Podcasts about now boarding

2G and family get out of town for the first time since the RONA, how did it go?

2G, Ryan, and Jimmy complete their two part series in discussing horror movies, their Top 5s, and honorable mentions!

2G is joined by his brother Ryan and The Godfather of NBR to discuss their favorite horror movies, honorable mentions, guilty pleasures, and Top 5s! 

A trio of ladies get Oscar Mike this week as they share their hall passes and objectify men near and far!

2G discusses what the journey home can look like for a veteran and why it can be so difficult.

2G introduces the newest member of the Now Boarding Radio Family and shares his recollection of 9/11/2001.

00:00:36 - 200th episode! 00:05:24 - What have we been playing?: Wordsy, Monikers, Terraforming Mars, Compounded, Now Boarding, The Grizzled, Pendulum, Stick 'Em 00:47:03 - Mid-show banter! Featuring: New Mutants, Engagement 00:55:24 - The Bloody Minute 01:06:54 - The Kingdom Death Hour 01:35:39 - Emails! 01:42:07  - Grey Fox games Arcana Rising   MHGG Twitch Slack Channel  Patreon Guild

2G follows up last week's Top 5 Hall Passes with baseball cards, soft tissue injuries, and election odds...what?

2G is joined by his closest associates and the brightest minds in the business of hall passes and celebrity crushes. Listen as they each navigate their top 5!

Oscar Mike returns after a brief hiatus from battling a world record hangover and discusses a series of topics.

2G discusses embarking the Minne-Ha-Ha in Lake George, NY. How well did the summer destination spot in the Adirondacks guard against COVID?

2G rolls out the red carpet as he is joined by a cast of characters for advice and to discuss a number of topics on MLB Opening Night!

Vamos embarcar no Expresso Orlando a outro destino com a série Now Boarding. Para a estréia, chamamos a jornalista e youtuber Laura Peruchi, moradora de New York que nos deu um relato um pouco diferente sobre o roteiro que costumamos ver da cidade. Embarquem conosco nessa nova aventura, e aproveite para conhecer o canal da […]

Did 2G accidentally pick up a non-paying side job during quarantine? Sometimes you just can't say no!

Before checking in with the professional sports world, 2G discusses travel cancellation strategies during the Rona.

2G summarizes the closest thing he has done to travel since RONA arrived and follows up on some professional sports news.

Brett Snyder of Cranky Flier is back with us this week to share what it's like trying to book flights, cancel flights and fight with the airlines when things don't go the way you want, which will happen frequently. Before that, we've got 2 new bits this week: I need your help with a quick survey to help us make the podcast better. And, I'm giving away a couple of $50 gift cards to two random folks who take 2 minutes to fill out the survey. Here's the link.We're bringing news into the show at the front to lead off. I've got one of old NowBoarding buddies, Jon Nickel D'Andrea to ride shotgun today on our news segments. Links to the news bits we discussed: American Airlines removing capacity controls (No Mas Coach) Hypocrisy by American Airlines in their seat blocking strategy? Italy bans overhead bins A new low-cost carrier coming to Iceland? If you do have problems traveling right now, take advantage of Cranky Concierge. They've got some services that won't cost you much at all to have his team protecting and fighting for you with the airlines. And, if you need a further does of Cranky, check out Cranky Daily. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us attract more listeners! Hope you enjoy the show! If you have a suggestion for a future show find me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you’d like to hear about!

This week 2G looks at the changing professional sports landscape as there is some light at the end of the RONA tunnel.

The Godfather of Now Boarding Radio stops by to moderate a conversation about basic training between three Marines that grew up together and called Parris Island home in 2002.

Join 2G for the last phase of Marine Corps Recruit Training at Parris Island. From the gas chamber to crucible, come hear the details about the home stretch of becoming a United States Marine.

Get Oscar Mike to the rifle range at Parris Island with 2G and see what Second Phase of Marine Corps Basic Training was all about.

Get Oscar Mike to Parris Island with 2G and join him in reliving the First Phase of Marine Corps Recruit Training in 2002.

Docked to the Renegade’s Blood, our crew must fight their way aboard and find the Pirate Queen before the ship falls apart around them. Dramatis Personae Ben Yendall as the GM Leslie Trautman is playing the Droid Hired Gun – 13-1LL “Billie”Wren Knowles is playing the Pantoran Colonist – Vastrano TilBrandon Perdue is playing the … Continue reading "Mask of the Pirate Queen Act 3, Episode 5 – “Now Boarding”"

Welcome back to the NowBoarding podcast.  This is your host, Ed Pizza.  It’s time to do a bit of construction, which means I’m going to extend the downtime for the show a couple of weeks.  I’m transitioning to a new platform for both of my podcasts and it’s proving to be a bigger task than I expected.  I want to get everything set up correctly and take a bit of time with my family to rest and regroup.   While NowBoarding is on sabbatical, I will have new episodes each week of the Miles to Go Podcast, where we talk with some of the best minds in travel on how to maximize your miles and points to see the world.  You can find a link to it in the show notes. Miles to Go on iTunes Miles to Go Website   I want to thank everyone for all of your support, and I look forward to talking with you again soon.  I can’t wait to join you again on a future flight! If you have topics you'd like to see us cover on a future episode you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com.

