Award Travel 101

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Charlie Hagadorn a feature in the paid version of seats.aero one of the award search tools called rooms.aero saves big bucks! News Elevated American Express Business Platinum offerMr. & Mrs. Smith is now bookable with Hyatt pointsLufthansa First class bookable with LifeMilesNew rules/laws/protectionsTrip updates Free Night AwardWhat bonuses did we get? Hilton Free Night AwardsHighlight Feature: Nice to Meetcha! We just returned from our meetup in San Antonio for Fiesta. There were over 150 Award Travel 101 and members from the Award Travel 201 communities in attendance. Speakers: Hurdy Gurdy Travel PodcastPodcast Episode 43Forbes AdvisorPodcast Episode 51Aligned IncentivesPodcast Episode 48Chicago SeminarsPodcast Episode 64Tip of the week Angie's story to check what cards are saved in your Uber/Lyft wallets. Chase Sapphire ReserveChase Freedom FlexWhere To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Andrew “Bacon” Goodman - Disney for $375 INCLUDING PARK TICKETS!? News Hilton/Small Luxury Hotels (Updates)Choice Sweet SpotsNew Citi AAdvantage Business offerTrip updates What bonuses did we get? Free Hilton NightsCiti AAdvantage CardHighlight Feature: 20 Largest Hotel Chains & the Six We're Focusing On We came across an interesting diagram ranking the top 20 hotel programs throughout the world. Do you know which is largest? Some are less familiar, so we ranked the six we most frequently discuss in the Award Travel 101 Facebook community: WyndhamMarriottChoiceHiltonIHGHyattTIP OF THE WEEK: Have a good backup plan for using your credit cards. Tune in to hear Angie's fail. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Jennifer Jacobs - A tale of caution - vacation club/time-share presentations News AwardWallet’s Roundup of Airline and Hotel Program Sweet SpotsOne Credit Card Issuer Just Increased Its Global Entry Benefit. Will Others Follow?Credit Card Welcome Offers of 100,000 Points (or More!)What bonuses did we get? United Business cardWorld of Hyatt cardWyndham Business CardAngie and I discussed this last weekAmex Business GoldDouble dipping this referralmust be a memberHyatt Cat 1-4 certificatefrom this cardHighlight Feature: The Most Powerful Tool in Award Travel How does one weed out the noise to find what's most useful for your Award Travel strategies? In-person events will provide opportunities for attendees to speak with and listen to experts in the field which help fine-tune their strategies. We encourage you to attend, engage, explore, learn, and ask questions. In the podcast, I mentioned that early on, I didn't know how to complete a minimum spend. Here are some tips that might help you avoid that same situation. Had I attended an event back then, I would have understood my options. To learn more: 14th Annual Chicago SeminarsTaco 'Bout a FiestaTip of the week Make the most out of schedule changes. Hear how all three of us have used these recently to improve our schedules and/or save in the process. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Penina Olar - My husband and I are considering a trip to Asia this summer. When is the best time book with points? My husband wants to fly business class but it’s showing the miles to be at 200K per person for one way. Will the price come down if I book closer to our trip? Most likely going in June. News Zorkcast Episode of “Yo 11 Minutes” 70Complete Guide to Wells Fargo Transfer PartnersAir India Refreshes it’s Flying Returns ProgramIberia Plus Bonus: New Milestone RewardsApplication Fee Is Going up for Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI, Kids Will Be FreeWhat bonuses did we get? Alaska Business CardAlaska Consumer CardTrip updates Business Platinum portal to get 35% points backSuite Upgrade AwardHighlight Feature: Strategy - When to Close Cards Thanks to a recommendation from a member, we decided to review when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week New Mod, Anthony Cave - fly to Australia for $100 News 8 New Airlines Just Joined PreCheckChase Sapphire Reserve and Ritz-Carlton Card Priority Pass Benefit ChangeYou Can Now Redeem Choice Privileges Points Online at Preferred HotelsAmex Hilton Honors Business Card ShakeupChicago Seminars 2024 Dates and New Location Just AnnouncedWhat bonuses did we get? Citi Custom CashWorld of HyattTrip updates Companion Passsee my review hereHighlight Feature: How You Doing — Quarter One Review Angie - Wyndham Business