Award Travel 101

This week Joe interviews Award Travel 101 community member Allison Tackette who joins us to share tips she's learned over 10 years in the space.

Allison is a former teacher who wanted to get out and see the world, but her time off in the summer often resulted in finding peak season pricing. Travel CAN be expensive if you're always paying cash, but pushing people to the brink helps them get creative!

Leveraging close-in bookings are often the best ways Allision was able to score some killer redemptions. She highlights some of the aspirational flights she was able to score and gives advice on how to find others inside or 14 days or less including:

• Lufthansa
• ANA
• JAL
• Emirates
• Unsold business/first flights to Australia and New Zealand often open up around a week out (non-airline specific)

 Which programs offer you the greatest flexibility?

Where  You Can Find Allison

Instagram: @luckytictac
awardtravelvacations.com

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.  

Having a solid credit history is a paramount goal in the Award Travel hobby. Angie and Joe talk about strategies for building healthy credit and finding better offers.

• Guide to Building Healthy Credit
• Credit Card Strategy
• Application Rules of 4 Major Issuers

Links to topics discussed 

• United Offers (Outrageous) Premier Elite Status Buy-Up Offers
• New Alaska Consumer & Business cards as well as  Hyatt Consumer & Business offers
• Did Marriott just #Bonvoy MGM
• New Lounge opening - who can get in?

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.  

Joe is joined by the most frequent guest of the podcast, Toni Perkins-Southam. Many of you may remember Toni as the longest-running Award Travel 101 moderator and community admin. 

Toni spent almost five years in the community (two years as a community manager) before taking a position with Forbes Advisor. Toni shares how she got her start writing with AwardWallet and continued her journey after her tenure at Award Travel 101 from 2017 to 2022.

Toni's Tip of the week

If you are already going crazy, might as well do it someplace cool!

Where To Find Toni

• @tonisoutham on Instagram
• Toni Perkins-Southam Forbes advisor profile
• [email protected]

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.  

Joe and Angie recap their prior year card openings and point earning.
 
Highlight feature: 2023 Trip Recaps

• Angie: 12 new cards
  • SUB  = 1.4M points
  • Referrals = 390K
  • Points used = 1.2M (double prior year)
• Joe: 14 new cards
  • SUB = 1.5M points + HH FNA
  • Referrals = 500K
  • Spend = 100K 
  • Shopping portals = 100K

Tip of the week

It's a new year,  with new credits. We mentioned this back in Episode 45, so use all your credits and perks. Don’t wait!

Links to topics discused:

• Updates on the 737-Max9 - is it safe?
• Top 10 Card offers of 2024
• Now Live - Hyatt Milestone Rewards Offer Expanded Choices This Year
• The Best Business Class Award Sweet Spots for Flights to Europe

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.  

It's a new year and Joe and Angie talk about their resolutions for 2024, including:

• Angie
  • Update and use all/more features of AwardWallet
  • Clean up Google Photos
  • Clean up multiple email accounts
  • Create a spreadsheet of all my cards
  • Explore casino matching for free cruises
• Joe
  • Citi/Barclays AA companion certs - never use
  • (4) UA Club passes - making sure to use
  • (2) Gold monthly Dining credits - I rarely use these
  • (2) Amex Platinum Streaming credits with only one in use and (4) Walmart Plus subscription credits with one in use

Links to news discussed

• Book Hilton Free Night Awards via Chat
• Amex Adds Family Language to Marriott cards
• Changes to Bilt Rewards Status
• Amex Business Platinum
• Chase Ink Business card bonus

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.  

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 Ryan

To follow Ryan throughout his travels, you can find him on X (Twitter) at @RyanSmithTravel

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, 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:

1.  MGM and Hyatt announce Breakup
2.  British Airways Hikes Avios Awards on American and Alaska & United Makes Major Award Chart Devaluation
3.  Citi Executive Card Changes (Higher fee, reduced AU benefit)

Full list of all 25 Program 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.  

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 discussed

• American Airlines Adjusts How Card Spending Counts Toward AAdvantage Status
• British Airways Hikes Avios Awards on American and Alaska
• You Can Now Redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles Online for Aeromexico Flights
• Credit Card Perks You Can Gift for the Holidays
• Jackie's Trip Report
• Allision's economy flight on LATAM
• Cheap AA award for GOL

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 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 Discussed

• World of Hyatt Updates
• Guest of Honor Perk
• 37 different promos
• Alaska purchases Hawaiian
• Amex Business Platinum card PLUS checking account offer
• Chase Ink Business card
• Buy AA miles for ONE cent each AND earn Loyalty Points 

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.  

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 Discussed

• Southwest bookable through Chase travel portal
• Lifelock at 95% Rakuten
• Black Friday 
• Huge Qatar award dump
• Condor and Emirates partner
• Alaska changes
• Amex Business Gold
• Amex Business Platinum + checking offer
• Our world-famous Award Travel 101 Transfer Partner Matrix.
• FlyerTalk Glossary

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.