← Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
How to Spend Less on Big Sports Trips in 2026: FIFA World Cup 2026, PGA Championship and More
00:59:46
Loading summary
Transcript251 lines
- [00:01]
A
Good sleep is everything. That's why Ollie's science bag support is made with a blend of melatonin and L theanine for both kiddos and grown ups. So when your mind won't switch off, you've got something that can help your racing thoughts and restless nights won't stand a chance. Find Ollie Sleep solutions for the whole family@ollie.com that's O L L Y.com
- [00:26]
B
refreshing wild cherry Cola meets Smoot. The treat you deserve. Pepsi Wild Cherry and cream.
- [00:38]
A
Treat yourself so Tess, it appears I have received a message via a seagull. It must be from Megan because she is out at sea on a new cruise ship.
- [00:47]
C
Oh, I did not know that seagulls did that as well as pigeons. Sally, what does the message say?
- [00:52]
A
They do that now. And the message says score in all caps. She splurged and bought World cup tickets to a game in Los Angeles.
- [01:00]
C
That's probably not the only splurge. Travel to these big sports events is
- [01:03]
A
really expensive, even when it's your city where Megan is in Los Angeles. So our show today is all about how to travel for sporting events without going broke. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Sally French.
- [01:22]
C
And I'm Tess Vaglendon for Megan Coyle for the news portion of today's show.
- [01:26]
A
And we are the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip. That trip could be the FIFA World cup, an upcoming super bowl, the PGA Championships, our favorite, the Olympics, or really any other trip or sporting event that's going to draw big crowds.
- [01:40]
C
But first, our disclaimer, and that's that we'll talk about a few credit card companies that are nerd wallet partners in this episode, but that doesn't influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of posting. But things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening. For the latest details, follow the links in the episode description.
- [01:57]
A
Well, Tess, I think the biggest news of this week is that President Trump signed an executive order on Friday to finally pay those Transportation Security Administration employees.
- [02:06]
C
Yeah. For people who somehow hadn't heard, the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security meant that more than 60,000 TSA workers weren't paid for about six weeks at that point, resulting in about 500 workers quitting entirely.
- [02:20]
A
Yes, and many more called out sick. We saw so many reports of people waiting in line for more than three hours. So even though our employees are finally getting Paid, that does not necessarily mean that TSA lines are going to be instantly shorter. After all, these are people too. They are probably burnt out. They need a vacation themselves. So I will anticipate that we won't still see full staffing even though they are getting paid. Luckily though, we are already seeing reports of wait times that are much shorter already for the first half of this week. So good news. Yeah.
- [02:53]
C
And Sally, I know you flew this past week. I did as well. What was your experience?
- [02:57]
A
Well, I had a wild experience. I flew out of JFK on Friday and I heard that that was one of the worst airports. So I got to the airport about four hours in advance. Luckily, I have TSA PreCheck and Clear. And we did talk about on last week's show how you can get a discount on clear through NerdWallet. So highly recommend you do that if you don't have clear yet. Get TSA PreCheck if you don't have that yet.
- [03:19]
C
Yep.
- [03:19]
A
But I got through in just 18 minutes, so that was such a relief. However, I did decided to do some boots on the ground reporting and I stood at the exit of the security line as people were going through.
- [03:32]
C
I saw this video on Instagram.
- [03:34]
A
Yes. I interviewed people and the going rate for people who were just in the regular line. Two and a half hours.
- [03:41]
C
That's painful.
- [03:42]
A
I know. I had heard reports of three, but even two and a half hours is. Is basically three at that. that point, you're there. But, Tess, I also interviewed people who did better than me. And I was like, whoa, someone is a better traveler than, say, with Sally.
- [03:56]
C
What? No way.
- [03:58]
A
Well, so I talked to these people who said that they waited seven minutes, and I was like, oh, what is your secret? And they said, touchless id. We have talked about touchless ID on the show, and I've always said, I don't need another thing. Clear and pre check is fast. But then, now that I know that these people 2x my speed, I wanted to enroll in Touchless ID. So just as a reminder, Touchless ID is a program that uses facial recognition technology to verify your identity so you don't need a fumble around with your driver's license. You get access to this dedicated lane, which at JFK was clearly faster. And so I actually spent my weekend enrolling because with Touchless id, you have to enroll in each specific airline's website. So airlines that are eligible include Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United. It's also not available at every airport, but most major airports like JFK and New York will have this. And to enroll you basically have to go to the profile or the settings page or on each frequent flyer account with that airline and basically just opt in. So I would highly recommend. It took me 10 minutes to do it this weekend, but I would recommend people do it so you have more options.
- [05:06]
C
Well, the other option is that you can fly out of Portland, Oregon because I flew from Portland to Phoenix last Tuesday and there was literally, in the most elemental sense of the word, no line. I walked, I immediately walked up. There's the TSA person, showed em my idea. My idea. Well, my idea. I showed them my ideas as well, showed them my id.
- [05:30]
A
I don't want your ideas. They're like get, get through, get through. Right.
- [05:34]
C
I mean it was less than two minutes. And then flying back to Portland from Phoenix, there was maybe a five minute
- [05:40]
A
line if that Amazing. And was that TSA precheck?
- [05:43]
C
Yes, it was TSA Precheck. I don't have that touch list yet, but now that you've been talking about it, I might do that as well.
- [05:49]
A
Yeah, I say just do it as backup, but that is super good fortune. You might have had to buy a lotto ticket that same day because that was very fortunate. But I think it also goes to show that all of these airports are such a range and that's what makes travel challenging because you don't necessarily know is it going to be two and a half hours, which is bonkers when the recommendation is to get there two hours early. Two and a half hours means you miss your flight versus some airports. Do you get there three hours early and then you only end up waiting five minutes and then it's like I love a good vino volo at the airport, but I don't know if I want to spend, I don't know if I want to spend three hours at the Vinavolo. So yeah, and in Portland you would
- [06:28]
C
be petting the llamas, I guess.
- [06:29]
A
Oh, do they have llamas in the airport?
- [06:31]
C
They have llamas in the airport. Yes.
- [06:33]
A
Less Portland. Great city.
- [06:35]
C
Keep it weird.
- [06:37]
A
All right, let's move on over to some news with United because they had quite a slew of announcements over the past week.
- [06:44]
C
They did. First, they unveiled their new Boeing 7879 Dreamliner plane. It's going to start flying from San Francisco this month. It's their most luxurious plane yet. And nearly half the seats are premium, like the airline's Polaris Business class or premium economy.
- [06:59]
A
The Polaris seats are the ones that everyone is talking about. There are 64 of these new business suites on the plane. And I'm calling them suites specifically because they have a sliding door. That is a first for United. You see this on some other very fancy airlines, so it's great to see it on United. If you are a bougie kind of person, I will say American and Delta are other major airlines where their newest business class seats also have sliding doors.
- [07:22]
C
So not only the sliding door, but every Polaris seat also has aisle access. And Sally, this is really, really important because United built a self serve snack bar into the cabin so business class passengers can get up whenever they want and grab a snack. And that would be me throughout an entire flight. Just like snacks every 10 minutes.
- [07:42]
A
I was like, what is she possibly gonna say that's so important? Snacks. Let's go.
- [07:47]
C
It's not an emergency exit, it's a snack exit.
- [07:50]
A
So good. There are also eight Polara suites on this flight that are even bigger. The airline calls these suites the business class suite. Plus, so these also have an ottoman where someone else seated in business can come sit with you. And I like that. It's not someone in economy, it's someone else in business. You can't put your husband in economy and be like, just sit in my ottoman.
- [08:16]
C
All right, well, meanwhile, for us plebes in the back of the plane, the premium economy and economy cabins got an upgrade too. Most notably, bigger seatback screens for watching movies, which is completely necessary if you're flying for 10 hours or more. Like you will be on these planes.
- [08:31]
A
I agree. And a bigger screen is key because the only times I ever watch Avatar series and Lord of the Rings series are on airplanes. Because that's the only time my attention span can tolerate a movie that long. You also need a big screen for Avatar and Lord of the Rings.
- [08:44]
C
You do. You do indeed.
- [08:47]
A
So, as you mentioned, this plane is scheduled to start flying this month out of sfo. It is headed to destinations including Singapore and London. You can read our colleague Benjamin Din's story on the new plane. I will link to that in the show notes. But before we move on, Tess, we have to talk about the other thing everyone is talking about. I'm seeing it go viral on Instagram and TikTok. That is the sky couch.
- [09:07]
B
Yeah.
- [09:08]
C
United also announced this new type of economy seat. They're calling it the Relax row. It's this row of economy seats that has movable footrests and you can extend those and turn them into a couch. And these are going to be rolling out to more than 200 wide body planes by 2030. Looks pretty cool.
- [09:27]
A
I think so, too. You get a mattress pad, pillows, blankets. So theoretically, you should get a good night's sleep. They say it's aimed at families. And speaking of families, children get a plush toy and a travel kit which they can take home. The toy is a fluffy airplane. And I was like, why are we limiting this to children? I want a fluffy airplane.
- [09:49]
C
Of course you do. My question when I saw this was, okay, why wouldn't I just, as a single traveler, book all three seats so I have a lie flat without paying for business class?
- [10:02]
A
And I think that is the logic behind these seats. They have not released their pricing yet, but I have to imagine three of these are still going to be cheaper than business class. And I think this is a really good option. Candidly, I think the real benefit of business class is just getting a good night's sleep. The other things that they offer you, like priority boarding or free checked bags, know save with Sally is not doing that anyway. And then they give you better food, but I'm like, come on, how. How much better is airplane food, really? And then they might give you fancier alcohol, but I don't really want to drink alcohol on a flight.
- [10:38]
C
I don't either.
- [10:39]
A
Yeah. And then they also give you, like, a more luxurious amenity kit. And I'm like, dog, just get your own facial mist. You don't need to pay the huge upcharge for that in business class. That if you really prioritize the good night's sleep like I do, this seems to be a great option.
- [10:54]
C
Yeah, it's kind of like when you get super lucky on a transatlantic flight and there are two empty seats next to you. Right. And so you just take that and you sleep the whole time. But now you potentially even have more space to do that. So this would definitely be an option for me. And by the way, if you don't book it, you could still get seated there and you can still use a footrest, but, you know, get all those extra amenities, I think, including, like the plush plane or whatever.
- [11:20]
A
You got to book it to get that airplane flush.
- [11:23]
C
All right. But while United is upgrading seats, it's still slashing earnings rates for non credit card holders.
- [11:29]
A
Yes. This is something we did talk about a few weeks ago, but I want to remind people, because tomorrow, that would be April 2nd. If you're listening to this, on the day the episode drops, that means United is dropping the earning rate on flights to 3 miles per dollar on most fares. If you do not have a United credit card or elite status.
- [11:47]
C
But if you do have a United card, you're going to earn more miles starting this month. Six miles per dollar or higher, depending on your status. And cardholders are going to get at least 10% off award flights. That's really valuable for frequent flyers.
- [12:00]
A
Yeah. So good news if you have a credit card. Bad news though, unless you have a credit card, basic economy tickets will earn 0 miles. So if you're a basic economy flyer. I know, terrible. Basic economy flyers really need to seriously consider getting a United credit card or elite status if they want to earn miles. You know, I'm always flying basic economy, so this is unfortunate. You can read our full article about this news on NerdWallet. And for my regular unique United flyers, we also have reviews of the United credit cards. So you might want to check that out if you're thinking about getting a card.
- [12:32]
C
Yeah, you know, it really does seem almost necessary if you're going to fly United regularly and you want to maximize their loyalty program. There's just no other option.
- [12:39]
A
Meanwhile, BILP continues to announce news every week.
- [12:43]
C
They just added Wyndham Rewards as a one to one transfer partner. And this hotel chain has a pretty large footprint, as you have heard on the show before. And all nights are either 7,500 15,000 or 30,000 points.
- [12:55]
A
Wyndham is also a transfer partner of several other major credit card hotel programs. But more options to use your points is generally a good thing. So I appreciate this news.
- [13:04]
C
I appreciate it too. Now, if only I had more options for using my bill cash and if I had paid attention in math class, that might help as well.
- [13:11]
A
Okay, Tess, I can pivot us over to some other travel credit card news that is far easier to understand. And that comes from Royal Caribbean.
- [13:19]
C
Yes, this is from bank of America and Royal Caribbean Group, which means that one card works across not just Royal Caribbean, but also Celebrity Cruises and Silver Seas.
- [13:29]
A
Yes, and I will break down the two cards. So there are two versions. There is the Royal One. This one does not have an annual fee. It earns 3x points on Royal Caribbean Celebrity and Silver Sea purchases, 2x on groceries, gas and EV charging, and then 1x on everything else. Other benefits you get include priority boarding, which can be key at some departure ports. You also get an $100 anniversary reward after you meet their qualifying spend requirement. The other card is the Royal One plus, which has a $99 annual. That one earns a higher rate in cruise purchases 4x versus 3x on the no annual fee one. It still earns 2x on groceries, gas, EV charging plus air, hotel and dining. That one gets you a $200 anniversary reward after meeting the minimum spend requirement. Plus other benefits like TSA Precheck or Global Entry Credit. You know how important TSA Precheck is, so jump on that one if you don't have it yet. You also get things like priority luggage handling, which is really nice if you want someone else to handle your bag as well before getting on the cruise.
- [14:28]
C
That's right. And you can redeem points not just for cruise fares, but for specialty dining, shore excursions, Wi fi, onboard experiences. This feels pretty convenient to me. Those extras can add up fast on a cruise, at least from what I hear. I have not been on one. So Sally, what's your take?
- [14:44]
A
Those extras do add on fast. They really get you in with being like this cruise is 400 and then suddenly you're like oh why did I spend 1400?
- [14:53]
C
Yikes.
- [14:54]
A
You know it's so tempting to fall for all the excursions and the WI fi so it's nice if you can use your credit card rewards to cover that. I will call out this is not an everyday spend card. That one x on everything else you can do better. So do get some sort of cash back card is my recommendation for your everyday spending. And then just use the cash to pay for the shore excursion if you have to. But I do think the elevated rewards on the cruises can be valuable if you are someone who cruises frequently. It's also really nice that you are not just tied to Royal Caribbean on its own, but because Royal Caribbean, the whole ecosystem includes Celebrity and Silver Sea. This gives you more options if you want to have more of that luxurious line or that smaller line every once in a while. But maybe you love Royal Caribbean for the big family reunion type vacations.
- [15:42]
C
So bottom line for you as a
- [15:44]
A
cruiser, good for loyal customers, especially if you can maximize things like the priority luggage handling. You know though, I'm just walking on with a backpack. So personally I will not be applying for this card just because I think I get better travel rewards on other credit cards that we talk about so much on this show. But if you do like those cruise line benefits and you really are a frequent cruiser who can maximize that forex on cruise purchases, then this can be really good for you.
- [16:13]
C
Speaking of cruises, Sally, were there any other notes from the Seagull? Because you casually mentioned up top that Megan spent the weekend on a brand new cruise ship.
- [16:21]
B
Yes.
- [16:21]
A
So this weekend was the inaugural sailing of the Norwegian luna which is NCL's newest ship. I have to imagine she's going to tell us about it when she gets back. It's part of their Prima class lineup, which is a modern design, tons of dining options. It's actually a slightly newer but very similar version of the ship that I took to the Mediterranean, which was the Norwegian Viva. And I love this ship because it seems to be a happy medium of not maximum chaos that some of these really family oriented ships offer where they're like, we got ice rink, rockwall, bumper cars, all these things. But I do think that this ship offers tons to still keep you engaged. For example, they got the aqua slide coaster and it's kind of like a roller coaster at sea. You ride this raft that shoots you off. So there is still fun stuff to do on the ship. We're going to have to have her tell us about it.
- [17:12]
C
All right, bougie berths and bows. We'll get a full debrief later. All right, Sally, time to talk sports travel. Thanks for having me. Will alley up it back to you and Megan on land right after the break.
- [17:28]
B
Today's episode is sponsored by Claude.
- [17:29]
A
You know how people say we're basically your well traveled friends?
- [17:32]
B
I mean, yeah, that's literally our whole thing.
- [17:35]
A
Well, Claude is also kind of doing that. It's the AI from Anthropic. I'm a little threatened.
- [17:39]
B
Should I be updating my resume?
- [17:41]
A
Oh, hear me out. I asked Claude to help me figure out whether to use points or cash for my upcoming trip to Taiwan. And it didn't just say it depends, like some kind of cowardly chatbot.
- [17:50]
B
The it depends response is my villain origin story.
- [17:54]
A
Well, with some prodding, Claude walked me through the map using actual redemption value. It asked me what card I had.
- [18:00]
B
Okay, wait, that's what I do.
- [18:01]
A
Then I asked it follow up questions. And then another question and it just kept going. No sign. No, as I mentioned before, no judgment.
- [18:08]
B
And that's not all it can do for travelers.
- [18:10]
A
It can figure out whether your credit card covers rental car insurance in a specific country, translate hotel cancellation policies from legal speak into human. I could go on.
- [18:19]
B
Find it at Claude AI There's a free version.
- [18:22]
A
And honestly, just start by asking something you would normally text me at 11pm
- [18:26]
B
or the question you've been too embarrassed to ask us.
- [18:28]
A
Nah, you can still send us any and all questions. Sure, ask Clawd. But ask us too.
- [18:33]
B
Ready to tackle bigger problems? Get started with Clawd today at Claude AI SmartTravel.
- [18:38]
A
That's Claude AI SmartTravel. And check out Claude Pro which includes access to all of the features mentioned in Today's episode.
- [18:45]
B
Claude AI SmartTravel Today's episode is sponsored by Quint.
- [18:49]
A
These days, I'm all about quality over quantity, especially in my closet. If it's not well made and versatile, it is not worth it to me.
- [18:55]
B
That's honestly why I love Quint. The fabrics feel elevated, the cuts are thoughtful, and the pricing actually makes sense.
- [19:02]
A
Megan, we may disagree on many things, but I have to agree with you here, right?
- [19:06]
B
Their cotton poplin is crisp and it holds its shape. The gauze is soft without being flimsy. Everything Quince makes is built to hold up season after season.
- [19:15]
A
I got into wearing quince last year and I am still wearing last year's dresses. The stitching, the fit, the fabrics, it is all so good. Megan, you were so right.
- [19:23]
B
And you know who else agrees with me? The people. Quinn's clothing is consistently rated 4.5 to 5 stars by thousands of customers. These are real people wearing these pieces every day and actually loving them right now.
- [19:35]
A
Go to quince.com smart travel for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.
- [19:40]
B
That's a full year to wear it and love it.
- [19:42]
A
And you will now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling. For clothes that don't last, go to quince.com smarttravel that's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com smart travel for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.com smarttravel okay Sally, I feel like
- [20:02]
B
traveling for a sports event has really exploded. It used to be like, oh, we're going to see a game. And now it's like we are planning a whole family trip around this one weekend.
- [20:11]
A
Megan, you are not wrong at all. The data backs it up. Kayak put out their 2026 travel trends report. They found that 37 of Gen Z and millennial travelers say they specifically plan to travel for sports. Sports.
- [20:23]
B
What's funny is I wonder how many of these people would travel to that place if it weren't for the sporting event. And the reason I'll say that is priority pass. You know, the massive airport lounge membership program put out its own sports trend report and found that 46 of sports travelers say they are motivated to explore new cities because of sports travel. And it's particularly strong among young people and Americans. 55% of young American sports travelers said they were motivated to explore destinations through sports travel.
- [20:53]
A
Megan, I'm not completely surprised by that purely because we're just coming off of the big super bowl in San Francisco. And as I'm sure it's no surprise to anybody, San Francisco has had a hard time coming back, especially post pandemic recovery. A lot of press out there saying San Francisco is not the place you want to go to. But what was so funny is, during the super bowl, all of these networks, like barstool Sports, were coming out and saying, wow, San Francisco is really good. It is such a good city. And so many people were pleasantly surprised that San Francisco is a great place. So thank you, super bowl, for forcing people to go to San Francisco. And I'm sure this happens with so many other cities.
- [21:30]
B
It was such a good showcase of the city as well. There were, like, all these events surrounding the game. So even if you didn't go to the game, you got to really experience the atmosphere in San Francisco. Is that right, Sally?
- [21:40]
A
Yes. And I'm spoiled because I live here. So even though we're talking about traveling for sports, I had to travel about three blocks to get to the big convention center and see everything.
- [21:48]
B
That's the best case scenario.
- [21:51]
A
Right?
- [21:51]
B
So, Sally, what's the best, best sporting event you've traveled to?
