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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.
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- Today37 min
The Hyatt All-Inclusive Mistake That Cost $650 + 50% Off CardPointers & AA Trading Cards!
Get 50% off Cardpointers+ - Track cards, automatically load Chase & Amex Offers + a lot more. Lock-in lifetime membership at half off. (affiliate) https://milestomemories.com/go/cardpointers/ Mark is back from Colombia, and this one's a full Cartagena trip report. He breaks down two nights at the Hyatt Regency Cartagena (a Category 3 gem on points) and three nights at the Dreams Karibana all-inclusive — including the food wins, the brutal heat, the black-sand "beachfront," island day clubs, a killer rooftop bar with a live saxophonist, and the $650 check-in mistake that has one Globalist swearing off Hyatt for good. Plus Shawn answers the Grand Hyatt Athens critics, American Airlines finally drops aircraft trading cards, and Choice Privileges quietly guts its Japan award chart (Tokyo and Osaka properties jumping from 8K to 20K+ points). Is Cartagena worth it? Watch and let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel 0:25 - Grand Hyatt Athens: The Fallout 3:47 - American Airlines Trading Cards 5:30 - Choice Privileges Guts Japan 8:14 - CardPointers: 50% Off (Sponsor) 9:26 - Hyatt Regency Cartagena: Check-In & Rooms 11:06 - The Beach Reality & Island Day Trips 12:42 - Exploring the Walled City 13:44 - Umbrella Alleys & a Rooftop Bar with Live Sax 15:41 - Pools, Cheap Eats & Is Cartagena Worth It? 17:16 - Dreams Karibana All-Inclusive: The Food 18:31 - Friendly Staff & Entertainment 20:05 - A $650 Check-In Surprise 22:28 - Hyatt's Antiquated System & Did They Make It Right? 26:21 - Pro Tip: The Cancellation-Window Trick 27:57 - The VIP Lounge: Premium Booze & AC Escape 29:49 - Sharing Lounge Access + Italian Dress Code Drama 33:01 - Resort Condition: A Faded Old Conrad 35:31 - Final Verdict & Wrap-Up ✈️ 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 Cardpointers Sale - https://milestomemories.com/go/cardpointers/ AA trading cards - https://onemileatatime.com/news/american-airlines-trading-cards/ Choice Japan - http://loyaltylobby.com/2026/06/06/choice-privileges-increases-point-requirements-at-select-japan-hotels-by-up-to-200/
- 5 days ago26 min
Chase Sapphire Preferred Got Better… But the HYATT BOMBSHELL Hurts!
Get your free travel insurance quote with Faye! https://milestomemories.com/go/faye-travel-insurance/ Chase just refreshed the Sapphire Preferred and buried a bombshell in the fine print. On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark break down everything Chase changed: the $95 fee stays, you get new 3X categories on gas, EV charging and vacation rentals, plus a doubled $100 hotel credit. The catch? The Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred lose 1:1 Hyatt transfers and drop to 4:3 on October 1. We cover whether the refresh is still worth it, why the $795 Reserve is now the only way to keep 1:1 Hyatt, why Bilt just won, and what you should actually do before the changes hit Monday. Mark's full breakdown is linked below. Let us know where Chase ranks in your points lineup now. Episode Guide: 0:00 – Chase drops a Hyatt bombshell 0:22 – Shawn in Casablanca + airport travel tips 3:33 – Inside the new Sapphire Preferred (and the 4:3 Hyatt cut) 6:35 – Bonus categories & why Chase is devaluing points 8:40 – The $795 Reserve push, Mark's article & the Oct 1 timeline 12:27 – Will this finally hurt Hyatt? 16:18 – Chase's fault or Hyatt's? Plus why Bilt won 19:44 – Shawn's points strategy going forward 22:48 – Mourning the old Hyatt & should you apply before Monday? ✈️ 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
- 1 weeks ago32 min
Has Hyatt Lost It? A Shocking "Five-Star" Stay (Plus Big American & Alaska Changes)
Get your free travel insurance quote with Faye! https://milestomemories.com/go/faye-travel-insurance/ American Airlines is quietly blocking last-minute partner award space, Alaska is raising its partner and phone booking fees on July 1, and Shawn just had a really bad "five-star" stay at the Grand Hyatt Athens. On this episode of MTM Travel, Shawn and Mark break down the AA award change and who it actually hurts, the Alaska fee increases and how the Summit card can offset them, and a brutal play-by-play of a Hyatt stay gone wrong — slow undersized elevators, road-noise "motel" rooms, burned eggs, no elite recognition, and a manager who hid in the back — all against a flawless stay at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona. Plus why lounges are cracking down on taking food and drinks, the role of private-equity cost-cutting, and how Hyatt only displays its good TripAdvisor reviews. Let us know your own Hyatt experiences down below, and we'll be back Thursday with more travel news. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:19 – Welcome back: Barcelona vs. Colombia (and the "Barthelona" debate) 1:33 – American Airlines blocks last-minute partner award space 5:30 – Alaska raises partner & phone booking fees (July 1) 8:40 – The decline of Hyatt 9:17 – Grand Hyatt Athens: a "five-star" disaster 15:21 – Hyatt Regency Barcelona done right 18:46 – Hyatt's rapid expansion & all-inclusive slide 21:00 – Every problem is a chance to win (or lose) a customer 25:35 – Why can't you take food and drinks from the lounge anymore? 28:18 – Hyatt only shows its good TripAdvisor reviews 30:09 – Final thoughts & what's coming Thursday ✈️ 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
- 2 weeks ago23 min
Spirit Credit Card Refunds, Choice Hotels Outsmarted Mark & Discover's Best Ever Offer?!