NowBoarding, your daily travel news in 7 minutes or less. This is your host, Ed Pizza, bringing you the latest travel deals and travel news you need to know Monday through Friday. Tune in daily so you don’t miss any of the best deals! Look for links to all of today’s stories in the show notes on whatever podcast platform you’re listening. And, please share the show with a friend! First up is a report that American Airlines will allow members to buy elite status in 2020. Right now you have to be targeted for the offer and it’s unclear how widely targeted it is. But, View From The Wing has at least two different examples of the qualification levels. At first blush, we’re looking at $5,000 in Elite Qualifying Dollars for Gold status, $10,000 for Platinum, $15,000 for Platinum Pro and $24,000 for Executive Platinum. Virtually all AA fares earn one EQD per dollar spent, expect for Basic Economy which earns half that. I’d love to hear your opinion on these American Airlines changes. Are you excited about being able to achieve status just from spending? Worried that you’ll be fighting with even more people Hit me up Twitter or Facebook A Next, we’re talking about 23:59. As God Save the Points says, the airline rule that allows you to stopover in a particular city for up to a day, is a perfect time for a short visit to a destination. Airlines will generally allow a connection that long on virtually any fare, which is a good excuse for a quick stop somewhere new, or a favorite you haven’t visited in a while. Another thing to consider here are airlines for destinations that have dedicated stopover programs. Many flights to Iceland allow multiple day stopovers. And, TAP Portugal allows up to five nights in Lisbon or Porto, two lovely cities. Make the most of your next trip and build in a stopover someplace awesome. One Mile at a Time walks us through the rules around transferring Marriott Bonvoy points between accounts. You can transfer 100,000 points to another account each year. I had no idea you could receive up to 500,000 points each year. This can be helpful if you have just a handful of points in a spouse or family member account and don’t want them to go to waste. If you’re really close to qualifying for JetBlue Mosaic status this year, you don’t have to worry about falling short or having to hop on a plane to earn those last few points. Status point purchases start as low as $45, which can be a lot cheaper and quicker than hopping on an airplane. If JetBlue is willing to sell you points in an increment as small as 250 points, it’s probably a really good indication that they aren’t likely to give you an exception if you miss by an amount that small. If status is important to you, you probably don’t want to leave it to chance. Finally, according to Miles to Memories, Samsung Pay has a ton of discounted gift cards right now. I don’t have any Samsung devices to check that these are still available, but the report is that you’ll find 20% discounts at places like Staples, REI and Legal Seafood (yum, one of my favorite seafood restaurants). There’s also 10% discounts on Lowe’s, Uber and Hotels.com. That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com. Lastly, I need your help, for just a minute. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. So take a minute and help us out, leaving us a review and a rating wherever you get your podcasts. And, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!

A quick note: For some reason this didn't publish yesterday. Most likely user error.  My apologies. NowBoarding, your daily travel news in 7 minutes or less. This is your host, Ed Pizza, bringing you the latest travel deals and travel news you need to know Monday through Friday. No more worrying about missing out on the best deals. Give us a couple of minutes every day and we’ll give you what’s going on in the world of travel. A quick side note, thanks to Daniel for sending some feedback my way last night. I’m going to try to make an effort to give you guys a bit more of each story as I share the news. I’m trying to balance keeping the show short so you can tune in easily every day with making sure I’m delivering enough valuable information. Please keep the feedback coming! Look for links to all of today’s stories in the show notes on whatever podcast platform you’re listening. And, please share the show with a friend! First up this week is word of a strike in France for transportation workers. This could obviously affect your airline travel, since Air France union ground crew workers are supposed to strike. Air traffic controllers are said to be a part of it, which would make matters much worse. And, this strike is also supposed to affect rail workers. Train is a great way to get from airports like Charles-de Gaulle to downtown Paris. And, I’ve taken the train to get to smaller cities outside of Paris. If you have a trip planned soon, it’s time to start thinking of backup plans. Next up is the news that BankDirect will start sending 1099s for the miles you earn with their banking product. BankDirect has been around for ages. It’s a way to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles on your banking. The program is not as lucrative as it once was, but it’s still a reasonable way to earn a few miles. There are competing opinions on how bad the change from BankDirect is. One Mile at a Time thinks it’s not worth the hassle, while View From The Wing thinks this is a small cost and still a viable way to earn some miles. One of the more popular cash back apps, Dosh, is offering a $30 cash back bonus for hotel bookings right now. This is on top of the regular cash back you’d receive on a Dosh booking. Deals We Like has more details on this easy way to pick up cash if you’re planning a hotel stay in the near future. Richard Branson is no longer interested in selling his controlling stake in Virgin Atlantic to Air France-KLM. This was essentially a way for Delta to gain a majority control in the airline through a series of different transactions. It’s unclear how much this cost Richard Branson, or how mad Delta is. But, it’s highly likely this is better for frequent fliers than if Delta had control of the award charts. Finally, today is the first day of United Airlines new upgrade system, PlusPoints. The system offers more flexibility to elite travelers for the upgrades they receive. PlusPoints replaces the Global Premier Upgrades and Regional Premier Upgrades, also referred to as GPU and RPU for us nerds. This is likely to be a positive change, adding a bit of flexibility for travelers. However, unless United loosens their hold on inventory, this will likely end up as a non-event for most travelers. That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com. And, since we’re still getting started on this new format, you can do me a big favor and leave me a review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!

