Successful Family Travel

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 Chase Freedom’s Q1 2025 5x categories, Virgin Red’s link to Virgin Flying Club for bonus points, and status match opportunities for Delta and Hilton elites was discussed. Southwest also announced the sale of A-List status, offering perks like priority boarding and same-day flight changes.In the main feature, Justin recounts his recent 6-night family trip to Europe, managing the logistics of traveling with seven people, including his sister-in-law’s first international journey. He secured United Polaris business class tickets, enjoyed the Polaris lounge at ORD, and stayed at the Hyatt Regency Churchill in London with upgraded suites and stellar service. The family explored iconic attractions earning bonus points through Rakuten for ticket purchases. They wrapped up the trip with a positioning flight to Amsterdam.  While Justin and his travel companions had a smooth return flight to the U.S., his parents faced a different experience. Their itinerary was hit by a lengthy delay, resulting in an unplanned overnight stay in Chicago. This situation served as a reminder to stay calm and make use of available resources when irregular operations (IROPS) occur. On a positive note, they successfully filed a UK261 claim to compensate for the inconvenience. Justin concludes with practical family travel tips—plan your transportation, bring portable strollers, and use Uber for ease. Plus, Justin’s tip of the week encourages listeners to jump on outstanding offers when you see them, like we did with the NLL Amex Business Gold recently.Links to Topics DiscussedChase Freedom Q1 2025 CategoriesLink Virgin red to Virgin Flying Club for 4000 pointsAA Announced 2025 Loyalty program changesDelta Status for Hilton Diamond membersSouthwest Selling A-List “status”Where 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.