
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Episode 57: Show Notes.
Sometimes you just need to do some travel banter! And who better to do it with than TravelZork Travel’s Michael Trager? In today’s conversation, we discuss our recent travel experiences and dig into the nitty gritty of points, upgrades, flight paths, and so much more. To kick things off, we hear all about Michael’s recent trip to Madrid and the benefits of American Airlines' ConciergeKey status, which Michael has access to thanks to his wife, Ellen! We then discuss optimal flight paths to Europe from different parts of the US, why JetBlue is on the naughty list this week, and how to optimize your next trip to Vegas. Next, we explore the flagship lounge and dining experience on different airlines, before discussing why it sometimes makes sense to pay for travel (because you can’t do everything on points) and the exceptional cases where we break our own rules. We also dive into Marriott points and benefits, including getting the fifth night free, the challenges of hotel hopping, and the importance of a positive arrival experience; especially if you have your family in tow. Finally, Michael tells us the essential details and updates for ZorkFest 2025, including the festival’s four-star accommodation, their new miles and points labs, their epic foodie and beverage dining experience, the speakers they have lined up, and much more. Be sure to tune in to hear the full scope of our travel banter conversation with Michael Trager!
Quotes:
“The amount of trouble to position to JFK and then to leave, like, three, four, five, six, hours between the flight to then get a lie flat seat for a flight that maybe is six hours of which maybe, if all of the stars align, you get four hours of sleep. And that's like, if you're really lucky.” — Michael Trager [17:33]
“JetBlue is on my very naughty list, really naughty list this week.” — Michael Trager [21:19]
“That has been a thread or a mantra on this podcast, ‘book the flight or book the room you want’.” — @tmount [56:29]
“When you hit the ground, that's going to set the tone for your entire trip.” — @tmount [56:57]
“Nothing's gonna be as good as a nice, quiet hotel room on the ground for you to recover.” — @TktweetsKim [01:04:34]
“Value is so personal, right? People need to respect that, and a lot of people don't. They think that their truth is the only truth.” — @TktweetsKim [01:09:23]
“This is the first time we are truly having ZorkFest at a very bougie casino property with a very bougie, true four-star room product.” — Michael Trager [01:11:01]
“There are things you learn from casino advantage players like Anthony Curtis, or things that you learn from casino loyalty, that can be parsed to the miles and points world technique-wise.” — Michael Trager [01:25:30]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Michael Trager
Michael Trager on LinkedIn
TravelZork Travel
TravelZork
TravelZork on Facebook
TravelZork on X
TravelZork on Bluesky
TravelZork on Instagram
TravelZork on YouTube
TravelZork, ZorkCast (and ZorkFest too!) - Casinos, Vegas, Miles & Points on Facebook
Join the Zork Fest Mailing List
Yo-11 Podcast | ZorkCast on Spotify
BAEC GOLD + GGL + Premier [British Airways Executive Club] Facebook Group
Hyatt Privé Deals Facebook Group
Cunard | Queen Mary 2 + Entire Line | Cruise Deals, Discussion + Promotions Facebook Group
The M Resort and Spa and Casino, Las Vegas
Thomas Kim on X
Trevor Mountcastle on X
4.4
5050 ratings
Episode 57: Show Notes.
Sometimes you just need to do some travel banter! And who better to do it with than TravelZork Travel’s Michael Trager? In today’s conversation, we discuss our recent travel experiences and dig into the nitty gritty of points, upgrades, flight paths, and so much more. To kick things off, we hear all about Michael’s recent trip to Madrid and the benefits of American Airlines' ConciergeKey status, which Michael has access to thanks to his wife, Ellen! We then discuss optimal flight paths to Europe from different parts of the US, why JetBlue is on the naughty list this week, and how to optimize your next trip to Vegas. Next, we explore the flagship lounge and dining experience on different airlines, before discussing why it sometimes makes sense to pay for travel (because you can’t do everything on points) and the exceptional cases where we break our own rules. We also dive into Marriott points and benefits, including getting the fifth night free, the challenges of hotel hopping, and the importance of a positive arrival experience; especially if you have your family in tow. Finally, Michael tells us the essential details and updates for ZorkFest 2025, including the festival’s four-star accommodation, their new miles and points labs, their epic foodie and beverage dining experience, the speakers they have lined up, and much more. Be sure to tune in to hear the full scope of our travel banter conversation with Michael Trager!
Quotes:
“The amount of trouble to position to JFK and then to leave, like, three, four, five, six, hours between the flight to then get a lie flat seat for a flight that maybe is six hours of which maybe, if all of the stars align, you get four hours of sleep. And that's like, if you're really lucky.” — Michael Trager [17:33]
“JetBlue is on my very naughty list, really naughty list this week.” — Michael Trager [21:19]
“That has been a thread or a mantra on this podcast, ‘book the flight or book the room you want’.” — @tmount [56:29]
“When you hit the ground, that's going to set the tone for your entire trip.” — @tmount [56:57]
“Nothing's gonna be as good as a nice, quiet hotel room on the ground for you to recover.” — @TktweetsKim [01:04:34]
“Value is so personal, right? People need to respect that, and a lot of people don't. They think that their truth is the only truth.” — @TktweetsKim [01:09:23]
“This is the first time we are truly having ZorkFest at a very bougie casino property with a very bougie, true four-star room product.” — Michael Trager [01:11:01]
“There are things you learn from casino advantage players like Anthony Curtis, or things that you learn from casino loyalty, that can be parsed to the miles and points world technique-wise.” — Michael Trager [01:25:30]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Michael Trager
Michael Trager on LinkedIn
TravelZork Travel
TravelZork
TravelZork on Facebook
TravelZork on X
TravelZork on Bluesky
TravelZork on Instagram
TravelZork on YouTube
TravelZork, ZorkCast (and ZorkFest too!) - Casinos, Vegas, Miles & Points on Facebook
Join the Zork Fest Mailing List
Yo-11 Podcast | ZorkCast on Spotify
BAEC GOLD + GGL + Premier [British Airways Executive Club] Facebook Group
Hyatt Privé Deals Facebook Group
Cunard | Queen Mary 2 + Entire Line | Cruise Deals, Discussion + Promotions Facebook Group
The M Resort and Spa and Casino, Las Vegas
Thomas Kim on X
Trevor Mountcastle on X
366 Listeners
147 Listeners
569 Listeners
311 Listeners
23 Listeners
397 Listeners
1,422 Listeners
892 Listeners
1,134 Listeners
98 Listeners
371 Listeners
28 Listeners
11 Listeners
170 Listeners
297 Listeners