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Artwork for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

NerdWallet Travel
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Nerdwallet
Credit Cards
Budgeting
American Express Platinum Card
Travel Budgeting
Southwest Airlines
American Airlines
Travel Insurance
Hyatt
Travel
Capital One Venture X
Weddings
Bilt
Halloween Travel
Premium Travel Credit Cards
Travel Credit Cards
Travel Costs
Italy
Hilton

Planning your next vacation? Before you budget, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars with Smart Travel. 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, practic... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes80Founded2 years ago
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Artwork for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Latest Episodes

Learn how to stretch modest points balances into business-class flights, and safer spending abroad.

Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle answer travel questions from listeners to help you make smarter points, transfer and booking decisions. But first... more

Learn which packing essentials two travel experts swear by, plus how to time your Labor Day trip for fewer crowds.

Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss the gear they just won’t travel without, to help you pack smarter on your next trip. But f... more

Learn what hotel concierges can do for your next stay, from getting free upgrades to saving you money.

Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French explore what hotel concierges could do for your next stay. But first, they break down the latest travel headli... more

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. It has been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

Is an Alaskan cruise really a trip for everyone — even people who swear they hate cruises?

Hosts Sally French and Meghan Co... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Frederick Jones
Director of Rooms & Guest Relations at NH Hotel Group
NH Collection New York / NH Hotel Group
Episode: What to Ask Your Hotel Concierge: Free Upgrades, Insider Deals, and What Most Travelers Miss
Paul Bernardini
Head of Marketing
Flighty
Episode: Your Flight Got Canceled. Here's How to Beat Summer's Worst Travel Chaos
Dr. Andrew Kahn
Licensed psychologist, Associate Director of Expertise and Behavioral Health Innovation at Understood
Understood
Episode: The ADHD Traveler's Guide to Airport Security, Budgeting and Staying on Schedule
Zu Rakuthu Nirina
Tour guide in Madagascar
Independent tour guide (Madagascar)
Episode: The Hidden Costs of "Cheap" Countries: What $300 a Day in Madagascar Really Buys You
Robert Barclay
House sitter/host participant in Asheville interview
Asheville resident featured in Kindred segment
Episode: How to Travel Without Paying for a Hotel: Inside Home Swapping and Pet Sitting Apps
Gilbert Ott
Director of Loyalty at OneWorld Alliance
OneWorld Alliance
Episode: How Airline Alliance Status Gets You Into the World's Best Airport Lounges for Free
Erin Hurd
Director of Travel at NerdWallet
NerdWallet
Episode: Family Travel on Points and Miles: Free Checked Bags, Companion Passes, and Miles Pooling
Jana Kate
Avid traveler with her dog Pokito
Independent traveler featured on the episode
Episode: Traveling with Pets: How to Put Your Paws on the Best Airlines and Hotels for Furry Family Members
Alyssa Mala
travel blogger at Do You Have Fly-Fi and co-host of the Blue Did It 25 for 25 Community Celebration
Episode: 25 Airports in 6 Months: The Real Lessons From JetBlue’s 350,000-Point Challenge

Hosts

Meghan Coyle
Host of Smart Travel from NerdWallet; travel budgeting and points expert.
Sally French
Host of Smart Travel; travel expert and loyalty program enthusiast.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 349 ratings
  • Great tips.

    Useful travel tips. Some other reviewers stated that they wished they spoke slower. You can change the speed of the podcast. I actually speed the podcast up if I’m short on time and want to get all of the information.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    les37043
    United Statesa month ago
  • Really fun to listen too

    I usually hate podcasts cause I feel like ppl drone on but this group is rlly fun to listen too and they kept my attention :p

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lettieletra
    United Statesa month ago
  • Talk Slower

    Ladies, please talk slower.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Eric J Wynn
    United States2 months ago
  • Good info…. But

    I want to like this podcast. The information is good, but boy it sounds so much like a public radio festival. The vocal fry of the podcast hosts. I just can’t take it. And talk a bit slower.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Mokeyt3/35
    United States2 months ago
  • Love nerdwalet

    Love this podcast very informative

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    noel4349
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests and topics cover a broad range of travel scenarios, from wallets to experiences.
Delivery is energetic and engaging, but some listeners wish for slower tempo.
Hosts provide actionable budgeting and loyalty tips with clear examples.
Brand sponsorships are well integrated and useful for context, not distracting.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What to Ask Your Hotel Concierge: Free Upgrades, Insider Deals, and What Most Travelers Miss
Q: What is the most common or surprising thing guests ask for that a concierge might fulfill?
Requests range from practical arrangements like transfers and restaurant bookings to extraordinary ones, such as arranging a chair replica or proposing in a landmark location, illustrating the breadth of what a concierge can coordinate when given time and trust.
What to Ask Your Hotel Concierge: Free Upgrades, Insider Deals, and What Most Travelers Miss
Q: How do upgrades typically work with concierges, and what price points are involved if inventory is limited?
Concierges will generally offer at least one upgrade when inventory allows, and if not complimentary, they may propose a paid upgrade with a clear per-night price to give guests options and maintain goodwill; upgrades depend on inventory and timing, often best arranged two to three days before arrival.
What to Ask Your Hotel Concierge: Free Upgrades, Insider Deals, and What Most Travelers Miss
Q: Would you recommend transferring Hyatt points to Air Canada Aeroplan given the two-to-one transfer ratio?
No, because there are more efficient one‑to‑one transfer options from credit card programs, and the value of Hyatt points is high enough that converting to Aeroplan at two-to-one tends to lose value unless you have a highly valuable redemption lined up.
Your Flight Got Canceled. Here's How to Beat Summer's Worst Travel Chaos
Q: What are some of the first things you do to avoid the summer travel chaos?
Book the first flight of the day to avoid domino delays, choose airlines with multiple daily departures, avoid layovers when possible, and rely on the airline app to monitor and reschedule quickly.
World of Hyatt Award Chart Changes 2026: What's New and Where to Get the Most Value
Q: Roslyn, how should we decide which credit cards to use for a Thanksgiving stay at a JW Marriott in Palm Desert?
Use a Marriott-boosting card like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy for its strong earning rate at Marriott properties, but consider higher-fee options like the Chase Sapphire Reserve if you value broader transfer partners and portal value; the best approach is to compare total value, including transfer partners and travel credits, and avoid unnecessary transfers that dilute value.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

What is Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, points-driven travel show focused on making travel budgets go further. Episodes consistently explore budgeting tools, loyalty programs, and strategic use of cards and portals to maximize value, often blending data-driven guidance with real-world stories. Core topics include earning and redeeming points, airline and hotel perks, and navigating changes in programs, while also featuring expert guests from hospitality, technology, and loyalty industries. A notable strength is the duo's ability to translate complex reward systems into actionable tips for families, couples, and regular travelers, with sponsorships woven in to illustrate live applications of the concepts. The format tends to mix how-to guidance with timely travel news... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?

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How many subscribers and views does Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways:

1. NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast
2. The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
3. The Frommer's Travel Show
4. Frequent Miler on the Air
5. Award Travel 101

How many episodes of Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways are there?

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways launched 2 years ago and published 80 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?

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What guests have appeared on Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?

Recent guests on Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways include:

1. Frederick Jones
2. Paul Bernardini
3. Dr. Andrew Kahn
4. Zu Rakuthu Nirina
5. Robert Barclay
6. Gilbert Ott
7. Erin Hurd
8. Jana Kate

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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