MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

Shawn Coomer & Mark Ostermann
  • 4.6 (340)
  • Places & Travel
  • 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

    Bonvoyed Twice in One Weekend, Hilton's Exciting New Feature & MTM Takes Over Detroit!

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Join MTM Diamond our private community! Slack, meetups, tons of bonus content and more. More info - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories United just changed how you earn Premier status for 2027, and flying more won't get you there the way it used to. Hilton is also rolling out a way to pay your hotel bill with points right in the app, but there's one big unanswered question that decides whether it's any good. Before the news, we recap our Detroit meetup, from getting Bonvoyed twice in one weekend to the points hotel that charged Choice $700 a night, plus a Packers and Lions game we're still arguing about. And is the 5 a.m. flight really the pro move? Are you still chasing airline status in 2027? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:27 Recapping Our Detroit Meetup 2:08 Bonvoyed Twice in One Weekend 3:56 The Atheneum Suite Hotel on Choice Points 6:00 Detroit's Hotel Comeback & Greektown 7:46 Michigan Central Station & Corktown 8:43 Packers vs. Lions at Ford Field 10:38 Why Our Meetups Are About Community 12:46 Pedal Pubs, Barcade & New Meetup Lore 15:35 Don't Skip the Motown Museum 16:41 Is the 5 a.m. Flight the Best Flight? 18:15 CLEAR's New Gates at DTW 19:08 The Westin DTW Security Checkpoint Tip 20:02 United Makes Premier Status Harder to Earn 22:28 The Head Start for United Cardholders 23:16 Hilton Launches Pay With Points for Hotel Charges 24:44 What Should Hilton Points Be Worth? 27:19 Final Thoughts Links MTM Diamond - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories United changes - https://milestomemories.com/united-changing-mileageplus-elite-status-qualification/ Hilton pay with points - https://milestomemories.com/hilton-launches-new-pay-with-points-feature/ 💳 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. Oct 22

    Chase Wouldn't Fix the Bonus, Speedway Gift Cards Are Getting Drained & Capital One's Big 300K Offer

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Join MTM Diamond our private community! Slack, meetups, tons of bonus content and more. More info - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories Mark loaded $400 onto a Speedway gift card, went to fill up, and found a $0 balance, and four months later he's still waiting on 7-Eleven. He's not alone, and we break down why you should check any Speedway cards in your drawer right now. Mark also did everything right on a Chase business checking bonus that never posted, and the answer he got from the branch is maddening. Plus Lululemon may be shutting down another Amex credit workaround, and Capital One drops a 300,000 mile Venture X Business offer that comes with a very big catch. Have you had a gift card drained? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:18 Heading to the Detroit Meetup 1:33 Why the Diamond Meetups Are the Best Part 2:34 Lululemon Starts Blocking Returns to Store Credit 4:09 Is the Quarterly Lululemon Credit Worth the Hassle? 5:41 Gift Receipts & Missing the Saks Credit 6:22 Mark's Chase Business Checking Bonus Never Posted 8:01 Why the Branch Couldn't Fix It 10:52 Is It Worth Fighting the Bank? 12:45 Capital One's 300,000 Mile Venture X Business Offer 14:48 Is the $40K First Tier Too Steep? 15:57 Speedway Gift Cards Are Getting Drained 17:35 Mark's $400 Claim, Four Months Later 18:38 7-Eleven Owns This Problem Now 20:54 Chargebacks, the CFPB & What You Can Do 22:30 The Best Way to Use Speedway Points 24:24 Final Thoughts Links MTM Diamond - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories Capital One Venture 75K - https://milestomemories.com/capital-one-venture-rewards-credit-card/ Capital One Venture X Business 300K - https://milestomemories.com/capital-one-venture-x-business/ 💳 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. Oct 19

    Getting 125K Expired Points Back, New Southwest Companion Pass Truth & JetBlue Launches First Class!