Bank of America is refunding annual fees for every Spirit credit cardholder and product-changing them into no-fee cards. Mark thought he found a hack in Choice Hotels' gas promo — until Choice's IT outsmarted him. Discover dropped the best welcome offer in its history: $200 after $500 spend, plus double cash back the first year. Then there's the Sapphire Reserve debate — when does pay-yourself-back make the annual fee worth it? What we cover: Spirit credit cardholders get annual fee refunds from Bank of America Choice Hotels gas promo: 8,000 points for a $50 card? Not so fast Discover's best-ever offer: $200 bonus + double cash back = five quarters of 5% Capital One acquiring Discover — could cash back become miles? Rethinking the Sapphire Reserve: when couponing actually works Pay Yourself Back at 1.25 cents and who should keep the card Schwab cashout strategy: turning Membership Rewards into cash Episode Guide: 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel 1:01 - Spirit Credit Card Update 5:47 - Choice Hotels Gas Promo 11:17 - Why Discover Card Right Now 16:13 - Rethinking the Sapphire Reserve 22:08 - Spouse Points & Wrap-Up ✈️ 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
- 3 weeks ago23 min
Hyatt's Forgotten Benefit, Last Minute Business Class Score & Delta's New Bag Benefit
Episode Description Shawn blew up his Europe itinerary at the last minute, but this one worked. He canceled Condor premium economy through Frankfurt and rebooked American to Athens for fewer miles, less cash and a cleaner connection. The catch was making American economy survivable, which led him to Hyatt's American Airlines status for a day benefit. Shawn and Mark talk through how the 8,000-point Hyatt redemption worked, why the Main Cabin Extra seat process was clunky, and how his account eventually showed full American Platinum status before travel. They also cover a Royal Air Maroc business class win from Casablanca to LAX, Benjy's strategy for checking AA award bookings after you book, the weird world of backup reservations, and Delta's new second checked bag benefit for eligible Amex cardholders. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:18 Shawn's last-minute Europe rebooking 2:31 Hyatt status for a day on American 4:32 The status finally appears 6:18 Platinum vs. Platinum Pro benefits 9:00 Royal Air Maroc business class to LAX 10:28 Award space quirks and hotel plans 14:18 Rechecking AA awards after booking 16:28 Backup bookings and reservation "gardening" 19:30 Delta cards add a second checked bag 20:35 Carry-on vs. checked bag strategy Links Travel Freely/CardGenie Hyatt: American Airlines partnership FAQs LoyaltyLobby: Hyatt's American Airlines Status for a Day awards MTM: Over 75k Miles Back & 4 Upgrades with 1 Award Booking Strategy MTM: Delta Amex Cards Adding New Benefit One Mile at a Time: Royal Air Maroc launching Los Angeles flights American Airlines: Using miles for travel
- 3 weeks ago22 min
Hyatt Devaluation Fallout, New Chase 10X Benefit & Why Hoarding Points Can Cost You!
