Learn how to find award availability for hard-to-book business class flights and hotels using your points and miles to travel.
Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss how to find availability for hard-to-book award flights and hotels to help you get more value from your points and miles when you travel. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including American Express’ plans to open and expand Centurion Lounges in Newark, London, Houston and Philadelphia, American Airlines’ largest-ever Admirals Club lounge coming to Charlotte, expiring credit card transfer bonuses to Marriott Bonvoy, Flying Blue and Japan Airlines, the first-ever Encanto stage show aboard the upcoming Disney Believe cruise ship, Expedia’s 2027 travel trends report, and a reminder to join the waitlist for Smart Travel IRL, the show’s first in-person meetup in New York.
Then, joined by NerdWallet lead travel writer Craig Joseph, they discuss how to land hard-to-get award seats and hotel rooms, with tips and tricks on using award search tools and alerts to catch availability when it opens up, when booking far in advance or close to departure could pay off, and how flexible dates, positioning flights and speculative bookings could help you score aspirational redemptions.
Join Sally and Meghan for a night of live Q&A, games (hint: brush up on those obscure travel credit card benefits), and mingling with fellow travelers! The drinks are on us. And yes, there are prizes, courtesy of some of the travel brands you already use. Meet other locals who love traveling with points and miles. RSVP required. Let us know if you’re coming and we’ll save you a spot. https://partiful.com/e/OOSMfQpFw9PPNn4Cat0H
Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:
Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: Strong Option for Travel Rewards
World of Hyatt Card Review: Lavish Benefits, Reasonable Cost
Atmos Rewards Summit Card: Perks as Rare as They Are Valuable
American Express Platinum Review: Top-Notch Lounge Access, Big Credits
Resources discussed in this episode:
Smart Travel IRL: A meetup for travel and credit card nerds
American Express Continues to Expand the Centurion Lounge Network with Its Largest Lounge Yet, Further Strengthening its Presence in New York and London
Premium travel with a touch of southern charm: American announces its largest Admirals Club lounge in Charlotte
Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses: October 2026
Disney Believe Updates: New Disney Cruise Ship Sailing in Late 2027
Unpack ’27: The Trends in Travel
Atmos Rewards Adds New Ways to Earn, Plus Seats and Lounges
First Look: United’s Most Premium Plane With Polaris Studios
Flagship Suite seats are the new first: American Airlines unveils its premium-configured Boeing 777-300ER
Bilt Rewards Adds Japan Airlines as a Transfer Partner
The Best Award Travel Search Tools
Seats.aero Award Search Review: A Go-To for Expert Travelers
PointsYeah Award Search Review: A Great Tool for Points Collectors
Gondola Review: My Favorite Hotel Award Search Tool
Hyatt’s New Award Chart Raises Points Prices for Most Nights
Bilt to Reduce Hyatt Transfer Ratio to 4:3 in 2027
How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2026?
Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel.
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