CardFree Night CertificatesBoundlessRitzJoe - Just 1/10th of the wayvia shortcutbook VacasaWhere To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Mike returns to discuss his journey down under to skip his 40th birthday. I also share some tips on how I put my trip together to join him for just 52 hours on the ground. The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium News United Mile PoolingUpdated Ink Cash BonusAmericanAlaskaTrack Travel Plans with AwardWalletWhat bonuses did we get? Chase Ink CashAmex Business CheckingTrip updates Highlight Feature: Points Down Under Mike shares how he created a memorable trip to celebrate his 40th turn around the sun. I spent 52 hours there too. Both of us flew American and United's longest routes in opposite directions. Mike - Birthday bucket list trip to Australia Joe - Quick turn to SYD 56 hours of travel and 52 hours on the ground Tip of the week People/community make the difference (getting my seat back). I shared a more in-depth piece in our Premium/Paid Award Travel 201 Community. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

In this episode, I interview a long-time friend, who was hesitant to open up credit cards for fear of ruining his credit and overspending. Tune-in to hear how he overcame that fear and is now booking his first international business class flights! These aren't the typical domestic carriers a newer Award Traveler might book either (American, Delta, or United). The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 60 Show Notes POINT.ME DISCOUNT OFFER If you didn't catch our LIVE interview Thursday evening (3/14/2024) with co-founder, Tiffany Funk, she's offered the Award Travel 101 community 50% off annual subscriptions of point.me for a limited time. Full Details: AWARDTRAVEL101There are so many new tools you can use to search for award space, but the one that provides the most robust options is point.me, and it's one of the two tools I rely on to assist in my daily searches. So if you want to try point.me and SAVE 50% on your next year of Award Searches, use the code listed above. Highlight Feature: Booking Your First International Business Class Flight Welcome to Episode 60 of the AT101 Podcast! My co-host, Angie Sparks is off, AND I was traveling to Australia for the most crazy journey I've done to this point, but I thought I’d introduce Tod this week, so we recorded this episode ahead of my travels. Tod is a longtime friend, but he hasn’t always been as excited about award travel as many of us have been. He’s the perfect example of someone who didn’t believe in the power of credit card rewards, yet has come to embrace them as a tool to do more with less. In our highlight feature, we’ll discuss his growth and how he’s managed to book his first international (overseas) trip to Manilla, Philippines (in business class) and how he’s booking airlines that he would never have expected to be flying just a few short months ago (like Qatar’s QSuites or EVA lie-flat business class) - all from credit card reward programs and a willingness to branch out. Tip of the week Stacking rewards programs can be useful - like getting Grocery store/fuel rewards in addition to your cards that earn category bonuses. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Lee VC - Amex is going crazy! News New Rewards coming from Wells FargoWorld of Hyatt’s Annual Sadness-Inducing Award Changes AnnouncedWorld of Hyatt Adds the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las VegasWyndham Rewards Is Adjusting Award Prices for Hotel Stays and Vacasa BookingsIt’s Back: Best-Ever 75K Bonus Offer on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® CardNew Hilton Credit Card Offers Provide up to 155,000 PointsTrip updates What bonuses did we get? Alaska offerWyndham BusinessVenture X BusinessExtreme Stacking - PS5 for $81Cardpointers Highlight Feature: Finding Award Space Flexibility in types of points available, dates of travel, and airline routings. Start your search with your preferred airline, then expand your search out to partner airlines, and compare points needed. point.meseats.aeroroame.travelOTHER TOOLS include - AwardLogic, Awayz, AwardNexus, SeatSpy, maxmypoint, openhotelalert to make your search easier or award alert services such as our partner Thrifty Traveler Premium. Step-By-Step: How to Search for Award FlightsAT101 Transfer Partner ChartTip of the week 100 days out for booking Choice Privileges Rewards, but… Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Join