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Learn how to budget for travel, save on flights, and maximize credit card rewards for your next trip.
How can you budget and save money for travel? How can you maximize credit card rewards and travel points to help lower trip costs? Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss budgeting strategies and travel rewards to help you plan smarter for your trips. They begin by sharing new data that might impact your budget for spring break travel, give some highlights of new airport lounges that opened in Las Vegas and Philadelphia, and discuss a change coming to the Uber app that could affect you if you’re traveling abroad. Then, they dig into some options for setting a travel budget, with tips on estimating costs using Google Flights, creating a dedicated travel savings fund, and planning ahead for rising airfare prices. Meghan and Sally also explore some of the ways you can leverage credit card perks and travel rewards to stretch your budget even further.
Resources discussed in this episode:
LAS Centurion Lounge Review
Capital One Lounge Las Vegas: Hits the Jackpot with Food and Drinks
What Credit Cards Can Get Me Into Chase Lounges, And Where Are They Located?
Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards
The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly
Best High-Yield Savings Accounts
The Best Travel Credit Card Welcome Bonus Offers Right Now
In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: travel budget, how to save money for travel, best travel credit cards, travel points and miles, airline rewards, Google Flights price alerts, budgeting for flights, cheap flights, best time to book flights, credit card travel perks, Southwest Companion Pass, travel savings account, airfare inflation, high-yield savings for travel, vacation budget, flexible travel dates, how to maximize travel rewards, best hotel rewards programs, credit card sign-up bonuses, when to use travel points, credit cards with no foreign transaction fees, airline lounge access, how to get cheap last-minute flights, and unexpected travel expenses. -
Learn what to do if your flight is delayed or canceled, how to get compensated, and tips to avoid travel disruptions.
What should you do if your flight is delayed or canceled? How can you get compensated for travel disruptions? Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss how to handle unexpected flight changes and what you can do to maximize your chances of getting some form of compensation for various travel interruptions. The episode kicks off with a discussion of airline policies, and Meghan and Sally break down when you're entitled to refunds, rebookings, and even hotel stays. Plus, they share tips on checking rebooking options in an airline's app, using credit card travel insurance, and how to find out which airlines offer the best compensation for delays and cancelations.
Then, Meghan and Sally discuss proactive steps you can take to reduce the risk of travel disruptions. They cover the benefits of booking direct flights, choosing layovers in mild-weather cities, and selecting airlines with multiple daily flights to your destination. They also highlight how loyalty programs, credit card perks, and smart scheduling can help travelers avoid headaches. Plus, Sally shares her recent experience with multiple canceled flights, detailing how she turned travel chaos into a free trip and some unexpected Starbucks rewards.
Resources discussed in this episode:
7 Best All-Inclusives You Can Book With Points
10 Credit Cards That Provide Travel Insurance
Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation: What to Know
How to Get Into AmEx Centurion Lounges: Credit Cards That Grant Access
Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access of March 2025
In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: flight cancellation compensation, what to do if my flight is canceled, airline refund policy, airline delay compensation, best travel credit cards for flight delays, flight delay rights, travel insurance for flight cancellations, best airlines for rebooking, how to get airline vouchers for delays, how to rebook a canceled flight, last-minute flight cancellation refund, flight delay refund process, best time to book flights to avoid delays, should you buy travel insurance for flights, how to find cheap flights after a cancellation, best airport lounges for delayed flights, and airline hotel vouchers for cancellations. -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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From booking flights to getting through airport security, NerdWallet’s travel pros share five costly mistakes — and how to avoid them.
Is TSA PreCheck or Global Entry worth the cost? How can you use travel credit card perks to save money on trips? Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss five common travel mistakes and how to avoid them to help you travel smarter. They begin with tips for getting the most value out of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. Then, they explain how you can make the most of travel credit card perks, use price alerts effectively, pack strategically, and plan layovers wisely. Along the way, they share insights on avoiding common travel pitfalls and maximizing both time and money while on the go.
Best credit cards for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry: https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/tsa-precheck-global-entry
Read Sally’s review of the STL Wingtips Lounge at St. Louis Lambert International Airport: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/wingtips-lounge
Best credit cards for airport lounge access: https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/airport-lounge-access
In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry, travel credit card perks, best ways to use travel rewards, airport security tips, how to skip the TSA line, travel mistakes to avoid, how to pack light, best price tracking tools for flights, travel savings tips, travel hacks, travel rewards programs, Google Flights, Hopper, maximizing credit card benefits, avoiding baggage fees, frequent flyer tips, what not to pack for flights, how to get lounge access, how to use airport lounges, and Southwest Transferable Flight Credits. -
Do you need a vacation from planning your vacation? Before you budget, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars with Smart Travel, debuting Wednesday, February 12.
NerdWallet’s trusted travel experts, Sally French and Meghan Coyle, are here to help your travel dollars work even harder.
But the travel Nerds don’t just make recommendations; they break down the latest travel
details, exploring the pros and cons of specific strategies, practical tools, and tactics. Dive deep
with the experts as they lay out all the options so you can finally plan that dream vacation.
So put your seat in its full upright position, buckle up, and let’s help that travel budget take you places you've only dreamed about.