Community question: 500 MQDs short of Delta Diamond

Episode 150 of the Award Travel 101 Podcast focuses heavily on year-end strategy, with Mike Zaccheo and moderator Cameron Laufer walking through news, bonuses, trip updates, and the annual housekeeping travelers should tackle before December 31. They open by highlighting a community post about someone just 500 MQDs short of Delta Diamond and discuss creative last-minute options—same-day turn flights, buying MQDs, or leveraging Delta credit card boosts. News items include Royal Air Maroc’s new status match (valid through 2026), a significant Turkish Miles&Smiles partner award devaluation, and Capital One’s upcoming transfer-ratio cut to Emirates. Mike and Cameron also share their own card bonus pursuits and recent travel planning, including Mike’s NYC trip and Cameron’s Singapore Airlines business-class redemption and new Hyatt Globalist status.

The main segment dives into year-end planning across credits, spending, and elite status. Mike reviews the long list of expiring statement credits—hotel credits from Amex, Chase, and Citi; airline incidental credits; and category-specific perks like Amex Dell/Saks/Resy and Hilton’s monthly credits. Cameron covers annual spending thresholds, including Hilton free night certificate triggers, Hyatt spend-based nights, Amex Platinum’s 75K spend for guest lounge access. They also outline status deadlines, reminding listeners that most airline and hotel elite metrics close December 31.

Rounding out the episode, the hosts discuss point pooling and transfer limits—noting strict annual caps for Citi ThankYou, Marriott, and Hilton—plus considerations around buying points and credit-card strategy like triple-dipping and 5/24 checks. The “Tip of the Week” advises booking Alaska Airlines partner awards (such as those operated by AA) under “other person” so you can later manage the reservation directly through American Airlines.

Episode Links:

• Royal Air Maroc Status Match
• Turkish Devaluation
• Capital One to Emirates Devaluation
• Year End Statement Credits
• Year End Hotel Status Strategy

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions!

Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.