NowBoarding, your daily travel news in 7 minutes or less. This is your host, Ed Pizza, bringing you the latest travel deals and travel news you need to know Monday through Friday.  No more worrying about missing out on the best deals.  Give us a couple of minutes every day and we’ll give you what’s going on in the world of travel. Look for links to all of today’s stories in the show notes on whatever podcast platform you’re listening.  And, please share the show with a friend! First up today is hunting for extreme luxury with your hotel points.  On the heels of a story last week about a private island that you could redeem your Hyatt points at, Frequent Miler has found a number of other luxurious opportunities for Hyatt award stays.  Some of these hotel rooms go for over $1,000 a night and can be booked with your Hyatt points.  You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt to take advantage of these opportunities. Want a free night in a luxurious Presidential suite or first class on a long international flight?  Then you need to find Gilbert.  Where’s Gilbert? That’s exactly the name of this fun game that Gilbert from God Save the Points is playing.  Tune in before he’s gone. From good news to bad news, Gilbert also brings us the news that you may want to avoid South African Airways for future flights.  The airline is definitely going through some turmoil.  Similarly, we could see the end of Hong Kong Airlines in the next few days.  They’ve been warned by their regulator that they’ll lose their ability to operate flights this week if they can’t raise cash.  Check your reservations and look for alternate solutions if these airlines were in your plans. Berlin may finally be getting a new airport, almost 10 years after it was scheduled to open.  And, as Ben from One Mile at a Time points out, it’s only fitting that some executives say everything is great while others say the airport still has problems. Wrapping up today with a 30% transfer bonus from AMEX Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.  Virgin Atlantic has a strong product flying between London and the US.  But, they also have a friendly award chart that can get you to places like Japan without breaking your mileage bank. That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news.   That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com. And, since we’re still getting started on this new format, you can do me a big favor and leave me a review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to.  Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience.  And, if you’re enjoying the show, please tell a friend.  That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less.  I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!  

First up this week is a word to the wise. Live and Let’s Fly lets us know that things are rocky right now at Air Canada and Aeroplan. They attempted a systems integration last week that did not go well. It’s not only a good time to check your existing reservations. It’s also a good time to have a plan B if you were planning to use Aeroplan to book an upcoming trip. That’s why it pays not to procrastinate. I’m famous for waiting too long to book trips and getting tripped up by things like this. Another cautionary tale this week is via View From The Wing. Hyatt is losing the Ocean Resort and Casino in Atlantic City as part of the World of Hyatt program. This sort of thing happens from time to time. However, this one is a bit more painful. For starters, the change is happening at the start of 2020, less than a month from now. Second, Hyatt isn’t doing much to help those affected. Other than offering to move award reservations to a paid rate or transfer them to another hotel, people with award bookings are stuck. There are no similar properties nearby. In fact, the next closest hotels are a Hyatt Place and Hyatt House in Mt Laurel, over 40 miles away. I get that Hyatt’s in a bad spot here. But, part of why I continue to patronize Hyatt is because they have continued to stand behind their members where other chains take the easy way out. I could be wrong here, but I think most customers understand when something like this happens. However, since the matter is completely out of the customer’s control, a few extra Hyatt points in someone’s account seems a worthwhile value to let customers know Hyatt empathizes with them in the situation. Here’s hoping Hyatt finds a solid resolution for customers here. It’s holiday shopping time, and there’s a gift giving guide for business travelers written by yours truly. Road warriors have different needs than occasional travelers and leisure travelers. Gear has to justify its weight and space in a backpack or briefcase, and you better get solid value for money spent. If you’re hunting for the perfect gift for a business traveler, we’ve got plenty of suggestions they’re bound to love. God Save the Points shines some light on 5 Marriott Moments you might consider spending your points on. Experiences are becoming a bigger part of loyalty programs, but they’ve been around a while. Heck, it’s 7 years ago since I redeemed my SPG Starpoints to get my wife a tennis lesson with Andre Agassi. Still the single greatest redemption I’ve ever had. Anyway, take a look at these Marriott Moments. The Hotel Danieli in Venice is one of my favorite, which means once again I’m saying Gilbert from God Save the Points has good taste. Last up this week is a reminder about Kimpton Hotels’ secret social password. Make sure to have the password when you check-in for a Kimpton stay to earn a mystery prize, like free breakfast or a bottle of wine. The current password is “Stay Human”. Thanks to Ben at One Mile at a Time for reminding us of this fun benefit. That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news.  If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com.

