Trip planning and comped cruises

Episode 154 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks and moderator Anthony Cave, recorded early due to scheduling, with a lighter news slate and no new card bonuses or trip updates from Angie. The highlight of the week was a reflective community post where members shared their best award travel experiences of 2025, ranging from aspirational first-class flights like Swiss, Emirates, and Singapore Suites to more personal moments such as traveling with loved ones or beginning retirement abroad. In news, the hosts discussed Bilt’s new real-time award flight search tool, rumors around a possible “Bilt 2.0” card with mortgage-earning potential, JetBlue’s still-active ultra-low 800-point award flights, improving Alaska partner earning rates in 2026, and a Marriott-to-Singapore Airlines status pathway.

Anthony shared that while he hasn’t picked up new bonuses, he’s been maximizing Amex credits and is planning a big winter trip to either Europe or Asia, along with booking some comped cruises. The main topic of the episode was a deep dive into the Choice Privileges rewards program, including the newly introduced Titanium status tier. Key elite benefits include free breakfast at former Radisson properties for Diamond members, a new Titanium award, and the standout perk of being able to book suites for the same number of points as standard rooms. Downsides include resort fees on award stays and inconsistent late checkout.

The hosts outlined how Choice status is relatively easy to earn through its two credit cards, which provide automatic status, elite night credits, and strong earning categories. They also highlighted valuable redemption sweet spots—such as hotels in Prague, Vienna, Tokyo, and Auckland for surprisingly low point totals—and favorable transfer ratios from major bank programs. The episode wrapped up with a reminder that Marriott PointSavers awards can only be searched on desktop, making it a useful but often overlooked tool.

Episode Links:

• Bilt Search Tool
• Alaska Atmos Increased Earning
• JetBlue 800 point Flights
• Singapore Status Match

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.