Episode 156 of the Award Travel 101 podcast opens with Cameron Laufer and Mike Zaccheo discussing a strange and unsettling incident shared in the Award Travel 101 Facebook group, where a traveler appeared to be panhandled inside DFW airport using a dubious story involving an “emergency passport.” The hosts agree the situation didn’t add up and use it as a springboard to talk about staying alert in airports. They then move into news and updates, covering several current travel and credit card developments, including a new Hyatt welcome offer with five free nights, an enhanced Capital One Venture bonus, American Airlines elite status buy-up offers, Alaska Airlines’ “Ski Free” promotion, and news of a proposed Sun Country–Allegiant merger. Both hosts also share recent personal card approvals, retention offers, and trip updates, highlighting how points and miles were used for travel to New York, Key West, Europe, Mexico, and Park City.

The main topic of the episode is a deep dive into the controversial rollout of “Bilt 2.0,” including new card tiers (Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium), the introduction of “Bilt Cash,” and major changes to how rent and mortgage payments earn points. Mike and Cameron break down the math behind the new earning options, explaining how cardholders now need significant non-bonus spend to earn rent or mortgage points fee-free, which sparked backlash from users who felt the program’s core promise had shifted. They discuss why the rollout caused a firestorm—citing complexity, perceived deception, and new earning restrictions—while also acknowledging positives like welcome bonuses, mortgage eligibility, higher potential earn rates, and strong transfer partners such as Hyatt.

In closing, the hosts offer balanced perspectives on who the revamped Bilt program may or may not be for. Cameron views it as potentially attractive for non-renters seeking strong transfer partners and solid earn rates on everyday spend, while Mike urges listeners to focus on opportunity cost and not get swept up in hype without doing the math. The episode wraps with a practical “tip of the week,” advising travelers to be proactive and push for better hotel accommodations when airlines strand them overnight due to delays or missed connections.

Episode Links:

• Hyatt 5 Night Offer
• Capital One Venture Offer
• American Status Buy up Offers
• Fly Alaska Ski Free
• Sun County/ Allegiant Merger
• Bilt 2.0 Details

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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!

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Episode 155 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, “This and That,” features Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo covering a wide range of points-and-miles news, personal updates, and community highlights. A standout moment comes from a member post calculating that 11 trips taken with kids—booked using points—would have cost over $40,000 in cash but instead totaled under $2,000, underscoring both the massive savings and the priceless experiences gained. The hosts also discuss developing news, including rumored new Bilt cards, a potential Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy impacting Amex credits, new credit card offers from Aeroplan and Marriott, and plans for a Capital One Lounge at Charlotte airport.

Angie and Mike share their own credit card strategies, recent approvals and denials, and how they’re managing spend thresholds and bonuses. Angie dives into trip planning for Switzerland, Turkey, and an upcoming cruise, highlighting the creative use of Chase credits, hotel points, and free night certificates—along with the quirks of booking Swiss trains. Mike talks about “gardening” itineraries to save points, upgrading cabins, and planning trips to Key West, Vegas, Napa, and an anniversary stay at Alila Napa, largely using American Airlines and Marriott Bonvoy redemptions.

The main discussion centers on travel quirks inspired by an article, sparking a lively debate on premium cabin dining habits, pre-departure drinks, excessive bedding, refillable hotel amenities, and window shade etiquette. The episode wraps with a practical tip of the week: travelers renting cars at Orlando (MCO) can avoid rental company toll fees by signing up for the free Florida Visitor Toll Pass kiosk just steps from the rental counters—paying only the tolls themselves and nothing extra.

Episode Links:

• Aeroplan Card
• Marriott Boundless Offer
• Capital One Lounge CLT

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.

Episode 154 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks and moderator Anthony Cave, recorded early due to scheduling, with a lighter news slate and no new card bonuses or trip updates from Angie. The highlight of the week was a reflective community post where members shared their best award travel experiences of 2025, ranging from aspirational first-class flights like Swiss, Emirates, and Singapore Suites to more personal moments such as traveling with loved ones or beginning retirement abroad. In news, the hosts discussed Bilt’s new real-time award flight search tool, rumors around a possible “Bilt 2.0” card with mortgage-earning potential, JetBlue’s still-active ultra-low 800-point award flights, improving Alaska partner earning rates in 2026, and a Marriott-to-Singapore Airlines status pathway.