NowBoarding, your daily travel news in 7 minutes or less. I’m your host, Ed Pizza, and I bring you news on the latest travel deals and travel news you need to know Monday through Friday. No more worrying about missing out on the best deals. Give us a couple of minutes every day and we’ll make sure you’ve got the best info. Plenty of Black Friday stuff to talk about today. There are so many travel deals out there right now. No matter how you like to travel, there’s a deal for you. If you’re looking for one place to follow on Black Friday to get the full picture, check out the Black Friday command center at Deals We Like. You can find a link to it in the show notes. If your Black Friday plan was to do all your shopping on Amazon, you may be targeted for an offer to save $60 if you make all your purchases through the Amazon App. Miles to Memories has all the details. If you’re in the market for a new laptop, there’s an unbelievable price on the MacBook Air right now. I’m used to paying $1,000 or more for these machines for my employees. Today, we’re seeing a price under $700. And, if you stack all the available offers out there, you might be able to get it under $600. For those of you who may not be ninja wizards when it comes to redeeming miles and points, you probably shy away from airline programs you don’t know much about. No Mas Coach lays out the reasons why you should be thinking about Asiana Club. I’ll give you one example to consider. United charges 60,000 miles one-way in business class from North America to Europe, unless you get stung by their new close-in booking fee, or their new dynamic award charts. Asiana will sell you that same business class seat for 40,000 miles. Definitely worth looking into, especially if you have a bunch of Marriott Bonvoy points. Thinking about planning a family cruise? Cruise expert Gene Sloan breaks down the price comparison between Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Our family enjoys cruising, with multiple cruises on Royal and Disney. Without doing the math, I was pretty sure Disney was much more expensive than Royal Caribbean. Gene has all the math to back that up. Two quick hits to finish us off. TAP Portugal has a 20% off Black Friday coupon that runs all weekend. If you’re located near a US destination for TAP, they can be a great way to get to Europe. With their Western European hub in Lisbon, they can be a great connecting point to the rest of Europe. Lisbon is also an incredible city and a great place to build in a stopover. And, if you’re into playing the lottery on Black Friday, Expedia and Priceline have free shots at big discounts. Expedia is giving away a limited supply of 75% off coupons if you book through their app. And, Priceline is giving away mystery coupons, with some being 99% off a hotel stay. Jen has all those details in her master post on all the Black Friday travel deals. You’ll find that in the show notes. That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. I hope you guys will let me know what you think of the new show format. It’s going to be a lot of work to put together a daily show, but I’m committed to it if everyone finds it valuable. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com. Hey, since we’re still getting started on this new format, you can do me a big favor and leave me a review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!

NowBoarding, your daily travel news in 7 minutes or less. If you haven’t heard, I’ll be bringing you travel news 5 days a week, Monday through Friday going forward. The best travel deals don’t wait for our weekly episodes. I hear from so many of you that you miss the best deals. Now, you’ll have the opportunity to wake up with travel news, except the weekends where I’ll sleep in just a little bit. Look for links to all of today’s stories in the show notes on whatever podcast platform you’re listening. And, please share the show with a friend! First up today is a cautionary tale on AirBnb. Look, I’ve never stayed at one, so I speak from the voice of inexperience. But, AirBnb still gives me some pause over a standard hotel. Point Me to The Plane details a handful of points to think about before you book AirBnb. Hidden fees, security and coordinating with your host can all be a pain. We were in Lisbon with some friends this summer. They ended up booking an AirBnb for the short stay. Unfortunately, they found out pretty late in the process that they’d need to pick up the keys to their AirBnb about 30 minutes across town. With 3 kids and luggage, that made for an interesting afternoon. Uber has some holiday goodies if you’re flying over the next month or so. You can earn a $25 credit to try out their new Uber Comfort product if you’re flying out of select airports during the holidays. And, they have their own temporary airport lounge setup at Chicago O-Hare in Terminal 2. Check it out! A new program from American Airlines is bringing extra miles to many travelers. If you’re a member of their AAdvantage program and hold an American Airlines credit card, you’re eligible to sign up for SimplyMiles. And, finally, Marriott has some targeted promotions for their members. These sorts of promotions usually don’t get the same sort of notification as the systemwide promos. They’re kind of hidden in a separate section of your Marriott account. So, you could be eligible and not even know. These promotions seem to stretch over the holiday season. So, whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, take a look at this post from One Mile at a Time to figure out if you’ve been targeted. That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. I hope you guys will let me know what you think of the new show format. It’s going to be a lot of work to put together a daily show, but I’m committed to it if everyone finds it valuable. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com Since this is a new show format, you can do me a big favor and leave me a review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!  

