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  • Hyatt's Brutal Award Changes, Shutdowns Galore, Best New Airport Lounge & White Lotus Holidome?

    Hyatt's Brutal Award Changes, Shutdowns Galore, Best New Airport Lounge & White Lotus Holidome?
    2025/02/26
    Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description This week Hyatt released their annual hotel category changes and they are about as brutal as we have seen in years. While no new categories are being introduced, many of the most popular properties are increasing in price including a ton to category 8. A lot of lower category hotels are moving up as well. Is there any good news? In other news lounges were the talk this week with the Amex Centurion Charlotte having a horid health inspection and two new lounges opening in Philadelphia and Vegas. Is the new Chase Sapphire Philadelphia lounge the best in the country? We also discuss: Delta's recent crash and payment, Capital One Venture's increased offer, a new no lifetime Amex Business Gold offer, shutdowns from AA and Amex plus Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion National Park. Episode Guide 0:00 White Lotus Holidome?1:02 Delta pays $30K/passenger for recent crash2:33 Why you shouldn’t film an evacuation3:07 Amex Centurion Charlotte’s terrible health inspection5:09 Chase Sapphire Philadelphia opens - Best lounge in the US?7:08 Capital One Lounge LAS opens - Does it measure up?8:38 LAS lounges have come a long way!9:27 Increased offer on Capital One Venture card11:07 Amex Business Gold 125 “no lifetime language” offer12:45 The week of shutdowns - Amex and AA give the axe15:33 Amex shutdowns and avoiding FOMO19:07 Hyatt’s brutal award category changes & strategy22:13 Cool S - Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion National Park Links Amex Centurion Charlotte - https://viewfromthewing.com/inspection-fail-amex-centurion-lounge-received-one-of-five-worst-health-scores-in-all-of-charlotte/Sapphire PHL - https://x.com/_zachgriff/status/1892247084805321104?s=46Capital One LAS - https://viewfromthewing.com/step-inside-capital-ones-new-las-vegas-airport-lounge-caviar-craft-cocktails-and-relaxing-views-worth-arriving-early-for/Amex 125K - https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/campaigns/small-business/charge-cards/business-gold/add-a-card/apply-today/?sourcecode=A0000HHVEKCanyon Overlook Trail - https://www.facebook.com/reel/882891453865670/?share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fr%2F15YJ8VsT5R&rdid=F6xiXldrYJOhIjpg Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!
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    25 分
  • Shutdowns Galore, Newly Unlocked Fear of Flying, Self Upgrading to First Class & Sad Influencers!

    Shutdowns Galore, Newly Unlocked Fear of Flying, Self Upgrading to First Class & Sad Influencers!
    2025/02/24

    Join MTM Diamond before the price goes up. Limited slots have opened up, but membership will be closing soon. More info here: https://www.patreon.com/c/milestomemories

    Episode Description

    On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark discuss the recent aviation disasters and the wider conversation about the safety of air travel. Is flying more dangerous than before, are there more crashes and is the FAA being cutback. Plus what else are we considering when deciding whether to fly or not?

    In other news tons of people received shutdowns from American Airlines and American Express this week for separate issues. We discuss exactly what happened, what we believe caused it and what you should know when pushing things hard. Other topics discussed include: self upgrading to First Class, influencer sadness, bad Canadian pizza, dill McDonald's fries and last minute trip changes.

    Episode Guide

    • 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
    • 0:20 Last minute changes, bad Canadian pizza & our altered schedule next week
    • 12:56 Afraid to fly - Should we be apprehensive about flying with all of these crashes?
    • 21:55 The buddy battle - Traveling with friends & our “advanced” techniques
    • 25:15 Fake travel influencer happiness?
    • 27:10 Self upgrading to First Class - A success story?!
    • 30:45 Shutdowns galore - AA and Amex give the axe
    • 37:15 Is all of it worth it?

    Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed!

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    Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.

    You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

    Melio Offer Terms: This is a business to business payment platform - no personal bills / payments. The offer is for new accounts only. If you sign up using the 20 Minute Travel link new members will get $200 cash back after making a $2000+ in payments via Melio pay. Gal from Melio will reach out to finalize the details of your payment. That is $60 in processing fees for a $200 bonus! After signing up and making your first payment with a vendor you will want to upload your bank info to your Melio account. Do it as the receiving method so you have a checking account set up to receive payments. You will then receive an email from (Gal) Melio saying you are eligible for the $200 bonus and it will tell you to set up your receiving method, or you can share your bank information if you prefer that.

    Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
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    45 分
  • Surviving Scammers, Rich Timeshare Deal, Delta's Increased Offers & Uber's Foreign Exchange "Trap"

    Surviving Scammers, Rich Timeshare Deal, Delta's Increased Offers & Uber's Foreign Exchange "Trap"
    2025/02/19
    Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description This week Uber was in the news for a couple of reasons. First off, they are adding a foreign exchange fee, but you don't want to get caught in the trap. Find out how to save yourself from the fee and to ensure you are always getting the best deal. We also follow up on the Clear/Uber deal which was a mess this week after a sudden cancelation and refunds. In other news the Delta Amex cards all have increased offers right now, but which one is best. We also discuss: the prevalence of phone/email/text scammers, phone vs. big screen, United's closed customer service desks, Amex Platinum upgrades, Wyndham's solid timeshare offers and a beach in Florida you have to see! Episode Guide 0:00 The great dilemma phone or big screen for booking travel0:52 Uber’s new foreign exchange “trap”2:48 Do US Uber credits/gift cards work overseas now?3:30 United’s closed customer service desks - Creating a headache5:03 Have QR codes gone too far?6:10 Email/text scams are getting worse than ever8:15 Increased offers on all Delta cards - Ranking them best to worst10:04 New Amex Platinum upgrade offers sent out11:13 Why you need to stay up on bank credit card application rules12:27 Clear pulls Uber deal and refunds customers14:14 Very attractive Wyndham timeshare deals released16:48 Cool S - Fred Howard Park Beach18:21 Why we love Florida’s West Coast Links Uber fee - https://travel-on-points.com/uber-foreign-currency-conversion-fee/United closed desks - https://x.com/liftblog/status/1890933239583244425?s=46&t=B9kWNUIY21TRZnc8tXrfRQ https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/comments/1hegg97/uniteds_remote_airport_help_desks_are_a_real/ Delta card offers - https://travel-on-points.com/increased-delta-amex-welcome-offers/Amex Plat upgrade - https://milestomemories.com/125000-points-when-you-upgrade-to-amex-platinum-card/Uber/Clear - https://travel-on-points.com/clear-75-uber-voucher/Wyndham timeshare - https://milestomemories.com/earn-30000-bonus-points-with-wyndham-timeshare-offer-2/Cool S - https://familydestinationsguide.com/sugar-white-beach-florida/https://www.tiktok.com/@funtampa/video/7374063565306662186 Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!
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    20 分
  • Wild Marriott Indifference, Memories & The Dividends of Travel & Previewing Rio Carnival

    Wild Marriott Indifference, Memories & The Dividends of Travel & Previewing Rio Carnival
    2025/02/17

    Join MTM Diamond before the price goes up. Limited slots have opened up, but membership will be closing soon. More info here: https://www.patreon.com/c/milestomemories

    Episode Description

    On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark discuss a recent Marriott experience a friend of theirs ran into. Sometimes indifferent service can make or break a stay and sometimes hotels just don't think of the customer's perspective when fixing issues. Something small can often feel much bigger. We also discuss the idea of travel and how memories are more of a deposit for later. How can you convey this to others and how powerful are your travel memories in the future? We also follow up on Shawn's Rivian lease issues, NYC $1 pizza and preview Mark's Rio carnival trip..

    Episode Guide

    • 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
    • 0:25 The power of travel memories & their compounding value
    • 7:00 Resisting FOMO & the reality of travel costs
    • 10:35 Quirks of traveling with others
    • 14:56 Previewing Mark’s Rio Carnival trip
    • 18:57 Staying safe while traveling & in Rio specifically
    • 25:19 Wild Marriott story - Indifference to the max
    • 36:17 Bad service or indifference - Which is worse?

    Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed!

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    Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.

    You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

    Melio Offer Terms: This is a business to business payment platform - no personal bills / payments. The offer is for new accounts only. If you sign up using the 20 Minute Travel link new members will get $200 cash back after making a $2000+ in payments via Melio pay. Gal from Melio will reach out to finalize the details of your payment. That is $60 in processing fees for a $200 bonus! After signing up and making your first payment with a vendor you will want to upload your bank info to your Melio account. Do it as the receiving method so you have a checking account set up to receive payments. You will then receive an email from (Gal) Melio saying you are eligible for the $200 bonus and it will tell you to set up your receiving method, or you can share your bank information if you prefer that.

    Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
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    38 分
  • Chase's Big Bank Error, Hyatt Expands Again, BA Rug Pull, Disappointing Lounges & Whirlyball!

    Chase's Big Bank Error, Hyatt Expands Again, BA Rug Pull, Disappointing Lounges & Whirlyball!
    2025/02/12

    Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam

    Episode Description

    This week a lot of credit card news is happening as Chase is currently running increased welcome offers for the United Business and IHG personal cards. We break down the offers including which you should probably avoid. We also discuss the details of JetBlue's new premium credit card which is confusing, not very valuable and probably not for most people. In other news we go over some of the best practices to avoid credit card application mistakes including why you should avoid using a VPN. We also discuss the tragedy at DCA, a scary hotel food poisoning lawsuit, sidewalks that generate electricity and where you can stay in a 737 hotel room. Episode Guide
    • 0:00 The disappointing lounge reality for travelers
    • 0:55 Spirit rejects Frontier bid…stays in bankruptcy
    • 2:26 Hyatt buys Playa Resorts - All inclusive heaven with a downside
    • 4:53 New round of Amex authorized user bonus offers
    • 6:33 Bank error not in your favor - Chase messes up 1099s
    • 8:34 British Airways rug pulls their transfer bonus offer
    • 10:22 Cool S - The fun of Whirlyball

    Links

    • Spirit merger - https://milestomemories.com/spirit-rejects-new-merger-offer-from-frontier/
    • Hyatt Playa - https://travel-on-points.com/hyatt-playa-hotels-resorts/
    • Amex AU bonuses - https://travel-on-points.com/amex-authorized-user-bonus-offers/
    • Chase bank error - https://travel-on-points.com/chase-is-sending-out-erroneous-1099s/
    • BA backtracks - https://travel-on-points.com/current-point-transfer-bonuses/
    • Whirlyball - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNfKDMDVK1M

    Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.

    You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!
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    13 分
  • The Art of Complaining, Hyatt vs. Marriott, MTM Diamond Slots Open, Creepy Hotel Software & JW Marriott Las Vegas Review

    The Art of Complaining, Hyatt vs. Marriott, MTM Diamond Slots Open, Creepy Hotel Software & JW Marriott Las Vegas Review
    2025/02/10

    Join MTM Diamond before the price goes up. Limited slots have opened up. More info here: https://www.patreon.com/c/milestomemories

    Episode Description

    On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark discuss their recent weekend trips including more Hilton payment headaches for Mark and a last minute cert redemption at the JW Marriott Las Vegas for Shawn. How do these hotels measure up and is the JW Marriott in Vegas worth staying at even though it isn't on the Strip? We also dive more into the decline in front desk customer service and the art of complaining. Specifically when is it not worth pursuing a complaint and how can you maximize the system within the rules. We also discuss British Airways pulling a promo without any communication and the software hotels use to track you.

    Episode Guide

    • 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
    • 0:21 Burning a last minute Marriott cert
    • 1:35 JW Marriott Las Vegas review - One of the best Vegas resorts?
    • 6:47 The death of front desk hospitality
    • 8:40 The downside of Marriott vs. Hyatt and vice-versa
    • 14:19 Mark’s Hilton payment follies continue
    • 21:39 The art of complaining, pushing limits & enjoying your life
    • 27:52 British Airways pulls a popular promo without communication
    • 32:05 Taking advantage of the rules they set & hotel software quirks

    Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed!

    • Youtube
    • Podcast

    Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.

    You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

    Melio Offer Terms: This is a business to business payment platform - no personal bills / payments. The offer is for new accounts only. If you sign up using the 20 Minute Travel link new members will get $200 cash back after making a $2000+ in payments via Melio pay. Gal from Melio will reach out to finalize the details of your payment. That is $60 in processing fees for a $200 bonus! After signing up and making your first payment with a vendor you will want to upload your bank info to your Melio account. Do it as the receiving method so you have a checking account set up to receive payments. You will then receive an email from (Gal) Melio saying you are eligible for the $200 bonus and it will tell you to set up your receiving method, or you can share your bank information if you prefer that.

    Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
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    36 分
  • JetBlue's Weird Premium Card, United/IHG Offers, DCA Tragedy, Bank Bonus Challenge & 737 Hotel Room!

