TravelStories Episode 14: A Milestone Trip with Joe Petrovic

A Milestone Trip with Joe Petrovic Episode 14: Show Notes. We welcome Joe Petrovic from Award Travel 101 to the podcast, to talk about how he used his miles and points to take him and his father on a first-class strip to Croatia. Before speaking about his special trip, Joe explains how he got into the rewards game and what he did to become an expert and the value of meet-ups. Then, we discuss the magnanimity of loyalty programs and how it’s impossible to know and understand every single one, the importance of community and multiple perspectives, the brilliance of imperfection, and the ins and outs of Joe’s memorable trip to Croatia. He reflects on a unique Emirates experience, and he goes into detail about everything he loved from his first-class trip both in the air and on the ground. We end the show with the second edition of our new game, Guess the Fare, so tune in to see if you can guess the right price of today’s fictional trip!          Key Points From This Episode: [00:19] Introducing Award Travel 101’s Joe Petrovic, and how he got into miles and points. [02:15] How Joe became an expert in miles and points.  [10:26] Why it's impossible to know every single rewards program and/or mileage currency.  [12:10] How attending conferences helped Joe to level up, and the importance of community. [17:31] The role that Joe’s personality played in him learning the game as quickly as he did.  [20:30] How having multiple perspectives speeds up the problem-solving process.   [21:34] Joe describes his travel style.   [26:04] How striving for good enough is better than seeking perfection.   [27:01] The ins and outs of the milestone trip that he took with his dad to Croatia.  [32:17] How long in advance he tracked prospective routes before booking his trip.   [35:49] Joe's Emirates experience.   [40:32] The highlights and stand-out moments of Joe’s first-class air travel adventure.   [42:20] Exploring the perception of space on airlines, and a love for first-class amenities. [43:20] What he enjoyed the most from his time on the ground during his milestone trip. [47:58] How travel can give you a new appreciation for your home country.  [50:52] Joe’s advice for mileage seekers and prospective travelers: keep asking questions.    [52:46] We end this episode with the second edition of our little game show, Guess the Fare.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Joseph Petrovic on Twitter Award Travel 101  Award Travel 101 on Facebook Award Travel 101 on Instagram Award Travel 101 Podcast  Award Travel 101 8-Step Free Mini-Course  Award Travel 101 Milestone Trip  United Airli