How 'The Points Guy' Maximizes Credit Cards, Points

Summary

Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, discusses how airline loyalty programs and premium credit card rewards create value for airlines and banks, and where consumers can still find travel rewards value. He says Delta and United are strong because loyalty drives profits, premium card fee hikes support issuers like Amex and Chase, and US carriers are shifting to premium seating while the Spirit budget model fails and Ryanair works in Europe. He also gives personal finance guidance on using points versus cashback and avoiding point hoarding.

• Brian Kelly recounts starting The Points Guy after accumulating points as a Morgan Stanley corporate traveler.
• He says airline loyalty programs are profit engines, with Delta and United performing well.
• He notes foreign frequent-flyer programs like Air France-KLM Flying Blue offer better redemption value than Delta SkyMiles.
• He argues the credit card rewards ecosystem remains lucrative for banks, especially Amex and Chase after premium annual fee hikes.
• He sees US airlines shifting to premium seating, calls Spirit's budget-only model broken in the US, and says Ryanair's budget model works in Europe.
• He advises points hoarders to consider cashback cards and says no-annual-fee cards can be costly for big spenders.
• He highlights the Bilt Palladium card as his default for 2x points including mortgage payments.