Episode 166 of the Award Travel 101 podcast introduces new team member Laura Kofoid, who joins host Angie Sparks for a casual conversation about her background and entry into the points-and-miles hobby. Laura shares how she discovered travel rewards after retiring from a long IT career and looking for a new hobby, eventually becoming deeply engaged in maximizing loyalty programs. The episode also highlights a fun community post debating airplane seat preferences, where most travelers favored window views but often chose aisle seats for practicality—except for parents, who frequently opt for the middle seat to sit between family members.

In the news segment, Angie and Laura discuss several updates in the travel rewards world. These include a new partnership between Marriott and Ethiopian Airlines (though with a less favorable transfer ratio), changes to Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles award chart coming in May 2026, and the addition of Wyndham as a transfer partner for Bilt Rewards, further strengthening Bilt’s growing ecosystem. They also critique a newly launched Amex business cash-back card, noting its high annual fee and lack of transferable rewards. Laura shares her recent strategy of picking up United business credit cards due to her Denver hub, while Angie continues searching for valuable new card offers.

The episode wraps with a deeper “Meet the Mods” feature on Laura, where she reflects on her biggest wins—like using Hyatt points for a six-night stay in Kauai—and lessons learned, including costly booking mistakes and missed opportunities with sign-up bonuses. She explains her shift from full-price cruising to more strategic travel with upgraded flights and hotel stays. Laura emphasizes her preference for Chase and Amex ecosystems and offers a simple but valuable tip of the week: “HUCA” (Hang Up, Call Again), encouraging persistence when dealing with customer service in travel bookings.

Episode Links:

• Marriott-Ethiopian Partnership
• Cathay Devaluation
• Amex Graphite Biz
• Bilt Adds Wyndham

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 165 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer, opens with a discussion about booking a safari using points. While some luxury lodge options like the JW Masai Mara and Marriott properties near Kruger were mentioned, the consensus advice was to use points for flights and pay cash for the safari itself. This approach provides more flexibility in choosing camps and experiences, while also allowing travelers to earn rewards or hit a new sign-up bonus through cash spending.

In the news segment, the hosts cover several major updates in the points and miles world. ITA Airways announced it will shut down its Volare loyalty program by the end of March 2026, giving members a limited window to redeem points. Citi is devaluing transfer ratios to Choice Hotels and Preferred Hotels, though it is temporarily offsetting this with transfer bonuses to Avianca LifeMiles and Virgin Atlantic. Meanwhile, Chase has increased the sign-up bonus on its Ink Preferred business card to 100,000 points, making it an attractive option for earning rewards on travel and business spending.

The main topic focuses on lesser-known credit card perks that can provide significant value if used correctly. These include primary car rental insurance, purchase protection, extended warranties, companion certificates, travel insurance, and cell phone coverage. The hosts emphasize that understanding the fine print—such as exclusions, coverage limits, and eligibility requirements—is key to maximizing these benefits. They wrap up with practical tips: set alerts for award availability and stay flexible with travel plans, as changing circumstances or better deals can arise unexpectedly.

Episode Links:

• ITA Program Ending
• Citi to Virgin Transfer bonus
• Citi to Avianca Transfer bonus
• Citi to Choice/ I-Prefer Devaluation
• Chase Ink Preferred Offer
• Award Wallet Benefits List

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 164 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features host Mike Zaccheo with guests Tim Kozikowski and Mary Willet, a New Jersey–based couple who are both deeply involved in the points-and-miles hobby. The episode begins with a community question about whether beginners should focus on earning Chase or Amex points. The discussion highlights that most experienced travelers recommend earning both. Chase is often preferred for valuable transfer partners like Hyatt and United, particularly for travelers based near United hubs or those still under the Chase 5/24 rule. Amex is favored for its strong everyday earning rates, especially with cards like the Amex Gold, and for strong airfare redemption opportunities. The broader takeaway from the community discussion is that sign-up bonuses provide the most value, and diversification across programs—sometimes including Capital One and Citi—is generally the best strategy.

The hosts also cover recent travel news, including new offers on Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and an improvement allowing members to top off Marriott free night certificates by up to 25,000 points instead of the previous 15,000 limit. Another update highlights the opening of the Hyatt Regency Niagara Falls Fallsview on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, offering new redemption opportunities with strong room views and potential suite upgrade awards. After sharing upcoming travel plans—such as trips to Texas, Thailand, Japan, and community meetups—the conversation shifts to the main topic: how couples manage a “P1/P1” relationship where both partners actively participate in the award travel hobby rather than one person doing all the planning.

Tim and Mary discuss how they each got into the hobby, starting with an Aeroplan credit card in 2022, and how their shared interest shapes their travel strategy. They talk about coordinating credit card applications, managing points balances, dividing responsibilities like spreadsheets and bookings, and occasionally navigating disagreements over points strategy. The episode highlights how collaboration can improve optimization, from staggering applications around rules like 5/24 to pursuing different loyalty programs or business cards. The hosts wrap up with redemption stories, lessons from mistakes, rapid-fire travel preferences, and advice for couples entering the hobby—emphasizing communication, organization, and having clear travel goals while enjoying the experiences points make possible.

Episode Links:

• Marriott Bonvoy Card offers
• Marriott Now Allowing Top offs up to 25k
• Hyatt Regency Niagara Falls Fallsview

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.