MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

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

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

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

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

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 Mark went on an application spree and the final tally is absurd: 690,000 points across Amex, American, Atmos and Bilt, plus $500 in dining money, against $1,719 in fees, and we break down why the math still works. Along the way, a bank that denied him for nearly a decade finally said yes, and nobody knows why. Then a new LendingTree study has us worried: most Gen Z cardholders pay just the minimum, nearly half of all cardholders do not know their own APR, and a quarter treat their credit card as their emergency fund, so we get into what actually moves your credit score and the class schools should be teaching everyone. Plus the Muggle vs Wizard Meta glasses showdown, how Mark stacked Ray-Ban, a shopping portal and an Amex offer into a much cheaper second pair, and the unclaimed property treasure chest, including the $600 that found its way back to Mark years later. What is your biggest unclaimed property score? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:28 Mark's App-O-Rama: Rakuten & Bank of America 2:12 Double Dipping American & Atmos (and a Barclays Miracle) 4:24 500K From Amex & the Final Haul vs the Fees 7:25 MTM Diamond 8:15 Gen Z & Credit Cards: The LendingTree Numbers 10:26 Does Carrying a Balance Help Your Score? 13:27 The Math Class They Only Taught the Flunking Kids 15:11 Missed Bonuses, Buyer's Remorse & Lost Rewards 17:22 Meta Glasses: Muggle vs Wizard Edition 19:32 Stacking Ray-Ban, Rakuten & Amex Offers 24:46 Unclaimed Property Is a Treasure Chest 27:00 Final Thoughts Links App-o-rama - https://milestomemories.com/my-midway-point-credit-card-applications/ LendingTree survey - https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/habits-misconceptions-mistakes/ Claim lost funds - https://milestomemories.com/claim-lost-funds/ 📧 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

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 has to get to Hong Kong and the choice is uglier than it should be: premium economy nonstop or Philippine Airlines through Manila on an angled seat, because the last minute Cathay Pacific first class trick that worked for years is gone. We also get into why renewing a Chinese visa is still a pain, the intra-Asia award secret everyone planning a trip should know, and the one Seoul airport you want to fly into. Then Benji has us rethinking IHG Diamond, the top tier almost nobody has and hotels actually honor. Plus T-Mobile is giving away ten prizes of one million Atmos miles each and you do not need to be a customer, which leads to the full story of the time Mark won Arby's in Hawaii, surprise tax bill and all. And McDonald's just closed a loophole that says a lot about how rewards programs really work. Premium economy or Manila? Vote in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:27 The Accidental Golf Podcast 4:33 Renewing a Chinese Visa Is Still a Pain 5:35 Premium Economy or Philippine Airlines to Hong Kong? 8:01 Cathay Pacific, the One That Got Away 11:10 Intra-Asia Awards Are Wide Open 12:13 The $500 Tokyo to Seoul Problem (and the Gimpo Tip) 14:57 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 15:39 Why IHG Diamond Is Underrated 20:38 Shutdowns, Status Matches & Looking Over Your Shoulder 22:46 Win 1 Million Atmos Miles From T-Mobile 24:09 The Arby's in Hawaii Story (and the Surprise Tax Bill) 27:58 A Free 25K Companion Cert on the Summit Card 29:02 McDonald's Closes a Loophole 32:09 Final Thoughts Links IHG undervalued - https://milestomemories.com/ihg-one-rewards-diamond/ 1M Atmos - https://milestomemories.com/enter-to-win1-million-atmos-rewards-points/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Tiffany Funk now runs Flying Blue, and the first big change on her watch makes the cheapest business class awards look a lot like basic economy. We get into what got stripped out, why the fix conveniently runs through their status program, and why that status ladder makes Mark want to lie down. It is not just airlines either, and Caesars and Carnival both proved it this same week. Plus PenFed kills the free version of a card people were milking, Citi's AAdvantage Executive is at 125,000 miles with a family lounge perk nobody else offers anymore, inKind has another $50 off $100 in the links below, and Rakuten's card offers are back. Let us know in the comments if decoupling lounge access from awards is fair or just another devaluation. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Our Tiffany Funk Problem 2:28 Flying Blue Makes Business Class Awards Basic Economy 5:35 Status Is the Fix (and Flying Blue's Status Ladder Is a Mess) 8:00 Loyalty Programs Reward Spenders, Not Flyers 10:06 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 11:33 PenFed Phases Out the Free Pathfinder 14:01 Citi AAdvantage Executive at 125K 17:12 inKind: $50 Off $100 Is Back 19:15 Rakuten Card Offers Return 21:43 Final Thoughts Links InKind - https://www.milestomemories.com/go/inkind Penfed - https://milestomemories.com/penfed-credit-card/ Flying Blue status/changes - https://milestomemories.com/flying-blue-changes/ https://liveandletsfly.com/flying-blue-business-light-awards/ Rakuten offers - https://milestomemories.com/rakuten-credit-card-offers/ $50 off $100 InKind promo - https://milestomemories.com/inkind-offering-50-off-your-next-100-meal/ AA 125K - https://milestomemories.com/citi-aadvantage-executive-card-new-125k-bonus/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

MileProtection - Your hard earned miles deserve protection. Join the waitlist! (sponsored) - https://milestomemories.com/go/mile-protection/ Chase quietly added language to the Sapphire Reserve hotel credit that would have killed a way people were using it, and then just as quietly took it back out. Somebody at JP Morgan even emailed us about the article. There are also targeted Sapphire offers floating around that are better than anything public, including 175,000 points, and if you were shut down by Capital One years ago you may want to go check whether your Discover account is still open. Plus Discover's $2 forgiveness is dead, weird new 48 month language nobody can explain, and a couple of no lifetime language links worth knowing about. Let us know in the comments if you have ever been targeted for one of these offers. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:22 Back to School & Raising Polite Kids 5:56 The Social Media Cadence Problem 7:25 Why Honest Reviews Make People Angry 10:48 Chase Changes the Terms, Then Reverses 14:02 Targeted Sapphire Offers Up to 175K 17:58 Capital One Is Closing Discover Accounts 18:15 The $2 Forgiveness Is Gone 22:17 Discover's Strange 48 Month Language 26:58 First Credit Cards & the Flip-Out Keychain 28:37 Thrifty Traveler's 30% Off Sale 31:04 Coming Monday: Tokyo & Philippine Airlines 31:33 No Lifetime Language Bonvoy Links 34:45 Final Thoughts Links Thrifty Traveler 30% off ends August 20, 2026 - https://milestomemories.com/go/thrifty-traveler/ Edit Credit - https://milestomemories.com/chase-updates-terms-for-back-to-back-the-edit-stays/ Chase targeted card offers up to 175K - https://milestomemories.com/targeted-increased-chase-sapphire-card-offers/ Cap One shutdowns - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/capital-one-shutdowns-can-cause-discover-shutdowns-ymmv/ Cap One Discover 48 month language - https://milestomemories.com/discover-48-month-language/ Amex Marriott no lifetime language - https://milestomemories.com/nll-links-for-amex-marriott-bonvoy-brilliant-and-bevy-cards/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Mark figured out how to pull $400 in credits out of a single San Antonio trip, and it only works because of one thing most people never think to do. Amex also just added 350 properties to Fine Hotels and Resorts, including brands that never used to show up, and Resy quietly expanded into a whole new platform you have probably never heard of. Then there is LifeMiles, who sent Mark an email to resolve his refund and gave him 19 hours to respond before the case expired. Plus Bilt Cash finally works on Blade, and Shawn booked a five night cruise with free drinks for about $300 out the door. Let us know in the comments if you hate LifeMiles as much as Mark does. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:22 Hunting for FHR Under $300 3:04 The San Antonio Double Credit Trick 6:32 Booking Crockfords for a Birthday 8:28 Amex Adds 350 FHR Properties 9:34 Resy Expands Into Tock 11:03 Using inKind Without Embarrassing Yourself 14:55 Melio's $230 Offer 16:07 Why We're Done With LifeMiles 17:12 The 19 Hour Email 23:14 Bilt Cash Now Works on Blade 26:02 A Solo Cruise for $300 28:48 Final Thoughts Links FHR Resy expansion - https://milestomemories.com/two-popular-amex-credits-see-massive-expansion/ Bilt blade - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-members-can-book-blade-flights-with-bilt-cash/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Hyatt canceled a Diamond member's Big Sur stay because of the fires. Then they told him what it would cost to rebook it, and the number is not what he originally paid. CardPointers just broke for almost everyone, US Bank finally launched transfer partners and then took two of them back within a day, and Hilton has a quiet trick that is making your free night certs useless. Also, people waited over eight hours in Vegas this week for $200. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:28 Hyatt Wants 90,000 More Points 5:37 Is Any Hotel Worth 75K a Night? 6:12 US Bank Adds Transfer Partners (Then Removes Two) 8:38 Why US Bank Feels Like a Mom and Pop Bank 12:43 CardPointers Breaks for 90% of Users 16:00 Hilton Is Hiding Standard Awards 18:08 The Hotel Owner Compensation Fight 20:23 Treasure Island's $200 Free Play Chaos 21:05 Eight Hour Lines (And How to Skip Them) 24:48 Final Thoughts Links US Bank xfers - https://milestomemories.com/u-s-bank-launches-transfer-partners-program/ Cardpointers issues - https://dannydealguru.com/cardpointers-not-working-amex-offers/ Hilton FNCs - https://loyaltylobby.com/2026/08/08/reader-comment-hilton-standard-room-rewards-becoming-practically-unavailable-worldwide/#google_vignette ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ American Airlines is raising Admiral's Club membership from $700 to $850 up to $1,200 to $1,400 depending on status, which conveniently makes the Executive card look like a much better deal even after its annual fee went from $595 to $695. That card now includes a $500 travel credit, up to three authorized users for $175 total, and doubles the bonus loyalty points you can earn from 20,000 to 40,000, so it is a real shortcut if you are chasing status. Less good is AA changing elite upgrades on three cabin planes, so your complimentary upgrade now only gets you from economy to premium economy, and reaching business means buying premium economy first. Hyatt on the other hand launched one of the best promos we have seen, a free night certificate for every three qualifying nights at Latin America and Caribbean resorts, up to five certs, though the timing quirks are strange since you have to register by the end of September for stays in the first quarter of next year. We close with an epic thread from a hotel check in agent covering nine things that actually work, from the email to send 72 hours out to why checking in later gets you a better room, and the notes hotels are quietly keeping on you. Let us know in the comments if the Executive card is worth it now. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:30 The Gate Agent Who Sang to a Delayed Flight 1:53 A Brutal Travel Weekend (5 Hours on the Tarmac) 6:08 Lake Life & The End of Summer 8:11 Admiral's Club Prices Jump to $1,400 12:26 AA Guts First Class Elite Upgrades 16:13 Hyatt's Caribbean Promo: A Free Night Per 3 Nights 20:18 9 Hotel Check-In Secrets 20:49 Never Book Third Party 22:07 The Email to Send 72 Hours Before 23:36 Why You Should Check In Later 24:17 Use Their Name 26:52 Free Stuff You Can Just Ask For 30:53 What Hotels Write About You 34:38 Final Thoughts Links Check-in tips - https://www.x.com/Kevincreates77/status/2083124490783846514 AA singing - https://x.com/TrashPandaNever/status/2085805790212800886/video/1?s=46 AA lounge skyrockets - https://onemileatatime.com/news/american-admirals-club-membership-fees-increasing/ AA executive refresh - https://milestomemories.com/citi-aadvantage-executive-card-refresh/ New Hyatt promo - https://milestomemories.com/hyatts-latin-america-caribbean-promotion/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories point.me (affiliate): https://milestomemories.com/go/point-me/ Seats.aero (affiliate) : https://milestomemories.com/go/seats-aero/ Grab some merch: https://mtmvegas.shop Chase is cutting Priority Pass access to Sapphire Lounges entirely, which is likely about overcrowding but stings if you were counting on it, though they did loosen the connection window from three hours to five. Singapore Airlines is also restricting award searches, with people unable to search without miles or recent activity and no public explanation, almost certainly an attempt to stop bots and scraping, and we get into why that is a frustrating