We get started today with a Delta flash award sale.  These are some excellent prices.  Boston to London in Economy class for 18,000 miles round-trip?  Or, Seattle-Tokyo round-trip for 34,000 miles.  Two awesome values for you SkyMiles.  I’m eager to see if they do some more business class award flash sales for Black Friday again this year. While we’re talking Black Friday, be sure to check out the 40% off worldwide sale at Booking.com.  You have until December 2nd to take advantage of these deals. And, one more hit on Black Friday.  Be sure to check out the Black Friday master post from master deal guru Jen at Deals We Like. She has everything Black Friday firmly under control.  You’ll find a link to her Black Friday HQ in the show notes. Point me to the Plane is pointing out the fact that if you’re flying this week, you might be going hungry.  There’s a catering strike planned for 17 airports in the US for Tuesday, November 26th.  Big airline hubs like Newark, Chicago, Dallas and Denver.  You may want to pack a snack or pick up lunch in the airport.  Heck, given the current state of most airline catering, you’re better off picking up food in the airport anyway.  My motto?  Never rely on the airlines to feed you. It frequently ends in disappointment. There’s a new travel gadget that frequent travelers are going bonkers over.  If you’ve got bluetooth headphones and you travel, you need this.  Check out the show notes for a link. We wrap up today’s episode with news of a class action settlement against Wyndham hotels.  If you stayed at a Wyndham hotel in the past 9 years, you might be entitled to some cash back in your pocket.  Make sure you check into this to get your share of this settlement. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com Since this is a new show format, you can do me a big favor and leave me a review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!

Change is constant in this world and I’m changing the podcast format again. There are travel deals every day and I hear from so many of you that you miss out on the best of them. So, 5 days a week I’m going to put together a podcast episode with the best travel news around the internet. If you’ve got 7 minutes then you’ve got time to hear what’s going on in the world of travel. Our first story this week is a heads-up to those of you traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. There’s a pretty hefty snowstorm scheduled to hit Denver Monday and Tuesday. Denver Airport is a major hub for Frontier, Southwest and United. It could easily take a couple of days for things to normalize, so be prepared now with backup options if you’re flying this week. It’s time for Black Friday sales, and if you’re in the market for a Google Pixel 4, there’s a great deal right now. Google is offering a 50% rebate on the price of any Google Pixel 4 if you buy it by December 2nd. The rebate credit is in the form of a Google Fi credit. There’s an incredible new option for your Hyatt points. World of Hyatt has a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and One Mile at a Time has discovered a gem. Calala Island, a private Nicaraguan island, has rooms that you can redeem 40,000 Hyatt points per night for a junior suite. The property goes for over $2,000 a night and has a whopping 4 rooms. This is ultra-luxury, without a penny coming out of your pocket. I’m definitely booking this for my wife and I! A hotel is charging $1 a night if you agree to let them livestream your stay on YouTube. The Asahi Ryokan hotel in Japan will rent you a room for a dollar, if you’re willing to be on stage. There’s no audio and cameras are pointed away from the bathroom area. Everything else is fair game. Would you do this to save $30? Our final story today is that Costco is apparently selling Super Bowl tickets. The Super Bowl is in Miami this year, and you can get 2 tickets for a hefty price. The packages come with a ton of Costco cash cards, which you can totally send my way if you can’t find a use for them. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com Since this is a new show format, you can do me a big favor and leave me a review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!

Episode Description In episode 11 we discuss the Amex RAT out in full force, Hyatt's terrible room charge policy, NYC's hidden gem plus the Chicago Seminars and only the best deals!  Be sure to check out some of our favorite miles and points podcasts, We Travel There, Miles to Go, and Now Boarding! Also, if you're looking for a way to organize your credit cards, check out Travel Freely, the Miles to Memories recommended tool for tracking & organizing credit cards.  Episode Notes  0:58 - Chicago Seminars 4:17 - Miles to Memories VegasDO (details!) 8:28 - Hyatt Room Charges, Problem Resolution & Watching Card Charges 15:35 - Break 16:42 - The Amex RAT is back on the attack 28:20 - How to slay the Amex pop-up 30:28 - New Sesame Place opening in California 32:23 - 5x Ultimate Rewards opportunities (Office Depot/Max and Staples) 33:29 - Roosevelt Island in NYC Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Sticher, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! Want some easy money? SoFi Money is offering $50 for signing up through our referral link and funding your account with $100. It only takes 2-3 minutes! Get 1.8% APY and unlimited ATM reimbursements worldwide with no monthly fees and no hoops to jump through for an easy $50 bonus! Then get $100 when you refer your friends!  Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

For those living in the Northwest, Alaska Airlines has become a big player post Virgin America merger and with new partners like Singapore Airlines. Today Ben and Jon Nickel-D'Andrea from No Mas Coach share their take on what makes this carrier and their program, Mileage Plan, special. Jen Yellin from Deals We Like is back to chat, what else? Southwest Airlines Companion Pass? It's THAT time of year. Tune in to hear how she's using minimum spend bonuses to get Companion Passes for all of 2020 and 2021!LinksNo Mas CoachSecuring my Southwest Companion Pass for 2020 and 2021NowBoarding's Latest Episode Talking About Alaska Airlines' new partnership with Singapore AirlinesSpeaking of NowBoarding...Don’t forget to check out the NowBoarding Podcast – with a NEW show format! Tune in for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!