    JetBlue's Weird Premium Card, United/IHG Offers, DCA Tragedy, Bank Bonus Challenge & 737 Hotel Room!
    2025/02/05

    Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam

    Episode Description

    This week a lot of credit card news is happening as Chase is currently running increased welcome offers for the United Business and IHG personal cards. We break down the offers including which you should probably avoid. We also discuss the details of JetBlue's new premium credit card which is confusing, not very valuable and probably not for most people. In other news we go over some of the best practices to avoid credit card application mistakes including why you should avoid using a VPN. We also discuss the tragedy at DCA, a scary hotel food poisoning lawsuit, sidewalks that generate electricity and where you can stay in a 737 hotel room. Episode Guide
    • 0:00 A 737 airplane in a hotel room!
    • 1:04 Horrifying Dominican Republic food poisoning story
    • 3:08 Fancy hotels vs. street food when it comes to food poisoning
    • 4:08 DCA airplane tragedy
    • 6:30 United’s 100K Business card offer
    • 8:57 IHG credit cards both have increased offers
    • 10:48 Why you should avoid VPNs when applying for credit cards
    • 12:33 Best practices for credit card apps & mistakes to avoid
    • 14:18 Funding a Roth IRA with bank bonuses in 2025
    • 16:19 JetBlue’s confusing new Premier credit card
    • 18:20 Why you probably want to pass on JetBlue’s new card
    • 19:55 Cool S - Sidewalks that generate electricity in Japan

    Links

    • 737 Hotel room - https://www.corendonhotels.com/corendon-amsterdam-new-west/nl/room/737-suite/
    • https://x.com/somakazima/status/1884464176094929220?s=46
    • Food poisoning DR - https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/mans-wife-son-die-by-food-poisoning-during-vacation-abroad/
    • VPNs and credit apps - https://travel-on-points.com/credit-card-applications-using-a-vpn/
    • Mark’s Bank bonus challenge - https://travel-on-points.com/fund-roth-ira-with-bank-bonuses/
    • JetBlue premium card launch - https://milestomemories.com/jetblue-and-barclays-launch-new-premier-credit-card/
    • Japan’s cool sidewalks - https://www.facebook.com/reel/3891368217857166
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXvH5-KhbO8

    Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.

    You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!
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    23 分
  • Jetblue's Terrible New Card, Winning on Spirit Again + Minneapolis (Mall of America, Hyatt & More!

    Jetblue's Terrible New Card, Winning on Spirit Again + Minneapolis (Mall of America, Hyatt & More!
    2025/02/03

    Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam

    Episode Description

    On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark are joined by Joe Cheung to discuss what is going on this week. They start with a discussion of the recently released JetBlue Premier card which has to be one of the most underwhelming new premium cards to come along ever. They also discuss Mark's trip to Minneapolis which included visits to the Ice Carnival and Mall of America plus why Joe is continuing to love slumming it with Spirit Airlines.

    Episode Guide

    • 0:00 Trashing JetBlue’s confusing new premium credit card
    • 5:10 The golden age of lounges & why JetBlue’s offerings are catching up
    • 10:30 Why we continue to fly Spirit Airlines when it makes sense
    • 14:10 A crazy airplane story - Passengers suddenly deplaning for no reason
    • 16:47 Mark’s Minneapolis Adventure - MOA, Hyatt Regency, Ice Carnival and more
    • 19:40 Hyatt Regency Bloomington review & Ice Carnival
    • 25:12 Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America - Is the mall dying?
    • 33:03 Downtown Minnesota and other takeaways
    • 37:30 No service on short flights - A modern conspiracy?

    Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed!

    • Youtube
    • Podcast

    Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.

    You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

    Melio Offer Terms: This is a business to business payment platform - no personal bills / payments. The offer is for new accounts only. If you sign up using the 20 Minute Travel link new members will get $200 cash back after making a $2000+ in payments via Melio pay. Gal from Melio will reach out to finalize the details of your payment. That is $60 in processing fees for a $200 bonus! After signing up and making your first payment with a vendor you will want to upload your bank info to your Melio account. Do it as the receiving method so you have a checking account set up to receive payments. You will then receive an email from (Gal) Melio saying you are eligible for the $200 bonus and it will tell you to set up your receiving method, or you can share your bank information if you prefer that.

    Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
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    41 分