Travel Podcasts, Discovered
Welcome to the Award Travel 101 Podcast! Founded in 2013 with just 20 members, the Award Travel 101 Facebook group teaches members how to travel the world using points and miles. Today, a community of over 100,000+ people from around the world share, teach and learn how to travel anywhere on any budget. Where are you going with Award Travel?
100 most recent episodes displayed below
Visit website →This episode of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks with guests Paul Lanyi and Megan Heister, who share how they’ve used points and miles to support their aging parents while maintaining demanding travel schedules. First they briefly d
Episode 167 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer, covers recent travel news, credit card updates, and a deep dive into cash back credit cards. They begin with a member question about CLEAR and note that while som
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
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 menti
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 abou
Episode 163 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer, opens with a lighthearted highlight from the community about surviving timeshare presentations. Members shared strategies for getting through the required 90–120
Episode 162 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Cameron Laufer and Mike Zaccheo, opens with a listener question that highlights the difficulty of earning American Airlines miles without access to key transfer partners. The discussion underscor
In Episode 161 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks welcomes Justin Walter to share details from his recent family trip to Punta Cana. The episode kicks off with a highlight from member Megan, who creatively paid an $11,000 hospital bill usi
In Episode 160 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks welcomes Claudia Corral and Adrian Pagan from ExpertFlyer to discuss the evolution of one of the original tools in the award travel space. Angie reflects on how, before modern award search
In Episode 159 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo cover listener tips, loyalty news, and Angie’s recent “actual vacation.” The highlight post addresses how to handle two-factor authentication (2FA) when traveling internati
Episode 158 of the Award Travel 101 Podcast features host Joseph Petrovic and returning guest Steve Harms as they dive into recent award travel news, big credit card bonuses, and trip updates before a deep-dive on Hawaii—especially Steve’s favorite i
Episode 157 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks in conversation with Tim Qin, founder of the award search tool Roame.Travel. The episode opens with a timely highlight from the Award Travel 101 community, where a member used a Roame
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 d
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 th
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 c
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 b
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 com
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
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
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 Fa
Episode 148 of the Award Travel 101 podcast focuses on maximizing points and cashback during Black Friday shopping while also covering the week’s key award-travel news. Angie and Cameron open with a community highlight about stacking rewards on large
Episode 147 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with guest Jake Futerfas, dives into maximizing Aeroplan, Air Canada’s loyalty program. Jake, a long-time community member and Aeroplan expert, shares insights on why Aeroplan stands
In Episode 146, Angie Sparks and Joe Petrovic recap their weekend at Chicago Seminars, highlight a timely AT201 post about preparing for phone theft while traveling, and cover key news including IHG’s 100% points bonus, an elevated United Club Card o
This episode features Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks diving deep into the world of credit card statement credits and how to maximize them. The episode begins with a highlight post from member Karen, who detailed her inspiring solo round-the-world trip
Joe returns to host, joined by first-time guest James He and former moderator Eric Holly. The highlight post covers a member’s lost hotel item and how travelers handle forgotten valuables. In the news: Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer devaluation, a new
This week, Mike Zaccheo and moderator Justin Walter dive deep into Delta SkyMiles after highlighting an inspiring post from Karen, a solo traveler in her 60s who completed a 3-week, around-the-world business- and first-class trip using 326K AA and Vi
Episode 142 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks joined by guest Carissa Rawson, Director of Travel and Marketing at Rove Miles. The highlight post celebrated member Debbie’s generosity in gifting a Napa Wine Train voucher she couldn
Episode 141 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Mike Zaccheo with Angie Sparks, opens with the “highlight post” about the demise of the popular Red Aviator “Sub for a SUB” card—long favored for its easy single-purchase American Airlines miles
In Episode 140 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Mike Zaccheo and Cameron Laufer cover a range of topics from heartwarming uses of points to travel industry updates and destination planning. They open with a moving story from a community member
Episode 139 of the Award Travel 101 podcast featured Angie Sparks and Joseph Petrovic with a recap of the Miami meetup and the latest travel news. The highlight post centered on whether travelers still need local currency, with most members agreeing
