Have Banks Lost the Plot with Premium Travel Cards? Ft. Nick Serati

The banks are going bigger than ever with their “premium” travel credit cards. So, Gunnar (fresh off paternity leave!) and Kyle bring Thrifty Traveler’s co-founder and credit card expert, Nick Serati, on the show to help break down all the recent moves from Chase, Amex, and Capital One.

How did we get here? Why are the banks doing it? And they even ask the $900-plus question: With annual fees approaching $1,000 a year, are we hitting a breaking point? 

Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Be sure to subscribe to get each new episode every Thursday morning.

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Show Notes

• 0:00 – Introducing Nick … & our new studio!
• 1:13 – Catching Gunnar up on all the big travel news he (& you) missed
• 05:48 – Something Hot: Chase’s huge bonus on the new Sapphire Reserve
• 10:37 – Something cold: Chase’s messy eligibility rule changes
• 15:23 – A word from our sponsor (us … and our really cool CardPilot tool that’ll help you pick your next travel card!)
• 17:00 – The Extra Mile: Diving into the “premium” travel credit cards arm race
• 19:17 – What’s next for the Amex Platinum Card?
• 20:13 – Capital One throws down the gauntlet with the best lounge yet
• 21:49 – A fourth big premium card on the horizon? All eyes on Delta
• 23:20 – Why “premium” travel is all the rage right now
• 26:20 – Doing the math on premium cards & big annual fees
• 29:48 – Why banks are all turning their top cards into glorified coupon books
• 33:40 – The real value of these top-dollar travel cards
• 39:50 – Listener Question: The best 4-5 credit cards to get started
• 44:06 – On the Spot: What do Nick & Gunnar love about being dads?

Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman
Edited by David Strutt
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot