177. Mid-Year Points & Miles Review 2026: The 6 Changes That Matter Most

[upbeat music] Hey everyone, and welcome back to the podcast.

If you've been following the world of points and miles this year, you've probably noticed that things feel different.

Yes, this hobby has always been dynamic.

Airline programs devalue, hotel award charts change, credit cards get refreshed.

That's nothing new.

But the first half of this year has felt different in a way that's a little bit harder to articulate.

The changes haven't just been bigger.

They've also challenged some of the assumptions that many of us have relied on for years.

So today, we're hitting pause halfway through the year to take a step back and ask these questions.

What have been the biggest stories and changes in the world of points and miles and award travel so far this year? And what do those changes mean for the way that we should be earning and using points going forward and thinking about award travel in general? Joining me once again is my good friend and points expert, Kevin Zanes.

Together, we're breaking down what we each believe have been the biggest stories in points and miles so far this year.

Not just the headlines themselves, but why they matter.

And as always, we spend just as much time looking forward as we do looking back, talking about the trends we're watching closely, the changes we think could reshape this hobby over the next few years, and the predictions that we genuinely hope that we're wrong about.

Whether you've been collecting points for a decade or you're just getting started, this conversation isn't simply about what happened over the last few months.

It's about understanding where this hobby is headed next.

So settle in, because this ended up being one of my favorite conversations we've ever had.

[upbeat music] Hey everyone, and welcome back to the podcast.

If you've been following the world of points and miles this year, you've probably noticed that things feel different.

Yes, this hobby has always been dynamic.

Airline programs devalue, hotel award charts change, credit cards get refreshed.

That's nothing new.

But the first half of this year has felt different in a way that's a little bit harder to articulate.

The changes haven't just been bigger.

They've also challenged some of the assumptions that many of us have relied on for years.

So today, we're hitting pause halfway through the year to take a step back and ask these questions.

What have been the biggest stories and changes in the world of points and miles and award travel so far this year? And what do those changes mean for the way that we should be earning and using points going forward and thinking about award travel in general? Joining me once again is my good friend and points expert, Kevin Zanes.

Together, we're breaking down what we each believe have been the biggest stories in points and miles so far this year.

Not just the headlines themselves, but why they matter.

And as always, we spend just as much time looking forward as we do looking back, talking about the trends we're watching closely, the changes we think could reshape this hobby over the next few years, and the predictions that we genuinely hope that we're wrong about.

Whether you've been collecting points for a decade or you're just getting started, this conversation isn't simply about what happened over the last few months.

It's about understanding where this hobby is headed next.

So settle in, because this ended up being one of my favorite conversations we've ever had.