Episode 138 of the Award Travel 101 podcast opens with Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo discussing a highlight post from member Luis, who was abruptly shut down by Amex with over two million points at stake. The community debated the best redemption str
Episode 137 of the Award Travel 101 podcast featured guest Ian Carroll, founder of the award search tool Seats.aero. Angie opened with a highlight post from a member who discovered Chase is now more strictly enforcing repeat-sub restrictions, similar
In Episode 136 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer discuss a variety of travel and points-related topics. They begin with a member highlight, where a listener shares a positive experience using their Saks credit on
Episode 135 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with Mike Zaccheo, opens with a member story about a mortgage broker advising card closures—sparking near-universal advice to simply find a new broker. In news, they cover the launch
In this episode, Angie and April dive into travel hacks, promotions, and their unforgettable Italian adventures. They highlight a clever mileage-earning strategy from a listener who used a Capital One Shopping portal to rack up over 300,000 miles on
This episode hosted by Mike and Angie , opens with a highlight post from Ira asking about easy, at-home ways to use various Amex statement credits. Angie explains that some, like Dunkin’ and office supply store credits, can be used online, while othe
In Episode 132 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, host Mike Zaccheo is joined by community member Heather Killingbeck to dive into how her passion for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) intersects with her love of points and miles. Heather shares how a spont
In Episode 131 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Angie Sparks, Anthony Cave, and Justin Walter kicked things off with a community discussion where member Antha asked whether to use points for a premium cabin on the outbound or return leg of a tr
In Episode 130 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks dive into a range of updates and insights. They kick things off with a community highlight from Chris, who shared a Europe trip report and crowd-sourced suggestions for fut
In Episode 129 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike and Cameron explore key updates in the points and miles space and take a deep dive into premium travel credit card comparisons. They begin by discussing a community post on whether it’s better to u
In Episode 128 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Joseph Petrovic discuss the latest promotions, program changes, and their evolving card strategies. They highlight a popular 50% DoorDash promo that pairs well with Chase credits, and c
Episode 126 of the Award Travel 101 podcast kicks off with hosts Angie Sparks and Joseph Petrovic diving into a community trip report featuring Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. The post highlights how award travel makes such adventures possible, pr
In Episode 126 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks welcomes back Mike Zaccheo, who just returned from a two-week Alaska adventure with 18 family members. The trip included a cruise from Vancouver through Glacier Bay and College Fjord, follo
In Episode 125 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer dive into a variety of hot topics in the travel and points world before focusing on a destination deep-dive into Iceland. They discuss recent credit card offers, in
In Episode 124 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, host Angie Sparks is joined by organizers of the renowned Chicago Seminars, the oldest and largest in-person gathering for the points and miles community. The event, taking place November 7–9, 2025, at
Episode 123 of the Award Travel 101 podcast covers a variety of travel rewards topics, including a debate over using Ultimate Rewards vs. Capital One points for the same flight. The hosts, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo, also discuss major updates in
In Episode 122 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Cameron Laufer is joined by Emmanuel Crouvisier from CardPointers to discuss the latest news in travel rewards, new credit card offers, and tips for maximizing points. A standout feature of the episode
In Episode 121 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo recap a packed week of travel news, personal updates, and a deep dive into the recent "Magnificent Miles Meetup" in Chicago. They highlight a popular Facebook post comparin
In Episode 120 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks cover Angie’s recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia, blending personal travel highlights with timely award travel news. Big community updates include the long-awaited announc
In Episode 119 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike and Maria kick things off with a community highlight from Paul, who shared his unique travel ritual of getting haircuts abroad to experience local culture. This sparked a lively discussion, with ot
In Episode 118 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, host Mike Zaccheo is joined by moderator April Rose. The episode begins with the "Post of the Week," highlighting a discussion on whether obtaining a Real ID before the May 7 deadline is worthwhile, giv
Angie Sparks is joined by special guest Steve Harms, a seasoned award traveler and recent retiree, to explore how retirement reshapes points and miles strategies. Steve shares his journey into the hobby starting in 2020, diving headfirst into earning
In Episode 116 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie and Cameron dive into key travel news and updates, including a lively community discussion sparked by a member seeking solo travel advice for women. Recommendations ranged from safe bets like Swit
