We just returned from our meetup in San Antonio for Fiesta. There were over 150 Award Travel 101 and members from the Award Travel 201 communities in attendance. We had a great group of speakers who shared their stories and tips:

• Justin Vacula (Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast) blew everybody’s minds with creative ways to hit minimum spend and earn status (Podcast Episode 43)
• Toni Perkins-Southam (Forbes Advisor) shared deals over the years as well as the one most important aspects of the Award Travel (Podcast Episode 51)
• Logan Robinson (Aligned Incentives) discussed how to simplify meeting minimum spends
• Ryan Smith (AwardWallet) shared some under-the-radar card perks and benefits (Podcast Episode 48)

Links to Other Topics Discussed

• Elevated American Express Business Platinum offer
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith is now bookable with Hyatt points
• Lufthansa First class bookable with LifeMiles
• New rules/laws/protections

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.  

We came across an interesting diagram ranking the top 20 hotel programs throughout the world.  Do you know which is largest? (Hint: it's not US-based)

Some are less familiar, so we ranked the six we most frequently discuss in the Award Travel 101 Facebook community:

• #2 Wyndham - 9,280 properties
• #3 Marriott- 8,484 properties
• #6 Choice - 7,500 properties
• #7 Hilton - 7,165 properties
• #8 IHG - 6,164 properties
• #16 Hyatt - 1,200 properties  

Link to Topics Discussed

• Hilton/Small Luxury Hotels (Updates)
• Choice Sweet Spots
•  New Citi AAdvantage Business offer

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.  

How does one weed out the noise to find what's most useful for your Award Travel strategies?  In-person events will provide opportunities for attendees to speak with and listen to experts in the field which help fine-tune their strategies. We encourage you to attend, engage, explore, learn, and ask questions.

Chicago Seminars organizers Jackie and JT join Joe to discuss the next event in September.

Links to Topics Discussed

• 14th Annual Chicago Seminars
• AwardWallet’s Roundup of Airline and Hotel Program Sweet Spots
• One Credit Card Issuer Just Increased Its Global Entry Benefit. Will Others Follow?
• Credit Card Welcome Offers of 100,000 Points (or More!)

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.  

Thanks to a recommendation from a member, we decided to review when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.

• Is there long-term value?
• Are the benefits enough to offset the annual fee?
• If not, is there a retention offer?
• If no offer, is there a path to product change to preserve the credit line to help with utilization ratio
• If there's no path to product change, consider closing the card as long as it’s not the oldest card
• If no annual fee, little reason to close. If you’re not using them though, put a small charge on them periodically.

Links to Topics Discussed 

• Complete Guide to Wells Fargo Transfer Partners
• Air India Refreshes it’s Flying Returns Program
• Iberia Plus Bonus: New Milestone Rewards
• Application Fee Is Going up for Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI, Kids Will Be Free
• Alaska Business Card
• Alaska Consumer Card

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.  

One Quarter into 2024 Joe and Angie discuss their trips and progress towards their point and status goals. Well since we know Angie is a status slacker at least Joe talked about his progress there.

Links to Topics Discussed

• 8 New Airlines Just Joined PreCheck. Here’s A List of All 99 TSA PreCheck Participating Airlines— Iberia is the biggie here
• Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ritz-Carlton Card Priority Pass Benefit Change: No More Restaurants or Markets
• You Can Now Redeem Choice Privileges Points Online at Preferred Hotels
• Amex Hilton Honors Business Card Shakeup: Priority Pass Out, Spending Credits In, Higher Annual Fee
• Chicago Seminars 2024 Dates and New Location Just Announced

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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 their trips to Australia. Mike was there for 8 days in a long anticipated trip to celebrate his 40th birthday while Joe jaunted down for 52 hours. Both flew United and American business class products on their longest routes discuss the pros and cons of each.

Their respective stays at the Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt and Four Seasons in Sydney were also discussed along with attractions such as the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Hunter Valley wine region, scenic Blue Mountains, famous Bondi Beach and captivating Manly Beach. 

Links to Topics Discussed in This Week's Episode:

• United Mile Pooling
• Updated Ink Cash Bonus
• Bilt - American & Alaska
• Track Travel Plans with AwardWallet
• Chase Ink Cash
• Amex Business Checking

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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, Joe interviews a long-time friend, who was hesitant to open up credit cards for fear of ruining his credit and overspending. Tune-in to hear how he overcame that fear and is now booking his first international business class flights! These aren't the typical domestic carriers a newer Award Traveler might book either (American, Delta, or United).

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.  

Finding award space could be difficult and often a frustrating exercise. Joe and Angie outline the steps and give tips on how to improve your results. Flexibility in types of points available, dates of travel, and airline routings. Start your search with your preferred airline, then expand your search out to partner airlines, and compare points needed.

Links to Topics Discussed

• New Rewards coming from Wells Fargo
• World of Hyatt’s Annual Sadness-Inducing Award Changes Announced 
• World of Hyatt Adds the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
• Wyndham Rewards Is Adjusting Award Prices for Hotel Stays and Vacasa Bookings
• It’s Back: Bonus Offer on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Card
• New Hilton Credit Card Offers Provide enhanced bonuses 
• Step-By-Step: How to Search for Award Flights
• AT101 Transfer Partner Chart

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.  

One of the keys in this hobby is maximizing the return on your spend. Joe and Angie talk about the ways to never earn only one point per dollar again. They discuss the idea of building a portfolio/family of cards that return more value.

Some good references.

• Travel
• Gas
• Grocery
• Dining
• Office Supply & Communications
• Streaming
• Everywhere

Our friends at CardPointers also provide a fantastic tool to make sure you are using the best card for every purchase. Get CardPointers and SAVE:

http://cardpointers.com/at101

Links to other Topics discussed

• When and How You Can Book Award Flights for Friends and Family
• Increased Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Offers: Up to 185K Points or 5 Free Nights
• Get Access to Hidden Award Space with United Credit Cards
• World of Hyatt’s Annual Sadness-Inducing Award Changes Announced
• Little-Known Southwest Credit Card Perk: 20% Off Discount Code for Southwest Reward Flights

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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's highlight feature, "Let’s Get Crafty," we explore various strategies to maximize credit card rewards tailored to different situations. Whether you have a "Player Two" or are flying solo, Angie and Joe guide you through evaluating upcoming trips and selecting the best cards in 4 scenarios:

•  Scenario 1: Two player mode, both people can get business cards 
•  Scenario 2: Two player mode, only one person can get business cards
•  Scenario 3: Two player mode, no business cards 
•  Scenario 4: Single player mode, no business card 
  
  Links to Topics Discussed
• Etihad Guest Changes
• Awards to Book Before They're Gone
• Capital One to Purchase Discover?

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.