Award Travel 101

The podcast covers topics such as finding thrifty travel deals, hotel redemption strategies, issues with award search tools, experiences in Bali including staying at hotels and seeing Komodo Dragons, flying business class on a long flight, visiting temples in Bali, and travel plans and meetup tips.

Angie's back, and she and Joe jump on the podcast to discuss the state of Amex, their newest bonuses, trip updates, and under appreciated award currencies.There are things for which you should have a basic understanding:How much spend until you hit your desired award?Is there outsized value New card bonuses vs bonus categories vs non-bonus categoriesIs there a reason to continue spending on a non-bonus cardDo your own comparisons and see which cards offer YOU the best returns.Links to topics discussedVirgin 30% Transfer bonus (Chase) - Through 11/15Amex introducing “family” rules across Delta cards and new Gold card restrictionsAmex refresh of biz gold cardHyatt Gaming Members & Hurting those who have disabilities? (Part of why having a My Hyatt Concierge could be beneficial)AT101 hit 100k members!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.

Award Travel mod Sophie and Joe discuss news, their newest cards, trip updates, and how Sophie has transitioned into the travel business. Meet Sophie KellerBackground - 1st card- Chase Sapphire Preferred/United ExplorerHighlights - Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana right after it opened last year, Park Hyatt New York and Flagship First before award price hike for 25K Amex Membership Rewards JFK-SFO, and multiple Visits to Secrets Impressions and MoxcheTravel style - A mix of budget and Luxury, typically soloFavorite programs - World of Hyatt, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and American AAdvantageLinks to news discussedMaximizing Hilton Honors 5th Night Free - Joe’s story on mistakePromotions endingEnhanced Alaska Card $95 card offerFrontier Status (actual) MatchEnhanced Bonuses are back from ChaseWhere 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 are off traveling this week, so Mike takes over the podcast with community member Erin Kilpatrick to discuss her “mid-life renaissance” this year which would not have been possible without award travel. Listen to her journey through Ecuador (Galapagos), Uruguay, England/Wales, Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Sweden along with future plans in Portugal, Turkiye, Brazil, Germany, and Tunisia.By the Numbers Thus Far4.5 months, 50 hotel award nights, 58 paid nights: (cheap in S. America), 40 other nights free w/ friends/family, volunteer work, 12 award flights, 9 cash flights ($2000)What Erin Has LearnedDiversification! Variety of points and mile currencies.Focus on the more important things in lifeHilton program- 5th night freeChoice Hotels - secret of EuropeAmex uber credits work in Ecuador (USD)Capital One Points- Redeem through Capital One statement credits vs Travel portal.Fringe benefits of the award travel credit cards/statusPriority Pass - Most lounges are great outside the US, even in tiny airports.Link to more of Erin's story: Mid-life renaissance!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.

What happens when you're too loyal to a program - are they loyal back? Angie and Joe discuss developments this week, bonuses they've earned, and prepping for travel.Links to topics discussedPoint.me “Quicklook”Hyatt Elite status shortcut Hyatt Bonus JourneysBuy Frontier Elite 20k statusVenture X Business Miles BonusCapital One changes how to use the $300 portal credit on Venture XDelta MASSIVE (program) devaluationWhere 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 jump on the podcast to discuss news, their newest card/s, trip updates, and to share the key to unlocking so many more miles/points - BUSINESS CARDS. Links to topics discussedThe newest (and second) Capital One Lounge FINALLY opensLimited time increased offer on Hyatt business card but it’s a tiered bonusSouthwest promotion to earn 3x CP points on qualifying flightsTransfer These Points to a Friend or Family Member for just $15Should you buy these CHEAP points?Enhanced Marriott Bonvoy Business Offer - is this going under the radar?How do you get a business card?Amex Business Gold 4x multiplierChase Ink Cash 5x multiplierWhere 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 is back with Joe to discuss card offers, news, trip updates, and the answer to whether having so many cards will ruin your credit. Links to topics discussedNew Transfer BonusHow far out do airlines open their schedules?If this guy is switching loyalty, should you?Joe redeemed 153K points worth of Free Night Award certificatesUse tools to identify Premium planes not serving Premium routesTip of the WeekAlec Legg -"A weird tip for those who book partner awards and have trouble booking seats. Try putting the PNR on other airline's "manage booking" tool. I just booked China Airlines through KLM and the China Airlines site wouldn't let me choose seats or even let me pull up my record. I read to try Saudia but that didn't work but I tried Garuda Indonesia and it let me pick my seats!"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.

Mike joins Joe to discuss his newest cards, news, and their most recent trip to educate members on how to ramp up their Award Travel game, the "Let's Go Crazy with AT in the TC. Plus is there a Fiesta in-store? Links to topics discussedHilton Business. 130k + FNA. Immediately redeemed it for Niagara Falls.Ink Business Preferred. 50% through min spend. Also got two referral bonuses for a total of 80k. Joe - almost done with Chase Ink Preferred Minimum Spend RequirementNext meetup in San Antonio- Taco 'Bout A Fiesta! Tip of the weekOur Tip of the Week comes from Mike, who's been updating the Award Travel 101 website. For some of the tools we've produced to answer common questions of group members:Transfer Partner Matrix - simple view of which card points transfer to which travel partnersCard Earning Charts - quick view of potential earningsCents Per Point Calculator - how to value point returnsTransfer Bonus Calculator - helps determine exact requirementsLounge Map - custom Google MapsAirport Maps - custom Google MapsWhere 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 the cards that they carry on a regular basis and how they leverage each of them to maximize their earnings.Link to news discussedAmerican Express makes some changes that most Award Travel 101 members won't be pleased with. What's your take?Finnair announces changes to their rewards program and follow the steps of Qatar in switching to Avios. Does this excite you?Angie - tried to apply for the Charles Schwab American Express Platinum - what caused this plan to fail?Joe - Chase Ink Business Preferred arrived - knocking out his Minimum Spending Requirement easier than expectedWhere 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 are back to discuss their most recent card bonuses, some of their favorite card perks, and how Joe managed to combine multiple card offers/discounts plus earn rewards totaling thousands of dollars! Links to news discussedLahina, Maui (Hawaii) #MasterthreadPutting All The Tricks TogetherIncidental CreditsLounge AccessClear - how to access freelyPrecheck/Global Entry Fine Hotel & Resorts (FHR) Platinum CreditRental car status - walked in, skipped lines, had my choice of luxury vehicles for less than $50 per dayUpgrades on AA flightsSouthwest flightsWhere 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.