Episode 115 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Mike Zaccheo, features Joe Petrovic's recent return from his second trip to Japan within a year. The "Post of the Week" highlights Maria, a moderator, who utilized the concierge service of her le
In Episode 114 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo take listeners behind the scenes of what it's like running a large Facebook community dedicated to points and miles travel. They kick things off with a viral post about Tam
In Episode 113 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo is joined by Angie Sparks to cover recent travel news, community highlights, and updates in the points and miles world. The featured post of the week sparked lively discussion in the Facebo
Episode 112 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features host Mike Zaccheo and guest Brandyn Osborne, a passionate traveler, entrepreneur, and board gamer. They first met in the Charlotte (CLT) Centurion Lounge, sparking Brandyn's involvement in the Awar
Episode 111 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with guest Joseph Petrovic, covers key updates in the world of points and miles. They discuss a travel hack to avoid costly airline upgrades by using schedule changes instead. In ind
Episode 110 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with Cameron Laufer, covers a range of travel reward topics, from hotel loyalty programs to new credit card offers and companion pass deals. They highlight a discussion about maximiz
In Episode 109 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo discuss a variety of travel-related topics. Angie highlights a member's trip report on using AMEX Marriott Bonvoy card rewards to stay at the Westin Bora Bora, while
In Episode 108 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Angie Sparks and Maria Fung discuss a variety of topics related to points and miles. They highlight a Facebook post from Ruby, who used over 1 million points for a family trip to Florida and Legol
Episode 107 of the podcast focuses on skiing with points, featuring hosts Cameron, Joe, and April. They kick off the episode with a discussion on an interesting WSJ article about the extreme lengths people go to reserve pool chairs at resorts. The ne
In Episode 106 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo is joined by fellow community member Charlie to discuss how award travel fuels adventure. Fresh off their whirlwind European microstates trip, they recount their experiences visiting some o
In this episode moderators Eric Holly and Maria Fung take over hosting duties where they focus on the challenges and strategies of traveling with teenagers, a topic both moderators are familiar with as parents of teens at home and in college. They di
In Episode 104 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Mike Zaccheo and Eric Holly discuss the importance of utilizing shopping portals, highlighting a post by a member who earned 50k points through CapitalOne shopping. They also cover news such as Un
In this episode, Angie and Anthony Cave dive into the latest in travel news, personal updates, and tips for making the most of your points and miles. The highlight post of the week is Scott's review of Secrets Papagayo in Costa Rica, a Hyatt all-incl
In this episode hosts Angie and Mike discuss strategies for maximizing rewards in 2025. They highlight a community post from Marc, a member who successfully earned 1.4 million points by patiently following advice to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimi
In Episode 101 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie and Cameron discuss the post of the week from member Kelly about card strategies for booking stays with VRBO and Airbnb, highlighting the potential benefits of using cards like the Chase Sapphire
Mike and Angie recap an exciting year in the world of award travel. This milestone episode kicks off with a look at the lively community debate over a 47-hour Amtrak ride from Chicago to Miami—a no-go for most but sparking dreams of scenic sleeper-ca
In Episode 99 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Justin Walter dive into exciting travel updates and tips. Highlights include member Paul’s recommendation to explore European Christmas markets, featuring Vienna’s charm. News about Chas
This week Angie talks with our moderator April Rose where they discuss the featured post of a member's frustration over not being able to use their Priority Pass (PP) membership at SFO, prompting them to consider downgrading their CSR card. PP lounge
Mike and Randy Clinton dive into various year-end strategies and travel-related topics. They kick off the episode by discussing a lively debate from the community about the etiquette of bringing ziplock bags or containers into airport lounges to take
Angie and moderator Eric Holly dive into the latest updates in points and miles this week as well as the highlight feature of college visits made more affordable with points and miles. Angie kicks off by sharing a heartwarming post from a member, Ora
Welcome to Episode 95 of the Award Travel 101 podcast! I'm Angie Sparks, joined by Mike Zaccheo. This week, we’re switching things up by saving the highlight post for later, as it ties into our feature on holiday shopping and earning strategies. News
In this episode, Mike and Angie dive into highlights from the week, notable travel deals, and the emotional rollercoaster of post-trip sadness. Angie returns from India, sharing updates on her upcoming plans for Slovenia and a possible return to Fran
This week Mike reconnects with Erin Kilpatrick, a former corporate worker who has embraced the nomadic lifestyle, which she detailed in Episode 35. Erin shares her recent travels in Guatemala, where she’s enjoying the local culture and maximizing her