- [21:55]
A
Easy answer on this one. I went to the Olympics in Paris. Unbelievable. I know. I'm so lucky. We saw two sessions. Both were Olympic weightlifting, because I myself compete in Olympic weightlifting, although I am far, far from actually going to the Olympics. So we watched a women's session, and then we watched a men's session, the one where Hampton Morris won a medal, making him the first American man to medal in the Olympic weightlifting sport in 40 years. And kind of like the Super bowl, it was just a whole party all around, even if you don't go to any of the actual events. And it can be hard to get tickets just wandering around Paris. It was not like real Paris. I've been to Paris before. And it felt like a completely different vibe because it's just totally. I don't want to say overrun, because that sounds like a bad word, but it was totally Olympics everything when I was there.
- [22:43]
B
Oh, that's so fun. And did you go to Paris specifically to go see the Olympics, or were you sort of already in Europe or in the area and you were like, ah, the Olympics are going on. I just want to see, you know, a couple competitions as well.
- [22:54]
A
It was completely fortuitous. We weren't even planning to go to Europe at all. But then my parents were doing this river cruise in Europe and we met my parents for the river cruise. Then my now husband proposed to Me in Germany. And then we were like, well, what's close to Germany is Paris, so we'll just hop over. And we both love Olympic weightlifting, so we figured we might as well just extend, go see the Olympics after that. So we did the Olympics right after we got engaged. It was a perfect trip.
- [23:23]
B
Oh, my gosh, that's so funny, because I just got engaged and literally we got engaged and then the Olympics were happening. We were not in Italy or anything, but we did come back and turn on the Olympics just to round out this amazing day of enjoying watching sports.
- [23:39]
A
Megan, congrats on your engagement, by the way. Thank you. I think we all knew it was coming, so that is very exciting.
- [23:47]
B
It was coming, and it was amazing that it coincided with the Olympics as well. I was like, this is everything I love all in one day.
- [23:53]
A
So 20 is going to be a big year because you'll finally get to go to the Olympics in person. And then is that the year you're getting married or 2027?
- [24:00]
B
2027, I think so. Actually, I went to a wedding last year, and weirdly enough, the Dodgers World Series was going on while the wedding was happening, and we were all on our phones, like, trying to watch the game and the wedding at the same time. So I'm not trying to make the two overlap.
- [24:18]
A
Okay, I appreciate that. All right, Megan, so tell me, what is the best sporting event you've traveled to then?
- [24:24]
B
My favorite memory of sports while traveling was seeing the All Blacks play rugby in New Zealand. It was incredible. All Blacks is like the national rugby team. It is the national sport of New Zealand. And the All Blacks are famous for doing a haka, which is like, oh, yes, a traditional mori dance before the kickoff essentially of the game. And Sally, I swear you could hear a pin drop in that stadium as you're waiting for them to start this haka. It is so moving. It's so powerful. And I thought it was the best game I've ever seen. It was so much fun.
- [25:02]
A
Are you a rugby fan?
- [25:03]
B
Yeah, now I am. After living in New Zealand and seeing the All Blacks, I was like, oh, I get it. There's so many fun things. They lift up these giant, you know, 250 pound guys, like, into the air to catch the ball. They're like all tangled together and a scrum. There's just so much fun to watch in a rugby game. So that one is definitely my favorite memory of traveling for sports. Close second, though, is that my dad and I used to have a tradition where we would go to New York Every year to watch the Mets and the Yankees play at home. So we got to go to both stadiums in one weekend. And that was always really fun.
- [25:37]
A
Are you a fan of both teams?
- [25:39]
B
I would say I prefer the Yankees and my dad prefers the Mets. Okay, so we got what we both wanted on this trip.
- [25:46]
A
But you're actually a Dodgers fan.
- [25:48]
B
Actually Dodgers fan. And also Washington Nationals fans. I love sports. Okay. It's hard to pick a team.
- [25:54]
A
All right, well, I'm glad we're talking about sports today. Those are some of the events we've been to. But let's talk about the big events coming up that people might travel to. Now, you did mention New Zealand. Of course, there are sporting events all around the world people could go to. We're going to contain this list just to the U.S. and of course, this is not an exhaustive list of every sporting event out there, but we do want to focus on some of the biggest sporting events coming up over the next couple years.
- [26:18]
B
I think the one that everyone is talking about for this year is the FIFA World cup in 2026. It's running from June through July, and it has three host countries in North America, Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
- [26:30]
A
It's happening all over within the US it is not just in one city. It is in many all over the country. Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.
- [26:42]
B
And another upcoming event I want to give a shout out to this year is the PGA championship. That's happening May 11th through 17th near Philadelphia.
- [26:51]
A
And then my sister is a huge F1 fan, and she keeps reminding me about everything that's going on this year. In May, there is a Miami Grand Prix. Then there is the United States Grand Prix happening in October. That's over in Austin, Texas. And then the next month in November is, I think the biggest event, the coolest event is the Las Vegas Grand Prix. And that's where they do that marquee night race on the Las Vegas strip. I want to go to one of these sometime.
- [27:17]
B
Oh, my gosh. I don't want to go to one in the US though. I actually want to go to one in Europe or Asia. I mean, F1 races are just such a worldwide sport, and they have a lot of fans now. That drive to survive. This Netflix documentary has made it so popular with Americans. So I am trying to go to one maybe in Italy. I think that would be.
- [27:36]
A
We'll make it happen.
- [27:37]
B
Other games to look ahead to in 2027. Phoenix, Arizona, is hosting the NBA All Star Game. That's February 19th to 21st, 2027.
- [27:47]
A
Last year we got the NBA All Star Game in San Francisco. So that was another one I was so spoiled I did not have to travel to other than walking three blocks outside to the Convention center. And I guess you must have missed the All Star Game when it was in la because that was when you were in Santa Cruz getting engaged.
- [28:00]
B
I know, I know. You got super lucky with all the sports events happening in San Francisco this past year. My city, LA is going to be busy coming up because not only do we have a couple of those World cup games games, we also have the 2027 Super bowl coming to SoFi Stadium and then the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Get ready. I don't think LA is ready, but hopefully the people who are coming are already thinking about it.
- [28:27]
A
Well, what's funny is it is not all LA. LA will be the first games in 80 years to not build any new permanent venues. And because of that they are expanding out. So there are some LA adjacent cities. We shall say. So volleyball is happening in Anahe. Just to be clear, Anaheim is not la. I grew up in Orange county near Anaheim and everyone said that I lived in la, who I went to college with and I was like, no, I did not. I did not grow up in la. Orange county is definitely not la, but it is adjacent. And then if you want to go even farther south, they're doing surfing down in Trestles beach. And then not too far from me, they are doing soccer way up north in San Jose.
- [29:08]
B
They're even hosting some competitions for the Olympics out of state, out of California. Such as? So Oklahoma City, New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis. These are all cities that are getting some Olympic competitions in 2028. I was really surprised about Oklahoma City. Like there was a pre sale for Los Angeles residents and Oklahoma City residents. And I was like, what are you guys coming or what's happening? But okay, they've got some competitions too.
