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MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Shawn Coomer & Mark Ostermann
The fun side of miles, points and travel! Hosted by Shawn Coomer and Mark Ostermann, MTM Travel dives into the points hobby & the lifestyle of travel with topical conversations and plenty of laughs along the way. Mark & Shawn have a combined 18 years of experience covering these topics on Miles to Memories and Travel on Points and are cohosts of the popular MtM Vegas Youtube Show on the Miles to Memories Vegas channel. They also host the 20 Minute Travel news show on this same feed where you can keep up with the latest deals, news and happenings.
Latest Episodes
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- 3 days ago26 min
More Bad Hyatt News, Easy Bank Bonuses Are Back & Mark vs. a Skunk
Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Mark started his morning trapped in his own backyard by a skunk, and somehow that was not the worst news of the day. Bilt just announced it is cutting Hyatt transfers from 1:1 to 4:3 on January 1, the same change Chase made to the Sapphire Preferred, and it has us convinced we know who is really behind all of this. We get into why Hyatt might actually want it this way and what it says about where the program is headed. Plus Q4's 5% categories went all in on dining, Chase has new targeted spend offers worth checking, Audible is back at 99 cents a month with a bonus credit, and easy bank bonuses are back, including an E*Trade offer worth up to $800 with a 4.25% APY. Is Hyatt still worth chasing for you? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Mark Gets Trapped by a Skunk 3:58 Q4 5% Categories: Dining Everywhere 5:31 Chase's New Targeted Spend Offers 7:09 Audible Is Back to 99 Cents a Month 9:58 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 10:36 Getting Back Into Bank Bonuses 12:54 E*Trade's Up to $800 Bonus & 4.25% APY 15:54 Ameriprise Platinum, Mercedes Swag & the Ani Mindset 18:20 Bilt to Hyatt Drops to 4:3 in January 20:58 Is Hyatt Becoming Marriott? 22:52 Why Hyatt Wants Co-Brand Card Spend 25:43 Final Thoughts Links 5X cats - https://milestomemories.com/5-categories-for-2026-4th-quarter/ Chase My Bonus - https://milestomemories.com/chase-my-bonus-quarterly-spending-offers/ Bank Bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/bank-account-bonuses-2/ Bilt 4:3 - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-to-hyatt-transfer-ratio/ E-trade offer - https://milestomemories.com/etrade-800-signup-bonus/ 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 6 days ago39 min
Hawaii Without the Price Tag, Rakuten's Craziest Card Offers & Flying Four Airlines in Five Days!
Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Mark is back from the Azores after four airlines in five days, and he has thoughts. First, though, Rakuten's increased card offers are some of the best we've ever seen, including a no annual fee Bank of America card worth up to 40,000 Bilt points plus a $250 bonus, and there's one catch for Membership Rewards members you need to know. Then the trip: Royal Air Maroc business class on Alaska miles (the seat is fine, the service is another story), a night in Lisbon that started with Uber chaos and ended at a rooftop sunset, and a TAP flight with seatmates Mark will never forget. The Azores themselves might be the best value trip in the Atlantic, with Hawaii-level scenery at mainland Europe prices, smoked pineapples, thermal springs, and an Amex FHR stay in Ponta Delgada. Plus how Mark dodged the Boston storms for free, whether he should have taken $700 to wait, and why short whirlwind trips are worth it for busy parents. Have you been to the Azores? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Mark's Back From the Azores 1:01 Rakuten's Huge Card Offers (Up to 40K Bilt Points) 3:08 Royal Air Maroc Business Class Review 5:01 Where the Service Fell Short 7:55 Casablanca, Bus Gates & a Surprisingly Good Lounge 11:30 Lisbon: Uber Chaos & a Rooftop Sunset 14:48 Pizza Hut's Double Stuffed Crust 15:44 Why Portugal Is So Underrated 18:48 TAP to the Azores & the Middle Seat Debate 22:12 The Azores: Hawaii Without the Price Tag 27:00 Where to Stay: The Octant via Amex FHR 29:30 Pineapples, Tea & Thermal Springs 32:09 Escaping the Boston Storms for Free 36:05 Is Whirlwind Travel Worth It? 39:01 Final Thoughts Links Rakuten offers - https://milestomemories.com/rakuten-offering-extra-bonus-for-bank-of-america-cards/ 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 1 weeks ago24 min
Citi Adds Lifetime Language, Chase's New 3/24 Rule & Bilt's New Partner Is An Old Friend!
Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Mark is headed to the Azores, so naturally we start with why Portugal has almost no air conditioning. Then it is a bank-by-bank rundown. Citi added lifetime language to the Strata cards, and nobody knows yet how hard they will enforce it. Chase may have quietly created a 3/24 rule for business cards, you have one week left to move Sapphire Preferred points to Hyatt at 1:1, and Chase's new investing redemption is the least exciting 1 cent per point you will ever see. On the good news side, Bilt reversed its terrible referral rule, now allows product changes with targeted upgrade offers, and added Amtrak as a transfer partner for the first time in years, though at a ratio that stings. Plus Citi adds Japan Airlines with a 30% launch bonus, and a 25% bonus to Avianca that we will politely beg you to think twice about. Is Citi's lifetime rule a dealbreaker for you? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 Mark Heads to the Azores & Europe's AC Problem 1:50 Lufthansa's Very German Customer Service 2:53 Last Call: Sapphire Preferred to Hyatt at 1:1 4:34 Does Chase Have a 3/24 Rule for Business Cards? 6:03 Chase's New 1 Cent Investing Redemption 9:03 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 9:55 Bilt Reverses Its Bad Referral Rule 11:31 Bilt Allows Product Changes & Upgrade Offers 13:01 Bilt Adds Amtrak as a Transfer Partner 16:22 Citi Adds Lifetime Language to the Strata Cards 19:50 What Is Citi Even Doing? 20:51 Citi Adds Japan Airlines With a 30% Bonus 23:03 A 25% Bonus to Avianca (Proceed With Caution) Links Chase 3/24 - https://milestomemories.com/new-3-24-rule-for-chase-business-cards/ Citi new rules - https://milestomemories.com/citi-tightens-strata-card-bonus-rules-with-new-lifetime-language/ Bilt product changes - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-now-allows-product-changes/ Chase invest - https://milestomemories.com/chase-launches-invest-your-points/ 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 1 weeks ago26 min
The Worst Hotel Walk Ever, Thailand's Relationship "Scams" & the App Selling $20 Food Bags for $5
Amazon 4 months of Audible for $.99/mo. (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-prime-day-2026/ Shawn's personal inKind referral - https://milestomemories.com/go/inkind-referral/ Shawn's wife has a new obsession: the endless YouTube genre of Western men moving to Thailand and getting taken for everything, and it kicks off a surprisingly thoughtful conversation about love, money, family, and why 90 Day Fiance works. Then the Marriott story that broke our brains: a guest walked from his Brooklyn hotel over broken AC, moved to a more expensive sister property, and then billed the difference, with an apology that netted out to 5,000 points. We get into what the walk guarantee actually owes him, why public shaming barely works anymore, and the story of a Hyatt Place walk that got it exactly right. Plus Too Good To Go, the app selling $20 grab bags of end-of-day food for $5, the $60 loaf of sourdough New Yorkers are lining up around the block for, and a new no lifetime language Amex Platinum offer at 175,000 points, with the quarter-end credit timing trick that makes right now the perfect moment to grab it. Have you ever been walked? Let us know how it went in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:21 The Thailand Scam Channels Shawn's Wife Loves 3:56 Locked Up Abroad & 90 Day Fiance 5:45 Cross-Cultural Marriage Is Hard 7:26 Marriott Walked a Guest & Charged Him More 10:40 Does Public Shaming Even Work Anymore? 14:24 How a Walk Should Actually Go 16:58 The TikTok-ification of Customer Service 19:31 Too Good To Go: $20 Grab Bags for $5 22:45 A 175K No Lifetime Language Amex Platinum 25:34 Final Thoughts Links Marriott walk - https://onemileatatime.com/community-stories/marriott-walked-another-hotel-refused-honor-reservation-guarantee/ Too Good to Go - https://milestomemories.com/too-good-to-go/ Plat 175K - https://milestomemories.com/amex-platinum-card-link-no-lifetime-language-offer/ 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 2 weeks ago22 min
Locked Out of Chase, the Fake Credit Card in Shawn's Wallet & When a Decline Feels Personal
