Joe Petrovic Latest Posts

Dining programs are a great way to earn extra points and miles every time you eat out. While this strategy isn’t likely to earn the bulk of your total rewards haul, you could easily earn enough for a free domestic flight each year with minimal effort. Check out our guide to the top programs, and watch the points start rolling in.

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. Shoutout to Thrifty Traveler Premium for partnering with this episode of the Award Travel 101 Podcast.

The Award Travel 101 podcast is back with more Award Travel 101 member questions, what to do with a husband who cashed in all of a couple's points and which programs offer extreme value in building a Round-The-World flight. If you want us to air your question, send us an email or reach out to us in the Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.

The Award Travel 101 podcast is back with more Award Travel 101 member questions, offers to help to improve your travel experiences, and a chat with Award Travel 101 community manager, Allison Caraway. This week, we cover Citi product changes and why you need to be careful if you want to earn some of the lucrative sign-up bonuses currently available.

The Award Travel 101 podcast is back with more Award Travel 101 member questions, offers to help pad your balances, and a discussion about our most recent meetup and why you should join the next one.

In Award Travel 101 Podcast Episode 14, Mike and Joe discuss the incredible United Polaris award availability that popped up, an epic points trip to New Zealand, points and miles news, and the enhanced card offers they are taking advantage of (and which they couldn't get). Plus, here's a recap of the Freddie Awards and winners in each category.

In the latest episode of the Award Travel 101 Podcast, Joe and Angie answer a group question about just how many cards is too much. Plus, we discuss an amazing new Chase card offer, new Choice sweet spots, how to use Hyatt points at a sold-out hotel, and a trick to using the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card resort credit even when you aren't staying at an eligible resort.

In the latest episode of the Award Travel 101 Podcast, Joe and Angie dive deep into elite status matching — including a Spirit Airlines status match being pulled April 23 — plus discuss news like Marriott's new online point transfer tool, cuts to ANA fuel surcharges, new transfer bonuses, new card offers, and tips about using shopping portals to earn tons of bonus points.

In episode 11 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Mike Zaccheo joins Joe to discuss Award Travel 101 group wins, review exciting news and offers this week, celebrate a three-year anniversary for Joe, and share Mike's tricks for saving on airfare.

In episode 10 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Angie returned from the bush to discuss her extraordinary Africa trip. Joe and Angie help a listener determine when to use cash vs. points to book an upcoming trip. Plus, hear how Angie accidentally earned the Southwest Companion Pass!

In episode 9 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Joe brings fellow Award Travel 101 moderator Jerod Morales on to discuss wins from the community (including United Polaris and Qatar Qsuite), discuss planning travel for a group of six,

In episode 8 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Joe brings fellow Award Travel 101 moderator Jackie Wisniewski on to answer a question from the community about stacking offers to purchase gift cards, how to re-earn AAdvantage elite status you might be losing soon, what Hyatt properties to book before the category changes, and review the best card offers currently available.

In episode 7 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Joe shares a reader win using points and miles to fly to an Antarctica cruise, reviews the incredible card offers currently available, and welcomes AwardWallet Editor-In-Chief JT Genter to discuss travel news and discuss how he uses points and miles to travel the world full-time since June 2017.

In episode 6 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Angie and Joe advise a listener deciding about paying more for a better booking experience, review the big news of the week, and do a deep dive into the perks of tracking your points/miles and trips through AwardWallet.

In episode 5 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Angie and Joe advise a listener about how to book long-haul business class for the first time, dig into incredible credit card and redemption options, and discuss how to decide whether you should keep a credit card — or kick it to the curb.

In episode 4 of the relaunched Award Travel 101 Podcast, Angie and Joe advise a reader about how to value a points redemption, discuss the best credit card offers available now, and walk beginners through eight steps for going from zero to hero in points and miles.

The Award Travel 101 podcast returns! After three years off, Angie and Joe are bringing back the beloved weekly show. Here are the show notes for episode 3, plus how to listen if you aren't already.

AwardWallet's Award Travel 101 group seems to have uncovered a unique way to unlock United business class award space: the TAP Miles&Go program. Here's how you can maximize this to fly to Hawaii for much cheaper than booking through United's MileagePlus program.

Free Night Awards, Suite Night Awards, and the pursuit of more points. If you want to maximize your earning opportunities in 2022, you may not even have to make significant changes to your current plans. It may be as simple as a few minor adjustments.

Come join us at Zorkfest 2021 for an exciting, in-person event covering the ins and outs of your favorite travel rewards, loyalty, and casino loyalty programs.

Do you see warm sandy beaches, lush tropical vegetation, delightful pools, and a beautiful resort in your future? If so, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa might be a perfect choice! In this post, we’ve got a case study on how to use points and miles, credit card perks, and elite status to book an amazing getaway at a huge discount.

Thinking about jumping on Spirit Airlines' new status match/challenge opportunity? Before you register, check out this post to learn what benefits you would receive. But, you'll want to consider the total cost first, because maintaining status may be costlier than it first appears.

Are you worried that you aren't doing the miles and points game right? Let's flip the script and look at five of the ways to know when you're actually coming out ahead in travel and loyalty programs.

Low cash prices and increased earning opportunities are making flexible points more valuable than ever before. With these points, you have a choice between transferring to airline and hotel partners or redeeming for a fixed, cash value. The conventional wisdom is to transfer points for higher value. Today, I’ll explain why that advice might not be true right now—and how to make the right choice on your next redemption.

Stacking Marriott Bonvoy's latest promotions and Amex Offers can help you earn more points and save on upcoming stays. Here's how I'm stacking a few of these offers to get elite status quicker and cheaper than before. What do you stand to gain from stacking these offers? More value awaits including free breakfasts, upgrades, checkouts as late as 4 p.m., milestone benefits, and even more bonus points.

Sick of the typical rental car experience? I have found that Silvercar offers an elevated rental experience, and its Premium Rewards program is simple to use and can save you money. Plus you can now track your points right in AwardWallet! Here's what you need to know about Silvercar.

Looking for a new pair of Bose noise-cancelling headphones? Here's how I stacked offers to get Bose's latest and greatest $349 headphones for under $90 while earning over 4,500 Membership Rewards points from doing so.

ExpertFlyer is an incredibly useful tool for finding award availability, seat maps, flight schedules, and more. In this article, we show you the basics of searching for award availability—along with tips for how you can use this information to save miles on your next award booking.

Earning a huge amount of points is still possible even when shopping from home. By stacking Amex Offers with shopping portal bonuses, I saved $50 and earned 9,700 points in one day! Here's how I did it and how you can step up your points-earning too.