Airlines Are Using AI Against You — Here's How to Win Anyway w/ Zach Griff

Travel has never felt more expensive, more confusing, or more designed to wear you down. The good news? You don't have to be a full-time points hacker to save on your next trip. In this episode, founder of From the Tray Table Zach Griff breaks down how you can start maximizing your travel rewards (including the opportunities most people aren't aware of). You'll learn when to book for the best deals, how to earn points faster, and when to redeem them. Plus, find out how to use AI to your advantage before the airlines use it against you. Topics discussed: (00:00) Introduction (01:25) Zach's entrepreneurial journey (03:36) The Points Guy to From the Tray Table (08:20) Where he caught the travel bug (11:09) The perks of travel hacking (14:00) Where to start with points and miles (17:09) When to book for the best rates (19:25) 2026 travel trends (23:51) How to beat dynamic pricing (27:00) The CPP points framework (28:12) Autopilot travel tool (30:33) Growing an audience that engages (32:15) What brought you JOY today? If you're a writer who wants to take control of your finances, read Mitlin Financial's  Write Your Financial Future: A Financial Guide for Authors: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/insights/blog/write-your-financial-future-a-financial-guide-for-authors/ Resources: Sending your child to college will always be emotional but are you financially ready? Take the College Readiness Quiz for Parents: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/college-readiness-quiz/ Doing your taxes might not be enJOYable but being more organized can make the process less painful. Get Your Gathering Your Tax Documents Checklist: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mitlin_ChecklistForGatheringYourTaxDocuments_Form_062424_v2.pdf Will you be able to enJOY the Retirement you envision? Take the Retirement Ready Quiz: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/retirement-planning-quiz/ Connect with Larry Sprung: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceDSprung/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Lawrence_Sprung About Our Guest: Zach is a New York City-based travel and lifestyle expert and Wharton MBA graduate with over a decade of experience in the industry. He founded From the Tray Table, his independent travel newsletter, which he pairs with a social media presence of 300K+ engaged followers. He spent nearly eight years covering airlines, credit cards, and loyalty programs at The Points Guy and has visited 67 countries. His insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and HuffPost, and he has appeared on CNN, CBS, Fox News, and BBC. Zach collaborates with leading brands, advises startups, and is a sought-after speaker on travel and loyalty programs. Connect with Zach Griff: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_zachgriff/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachgriff X (Twitter): https://x.com/_ZachGriff Newsletter: https://newsletter.fromthetraytable.com/ Website: https://fromthetraytable.com/ Disclosure: Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest's content linked on this site. This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com