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Welcome back to the Award Travel 101 Podcast — from the original Facebook community created for miles and points enthusiasts. Angie and Joe jump on the pod to discuss news, their newest cards, trip updates, and to share the key to unlocking so many more miles/points: business credit cards.
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 and 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
You can find us anywhere you listen to other fine podcasts including:
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
- 22 — First Class Trip to Croatia and Should You Speculatively Transfer Points
- 23 — Our Favorite Award Programs
- 24 — LIVE From a Lounge & Is American Airlines Status Worth Chasing
- 25 — What Are Points Worth
- 26 — All the Upgrades & Traveling With Kids on the Spectrum
- 27 — Which Card Offers the Best Travel Protections
- 28 — Pancakes and Points
- 29 — Favorite Card Perks and Putting Them All Together
- 30 — What's In Our Wallet
- 31 – Next Meetup Announcement & Let's Go Crazy with AT in the TC
- 32 – 40 Cards – Is it Necessary? Will it Ruin You?
Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 33 Show Notes
Post of the week
Anthony Cave had a very specific question about an upgrade option for a flight for his birthday trip. It highlights the benefits of community. People weighed in with firsthand experience about whether the cost was worth it.
News
- The newest (and second) Capital One Lounge FINALLY opens
- Limited-time increased offer on Hyatt's business card, but it’s a tiered bonus
- Southwest promotion to earn 3x Companion Pass points on qualifying flights
- Transfer these points to a friend or family member for just $15
- Should you buy these cheap points?
- Enhanced Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card offer — is this going under the radar?
Trip updates
- Angie
- Changed positioning flight for Bali (still have American Airlines flight booked) and changed return flight from Sydney, due to AA deal
- Joe
- Booked United and confirmed Polaris seats with just 12,500 Turkish miles per person
- More details on how to book and confirm in Award Travel 201 ($9.99 per month or $89.99 per year)
- Pancake run with Alaska Airlines triangle
What bonuses did we get?
- Angie
- Chase Ink Preferred – bonus ready to post, holding off on cards due to possible mortgage,
- closed United Quest and Alaska Business
- ready to close one of the Business Platinum cards
- Joe
- AAdvantage Citi Executive card for bonus miles plus 20K LP ($120 Avis credit $10 Grubhub – Also on Amex Gold)
- $3K away from both World of Hyatt and Hilton Surpass Free Night Awards
Highlight feature: Business credit cards — unlocking the magic!
How do you get a business card? Start by reading this post.
- Benefits of getting business cards versus personal cards.
- No impact to 5/24 (Discover, Capital One, and Barclays can and do show up on your personal credit report).
- Excellent points-earning opportunities.
- American Express® Business Gold Card 4x multiplier on the first $150,000 of bonus spending annually (then 1x; terms apply).
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card 5x multiplier on the first $25,000 spent in bonus categories per year (then 1x; terms apply).
- Balances don’t show on personal credit report, meaning cards with an introductory 0% APR are great options if you need to carry a balance.
Related: The best business credit card offers this month
Tip of the week
Don’t book rental cars through a portal!! If you have credits that only can be obtained by booking through a portal, you’re much better off booking an independent hotel that doesn’t have a loyalty program or one that has a program you don’t care about. You need to be aware that booking through the portal is a prepaid reservation, and you’re giving up some of the flexibility of using AutoSlash to find a cheaper rate. If you must use the portal, make certain the reservation is fully refundable.
Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community
For questions, you can join us in the free 99,000+ 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 one-on-one.
- You can also email us at contactawardtravel@gmail.com.
- Our next meetup is located in San Antonio, TX on April 26–28, 2024. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit our Taco ‘Bout A Fiesta! Eventbrite.
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