Award Travel 101

Our favorite 90,000 point offer is ending soon. Get yours NOW!In this episode Joe talks to AwardWallet editor-in-chief JT Genter. JT is a seasoned expert in travel rewards, known for his deep understanding of maximizing points and miles. With a background rooted in a passion for exploring the world, JT loves traveling in comfort and style, often seeking out unique experiences that enhance his journeys. His favorite programs include those that offer versatile reward options and exceptional value, such as American Airlines AAdvantage and Hyatt's World of Hyatt. Known for his strategic approach and knowledge of the industry, JT's strengths lie in his ability to find sweet spots in loyalty programs and craft memorable travel experiences. Currently, JT has several exciting trips booked, including a much-anticipated journey to Japan and a luxury escape in the Maldives, both of which he's eagerly looking forward to for their cultural richness and relaxation opportunities.NEWS & ENHANCED OFFERSComplete Guide to American Airlines Status - JT LT EXP (JP 1st time) - why might this be important for readers/listenersNew Etihad Guest Award Chart - up to 3.2X more expensiveMarriott Drops 10% bonus to United, but… - something better for a changeVirgin ANA Chart No-notice changes - +/-s - more to come?New Bilt earnings on Lyft - why earn 5x when you can earn 12x?Stacking LifeMiles - Lufthansa biz 25k + $500Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

In this episode, we address a listener's question on the pros and cons of booking through Avianca versus Air Canada, discuss recent developments in travel rewards including Korean Air’s brief award chart changes, and share valuable sweet spots with Etihad Guest and Citi Transfer Bonuses. We highlight the latest Hyatt promo for earning bonus points and emphasize the benefits of using AwardWallet to track loyalty programs. The episode also features trip updates from Angie and Joe, and underscores the importance of meetups for enhancing travel knowledge and building connections within the Award Travel communityLinks to news and offers Korean Air - announced & suspended award chart changes in short periodEtihad Guest - alluded to this last episode - before that happens, AT101 moderator Jerod Morales shares some of the sweet spots Citi Transfer Bonus - Hyatt Promo & Status Shortcut- World of Hyatt members can earn 3,000 Bonus Points for every two eligible nights, up to 30 nightsShould you be using AwardWallet?AwardWallet tracks nearly 700 travel and loyalty programs and offers a variety of tools to enhance your travel and rewards experience. Features include tracking hotel certificates, managing travel itineraries, providing early airline change or cancellation notices, analyzing spending habits to maximize points, and tools to identify retailers for earning additional bonus points.YOU should have AwardWallet,  BECAUSE IT'S FREE! AwardWallet+ with more advanced features only costs $30 annually. Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

This week's discussion includes tips on earning sign-up bonuses with limited spending for those looking to accumulate points for Singapore travel. Members shared what they collect on their travels and how they display them.News highlights include Virgin Red Cruises offering awards for just over one card bonus, potential changes in Aeroplan and Etihad Guest programs, and Marriott Bonvoy's upcoming shift to fully variable award pricing. There's also concern over American Airlines' removal of traditional "Saver" award charts. The community shared their recent bonus earnings and trip updates, including cancellations and new bookings. The main feature explores when it's time to let go of a credit card, and the Q&A addresses whether to book flights immediately or wait for potential price drops.Links to news and offersVirgin Red Cruises for just over One Card Bonus Award Travel 101 community member, Ashleigh Sch, booked75K Venture Rewards - who should get this?Aeroplan PYB - 1.25 on Trav? Why it mattersEtihad Guest - negative/positive changes on the horizon? Why it mattersMarriott Bonvoy -  fully variable award pricing is slated to arrive this month. How bad is it going to hurt and we've not been given an actual date for this to go into effect. American Airlines -  Not only is 3/1 the NEW reset for status and earning Loyalty Points, but there may be more bad news on the horizon as AA is removing the traditional "Saver" award charts Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

This week Joe and Angie detail 8 steps to better award travel.Build Healthy CreditTransferrable Over Fixed PointsStart With ChaseExpand to Other BanksAmexCitiCapital OneBusiness CardsMaximize SpendFinding Award SpaceUtilize Card BenefitsLinks to news discussedSouthwest Points and Companion PassBask Bank Interest Increases rates (Is it better than AAdvantage miles)Delta co-branded cards 15% off Ink LTOs (who knows when that'll expire?)90K Members in AT101Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

Angie and Joe talk about creating memories through trips big and small. Angie is planning an African Safari (and making several rebookings) while Joe is taking a summer trip to Croatia with his almost 80 year old dad. Recently he also took a trip to Florida with daughter Links to news discussedAlaska Devalues award program Amex Centurion Lounges limited to cardholder -IHG 175K Card Offer - Ink 90K Choice Hotels -  getting 2 Choice points for 1 Citi ThankYou Point AND booking awards (up to suites) all for the price of a standard award.Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

In this episode, we discuss Angie's upcoming trip to South Africa, how she booked (and rebooked), and the 5 Steps we use to find award flights:Google FlightsSearching the Airline websiteUsing/checking the AT101 Transfer MatrixSearching partner airlinesSearching Credit Card portalsWhere to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

How two regular Award Travel 101 members became community managers of a 90,000 member Facebook community. Angie and Joe discuss how they got started in Award Travel and how they went from nearly no credit cards to ramping up and building their knowledge and maximization skills.Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

We're bring the Award Travel 101 Podcast back to life after a lengthy hiatus, and we're looking to share fun stories of how you can win in Travel & Loyalty by helping you do extraordinary things on ordinary money!Where to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

With over 64,000 members, there are lots of posts, comments and questions to sort out in the Facebook group. That's why we're so lucky to have such awesome moderators to help make sure Award Travel 101 is the best it can be. Now's your chance to get to know our moderators a bit better - to learn a little more about them than what you find out just chatting with them in the group. Today, Jeff chats with Toni Perkins, a moderator who has been with Award Travel 101 since well before he even took over. Among other things, Toni talks about her early days clogging, why she's never had the Southwest Companion Pass, and her extended travels with her four kids. LinksToni's blog - Nachos con HuevosToni's InstagramWhere to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.  

Sam Kemmis joins us today to talk about how NerdWallet is working to build up their travel rewards content and help people not only with their credit cards and finances but also with figuring out how to travel for less. We touch on his professional background which includes some pretty well-known comedy writing, a bit of time working remotely, and an unusual master's degree. Finally, we chat about a couple of our favorite flights and a place we both accidentally ended up flying to. Come join us for the fun!Links:NerdWalletMyTravelNerd.comThe OnionWoot.comTwitter: @samsambutdifEmail: skemmis at nerdwallet dot comWhere to Find UsThe 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.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our 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.