Anthony shared that while he hasn’t picked up new bonuses, he’s been maximizing Amex credits and is planning a big winter trip to either Europe or Asia, along with booking some comped cruises. The main topic of the episode was a deep dive into the Choice Privileges rewards program, including the newly introduced Titanium status tier. Key elite benefits include free breakfast at former Radisson properties for Diamond members, a new Titanium award, and the standout perk of being able to book suites for the same number of points as standard rooms. Downsides include resort fees on award stays and inconsistent late checkout.

The hosts outlined how Choice status is relatively easy to earn through its two credit cards, which provide automatic status, elite night credits, and strong earning categories. They also highlighted valuable redemption sweet spots—such as hotels in Prague, Vienna, Tokyo, and Auckland for surprisingly low point totals—and favorable transfer ratios from major bank programs. The episode wrapped up with a reminder that Marriott PointSavers awards can only be searched on desktop, making it a useful but often overlooked tool.

Episode Links:

• Bilt Search Tool
• Alaska Atmos Increased Earning
• JetBlue 800 point Flights
• Singapore Status Match

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.

Episode 153 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with moderator Cameron Laufer, opens with a community “commiseration” post about painful travel mistakes. Member Ray shared losing 38,000 JetBlue points and cash after accidentally booking a non-refundable Blue Basic fare and missing the DOT cancellation window by just a few hours. This sparked stories from others about points and money lost due to rigid policies or simple stubbornness, reinforcing how unforgiving award travel rules can be. The hosts then covered key news, including the Venture X 100k offer ending January 5, the JetBlue–JAL partnership ending March 31, Chase Freedom/Flex Q1 5x categories, and a disappointing British Airways Avios devaluation that raises both award costs and fees.

Angie and Cameron also shared recent card activity and trip updates. Angie is focusing on earning steady points into 2026, timing new applications like the Amex Brilliant, and planning future travel to Switzerland and possibly Australia in 2027. Cameron discussed recent redemptions in Southeast Asia that delivered strong value, progress on large bonuses, and upcoming family travel using Southwest Companion Pass benefits. The main discussion centered on a 2026 points forecast, including which cards they’re interested in opening, which ones they plan to close or downgrade, and how shifting fees, benefits, and credit limits are shaping their strategies.

The episode wrapped with award travel goals for 2026 and a practical tip of the week: don’t let chasing small credits or minor wins consume disproportionate time and energy. Angie noted that some credits, like Instacart, may not be worth the effort, while Cameron echoed this with examples like phone credits. Overall, the episode balanced cautionary tales, forward-looking strategy, and a reminder to keep points and miles fun—and efficient—as 2026 approaches.

Episode Links:

• Venture X Offer Ending
• JetBlue/JAL Partnership Ending
• Chase Freedom Q1 Categories
• British Airways Devaluation

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.

Episode 152 of the Award Travel 101 podcast covers a wide range of timely award travel news, recent booking challenges, and a deep dive into how Angie and Cameron are thinking about points earning as they look ahead to 2026. The hosts open with a community highlight about delayed Amex-to-Delta transfers, reminding listeners that transfers may still be usable even if balances don’t immediately update, and that transfer times vary by program. In the news segment, they discuss several changes affecting travelers, including airlines rolling out free in-flight internet, American Airlines eliminating mileage earning on Basic Economy tickets booked after December 17, Chase reducing Points Boost values for The Edit hotels, and Bilt adding Spirit Airlines as a transfer partner.

Both hosts then share recent bonuses, trips, and booking experiences—good and bad. Angie notes difficulties using Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts credits due to pricing and availability, as well as a frustrating phantom award space issue on United. Cameron details multiple upcoming trips, including booking LATAM business class to Chile via Virgin, taking advantage of a limited Amex-to-Virgin transfer bonus, and finding strong premium economy value on Air France, even if logistics made it less appealing. These examples highlight how flexible points strategies and constant monitoring are often required to secure good redemptions.

The main topic focuses on how many points were earned and spent this year and what that means for 2026. Angie describes a relatively slow year for new card openings but significant spending on major trips, leaving her overall points-positive while planning to cancel or downgrade several cards and target a few specific additions next year. Cameron reports earning 1.8 million points, realizing how heavily he relied on American Airlines miles, and deciding to prioritize earning more of them going forward. The episode wraps with a reminder that calendar-year credits—especially Amex credits—are about to expire, urging listeners to use them before the deadline.

Episode Links:

• Atmos Free Starlink
• American No earning on basic economy
• Chase reduces Points Boost on the Edit
• Bilt adds Spirit

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.