way to treat customers whose miles mostly come from credit card transfers anyway. American Airlines is aligning its 24 hour cancellation policy with the federal minimum, dropping from a 48 hour window to the legal 168 hours, though award tickets are unaffected. On the tools side, point.me added map area pricing, points balance valuations, and side by side flight comparisons, and we talk through how point.me, Seats.aero, and PointsPath each fit differently into an award search routine. Shawn also recaps an impromptu Disneyland trip with two Hyatt Regency stays, including a category one through four cert on a $400 room and a night that cost 20,000 points against a $120 cash rate, plus why hotel parking fees have quietly doubled everywhere. We close with the surprisingly contentious question of what to write on the tip line as a Hyatt Globalist. Also, Mark has a Lululemon story. Let us know in the comments what your favorite award search tool is. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:31 Mark's Lululemon Story 4:23 The Lululemon Gift Card Problem 8:20 Singapore Restricts Award Searches 12:19 point.me's New Search Features 14:06 Which Award Tool Should You Use? 16:47 An Impromptu Disneyland Trip 18:32 20,000 Points for a $120 Room 20:08 Hyatt Gift Cards Are Still a Pain 22:56 Hotel Parking Fees Have Doubled 25:26 Sapphire Lounges Cut Priority Pass 27:20 AA Cuts Last-Minute Refunds 29:40 What Do You Write on the Globalist Tip Line? 33:04 When It's Worth Pushing Back 41:08 Final Thoughts Links Singapore restrictions - https://milestomemories.com/singapore-airlines-restricts-krisflyer-award-searches/ AA changes - https://milestomemories.com/american-airlines-tightens-24-hour-cancellation-policy/ Sapphire lounge rules - https://milestomemories.com/chase-sapphire-lounges-will-no-longer-be-part-of-priority-pass/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ Chase ran a wave of shutdowns this week aimed at people hammering the Amazon card, some reportedly cycling millions a month through buyers group spending, and we walk through Doctor of Credit's full list of what actually triggers a Chase shutdown. More importantly, we cover the three things that catch normal people who are not doing anything extreme, bust out risk on a brand new card, credit limit cycling, and sitting on a massive negative balance. Alaska Atmos also added Philippine Airlines as a partner, and business class availability is wide open at 75,000 miles from San Francisco and 85,000 from Los Angeles, though we get into why Manila is a rough connection point and not really a jumping off spot for the rest of Asia. Seats.aero shipped a Chrome extension that overlays award pricing directly onto Google Flights, and it works well right out of the box. We close with Hilton cutting the fees hotel owners pay, which sounds small at 0.3 percent but is a real chunk of what they collect, and explain why less money coming into the program almost always means devaluations for you. Let us know in the comments what your favorite award search tool is. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:19 Lake Life & Too Many Houseguests 2:05 Chase Shuts Down Amazon Card Users 3:45 What Actually Triggers a Chase Shutdown 6:43 The Three That Catch Normal People 9:30 Seats.aero's New Chrome Extension 12:13 Alaska Adds Philippine Airlines 16:46 Hilton Cuts the Fees Owners Pay 18:48 Hilton Rise & Falling Brand Standards 23:12 Hotel Rates Have Doubled 24:05 Final Thoughts Links Chase shutdown wave - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chase-amazon-prime-shutdown-large-spend-inactivity/ What causes shutdowns - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/what-causes-chase-credit-card-shutdowns/ Seats.aero Chrome - https://milestomemories.com/seats-aero-chrome-extension-adds-award-prices-to-google-flights/ Atmos award space - https://milestomemories.com/book-philippine-airlines-business-with-atmos/ Hilton cutting fees for owners - https://onemileatatime.com/news/hilton-cuts-loyalty-fees-hotel-owners-pay-bad-hilton-honors-members/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ Bilt responded to the pricing problem we covered last week, and Richard Kerr reached out directly about the resort fee disclosure issue on their travel portal. There is a toggle that shows all in pricing, but it is buried where almost nobody will find it, and we make the case it belongs right on the initial search screen. Mark also found something stranger, the same hotel priced 10 