the airline soon, so it's integrated.
But knowing that your bag and I've had my son's
bag with of course all the most essential items. When
we were in Portugal, that was the one that didn't come.
I knew exactly where it was at every point in time,
(33:02):
and I knew when it landed at the airport. I
didn't wait for the hotel, you know, airport employees to
call me. I knew the minute it landed, so I
went to the airport and got it. So having that
air tag is critical.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I have two air tags sitting in a drawer and
I have not put them in my luggage. Oh how
bad am I?
Speaker 1 (33:18):
I mean, Mark, you can create a holiday wonderland, but
you can't simply just put an air tag.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
And I'm going through the minute I get on tonight.
What trends do you, Bryan see for the future of travel?
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah, so we at the point sky. We just did
an analysis, so there's some good and some bad trends.
I think in twenty twenty five. The cost of travel
is going to continue going up. There's a lot of
reasons aircraft. Boeing is in a state of disaster. I
mean they're supposed to be. Boeing is many years behind
on planes. Airbus even has so that's creating issues for
(33:52):
the airlines who are flying older planes grounding them. So
there's going to be continued roadbumps and traveling and the
cost of airfare going up and over. Tourism is a
big issue this summer. We saw in Barcelona the locals
were squirting tourists with water guns. I urge everyone start
really traveling the shoulder season. You going to Rome in
(34:13):
November much bet are much more enjoyable. So start And
I know a lot of families you know have spring break,
but instead of spring break in the Bahamas and paying
an exorbitant amount, think about Portugal. You know, the flights
can be the same. So just I encourage people to
start thinking against the grain going to more unique destinations.
(34:33):
I am an optimist in general, but the airlines Delta
came out with an investor day. They're going to continue
squeezing out revenue. So Jet Blue now charges for a
dynamic fee for check bags, meaning you don't even know
how much your bag's going to cost till you check in.
It could be up with seventy five dollars, you know,
one hundred dollars flight. So getting this is where getting
an airline cobra and if you fly Jet Blue several
(34:54):
times a year, just get the Cobra and it's eighty
bucks a year and you get you and your family
get free bags every time you fly.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
So I didn't even know that.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Yeah, so get an airline card for the perks, but
spend on a card that will let you transfer to
multiple airliness.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Everybody listening, you must get this book, How to Win
at Travel, coming out in February of twenty twenty five.
Can't wait for it to come out. Really, this is
a very useful book and I hopefully will help all
of us travel better and more efficiently and more luxuriously
in the future. I think it's so good of you
(35:29):
to write this book for us.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Thank you, Markin. Really, you've definitely been an inspiration in
the How to Space.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Now listen, I want to do a little lightning around
with you. Okay, check in or carry.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
On carry on when possible.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
What are your travel pet Peeves.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
This is a new one. I hate when people wear
a so stinkiness on planes. I don't mind those oh perfumes.
Can we have a discussion about oo oh ooh, Martha.
I was at Barry's boot camp yesterday and the guy
next to me had so much tom Ford ood I
actually had to move. I had to move od And
I mean, I don't know, Harry Mclair Angel, it's time
(36:05):
that we either dilute it or just put it to pasture,
because when you know, I agree, favorite seats, favorite seats.
I mean I'm a window seat guy, through and through
me too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Earliest travel memory my parents.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
We would go to Florida as kids, and actually my
dad and my two brothers, my dad taught us. We
were gaming family cards, Rummy and I remember learning blackjack
in the Florida keys, like using pennies, and that's like
one of my earliest Like me and my brothers and
my dad.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Favorite airline are you allowed?
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Oh yeah, I mean I can say I don't have
like I'm a free agent these days, I will say, well,
Etty hod Is, you know the Abu Dhabi based airline
has what's called the Residents and it's a double bed.
You get your own bedroom with double bed and you
why I love this is you can set the temperature
to the bedroom your own and I sleep at sixty
seven degrees, so frette linens and sixty seven degrees and
(37:01):
a closing door for fifteen hours to Abu Dhabi. It's
like that is the ultimate.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Oh, and I have to go to Abu Dhabi's I
will help you book it, Okay, I will call fabulous.
Favorite airport?
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Ooh, favorite airport? You know this one's you know, Singapore
Airport is you know, globally renowned, but I like saying
pomp Springs. It is the most charming outdoor desert airport.
It just makes me smile.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Most unforgettable travel experience.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
I have to say taking my parents. My parents are
my rock and so being able to take them on trips.
We did it an around the world trip. My dad
is Brian. I'm Brian and one of the people I
do charity work with in Ghana. As a thank you
to me for supporting their charity, he named his final
son Brian Kelly. Oh, so there's a little Brian Kelly
(37:50):
and Ghana. So my dad, mom and I we flew
from London to Akra and I'd use miles and it
was on the British Airway seven forty seven. And we
get on the plane and we're the only three people
in first class and my parents just look at me like,
you know, we're on the Queen of the Skies, this
iconic plane going. They just look at me like we're
going to Ghana for a baby. Man.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
It was like, yeah, that's the way.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
As a kid from Bucks County, you know, like that's.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
A hotel that does luxury the best.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Oh, I mean, I love Rosewood Hotels as like a brand.
They've got some really fabulous properties. But I love also adventures.
So Nihi is a hotel in Indonesia on the island
of Sumba. My friend Chris Perch owns it and it
was the number one hotel in the world through Travel
and Leisure several years. But it's it takes forever to
get there, but it is exquisite. There's wild horses that
(38:40):
run along the beach and they're really integrated into the
local culture. So I say skip Bali and go to Simba.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
You heard it here some best packing tip.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I am just a huge fan of the foal well.
Besides the air tag pack and air tag and everything.
But I do. I'm a fold I put everything, like
all my shirts, well, I'll start with my blazers and
then put shirts and then I just fold everything in
half and half and I almost never have to iron.
All my pants get stacked half half. They don't crease
because when they're in a big enough pack, it's not
(39:11):
tight enough to crease.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I have, I have a I have a very good thing.
I put all my dresses, all my shirts, all my
sweaters on hangers on the middle fingers hangers, and then
I put each piece of clothing in a plastic cleaner bag.
And when you fold that into thirds and lay them
down into your suitcase, nothing, nothing gets wrinkled.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
And then you're able to just hang it out. Because right,
let's talk about my other pet peeve in life is hotels.
Beautiful hotels. I'll get upgraded. The penow sweet and there's
three hangers. Yeah, what is going on? Hotels can?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
But that's my thing is it's absolutely.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Pen yeah, and it makes keeps them clean and it
makes yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
And I use and I use the trunk that Romoa
metal stuff trunk because you can.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
You ever do package you don't use packing cubes?
Speaker 2 (39:55):
Do you or know thing you never leave home without?
Speaker 1 (40:00):
When I travel, it's my Bo's headphones control your environment.
Even if there's a crying kid, who cares, I'll just
crank up my own music.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Bos So Brian, thank you so much for joining us today.
This has been not only enlightening but educational and very helpful.
Or do we follow you at?
Speaker 1 (40:18):
The Points Guy is the company's website, and social is
my personal travels and Points Guy, The Points Guy g
u I and then I'm at Brian Kelly on Instagram
and there you can or how to win at travel
dot com to pre order your book today.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Have a very happy Christmas and travel safely as we
all are going to.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Thank you, Martha, and happiest of holidays to you and
your family.
Host
Martha Stewart
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