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Showing episodes and shows of
Mike Zaccheo
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Award Travel 101
Bilt 2.0 Reaction
Episode 156 of the Award Travel 101 podcast opens with Cameron Laufer and Mike Zaccheo discussing a strange and unsettling incident shared in the Award Travel 101 Facebook group, where a traveler appeared to be panhandled inside DFW airport using a dubious story involving an “emergency passport.” The hosts agree the situation didn’t add up and use it as a springboard to talk about staying alert in airports. They then move into news and updates, covering several current travel and credit card developments, including a new Hyatt welcome offer with five free nights, an enhanced Capital One Venture bonus, American Airlines elite...
2026-01-23
1h 05
Award Travel 101
This and That -- Travel Quirks
Episode 155 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, “This and That,” features Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo covering a wide range of points-and-miles news, personal updates, and community highlights. A standout moment comes from a member post calculating that 11 trips taken with kids—booked using points—would have cost over $40,000 in cash but instead totaled under $2,000, underscoring both the massive savings and the priceless experiences gained. The hosts also discuss developing news, including rumored new Bilt cards, a potential Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy impacting Amex credits, new credit card offers from Aeroplan and Marriott, and plans for a Capital One Lounge at Charl...
2026-01-16
44 min
Award Travel 101
Year End Planning Checklist
Episode 150 of the Award Travel 101 Podcast focuses heavily on year-end strategy, with Mike Zaccheo and moderator Cameron Laufer walking through news, bonuses, trip updates, and the annual housekeeping travelers should tackle before December 31. They open by highlighting a community post about someone just 500 MQDs short of Delta Diamond and discuss creative last-minute options—same-day turn flights, buying MQDs, or leveraging Delta credit card boosts. News items include Royal Air Maroc’s new status match (valid through 2026), a significant Turkish Miles&Smiles partner award devaluation, and Capital One’s upcoming transfer-ratio cut to Emirates. Mike and Cameron also share their own ca...
2025-12-12
37 min
Award Travel 101
Program Deep Dive: Marriott Bonvoy
In this episode of Award Travel 101, hosts Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo dive deep into the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program. They explore the program's extensive hotel network of over 8,900 properties across 34 brands, ranging from budget-friendly Fairfield Inn to luxury Ritz Carlton. The hosts break down the elite status tiers, highlighting that Platinum status offers the most meaningful benefits, including room upgrades, free breakfast, and guaranteed 4 PM late checkout.The discussion covers Marriott Bonvoy credit card strategies, noting the various cards from Amex and Chase that offer elite night credits and status. They candidly discuss the program's pros...
2025-12-05
47 min
Award Travel 101
Credit Card Credit Rundown
This episode features Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks diving deep into the world of credit card statement credits and how to maximize them. The episode begins with a highlight post from member Karen, who detailed her inspiring solo round-the-world trip at age 60, showing how miles, points, and determination can unlock life-changing travel. In news, the hosts cover Flying Blue’s November Promo Rewards offering discounted redemptions from North America to Europe, a 20% Capital One transfer bonus to British Airways, Wells Fargo adding JetBlue as a transfer partner, and a major announcement that Rove Miles will soon support Lufthansa’s Mile...
2025-11-07
45 min
Award Travel 101
Deep Dive Into Delta
This week, Mike Zaccheo and moderator Justin Walter dive deep into Delta SkyMiles after highlighting an inspiring post from Karen, a solo traveler in her 60s who completed a 3-week, around-the-world business- and first-class trip using 326K AA and Virgin miles plus $8.2K in cash for a journey valued at ~$22K. Her itinerary spanned NYC, Tel Aviv, Paris, Tokyo, and Phoenix, with smooth connections, Hyatt stays on points, and carry-on-only travel. She earned 38K miles back and proved that with planning, persistence, and a good points strategy, major bucket-list trips are possible at any age.In the...
2025-10-24
51 min
Award Travel 101
Leaf Peeping in New England
Episode 141 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Mike Zaccheo with Angie Sparks, opens with the “highlight post” about the demise of the popular Red Aviator “Sub for a SUB” card—long favored for its easy single-purchase American Airlines miles bonus. The news roundup covers major developments: the completion of the Hawaiian-Alaska merger and Alaska’s award chart updates, elevated Chase Ink offers and limited-time Hilton Amex bonuses Angie also reviews several active transfer bonuses.In personal updates, Angie notes her Atmos bonus posting, Aviator annual-fee payments pending, a Hilton Surpass FNC spend met, and plans to downgrade he...
2025-10-10
39 min
Award Travel 101
Destination: Dolomites
In Episode 140 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Mike Zaccheo and Cameron Laufer cover a range of topics from heartwarming uses of points to travel industry updates and destination planning. They open with a moving story from a community member who used 18,000 AA miles to fly an old friend across the country for emotional support—highlighting how miles can offer more than just luxury travel. Mike and Cameron then discuss notable credit card updates, including new Capital One transfer partners like Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines (with a 30% bonus), and question whether the $895 Amex Platinum fee is worth it gi...
