What's In Our Wallet?

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 industry news, Southwest has reduced reward rates, Etihad is offering up to a 40% transfer bonus until March 2025, and Singapore Airlines is celebrating 10 million KrisFlyer members with bonus miles and a 20% discount on select award flights.Angie and Joe also share recent travel and credit card updates. Angie rebooked her return flight from Croatia to avoid an overnight layover, while Joe optimized his Japan trip by securing multiple flights and award hotel stays. He also saved points by rebooking a Bonvoy stay at a lower rate. Their credit card strategies were a major focus—Angie manages 53 cards with over $8,000 in annual fees and plans to close 10 to save costs, while Joe, with 50 cards, offsets fees through tax strategies and benefits, making his collection cost-neutral.To wrap up, Joe highlights ExpertFlyer as a valuable but often overlooked tool for securing first and business class upgrades on airlines like Alaska, American, Hawaiian, and Korean. While many tools have emerged in the award travel space, ExpertFlyer still provides an edge for certain travelers. The episode offers valuable insights into maximizing award travel, staying flexible with bookings, and making the most of credit card benefits.Links to Topics DiscussedSouthwest Slashes Earn RatesHotel Program to Etihad Guest Transfer BonusSingapore Airlines Krisflyer PromosWhere 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.