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Join MTM Diamond our private community! Slack, meetups, tons of bonus content and more. More info - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories Shawn let 125,000 Accor points expire, and what happened when he asked for them back surprised both of us. We also break down the new Hyatt and Aeroplan partnership and why Canadians walked away with all the good stuff, plus Thrifty Traveler's new free tool that watches your airfare after you book. Then we dig into what really happened to the Southwest Companion Pass, the new path to earn it, and the 2026 deadline everyone is racing. Plus JetBlue finally rolls out a domestic first class cabin. Are you chasing the Companion Pass before the rules change? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:22 Michigan Weekends & Our Detroit Meetup 1:50 What's New in MTM Diamond 3:41 Is Diamond Only for Big Spenders? 5:35 Hyatt & Aeroplan's Partnership Is a Dud for Americans 7:10 The Aeroplan Hyatt Free Night Certificates 8:58 Hyatt & Delta: The Partnership That Matters 9:20 Thrifty Traveler's Free FareTracker 11:01 How Shawn Lost 125,000 Accor Points 12:33 Getting Expired Points Back as a Courtesy 14:42 Why We Still Like Accor 16:16 What Really Happened to the Companion Pass 17:51 The Companion Pass Now Comes With Platinum Status 18:43 The 95,000 TQP Companion Pass Trips 19:46 The 2027 Bump & Our TQP Card Bonus Prediction 21:19 Southwest vs. Alaska: What Your Spend Gets You 22:30 JetBlue Launches BlueFirst Domestic First Class 24:09 Every Airline Is Becoming the Same 24:58 Final Thoughts   Links MTM Diamond - https://www.patreon.com/milestomemories Aeroplan Hyatt - https://milestomemories.com/world-of-hyatt-and-air-canada-aeroplan-launch-new-partnership/ Thrifty Free tracker - https://milestomemories.com/thrifty-traveler-launches-free-faretracker-tool/ Southwest - https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us/bluefirst Companion Pass in 2027 - https://www.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/2027/companion-pass-changes/ 💳 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. Oct 15

    Southwest Just Nuked the Companion Pass & Amex Platinum's Hotel Credit May Be Next

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Rakuten sign-up link (referral) Get $50 when you spend $50 - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten Southwest just dropped its biggest Rapid Rewards overhaul yet, and the credit card shortcut to the Companion Pass is officially on its way out, along with the A-List names. We react to what it means for anyone still chasing the pass, plus a rumored Amex Platinum change that could make the hotel credit a lot harder to use. Hyatt finally lets you transfer points online, Lululemon appears to be blocking gift cards from triggering the Platinum credit, and Citi now tells you before you apply for a Strata card whether you will get the bonus. Plus early data points suggest new Discover cardholders may be getting their Capital One Offers doubled. Did Southwest just break your heart? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:25 Southwest Drops Big Changes (Preview) 0:55 Hyatt Points Transfers Finally Go Online 4:40 Lululemon Shuts Down the Gift Card Play 7:13 Citi's New Bonus Eligibility Pop-Up 9:14 Bank of America's 1,000 Contractors & $1.2B Fine 11:11 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 11:49 Discover Could Double Your Capital One Offers 14:19 Amex Platinum's Rumored Hotel Credit Downgrade 16:20 Is the $895 Platinum Still Worth It? 19:04 Southwest's 2027 Rapid Rewards Overhaul 21:27 Why Rename A-List to Silver, Gold & Platinum? 23:57 The Dark Side of the Companion Pass 26:03 Final Thoughts Links Hyatt transfers - https://storefront.points.com/world-of-hyatt/sso/mv-delegate/free-transfer? Lululemon Amex - https://milestomemories.com/75-lululemon-amex-platinum-credit/ Citi pop-up - https://milestomemories.com/citi-adds-welcome-bonus-eligibility-pop-up-for-strata-applications/ Discover Capital One Offers - https://milestomemories.com/discover-cashback-match-includes-capital-one-offers/ Amex FHR rumors - https://milestomemories.com/amex-platinum-may-add-2-night-minimum-for-fhr-credit/ Southwest overhaul - https://www.swamedia.com/news-and-stories/news-release/more-to-love-from-rapid-rewards-southwest-airlines-expands-rewards-redemption-an-MCKCBGY5Z2SNF7DJLTVF253RMDIU 💳 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. Oct 12

    American Airlines Mistake Fare & Cancelation Anger, Best Lounge Tool & KLM's Quirky Blue Houses!

