Episode Description

In medicine, there’s a saying when coming up with a potential diagnosis based on symptoms: when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras. It’s possible it’s a zebra, but (in Western medicine at least) it’s far more likely to be a horse.

In the world of points travel, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a unicorn award. These are flights so rare they might as well be magical, mythical creatures because your chances of seeing one are slim to non-existent.

Award flights, especially long-haul business class award flights, are not all created equal in terms of how easy they are to find and book. Premium cabin award flights are like horses, zebras, and unicorns. Some are common, easy to find, and easy to book. Others are unicorns that are rarely seen and impossible to predict but beautiful and magical nonetheless. And other business class award flights fall somewhere in between.

When people try to redeem their points for the first time, they have expectations that leave them feeling discouraged when they can’t find the flights they want. Sometimes you want a unicorn, but you’re better off trying to find a horse or even a zebra. So by the end of this two-part podcast series, you’ll be able to identify which award flights are horses, which are zebras, which are unicorns, and which you can get your hands on.

Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Points Made Easy, my comprehensive online program, is enrolling for the first time in 2024 from July 13th to 20th. Don’t miss out! Click here to add your name to the waitlist now and secure your spot.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The characteristics of horse, zebra, and unicorn award flights.
• Some major differences between booking business class award flights versus economy class.
• What you need to consider if a unicorn award flight is on your travel wish list.
• The fluctuations you can expect in award availability over time.
• My favorite business class award flights that are generally easily bookable (horses).
• 5 reasons I love Flying Blue, Air France and KLM’s awards program.
• How to put yourself in the best position to book a horse, zebra, or unicorn business class award flight.

Featured on the Show:

• Follow me on Instagram
• Send me an email
• Get on the waitlist for the Points Made Easy Course here!
• Get My Cash-Back Credit Card Cheat Sheet! 
• If you have any questions or you want me to dive deeper into a specific topic, email me here: podcast@pointmetofirstclass.com
• Download Your Guide to Credit Card Eligibility Rules here!
• 59. Miles Ahead: Strategies for Smart Mileage Purchases

Click here to download full episode transcript

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