Passport Stamped, Now Boarding!  Singled out and let down by corporate America, yet supremely skilled, Claire Soares decided to throw down by starting "Up in the Air Life", curating off-the-yard experiences for Black travelers. Hear how on Wingin' It Episode 9: Landmarking Blackness with hosts Rashad Howard and Athena Cross on Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes or Iheartradio.

In the inaugural episode of Now Boarding’s Oscar Mike, 2G takes us on a trip from upstate New York to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina. 

Coming to you from FinCon, Jeff is joined this week by Brandon Neth of Finance Buzz. He shares his story of how he and his wife travel the world on points and miles and how he ended up joining FinanceBuzz. As a community manager for their Facebook group, FinanceBuzz Elite, he and Jeff chat about what it's like to put on events and moderate group chats for a living.LinksFinanceBuzz Elite - Travel and Points https://www.facebook.com/groups/financebuzzelite/FinCon Expo - https://finconexpo.com/CardCon Expo - https://cardconexpo.com/FlyerTalk - https://www.flyertalk.com//LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-neth-36a89b15a/NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea PodcastTune in every Tuesday to NowBoarding for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!Recent episodes include:Plane Sabotage And A Trick To See More Amex OffersLast-Minute Summer Award Deals & United Stalks CustomersYour Flight Canceled? And, We Look At Moxy Hotels!Protect Your Privacy: Don’t Get Hacked By The Chinese Government10 Hour Amtrak Delays & Shady OTAsDisneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge & What is Juice Jacking?

This week Jeff is joined by Lee Huffman from Bald Thoughts and the We Travel There podcast. They chat about the benefits of attending an award travel/frequent flyer event such as the Chicago Seminars or CardCon. Find other folks to "geek" out with and in the mean time, you never know what you might learn! Tune in to get an exclusive scoop on an upcoming Award Travel 101 event too!LinksBaldThoughtshttps://twitter.com/BaldThoughtshttps://www.instagram.com/baldthoughts/WeTravelTherehttps://twitter.com/WeTravelTherehttps://www.instagram.com/wetravelthere/Chicago SeminarsCardConFinConNowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea PodcastTune in every Tuesday to NowBoarding for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!Recent episodes include:Last-Minute Summer Award Deals & United Stalks CustomersYour Flight Canceled? And, We Look At Moxy Hotels!Protect Your Privacy: Don’t Get Hacked By The Chinese Government10 Hour Amtrak Delays & Shady OTAsDisneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge & What is Juice Jacking?Saving Plenty With Cash Back Offers & New AA International Routes!

There's usually two kinds of award travelers. Those who earn points and miles through credit card spend and others who do so from being road warriors. It's easy to think the grass is greener - those always on the road dream of a week at home and vice versa. Well, then there's Ray Noriega, a friend of Jeff's, a US Soccer fan, comedian, tv personality and now IT road warrior. Tune in for some hilarious stories from the road, adventures he's had traveling to over 120 countries and how someone goes from being a stand up comedian straight out of high school to hosting a K-pop talk show!LinkRay Noriega on InstagramNowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea PodcastTune in every Tuesday to NowBoarding for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!Recent episodes include:Last-Minute Summer Award Deals & United Stalks CustomersYour Flight Canceled? And, We Look At Moxy Hotels!Protect Your Privacy: Don’t Get Hacked By The Chinese Government10 Hour Amtrak Delays & Shady OTAsDisneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge & What is Juice Jacking?Saving Plenty With Cash Back Offers & New AA International Routes!

How much do you know about Award Travel 101's newest community manager? If you enjoyed learning about Jeff and his wife Chrissy on last week's episode - there's more where that came from! This week Jeff shares 10 unique and interesting facts about him and how he got into this world of points and miles.NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea PodcastTune in every Tuesday to NowBoarding for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!Recent episodes include:Last-Minute Summer Award Deals & United Stalks CustomersYour Flight Canceled? And, We Look At Moxy Hotels!Protect Your Privacy: Don’t Get Hacked By The Chinese Government10 Hour Amtrak Delays & Shady OTAsDisneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge & What is Juice Jacking?Saving Plenty With Cash Back Offers & New AA International Routes!

