Award Travel 101

Ryan Smith, editor for AwardWallet has accomplished a feat that few achieve. He has visited all 197 recognized countries. Ryan first talks talks his background, introduction to travel rewards and loyalty programs and travel style. He also delves into highlights of his globetrotting journey and how he was able to land some deals to travel for as economical as possible.Where To Find RyanTo follow Ryan throughout his travels, you can find him on X (Twitter) at @RyanSmithTravelWhere 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 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.

Angie, Allison, and Joe jump on this week to share the 100K Member Celebration Winner, their newest cards, trip updates, and to bring you an Airing of (2023) Grievances! Festivus was created as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas holiday season. The sitcom Seinfeld put their own spin on it, including the airing of the grievances, which consists of each person lashing out at others and the world about how they have been disappointed in the past year. "I got a lotta problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it!" We’ve had a lot of negative changes in the Award Travel world in 2023 (25by our count), but here are the program updates that impacted the community most: MGM and Hyatt announce Breakup British Airways Hikes Avios Awards on American and Alaska & United Makes Major Award Chart Devaluation Citi Executive Card Changes (Higher fee, reduced AU benefit)Full list of all 25 Program ChangesWhere 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 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.

Allison and Jackie take over the podcast to discuss the news and to share more about their recent trip to Rio de Janeiro to see Taylor Swift in concert. They had a fantastic stay at the Hilton Copacabana and despite issues caused by excessive heat which caused one concert to be cancelled they were still able to make friendship bracelets, watch Taylor perform. All while enjoying the local culture and food.Links to news discussedAmerican Airlines Adjusts How Card Spending Counts Toward AAdvantage StatusBritish Airways Hikes Avios Awards on American and AlaskaYou Can Now Redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles Online for Aeromexico FlightsCredit Card Perks You Can Gift for the HolidaysJackie's Trip ReportAllision's economy flight on LATAMCheap AA award for GOLWhere 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 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.

Angie and Joe talk about their trip highlights from 2023. Angie's big trips were an African safari to a girls trip to Bali & Singapore. Meanwhile Joe went on an epic first class trip to Europe with his dad as well as several family trips.Links to News DiscussedWorld of Hyatt UpdatesGuest of Honor Perk37 different promosAlaska purchases HawaiianAmex Business Platinum card PLUS checking account offerChase Ink Business cardBuy AA miles for ONE cent each AND earn Loyalty Points 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 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.

Feel like you are learning a new language? We often get folks saying “please spell out these acronyms” but when it’s the same word over and over again, you need shorthand. Some examples include 5/24, CSR, SUB, and P2.Links to News DiscussedSouthwest bookable through Chase travel portalLifelock at 95% RakutenBlack Friday Huge Qatar award dumpCondor and Emirates partnerAlaska changesAmex Business GoldAmex Business Platinum + checking offerOur world-famous Award Travel 101 Transfer Partner Matrix.FlyerTalk GlossaryWhere 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 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.

Justin fell into travel rewards programs accidentally as he was working his way through various casino programs. Listen as he and Joe discuss some of the dead deals of the past to learn more about what you can look for in the future.If you want to hear Part One of this discussion, where Justin interviews Joe, check out the Hurdy Gurdy Podcast. In this particular episode Justin shares how online poker led him to into travel rewards and loyalty programs. If you are in the area you can also join Justin's Greater Philadelphia Miles & Points monthly meetups. You can find some interesting takes on casino rewards, miles & points, and Dave Ramsey on the Hurdy Gurdy Travel YouTube Channel. For everything else, check out the Hurdy Gurdy Travel website.Tip of the weekCheck out our instructional video on how to use CardPointers with the Company's founder, Emmanuel Crouvisier. 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 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.

Angie's back to catch up on all of the news and to discuss how we can better manage all of our award programs. Namely a Free AwardWallet subscription. You can also get AwardWallet Plus for more enhanced and time saving features. The Award Travel 101 group also celebrates the milestone of reaching 100K members!Links to News DiscussedNew United Card OffersAvoid Delta’s High Partner Award RatesBritish Airways Restricting Award Availability (non-issue for most)30% Transfer Bonus Hilton HonorsBilt Rewards new Transfer PartnerQatar Airways (was 30% - now 25%) Transfer BonusMarriott Changing Suite Night Awards12 Hilton Honors Redemptions12 Marriott Bonvoy RedemptionsSouthwest To Devalue Rapid RewardsWhere 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 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.

Award Travel 101 Podcast partner and founder of Thrifty Traveler Premium, Jared Kamrowski, joins Joe to discuss how Award Travel fundamentally changed his life and experiences.Starting as a broke college student, Jared became a road warrior who learned techniques to improve his travel experiences for less. He and his wife wanted to travel more in their personal lives, so like many of us, he dug more into credit cards and reward programs that helped boost his ability to accomplish many of their goals. Eventually, he started his own site, Thrifty Traveler, sharing some of the tips he'd learned. The blog grew quickly, and he left his job to develop the business further, He hasn't looked back, and has grown the business into a 25 member team who scour the web looking for the best cash and award fares for you. 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 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.

Joe and Mike talk this week about their recent trips plus aspirational flights they have taken or wish to take in the near future including:Alaska Pancake Run CLE-PIT-SEA-CLE. In Jan 2024 (Editors note: sadly this flight was cancelled due to the Boeing 737-9 door plug fiasco. Upper deck of 747. Lufthansa & BAAspirational Longest- Singapore JFK-SIN (Taking #9 SYD-IAH in the spring)Shortest- Loganair Island Hopper Orkney Islands of Scotland. Westray-Papa Westray (1.7 miles)United Island Hopper (former Continental Microneasia) 7 Stops HNL to GUMAlaska Milk Run- SEA to ANC with several options for stops in between.Former (defunct)BA001 Concorde, stopped flying 2003Other BA001 A318 (stopped in July 2020)Kai Tak (Hong Kong) Closed in 1998Links to topics discussedYear-end Strategies for Top Hotel Elite StatusBest Miles and Points for flights to HawaiiAir Canada Aeroplan Sues seats.aeroHyatt Sweet SpotsMike's trip for Beer, BBQ, Buc-EEsDriverless Car in AustinHow Joe saved 47K miles United milesWhere 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 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.

Angie and Joe both met for the first time as Joe was traveling to Angie's hometown, so they both love meetups. This week, Angie went to Chicago Seminars, Joe went out west for Zorkfest. Links to Topics DiscussedDelta Elite status changesMGM Marriott updatesTransfer Bonuses Flying Blue & LifemilesHow I Traveled (with my son) Using Awards & $54Hilton Surpass & Aspire changesIncredible Chase Freedom Unlimited OfferAmex Business Gold but need to call for reconsiderationWhere 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 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.