MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

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Getting 125K Expired Points Back, New Southwest Companion Pass Truth & JetBlue Launches First Class! Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio
Join MTM Diamond our private community! Slack, meetups, tons of bonus content and more. More info - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories

Shawn let 125,000 Accor points expire, and what happened when he asked for them back surprised both of us. We also break down the new Hyatt and Aeroplan partnership and why Canadians walked away with all the good stuff, plus Thrifty Traveler's new free tool that watches your airfare after you book. Then we dig into what really happened to the Southwest Companion Pass, the new path to earn it, and the 2026 deadline everyone is racing. Plus JetBlue finally rolls out a domestic first class cabin. Are you chasing the Companion Pass before the rules change? Let us know in the comments.

Episode Guide:

0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
0:22 Michigan Weekends & Our Detroit Meetup
1:50 What's New in MTM Diamond
3:41 Is Diamond Only for Big Spenders?
5:35 Hyatt & Aeroplan's Partnership Is a Dud for Americans
7:10 The Aeroplan Hyatt Free Night Certificates
8:58 Hyatt & Delta: The Partnership That Matters
9:20 Thrifty Traveler's Free FareTracker
11:01 How Shawn Lost 125,000 Accor Points
12:33 Getting Expired Points Back as a Courtesy
14:42 Why We Still Like Accor
16:16 What Really Happened to the Companion Pass
17:51 The Companion Pass Now Comes With Platinum Status
18:43 The 95,000 TQP Companion Pass Trips
19:46 The 2027 Bump & Our TQP Card Bonus Prediction
21:19 Southwest vs. Alaska: What Your Spend Gets You
22:30 JetBlue Launches BlueFirst Domestic First Class
24:09 Every Airline Is Becoming the Same
24:58 Final Thoughts

Links

MTM Diamond - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories
Aeroplan Hyatt - https://milestomemories.com/world-of-hyatt-and-air-canada-aeroplan-launch-new-partnership/
Thrifty Free tracker - https://milestomemories.com/thrifty-traveler-launches-free-faretracker-tool/
Southwest - https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us/bluefirst
Companion Pass in 2027 - https://www.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/2027/companion-pass-changes/

💳 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

Southwest Just Nuked the Companion Pass & Amex Platinum's Hotel Credit May Be Next Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio
Rakuten sign-up link (referral) Get $50 when you spend $50 - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten

Southwest just dropped its biggest Rapid Rewards overhaul yet, and the credit card shortcut to the Companion Pass is officially on its way out, along with the A-List names. We react to what it means for anyone still chasing the pass, plus a rumored Amex Platinum change that could make the hotel credit a lot harder to use. Hyatt finally lets you transfer points online, Lululemon appears to be blocking gift cards from triggering the Platinum credit, and Citi now tells you before you apply for a Strata card whether you will get the bonus. Plus early data points suggest new Discover cardholders may be getting their Capital One Offers doubled. Did Southwest just break your heart? Let us know in the comments.

Episode Guide:

0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
0:25 Southwest Drops Big Changes (Preview)
0:55 Hyatt Points Transfers Finally Go Online
4:40 Lululemon Shuts Down the Gift Card Play
7:13 Citi's New Bonus Eligibility Pop-Up
9:14 Bank of America's 1,000 Contractors & $1.2B Fine
11:11 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment
11:49 Discover Could Double Your Capital One Offers
14:19 Amex Platinum's Rumored Hotel Credit Downgrade
16:20 Is the $895 Platinum Still Worth It?
19:04 Southwest's 2027 Rapid Rewards Overhaul
21:27 Why Rename A-List to Silver, Gold & Platinum?
23:57 The Dark Side of the Companion Pass
26:03 Final Thoughts

Links

Hyatt transfers - https://storefront.points.com/world-of-hyatt/sso/mv-delegate/free-transfer?
Lululemon Amex - https://milestomemories.com/75-lululemon-amex-platinum-credit/
Citi pop-up - https://milestomemories.com/citi-adds-welcome-bonus-eligibility-pop-up-for-strata-applications/
Discover Capital One Offers - https://milestomemories.com/discover-cashback-match-includes-capital-one-offers/
Amex FHR rumors - https://milestomemories.com/amex-platinum-may-add-2-night-minimum-for-fhr-credit/
Southwest overhaul - https://www.swamedia.com/news-and-stories/news-release/more-to-love-from-rapid-rewards-southwest-airlines-expands-rewards-redemption-an-MCKCBGY5Z2SNF7DJLTVF253RMDIU

American Airlines Mistake Fare & Cancelation Anger, Best Lounge Tool & KLM's Quirky Blue Houses! Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio
Rakuten sign-up link (referral) Get $50 when you spend $50 - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten

A pricing glitch let a lot of people book American Airlines award tickets for a fraction of the usual miles, including us, and almost two weeks later American started canceling them, calling people instead of emailing them first. We get into why the way they handled it may break their own rules, and whether we should file DOT complaints over it. Then luxury goes all-inclusive, with Hilton converting the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad in Riviera Maya and Park Hyatt opening its first all-inclusive near Cancun. Plus a free lounge tool from a friend of the show that we cannot stop using, why we have mostly stopped chasing transfer bonuses, and the surprisingly sneaky history behind KLM's Delft Blue houses. Should we file DOT complaints, or did we know what we were getting into? Let us know in the comments.

