MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

Shawn Coomer & Mark Ostermann
  • 5.0 (3)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    BofA Cards For Bilt Points, Chase Reserve 150K and Citi's ThankYou Problem

    MTM Travel - May 7, 2026 Chase has a massive new Sapphire Reserve offer, but the rest of the episode shows why the points world feels less predictable than it used to. Shawn and Mark break down Rakuten's strange but useful Bank of America and Bilt stack, Citi ending ThankYou point sharing, the refreshed AT&T Points Plus card and Chase's quietly weaker Points Boost values. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 2:56 Rakuten, Bank of America and bonus Bilt points 7:51 Chase Sapphire Reserve hits 150K 12:34 Chase spending offers get easier to track 13:48 Citi ends ThankYou point sharing 16:43 AT&T Points Plus gets a real refresh 20:43 Chase Points Boost gets less predictable 25:37 Final thoughts on transferable points rankings Topics Covered Rakuten is offering up to $300 back, or 30,000 Bilt points, when applying for select Bank of America cards. The Bank of America Travel Rewards card can stack its own offer with the Rakuten payout, making it a strong no-annual-fee play. Chase Sapphire Reserve now has a 150,000 point offer after $6,000 in spend in the first three months. Chase appears to be matching some recent Sapphire Reserve applicants to the new offer, with reported cutoff dates. Chase targeted spending offers are becoming easier to track after activation. Citi is ending ThankYou point sharing, removing a useful option for two-player households. The AT&T Points Plus card adds stronger AT&T discounts and keeps its no-annual-fee setup. Chase Points Boost remains useful in theory, but the changing rates make it harder to plan around. Links Rakuten Bank of America bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/rakuten-offering-extra-bonus-for-bank-of-america-cards/ Chase Sapphire Reserve 150K offer - https://milestomemories.com/is-chase-matching-the-sapphire-reserve-offer/ Chase quarterly spending offer lookup - https://milestomemories.com/how-to-find-chase-spending-offer-details/ Citi ending ThankYou point sharing - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi-ending-points-sharing-on-5-16/ AT&T and Citi enhance Points Plus card - https://milestomemories.com/att-points-plus-world-mastercard-refresh/ Chase The Edit 2.5 cent Points Boost - https://milestomemories.com/new-2-5x-points-boost-at-select-the-edit-hotels/

    27 min

  2. 5 DAYS AGO

    A Robot Flew Southwest, Spirit Went Away, and JetBlue Has a Pricing Problem!

    Get $200 after making your first $500 payment with Melio! (affiliate) https://www.milestomemories.com/go/melio Spirit Airlines is gone, and even travelers who avoided Spirit may feel it in their wallets. Shawn and Mark talk through the fallout for cheap flights, the JetBlue and Frontier merger mess, and why low-cost carriers have such a hard time making the model work in the U.S. They also get into JetBlue's pricing lawsuit, data tracking worries, a robot that bought its own Southwest seat, and the cheap travel items that actually earn space in the bag. Yes, that includes Benji's forever stamp. What we cover: Spirit Airlines disappearing and what it means for airfare Why JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit all ended up tied together in this story The difference between Ryanair, Allegiant and the U.S. low-cost model JetBlue's lawsuit over pricing, cookies and tracking claims Whether airline pricing algorithms and shared pricing data hurt consumers A robot flying Southwest with its own seat Cheap and free travel items worth packing, from plastic bags to backup headphones Episode Guide: 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel 0:20 - Spirit Airlines disappears 3:06 - The JetBlue and Frontier merger fallout 5:02 - Why U.S. low-cost carriers struggle 7:45 - What losing Spirit means for fares 10:38 - Low-cost carriers need a new plan 12:30 - JetBlue lawsuit and pricing tracking claims 15:47 - A robot gets its own Southwest seat 17:06 - Cheap and free travel items worth packing 21:00 - The travel gear we actually keep packed 24:10 - Freebies, bottle openers and fancy hotel pens Track your travel credit cards for free Free newsletter Join our free Facebook group Diamond Patreon - bonus shows + Slack community Gold Membership Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Miles to Memories website

    27 min

  3. 30 APR

    Hyatt's Double Devaluation Hurts: Why Globalist May Not Be Worth It Plus A Look At Alternatives

