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The Award Travel 101 podcast is back with a trip report after an incredible trip to Iran, new credit card and program offers that might interest you, and which credit cards can help you earn elite status. If you want us to air your question, send us an email or reach out to us in the Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
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Award Travel 101 Podcast Show Format
We break each show into six sections:
- Question/Win of the Week — asked or shared by members of the Award Travel 101 community
- News & Enhanced Offers
- What Bonuses Did We Get — which will tell you what credit cards we're working on and why
- Trip Updates
- Highlight Feature
- What You Didn't Know — a feature dedicated to a big or small tip that will help you better maximize the value you receive from your rewards.
How to Listen to the Award Travel 101 Podcast
Previous Episode Show Notes
- 1 — Meet Award Travel 101 Community Administrators Angie & Joe
- 2 — Booking a Dream (African Safari) Trip
- 3 — Creating Memories Through Big And Small Trips
- 4 — 8 Steps to Better Award Travel
- 5 — Cruise (on Points), Racking and Stacking, and Keep or Kick it to the Curb
- 6 — Transfer Bonuses, Hyatt Bonus Journeys, and Benefits of AwardWallet
- 7 — So Many Program Changes with AwardWallet’s JT Genter
- 8 — Hyatt Changes, AA Domestic First Class Routes, and Meet the Mods (Jackie Wisniewski)
- 9 — Sapphire Lounge Opening, New Bonuses, Meet the Mods (Jerod Morales), and Business Class for Six
- 10 — When to Part with Points and Angie's Safari Trip
- 11 — AvGeeks, Spreadsheets, & Cheatsheets – Meet the Mods (Mike Zaccheo)
- 12 — Status Matching for More Value
- 13 — How Often Do You Get a New Card
- 14 – Incredible Trip to New Zealand on Points, Plus a Trip to the Freddie Awards
- 15 — Best Card for Groceries & Award Travel Community Meetup
- 16 — Citi Product Change Rules and Meet the Team: Allison Caraway
- 17 — Husband Cashes in All Their Points AND Programs To Book Round The World Flights
Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 18 Show Notes
Post of the Week (From the Award Travel 101 Group)
From Inga KC Ever wonder what it's like to travel to a country with a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory? Inga just returned from Iran flying Qatar Qsuite business class for 70K AAdvantage miles business each way. She found it easier than expected and found the people to be delightful. She shared some beautiful photos of her incredible trip.
News & Enhanced Offers
- Increased Southwest credit card offers — including an interesting 30% discount
- 30% transfer bonus from Amex to Virgin Atlantic — use to book Virgin Voyages for 62k points
- Frontier Status with Rewards Card
Trip Updates
- Angie — house is being tented so using points and a free night certificate to stay at the beach while we have to be out of the house
- Joe —
- Atlanta – It had been 107 days since my last flight. Check out the Presidential Suite and the rewards and card benefits I used to make this trip happen:
- Free Breakfast (worth $28)
- 18K Skymiles (transferred from Amex) included free Wi-Fi ($209)
- 24K Hyatt Points at Grand Hyatt Buckhead & their service recovery ($1,122)
- 12K Rapid Rewards home plus used upgraded boarding credit from the Performance Business card to move from C14 to A15 and was credited $8 for wifi ($207)
- Chicago – Spent 24 hours in Chicago. Where'd we go, and what did we do
- Free Breakfast (worth $56)
- Uber Credits ($22.59) plus 10X Earned on Lyft
- Flights covered using $511 from United Travel Bank – how to get that?
- Economy Plus from status (upgraded on return) $306 value
- Thompson using a Cat 1-4 Free Night Award Holiday Weekend ($685)
- Atlanta – It had been 107 days since my last flight. Check out the Presidential Suite and the rewards and card benefits I used to make this trip happen:
What Bonuses Did We Get?
- Angie — nothing new to report
- Joe — why couldn't I put a (travel) charge I’d planned on putting on American Express® Business Gold Card that would help complete a minimum spending requirement
Highlight Feature: Cards That Can Help Earn Elite Status
- Earn American Airlines AAdvantage Loyalty Points through card spending
- Delta SkyMiles credit cards that can help you toward elite status
- Earn United Premier Qualifying Points through credit card spending
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- Hilton Honors
- IHG One Rewards
- World of Hyatt
- Get Marriott Bonvoy elite status by holding the right credit card
What You Didn't Know
Always pay international bills in the “local” currency using a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Paid the bill (didn’t accept Amex) in Euros and saved over $200 vs taking the converted rate at a terrible exchange rate.
Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community
For questions, you can join us in the free 94,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community.
- If you want to jump into more intermediate and advanced strategies, our Award Travel 201 community ($89.99 annually) is filled with those who want to dig into the weeds, looking for more outsized value.
- To book time with our team to discuss how to better your earning and burning strategies, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
- You can also email us at contactawardtravel@gmail.com.
- Meetup sold out, but you can waitlist.
Featured image and header image courtesy of Inga
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