to 15 dollars differently between his account and his wife's, which opens a real conversation about personalized pricing in the age of AI. On the hotel side, Hilton charged him roughly $280 a night for rooms he booked entirely on points, a good reminder to always check your folio before you leave. Then we get into whether premium economy is good enough for a 13 hour flight home from Seoul, why the footrest works great if you are short and terribly if you are tall, and how the snobbery in this hobby has quietly faded as award space has dried up. Plus Mark's 75,000 point Aeroplan booking to see Wrexham, the transfer bonuses ending this month, and the Virgin points to AMC popcorn trick that finally wore Shawn down. Let us know in the comments whether you would take the nonstop in premium economy or connect in business. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:18 Hilton Charged Us for a Points Stay 4:01 Bilt Responds to the Pricing Problem 7:33 We Need a Hotel Pricing Law 10:47 Two Accounts, Two Different Prices 15:29 Is Premium Economy Good Enough? 17:36 The Footrest Problem (If You're Tall) 19:12 The Snobbery Has Faded 22:38 Points as an Emergency Fund 25:41 A 75K Aeroplan Booking to See Wrexham 31:23 Transfer Bonuses Ending This Month 33:07 The Virgin Points Popcorn Hack 35:41 Final Thoughts Links Current transfer bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/current-transfer-bonuses/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ Both Hyatt cards have increased welcome offers, and we explain why the personal card's 75,000 point headline is a little misleading since a chunk of it is just base earning you would get anyway. Frequent Miler is reporting that Chase quietly added new terms to Chase Offers warning that abuse may get you excluded from future offers, which leads into a real conversation about where the line sits between an error in your favor and outright fraud. Bank of America is now handing out retention offers through its Erica chatbot, so you can click through your cards quickly without ever talking to a person, though accepting one offer appears to lock you out on the rest. United also has new targeted MilePlay promotions, some of them worth 20,000 plus bonus miles just for getting the credit card and opting into notifications. We close with a real problem on Bilt travel, where a hotel showing $279 a night turned into an $800 plus bill at checkout because resort fees were not disclosed up front, something Expedia's own site does correctly. Let us know in the comments what the craziest abuse story you have heard is. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 Hyatt's New 75K Personal Card Offer 3:07 The Hyatt Business Card: Who It's For 6:34 Chase Warns "Gamers" on Chase Offers 8:20 Where Gaming Becomes Fraud 11:01 BofA Retention Offers Via Chatbot 12:58 A Rough Citi Retention Call 14:26 United's New MilePlay Promotions 17:29 Bilt Travel's Pricing Problem 18:06 The $279 Room That Cost $800 23:38 Final Thoughts Links Hyatt business - https://milestomemories.com/world-of-hyatt-business-card-70k-offer/ Hyatt personal - https://milestomemories.com/75k-bonus-on-word-of-hyatt-card/ Chase Offers - https://milestomemories.com/chase-adding-abuse-warning-to-some-chase-offers/ BofA retention - https://milestomemories.com/check-for-bank-of-america-retention-offers/ MilePlay - https://milestomemories.com/united-airlines-mile-play-promotion/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ A huge week of travel news, so we ran through the partnerships and new seat products that actually matter. Delta launched a basic first class following United, stripping out seat selection, upgrades, and same day changes while almost certainly charging you the same, and we explain why it is just a way to make you pay more for what you already got. The good news is United is putting a blocked empty middle seat with its own tray on its A321XLRs, a European style setup that saves them a flight attendant and that we would happily book over regular first, and Emirates is rolling out a folding UDream headrest that could finally make sleeping in economy possible. We also cover the partnership madlibs of the week, Hilton with Explora cruises, Japan Airlines with Marriott Bonvoy, and Air Canada Aeroplan with World of Hyatt, and what each is actually worth. We close with a genuinely useful one, Wyndham doubling its Caesars transfer limit to 60,000 points through September 11th, which is a great way to rescue points before Wyndham's brutal four year expiration hits. Let us know in the comments if a better headrest would get you to fly economy. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:10 Hilton x Explora Cruises 4:35 Delta's New Basic First Class 6:47 United's Genius Empty Middle Seat 11:02 The Emirates Headrest That Fixes Economy 15:14 Japan Airlines x Marriott Bonvoy 17:00 Why Economy Is the Real Sweet Spot 20:42 Air Canada Aeroplan x World of Hyatt 23:45 Wyndham Doubles the Caesars Transfer 26:30 Final Thoughts Links Wyndham expiration - https://travelwithgrant.boardingarea.com/2026/06/25/how-to-find-out-when-all-of-your-wyndham-rewards-points-expire/ Hilton cruises - https://milestomemories.com/hilton-honors-launches-explora-journeys-partnership/ United's blocked middle - https://www.united.com/en/us/newsroom/announcements/cision-125474 Emirates headrest - https://onemileatatime.com/news/emirates-u-dream-headrest-economy/ JAL/Marriott - https://milestomemories.com/marriott-bonvoy-japan-airlines-partnership/ Hyatt/Aeroplan - https://milestomemories.com/world-of-hyatt-and-air-canada-aeroplan-launch-new-partnership/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ The AA glitch is over. American clawed back the 25,000 miles from that AAdvantage Business promo code, reversing transfers and apologizing with 5,000 miles, and we make the case that they actually handled it well, which is more than we can say for hotels that walk you or open late with a shrug. Speaking of, we get into why Hyatt stopped offering real compensation on delayed hotel openings and what they should be doing instead. Amex is also tightening things up, changing the terms on the streaming credit so bundles like Peacock with Apple TV Plus no longer count, and linking multiple logins on the back end so you can no longer use separate accounts to see different Amex Offers. We reminisce about the golden era of Amex Offers, the Staples and Smart and Final days, and the offers that were worth flying across the country for. Plus Olive Garden's Unlimited Pasta Pass is back for the first time since 2020, still $100 but now good for 13 weeks, with only 10,000 available. We close with our buddy Travel with Grant's wallet simplification article and admit none of us are actually simplifying anything. Let us know in the comments if you got the pasta pass. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:18 Canadian Wildfire Smoke & That Train Video 5:02 AA Claws Back the 25,000 Miles 8:11 Why Hyatt Stopped Compensating You 9:43 The Pasta Pass Returns 12:40 Amex Tightens the Streaming Credit 14:01 The Subscription Mess (& Rocket Money) 16:11 Amex Links Your Multiple Logins 18:11 The Golden Age of Amex Offers 20:35 Can Anyone Actually Simplify Their Wallet? 24:20 Final Thoughts Links Pasta pass - https://milestomemories.com/olive-garden-never-ending-pasta-pass/ Amex streaming - https://milestomemories.com/amex-platinum-tightens-digital-entertainment-credit-rules/ Amex logins - https://milestomemories.com/american-express-can-now-see-across-multiple-logins/ Simplify your wallet - https://travelwithgrant.boardingarea.com/2026/07/12/one-year-later-an-update-to-our-simplified-wallet-strategy-for-2026/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ Mark is taking his son to Japan on points, so we walk through exactly how he booked it, snagging American Airlines business class from Detroit through Dallas to Tokyo for 100,000 miles a person, why he locked it in even though it is not the rock bottom price, and his plan to fly Delta One home from Seoul nonstop for 140,000 SkyMiles. It turns into a bigger conversation about how the burn side of miles and points has gotten harder and less fun, and why getting the trip you want now can beat holding out for the perfect saver award. On the news side, there is an excellent Audible deal with three free months plus a $20 credit for Prime members, another two Hyatt hotels dropping suite upgrade awards, and Hyatt dressing up an old 13 month booking window as a shiny new elite benefit. Then we react to a great Benji article full of points assumptions worth rethinking, from not needing to be a credit card travel protection expert, to skipping mediocre free breakfast, to whether tracking every tiny bonus is actually worth your time, and the classic debate of booking flights first versus hotels first. Let us know in the comments whether you are team flights or team hotels, and drop any Japan tips for Mark. Episode Guide: 0:00 What's Coming Up 1:35 Why Japan? A 16th Birthday Bucket List Trip 2:59 How We Booked 100K Business Class to Tokyo 6:02 Flying Delta One Home From Seoul 8:58 A Great Audible Deal (3 Free Months + $20) 9:59 Hyatt Drops More Suite Upgrade Hotels 11:41 Hyatt's "New" 13-Month Booking Benefit 14:07 Do You Need to Master Card Travel Protections? 