
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


In Episode 120 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks cover Angie’s recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia, blending personal travel highlights with timely award travel news. Big community updates include the long-awaited announcement of the 2025 Chicago Seminars (Nov 7–9 at HR ORD), changes to Emirates First Class award access for elites only, and generous summer promotions from Best Western and Marriott Homes & Villas. Hyatt also announced a cap on the number of awards a member can receive via gifting, beginning June 7, 2025. On the personal front, Angie completed spend on her ABG card and is eyeing her next one, while Mike is working up the nerve to have Player 2 call Chase before a bonus expires.
Angie detailed her trip to the Balkans, booked using Turkish Miles & Smiles with a bonus from Citi ThankYou Points. Despite a few travel hiccups, she had an enjoyable experience flying Turkish Airlines and Polaris on the return. Hotels were mostly booked with cash via OTAs, with some offset using Capital One travel credits. Angie and her travel companion rented a car for their road trip, visiting Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, and iconic caves like Postojna, before crossing into Italy and heading down the Istrian coast into Croatia. Highlights included truffle tasting tours, the Roman ruins in Pula, and the stunning Plitvice Lakes. Angie strongly recommends Slovenia for its beauty, affordability, and mild summer weather. Her tip of the week? Always pack a charging brick—especially when facing airport delays.
Link to Topics Discussed
Where to Find Us
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.
By Award Travel 101 Team4.2
153153 ratings
In Episode 120 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks cover Angie’s recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia, blending personal travel highlights with timely award travel news. Big community updates include the long-awaited announcement of the 2025 Chicago Seminars (Nov 7–9 at HR ORD), changes to Emirates First Class award access for elites only, and generous summer promotions from Best Western and Marriott Homes & Villas. Hyatt also announced a cap on the number of awards a member can receive via gifting, beginning June 7, 2025. On the personal front, Angie completed spend on her ABG card and is eyeing her next one, while Mike is working up the nerve to have Player 2 call Chase before a bonus expires.
Angie detailed her trip to the Balkans, booked using Turkish Miles & Smiles with a bonus from Citi ThankYou Points. Despite a few travel hiccups, she had an enjoyable experience flying Turkish Airlines and Polaris on the return. Hotels were mostly booked with cash via OTAs, with some offset using Capital One travel credits. Angie and her travel companion rented a car for their road trip, visiting Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, and iconic caves like Postojna, before crossing into Italy and heading down the Istrian coast into Croatia. Highlights included truffle tasting tours, the Roman ruins in Pula, and the stunning Plitvice Lakes. Angie strongly recommends Slovenia for its beauty, affordability, and mild summer weather. Her tip of the week? Always pack a charging brick—especially when facing airport delays.
Link to Topics Discussed
Where to Find Us
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.

383 Listeners

52 Listeners

625 Listeners

230 Listeners

334 Listeners

406 Listeners

1,621 Listeners

968 Listeners

1,173 Listeners

411 Listeners

385 Listeners

199 Listeners

121 Listeners

60 Listeners
135 Listeners