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The Award Travel 101 podcast is back with a discussion about how to get started in award travel, a discussion on whether or not to make speculative points transfers, and more about my first class trip to Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Italy with my father. 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
- 18 — Gorgeous Pictures from Iran and Cards That Earn Status
- 19 — The Tools We Use
- 20 — Mistakes We've Made
- 21 — Crafty Way to See Taylor Swift and Ways to Earn Hotel Free Night Certificates
Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 22 Show Notes
Post of the Week (From the Award Travel 101 Group)
Sarah Gillingham is new to rewards, no rewards cards, high credit scores, spend on Amazon, Lowes, Grocery & gas. Where should she start?
- Listen to the 8 Steps to Better Travel podcast episode
- Check out Allison’s post: a mini-course in award travel
News & Enhanced Offers
- Current Hotel Status Match Opportunities
- A post on the blog about Why I Speculatively Transfer Points
- Qatar 30% ThankYou points bonus ends June 30
Trip Updates
- Angie: finalized planning Bali, booking two Hyatt properties, one more night using FNC for tenting
- Joe: upgraded to Punta Cana, but not going. Found flights back for ⅓ of the cost I’d originally booked
What Bonuses Did We Get?
Angie:
- Finished spending to earn bonus on Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see if you're eligible to earn the bonus on the AA Platinum Select)
- Almost done earning the bonus on the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (read the Ink Unlimited review here)
- Two AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® (see Aviator Red card offers)
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (see Hilton Business Card offer here) for player two
Joe:
- Considering getting the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® for player 2
- Or maybe one of the elevated Hilton Honors credit card offers
- Targeted for a 200,000-point welcome bonus for getting both the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Amex Business Checking account.
Highlight Feature: First Class Father’s Day Award Travel Celebration Trip
I took my dad on a first-class Father’s Day trip to Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Italy.
This one Facebook post links to my 16 prior posts on different awards used or cash spent in order to generate rewards. In total, we spent 731,500 points — or point equivalents in the case of hotel free night awards — and $2,374.84 to cover travel that retailed for $46,766.73 at the time of booking.
What You Didn't Know
Tying into the trip update and my own trip with my dad to Croatia: There are last-minute deals to be had if you have even a little bit of flexibility.
Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community
For questions, you can join us in the free 96,000+ 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.
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