- [29:35]
A
Yes. And I'm excited because as you said, maybe LA cannot handle this. I'm very nervous about the traffic if they can handle everyone coming in for the Olympics. But it's also not nice if you live somewhere. Maybe in the Midwest, you don't even come to la, but you can still participate in some Olympics. Love. I do want to circle back. You said super bowl and we do want to round out our list of big events happening. Our final one, I'm going to say just for this episode. February 2028, the Super bowl is going to be out in Atlanta.
- [30:02]
B
Obviously, we could keep going on and on about sporting events, especially international ones, but we'll just leave it there. Let's talk about lodging and how to save money.
- [30:11]
A
Megan, can I hit you up right off the bat with a spicy take? Sure.
- [30:15]
B
Let's hear it.
- [30:16]
A
My hot take is, during sporting events, you do not need to stay near the venue. We always recommend that when you're traveling, it's often worthwhile to stay in the heart of the city, stay in the heart of everything. But I think when it comes to sporting events, I would rather prioritize staying where the transportation is easy and where the price is are sane. Because here's the thing. If you're going to the event, you are only at the venue for the game anyway, before and after. So the only value you would get for staying at a hotel right across the street from the stadium is that you get to roll right back to your hotel room after the game. But that's just one part of your day. You might be spending your whole vacation a week that you want to be in a place where you're not spending a million dollars just because you booked a hotel room near the stadium, don't do it.
- [31:03]
B
I totally agree with that, especially when we talked about the Olympics having all these different venues, which might be very sp, like maybe an hour, hour and a half. If you're going to be driving to Orange county for some of the Olympic events, there's no need to stay near Sofi Stadium if you're going to also be driving very far to go to other events. And the other thing I want to say about that is the public transport is really important when you're talking about going to these big sporting events. Obviously, rideshare and taxis can be super expensive, but I think as long as you're anywhere along a line that can get you directly to some of the venues you want visit, then it's totally fine to stay further out.
- [31:44]
A
Yeah. And typically the public transit people know that there's an event coming in town, and they'll pad the schedules for many of these big events. So, for example, when the super bowl happened, they were adding more caltrain times. They were adjusting the caltrain times so that way it aligned with when the super bowl would end to make sure that people had transit there, because we do not want a million people clogging the roads. In fact, I think when I go to the Olympics in la, I'm just going to stay for free with my dad in Orange county, and he was like, like the Traffic is going to be so bad to get to la. And I was like, dad, have you heard of the Amtrak?
- [32:17]
B
Oh my gosh, you're going to take the Amtrak to downtown. Oh, that's such a great idea, Sally.
- [32:21]
A
Yeah, so people take the Amtrak if you're going to the LA Olympics.
- [32:25]
B
So Sally, what are some ways people can save on lodging when it comes
- [32:29]
A
to these sporting events? I do think pricing can be very unpredictable. There is kind of this bell curve where the hotels do want to charge as much as possible to get the eager beavers and get them to just lock in a room rate and then hopefully, hopefully forget about this. And what we'll see is if the sporting event maybe isn't as popular as they expected, then they will reduce rates down the road. So here is my tip. Most hotels allow you to reserve a room but only pay at check in. Always check the terms and conditions of the hotel that you're booking. But what I typically recommend, if you know you want to go to a sporting event, book a hotel room so you have something and at least it's a price you're comfortable paying with. But then keep checking what the room rates are because more often than not you might find that prices drop as long as your cancellation policy is flexible and again check the terms. But this is common with pretty much every major hotel is you reserve the room, then you just reserve another room at a lower price and then cancel the room that you booked. And if you're not paying until check in and it's okay to cancel, then you're not out any money. You saved money.
- [33:34]
B
There you go. I, I love this advice. No matter whether you're traveling for sports or not, always keep checking the price after you've been booked. Another thing I wanted to mention is think about some of the amenities that might come with your lodging. If you're booking a vacation rental, you can possibly book one with a kitchen so you can save some money on food that way. And one that I've been thinking about recently with sports events is a vacation rental with free parking. You might be shocked to find some of the parking rates at hotels nearby stadiums because some of them also offer offer paid parking for the special events. And it's just astronomical to pay those kinds of parking prices. So if you can look for a vacation rental or even a further out hotel, maybe one that doesn't charge as much for the parking, that could be a great way to save on your lodging and transportation.
- [34:27]
A
And Megan, I did get some interesting data from Air DNA. They are a Vacation rentals analytics company and they were looking specifically at the FIFA World cup. And if people are wondering our prices up, they are up. They looked at specifically vacation rentals and found that available rates on game days are up 75% in Boston year over year. So this FIFA World cup versus the same time last year up 160% in Vancouver and get this up 220% in Kansas City. So do do brace yourself that prices will be high.
- [35:00]
B
Sally, are there any other tricks for people who are looking at these prices and going, oh my gosh, I cannot afford this. Are there any other ways to get these at lower rates? Rates?
- [35:08]
A
Well, my top trick is to not overlook vacation packages. When it comes to sporting events, I'm usually the person who does not want to do a vacation package. When there's a Costco travel package and they tell you we'll do the airfare and we'll do the flight and we'll do the activities, I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. I want to book my own airfare. I want to book my own hotel separately. I'm usually not a package girl, but when it comes to these events, sometimes it is your best option, especially for these sold out events. So when we went to the Olympics in Paris, it was semi last minute as we mentioned. We weren't sure in this trip to Germany with my parents came up and we said we have to go to weightlifting. At the time, all the standalone weightlifting tickets were directly sold out. We did not want to go through some sort of third party because that does sketch me out. But what the Olympics does is they partner with this group called On Location. It is the official provider of Olympic Games hospitality packages. And what they were selling was a package where you could get two nights of a hotel room and get the Olympics tickets. We wanted to lock in the tickets and we needed a hotel anyway. So we did figure, let's just go ahead and do the package. It probably was not the most money saving thing, but it's your best option if you feel like tickets are sold out. So especially when it comes to the Olympics, don't overlook on location if you want to lock in both tickets and the hotel.
- [36:31]
B
And that brings us to talking about tickets and how to save when you're trying to buy them for these events. We'll talk about that right after the break. This episode is brought to you by Fandango.
- [36:47]
A
People say fans are too distracted these days, but the truth is when a
- [36:51]
B
great movie hits the screen, you show up, you stay glued, invested. Part of the story and without fans like you, there'd be no cinema magic, no shared moments.
- [37:00]
A
So head to fandango.com to get tickets,
- [37:03]
B
stream or rent or buy top movies and series. Fandango loves fans. Protein is now at Starbucks, and it's
- [37:12]
A
never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to
- [37:15]
B
your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha.
- [37:20]
A
Try it today at Starbucks.
- [37:26]
B
All right, we're back talking tips and tricks for buying tickets to sporting events. I have a hot take. I feel like everyone wants to know how to save money, but with these big events like the Olympics, like the World cup, saving money isn't always the name of the game. You know what I mean, Megan?