Jeff is back from his Ultimate Africa Trip! Joining him on his first episode piloting the Award Travel 101 podcast is his wife, Chrissy. Or as Jeff says, his "Better Half". They share a the story of how they met and the life changing moment on 9/11 that lead her to become a teacher. Tune in to learn more about how they plan travel with a perfect mix of fun, adventure and education as they recap their most recent family trip to South Africa. When you think of doing all the things, this family group of 8 did it! Swimming with sharks, dune surfing, safari, wine and more!Thanks to Our SponsorFly smarter by receiving premium flight deal alerts straight to your inbox from Thrifty Traveler Premium. This includes mistake fares, tailored deals from your selected departure city and even Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale alerts. Sign-up today and try it for free.NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea PodcastTune in every Tuesday to NowBoarding for a recap of the week’s latest news, deals and top posts on BoardingArea!Recent episodes include:Last-Minute Summer Award Deals & United Stalks CustomersYour Flight Canceled? And, We Look At Moxy Hotels!Protect Your Privacy: Don’t Get Hacked By The Chinese Government10 Hour Amtrak Delays & Shady OTAsDisneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge & What is Juice Jacking?Saving Plenty With Cash Back Offers & New AA International Routes!

Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! Each week one of BoardingArea's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer at Pizza in Motion. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our awesome interview with Shawn Coomer from Miles to Memories who shares all about how he became a travel blogger. Find out what its like for a family to travel the world for two years and the difference between traveling on the cheap vs. traveling on points and miles. Last but not least our lighting round of questions will highlight Shawn’s favorite credit card, hotel and airline programs and the one destination still on his bucket list. Show Notes Miles to Memories Miles to Go Podcast Don't forget to check out the Miles to Go podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.

Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! Each week one of BoardingArea's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer at Pizza in Motion. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our interview with Jon Nickel-D'Andrea of No Mas Coach. Jon joins Ed to chat about his love of Alaska Airlines & what lead him and his partner to decide they were never flying in coach again. Tune in learn about some of his favorite destinations, preferred travel brands and which credit card is his go to (and which is the one he’s starting to use less). Thanks to our Sponsors! Norwegian Air No-Jet-Lag Show Notes No Mas Coach Don't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.

Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! Each week one of BoardingArea's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer at Pizza in Motion. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our interview with Tiffany Funk of One Mile at a Time. Tiffany joins Ed to chat about being a top tier United flyer by the age of seven and why she wanted to be a air traffic controller when she grew up. Tune in to hear about her favorite trips, the destinations still on her bucket list and her answer to which credit card is best for you. Thanks to our Sponsors! Norwegian Air No-Jet-Lag Don't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.

Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! Each week one of BoardingArea's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer at Pizza in Motion. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our interview with Mike LaRosa of Coworkaholic. Fun fact: Mike is the producer of both this podcast and Miles to Go. It might sound like our audio quality isn't the best and that's because Ed and Mike recorded from Classified, United's "secret" restaurant at Newark (EWR). It's tough to schedule time to chat when these two are always on the road! Tune in to hear how Mike caught the points and miles blogging bug, learn a bit more about what this "coworking" thing is as well as Mike's answers to our weekly lighting round of questions. Show Notes Link to Bluffworks Coworkaholic Mike's blog post about Classified, United's "secret" restaurant Don't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.

“An agent informed me she was making an exception and correcting the problem…(by refunding)…me back 65,000 miles and then proceeded to take out 15,000 more.”After Richard's Bonvoy'd anniversary trip battle of wills, it seems like Ed Pizza is set to give him a run for his money. This week's program that is behaving badly is none other than United MileagePlus. Ed recounts all the headaches and hassles from spending 9 hours on the phone for a simple route change request, only to have 170k miles just go missing. Just goes to show that no matter your status level, sometimes you can't get any love. This week the fellas also dish up an intro to manufactured spend. Best case example? Richard spending $10,000 at a Dollar General in one transaction! Tune in to hear the benefits and risks associated with this type of earning strategy.Timestamps2:00 - Richard & Ed = the new Statler and Waldorf3:25 - Spending 9 hours on the phone with United MileagePlus7:45 - Ed is a points hoarder11:00 - Losing options for booking travel when agents give you the wrong info17:55 - What is manufactured spend?19:55 - Who drops $10k at a Dollar General?24:41 - Walking the fine line between legal vs. ethical27:36 - Risks of manufactured spendToday's GuestEd Pizza founded the Pizza In Motion blog on the BoardingArea network. He's considered one of the preeminent voices in the loyalty program space and is a successful entrepreneur. He's also the host of the Miles to Go and NowBoarding podcasts.Thanks to Our SponsorFly smarter by receiving premium flight deal alerts straight to your inbox from Thrifty Traveler Premium. This includes mistake fares, tailored deals from your selected departure city and even Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale alerts. Sign-up today and try if for free.

