Gunnar Olson

6 days ago | thriftytraveler.com | Gunnar Olson

This week on the show, we get to know co-host Kyle Potter a little better as Gunnar grills him on everything from his failed attempt at becoming an Uber driver that ultimately brought him to Thrifty Traveler, his punk/hardcore touring band days, and covering state politics as a journalist for the Associated Press (Kyle contains multitudes). Plus, we talk about some sizzling transfer bonuses and help a listener decide if she should transfer points to Emirates speculatively.

1 week ago | thriftytraveler.com | Gunnar Olson

What the heck is going on at Newark (EWR), travelers? According to data from FlightAware, roughly 150 flights a day on average been canceled in and out of the airport since Sunday. Pulling data back to late April, aviation analytics company Cirium showed that 39 flights a day have been canceled – up from the April norm of just four cancellations daily. Even for those flights that aren't canceled, delays of two, four, or even eight hours have become the norm.

1 week ago | thriftytraveler.com | Gunnar Olson

Here's the current situation as it relates to summer domestic flight deals: The getting is as good as it's ever been, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be to find a stellar deal. There are several reasons for that, but here's the bottom line for you: After the month of May, there's going to be a ridge of flight pricing as airlines cut routes and, crucially, Southwest introduces its nasty new basic economy fares.

1 week ago | thriftytraveler.com | Gunnar Olson

The NFL Draft is over. Our Airline Mileage Program Draft is here. Gunnar and Kyle went head to head on the podcast on this week, each picking their top five frequent flyer programs in hopes of winning $20,000 … err, maybe just a beer. Which airline pulled a Shedeur Sanders and slid into a later round (spoiler alert: This one didn't age well)? And more importantly, who wins: Gunnar or Kyle?

2 weeks ago | thriftytraveler.com | Gunnar Olson

The 2026 Winter Olympics hosted in Milan and Cortina, Italy should offer a travel experience unlike any other. From the slopes of the Dolomites to the Italian staples of Milan and Venice, it'll showcase the best of an Italian winter alongside some athletes from all across the world at the pinnacle of their sports. Come next February, sports fans and travelers from around the globe over will descend on Italy, the host of the most geographically widespread Games in history.