Amazon 4 months of Audible for $.99/mo. (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-prime-day-2026/ Shawn's personal inKind referral - https://milestomemories.com/go/inkind-referral/ Shawn walked into a Chase branch to withdraw money and walked into every points person's nightmare: account locked, suspicious activity, and a phone tree with no humans in it. What follows is the full anatomy of a lockout, from the banker with the super secret number to the moment Shawn nearly handed him the fake World of Hyatt credit card that has been living in his wallet for years. That spirals into the security conversation we all need to have: password managers and passkeys, the scams hitting travelers abroad, why your debit card should never leave your wallet, and the shutdown anxiety that makes every declined charge feel personal. Then two deals worth your time: Audible at 99 cents a month for four months ahead of Prime Day, and the Target stack that gets inKind gift cards down near 68 percent off, beating even Costco. What is your worst locked-account story, and how do you keep yourself secure? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:30 Chase Locked Shawn's Account 3:39 The Fake World of Hyatt Card in Shawn's Wallet 6:13 Password Managers, Passkeys & the LastPass Lesson 9:18 Fraud Abroad: Apple Pay Scams & Missing Alerts 10:21 Debit Card Rules to Live By 12:26 When a Decline Feels Personal (Shutdown Anxiety) 14:01 The Mystery of the Spotless Banker Desk 17:35 Audible for 99 Cents a Month 19:10 The Target inKind Stack 21:18 Final Thoughts Links https://milestomemories.com/inkind-gift-cards-at-target/ 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 2 weeks ago28 min
Why Flight Prices Look Rigged, Increased Venture Offer & the Best Premium Economy Seat Ever!
Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Capital One Venture more info on our site (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/capital-one-venture-rewards-credit-card/ Airlines are quietly punishing one-way bookings again, with Kyle Potter documenting examples across countless airports, and it comes with a mystery: Delta calendars showing the exact same "lowest" price every single day for months. We get into what booking a round trip cost Mark on his Singapore trip, whether shared pricing software deserves a closer look, and why Frontier is suddenly the only airline behaving. Then a genuinely useful how-to: adding your American number to an Alaska Atmos booking so your status perks follow you, including the one mistake that locks the wrong number in and the earning trade-off to consider first. Mark maps out his Summit card companion cert rotation, we break down the increased Capital One Venture offer and the FU points philosophy behind it, and Emirates unveils the first premium economy seat that looks designed on purpose: motorized recline, a motorized privacy divider, wireless charging, and one big retrofit catch. Would you book premium economy over saving the miles? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:03 Airlines Are Punishing One-Way Bookings 2:33 When a Round Trip Burned Mark in Bangkok 4:07 Delta's Suspiciously Flat Calendar Prices 7:10 In Defense of Delta (Sort Of) 8:12 The Redheaded Safety Video Celebrity 10:16 Add Your AA Number to an Atmos Booking 14:30 Replenishing Atmos: Cards & Companion Certs 18:39 Capital One Venture: 75K + a $300 Hotel Credit 22:52 Emirates Reinvents Premium Economy 27:32 Final Thoughts Links One-way penalty - https://thriftytraveler.com/news/travel/one-way-vs-round-trip-analysis/ Adding AA to Alaska booking - https://milestomemories.com/add-alaska-atmos-booking-to-american-airlines/ AA to Atmos - https://milestomemories.com/atmos-rewards-loyalty-program/ Emirates premium economy - https://onemileatatime.com/news/emirates-new-premium-economy-seat/ 📧 Free newsletter 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 3 weeks ago24 min
Hyatt's Big Breakup, Bilt Authorized User "Trick" & A Card Refresh Nobody Asked For
Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Shawn's InKind referral ($25 off $50) - https://milestomemories.com/go/inkind Bilt Palladium Card (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-palladium-card/ Bilt Obsidian Card (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-obsidian-card/ Hyatt is dumping American for Delta, and while the details are months away, the possibilities (a status match, reciprocal earning) have our attention. Then it is deal season: three new inKind offers worth up to 50% off that you should activate today, the current state of the Lululemon vs Amex Platinum credit fight and the workarounds still standing, and a Costco gift card discount that ends Sunday. The Aeroplan card got its refresh and it is a mixed bag at best, with a bigger annual fee, weaker grocery earning, and a 115,000 point bonus doing the heavy lifting. And Gary Leff spelled out the Bilt authorized user play that quietly doubles the program's best perks for as little as $50, a strategy Mark is restructuring his whole household around. Are you keeping the Aeroplan card after this refresh? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:16 Delta & Hyatt Team Up (Sorry, American) 4:37 Three New inKind Offers (Activate Them Now) 7:27 Lululemon vs Your Amex Platinum Credit 9:45 The Workarounds Still Standing 12:53 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 13:41 Aeroplan Card Refresh: Bigger Fee, Smaller Earning 17:34 The Bilt Authorized User Double Dip 21:12 Gary's Setup & Mark's New Household Plan 23:15 Final Thoughts Links Hyatt/Delta - https://news.delta.com/delta-and-hyatt-introduce-new-strategic-relationship 3 InKind deals - https://milestomemories.com/inkind-offering-50-off-your-next-100-meal/ What works Lululemon - https://milestomemories.com/75-lululemon-amex-platinum-credit/ Bilt AU - https://viewfromthewing.com/bilts-authorized-user-strategy-doubles-transfer-bonus-caps-and-3x-spending-heres-how-my-wife-and-i-use-it/ Aeroplan refresh - https://media.chase.com/news/the-chase-air-canada-aeroplan-credit-card-refresh 📧 Free newsletter 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
- 3 weeks ago27 min
A Unicorn Starlux Award, Southwest Is Building Lounges & the Duct-Taped Passenger
Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Shawn's InKind referral ($25 off $50) - https://milestomemories.com/go/inkind Shawn spent the weekend refreshing seats.aero and it paid off: a single Starlux business class saver to Taipei at 75,000 Alaska miles, even if it means leaving three days early. That kicks off a very Taiwan-heavy conversation about EVA, StarLux, the free Taipei stopover tour, and the JAL phantom space that keeps breaking our hearts. Then the story everyone saw this week: a first class passenger restrained with duct tape by fellow travelers, and the surprisingly complicated questions underneath it, from the legality of stepping in to why these midair meltdowns keep happening, plus the only would-you-rather that matters: duct taped in first or free in a middle seat? We also cover Benjy's underwhelming test of Flying Blue Platinum award space and the United cardholder trick that quietly beats it, Southwest and Chase teaming up on airport lounges with a premium card to match, and American expanding Flagship dining, which sparks our real philosophy: eat on the ground, sleep in the air. What is the best first class lounge you have ever visited? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:25 A Unicorn StarLux Saver to Taipei 2:59 Taiwan's Three Great Airlines (and JAL Phantom Space) 4:47 The Duct-Taped First Class Passenger 7:24 Duct Taped in First or Free in a Middle Seat? 10:23 Airport Beers & Getting Kicked Off for Being Drunk 12:05 Flying Blue Platinum Award Space Disappoints 13:25 The United Cardholder Award Space Hack 15:32 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 16:24 Southwest & Chase Are Building Lounges 19:59 AA Expands Flagship Dining 23:00 Eat on the Ground, Sleep in the Air 26:22 Final Thoughts Links Duct taped - https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/04/us/disruptive-passenger-duct-tape FlyingBlue space - https://milestomemories.com/flying-blue-platinum/ AA Dining - https://milestomemories.com/aa-flagship-dining/ Southwest lounges - https://www.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/lounges/ 📧 Free newsletter 💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members) 🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community 🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo) 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts 📖 Miles to Memories website
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About MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!
The fun side of miles, points and travel! Hosted by Shawn Coomer and Mark Ostermann, MTM Travel dives into the points hobby & the lifestyle of travel with topical conversations and plenty of laughs along the way. Mark & Shawn have a combined 18 years of experience covering these topics on Miles to Memories and Travel on Points and are cohosts of the popular MtM Vegas Youtube Show on the Miles to Memories Vegas channel. They also host the 20 Minute Travel news show on this same feed where you can keep up with the latest deals, news and happenings.
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