This and That -- Travel Quirks

13 snips

Jan 16, 2026

Discover massive savings on family trips booked with points, totalling under $2,000 instead of $40,000. Tune in for the latest buzz on new Bilt cards and Amex credit shifts due to a potential Saks bankruptcy. Dive into unique travel quirks like premium cabin dining preferences and window-shade etiquette. Hear about exciting upcoming trips to Switzerland, Turkey, and Vegas while strategizing credit card bonuses. Plus, learn tips to dodge rental toll fees in Orlando. Travel smarter and more creatively!

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ANECDOTE

Family Trips Booked With Points

Ruby used ChatGPT to itemize 11 family trips she booked with points and found cash cost would have been over $40,000 versus under $2,000 in points-related costs.
Angie and Mike emphasize the massive discounts and irreplaceable memories gained by using points and miles.

ADVICE

Plan Uses For Marriott 50K Certs

If you apply for the Marriott Boundless offer, plan exact uses for the five 50K free-night certificates before you spend to earn them.
Avoid applying without a plan because the certs expire in a year and can be hard to redeem last-minute.

ADVICE

Watch For New Capital One Lounge At CLT

Expect a new Capital One lounge at Charlotte (CLT) and consider it when planning connections through Concourse A.
Check lounge locations since CLT concourse layout can make walking between gates nontrivial.

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Episode 155 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, “This and That,” features Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo covering a wide range of points-and-miles news, personal updates, and community highlights. A standout moment comes from a member post calculating that 11 trips taken with kids—booked using points—would have cost over $40,000 in cash but instead totaled under $2,000, underscoring both the massive savings and the priceless experiences gained. The hosts also discuss developing news, including rumored new Bilt cards, a potential Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy impacting Amex credits, new credit card offers from Aeroplan and Marriott, and plans for a Capital One Lounge at Charlotte airport.

Angie and Mike share their own credit card strategies, recent approvals and denials, and how they’re managing spend thresholds and bonuses. Angie dives into trip planning for Switzerland, Turkey, and an upcoming cruise, highlighting the creative use of Chase credits, hotel points, and free night certificates—along with the quirks of booking Swiss trains. Mike talks about “gardening” itineraries to save points, upgrading cabins, and planning trips to Key West, Vegas, Napa, and an anniversary stay at Alila Napa, largely using American Airlines and Marriott Bonvoy redemptions.

The main discussion centers on travel quirks inspired by an article, sparking a lively debate on premium cabin dining habits, pre-departure drinks, excessive bedding, refillable hotel amenities, and window shade etiquette. The episode wraps with a practical tip of the week: travelers renting cars at Orlando (MCO) can avoid rental company toll fees by signing up for the free Florida Visitor Toll Pass kiosk just steps from the rental counters—paying only the tolls themselves and nothing extra.

Episode Links:

Where to Find Us

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

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