MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

Shawn Coomer & Mark Ostermann
  • 4.6 (337)
  • 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. 3d ago

    The 25,000 Mile Clawback, Amex Closes a Loophole & Why We Can't Simplify Our Wallets

    Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ The AA glitch is over. American clawed back the 25,000 miles from that AAdvantage Business promo code, reversing transfers and apologizing with 5,000 miles, and we make the case that they actually handled it well, which is more than we can say for hotels that walk you or open late with a shrug. Speaking of, we get into why Hyatt stopped offering real compensation on delayed hotel openings and what they should be doing instead. Amex is also tightening things up, changing the terms on the streaming credit so bundles like Peacock with Apple TV Plus no longer count, and linking multiple logins on the back end so you can no longer use separate accounts to see different Amex Offers. We reminisce about the golden era of Amex Offers, the Staples and Smart and Final days, and the offers that were worth flying across the country for. Plus Olive Garden's Unlimited Pasta Pass is back for the first time since 2020, still $100 but now good for 13 weeks, with only 10,000 available. We close with our buddy Travel with Grant's wallet simplification article and admit none of us are actually simplifying anything. Let us know in the comments if you got the pasta pass. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:18 Canadian Wildfire Smoke & That Train Video 5:02 AA Claws Back the 25,000 Miles 8:11 Why Hyatt Stopped Compensating You 9:43 The Pasta Pass Returns 12:40 Amex Tightens the Streaming Credit 14:01 The Subscription Mess (& Rocket Money) 16:11 Amex Links Your Multiple Logins 18:11 The Golden Age of Amex Offers 20:35 Can Anyone Actually Simplify Their Wallet? 24:20 Final Thoughts Links Pasta pass - https://milestomemories.com/olive-garden-never-ending-pasta-pass/ Amex streaming - https://milestomemories.com/amex-platinum-tightens-digital-entertainment-credit-rules/ Amex logins - https://milestomemories.com/american-express-can-now-see-across-multiple-logins/ Simplify your wallet - https://travelwithgrant.boardingarea.com/2026/07/12/one-year-later-an-update-to-our-simplified-wallet-strategy-for-2026/ ✈️ 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. 5d ago

    Is This A Deal To Japan, Hyatt's "New" Benefit That Isn't New & Points Myths to Drop!

    Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ Mark is taking his son to Japan on points, so we walk through exactly how he booked it, snagging American Airlines business class from Detroit through Dallas to Tokyo for 100,000 miles a person, why he locked it in even though it is not the rock bottom price, and his plan to fly Delta One home from Seoul nonstop for 140,000 SkyMiles. It turns into a bigger conversation about how the burn side of miles and points has gotten harder and less fun, and why getting the trip you want now can beat holding out for the perfect saver award. On the news side, there is an excellent Audible deal with three free months plus a $20 credit for Prime members, another two Hyatt hotels dropping suite upgrade awards, and Hyatt dressing up an old 13 month booking window as a shiny new elite benefit. Then we react to a great Benji article full of points assumptions worth rethinking, from not needing to be a credit card travel protection expert, to skipping mediocre free breakfast, to whether tracking every tiny bonus is actually worth your time, and the classic debate of booking flights first versus hotels first. Let us know in the comments whether you are team flights or team hotels, and drop any Japan tips for Mark. Episode Guide: 0:00 What's Coming Up 1:35 Why Japan? A 16th Birthday Bucket List Trip 2:59 How We Booked 100K Business Class to Tokyo 6:02 Flying Delta One Home From Seoul 8:58 A Great Audible Deal (3 Free Months + $20) 9:59 Hyatt Drops More Suite Upgrade Hotels 11:41 Hyatt's "New" 13-Month Booking Benefit 14:07 Do You Need to Master Card Travel Protections? 16:53 Skip the Free Breakfast? 19:27 Are You Wasting Time Tracking Points? 23:41 Book Flights First or Hotels First? 29:30 Final Thoughts Links Sign-up for Rakuten! (referral) - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten Hyatt upgrade certs - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-expands-list-of-hotels-that-dont-accept-suite-upgrade-awards/ Hyatt 13 month benefit - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-early-award-access-for-elites-and-cardholders/ Points assumptions - https://milestomemories.com/travel-and-points-assumptions/ ✈️ 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. Jul 9