2025-10-03
1h 00
Wenbin Fang's Podcast Playlist
Program Deep Dive: Hilton Honors
Podcast: Award Travel 101 (LS 44 · TOP 1% what is this?)Episode: Program Deep Dive: Hilton HonorsPub date: 2025-09-19Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationEpisode 138 of the Award Travel 101 podcast opens with Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo discussing a highlight post from member Luis, who was abruptly shut down by Amex with over two million points at stake. The community debated the best redemption strategy—ranging from Delta (discouraged) to BA, Aeroplan, or spreading across multiple programs including Hilton. News updates included Capital One removing Prior...
2025-09-19
45 min
Award Travel 101
Program Deep Dive: Hilton Honors
Episode 138 of the Award Travel 101 podcast opens with Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo discussing a highlight post from member Luis, who was abruptly shut down by Amex with over two million points at stake. The community debated the best redemption strategy—ranging from Delta (discouraged) to BA, Aeroplan, or spreading across multiple programs including Hilton. News updates included Capital One removing Priority Pass restaurant benefits from Venture X Biz cards, a Chase 20% Flying Blue transfer bonus, and Southwest rolling out free Wi-Fi for Rapid Rewards members. They also highlighted multiple transfer bonuses across Hilton, Marriott, and Virgin and reminded li...
2025-09-19
45 min
Award Travel 101
Atmos Rewards
Episode 135 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks with Mike Zaccheo, opens with a member story about a mortgage broker advising card closures—sparking near-universal advice to simply find a new broker. In news, they cover the launch of the Alaska Airlines premium card, Frontier’s companion certificates tied to spend, a Southwest temporary Companion Pass promo, and the upcoming Singapore KrisFlyer devaluation.Angie shares updates on her app-o-rama (with mixed results), booking a Caribbean cruise, and setting plans for Switzerland, while Mike reports progress toward his Citi Strata Elite SUB and approval for the new...
2025-08-29
42 min
Award Travel 101
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 aw...
2025-08-08
44 min
Wenbin Fang's Podcast Playlist
London is Calling
Podcast: Award Travel 101 (LS 44 · TOP 1% what is this?)Episode: London is CallingPub date: 2025-07-25Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn Episode 130 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks dive into a range of updates and insights. They kick things off with a community highlight from Chris, who shared a Europe trip report and crowd-sourced suggestions for future destinations—Angie recommended Slovenia. They then covered loyalty program news, including a Flying Blue and Accor giveaway of 1 million points, Bilt’s new Vir...
2025-07-25
56 min
Award Travel 101
London is Calling
In Episode 130 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks dive into a range of updates and insights. They kick things off with a community highlight from Chris, who shared a Europe trip report and crowd-sourced suggestions for future destinations—Angie recommended Slovenia. They then covered loyalty program news, including a Flying Blue and Accor giveaway of 1 million points, Bilt’s new Virtuoso-partnered hotel booking platform, a 100k mile welcome offer on the new United Business Card, and Hyatt’s new award points calendar for easier booking. Angie also highlighted ZorkFest 2025, which blends casino and award travel educat...
2025-07-25
56 min
Wenbin Fang's Podcast Playlist
Destination: Alaska
Podcast: Award Travel 101 (LS 44 · TOP 1% what is this?)Episode: Destination: AlaskaPub date: 2025-06-27Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn Episode 126 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks welcomes back Mike Zaccheo, who just returned from a two-week Alaska adventure with 18 family members. The trip included a cruise from Vancouver through Glacier Bay and College Fjord, followed by a land segment from Whittier to Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks. Mike recapped highlights like ziplining in Skagway, a mushing experience with an Iditarod competitor, and sce...
2025-06-27
1h 12
Award Travel 101
Destination: Alaska
In Episode 126 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks welcomes back Mike Zaccheo, who just returned from a two-week Alaska adventure with 18 family members. The trip included a cruise from Vancouver through Glacier Bay and College Fjord, followed by a land segment from Whittier to Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks. Mike recapped highlights like ziplining in Skagway, a mushing experience with an Iditarod competitor, and scenic rail rides with Alaska Railroad. He also shared the chaos of managing 19 travelers, tips like using AirTags on all luggage and assigning group captains, and the value of oneworld Emerald status and the co-branded...
2025-06-27
1h 12
Award Travel 101
Member Questions
Episode 123 of the Award Travel 101 podcast covers a variety of travel rewards topics, including a debate over using Ultimate Rewards vs. Capital One points for the same flight. The hosts, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo, also discuss major updates in the travel industry, such as United and JetBlue’s Blue Sky partnership, Chase’s new welcome bonuses on IHG credit cards, and the finalization of Capital One’s acquisition of Discover Bank. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines implements new policies that bring checked bag fees, Basic fares, and expiration dates on flight credits.The episode’s main topic, Angie and Mike...