Episode 151 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Joseph Petrovic, covers a wide range of travel and points news before diving into a full recap of ZorkFest. In the news segment, the hosts discuss Mesa unexpectedly shutting down accounts, changes to the Ritz-Carlton card’s lounge guest policy, JetBlue’s new Terminal 5 lounge with very limited access, and concerns around a Cathay Pacific transfer devaluation from Amex Membership Rewards. They also highlight year-end checklist reminders, such as expiring credits, point pooling, and spending thresholds. Angie and Joe share recent bonuses, card closures, and points earned, along with detailed trip updates involving Vegas, Japan, Orlando, Phoenix, and upcoming meetups.

The main topic centers on ZorkFest, a unique event that blends traditional travel rewards with casino loyalty programs. Held at the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada, ZorkFest attracts attendees interested in high expected value opportunities, cost-effective stays (including bookings with Choice points), and hands-on learning through labs and live gaming experiences with experts. Both Angie and Joe recount their flights, hotel experiences, and why the event stands out: strong presenters, opportunities for new players, and a focus on maximizing rewards across both travel and casino ecosystems. The hosts note that the event just wrapped up and is likely to return next year.

The episode wraps with miscellaneous trip highlights, community connections, and a “Tip of the Week” emphasizing adaptability. Joe stresses that points and miles opportunities are constantly changing, with earning avenues and redemption paths frequently disappearing. The key takeaway is to stay flexible, plan ahead, and be ready to pivot strategies as programs evolve—an especially timely reminder given the rapid changes discussed throughout the episode.

Episode links:

• Mesa Shutdown
• Ritz Lounge Access
• JetBlue JFK Lounge
• Cathay Devaluation

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.

Episode 150 of the Award Travel 101 Podcast focuses heavily on year-end strategy, with Mike Zaccheo and moderator Cameron Laufer walking through news, bonuses, trip updates, and the annual housekeeping travelers should tackle before December 31. They open by highlighting a community post about someone just 500 MQDs short of Delta Diamond and discuss creative last-minute options—same-day turn flights, buying MQDs, or leveraging Delta credit card boosts. News items include Royal Air Maroc’s new status match (valid through 2026), a significant Turkish Miles&Smiles partner award devaluation, and Capital One’s upcoming transfer-ratio cut to Emirates. Mike and Cameron also share their own card bonus pursuits and recent travel planning, including Mike’s NYC trip and Cameron’s Singapore Airlines business-class redemption and new Hyatt Globalist status.

The main segment dives into year-end planning across credits, spending, and elite status. Mike reviews the long list of expiring statement credits—hotel credits from Amex, Chase, and Citi; airline incidental credits; and category-specific perks like Amex Dell/Saks/Resy and Hilton’s monthly credits. Cameron covers annual spending thresholds, including Hilton free night certificate triggers, Hyatt spend-based nights, Amex Platinum’s 75K spend for guest lounge access. They also outline status deadlines, reminding listeners that most airline and hotel elite metrics close December 31.

Rounding out the episode, the hosts discuss point pooling and transfer limits—noting strict annual caps for Citi ThankYou, Marriott, and Hilton—plus considerations around buying points and credit-card strategy like triple-dipping and 5/24 checks. The “Tip of the Week” advises booking Alaska Airlines partner awards (such as those operated by AA) under “other person” so you can later manage the reservation directly through American Airlines.

Episode Links:

• Royal Air Maroc Status Match
• Turkish Devaluation
• Capital One to Emirates Devaluation
• Year End Statement Credits
• Year End Hotel Status Strategy

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.

In this episode of Award Travel 101, hosts Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo dive deep into the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program. They explore the program's extensive hotel network of over 8,900 properties across 34 brands, ranging from budget-friendly Fairfield Inn to luxury Ritz Carlton. The hosts break down the elite status tiers, highlighting that Platinum status offers the most meaningful benefits, including room upgrades, free breakfast, and guaranteed 4 PM late checkout.

The discussion covers Marriott Bonvoy credit card strategies, noting the various cards from Amex and Chase that offer elite night credits and status. They candidly discuss the program's pros and cons, praising its wide footprint and diverse property range while critiquing issues like resort fees on award stays and less-than-impressive benefits for lower-tier status levels. The episode concludes with a key tip: focus on loyalty strategies that genuinely work for your personal travel needs, rather than getting caught up in status-chasing hype.

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at 101@award.travel
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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.