Episode Guide:

0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
0:24 Mark Learns What "HoCo" Means
2:43 American Airlines Cancels Our Award Tickets
4:26 American's Own 72-Hour Rule
7:16 Should We File DOT Complaints?
11:37 ThisLounge.com: The Free Lounge Tool We Love
14:44 Waldorf Astoria & Conrad Go All-Inclusive
16:23 Park Hyatt's First All-Inclusive
19:53 Can Luxury All-Inclusives Fix the Food?
21:20 Do We Still Chase Transfer Bonuses?
23:54 The History Behind KLM's Blue Houses
25:36 Shawn's KLM Houses Left Behind in Düsseldorf
28:49 Amenity Kits, Conrad Ducks & Freebies We Hoard
30:00 Final Thoughts

Links

This Lounge - http://thislounge.com/
Hilton all-inclusives - https://milestomemories.com/waldorf-astoria-riviera-maya-and-conrad-tulum-going-all-inclusive/
Park Hyatt Riviera Maya - https://thepointsguy.com/news/park-hyatt-riviera-maya-all-inclusive-details/
KLM history - https://onemileatatime.com/guides/klm-airlines-dutch-house/
Transfer bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/current-transfer-bonuses/

Chase's Eye Opening Card Strategy, IHG Refreshes Everything & The 2 Browser Trick?! Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio
Rakuten sign-up link (referral) Get $50 when you spend $50 - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten

IHG and Chase just overhauled the entire IHG card lineup, with a brand new $350 Premier Select card, higher annual fees, and status getting pulled from a card a lot of you carry. We dig into who the new card actually makes sense for, the catch hiding in its food and beverage credit, and why the old $49 IHG card is about to cost a lot more. Plus Rakuten just posted its best Bank of America offer yet, Chase may let other banks approve the co-brand applicants it turns down, and some Sapphire Preferred cardholders are getting 75,000 point upgrade offers. Then we get nostalgic about the two browser trick and the Wild West days. Which IHG card is looking better for you? Let us know in the comments.

Episode Guide:

0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
0:40 Rakuten's Best Bank of America Offer Yet
3:04 Denied by Bank of America & Waiting on Atmos
4:34 IHG's Big Card Refresh & the New $350 Premier Select
6:00 The Food & Beverage Catch & an Easy $200 Flight Credit
7:20 Diamond for $25K & the Premier Card Loses Platinum
8:28 Stacking Elite Nights & the $40K Free Night
11:13 Your $49 IHG Card Is Doubling & Why to Grab the Select Now
13:52 Fourth Night Free Gets Harder & Why IHG Is Undervalued
15:42 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 16:19 Chase May Let Other Banks Approve Its Co-Brand Cards
18:20 Fintech Sweep Accounts & the FDIC Fine Print
21:56 Chase's 75K Sapphire Upgrade & a Possible 175K Stack
23:41 The Two Browser Trick & the Wild West Days
25:33 The AA Shutdowns & Executive Card Churners
26:24 Final Thoughts

Links

IHG refresh - https://frequentmiler.com/all-the-existing-ihg-credit-cards-have-been-refreshed-here-are-the-changes/
BofA Rakuten - https://milestomemories.com/rakuten-offering-extra-bonus-for-bank-of-america-cards/
Old IHG $49 card - https://milestomemories.com/chase-updates-legacy-ihg-select-card/
Chase upgrades - https://milestomemories.com/75k-upgrade-offer-to-sapphire-reserve/
Chase second look idea - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/jpmorgan-chase-looks-to-open-second-look-applications-for-cobranded-cards/

Bin Space Wars, BofA Transfers Coming & Why Giant Suitcases & Rewards Debit Cards Are Taking Over! Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio

Bank of America cards are getting a transfer partner in 2027, and it is a big one: Alaska Atmos. We get into what it could mean for Preferred Rewards members and why you might want to start stockpiling now. Mark also ran the real math on Alaska versus American status, and the answer is not what the headline numbers suggest. But first, a travel gripe session: European airports that will not tell you your gate until five minutes before boarding, Lisbon's surprisingly giant suitcases, and the day a flight attendant almost evicted Mark's backpack from the overhead bin. Plus Alaska is launching a debit card that earns status, and X Money is making debit interesting again. Are you team carry-on or team checked bag? Let us know in the comments.

Episode Guide:

0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
0:24 Back to StarLux for Asia
1:11 Europe's Gate Problem & Lisbon's Giant Suitcases
4:36 A Gate Posted 5 Minutes Before Boarding
6:54 Team Carry-On & Mark's Backpack Standoff
10:40 The Two-Bag Problem & Never Fight a Flight Attendant
12:06 Bin Space Wars & Deplaning Etiquette
15:08 Alaska vs. AA Status: Mark Runs the Numbers
18:06 Welcome Offers vs. Status Spend (and Why Mark Picked AA)
20:32 Bank of America Points to Atmos in 2027
22:36 Preferred Rewards & Why to Stockpile Now
24:13 Alaska Is Launching a Debit Card
25:48 X Money & the Debit Card Comeback
26:52 Final Thoughts

Links

Alaska changes - https://news.alaskaair.com/loyalty/atmos-rewards-expands/
AA vs. Alaska status - https://milestomemories.com/alaska-atmos-or-american-aadvantage-status/

More Bad Hyatt News, Easy Bank Bonuses Are Back & Mark vs. a Skunk Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

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/

Hawaii Without the Price Tag, Rakuten's Craziest Card Offers & Flying Four Airlines in Five Days! Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

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/

Citi Adds Lifetime Language, Chase's New 3/24 Rule & Bilt's New Partner Is An Old Friend! Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

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/

The Worst Hotel Walk Ever, Thailand's Relationship "Scams" & the App Selling $20 Food Bags for $5 Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

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/

Locked Out of Chase, the Fake Credit Card in Shawn's Wallet & When a Decline Feels Personal Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

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/

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