- [37:44]
A
I do know what you mean. I think for mega events, the biggest quote money saver is just being able to buy tickets at face value. Meaning you're not having to go to some third party stub hub and buy tickets from someone you don't know or the person on the street who's like yelling tickets. And you're. You're not really sure if this is a scam or not. So I always think you want to lock in tickets from the initial source as soon as possible.
- [38:10]
B
So how do people get that earliest buying window possible?
- [38:14]
A
I say you got to make a calendar, you got to make a schedule, you got to set up your alerts.
- [38:18]
B
I agree. And stay up to date because they announce more sales and special pre sales all the time. It feels like. So for big events like the FIFA World cup, for example, there were a bunch of different sale phases. There was the early draws, the lotteries, official drops. Even Chase did a special pre sale for Chase Sapphire cardholders. And there's probably going to keep going, like more releases as we get closer to the actual games. For Olympics tickets, they're also doing an exclusive early purchase window for Los Angeles and Oklahoma City residents. So that one actually opens up tomorrow, April 2nd, if you're listening to the podcast, the Day it aired. And that ticket window to get the Olympics tickets early, if you're a resident, runs through April 6th. Tickets start at just $28, so you know, I'm gunning for that.
- [39:10]
A
$28. Holy moly. I doubt the top tier gymnastics is going for $28, but I would see anything. I don't care. 20.
- [39:17]
B
I know. I'm trying to strategize. Like, I'm like, okay, is beach volleyball more popular than volleyball? Am I okay with just indoor? Vol will literally go see anything. I love sports, yo.
- [39:28]
A
You cannot even see a movie. At my local AMC theater for $28, so.
- [39:33]
B
That's so true.
- [39:34]
A
So, Megan, what sports do you think you want to go do the most?
- [39:37]
B
Ooh, I mean, of course I would love to see the big ones. Gymnastics, swimming, track and field. But some fun ones that I think I would want to get tickets to. Our baseball, of course, and surfing. And we also put lacrosse because my fiance was a former high school lacrosse player. And this is the first and we've seen it in the Olympics, so that could be fun.
- [39:59]
A
Oh, that's right. Okay, well, I'm. I'll assume that you don't have any meetings with me tomorrow, so that way you can clear your schedule and get those Olympics tickets online. Good luck to you, my friend.
- [40:07]
B
There's a hold on my calendar, Sally.
- [40:08]
A
Perfect. I won't be talking to you tomorrow. Now, of course, this would not be a nerdwallet show if we did not talk credit cards. And believe it or not, those premium credit cards, I'm talking the Chase Sapphire Reserve Platinum card from American Express, these can often be your ticket into some of these big events, right?
- [40:24]
B
You know, I tried the Chase Sapphire Reserve sale for World cup tickets, but I did not score. The number of people in front of me was like 26,000 people or something crazy. I was like, okay, wow.
- [40:36]
A
So even if you have exclusive access through Chase, that is not a guarantee.
- [40:40]
B
It can still be really competitive. What about amex though? Did you have any luck looking at AMEX tickets?
- [40:46]
A
So American Express does have what they call AMEX pre sale tickets and AMEX reserve tickets. These are exactly what they sound like. So the pre sale, this is early access windows. And then they have AMEX reserve tickets, which are dedicated ticket allotments for card members. Typically, this is not any AMEX card. Your blue cash is not going to get you this. You typically have to have those top tier cards like the Platinum card, right?
- [41:09]
B
And AMEX also offers those packages you were just talking about where you can buy sometimes tickets with something else, usually like an experience, Maybe some sort of behind the scenes or athlete meet and greet or like special lounge, something like. Like that. So that's another way to look at your AMEX card for different benefits that might be able to get you into these events.
- [41:29]
A
So I'll give you an example of one of these is there's the US Open coming up in June, that's going to be in New York and they have this package. You can only purchase it if you either have the Platinum card or the Centurion card, which is even fancier than Platinum card. With it, you get this premium hospitality suite at what they call the American Express Chalet. Anything that's a chalet, you know is fancy. It also includes special access to the grounds. There's a reception. You get to take a photo with the athletes. You get merch. You get a parking pass. You said parking's expensive, so I'm sure that's worth it. Except, Megan, wait for it. I want you to guess. How much do you think this package costs?
- [42:07]
B
Oh, my gosh.
- [42:08]
A
Okay. And wait. I want to give you one hint. The package is sold out.
- [42:13]
B
Okay. Wow. I know almost nothing about golf. I will say this is a blind spot of mine. Let's go with $7,000.
- [42:24]
A
Whoa.
- [42:25]
B
Am I good?
- [42:26]
A
No, 7,000 is way too much money for this.
- [42:29]
B
Okay, good, good. I thought you were going to say
- [42:31]
A
700, but no, it's $3,400.
- [42:36]
B
Okay. Okay. That. Still a lot of money. For sure. Still a lot.
- [42:41]
A
I don't like golf that much. I'm not. Look, I'm not paying $3,400 for anything. But for people who love the sports, what these packages often provide is this money can't buy experience. Like I said, you get to. You could go on the chalet. So these can be a huge benefit. And then especially for these things that are sold out, often it's your only way to get in.
- [43:01]
B
We should mention Chase also runs a similar program. It's called Chase Experiences. And again, it's their umbrella for access to a lot of different types of events, including sporting events, but also entertainment and culinary experiences like fancy dining, signing, and again, similar to amex, these Chase Experiences are usually limited to customers of their premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve. So a couple of examples. You could go to a New York Knicks basketball game. You get four lower bowl seats to a New York Knicks game, VIP access to the Delta Club at Madison Square Garden for food and non alcoholic beverages, and you get to take a picture on the court after the game. Game. It all sounds super fun. Sally, how much do you think that goes for?
- [43:47]
A
You know, I saw that one online and I actually thought it was a good deal. I. It was like 500, right?
- [43:54]
B
Exactly. It's $480 for four people. So four. That's 120 per person. I mean, I think that's great for the food, the seat, and, you know, a little special commemorative photo.
- [44:06]
A
Yeah, it's really nice. And a great benefit for cardholders if you want to spend some money and lock in in both the ticket and a bonus Little VIP experience reminder. You can often find these things just by browsing the rewards portals.
- [44:18]
B
Other benefits you should look at on your credit card include certain statement credits you might be able to get for certain types of purchases. So for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders, you can get up to $300 in annual statement credits. For purchases with StubHub or Viagogo, the credit is split into two $150 statement credits. And you know, know it's classic. You have to use one in the first half of the year between January and June, and the second one from July to December. And you also have to activate it. So there's a lot of steps to using these statement credits. But if you do, you could possibly book some sporting events with the StubHub credit.
- [44:55]
A
Yo, the activation is what kills me. You have to go into the Chase account. And it's not just Chase that does this. A lot of the credit cards do this. We got to go in and you got to click a button saying activate. I'm scared to know how many people buy StubHub subtix and think that they're getting the credit and then they don't because they didn't activate it.