us for Ask Me Anything LIVE Event with Tiffany Funk New group of mods Post of the Week Will Weider - long lines at LAS Centurion News When and How You Can Book Award Flights for Friends and FamilyIncreased Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Offers: Up to 185K Points or 5 Free NightsGet Access to Hidden Award Space with United Credit CardsWorld of Hyatt’s Annual Sadness-Inducing Award Changes AnnouncedLittle-Known Southwest Credit Card Perk: 20% Off Discount Code for Southwest Reward FlightsTRIP UPDATES? Angie - nothing new Joe - Rebooked GH Seoul again thanks to a member's suggestionWHAT BONUSES DID WE GET? Angie -Alaska cardVenture X Business Joe- Ink PreferredHighlight Feature - Maximizing Spend for the Most Rewards Cards to use and where - idea is to build a portfolio/family of cards that return more value. Get CardPointers and SAVE: http://cardpointers.com/at101 Never earn only one point per dollar ever again: TravelGasGroceryDiningUtilitiesOffice Supply & Communications belowStreamingPharmacyHealth/GymEverywhereTip of the Week Book now, ask questions later. My buddy's how a friend nearly lost his optimal booking. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Xochitl Sierra Hernandez - What would you do if placed in this situation? News Etihad Guest ChangesAwards to Book Before They're GoneCapital One to Purchase Discover?Trip updates Sydney, AustraliaCredit Card Perk/BenefitChase Travel Portal Booking - Does it make sense?Choice Points for HUGE savingsshould you buy themWhat bonuses did we get? Wyndham BusinessAlaska CardVenture X BusinessChase InkBarclays AAdvantageHighlight feature: Let’s Get Crafty - Crafting a Credit Card Strategy The basic strategy is the same for every situation. Player TwoScenario 1: Two player mode, both people can get business cards Number one recommended starter cardBest business cards5/24 StatusScenario 2: Two player mode, only one person can get business cards Similar to Scenario 1 but you can’t refer each other on business cards Scenario 3: Two player mode, no business cards This is when looking long term is very important Scenario 4: Single player mode, no business card This is the most challenging way to play the game. Tip of the week An Award Travel 101 member who goes by FindFlightsforMe on IG - how to buy Flying Blue miles (for less). Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium How did your passion for travel begin? Why? Most teens are not into learning about travel rewards programs Favorite airline, hotel, credit card programs (and does status play a role in any of your travels)? Amex Membership RewardsChase Ultimate RewardsWhere are you heading next? Travel Style - Best deal you’ve received? Highlight Feature - Different Ways to Approach Budget Travel Other Things to Know JetBlue True BlueSouthwest Rapid RewardsAeroplan awards under 500 milesLifemiles used to be 7.5K, but is now 10K for economy. Business was 12.5K, but is now 15Ksee the updated award charttarts at 6K for awards under under 500 milessee updated chartWhere to Find John John is active in the Award Travel 101/201 community and writes for Bougie Miles. To reach him: Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Marianne Michalek Shovan - Why is my car rental more expensive with Amex Discount Code than without? News Air France–KLM Flying Blue Award Sweet SpotsAmex Adds ‘Family’ Restrictions to the American Express® Green CardBook Now: Turkish Airlines to Devalue Miles & Smiles, Introduce New Award Charts683 United Award Routes That You Can Book for Just 6,000 Aeroplan PointsTrip updates with 30% speculative transfer bonusSuite Upgrade AwardsWhat bonuses did we get? World of Hyatt Business card to retain elite statusHighlight feature: Transferable Over Fixed Points Back to Basics: An Introduction to the Types of Reward PointsAT101 Transfer Partner ChartTip of the week Be flexible with your card strategy and don’t take denials personally. It happens to everybody at some point in this hobby so be prepared to pivot to a new card or your existing portfolio. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the Week Zee Stacy received a 1099 from Chase and was quite concerned. Is this normal? News Delta card changesMarriott promoTrip Updates World of HyattAAdvantageWhat bonuses did we get? Wyndham RewardsCapital One Venture X BusinessAmex Business GoldBank of America Alaska card 0% APR cardsAmex Hilton BusinessCapital One Venture XChase Ink CashBonvoy BrilliantHighlight feature: Getting Player Two (P2) Into Award Travel Chase Freedom UnlimitedChase Ink Unlimitedshopping portalsTip of the week Marry a P1 (kidding). Shopping portal strategy for valentines day presents. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium. Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 53 Show Notes We're changing up this week's format, with our very first member interview. Award Travel 101 community member Allison Tackette joins us with tips she's learned over 10 years in the space. Background Allison is a former teacher who wanted to get out and see the world, but her time off in the summer often resulted in finding peak season pricing. Travel CAN be expensive if you're always paying cash, but pushing people to the brink helps them get creative! Introduction to travel rewards and loyalty programs Is it as simple as asking how to travel for free? In 2013, information was far more scarce than it is today. Now we have tons of resources and the Award Travel 101 Facebook community where you can ask questions and get instant answers. Places You Could Return Over and Over While she enjoys traveling the world, check out why she thinks Japan is the place she could never lose interest in. Travel style Allison travels primarily as a solo traveler, but she does travel with family on occasion too. Deals Is there anything better than First Class for your first significant redemption? Can you believe that the redemption she made years and years ago, is still the same cost today? Highlight Feature - Can I book travel inside 60 days (or less)? Which programs offer you the greatest flexibility? Use these to set yourself up and keep looking as you get close-in. Some of the most aspirational flights and airlines might be found inside 14 days or less including: flights to Australia and New ZealandTip of the week Use tools like seats.aero or point.me to simplify your searches. Check out Episode 19 "The Tools We Use" Where You Can Find Allison Instagram: @luckytictac awardtravelvacations.com Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Beth Hanes Product changing gone wrong - Why does Chase hate me? John Buchan - Is there an over-emphasis on the Chase Ink sign ups? News United Offers (Outrageous) Premier Elite Status Buy-Up OffersAlaska ConsumerHyatt Consumer & BusinessDid Marriott just #Bonvoy MGMNew Lounge openingTrip updates Thrifty Traveler Premium alertWhat bonuses did we get? how I plan to get 25% off an $1,800 purchase100K Ink PreferredHighlight feature: Strategies for Building Healthy Credit and Better Offers Guide to Building Healthy CreditCredit Card StrategyApplication Rules of 4 Major IssuersTip of the week Don’t sleep on lesser known partner programs. I provided an example of how you can use Etihad Guest miles for less in Award Travel 201. FULL DISCLOSURE - it is a subscription group, and runs from $9.99 monthly to $89.99 annually AND provides complimentary AwardWallet Plus. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 51 Show Notes Joe is joined by the most frequent guest of the podcast, Toni Perkins-Southam. Many of you may remember Toni as the longest-running Award Travel 101 moderator and community admin. Toni spent almost five years in the community (two years as a community manager) before taking a position with Forbes Advisor. Toni shares how she got her start writing with AwardWallet and continued her journey. Are you interested in writing about travel topics too? Fill out this form to put in your application. Award Travel 101 from 2017–2022: Longest active mod/admin Season 1 Episode 4Season 2 Episode 13 Paul Borish Traveler's PsychWhat you’ve been up to since leaving New Cards Taco ‘Bout A Fiesta: Presenters Ryan SmithJustin VaculaTip of the week If you are already going crazy, might as well do it someplace cool! Where To Find Toni @tonisouthamForbes advisor profileWhere To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: Business Class to Ireland for 50,000 pointsAruba in Mint (lie-flat) for 35,000 pointsBusiness Class to Spain for 34,000 milesYou can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium Post of the week Either Tom Coumaris - disappearing in-room coffee makers. How do you get your morning brew? News Updates on the 737-Max9 - is it safe?Top 10 Card offers of 2024DONT MISS OUT ON THE 90,000 ENHANCED INK OFFERS BEFORE THEY EXPIRE - 7AM on 1/18/2024Now Live - Hyatt Milestone Rewards Offer Expanded Choices This YearThe Best Business Class Award Sweet Spots for Flights to EuropeTrip updates What bonuses did we get? Minimum Spend RequirementVenture X BusinessHighlight feature: 2023 Trip Recaps SouthwestTip of the week It's a new year, with new credits. We mentioned this back in Episode 45, so use all your credits and perks. Don’t wait! Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium. Post of the week Ira Serkes asks, "How many trips do you take each year, and what is your longest trip in 2023?" News Book Hilton Free Night Awards via ChatAmex Adds Family Language to Marriott cardsChanges to Bilt Rewards StatusTrip updates Stayed at the Ritz Carltonseats.aeroWhat bonuses did we get? Amex Business PlatinumChase Ink Businessfor opportunities like thisBonvoy BrilliantVirgin Atlantic with 30% BonusHighlight feature: 2024 (Award Travel) Resolutions features of Award WalletCiti/Barclays AA companion certsUA Club passesGold monthly Dining creditsStreaming creditsWalmart Plus subscription creditsTip of the week Take some time to look at all the cards and ensure you’re using all of your credits and benefits and see if your strategy should be tweaked. Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details and check out their Google Flights guide. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium. The Award Travel 101 Community needs your help If you have an interest in applying, we're looking for a few good moderators. You'll hear Ryan discuss how he got his start in this episode, so to get more information, check out our application form here. Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 48 Show Notes To provide listeners with more depth, we've included some questions and answers we didn't have time to explore further in the podcast episode. You can also check out the day Ryan completed the journey here. Background - Introduction to travel rewards/loyalty programs - Highlights - Off the beaten path Travel Style Solo/Family/Couple? Slow/fast? Economy/Business/First? Deals Pandemic pricing was incredible. As travel was rebounding, we booked everything we could before prices exploded. How best can podcast listeners follow in your footsteps or is that even possible today? More than one passport? US and Brazil Is it possible to do this on an US Passport? With the exception of North Korea, yes, but there are delays with some visas Tip of the week Don’t forget to reprice your bookings. This saves us a ton of money and points every year. Where To Find Ryan To follow Ryan throughout his travels, you can find him on X (Twitter) at @RyanSmithTravel Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Welcome back to the Award Travel 101 Podcast — from the original Facebook community created for miles and points enthusiasts. Angie, Allison, and Joe jump on the pod to share the 100K Member Celebration Winner, their newest cards, trip updates, and to bring you an Airing of (2023) Grievances! Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT101” for $10 off your first year. Head to ThriftyTraveler.com for more details. Recent finds include: You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium. Post of the week We polled the Award Travel 101 community to see which of the 25 Program Devaluations hit you the hardest. News The Grand Prize Winner for our 100K Member Celebration Trip updates What bonuses did we get? Highlight feature: Festivus Airing of Grievances 2023 Festivus was created as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas holiday season. The sitcom Seinfeld put their own spin on it, including the airing of the grievances, which consists of each person lashing out at others and the world about how they have been disappointed in the past year. "I got a lotta problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it!" We’ve had a lot of negative changes in the Award Travel world in 2023 (25 to be exact), but here are the program updates that impacted the community most: MGM and Hyatt announce BreakupBritish Airways Hikes Avios Awards on American and AlaskaUnited Makes Major Award Chart DevaluationCiti Executive Card Changes (Higher fee, reduced AU benefit)To see the full list of all 25 Program Changes, check out the AwardWallet Blog at 7PM Eastern/4PM Pacific. Tip of the Week Don’t procrastinate. As you can see from our review of 2023, things change all the time!! Earn and Burn baby! Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. Award Travel 201 communityAward Travel 1-on-1contactawardtravel@gmail.com Support the AT101 Podcast/Community