130 MSP - Cheap travel and the hamster wheel of miles and status in the post-Covid devaluation times, with Kyle 'Hello Kitty' Potter

Kyle Potter, Executive Editor at Thrifty Traveler, all-around awesome(ly smart) dude, Hello Kitty enthusiast (well, it's that EVA Air flight, you'll see!), and (very) long time Layovers listener and friend, tells us all about why MSP is the best thing ever, like everything in Minnesota — but also whether cheap travel is still possible in the current era of airfare inflation (yes!), whether passenger rights will ever be a thing in the US (maybe), whether boarding groups will ever be abandoned (forget it). We debate the wilderness where having no status means real freedom (that status, the warm blanket you're sure you need, right?), the crazy valuations of US loyalty programs (and airlines wanted to spin them off? HOW WOULD THEY MAKE MONEY lol, it's as if they're banks that happen to own planes), the devaluation of those programs (non-travel Covid has something to do with it), the importance of alliances and joint ventures in the current air travel era. And yes, for once, we touch upon the world of air miles programs a bit more, and its nearly MLM-esque ecosystem in the USA. As Kyle is a Delta fan (and captive!), we ask him: Why are they so good (that padding!), and how is that new Delta One seat (hint: we're all aligning in saying doors aren't really something we value).
Oh, and ORD doesn't get a lot of love, LOL.  

Nearly two hours of great fun, whilst learning quite a bit (Alex and Paul learnt a lot).

You can follow Kyle on Twitter (please do):
https://twitter.com/kpottermn

His writings are on:
https://thriftytraveler.com

Of note, he wrote about the EVA Air Hello Kitty flight he took here:
https://thriftytraveler.com/reviews/flights/15-hours-eva-air-hello-kitty/

and a great guide on how to find cheap travel via Google Flights:
https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/google-flights/

Layovers will return in August (when Alex does).