Takeoff: A Points and Miles Podcast by 10xTravel

2024 Best of Travel: Awards for Airlines, Loyalty Programs, and Hotels

Jan 15, 2025

Explore the thrilling 2024 travel landscape as the hosts reveal their top picks for airline loyalty programs, highlighting Air France and United Airlines. Discover the best redemptions, including luxurious business class options with ANA and Qatar Airways. They share fun superlatives, from family-friendly benefits to hilarious 'worst dining experiences.' Tune in for insights on new hotel features, tips for novice travelers, and creative strategies to maximize your travel points!

01:18:36

Creator website

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Bryce and Travis highlight Air France's Flying Blue for family-friendly benefits and United for its extensive partner network in loyalty programs.

The podcast discusses growing competition among airlines, with improvements leading to better redemption experiences and user-friendly options for travelers.

Air France's Flying Blue program is particularly noted for advantages like discounts for children and the ability to pool points for family travel.

Deep dives

Origins of the Podcast

The podcast originated from audience requests for an audio version of an existing course on points and miles, which the hosts initially dismissed. Eventually, they decided to experiment with the podcast format, hoping it would provide a fun alternative to simply reading the course aloud. To their surprise, this new approach was well-received, leading to increased engagement and over half a million downloads in a short time. The hosts now view recording episodes as a highlight of their day, reinforcing their decision to transition to this medium.

Intro

2min

Celebrating Culinary Trends and Travel Tools

3min

Exploring Airline Loyalty Programs

13min

Premium Travel Redemption Insights for 2024

16min

Luxury Travel Insights

12min

Highlights of 2024 Best of Travel Awards

18min

Navigating Travel Experiences and Rewards

13min

Engaging Community Reflections and Resources on Travel Points

2min

In this episode of Takeoff by 10xTravel, Bryce and Travis share their top travel superlatives for 2024, diving into the best of airline and hotel loyalty programs, redemptions, lounges, and more.

Bryce and Travis discuss their top picks for airline loyalty programs, with Bryce favoring Air France’s Flying Blue for its family-friendly benefits and Travis backing United for its extensive partner network. They also discuss the most improved programs, with Alaska Airlines and Virgin Atlantic leading the charge. For redemptions, they highlight international airline perks like ANA business class to Japan and Qatar Qsuites.

They cover everything from unsexy redemptions to family-friendly loyalty programs. Bryce and Travis wrap up the episode with fun categories like “Worst Dining Experience” and “End of an Era Award.” Join them to see which programs made their 2024 superlative lists and see if you agree.

In this episode:
00:00 Introduction and Greetings
02:22 Course Refresh and My10x Tool
03:32 Superlatives and Awards Overview
06:43 Best Airline Loyalty Program 2024
12:23 Most Improved Loyalty Program 2024
18:28 Best Redemption Sweet Spot 2024
22:08 Most Reliable Airline for Award Availability
26:05 Best International Airline Cabin
32:21 Top Bucket List Airline Redemption 2024
34:24 Most Exciting New Hotel Bookable with Points
38:28 Best Value Destination Bookable with Points
42:52 Best Unsexy Redemption
46:26 Most Exciting New Feature or Trend
51:30 Best Program for Newbies
54:43 Best Family Friendly Loyalty Program
56:28 Best Airport Lounge Experience
01:01:09 Saddest Lounge Experience
01:04:19 MVP of the Year
01:07:14 Worst Dining Experience
01:11:25 Fun Superlative Awards
01:17:00 Join 10xTravel+ for Exclusive Benefits

Links and Resources from this Episode:
Take our free points and miles course
Our Best Credit Cards List (Updated Monthly)
My10x: Manage your points and miles in one place
Let us book your next award flight for you
Upgrade your next stay with our Luxury Hotel Program
Get free, personalized advice on choosing your next card
1 0xTravel+: Upgrade your travel by becoming a member today

Stay Connected:
Join our Community: 10xTravel Insiders
Follow us on Instagram: @10xTravelblog
Watch this and every episode of Takeoff on YouTube: @10xTravel

Subscribe for more tips on travel, points, and miles! Don’t forget to hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode.

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this website are from companies which 10xTravel will earn an affiliate commission. 10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. (edited)

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export