- [45:11]
B
If you have a Chase Sapphire reserve card and you are listening to this, just go ahead and activate it right now. Don't wait. Even if you're not gonna buy a sporting event ticket right now, it is good to just activate it so you know you'll get the credit in case you do buy something. You know, I actually use the StubHub credit recently for a USC versus Purdue basketball game and it was amazing. I mean, just got the statement credit. I bought the tickets the same day, day. And I'm also waiting for the right price. But I'm planning on using this for World cup tickets as well. Because wamp, wamp. I can't seem to get World cup tickets any other way except on the resale market when we should tell listeners
- [45:46]
A
you went to usc.
- [45:47]
B
Oh, yes, I went to usc and my sister went to Purdue and they're clearly the better basketball school because they're like chanting and USC fans are like, what are we supposed. Are we supposed to be doing that too? Like, we don't have any chance for basketball. So it was really fun. The other thing I will throw in
- [46:04]
A
is that the StubHub credit you mentioned specifically is only available through December 31, 2027. So if you're listening to this podcast in the future, it might not exist in 2028.
- [46:14]
B
Another good reason to just activate it and use it up now while you still have it. Okay, so all of our advice today has really boiled down to tickets to these events are expensive no matter what. What? Some of the lodging might be expensive no matter what. But all of this got me thinking. Do you really need to go to the stadium or can you just go to the city and soak in the vibes? You know what I mean?
- [46:41]
A
That is such a good point. I mean, on some level. No, because you mentioned listening to the pin drop when they do the haka ahead of the rugby match. And you don't get that when you're in the sports bar. But I do think there is so much value in especially these events where the tickets get to be thousands of dollars. I am paying many thousands of dollars to go the PGA Tour and I'm not paying many thousands of dollars to go to the Super Bowl. But many of these events have so many other events tied to them and many of them are free. They're cheap. I was in San Francisco during the All Star weekend and it was so fun. The best thing that ever happened was Starry. They should sponsor our show because they sponsored the All Star weekend. And they had these little robots that were passing out free Starry, like the drink. And then they had a whole bunch of pop ups. You could play basketball. You could do a trivia. Hamilton, my husband is weirdly good at NBA trivia and he won us free Starry sweatshirts from the trivia game.
- [47:37]
B
Oh my gosh. Amazing.
- [47:39]
A
Yeah. So I don't know anything about basketball, but Hamilton knows, knows the NBA and so it was so fun to just be a part of it. Similarly, with the super bowl in San Francisco, they had this big thing called the Super Bowl Experience. They had interactive games, autographs, photos with the super bowl rings, all this stuff. And the tickets for this, this I thought was a weirdly good deal. It was $40. However, kids under 12 or 12 and under or whatever were free. So if you are one parent and you're taking three kids, they say it's expensive to be a parent in San Francisco, but not when it comes to the super bowl experience. Isn't that a good deal? 40 bucks?
- [48:15]
B
Yeah, I think that's pretty good. I like the like totally free events though. Like I was in Barcelona last year and I was there right before the F1 race there. So they had a big free fan festival. Festival, Yes. I did have to wait online on vacation for like maybe, maybe less than an hour. But oh my gosh, it was so much fun. They. You can see all these different F1 cars. You can try your reaction times or whatever.
- [48:42]
A
Nice.
- [48:42]
B
But my favorite thing was that my grandma, my popo was with us and she decided to race in this little like race car track thing and she won. And I was like, oh my gosh, Grandma. I knew she was a crazy fast driver. Like I do it.
- [48:58]
A
Yes.
- [48:58]
B
She could compete with the F1 drivers.
- [49:00]
A
Wow. Is she a crazy fast driver on the freeway in real life?
- [49:04]
B
Oh yeah, yeah. She lives in Hawaii and she's like, like going around all these like cliffs in Hawaii. It is so funny.
- [49:11]
A
That is elite.
- [49:12]
B
It's honestly a bit scary when she's driving me to the airport. But I never fear. I'm going to make my flight, you
- [49:16]
A
know, let's go grandma. And then of course a lot of people are thinking about the Olympics. I hope you get the $28 Olympics tickets, but if you don't, there is always so much good stuff happening around the Olympics. People probably know about the whole pin trading culture. There will be restaurants and bars rented out where people go and they just trade pins. And then we gotta talk about the credit card angle again. Chase had a pop up lounge on the Seine and you had to I believe, be a Chase Sapphire reserve card holder. And inside this lounge it was kind of like an airport lounge but nicer because the view was the was France, it was Paris. It was amazing. And they had free food in the lounge. The sorbet was the best thing ever. They gave away free pins. So I was like, haha. I got my, my one Olympics pin out of. They gave us free swag like water bottles. And then they streamed the games inside, which was super fun. And I hope that they do it again in la. Chase, if you're listening, please do this because I had so much fun in Paris.
- [50:15]
B
I want to go to a Sapphire reserve lounge for the Olympics.
- [50:19]
A
Yeah. And all you had to do was flash your card. I am very nervous. It'll be so packed in la because I think everyone in LA has a sapphire reserve card.
- [50:25]
B
We'll see. A lot can change between now and 20. 20, 28. All right, let's talk about how to fly to these places and how to get a deal on airfare if you are flying for sports.
- [50:36]
A
So the conventional wisdom when booking domestic flights is to book one to three months in advance if you book too far out. The airlines capitalize on the eager beavers and they charge a whole bunch of money. And of course if you book too late, you're paying that last minute deal, which is never a deal, but the one to three months out. Wisdom does not necessarily apply during holiday holidays for one. But the second thing I will say is it does not necessarily apply for major sporting events. Sometimes airlines will beef up their schedules to account for these big events. But here's the thing. Typically airlines set their schedules a year in advance. So something like the Olympics or the super bowl, typically airlines will plan for that. But sometimes, maybe the smaller events, we might not see a beefed up schedule, even though we see a rising demand of people wanting to fly to those places. So of course rising demand means probably higher prices.
- [51:26]
B
Prices, right, and this is where it really pays to be flexible with your schedule. So can you extend your trip to the super bowl so that you're not flying out the Monday after the Super Bowl? Can you just stay an entire week after? The longer you are able to pad your trip around the sporting events, the less likely you're going to be subject to those really high prices because of the demand for the sport.
- [51:48]
A
Megan, I feel like you read my mind because super bowl was so packed in San Francisco and then the Monday after was a complete ghost town. Everyone just disappeared after Super Bowl Sunday. And it goes back to what you were saying about that priority pass study of people using sporting events to explore a destination. Stick around a couple more days and see what else San Francisco has to offer. Go out to Napa or for the future events, go see what else LA has to offer. And don't feel like you have to fly out the day after.
- [52:15]
B
So the best way to figure out which day you should fly is honestly to look at the calendar view either on Google Flights or whatever booking service you're using. A lot of them have this calendar tool where they'll show you what the best prices are within like a week period. Or depending on what your dates are, they can show you some of the flexibility around it. Please, please, please check and just look. Oh my gosh, I could save $100 by leaving the next day instead. And it really might be worth it even if you take into account the extra lodging costs.