16:53 Skip the Free Breakfast? 19:27 Are You Wasting Time Tracking Points? 23:41 Book Flights First or Hotels First? 29:30 Final Thoughts Links Sign-up for Rakuten! (referral) - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten Hyatt upgrade certs - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-expands-list-of-hotels-that-dont-accept-suite-upgrade-awards/ Hyatt 13 month benefit - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-early-award-access-for-elites-and-cardholders/ Points assumptions - https://milestomemories.com/travel-and-points-assumptions/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Sign-up for Rakuten! (referral) - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten American Airlines appears to have a coding error letting existing AAdvantage Business account holders add a promo code in settings and instantly get 25,000 miles, and we get into whether AA claws it back. Mark walks through three retention offer results, including an insulting 6,000 Hilton point offer on the Surpass, a $99 credit that saved his Citi AAdvantage business card at exactly the right moment, and no save attempt at all on the Executive card. We also cover Amex randomly handing out $50 Saks credits after killing that benefit, the Rakuten credit card offers that can stack over 75,000 Bilt points, and Mark's Charles Schwab Platinum timing now that Delta and United dropped off the airline incidental credit. Plus, Benji wants an apology. Let us know in the comments if you got your 25,000 miles. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:39 AA's 25,000 Mile Coding Error 5:16 Retention Offers 101 5:51 Amex's Insulting Surpass Offer 10:29 Citi AAdvantage Business: A $99 Save 11:42 No Save on the Executive Card 13:28 Amex's Random $50 Saks Credits 16:12 Rakuten's Credit Card Offers (75K Bilt) 19:20 Bank of America Approvals & Schwab Platinum 23:20 Benjy Wants an Apology 24:57 Final Thoughts Links Sign-up for Rakuten! (referral) - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Want to work with us? Reach out! inquiries at milestomemories dot com A packed miles and points Tuesday after a big 250th weekend. We start with a wild Delta seat someone scored on a former Lion Air 737 that looks narrower than anything you have flown, which leads into a fun talk about backward facing seats, the death of SeatGuru, and how to avoid the worst seats on the plane. On the news side, Amex transfer bonuses are back, with 30 percent to Virgin Atlantic through the end of July and 20 percent to Hilton through July 14th. Then we get into Benjy's genuinely sad United first class meal, a banana and Kellogg's cornflakes on a flight over 1,500 miles, and why you should never book domestic first for the food, plus our favorite drink and flight attendant hacks. We break down TSA touchless ID now that it is on Google Wallet, why the line moves fast, the frustrating catch that minors cannot use it, and how mobile passport control makes coming back into the country painless. We close with how Mark pulled 350,000 Delta miles and a companion pass out of a single Delta Reserve card, and the tricky question of how to actually value a companion pass. Let us know in the comments about the worst seat and worst meal you have had lately. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Our Small-Town 4th of July 2:32 The World Cup & Discovering America 4:51 Delta's Worst Seat 8:01 SeatGuru Is Dead: Avoiding Bad Seats 9:56 Amex Transfer Bonuses Are Back 12:45 United's Sad First Class Meal 16:47 International vs Domestic Food & Drink Hacks 19:19 TSA Touchless ID Explained 22:32 Mobile Passport & Faster Customs 24:47 Valuing the Delta Companion Pass 29:41 Final Thoughts Links Delta seat - https://x.com/itripreport/status/2072741231243694307?s=46 Amex bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/new-amex-transfer-bonuses-30-to-virgin-atlantic-20-to-hilton/ United breakfast - https://milestomemories.com/united-inflight-meal/ TSA Touchless - https://milestomemories.com/tsa-and-google-wallet-launch-new-tsa-precheck-touchless-id-option/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free 📧 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