2025-06-06
54 min
Award Travel 101
A Magnificent Meet Up
In Episode 121 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo recap a packed week of travel news, personal updates, and a deep dive into the recent "Magnificent Miles Meetup" in Chicago. They highlight a popular Facebook post comparing Andaz Maui and HR Maui, with opinions divided based on points cost and who’s traveling with you. News-wise, they cover Hawaiian Airlines parting ways with Amex, a Citi to Wyndham 25% transfer bonus, Flying Blue dropping Delta award prices for 2026, and Aeroplan offering a 90% bonus on purchased points. Angie shared she’s cutting back on card applications after a deni...
2025-05-23
48 min
Award Travel 101
Trip to Slovenia & Croatia
In Episode 120 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks cover Angie’s recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia, blending personal travel highlights with timely award travel news. Big community updates include the long-awaited announcement of the 2025 Chicago Seminars (Nov 7–9 at HR ORD), changes to Emirates First Class award access for elites only, and generous summer promotions from Best Western and Marriott Homes & Villas. Hyatt also announced a cap on the number of awards a member can receive via gifting, beginning June 7, 2025. On the personal front, Angie completed spend on her ABG card and is eyeing her next...
2025-05-16
42 min
Award Travel 101
Points After Death
In Episode 118 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, host Mike Zaccheo is joined by moderator April Rose. The episode begins with the "Post of the Week," highlighting a discussion on whether obtaining a Real ID before the May 7 deadline is worthwhile, given that some licenses don’t expire for years. Commenters suggested alternatives such as carrying a passport or a Global Entry card for compliance. The news segment covers updates like Bilt Rewards adding Southwest as a transfer partner, reciprocal checked bag benefits for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines cardholders, and Citi’s devaluation of transfer rates for select loyal...
2025-05-02
36 min
Wenbin Fang's Podcast Playlist
Destination: Japan
Podcast: Award Travel 101 (LS 44 · TOP 1% what is this?)Episode: Destination: JapanPub date: 2025-04-11Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationEpisode 115 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Mike Zaccheo, features Joe Petrovic's recent return from his second trip to Japan within a year. The "Post of the Week" highlights Maria, a moderator, who utilized the concierge service of her legacy Ritz Carlton card to secure restaurant reservations in Seoul despite language barriers. This episode underscores leveraging unique credit card benefits for hassle-free travel pla...
2025-04-11
1h 04
Award Travel 101
Destination: Japan
Episode 115 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Mike Zaccheo, features Joe Petrovic's recent return from his second trip to Japan within a year. The "Post of the Week" highlights Maria, a moderator, who utilized the concierge service of her legacy Ritz Carlton card to secure restaurant reservations in Seoul despite language barriers. This episode underscores leveraging unique credit card benefits for hassle-free travel planning.Among the discussed news topics is the record-high bonus offer for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, ideal for new travelers, and tightened product change rules by Citi, limiting flexibility in switching between...
2025-04-11
1h 04
Award Travel 101
What's It Like to Run a Facebook Group
In Episode 114 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo take listeners behind the scenes of what it's like running a large Facebook community dedicated to points and miles travel. They kick things off with a viral post about Tampa International Airport's humorous rebranding inspired by its iconic flamingo statue, Phoebe. The episode covers major updates in the travel and credit card world, including widely disliked changes to United’s credit card portfolio, the return of National Car Rental’s One Two Free promo, and various hotel promotions from Hyatt and Accor. Angie shares her recent Atlanta trip...
2025-04-04
45 min
Wenbin Fang's Podcast Playlist
Is Hyatt Still Our Favorite?
Podcast: Award Travel 101 (LS 44 · TOP 1% what is this?)Episode: Is Hyatt Still Our Favorite?Pub date: 2025-03-28Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn Episode 113 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo is joined by Angie Sparks to cover recent travel news, community highlights, and updates in the points and miles world. The featured post of the week sparked lively discussion in the Facebook group, where members shared their post-travel routines—from immediately unpacking to leaving bags untouched for days or even storing them in th...
2025-03-29
48 min
Award Travel 101
Is Hyatt Still Our Favorite?
In Episode 113 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo is joined by Angie Sparks to cover recent travel news, community highlights, and updates in the points and miles world. The featured post of the week sparked lively discussion in the Facebook group, where members shared their post-travel routines—from immediately unpacking to leaving bags untouched for days or even storing them in the garage to avoid bedbugs. The news segment touched on Cathay Pacific’s upcoming award chart changes, Chase’s all time high IHG Business card offer, American Airlines' status match targeting dissatisfied Southwest elites, and a slew of ong...
