Churn and Burn

A 25 Year Churning Career Retrospective with Andrew

I sit down with Andrew, a manufactured spending and award travel veteran, to trace his journey from a simple $100 college credit card bonus to eventually earning millions

An Amazing Africa Trip with Judd and Jill

First-time couples guests Judd and Jill join the show for an epic 10-day+ Kenya and Tanzania safari trip report. They cover Qsuites and Etihad Apartment flights, Park Hya

Back to School Special with John from Bank Account Bonus Central

John and I discuss the MS life of a teacher, as well as the past, present, and future of manufactured spending and some of the psychology behind probing and finding new p

Paris and Versailles with Danielle (Guest Trip)

Danielle returns to the pod and details her experience attending the Fêtes Galantes at Versailles and gives a surprisingly "okay" review of the Waldorf Versailles. She al

Disneyland Trip Report and a 6 month update on my WDW annual pass arbitrage

It's nothing but Disney on this episode, and non-Disney lovers need to apply as I go over my family trip to Disneyland and give an update on my decision to go all in on W

Calala Island 2: Wire Transfer Boogaloo, plus Hyatt drama

Branden and his friend Dyllon join the pod to discuss how they took advantage of the infamous Calala Island Wire Transfer deal with some Hilton Free Night Certs. Me and B

Riley from Chasing Cetaceans guest interview

Riley and I discuss the state of the MS union and many other Churn and Burn related topics in one of my most "hot take" packed episodes yet. If you're a fan of churning b

Paul's Big Trip to New Zealand and Talk of Airline Mergers in The Air

Paul gives Churn and Burn its first ever New Zealand trip report, and we discuss recent (and potential) airline mergers abound. https://www.instagram.com/churnandburnpo

Guest Trip: Park Hyatt Niseko and JAL First and Business Class on the A350-1000

Thomas rejoins the show to give his full review of the Park Hyatt Niseko from a skiers perspective. We debate the grail status of JAL First and Business class as industry

From Etihad Apartments to Baghdad and Kyrgyzstan: My Wildest Guest Trip Ever

I'm joined by Branden and Brian, who have returned from an absolutely amazing trip to Kurdistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan and finally Kyrgyzstan. This is one guest trip you CANNO

Can I subsidize Disney Annual Passes entirely with points, and why I rarely discuss plays

On this episode, I lay out my 2026 plan to erase 100% of the fees attached to Disney World annual passes, included all hotel, flight, and even rental car costs. I also gi

Justin Vacula's 8 Comped Cruises of 2025

I interview Justin about the 8 comped cruises he took in 2025 and how people can try to replicate what he did for themselves. We also play a game of "Roast it or Toast it

End of Year Recap and 2026 Predictions with Branden and surprise guests

We revisit the absolute quagmire that was 2025 in points and miles and share our hopes and predictions for 2026. We also hear from several of last year's guests about wha

"iprefer" Not to Lose All my Thank You Points, Thank You Very Much.

I do a deep dive into the "iprefer" hotel program and why I think it's an underrated destination for Citi TYP transfers over cashing out or American Airlines. Sometimes t

"Guess The Devaluation" Halloween Spooktacular with Susan

Susan and I play a spooky game of Guess The Deval, where we place our bets on Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and IHG and what some of these hotels used to cost 10 years ago vers

Paris Olympics on Points and American Flagship First with Danielle

Danielle explains how she got to Paris for the 2024 Olympics in Air France Business class, along with a couple of A list celebs. She also reviews the elusive American Air

Rambi: The guest with over 10 Waldorfs, 10 Conrads, and 10 Park Hyatts under his belt

Rambi joins me to discuss some of his favorite luxury Hilton properties and even a few Park Hyatts. Rambi has visited many of the most sought after Waldorfs and Conrads o

Underrated Citi Transfers and "Guess the Deval" with Branden

It's a "points potpourri" when me and Branden run through a gauntlet of various topics, including some underrated Citi partners and a Hilton "guess the devaluation" game

Bougie Triangle 2.0: Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar First Class with Paul (guest trip)

We're joined again by Paul, who just came back from the most luxurious itinerary ever attempted on the pod. He not only gives us full reviews of Emirates, Etihad, and Qat

Florence, Rome, Athens and the award deals that got away with Midwest Matt (guest trip)

Matt reviews Emirates First class, The Grand Hyatt Athens, Waldorf Astoria Rome, and Il Tournabuoni in Florence. He also details how he saved his flight home from becomin