Elite Benefit Battle: Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep333 | 11-21-25
Frequent Miler on the Air
Frequent Miler
4.9 • 640 Ratings
🗓️ 21 November 2025
⏱️ 72 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In today's Frequent Miler on the Air podcast, we'll look at United's cardholder discount, Hilton's Diamond Reserve status, and we'll rank the perks of hotel elite benefits from Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG.
Giant Mailbag
(01:13) - "I just spent the day in Nice and Monte Carlo and I have you to blame..."
Bonvoyed
(03:30) - United increases prices for close-in award bookings
Read more about United's increased prices for close-in award bookings here.
Awards, Points, and More
(06:08) - Bilt/Rakuten: Read more about earning Bilt points with Rakuten here.
(08:36) - Add your Passport to your Apple Wallet
(11:11) - Hilton Diamond Reserve
Read more about Hilton Diamond Reserve status here.
(19:57) - Read more about Greg's opinion about how Hilton's Diamond Reserve status disappoints here.
Main Event: Elite Benefit Battle: Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG
(23:52) - Free breakfast, lounge access, suite upgrade certificates, guaranteed late check-out: which program has the best benefits?
(24:20) - Primary shortcuts
(30:36) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott for free breakfast
(40:21) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott upgrade certificates
(50:43) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott lounge access
(58:05) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott, 4 PM Late check-out guaranteed
Question of the Week
(1:03:54) - Are there banks that let you refer to a lesser card if you have the more premium card?
Learn more about Amex multi-referrals here.
Subscribe and Follow
Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.
Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to our first ever homemade host red ad. Built is a loyalty program that famously rewards you for paying rent. |
| 0:07.0 | But of course, there are many other ways to earn built points. You can earn points booking travel or fitness classes or just by linking the credit cards that you already use every day at participating restaurants, Walgreens, and when you pick up a lift. |
| 0:20.5 | And built has a fantastic set of transfer partners. |
| 0:23.2 | Don't forget that Built regularly offers huge transfer bonuses to join the loyalty program |
| 0:28.6 | for renters at joinbuilt.com slash miles. |
| 0:33.1 | That's J-O-I-N-B-B-I-T.com slash miles. |
| 0:38.8 | Make sure to use our URL so they know that we sent you. |
| 0:42.0 | Now back to the show. |
| 0:44.5 | This is a Voyescape podcast. |
| 0:47.0 | You can find all of our travel podcasts from around the world at voyescape.com. |
| 0:54.0 | On today's show, we discuss United's cardholder discount. |
| 0:58.2 | We go into the details of Hilton's new Diamond Reserve elite status, |
| 1:03.7 | and we rank the perks. |
| 1:05.8 | We do a hotel elite benefit battle. |
| 1:09.3 | Who's best between Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG? |
| 1:13.6 | Frequent Miller on the air starts now. |
| 1:17.4 | Today's main event, Elite Benefit Battle, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. |
| 1:24.8 | Which has the best elite perks and which are the most accessible to the average frequent |
| 1:31.7 | traveler. We're going to be looking at perks like free breakfast, lounge access, sweet upgrade |
| 1:37.7 | certificates, and guaranteed late checkout and comparing across those four chains. |
| 1:42.7 | Everyone loves a great fight, so I want to see how this shakes out. We'll check that out later on. If you want to jump ahead, check that out right now, or you want to come back to something later on. You'll always find the timestamps in the show notes. Just expand the description box to find that there. Wherever you are watching or listening, don't forget to like this. Give us a thumbs up, |
| 2:01.2 | leave us a review, leave a comment. We always appreciate hearing your perspective on things as well. |
... |
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