Award Travel 101 – Details, episodes & analysis

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Award Travel 101

Award Travel 101 Team

Society & Culture

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/12d. Total Eps: 221

Welcome to the Award Travel 101 Podcast! Founded in 2013 with just 20 members, the Award Travel 101 Facebook group teaches members how to travel the world using points and miles. Today, a community of over 100,000+ people from around the world share, teach and learn how to travel anywhere on any budget. Where are you going with Award Travel?

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https://cardpointers.com/at101
443 shares
https://award.travel/award-travel-1on1
222 shares
https://awardwallet.com/blog/support-awardtravel-101/
221 shares

https://www.facebook.com/groups/awardtravel101/
223 shares
https://www.facebook.com/groups/financebuzzelite/
2 shares
https://www.facebook.com/groups/10xtravel/
2 shares

https://www.instagram.com/straighttothepoints
2 shares
https://www.instagram.com/tonisoutham
2 shares

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 68%

Publication history

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Credit Card Credit Rundown

Season 3 · Episode 145

Friday, November 7, 2025 • Duration 45:23

This episode features Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks diving deep into the world of credit card statement credits and how to maximize them. The episode begins with a highlight post from member Karen, who detailed her inspiring solo round-the-world trip at age 60, showing how miles, points, and determination can unlock life-changing travel. In news, the hosts cover Flying Blue’s November Promo Rewards offering discounted redemptions from North America to Europe, a 20% Capital One transfer bonus to British Airways, Wells Fargo adding JetBlue as a transfer partner, and a major announcement that Rove Miles will soon support Lufthansa’s Miles & More—its first European transfer option.

Angie shares her latest booking spree, spending 1.3 million points to plan a Switzerland and Istanbul trip, while Mike talks about arranging a Key West getaway for family. They also discuss their travel plans for Chicago Seminars weekend. The main topic focuses on using all available card credits—daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual—across popular cards like the Amex Platinum, Amex Gold, Hilton Aspire, and Chase Sapphire Reserve. They break down credits covering everything from Uber, dining, and streaming to resort stays, airline fees, and portal bookings, emphasizing that these perks can dramatically offset annual fees when used strategically.

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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.

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JetBlue 25 for 25

Season 3 · Episode 144

Friday, October 31, 2025 • Duration 55:34

Joe returns to host, joined by first-time guest James He and former moderator Eric Holly. The highlight post covers a member’s lost hotel item and how travelers handle forgotten valuables. In the news: Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer devaluation, a new JetBlue–United partnership allowing reciprocal earning and redemptions (with limited premium space), and a rare 25% Chase transfer bonus to Southwest. The team also shares their latest credit card bonuses, milestone progress, and efforts to trim down annual fees.

Trip updates include Eric’s California work travel and future Portugal plans, James’ upcoming premium-class flights to Asia, Africa, and Europe, and Joe’s family trip to Atlanta plus speaking appearances at Chicago Seminars and Zorkfest.

Main topic: JetBlue’s “25 for 25” challenge. Both Eric and James completed it—visiting 25 JetBlue destinations to earn 350K points and Mosaic 1 status for 25 years. Each spent around $3,500 and built trips around existing plans. They explain how to qualify, eligible flights, and why the long-term rewards make it worthwhile. The episode wraps with tips on status matching and using tools like Plastiq to help meet spend goals.

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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 !

Atmos Rewards

Season 3 · Episode 135

Friday, August 29, 2025 • Duration 42:08

Episode 135 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with Mike Zaccheo, opens with a member story about a mortgage broker advising card closures—sparking near-universal advice to simply find a new broker. In news, they cover the launch of the Alaska Airlines premium card, Frontier’s companion certificates tied to spend, a Southwest temporary Companion Pass promo, and the upcoming Singapore KrisFlyer devaluation.

Angie shares updates on her app-o-rama (with mixed results), booking a Caribbean cruise, and setting plans for Switzerland, while Mike reports progress toward his Citi Strata Elite SUB and approval for the new Atmos Summit card.

The feature dives into Atmos Rewards, the new combined Alaska–Hawaiian program, with flexible earning options, expanded redemptions, refreshed elite tiers, and a new premium credit card. Award charts and the Companion Fare remain intact, and the episode closes with a tip: don’t be afraid of a “no” when going after new cards—you might be surprised.

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

2023 Trip Recaps

Season 3 · Episode 45

Friday, December 8, 2023 • Duration 42:16

Angie and Joe talk about their trip highlights from 2023. Angie's big trips were an African safari to a girls trip to Bali & Singapore. Meanwhile Joe went on an epic first class trip to Europe with his dad as well as several family trips.

Links to News Discussed

World of Hyatt Updates
Guest of Honor Perk
37 different promos
Alaska purchases Hawaiian
Amex Business Platinum card PLUS checking account offer
Chase Ink Business card
Buy AA miles for ONE cent each AND earn Loyalty 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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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 !

The Lingo

Season 3 · Episode 44

Friday, December 1, 2023 • Duration 50:32

Feel like you are learning a new language? We often get folks saying “please spell out these acronyms” but when it’s the same word over and over again, you need shorthand. Some examples include 5/24, CSR, SUB, and P2.