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Rakuten sign-up link (referral) Get $50 when you spend $50 - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten A pricing glitch let a lot of people book American Airlines award tickets for a fraction of the usual miles, including us, and almost two weeks later American started canceling them, calling people instead of emailing them first. We get into why the way they handled it may break their own rules, and whether we should file DOT complaints over it. Then luxury goes all-inclusive, with Hilton converting the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad in Riviera Maya and Park Hyatt opening its first all-inclusive near Cancun. Plus a free lounge tool from a friend of the show that we cannot stop using, why we have mostly stopped chasing transfer bonuses, and the surprisingly sneaky history behind KLM's Delft Blue houses. Should we file DOT complaints, or did we know what we were getting into? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 Mark Learns What "HoCo" Means 2:43 American Airlines Cancels Our Award Tickets 4:26 American's Own 72-Hour Rule 7:16 Should We File DOT Complaints? 11:37 ThisLounge.com: The Free Lounge Tool We Love 14:44 Waldorf Astoria & Conrad Go All-Inclusive  16:23 Park Hyatt's First All-Inclusive 19:53 Can Luxury All-Inclusives Fix the Food? 21:20 Do We Still Chase Transfer Bonuses? 23:54 The History Behind KLM's Blue Houses 25:36 Shawn's KLM Houses Left Behind in Düsseldorf 28:49 Amenity Kits, Conrad Ducks & Freebies We Hoard 30:00 Final Thoughts Links This Lounge - http://thislounge.com/ Hilton all-inclusives - https://milestomemories.com/waldorf-astoria-riviera-maya-and-conrad-tulum-going-all-inclusive/ Park Hyatt Riviera Maya - https://thepointsguy.com/news/park-hyatt-riviera-maya-all-inclusive-details/ KLM history - https://onemileatatime.com/guides/klm-airlines-dutch-house/ Transfer bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/current-transfer-bonuses/ 💳 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. Oct 8

    Chase's Eye Opening Card Strategy, IHG Refreshes Everything & The 2 Browser Trick?!

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Rakuten sign-up link (referral) Get $50 when you spend $50 - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten IHG and Chase just overhauled the entire IHG card lineup, with a brand new $350 Premier Select card, higher annual fees, and status getting pulled from a card a lot of you carry. We dig into who the new card actually makes sense for, the catch hiding in its food and beverage credit, and why the old $49 IHG card is about to cost a lot more. Plus Rakuten just posted its best Bank of America offer yet, Chase may let other banks approve the co-brand applicants it turns down, and some Sapphire Preferred cardholders are getting 75,000 point upgrade offers. Then we get nostalgic about the two browser trick and the Wild West days. Which IHG card is looking better for you? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:40 Rakuten's Best Bank of America Offer Yet 3:04 Denied by Bank of America & Waiting on Atmos 4:34 IHG's Big Card Refresh & the New $350 Premier Select 6:00 The Food & Beverage Catch & an Easy $200 Flight Credit 7:20 Diamond for $25K & the Premier Card Loses Platinum 8:28 Stacking Elite Nights & the $40K Free Night 11:13 Your $49 IHG Card Is Doubling & Why to Grab the Select Now 13:52 Fourth Night Free Gets Harder & Why IHG Is Undervalued 15:42 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 16:19 Chase May Let Other Banks Approve Its Co-Brand Cards 18:20 Fintech Sweep Accounts & the FDIC Fine Print 21:56 Chase's 75K Sapphire Upgrade & a Possible 175K Stack 23:41 The Two Browser Trick & the Wild West Days 25:33 The AA Shutdowns & Executive Card Churners 26:24 Final Thoughts Links IHG refresh - https://frequentmiler.com/all-the-existing-ihg-credit-cards-have-been-refreshed-here-are-the-changes/ BofA Rakuten - https://milestomemories.com/rakuten-offering-extra-bonus-for-bank-of-america-cards/ Old IHG $49 card - https://milestomemories.com/chase-updates-legacy-ihg-select-card/ Chase upgrades - https://milestomemories.com/75k-upgrade-offer-to-sapphire-reserve/ Chase second look idea - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/jpmorgan-chase-looks-to-open-second-look-applications-for-cobranded-cards/ 💳 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. Oct 5

