In Episode 90 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, former team admins Toni Perkins Southam and John Hartnagel join Joe to discuss the history of the community. Member Bess asks about using a credit card for a car down payment.

The hosts also give a shoutout to Cardpointers, one of our favorite tools for maximizing credit card offers. Grab your discounted membership using the link above! They also dive into various travel rewards news, including changes to the Hyatt and AAdvantage partnership, and discuss the potential value of the increased Sapphire Preferred offer.

Joe, John and Toni share updates on their own travel plans and points redemptions, including spending Hilton Honors points on a Presidential Suite in Hiroshima and discussing options for upcoming holidays and spring break.

Finally, they reflect on the growth of the Award Travel 101 community, tracing its history back to 2014, founded by Richard Kerr to the present, where Joe celebrates his upcoming five-year anniversary with the team.

Links to Topics Discussed

• Elite Hotel Benefits w/o status?
• Who Wants to be a (points) Millionaire?
• Increased Sapphire (Preferred) Offer 
• Hyatt & AAdvantage Partnership 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 Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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!

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