MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

Shawn Coomer & Mark Ostermann
  • 4.6 (340)
  • 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. 2d ago

    Hyatt's Big Breakup, Bilt Authorized User "Trick" & A Card Refresh Nobody Asked For

    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

  2. 5d ago

    A Unicorn Starlux Award, Southwest Is Building Lounges & the Duct-Taped Passenger

    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

  3. Sep 3

    Mark's 690,000 Point App-O-Rama, Gen Z's Credit Card Problem & Muggle vs Wizard Meta Glasses!

    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

  4. Sep 2

    Huge 1 Million Mile Giveaway, Shawn's Hong Kong Dilemma & IHG's Best Kept Status Secret!

    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

  5. Aug 27

    The Smartest People in Points Now Work for Them, Basic Business Spreads & a Huge 125K Offer!

    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

  6. Aug 20

    Chase Tried to Kill a Credit Loophole, Capital One Discover Shutdowns & the $2 Trick Is Dead?!

    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

  7. Aug 17

    The FHR City Nobody Talks About, LifeMiles Wastes Our Time Again & Resy's Big Expansion

    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

  8. Aug 13

    Hyatt Cancels Your Stay Then Charges You More, Plus Amex Kills the Offer Loader & US Bank Fumbles

    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

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Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
340 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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