    Bin Space Wars, BofA Transfers Coming & Why Giant Suitcases & Rewards Debit Cards Are Taking Over!

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Bank of America cards are getting a transfer partner in 2027, and it is a big one: Alaska Atmos. We get into what it could mean for Preferred Rewards members and why you might want to start stockpiling now. Mark also ran the real math on Alaska versus American status, and the answer is not what the headline numbers suggest. But first, a travel gripe session: European airports that will not tell you your gate until five minutes before boarding, Lisbon's surprisingly giant suitcases, and the day a flight attendant almost evicted Mark's backpack from the overhead bin. Plus Alaska is launching a debit card that earns status, and X Money is making debit interesting again. Are you team carry-on or team checked bag? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 Back to StarLux for Asia 1:11 Europe's Gate Problem & Lisbon's Giant Suitcases 4:36 A Gate Posted 5 Minutes Before Boarding 6:54 Team Carry-On & Mark's Backpack Standoff 10:40 The Two-Bag Problem & Never Fight a Flight Attendant 12:06 Bin Space Wars & Deplaning Etiquette 15:08 Alaska vs. AA Status: Mark Runs the Numbers 18:06 Welcome Offers vs. Status Spend (and Why Mark Picked AA) 20:32 Bank of America Points to Atmos in 2027 22:36 Preferred Rewards & Why to Stockpile Now 24:13 Alaska Is Launching a Debit Card 25:48 X Money & the Debit Card Comeback 26:52 Final Thoughts Links Alaska changes - https://news.alaskaair.com/loyalty/atmos-rewards-expands/ AA vs. Alaska status - https://milestomemories.com/alaska-atmos-or-american-aadvantage-status/ 💳 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. Oct 1

    More Bad Hyatt News, Easy Bank Bonuses Are Back & Mark vs. a Skunk

    Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Mark started his morning trapped in his own backyard by a skunk, and somehow that was not the worst news of the day. Bilt just announced it is cutting Hyatt transfers from 1:1 to 4:3 on January 1, the same change Chase made to the Sapphire Preferred, and it has us convinced we know who is really behind all of this. We get into why Hyatt might actually want it this way and what it says about where the program is headed. Plus Q4's 5% categories went all in on dining, Chase has new targeted spend offers worth checking, Audible is back at 99 cents a month with a bonus credit, and easy bank bonuses are back, including an E*Trade offer worth up to $800 with a 4.25% APY. Is Hyatt still worth chasing for you? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Mark Gets Trapped by a Skunk 3:58 Q4 5% Categories: Dining Everywhere 5:31 Chase's New Targeted Spend Offers 7:09 Audible Is Back to 99 Cents a Month 9:58 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 10:36 Getting Back Into Bank Bonuses 12:54 E*Trade's Up to $800 Bonus & 4.25% APY 15:54 Ameriprise Platinum, Mercedes Swag & the Ani Mindset 18:20 Bilt to Hyatt Drops to 4:3 in January 20:58 Is Hyatt Becoming Marriott? 22:52 Why Hyatt Wants Co-Brand Card Spend 25:43 Final Thoughts Links 5X cats - https://milestomemories.com/5-categories-for-2026-4th-quarter/ Chase My Bonus - https://milestomemories.com/chase-my-bonus-quarterly-spending-offers/ Bank Bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/bank-account-bonuses-2/ Bilt 4:3 - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-to-hyatt-transfer-ratio/ E-trade offer - https://milestomemories.com/etrade-800-signup-bonus/ 💳 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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