    Episode Description Hyatt used to be the easy button for a lot of points and miles travelers. Transfer Chase points, book Hyatt, chase Globalist and enjoy the perks. That strategy is getting harder to defend after Hyatt's five-tier award chart and another round of category changes. In this episode Shawn and Mark talk through the real cost of Hyatt's latest moves, why Globalist status may not pencil out the way it used to, and how hotel loyalty strategy changes when no single program deserves all of your stays. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:21 Hyatt's latest changes hit hard 3:23 The low-end value disappears 5:02 Hyatt grows up and shifts priorities 6:02 Is Globalist still worth chasing? 8:29 Why being a free agent makes more sense now 11:20 Goodbye to the category one gems 13:06 Chase points, free night certificates and Hyatt bright spots 15:31 Building a new hotel strategy beyond Hyatt 18:44 Breaking the Hyatt habit 20:25 Guest of Honor and milestone rewards 21:21 What other programs offer that Hyatt does not 23:28 The properties that really hurt Links Travel Freely Miles to Memories MTM Travel on YouTube Hyatt Category Changes - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-reveals-hotel-category-changes-for-2026/ Is Hyatt Status Worth It? https://milestomemories.com/is-hyatt-globalist-status-worth-it/ Life After Hyatt - https://milestomemories.com/my-favorite-hotel-programs/

    25 min

  4. 28 APR

    Airline Bailouts Are Back — JAL/ANA Fees, Aeroplan Devaluation & Hotel Price Tracking

    Travel Freely helps you organize your credit cards, annual fees, 5/24 status and travel rewards strategy. Sign-Up Now https://milestomemories.boardingarea.com/go/travel-freely-eop/ Episode Description Travel is getting more expensive from every direction. Shawn and Mark talk through JAL and ANA's higher fuel surcharges, Aeroplan's upcoming award chart changes, Spirit's possible government-backed rescue and American Airlines' new portable charger rules. They also discuss Google's new individual hotel price tracking tool and why it may be useful even when you are booking with points. Plus, Mark recaps his father-son Vegas trip with Connor, including Hoover Dam, Boulder City, a forgotten laptop scare and the redeye flight Connor never wants to repeat. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:21 Mark's father-son Vegas trip and getting beyond the Strip 3:27 JAL and ANA fuel surcharges are going way up 8:43 Aeroplan award chart changes coming in June 11:28 Spirit bailout talk and the low-cost carrier problem 14:56 American Airlines' new portable charger rules 18:11 Google Hotels adds individual hotel price tracking 20:22 Mark's flights, forgotten laptop scare and redeye strategy Links   JAL/ANA fuel surcharge increases — https://milestomemories.com/jal-and-ana-to-double-fuel-surcharges/ Aeroplan award chart changes — https://onemileatatime.com/news/aeroplan-updating-award-chart-devaluation/ Spirit Airlines rescue talks — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/22/spirit-airlines-rescue-trump-administration.html American Airlines power bank rules — https://milestomemories.com/american-airlines-rules-for-portable-chargers/ Google individual hotel price tracking — https://milestomemories.com/google-launches-individual-hotel-price-tracking/

    25 min

  5. 23 APR

    $6K in Bank Bonuses, AA's 100K Sweepstakes and Mark's Very Bougie Flight Call

    Get $200 back after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Mark made nearly $6,000 from bank bonuses in 2025, American is giving away 100,000 miles, and Alaska is making a big move with Hawaiian's credit cards. We also break down a sneaky-good Hilton Amex offer, how annual fee refunds actually work, and whether Chase's new Edit Hotels redemption bump is worth your points. What we cover:  Mark's 2025 bank bonus haul and whether it was worth the hassle  -American Airlines' 100,000-mile centennial sweepstakes -Alaska keeping the Hawaiian brand while moving cards to Bank of America -A targeted Hilton Amex offer that can stack into strong return  -How annual fee refunds and downgrades work by bank  -Chase Sapphire Reserve redemptions at Edit Hotels for 2.5 cents per point Links: Free newsletter Track your travel credit cards for free with Travel Freely Miles to Memories Facebook group Diamond Patreon and Gold Membership MTM Travel podcast Miles to Memories website Bank bonus results - https://milestomemories.com/bank-account-bonus-results/ 2.5X Chase Edit - https://milestomemories.com/new-2-5x-points-boost-at-select-the-edit-hotels/ Annual fee refund rules - https://milestomemories.com/credit-card-issuer-annual-fee-rules/ Hilton Amex offer - https://milestomemories.com/amex-offers-for-bonus-hilton-points/ Alaska cards - https://news.alaskaair.com/company/alaska-air-group-and-bank-of-america-expand-partnership/ AA giveaway - https://aa100sweeps.com/ Episode Guide 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel 4:10 - Mark's $6,000 in bank bonuses 10:00 - American Airlines 100,000-mile sweepstakes 13:06 - Alaska keeps Hawaiian and shifts cards to Bank of America 17:01 - Targeted Hilton Amex offer math 19:37 - Annual fee refund rules by bank 21:53 - Chase Edit Hotels at 2.5 cents per point 26:15 - Best bank bonus ever? Let us know Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

