Episode: Seats.aero with Founder Ian Carroll
Pub date: 2025-09-12
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Episode 137 of the Award Travel 101 podcast featured guest Ian Carroll, founder of the award search tool Seats.aero. Angie opened with a highlight post from a member who discovered Chase is now more strictly enforcing repeat-sub restrictions, similar to Amex’s lifetime rules. The episode also covered news of elevated welcome offers on IHG credit cards, refreshed Amex Delta card bonuses, and several ongoing mileage sales and hotel promotions. Angie shared her own recent credit card approvals and denials—including a Barclays Red card approval after a manual verification—while Ian celebrated finally getting the Atmos Summit card. Travel updates included Angie’s upcoming New England trip and Miami meetup, and Ian’s EVA and Starlux premium cabin bookings from San Francisco to Asia.
The main topic focused on Seats.aero, exploring its origins, how the product vision has evolved, and what makes it unique among a crowded field of award search tools. Ian discussed how the platform stands out with features like customizable alerts, streamlined award searches, and the new “Seats.aero Assistant.” They also touched on hotel alert services, airline coverage gaps (like BA not yet being integrated), and planned enhancements for casual and advanced users alike.
The episode wrapped with Angie’s tip of the week: always follow up on bank communications. She shared how a letter from Barclays, which she initially considered ignoring, ended up securing her approval for another 70,000 AA miles after a quick verification call. The takeaway: those small steps can sometimes unlock big wins in the points-and-miles game.
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