Award Travel 101

Latest Episodes:

The Power of Business Cards Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

Angie and Joe jump on the podcast to discuss news, their newest card/s, trip updates, and to share the key to unlocking so many more miles/points - BUSINESS CARDS.
Links to topics discussed

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
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.

40 Cards - Is it Necessary? Will it Ruin You? Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

Angie is back with Joe to discuss card offers, news, trip updates, and the answer to whether having so many cards will ruin your credit.
Links to topics discussed

New Transfer Bonus
How far out do airlines open their schedules?
If this guy is switching loyalty, should you?
Joe redeemed 153K points worth of Free Night Award certificates
Use tools to identify Premium planes not serving Premium routes

Tip of the Week

Alec Legg -
"A weird tip for those who book partner awards and have trouble booking seats. Try putting the PNR on other airline's "manage booking" tool. I just booked China Airlines through KLM and the China Airlines site wouldn't let me choose seats or even let me pull up my record. I read to try Saudia but that didn't work but I tried Garuda Indonesia and it let me pick my seats!"

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

Next Meetup Announcement & Let's Go Crazy with AT in the TC Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Mike joins Joe to discuss his newest cards, news, and their most recent trip to educate members on how to ramp up their Award Travel game, the "Let's Go Crazy with AT in the TC. Plus is there a Fiesta in-store?
Links to topics discussed

Hilton Business. 130k + FNA. Immediately redeemed it for Niagara Falls.
Ink Business Preferred. 50% through min spend. Also got two referral bonuses for a total of 80k. Joe - almost done with Chase Ink Preferred Minimum Spend Requirement
Next meetup in San Antonio- Taco 'Bout A Fiesta!

Tip of the week

Our Tip of the Week comes from Mike, who's been updating the Award Travel 101 website. For some of the tools we've produced to answer common questions of group members:

Transfer Partner Matrix - simple view of which card points transfer to which travel partners
Card Earning Charts - quick view of potential earnings
Cents Per Point Calculator - how to value point returns
Transfer Bonus Calculator - helps determine exact requirements
Lounge Map - custom Google Maps
Airport Maps - custom Google Maps

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

What's in Our Wallet Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

Angie and Joe talk about the cards that they carry on a regular basis and how they leverage each of them to maximize their earnings.
Link to news discussed

American Express makes some changes that most Award Travel 101 members won't be pleased with. What's your take?
Finnair announces changes to their rewards program and follow the steps of Qatar in switching to Avios. Does this excite you?
Angie - tried to apply for the Charles Schwab American Express Platinum - what caused this plan to fail?
Joe - Chase Ink Business Preferred arrived - knocking out his Minimum Spending Requirement easier than expected

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

Favorite Card Perks and Putting Them ALL Together Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Angie and Joe are back to discuss their most recent card bonuses, some of their favorite card perks, and how Joe managed to combine multiple card offers/discounts plus earn rewards totaling thousands of dollars!

Links to news discussed

Lahina, Maui (Hawaii) #Masterthread

Putting All The Tricks Together

Incidental Credits
Lounge Access
Clear - how to access freely
Precheck/Global Entry
Fine Hotel & Resorts (FHR) Platinum Credit
Rental car status - walked in, skipped lines, had my choice of luxury vehicles for less than $50 per day
Upgrades on AA flights
Southwest flights

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

Pancakes and Points Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

This week Mike talks to Eric Holly, moderator for the Award Travel 101 community, protector of northern California, Alaska Airlines aficionado and colloquially appointed Certified Pancake Machine Repair Technician (CPMRT).
Eric, talks about his start in award travel, reminisces about his most memorable trip and the worst grump he has encountered. He details the “training process” of becoming a CPMRT and fondly remembers his favorite pancake machine location. For travelers who encounter broken pancake machines, Eric offers some practical tips to remedy common issues.

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

Which Card Offers the Best Travel Protections Aug 04, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Award Travel 101, Joe and Angie explore premium credit card travel protections, highlighting features of the Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, and Chase Sapphire Reserve .
They discuss their preferred cards for travel protections and the nuances of their coverage. For more detailed information, check out our "Master List" of Credit Card Benefits.
Links to other news discussed

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

All the Upgrades & Traveling With Kids Who Have Special Needs Jul 28, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Joe chats with his wife Jessica, a Special Education Intervention Specialist their recent trip to the Andaz Mayakoba in Mexico and how we navigated various obstacles.
Link to topics discussed

Tips for Managing Credit Score - Know what goes into it - significant
Tips for Finding Partner Award Availability - what is it, why do I care
Should the Ink Preferred be your preferred travel card
Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award Milestone Reward

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

What Are Points Worth Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

Angie and Joe share their latest trip updates and sign up bonus bonus acquisitions, including new card offers from Chase, Amex and Barclays. Our highlight segment examines the value of points across various programs using AwardWallet's data, comparing flexible points and airline miles to hotel rewards. Tune in for insights on what points are worth and how to maximize your travel rewards.

Links to topics discussed

Changes to Citi AA Exec card - increased Annual Fee PLUS fee for Authorized Users
Hyatt/MGM - no longer. The "Break-up." The new partner.
How AwardWallet calculates value
AwardWallet points and mile values

Our favorite transferrable points

Where to Find Us

The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
You can also email us at 101@award.travel
Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
Reserve tickets to our April 2027 Meetup in Nashville now. award.travel/bna2027

Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

LIVE From a Lounge & Is American Airlines Status Worth Chasing Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Mike's joining us LIVE from the Polaris Lounge in Newark (EWR), where he discusses the ways to gain lounge access via cards, status, or class of service. Joe and Mike also break away from our normal discussion on credit card offers, asking if it's worthwhile to chase or keep top-tier American Airlines status now that benefits that once were only available to Executive Platinum members are now available to all. Is Platinum Pro the new sweetspot?

Where to Find Us