Budget Travel with John Ryan

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Use promo code “AT10” for $10 off your first year. Recent finds include:

• Starlux Business Class to Taipei for 75K miles
• Business Class to South America for 39K points
• Roundtrip to Hawaii for under $500

You can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/Premium

How did your passion for travel begin?

• "I used to watch planes from the airport. I would ask my mom where each plane was going, and she would make up a place. 🤣"

Why? Most teens are not into learning about travel rewards programs

• Like many in the space, it started with saving money.

Favorite airline, hotel, credit card programs (and does status play a role in any of your travels)?

• Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards

Where are you heading next?

• Queenstown, NZ
• Study abroad in Japan

Travel Style -

• Mostly economy. 

Best deal you’ve received?

• San Francisco (SFO) to Lisbon (LIS) for $300 round trip
• SFO to LIS that was only $90

Highlight Feature - Different Ways to Approach Budget Travel

• Schedule changes
• Frontier 50K/Platinum
• Spirit Gold
• Ticket counter bookings 
• Southwest A-List
• Delta SkyMiles
• Southwest
• American
• Virgin Atlantic
  • KLM nonstop and Virgin
  • Virgin offers an underrated companion fare
• British Airways
  • Solid amount of award space from Vegas - high surcharges. 

Other Things to Know

• Frontier 100K/Diamond
  • free checked, carry-on bag, early boarding, and other perks
• JetBlue True Blue 
• Southwest Rapid Rewards
• United 
• Aeroplan awards under 500 miles 
• Lifemiles 
• Turkish - used to be 7.5K, but is now 10K for economy. Business was 12.5K, but is now 15K per person
• American - last minute awards
• British Airways - see the updated award chart
• Etihad Guest - starts at 6K for awards under under 500 miles
• Delta - Compare
• Virgin Atlantic - start at 8.5K - see updated chart
• Flying Blue - 

Where to Find John

John is active in the Award Travel 101/201 community and writes for Bougie Miles. To reach him:

• john.ryan@fora.travel
• @vegasteenager on twitter

Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community

For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community.

1. For more intermediate and advanced strategies, join Award Travel 201 community
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at contactawardtravel@gmail.com.

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