“I know this is frustrating, I know what we told you was wrong, but there’s nothing we can do about it”Was it just last week we were discussing what to do when loyalty programs behave badly? Sigh. Ed Pizza from Pizza in Motion is back this week to recap with Richard on what has been a very interesting week. Aside from some issues with the Award Travel Advanced Facebook group, Marriott has “Bonvoy’d” the Kerr’s 10th Wedding Anniversary trip to Europe. Tune in to hear an absolutely puzzling story of 12-hr Twitter responses, wrong information and just the totally bizarre inability for Marriott’s customer service team to fix their (self-admitted) mistake.Timestamps2:05 - Updates on Award Travel Advanced Facebook group4:40 - Background on their anniversary trip to Europe9:10 - When you tweet about successful customer service…too soon13:38 - When customer service via Twitter fails17:05 - Hyatt to the rescue23:30 - Keeping perspective & finding a solutionToday's GuestEd Pizza founded the Pizza In Motion blog on the BoardingArea network. He's considered one of the preeminent voices in the loyalty program space and is a successful entrepreneur. He's also the host of the Miles to Go and NowBoarding podcasts.Thanks to Our SponsorFly smarter by receiving premium flight deal alerts straight to your inbox from Thrifty Traveler Premium. This includes mistake fares, tailored deals from your selected departure city and even Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale alerts. Sign-up today and try if for free.

Somewhere in Germany every year, a specialist team assembles to decide on the best board games ... that released in Germany that year ... that no one has ever heard of. Look, the Spiel des Jahres is a bit weird, and no one ever agrees about the winners, but we're going to talk about the nominees anyway, okay? Before ze Germans get here, we also talk about Glorantha: The Gods War, and Corinth. We also recap our weekend at Strategicon Gamex 2019. 02:05 - Glorantha: The Gods War 11:28 - Cthulhu Wars 20:06 - Corinth 27:27 - Strategicon Gamex 2019 28:52 - Now Boarding 32:25 - Spiel des Jahres 33:40 - Just One 34:44 - Werewords 36:05 - LAMA 38:46 - Who wins the Spiel des Jahres? 41:47 - Wingspan 42:35 - Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game 43:42 - Carpe Diem 44:39 - Who wins the Kennerspiel?

"People are so bad at complaining...I'm complaining about how bad people are at complaining...that's where we are right now."It might come as no surprise that in this world of made up currencies where points don't matter, loyalty programs may not always follow their own rules - or will change them whenever they feel like it. Sure, there are those moments when a considerate customer service representative might take you by surprise and waive a fee, or open up availability. More often than not however, it's easy to feel like the deck is stacked against you.Complaining can only get you so far. Or, more likely the case you may only have so much time to spend complaining (or fighting for what's right). How do you know when programs are actually acting badly? And, when you do find that moment, what are the best ways to plead your case while having an actual chance at finding resolution or receiving compensation?Timestamps2:00 - The feng shui of rooms at Nobu at Caesar's Palace4:38 - What's bothering Richard this week?7:47 - When "the system is down" for more than a month...15:47 - Examples of when loyalty programs behave badly20:48 - When a travel company actually does the right thing24:40 - How to positively use emotion to complain32:30 - What to remember when you need to interact with customer service repsToday's GuestEd Pizza founded the Pizza In Motion blog on the Boarding Area network. He's considered one of the preeminent voices in the loyalty program space and is a successful entrepreneur. He's also the host of the Miles to Go and NowBoarding podcasts.Thanks to Our SponsorFly smarter by receiving premium flight deal alerts straight to your inbox from Thrifty Traveler Premium. This includes mistake fares, tailored deals from your selected departure city and even Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale alerts. Sign-up today and try if for free.

Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! Each week one of BoardingArea's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer at Pizza in Motion. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our awesome interview with Dominic Perilli of The Short Final. He joins Ed to chat about his favorite programs, what commuting from Philly to LA weekly (for nine months) is like and how he got started blogging. Tune in to hear about his favorite memories of family vacations when he was growing up, the one destination he still wants to visit and the fun of traveling through Europe with a group from his all boys high school! Thanks to our Sponsors! Norwegian Air No-Jet-Lag Show Notes & Links Dominic's Blog: The Short Final The Short Final on Twitter The Short Final on Instagram

Welcome to NowBoarding: The Official BoardingArea Podcast! Each week one of BoardingArea's talented crew of bloggers will jump in the cockpit with "Captain" Ed Pizza, host of Miles to Go and writer at ***Pizza in Motion***. On each NowBoarding flight, you'll get a chance to learn more about the folks behind your favorite travel blogs. This week we're digging into the archives and re-posting our awesome interview with Brian Cohen of The Gate with Brian Cohen. Tune in to hear about his favorite programs, long history of frequent travel and how he got started blogging. Did you know that The Gate is one of the two original blogs published on BoardingArea? He’s been sharing news and views on travel since his first blog post on FlyerTalk back in August of 2006. Thanks to our Sponsors! Norwegian Air No-Jet-Lag Don't forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.