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?
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Gondola AI Features and Review
Episode 185 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks and guest Xan Tanner, founder of Gondola AI. The episode opens with a helpful reminder about using unused Instacart credits to support food banks through Community Carts, followed by several travel-industry updates. Citi is refreshing the American Airlines Executive Card with new perks, including American Airlines Vacations,…
Episode 184 of the Award Travel 101 podcast featured Cameron Laufer and April Rose recapping their recent trips to Greece while also covering the latest points and miles news. The episode opened with a discussion of a community post about whether it was worth paying to keep a small British Airways Avios balance from expiring, with members offering a variety of creative solutions. News included…
Episode 183 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer, covers the latest points and miles news, personal card updates, and practical award travel strategies. The hosts discuss current promotions, including back-to-school airline shopping portal bonuses, Citi's 20% transfer bonus to Flying Blue, and Chase Freedom Flex's upcoming removal of foreign transaction fees.…
Episode 182 of the Award Travel 101 podcast opens with a spotlight on member Alison’s incredible points-funded safari to Kenya, a reminder that award travel can unlock experiences far beyond flights and hotel chains. By leveraging a Virgin Red redemption, an Amex transfer bonus, and Alaska miles for long-haul flights, she and her travel partner enjoyed five nights at an all-inclusive safari lodge…
The Award Travel 101 crew kicked off Episode 181 by discussing one of the week's hottest travel deals: Norse Atlantic's $118 one-way fare from Orlando to London Gatwick. While the price grabbed plenty of attention, the hosts reminded listeners to look beyond the headline fare, noting Norse's low-cost model means extra fees for amenities that many travelers expect. They also covered several major…
Episode 179 of Award Travel 101, hosted by Angie Sparks with moderator Mike Zaccheo, covers news on Delta's new "Miles Headstart" borrow-now-earn-later feature, an Alaska Atmos Rewards status match opportunity, and IHG discounts on new-hotel stays, alongside personal updates on card spend progress, upcoming trips (Punta Cana, Japan, the Milwaukee meetup), and Angie's Swiss rail and Ireland trip…
Hosts Angie Sparks and Justin Walter open with a member highlight—Lori’s Northern Lights trip to Finland with her son—before diving into a busy news week. Wyndham Rewards is overhauling its award chart to four fixed tiers (5,000–45,000 points/night) starting September 15, 2026, with most hotels expected to stay in the lower tiers. Asiana Airlines will exit Star Alliance on December 16, 2026 as…
Episode 178 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Cameron Laufer and Eric Holly, focused on maximizing points and miles around one of life’s most expensive milestones: college. The episode opened with a discussion about the demise of a popular Paze/Newegg workaround that had allowed users to earn 10x Ultimate Rewards points through select Chase Sapphire and Freedom cards. While gift card…
Episode 177 of the Award Travel 101 podcast featured Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer discussing a variety of points-and-miles developments, along with a relatable highlight post from member Melissa about unexpectedly helping a 20-year-old replace a totaled car. While everyone was safe, the experience led to another large purchase charged to a Capital One card, adding to a family history that…
Episode 176 of the Award Travel 101 podcast kicked off with a fun discussion inspired by a member’s post asking which region of Europe or Northern Africa listeners would choose for an all-expenses-paid two-week vacation. The conversation highlighted how differently travelers prioritize destinations, with Angie favoring the expensive countries of Scotland, Norway, Finland, and Estonia, while…