Todays episode is a special one. It starts off with the routine discussion of the news of the week, including a favorite offer on the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card and adjustments to elite status benefits of the Alaska Mileage Plan program. Angie
In this podcast episode, strategist David Ocamb, delves into the AT101 community's identity and the challenges people face in the points and miles hobby. Key news includes Alaska Airlines' changes to its upgrade policies, opportunities for luxurious
In Episode 90 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, former team admins Toni Perkins Southam and John Hartnagel join Joe to discuss the history of the community. Member Bess asks about using a credit card for a car down payment. The hosts also give a shout
In this episode Jackie Wisniewski, a former Award Travel team member, and Joe's first hire joins him to discuss her journey in the award travel community and her commitment to helping others. Her latest contributions include organizing events like th
In this episode, Mike talks to Award Travel 101 moderator Maria Fung who discusses various travel rewards topics and updates. They feature Ira's mistake of using the wrong credit card, despite labeling them. News includes Hawaiian/Alaska mileage tran
Mike and Joe are on the podcast this week with special guest, former Award Travel 101 moderator and current NerdWallet editor Erin Hurd. They discuss the post of the week, from Travel Grumps 101 member Paige, who was surprised to find her Global Entr
Episode 86 hosted by Angie and Joe kicks off with a member's concern about Priority Pass lounge overcrowding due to cardholders bringing in multiple guests. This prompts a discussion about potential guest limitations to improve the lounge experience
This week we feature another installment of “Meet the Mods” Angie talks with Justin Walter who shared his journey into the points and miles hobby, which started in 2021 after being inspired by fellow enthusiast Justin Vacula. His first major redempti
In this episode the Award Travel 101 podcast, "Book Early, Book Often" Mike and "Backup" Joe share their latest strategies and news updates. Mike discusses his recent approval for the Hawaiian Airlines personal card and transferring 100,000 MR points
We are less than a month away from this year’s Chicago Seminars, the oldest and largest gathering of points and miles aficionados. Joe and Mike talk about the event and give a preview of lectures both Joe and I will be giving. There is also a survey
Meetups are one of our favorite aspects of this hobby which allow us to interact in person with those who share our same passion/obsession. Angie and Mike are fresh off the latest Award Travel 101 meetup in Seattle where they interreacted with almost
As part of our "Meet The Mods" series Mike talks with April about her background, travel style and of course love of Hyatt. They also discuss the nuances of being native New Yorkers where it's seemingly required to vacation in Florida nearly every ye
If you have been around this space for awhile you'll inevitably run into issues dealing with "muggles" or those unwise in the magical arts of award travel. Angie and Mike talk about the type of muggles we meet and how to best converse with them witho
This week Mike talks with Joe who has just logged his latest entry in his "Summer of Travel" logbook by traveling Japan Air Lines Business Class JFK to Toyko, intra-Asia flights to Korea and back. Then the culmination of Etihad business and first cla
Angie talks with new moderator and Ohio native Cameron about his background, travel style and favorite trips. He details his passion for travel for both himself and to show his family the world and how points and miles made it all possible. Links to
In this week's episode Mike and Angie discuss some of the recent hotel card offers then get into the main feature of handling major changes in their life such as a new house and a new job and how it affects their award travel strategy. Links to Topic
It's now July, and we're more than half-way through 2024. In this episode, we're reviewing what we've done through the year to this point, along with some of the trips and places we've been able to book thanks to Award Travel! Post of the week From t
Award Travel 101 moderator, digital nomad and foodie Anthony Cave talks with Mike about his background, what got him into award travel and how he found living a nomadic life was more cost effective and fulfilling. Later on Mike and Anthony discuss th
In this episode, Angie and Joe cover news of the week along with mistakes we’ve made or we’ve seen friends and family make. Links to Topics Discussed LifeMiles showing $1,000+ fees on awards (even in economy)Virgin Atlantic is having a 40% off award
Mike and Joe discuss new airport lounges, Hilton and Hyatt independent hotel affiliations, tipping culture and the broader featured topic of how travel teaches us new things about every place we visit. The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you i
This week Angie talks with newest Award Travel 101 moderator Randy Clinton. Randy talks about his background, what got him started in travel rewards and loyalty programs. Randy talks about some of the aspirational products he has flown and how he boo
Joe is off cruising the Mediterranean so Mike and Angie are on this week. We talk about some news such as AA rolling back their unpopular changes to how loyalty points would be earned. Finally we ponder quirks in the award travel world that makes us
Joe talks with Gunnar Olson of Thrifty Traveler on how award travel has helped enrich his travels with his Player 2), and they've created fond memories flying some incredible products, by way of his work at Thrifty Traveler. Joe and Gunnar also discu
This week Joe and Angie discuss lots of news such as the rebranded Citi Strata Premier, Virgin Red Cruise deal, some SLH properties rejoining World of Hyatt via Mr & Mrs Smith and more. Then then as the summer of travel heats up they discuss the thei