Stack Your Points

This week on Stack Your Points, the crew answers listener questions about changing bank partnerships, whether inflation is the same as a points devaluation, premium card perks, and the future of lounges beyond airports. They also cover Citi's refreshed AAdvantage Executive card before diving into three larger discussions: earning interest on points balances, whether co-brand cards are beco...

00:00 Intro / Welcome to Stacking Points

01:35 Viewer Question: Do you keep cards that aren't the best mathematically but make you feel good? (RP2048)

We all talk about crunching the numbers and doing the math. Do you find it difficult to just stick to the math? Some cards hold nostalgia for us personally or a perceived status. Do you have any cards that aren't the best mathematically but you keep them anyway because they make you ...

Matt and Lani break down the latest in points, miles, and credit cards — including whether American and Alaska will ever put award availability behind a paywall, if Pays could become a bonus category on your favorite cards, and which transfer partner additions would actually move the needle.

They also tackle listener questions on whether points and miles are still worth it, which cards they'd never cancel (and which ones are ...

This week, Matt, RJ, and Lani dig into Delta’s new Basic Business fare, rebuild cashback cards as points earners, and design a credit card strategy for someone traveling 50 weeks a year. They also discuss whether statement credits can genuinely broaden your horizons, Citi’s latest JetBlue transfer change, and JetBlue’s new paid points subscription plans.

Later, the crew asks what your wallet reveals about your per...

Matt and RJ are back for a two-host episode of Stack Your Points, with Lani out this week. This episode is all about predictions, Amex and Resy, the New Zealand Amex Platinum, Chase Freedom Flex product change weirdness, what to do if you cannot travel for a year or two, and whether boutique and independent hotel stays deserve more attention in the points world.

0:02 Introduction

Matt and RJ kick things off with Dr. Pepper Zero Su...

In this episode, Matt, Lani, and RJ dig into cashback vs. points, Wyndham’s latest moves, Bilt’s chaotic support reputation, the future of premium-card branding, reverse redemption travel planning, and whether “effective annual fee” thinking misses the bigger picture.

0:00 — Welcome & Introductions

Matt, Lani, and RJ kick off the episode and set up a packed viewer-question slate.

4:26 — Q1: C...

In this episode, Matt, Lani, and RJ talk through credit card setups that changed purpose over time, whether Chase consumer cards deserve the hate, what tech actually earns a spot in the travel bag, and how they would manage credit cards during a stretch of unemployment. They also cover banker perspectives on credit reports, expiring semiannual credits, Bilt adding iPrefer as a transfer partner, the rise of 2% cashback cards, and wh...

Welcome back to Stack Your Points. In this episode, Lani, RJ, and Matt dig into viewer questions, loyalty program drama, card devaluations, point-buying temptation, and whether the “perfect” credit card setup is even possible.

We kick things off with a big-picture question: are transfer partners actually at risk, and could banks eventually push everyone into portal-only redemptions? From there, the crew compares Sapphi...

In this episode, we answer viewer questions on keeping up with points and miles news, whether the Chase Sapphire Preferred still makes sense as an entry-level travel card, the Senate Banking Committee minority party inquiry into Bilt 2.0 practices, and our early reactions to WWDC and Apple Intelligence. We also dig into three bigger points and miles topics: whether aspirational redemptions are actually worth it, whether the classic...

00:00 Cold Open & Introductions

Viewer Questions

07:08 Finding Value After Recent Devaluations Keith asks where outsized value still exists within Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards after a year of transfer partner devaluations, award chart changes, and benefit cuts. Are the banks trying to push everyone into using their travel portals?

13:33 When Does It Make Sense to Book Backup Flights? DDAF is considering a...

Viewer Questions

• With the new membership structure being teased, does this mean that SYP will be introducing transfer partners? - RP2048
• If you had $100K extra to spend in a 12 month period starting today that you would get immediately reimbursed for that you had to spend through credit cards, how would you spend it and what would you use the earned points for? - DDAF
• You can spend at any amount and frequency you like as long ...

• With all the recent devaluations, is 1.5 CPP redemptions soon to be the new 2 CPP redemption minimum target rate? - Keith
• What's a piece of credit card or travel advice you give to others but that you generally don't follow yourself? - DDAF
• What's the worst piece of credit card advice you have gotten? Both from a random person (don't pay off your entire balance to increase your score) and someone in the "commu...

Overall how would you rank the current transferable ecosystems at the moment? - DiamondRyce What is your best travel dining memory? Was it a location or a specific meal and what made it special? - JettinwitJan What’s the worst habit you’ve picked up playing the credit card game? - SpaethCo How do you personally define the "credit card community"? - DDAF Have your 2026/27 travel plans changed with increase in aviation fu...

• What’s one rewards strategy or credit card setup that has consistently delivered the most value for you, and why? - rp2048
• What's the overpriced thing you can't resist buying at a Hudson News on every trip? - SpaethCo
• Discussion from the Discord about the rumor that Southwest is going to ban carryons for their cheapest tickets. - Keith
  • I’ve always thought that the airlines’ baggage polic...

• Here’s a scenario I’d love your take on: Let’s say you’ve built out a single credit card points ecosystem and you have high spend, so you’re earning a consistent flow of points—but when it comes time to book, your most convenient airline or transfer partner still costs more points than you can realistically keep up with. Pagli_Chic
  • At that point, what’s the smarte...

• What do you theorize will be the impacts of AI on the credit card industry, travel industry and broadly points/miles (accumulation and redemption)? - AP
• What would need to happen to credit card rewards to make you switch to a primarily cashback strategy? (Not talking about status/benefits, just earning on credit cards for day to day spend) - DDAF
• I'm planning an extended trip to Asia in 2027. I'd like to pay f...

Viewer Questions

Which two transfer systems best compliment each other? - M2K

For an equivalent experience, would you ever pay more just because of the stacking opportunities? - JChainz For example, between Uber and Lyft, I’ve found myself choosing Uber a lot lately simply because they’re consistently $10 cheaper (due to flash sales or whatever) when I need to take rides. This is despite having DashPass benefits and e...

• What CC/travel support apps/subscriptions do you have and why? (Things like TripIt, Seats.Aero, or Card Pointers etc etc) - DDAF
• With Hyatt, and Citi's recent nerfs, what is your prediction for the next big devaluation? - Kirby G
• Do you use shopping portals regularly other than Rakuten?  I’m thinking of the C1 portal, Chase Portal, or airline portals for additional points. - Ron B
• Citi just slashed ...