This week we feature another installment of “Meet the Mods” Angie talks with Justin Walter who shared his journey into the points and miles hobby, which started in 2021 after being inspired by fellow enthusiast Justin Vacula. His first major redemption, staying at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, got him hooked, and he now prefers traveling in business class, especially for international trips.

One of his favorite redemptions was flying Virgin Upper Class from JFK to London using Flying Blue miles. He’s now looking forward to his upcoming trip to Japan, where he’ll experience JAL’s first class. Justin’s tip of the week is to always work on hitting minimum spending requirements to continue building points, as it's essential to unlock valuable rewards.

Links to news discussed

• Chase Ink Unlimited new elevated bonus
• SAS joining Skyteam, now bookable via Delta and Flying Blue
• American Airlines switching to dynamic pricing on Fiji Airlines
• IHG is back with another airline partnership. Lufthansa Miles & More 
• Amex launched a 30% transfer bonus from Membership Rewards to Hilton Honors through 9/30. 

Where to Find Us

1. The Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 the Award Travel 101 podcast, "Book Early, Book Often" Mike and "Backup" Joe share their latest strategies and news updates. Mike discusses his recent approval for the Hawaiian Airlines personal card and transferring 100,000 MR points with a 20% bonus, taking inspiration from Greg and Nick at Frequent Miler. Joe shares his success with a 250K Business Platinum card and his travel plans, including a status match trip to Atlantic City and a booking for a concert using a Hyatt certificate.

The hosts also challenge conventional travel norms, encouraging listeners to make decisions that suit their personal preferences. Mike emphasizes not fearing layovers, ignoring the obsession over credit card rules like 5/24, dismissing the "CPP Police" and not blindly following popular travel trends.

Joe adds that fringe options like lesser-known airlines or using cash when it makes sense can often provide better value than sticking to mainstream choices. He also reminds listeners that award travel is almost never "free travel."

Links to Topics Discussed

• Washington Residents: Earn Delta SkyMiles for Seahawks Passing Yards
• Five New Southwest Promotions to Earn A-List Elite Status Faster
• Latest Marriott Bonvoy Promotions: Bonus Points on Two-Night Stays, up to 10K Points per Night at Select Brands, and More
• Bilt and Walgreens Partnership. Extra points on pharmacy purchases but beware of the fine print!

Where to Find Us

1. The Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 are less than a month away from this year’s Chicago Seminars, the oldest and largest gathering of points and miles aficionados. Joe and Mike talk about the event and give a preview of lectures both Joe and I will be giving. There is also a survey 

Also discussed are strategies to prepare for a potential Alaska and Hawaiian airlines merger now that the USDOJ has green lighted the deal. Lastly should we be putting more focus on the Marriott Bonvoy program and it's mid-tier Platinum status? Our moderator Maria thinks so.

Links to Topics Discussed

• Increased Ink welcome offer coming to an end
• Choice Hotels Adds New Sweet Spot Rewards starting at 5k points
• Bilt Rewards Hawaiian Airlines Transfer PartnershipPermanently Ends 
• How To Create a Travel Rewards Credit Card Strategy for Families
• Podcast Episode 19 - The Tools of Travel
• Visit the Chicago Seminars site for tickets. Use code MikeZCS10Discount for $10 off
• Award Travel Survey Date to be compiled and presented at Chicago Seminars.

Where to Find Us

1. The Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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.

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 Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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 now July, and we're more than half-way through 2024. In this episode, we're reviewing what we've done through the year to this point, along with some of the trips and places we've been able to book thanks to Award Travel!

Post of the week

From this long-time community member, Joe. Have you heard of this guy? Do you take time to recharge with your significant other?

News

• 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."

For a full transcript of topics, visit the AwardWallet Blog 

Where to Find Us

1. The Free Award Travel 101 Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. 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.