Luxury Travel on a Budget: Hotel Loyalty Secrets with Ben Komenkul

From free suite upgrades to turning daily spending into first-class flights, this episode is a crash course in making luxury travel accessible — even on a budget.

✈️ Fare of the Week: SAS Deals to Europe

This week’s Fare of the Week (powered by Notiflyr.com): Roundtrip flights from major U.S. cities (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C.) to European hubs like Amsterdam, Athens, Paris, Prague, and Zurich for $430–$500 on SAS Airlines.

• Travel window: September 2025 – May 2026

• Includes food and drink, but basic economy rules apply (limited baggage)

• Elite SkyTeam members (Delta, Air France, KLM) get added perks like free bags

💡 Pro tip: Book early — these fares will not last.

🏅 Mileage Promo Spotlight: Etihad’s Confusing Challenge

We unpack Etihad’s latest promotion:

• 5 million miles for the first person to visit all 15 new destinations

• Milestone prizes: 25K miles (5 destinations) or 100K miles (10 destinations)

• Messy rules, unclear leaderboard, and potential passport headaches (hello, Russia)

Is it worth chasing? Marty and Matt debate the value — and whether it beats Turkish Airlines’ or JetBlue’s recent promos.

🎙 Interview: Ben Komenkul’s Hotel Loyalty Playbook

Guest: Ben Komenkul — founder of Hotel Secrets Masterclass and Airline Points Academy. He’s traveled the world mastering points and loyalty programs, helping thousands turn modest budgets into unforgettable experiences.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Ben went from La Quinta loyalty to Hyatt globalist (and why you shouldn’t chase every status tier at once)

• When earning points beats redeeming them

• The secret to scoring upgrades without breaking the bank

• Why bringing your own pillow might be the best travel hack you’ve never tried

• How to use hotel-branded credit cards and loyalty tiers strategically (plus why Hyatt and Marriott aren’t equal)

💡 Pro Tips from Ben

• Focus on one program — lifetime status beats juggling low-tier loyalty

• Check the fine print — not all vouchers work the same (or transfer to others)

• Free agent? Sign up for the program anyway — those points add up

• Book first, confirm later — great deals vanish fast; you can always cancel within 24 hours

🛠 Travel Tools We Love

• AwardWallet – Track points and expiration dates across programs

• FlightAware – Real-time flight tracking (know delays before the airline does)

• CardPointers – Optimize credit card perks and benefits automatically

• TripIt – Organize itineraries in one app

🧳 New Segment: Term of the Week

We’re kicking off a new segment breaking down aviation acronyms. This week: ACARS — Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System. Think of it as an old-school text messaging system for pilots and ground crews… still used today.

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @landingslayovers

• Twitter/X: @landingandlayover

• Facebook: Landings and Layovers

• Email: landingsandlayovers@gmail.com

📌 SEO Tags

#HotelLoyalty #TravelHacks #MileagePromotions #LuxuryOnPoints #LandingsAndLayovers #AwardTravel #SASAirlinesDeals #EtihadChallenge #BenKomenkul