Meet the Mods- Laura Kofoid

Apr 3, 2026

Laura Kofoid, a retired IT professional turned points-and-miles hobbyist, joins the team to share her travel rewards journey. They chat about airline seat preferences, recent loyalty program news like Marriott–Ethiopian and Cathay Asia Miles changes, Bilt adding Wyndham, and critiques of a new Amex business card. Laura also recounts her Kauai Hyatt redemption and offers a practical HUCA tip for customer service.

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ANECDOTE

Window Versus Aisle Versus Middle For Families

The community debated seat preference: window for views/sleep versus aisle for bathroom access, while parents often pick middle to sit between kids.
Angie recalled using middle seats as armrests on a family Lufthansa flight to Barcelona.

INSIGHT

Transfer Ratios Make Or Break Partnerships

New airline/hotel partnerships can be technically useful but practically worthless if transfer ratios are poor.
Angie noted the Marriott–Ethiopian 3:1 transfer makes Marriott points unattractive for booking Ethiopian award flights.

INSIGHT

Devaluations Shift Costs Unevenly By Route

Program devaluations can be uneven: some routes get cheaper while others get costlier.
Angie explained Cathay Pacific Asia Miles' May 1, 2026 changes lower some Asia pricing but raise prices for flights from the U.S.

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Episode 166 of the Award Travel 101 podcast introduces new team member Laura Kofoid, who joins host Angie Sparks for a casual conversation about her background and entry into the points-and-miles hobby. Laura shares how she discovered travel rewards after retiring from a long IT career and looking for a new hobby, eventually becoming deeply engaged in maximizing loyalty programs. The episode also highlights a fun community post debating airplane seat preferences, where most travelers favored window views but often chose aisle seats for practicality—except for parents, who frequently opt for the middle seat to sit between family members.

In the news segment, Angie and Laura discuss several updates in the travel rewards world. These include a new partnership between Marriott and Ethiopian Airlines (though with a less favorable transfer ratio), changes to Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles award chart coming in May 2026, and the addition of Wyndham as a transfer partner for Bilt Rewards, further strengthening Bilt’s growing ecosystem. They also critique a newly launched Amex business cash-back card, noting its high annual fee and lack of transferable rewards. Laura shares her recent strategy of picking up United business credit cards due to her Denver hub, while Angie continues searching for valuable new card offers.

The episode wraps with a deeper “Meet the Mods” feature on Laura, where she reflects on her biggest wins—like using Hyatt points for a six-night stay in Kauai—and lessons learned, including costly booking mistakes and missed opportunities with sign-up bonuses. She explains her shift from full-price cruising to more strategic travel with upgraded flights and hotel stays. Laura emphasizes her preference for Chase and Amex ecosystems and offers a simple but valuable tip of the week: “HUCA” (Hang Up, Call Again), encouraging persistence when dealing with customer service in travel bookings.

Episode Links:

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