Award Travel 101

Meetups are one of our favorite aspects of this hobby which allow us to interact in person with those who share our same passion/obsession. Angie and Mike are fresh off the latest Award Travel 101 meetup in Seattle where they interreacted with almost 50 other members of the community. They detail the experiences of the weekend and reiterate the benefits of attending meetups and how sometimes it's nice to converse with others who suffer the same affliction as you.

Links to topics discussed

• Fontinebleau Las Vegas Status Match
• Current Capital One Spark Business Offer
• 5 issuers raise Global Entry credit to match fee increase
• Qatar Avios Devaluation, significantly affects American and Alaska domestic US award.
• Amex announces forthcoming Centurion Lounge in Salt Lake City (SLC)
• Photos from the OUT to SEA meetup in Seattle (Award Travel 101 Facebook Group)

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.  

As part of our "Meet The Mods" series Mike talks with April about her background, travel style and of course love of Hyatt. They also discuss the nuances of being native New Yorkers where it's seemingly required to vacation in Florida nearly every year. Further discussion ensues about important credos such as " book early, book often" and "the phone eats first."

Links to Topics Discussed

• Hyatt Promos
• Hyatt Fast Track, trough AA status match
• Enhanced offers on Amex Bonvoy Cards
• Rooms.aero compared to other hotel award search engines

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.  

If you have been around this space for awhile you'll inevitably run into issues dealing with "muggles" or those unwise in the magical arts of award travel. Angie and Mike talk about the type of muggles we meet and how to best converse with them without sounding like a crazy person.

Links to topics discussed

• Under the Canvas Joins World of Hyatt (Correction: Under the Canvas properties are located NEAR, National Parks, not within their boundaries.)
• Flash” 70% transfer bonus from Chase to Marriott (through August 15)
• Amex MR 30% Transfer Bonus to Avios
• Amex MR 20% Transfer Bonus to Hawaiian
• "Pepe Silvia" It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.  

This week Mike talks with Joe who has just logged his latest entry in his "Summer of Travel" logbook by traveling Japan Air Lines Business Class JFK to Toyko, intra-Asia flights to Korea and back. Then the culmination of Etihad business and first class from Tokyo to Abu Dhabi back to JFK. Hyatt and FHR stays throughout.

Links to Topics Discussed:

• Southwest Eliminating Hallmark Open Seating Policy, plus other changes in the works.
• Amex Gold Card Changes, $75 AF increase, more "coupon book" credits
• World of Hyatt, how most of Joe's hotel bookings were made
• Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts Program, where some other bookings were made through.

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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 talks with new moderator and Ohio native Cameron about his background, travel style and favorite trips. He details his passion for travel for both himself and to show his family the world and how points and miles made it all possible.

Links to topics discussed:

• Temporarily can not can book AF/KLM through Virgin (until August)
• New Amex Centurion Lounge at DCA
• Elevated Capital One Venture Welcome Offer- 75k +$250 statement credit for $4k spend.
• Charles Schwab Amex Platinum Cash Out Limit Changes

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.  

 In this week's episode Mike and Angie discuss some of the recent hotel card offers then get into the main feature of handling major changes in their life such as a new house and a new job and how it affects their award travel strategy.

Links to Topics Discussed in This Week's Episode:

• Chase Ink Preferred 120k Offer
• IHG Premier Card 5 Free Night Award offer
• Chase Bonvoy Bold mediocre refresh
• Chase Sapphire Reserve giving 3 months of Bonvoy Gold status... meh
• Hilton rolls out 400 more SLH properties. Some good deals are to be found
• Double points on stays at Hyatt Place/Hyatt House 

Post of the Week
Member David talks about mobile phone service abroad.

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.  

• Virgin targets another Award Sweetspot
• BA Executive Club Stealth Devaluation
• Flying Blue Calendar Trick
• Bask Bank AAdvantage Bonus
  • see post in Award Travel 101 community where I broke down "the math."

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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 moderator, digital nomad and foodie Anthony Cave talks with Mike about his background, what got him into award travel and how he found living a nomadic life was more cost effective and fulfilling.

Later on Mike and Anthony discuss their love of airport lounges, their most/least favorites and the best ways to access them.

Links to news and topics discussed:

• Flying Blue status match for U.S. residents 
• Alaska status match until the end of 2025
• Chase Freedom Flex Q3 Bonus Categories
• More Escape Lounges Join Priority Pass
• Spacious Delta One Lounge at JFK T4 is Open
• Capital One Lounge Coming to JFK
• Strawberry Hotels Summer Pass
• Qatar Airlines Card

Best Lounge Cards:

• Chase United Club- Best for Star Alliance fliers plus some great perks
• Citi AAdvantage Executive - Best for oneworld fliers
• Amex Platinum - Amex Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs and Priority Pass
• Capital One Venture X - Most cost effective way to get a Priority Pass membership plus access to the handful of Capital One lounges

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.  

In this episode, Angie and Joe cover news of the week along with mistakes we’ve made or we’ve seen friends and family make.

Links to Topics Discussed

• LifeMiles showing $1,000+ fees on awards (even in economy)
• Virgin Atlantic is having a 40% off award sale!
• No notice devaluation of Choice hotels
• Aeroplan has (again) paused points expiration

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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 and Joe discuss new airport lounges, Hilton and Hyatt independent hotel affiliations, tipping culture and the broader featured topic of how travel teaches us new things about every place we visit.

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include:

• Business Class to Stockholm for 54,000 points
• Round-trip to Rome for $586
• First Class Suites to Hawaii for 31,000 points

You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium

For a full details, check out the blogpost on AwardWallet.

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

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.