Award Travel 101

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 week

Check out our instructional video on how to use CardPointers with the Company's founder, Emmanuel Crouvisier. 

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'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 Discussed

• New United Card Offers
• Avoid Delta’s High Partner Award Rates
• British Airways Restricting Award Availability (non-issue for most)
• 30% Transfer Bonus Hilton Honors
• Bilt Rewards new Transfer Partner
• Qatar Airways (was 30% - now 25%) Transfer Bonus
• Marriott Changing Suite Night Awards
• 12 Hilton Honors Redemptions
• 12 Marriott Bonvoy Redemptions
• Southwest To Devalue Rapid Rewards

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 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

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 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 & BA
• Aspirational 
  • 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 GUM
  • Alaska Milk Run- SEA to ANC with several options for stops in between.

Former (defunct)

• BA001 Concorde, stopped flying 2003
• Other BA001 A318 (stopped in July 2020)
• Kai Tak (Hong Kong) Closed in 1998

Links to topics discussed

• Year-end Strategies for Top Hotel Elite Status
• Best Miles and Points for flights to Hawaii
• Air Canada Aeroplan Sues seats.aero
• Hyatt Sweet Spots
• Mike's trip for Beer, BBQ, Buc-EEs
• Driverless Car in Austin
• How Joe saved 47K miles United miles

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 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 Discussed

• Delta Elite status changes
• MGM Marriott updates
• Transfer Bonuses Flying Blue & Lifemiles
• How I Traveled (with my son) Using Awards & $54
• Hilton Surpass & Aspire changes
• Incredible Chase Freedom Unlimited Offer
• Amex Business Gold but need to call for reconsideration

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 Allison talk about how she is going on a girls trip to Bali and paying less than $1500 per person compared to $12,000 if they paid cash. Flights on Qatar (QR) for 100k, Singapore (SQ) for 112.5k and Etihad (EK) for 87.5k.

Full trip report posted in the Award Travel 101 Community w/hotel and airline reviews

Links to other topics discussed

• Get Bonus Hilton points -Is it worth purchasing points? There's a 100% bonus, and it could make sense in certain situations.
• What's going on with certain Award tools? ExpertFlyer and Seats.aero are having issues. Expertflyer is removing all Star Alliance carriers, plus seats.aero received a cease and desist order from Aeroplan. Is Expertflyer becoming useless?
• Angie closed her first Business Platinum 
• Calling to start the Chase Sapphire Reserve product change

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'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 categories
• Is there a reason to continue spending on a non-bonus card

Do your own comparisons and see which cards offer YOU the best returns.

Links to topics discussed

• Virgin 30% Transfer bonus (Chase) - Through 11/15
• Amex introducing “family” rules across Delta cards and new Gold card restrictions
• Amex refresh of biz gold card
• Hyatt 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

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 mod Sophie and Joe discuss news, their newest cards, trip updates, and how Sophie has transitioned into the travel business. 

Meet Sophie Keller

• Background - 1st card- Chase Sapphire Preferred/United Explorer
• Highlights - 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 Moxche
• Travel style - A mix of budget and Luxury, typically solo
• Favorite programs - World of Hyatt, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and American AAdvantage

Links to news discussed

• Maximizing Hilton Honors 5th Night Free - Joe’s story on mistake
• Promotions ending
• Enhanced Alaska Card $95 card offer
• Frontier Status (actual) Match
• Enhanced Bonuses are back from Chase

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 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 Far
4.5 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 Learned

• Diversification! Variety of points and mile currencies.
• Focus on the more important things in life
• Hilton program- 5th night free
• Choice Hotels - secret of Europe
• Amex 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/status
• Priority 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

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.  

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 discussed

• Point.me “Quicklook”
• Hyatt Elite status shortcut 
• Hyatt Bonus Journeys
• Buy Frontier Elite 20k status
• Venture X Business Miles Bonus
• Capital One changes how to use the $300 portal credit on Venture X
• Delta MASSIVE (program) devaluation

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.