Links to News Discussed

Southwest bookable through Chase travel portal
Lifelock at 95% Rakuten
Black Friday
Huge Qatar award dump
Condor and Emirates partner
Alaska changes
Amex Business Gold
Amex Business Platinum + checking offer
Our world-famous Award Travel 101 Transfer Partner Matrix.
FlyerTalk Glossary

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you !

Building Your Point Balances with Justin Vacula

Season 3 · Episode 43

Friday, November 24, 2023 • Duration 55:13

Justin fell into travel rewards programs accidentally as he was working his way through various casino programs. Listen as he and Joe discuss some of the dead deals of the past to learn more about what you can look for in the future.

If you want to hear Part One of this discussion, where Justin interviews Joe, check out the Hurdy Gurdy Podcast. In this particular episode Justin shares how online poker led him to into travel rewards and loyalty programs.

If you are in the area you can also join Justin's Greater Philadelphia Miles & Points monthly meetups. You can find some interesting takes on casino rewards, miles & points, and Dave Ramsey on the Hurdy Gurdy Travel YouTube Channel. For everything else, check out the Hurdy Gurdy Travel website.

Tip of the week

Check out our instructional video on how to use CardPointers with the Company's founder, Emmanuel Crouvisier.

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

How Do You Track All of Your Rewards?

Season 3 · Episode 42

Friday, November 17, 2023 • Duration 44:49

Angie's back to catch up on all of the news and to discuss how we can better manage all of our award programs. Namely a Free AwardWallet subscription. You can also get AwardWallet Plus for more enhanced and time saving features. The Award Travel 101 group also celebrates the milestone of reaching 100K members!

Links to News Discussed

New United Card Offers
Avoid Delta’s High Partner Award Rates
British Airways Restricting Award Availability (non-issue for most)
30% Transfer Bonus Hilton Honors
Bilt Rewards new Transfer Partner
Qatar Airways (was 30% - now 25%) Transfer Bonus
Marriott Changing Suite Night Awards
12 Hilton Honors Redemptions
12 Marriott Bonvoy Redemptions
Southwest To Devalue Rapid Rewards

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

Let's Get Thrifty

Season 3 · Episode 41

Friday, November 10, 2023 • Duration 38:33

Award Travel 101 Podcast partner and founder of Thrifty Traveler Premium, Jared Kamrowski, joins Joe to discuss how Award Travel fundamentally changed his life and experiences.

Starting as a broke college student, Jared became a road warrior who learned techniques to improve his travel experiences for less. He and his wife wanted to travel more in their personal lives, so like many of us, he dug more into credit cards and reward programs that helped boost his ability to accomplish many of their goals. Eventually, he started his own site, Thrifty Traveler, sharing some of the tips he'd learned. The blog grew quickly, and he left his job to develop the business further, He hasn't looked back, and has grown the business into a 25 member team who scour the web looking for the best cash and award fares for you.

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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

Unique and Aspirational Flights

Season 3 · Episode 40

Friday, November 3, 2023 • Duration 47:50

Joe and Mike talk this week about their recent trips plus aspirational flights they have taken or wish to take in the near future including:

Alaska Pancake Run CLE-PIT-SEA-CLE. In Jan 2024 (Editors note: sadly this flight was cancelled due to the Boeing 737-9 door plug fiasco.
Upper deck of 747. Lufthansa & BA
Aspirational
- Longest- Singapore JFK-SIN (Taking #9 SYD-IAH in the spring)
- Shortest- Loganair Island Hopper Orkney Islands of Scotland. Westray-Papa Westray (1.7 miles)
- United Island Hopper (former Continental Microneasia) 7 Stops HNL to GUM
- Alaska Milk Run- SEA to ANC with several options for stops in between.

Former (defunct)

BA001 Concorde, stopped flying 2003
Other BA001 A318 (stopped in July 2020)
Kai Tak (Hong Kong) Closed in 1998

Links to topics discussed

Year-end Strategies for Top Hotel Elite Status
Best Miles and Points for flights to Hawaii
Air Canada Aeroplan Sues seats.aero
Hyatt Sweet Spots
Mike's trip for Beer, BBQ, Buc-EEs
Driverless Car in Austin
How Joe saved 47K miles United miles

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

Chicago Seminars and Zorkfest Recap

Season 3 · Episode 39

Friday, October 27, 2023 • Duration 46:01

Angie and Joe both met for the first time as Joe was traveling to Angie's hometown, so they both love meetups. This week, Angie went to Chicago Seminars, Joe went out west for Zorkfest.

Links to Topics Discussed

Delta Elite status changes
MGM Marriott updates
Transfer Bonuses Flying Blue & Lifemiles
How I Traveled (with my son) Using Awards & $54
Hilton Surpass & Aspire changes
Incredible Chase Freedom Unlimited Offer
Amex Business Gold but need to call for reconsideration

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 Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026

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 !

Award Travel 101 – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Award Travel 101 – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

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RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

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Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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