- [52:46]
A
My other favorite thing about Google flights is that they allow you to search multiple airports. So not every search provider allows you to do this, but it makes it so efficient. So let's just talk about the Olympics coming to LA in 2020. LAX is the worst airport in the world. That is a fact. That is not an opinion. That's true. True fact. But here's the thing. LA is served by so many other airports. There is Long beach, there is John Wayne Airport. SNA is their code There's Ontario Airport, and depending on how bad LA traffic is, you might actually get to your lodging or get to that other venue faster if you fly into one of these other airports than if you fly into lax. So use something like Google flights and type in what all the airports are nearby, and you might find a cheaper airfare. And also just avoid having to do lax.
- [53:37]
B
Yes, please fly somewhere else other than lax. I live sort of near there, and I'm already not ready for the traffic that's about to come through my neighborhood.
- [53:48]
A
Well, you know, the wildest thing you could do is fly into San Diego because that is a great airport and we mentioned the surfing's happening down in San Diego anyway, so go catch some surfing and then take the Amtrak back up to LA and just avoid the LA airports entirely.
- [54:01]
B
I think that's a great plan. All right, Sally, I think that's it for our sports episode, but let's do a listener question before we go.
- [54:08]
A
All right. I have one from Corinne from Hercules, California. Corinne, you're basically my neighbor. Corinne says we are avid travelers. Our two cards are the Wells Fargo Active Cash, that one earns 2% back on everything, and the Wells Fargo autograph, which earns 3% on certain categories. Those include travel and gas with no foreign transaction fees, and now annual fee. She says together we earn about $2,400 a year in cash back. Several friends keep pushing us towards the Chase Sapphire cards, but I think cash back might still be right for us. We use different airlines and hotels whenever we travel. I don't want to spend my time tracking point fluctuations, and I don't mind flying economy. Am I missing something? Am I the only avid traveler who does not have an annual fee points card?
- [54:52]
B
Aww, Corinne. Well, don't worry. You are not missing something. You're doing it right, I think.
- [54:58]
A
Wow, I'm surprised you said that. But Megan, I agree with you, Corinne. I like your style. Frankly, a lot of travelers would probably be better off if they adopted your strategy.
- [55:08]
B
I mean, your strategy involves cards with no annual fees. That is real money that all the rewards you're earning are literally going straight back to you. You're not using it to make up for those annual fees and it doesn't expire. The cash back you earn can be used for so many different, different redemptions. Whether it's just you're getting the cash back and paying for your groceries or you are using it to pay for the travel you are going on. Honestly, it's a really good strategy if it works for you.
- [55:35]
A
I think the mental overhead is something that people do not account for. And even I fall into this trap. I spend so much time stressing about, oh, I gotta book this hotel because I have a credit at this, and this is gonna expire. So we have to go on a trip before this time. And it's exhausting and it weighs down on you, feeling like you have to spend these credits, which you did pay for in the annual spend fees or you did earn, and they might expire. So I do really appreciate that you are just keeping it simple because you are not wasting money in terms of work and time to actually manage these credits. You're just getting cash back.
- [56:08]
B
Another reason that Cashback is great is because it allows you the flexibility to book different airlines and different types of lodging without having to worry, oh, my gosh, am I going to be able to use my points for this particular brand? Brand. Corinne says that they're staying at all these different brands. I'm guessing they do not want to be talked into trying to maximize a sweet spot with a transfer partner and booking something that doesn't really fit for them.
- [56:34]
A
Now, just to be devil's advocate, I will say there are many travel credit cards that do have a real value proposition that can make sense. And many of these travel credit cards have annual fees that are not deranged. They're $95 annual fees. And they offer material benefits, things like free checked bags, free hotel room nights. Some of these cards have a $95 annual fee and you get a free night certificate. And I'm like, you cannot get a room for less than $95 anyway with the free checked bags. If you're someone who pays for checked bags for you, your family for a couple trips, that can easily outweigh the annual fees. So I do want you to at least consider if you might be willing to be somewhat loyal to some of these brands because you could save money in the long term. But I also think you're completely fine with your current strategy. Strategy.
- [57:20]
B
And Corinne also mentioned that she was being recommended Chase Sapphire cards. Those cards can be really good. Particularly the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which has a 95 annual fee. Very reasonable. It also has a 50 annual hotel travel credit. So now if you use that every year, your card is like basically 45 per year. And they have some really great transfer partners like Hyatt United Southwest, if you fly south Southwest. So the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be a really good way to earn transferable points. Again, these are maybe more flexible than if you get a card that's specific to a hotel or airline where you're like kind of stuck earning points with that brand. But the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a lot of transfer partners and you could use it with a bunch of different brands, even ones that aren't transfer partners, if you book in the Chase portal.
- [58:10]
A
Now, Corinne said Chase Sapphire. Do you think she was talking about the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
- [58:14]
B
I don't think so because it's going from $0 annual fee to a $795 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Seems like a big jump.
- [58:22]
A
Yeah, but even Corinne, I mean look at your lifestyle. So this card definitely is not for everybody. And you know, it also stresses me out. But it does have benefits like the lounge access, monthly lift credits, restaurant statement credits, StubHub credits. We just talked about using your StubHub credits to buy sporting events tickets. It has door dash perks, streaming benefits. If you're watching Apple tv, if you listen to these things and you're like, yes, I do watch Apple TV, yes I from StubHub, then do not overlook this card because again, this one can also be massively rewarding and pay off way more than the $795 annual fee if those are areas where you would otherwise spend anyway.
- [58:58]
B
We'll link to some of our articles on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Preferred that I talked about, and even the cashback cards so you can kind of evaluate all of your options. Thanks Corinne for asking the question.
- [59:10]
A
And a reminder to follow us on social. You can send us your questions on social. You can find me. I'm Save with SA Allie.
- [59:18]
B
I'm Miles with Megan company and we
- [59:20]
A
also have a shared social account for the podcast. It is called Smart Travel Pod. You can send us your questions there. You can also go old school style and that means emailing us your questions. Those you can Send to travel nerdwallet.com
- [59:33]
B
and if you send us a voice memo we might play your voice on the show.
- [59:37]
A
Make sure to follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes. And if you are listening on the Spotify, you can leave us a comment on this specific show. Tell us what sporting event you are going to. You can leave that comment right in the app.
- [59:52]
B
This episode was produced by Tess Viglin and edited by Nick Karismi. Claire Sosi and Hilary Georgie helped with
- [59:57]
A
fact checking and that disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes. It may not apply to your specific circumstances.
- [60:06]
B
We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. Thank you. Thanks everyone. We'll see you next time. The right window treatments change everything.
- [60:26]
C
Your sleep, your privacy, the way every
- [60:29]
B
room looks and feels. @blinds.com We've spent 30 years making it surprisingly simple to get exactly what your home needs. We've covered over 25 million windows and have 50,000 five star reviews to prove we deliver. Whether you DIY it or want a pro to handle everything from measure to install, we have you covered. Real design professionals, free samples, zero pressure right now. Get up to 45% off site wide plus get a free professional measure at blinds. Com. Rules and restrictions apply.