Episode Description Hyatt's 2026 award changes are live, and Shawn and Mark look at what happened after the switch. Some stays barely moved, some got cheaper, Japan got hit hard, and a few members appear to have been charged rates that do not match what Hyatt showed during booking. They also talk through the points hoarding debate after Benjy's "case for zero" article. A big transferable points balance can feel like an emergency fund, but it can also lose value while cash could earn interest or get invested. Then they close with Chase's new 10X Paze offer, the limited but useful merchant list, and how it can stack with Rove shopping bonuses. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Hyatt's devaluation aftermath 2:47 Japan Hyatt awards get hammered 4:28 Category 1-4 certificates lose ground 6:00 Hyatt booking glitches and overcharges 9:30 Detroit seminar tickets and hotel warning 10:53 The points hoarding mistake 13:52 Investing cash vs. holding points 15:10 Shawn's Citi ThankYou redemption win 16:21 Cashing out, burn rates and earn rates 20:24 Chase Paze 10X and Rove stacking Links Travel Freely/CardGenie — https://travelfreely.com/cardgenie/?bref=mm Hyatt 2026 award chart updates — https://newsroom.hyatt.com/awardchartupdates Doctor of Credit: Chase Sapphire & Freedom 10X Paze Promo — https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chase-sapphire-freedom-cards-get-10x-with-paze-checkout-through-2026-united-newegg-shoprite-dunkin-etc/ MTM: Rove promotion and stacking with Paze — https://milestomemories.com/new-rove-promotion-and-stacking-with-paze/ Paze merchant directory — https://www.paze.com/merchant-directory Points mistake - https://milestomemories.com/points-and-miles-mistake/
- 4 weeks ago34 min
Hyatt Gets Pricier, Hilton Certs Get Better Plus A 10-Mile NYC Bar Crawl
Get $200 after making your first $500 payment with Melio! (affiliate) https://www.milestomemories.com/go/melio Episode Description Hyatt's award chart changes are arriving, so Shawn and Mark talk through the last-minute bookings that made sense, the ones they skipped and why hotel credits have changed the way they use Hyatt points. They also break down a clean example of partner award pricing: the same American Airlines flight priced at 54K Avios, 36K American miles and 18K Alaska miles. Then they look at Hilton free night certificates at all-inclusive properties, including the growing SLH options and the downside of possible extra charges for kids. Finally, Mark recaps his completed New York City pub crawl from Central Park to FiDi, with stops at Bryant Park, Moxy, Pub Key, Nancy's Whiskey Pub, White Horse Tavern and The Dead Rabbit. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:03 Hyatt's last call before award chart changes 8:08 Same flight, three different award prices 13:01 Hilton free night certificates at all-inclusives 17:26 Mark finally finishes the NYC pub crawl 20:19 Rooftops, local bars and Flatiron cocktails 23:34 Greenwich, SoHo and the crawl strategy 27:05 Tribeca whiskey bars and FiDi favorites 30:20 Dead Rabbit, inKind and final takeaways
- May 14, 202632 min
Best Transferable Points Ranked, Huge Capital One Lawsuit & How We Evaluate Retention Offers!
Juice up your earnings with QCGC. https://qcgc.io/?ref=mtmv1 (sponsored) MTM Detroit Meetup Tickets - https://mtm.zohobackstage.com/MTMTravelDetroit2026#/ Capital One is facing a lawsuit over canceled rewards, and Shawn and Mark get into the bigger problem with banks treating points like real currency when it helps them and funny money when it helps them. They also talk retention offers, when a card is not worth keeping even for free, and rank the major transferable points programs from worst to best. What we cover: Capital One being sued over allegedly canceled rewards after account closures. Why earned points should come with stronger consumer protections. How to compare retention offers against referral offers, credits and annual fees. Why no-fee cards can still be worth checking for retention offers. The Business Platinum changes, Dell frustration and when a credit stops mattering. Shawn and Mark's rankings for Amex, Chase, Bilt, Citi, Capital One and Wells Fargo. Why Chase has slipped, Citi has become more useful and Bilt may have the most interesting upside. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:21 Detroit event details and why in-person networking still matters 2:52 Capital One sued over canceled rewards 7:51 How to think about retention offers 11:16 No-fee cards can still have retention offers 13:25 Dell, Business Platinum credits and the breaking point 14:52 Ranking transferable points programs 16:15 Capital One vs Wells Fargo at the bottom 19:03 Bilt vs Citi and the middle of the rankings 19:45 Why Chase keeps slipping 23:07 Amex makes the case for number one 26:14 Mark's case for Bilt as the best program 29:15 Which programs are essential for most people? Links: Free newsletter Join our free Facebook group Diamond Patreon Gold Membership Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Miles to Memories website Capital One lawsuit - https://mtmdiamond.slack.com/archives/C0ACC849Z3J/p1778758564025649 Retention offers - https://milestomemories.com/american-express-business-platinum-retention-offer/
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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