2025-03-28
48 min
Award Travel 101
Gaming Award Travel
Episode 112 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features host Mike Zaccheo and guest Brandyn Osborne, a passionate traveler, entrepreneur, and board gamer. They first met in the Charlotte (CLT) Centurion Lounge, sparking Brandyn's involvement in the Award Travel 101 community. Brandyn shares how his wife's inspiration led him to discover award travel, culminating in a memorable business-class honeymoon trip to New Zealand and Fiji using credit card sign-up bonuses. The conversation also explores his professional journey in gaming and how award travel helped him connect with gaming friends worldwide, eventually forming his business, Conhorde.The duo discusses recent travel...
2025-03-21
49 min
Award Travel 101
What We Pack
In Episode 109 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Angie Sparks and Mike Zaccheo discuss a variety of travel-related topics. Angie highlights a member's trip report on using AMEX Marriott Bonvoy card rewards to stay at the Westin Bora Bora, while Mike shares exciting news about new Capital One and Chase Sapphire lounges in Las Vegas and Philadelphia respectively. They also cover updates on CapitalOne's partnership with JetBlue, the reintroduction of United Premier luggage tags, and a Southwest discount code for award flights.The hosts then share their recent travel experiences and upcoming trips. Angie talks about her...
2025-02-28
50 min
Award Travel 101
How Award Travel Enables Adventure
In Episode 106 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo is joined by fellow community member Charlie to discuss how award travel fuels adventure. Fresh off their whirlwind European microstates trip, they recount their experiences visiting some of the smallest and most fascinating countries in the world, including Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein—all made possible through strategic use of points and miles. From lie-flat seats on transatlantic flights to luxury hotel upgrades and rental cars for border-hopping, their journey showcases the power of award travel to create unforgettable experiences.Before diving into their adventure, they cover the latest in...
2025-02-07
59 min
Award Travel 101
New Years Travel
In Episode 104 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosts Mike Zaccheo and Eric Holly discuss the importance of utilizing shopping portals, highlighting a post by a member who earned 50k points through CapitalOne shopping. They also cover news such as United's high buy-up offers for elite status, the shutdown of the Dosh App, and Chase's new bonus promotions for co-branded cards. Additionally, they mention the recent FlyingBlue devaluation, which saw increases in award redemptions for economy, premium economy, and business class.The hosts share personal updates on the bonuses they received and their travel plans. Eric talks about...
2025-01-24
46 min
Award Travel 101
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 trave...
2024-12-20
51 min
Award Travel 101
Shopping Smart – Holiday Strategies for Points and Savings
Welcome to Episode 95 of the Award Travel 101 podcast! I'm Angie Sparks, joined by Mike Zaccheo. This week, we’re switching things up by saving the highlight post for later, as it ties into our feature on holiday shopping and earning strategies.News highlights: Alaska is temporarily blocking partner award bookings within 72 hours of departure, but it’s expected to last only a few days. Wyndham’s Earner Business Card has lost its ability to match to Caesars Diamond, signaling a decline in status equivalency options. Meanwhile, elevated offers on United credit cards (70k on Quest, 90k on C...
2024-11-22
40 min
Award Travel 101
The Tools We Use for "Free Travel"
In this episode, we start with our "Post of the Week," where Mike Zaccheo shares exciting news about the new Chase Sapphire Lounge in Boston and the upcoming eight lounges, along with the entrance rules for these lounges. This development adds some renewed value to the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) card, which had recently lost some of its appeal.In the news, we discuss reports of Chase shifting credit limits without member approval and Chase Ink cards appearing on personal credit reports, sparking concerns among cardholders.Our main feature highlights the various tools we use...
2023-06-09
41 min
Award Travel 101
Avgeeks, Spreadsheets, & Cheatsheets - Meet the Mods (Mike Zaccheo)
This week Joe celebrates his 3 year anniversary leading the Award Travel 101 community. He talks with group moderator Mike Zaccheo about his background, passion for aviation, affinity for spreadsheets and his tips for being based near small non-hub airports. Moral of the story is when in doubt, chart it out and never fear a layover!Where to Find Us The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at 101@award.travel Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in...
2023-04-14
56 min
The Nothing Podcast With Nobody Important
The Chef - "The Story of the Ham"
It's Thanksgiving here at The Nothing Podcast and the guys are celebrating as only a Nobody would, by sitting down with NY chef Bart Pelucco and his brother Mike Pelucco to talk turkey, literally. The guys get into a discussion of all things food, tradition and fear of knives as well as Bart shares some of his favorite Italian recipes for you to prepare at your own Thanksgiving celebration! Prepare to get hungry. Produced By - Cool Side Productions Hosted by Frank Caiati and John Panepinto Contributors: Matt Hunt, Joseph Hagopian and Danielle Rose Fisher
2019-11-26
1h 14