Ants Marching... On Miles

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 spontaneous trip to a DMB show in Mexico led to meaningful friendships and a realization that she needed to make concert travel more affordable—enter points and miles. She's since used over half a million points, possibly up to a million, to follow the band to iconic venues like The Gorge and even on a European tour, with award redemptions taking her to Amsterdam, Paris, and Lisbon. Her go-to strategy includes the Southwest Companion Pass, Hyatt Globalist perks, and travel hacking tools to make the most of every trip, all while juggling work, family, and parent guilt.The episode also covers major news in the points world: the launch of Citi’s new Strata Elite card with a hefty bonus, luxury perks, and the surprise reintroduction of American Airlines as a 1:1 transfer partner with Citi ThankYou Points. Heather shares recent bonuses she's earned, trip updates including an upcoming return to Baha Mar for Thanksgiving, and her unforgettable award-based travels. From crowdstrike flight chaos to lounge sprints and missed connections that turned into bonus nights, her stories highlight both the joys and unpredictability of award travel. The episode closes on a reflective note, encouraging listeners to "chase the joy," whether through a favorite band, a shared hobby, or the travel communities that make it all possible.Links to Topics DicussedComedian Experience Luxury Hotels with his "Sapphire Points"Citi Strata Elite LaunchesWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at [email protected] your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our 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.