Ants Marching... On Miles

Aug 8, 2025

Heather Killingbeck, a passionate concert traveler and community member, shares how points and miles transformed her love for the Dave Matthews Band into meaningful adventures. From spontaneous trips to DMB shows in Mexico, she reveals how she’s used hundreds of thousands of points for unforgettable experiences across Europe. Listeners hear tips on using the Southwest Companion Pass and Hyatt perks, along with captivating stories of friendships formed on the road. The thrill of live music, combined with travel hacks, showcases the joy of chasing dreams through award travel.

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INSIGHT

Citi Adds Premium Card And AA Transfer

Citi launched the Strata Elite with premium perks and a $595 annual fee.
Citi also reintroduced one-to-one transfers to American Airlines from select ThankYou cards.

ANECDOTE

Juggling Multiple Minimum Spends

Heather and P2 worked several minimum spends simultaneously across Hyatt, Amex, and Hawaiian cards.
She completed Hyatt's 15,000 spend and earned targeted Amex Platinum points.

ANECDOTE

Glamping And Companion Flights To The Gorge

Heather uses the Southwest Companion Pass and Marriott points for travel and lodging when attending Gorge weekends.
They camp in a van with shower access instead of hotels.

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In Episode 132 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, host Mike Zaccheo is joined by community member Heather Killingbeck to dive into how her passion for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) intersects with her love of points and miles. Heather shares how a spontaneous trip to a DMB show in Mexico led to meaningful friendships and a realization that she needed to make concert travel more affordable—enter points and miles. She's since used over half a million points, possibly up to a million, to follow the band to iconic venues like The Gorge and even on a European tour, with award redemptions taking her to Amsterdam, Paris, and Lisbon. Her go-to strategy includes the Southwest Companion Pass, Hyatt Globalist perks, and travel hacking tools to make the most of every trip, all while juggling work, family, and parent guilt.

The episode also covers major news in the points world: the launch of Citi’s new Strata Elite card with a hefty bonus, luxury perks, and the surprise reintroduction of American Airlines as a 1:1 transfer partner with Citi ThankYou Points. Heather shares recent bonuses she's earned, trip updates including an upcoming return to Baha Mar for Thanksgiving, and her unforgettable award-based travels. From crowdstrike flight chaos to lounge sprints and missed connections that turned into bonus nights, her stories highlight both the joys and unpredictability of award travel. The episode closes on a reflective note, encouraging listeners to "chase the joy," whether through a favorite band, a shared hobby, or the travel communities that make it all possible.

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