    27 min

  6. 21 APR

    SkyNest Could Beat Business Class, Virgin Gets Worse & Spirit Is In Trouble

    Get $200 back after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Higher award fees, less lounge access, and one pretty wild new way to sleep on a plane. In this episode of MTM Travel, Shawn and Mark talk through Air New Zealand's new SkyNest bunk beds, Virgin Atlantic's uglier award surcharges, American cutting more basic economy benefits, Spirit's possible liquidation, and United tightening access to Polaris lounges. What we cover: Shawn's Minneapolis meetup recap and Hyatt Centric stay The Fairmont Bermuda / Accor points reimbursement follow-up Air New Zealand's SkyNest bunk beds and whether they beat business class for sleep Virgin Atlantic's higher award fees and why the value keeps slipping American removing more elite perks from basic economy Spirit's possible liquidation and what it could mean for fares United restricting Polaris lounge access for many Star Alliance partners Links: Free newsletter Track your travel credit cards for free with Travel Freely Miles to Memories Facebook group Diamond Patreon and Gold Membership MTM Travel podcast Miles to Memories website Fairmont follow up - https://milestomemories.com/fairmont-hamilton-princess-billing-error/ Skynest - https://milestomemories.com/air-new-zealand-skynest-economy-beds/ Virgin hikes - https://milestomemories.com/virgin-atlantic-just-hiked-award-fees-again/ AA basic economy changes - https://milestomemories.com/american-removes-elite-benefits-in-basic-economy/ United Polaris access changes - https://milestomemories.com/united-restricts-polaris-lounge-access-for-star-alliance-partners/ Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 4:54 Fairmont Bermuda and the Accor points refund mess 8:47 Air New Zealand's SkyNest bunk beds 13:30 Virgin Atlantic award fees jump again 16:59 Using Virgin points for AMC popcorn and drinks 18:46 American removes more basic economy elite perks 20:04 Spirit may liquidate and fares could get worse 23:04 United restricts Polaris lounge access for partner flyers What do you think about Air New Zealand's bunk-bed idea? Would you pay extra for four hours of real sleep, or would you still rather have a traditional business class seat? Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

    27 min

  7. 16 APR

    Over $8K In ANNUAL FEES, Chase Pay Yourself Back Is Back & Wells Fargo's Huge New Transfer Win

    Get $200 back after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Chase Pay Yourself Back hasn't gotten better, but the transfer options around it may have gotten worse, which suddenly makes it worth a fresh look. In this episode, Shawn and Mark also break down Wells Fargo's new Wyndham transfer partner, Mark's $8,120 annual fee strategy, Bilt Cash redemption issues, and JetBlue's refreshed premium card. In This Episode: Why Chase Pay Yourself Back may now compete with transfer partners How Wells Fargo's new 2:1 Wyndham transfer can create outsized value Why Mark still pays more than $8,000 a year in annual fees Bilt Cash Walgreens gift card problems and a possible workaround Whether JetBlue's premium card refresh finally makes the card compelling Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:52 Why Chase Pay Yourself Back matters again 6:41 Wells Fargo adds Wyndham at 2:1 10:16 Melio $200 cashback offer 11:15 Why Mark pays $8,120 in annual fees 19:23 Built Cash Walgreens redemption issues 22:01 JetBlue premium card refresh Links: Track your travel credit cards for free Patreon (bonus shows + Slack community) Newsletter Free Facebook group Watch on YouTube Apple Podcasts milestomemories.com Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

    27 min

  8. 14 APR

    Phone Calls on Planes, Hotel Points = DEBT and a Wild United-American Merger Idea

    This week on MTM Travel, Shawn and Mark get into one of the most annoying travel debates imaginable: phone calls on airplanes. They also dig into American Airlines' bus route oddities, what hotel loyalty liabilities really mean, and whether a United-American merger would solve anything or just make the mess bigger. In This Episode: Why phone calls on planes feel like a terrible idea The strange case of American Airlines bus routes A quick detour into the Spruce $100 offer and Condor trip planning Why hotel loyalty programs are carrying giant IOUs Whether a United-American merger is smart or a complete circus Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:17 Phone calls on airplanes and why this could get ugly 4:14 American Airlines' bus route confusion 6:30 Spruce $100 offer ending April 15 7:29 Shawn's Condor booking and Europe trip planning 12:15 Hotel loyalty programs and their giant IOUs 15:29 Why hotel loyalty is now the real hotel business 17:18 The United-American merger idea 20:24 Why JetBlue or Alaska makes more sense Links: Track your travel credit cards for free Patreon (bonus shows + Slack community) Newsletter Free Facebook group (16K members) Watch on YouTube Apple Podcasts milestomemories.com Hotel IOU - https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/7-billion-loyalty-iou-marriott-130000589.html United-American - https://onemileatatime.com/news/united-ceo-scott-kirby-merger-american/ BA calls - https://onemileatatime.com/news/british-airways-video-voice-calls-starlink-wi-fi/ AA bus - https://www.fox13news.com/news/american-airlines-customers-say-flights-turned-bus-trips-without-warning Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

    23 min
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

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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