    AA's 25,000 Mile Glitch, Amex Gets Stingy & The Rakuten Card Stack

    Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Sign-up for Rakuten! (referral) - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten American Airlines appears to have a coding error letting existing AAdvantage Business account holders add a promo code in settings and instantly get 25,000 miles, and we get into whether AA claws it back. Mark walks through three retention offer results, including an insulting 6,000 Hilton point offer on the Surpass, a $99 credit that saved his Citi AAdvantage business card at exactly the right moment, and no save attempt at all on the Executive card. We also cover Amex randomly handing out $50 Saks credits after killing that benefit, the Rakuten credit card offers that can stack over 75,000 Bilt points, and Mark's Charles Schwab Platinum timing now that Delta and United dropped off the airline incidental credit. Plus, Benji wants an apology. Let us know in the comments if you got your 25,000 miles. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:39 AA's 25,000 Mile Coding Error 5:16 Retention Offers 101 5:51 Amex's Insulting Surpass Offer 10:29 Citi AAdvantage Business: A $99 Save 11:42 No Save on the Executive Card 13:28 Amex's Random $50 Saks Credits 16:12 Rakuten's Credit Card Offers (75K Bilt) 19:20 Bank of America Approvals & Schwab Platinum 23:20 Benjy Wants an Apology 24:57 Final Thoughts Links Sign-up for Rakuten! (referral) - http://milestomemories.com/go/rakuten ✈️ 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

  4. Jul 7

    United's First Class Cornflakes, Delta's Worst Seat & TSA Security Gets Better!

    Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Want to work with us? Reach out! inquiries at milestomemories dot com  A packed miles and points Tuesday after a big 250th weekend. We start with a wild Delta seat someone scored on a former Lion Air 737 that looks narrower than anything you have flown, which leads into a fun talk about backward facing seats, the death of SeatGuru, and how to avoid the worst seats on the plane. On the news side, Amex transfer bonuses are back, with 30 percent to Virgin Atlantic through the end of July and 20 percent to Hilton through July 14th. Then we get into Benjy's genuinely sad United first class meal, a banana and Kellogg's cornflakes on a flight over 1,500 miles, and why you should never book domestic first for the food, plus our favorite drink and flight attendant hacks. We break down TSA touchless ID now that it is on Google Wallet, why the line moves fast, the frustrating catch that minors cannot use it, and how mobile passport control makes coming back into the country painless. We close with how Mark pulled 350,000 Delta miles and a companion pass out of a single Delta Reserve card, and the tricky question of how to actually value a companion pass. Let us know in the comments about the worst seat and worst meal you have had lately. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Our Small-Town 4th of July 2:32 The World Cup & Discovering America 4:51 Delta's Worst Seat 8:01 SeatGuru Is Dead: Avoiding Bad Seats 9:56 Amex Transfer Bonuses Are Back 12:45 United's Sad First Class Meal 16:47 International vs Domestic Food & Drink Hacks 19:19 TSA Touchless ID Explained 22:32 Mobile Passport & Faster Customs 24:47 Valuing the Delta Companion Pass 29:41 Final Thoughts Links Delta seat - https://x.com/itripreport/status/2072741231243694307?s=46 Amex bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/new-amex-transfer-bonuses-30-to-virgin-atlantic-20-to-hilton/ United breakfast - https://milestomemories.com/united-inflight-meal/ TSA Touchless - https://milestomemories.com/tsa-and-google-wallet-launch-new-tsa-precheck-touchless-id-option/ ✈️ 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. Jul 2

    Hyatt's Category Chaos, Wyndham's NEW $395 Card & Chase Nickel and Dimes Again!

    Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Want to work with us? Reach out! inquiries at milestomemories dot com  Chase quietly cut Pay Yourself Back on the Sapphire Reserve again, dropping the bonus from 25 percent more to 20 percent, and we get into why they keep chipping away at it. Wyndham refreshed its entire card lineup, now four cards deep, headlined by a new $395 premium card with a 120,000 point welcome offer, a never expire points perk, and enough credits to offset the fee for the right person. We break down the new Q3 Chase bonus spending offers worth checking, Wyndham's award chart shakeup adding a new 45,000 point top tier on September 15th, and the real world fallout from Hyatt's category changes, including a category 3 hotel in New Orleans pricing higher than a category 4 one block away. It all adds up to why free night certificates might be more valuable than ever. Let us know in the comments what you are doing for the 4th and whether Chase is getting too nickel and dime. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 July 4th, Gas Prices & The EV Debate 3:52 Chase Q3 Bonus Offers Are Live 6:15 Chase Cuts Pay Yourself Back 10:15 Wyndham's New Card Lineup 14:22 Wyndham Award Chart Changes (New 45K Tier) 18:17 Hyatt Chaos: Cat 3 Costs More Than Cat 4 21:30 Is Hyatt Pricing by Demand Now? 24:47 Final Thoughts Links Chase spending offers - https://milestomemories.com/chase-my-bonus-quarterly-spending-offers/ Pay Yourself Back cuts - https://milestomemories.com/pay-yourself-back-devaluation/ Wyndham new card - https://milestomemories.com/refreshed-wyndham-card-portfolio-plus-new-premium-card/ Wyndham new tier - https://milestomemories.com/wyndham-rewards-will-add-new-redemption-tier/ Hyatt category chaos - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-categories-no-longer-matter/ ✈️ 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. Jun 25

    Chase Is Now Clawing Back Credits! Plus Prime Day & Bilt's Weak Rent Day

    SHOP AMAZON PRIME DAY & BEYOND! http://milestomemories.com/go/amazon FULL PRIME DAY COVERAGE! https://milestomemories.com/prime-day-2026-day-3/ Want to work with us? Reach out! inquiries at milestomemories dot com Prime Day is in full swing, Chase is suddenly clawing back hotel credits when you cancel, Bilt's latest Rent Day is underwhelming, and Qatar Airways just locked down award bookings. We break down all of it and what it means for your points and miles. In this episode we cover Amazon Prime Day deals and the credit card promos worth stacking, why buyers' groups have cooled off, the death of the gift card glory days, Bilt Rent Day's lackluster Hilton transfer bonus, the new Chase Sapphire Preferred $100 hotel credit and the clawback you need to know about, and Qatar Airways adding friends and family restrictions to award bookings. Last call for our Detroit event October 23rd and 24th. A full weekend of seminars, a Saturday night meetup at Barcade, and a chance to meet us and our partners in person. Grab one of the last tickets here: https://mtm.zohobackstage.com/MTMTravelDetroit2026#/   Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:18 Amazon Prime Day Overload 3:49 Buyers' Groups Explained 6:48 Gift Cards, Meijer Bucks & Gold 9:05 Last Call: Detroit Event 11:00 Bilt Rent Day: Hilton Transfer Bonus 13:44 Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Clawback 16:48 Qatar Airways Award Booking Restrictions 20:21 Final Thoughts Links Prime Day Stacking - https://milestomemories.com/dell-bose-quiet-comfort-deal-stack/ Detroit Seminar last call - https://milestomemories.com/mtm-seminar-detroit/ Chase clawbacks - https://milestomemories.com/chase-clawing-back-100-sapphire-preferred-hotel-credit-for-canceled-bookings/ Qatar changes - https://milestomemories.com/qatar-airways-adds-restrictions-on-award-bookings-for-friends-and-family/   ✈️ 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. Jun 23

    Casablanca, Beating Jet Lag HACK and Why the World Is Obsessed with Ranch Dressing!

    SHOP AMAZON PRIME DAY & BEYOND! http://milestomemories.com/go/amazon   Shawn is back from Morocco with the full Casablanca recap, from the Hassan II Mosque and the wild stained glass inside Notre Dame to a faded five-star Hyatt, Africa's biggest mall, and a horse race inside a country club. Plus the jet lag hack that actually worked: skip the food, sleep the whole flight, and land feeling brand new. We also get into why the world is suddenly obsessed with ranch dressing and American quirks, the new Global Entry machines, and whether business class is even worth it if you sleep right through it. Episode Guide: 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel 0:21 - Why the World Is Discovering Ranch Dressing & US Quirks 3:25 - Father's Day, the Cottage & the Great E-Bike Debate 6:23 - Casablanca: The Name, the History & First Impressions 8:53 - The Corniche, Sindibad Park & Africa's Biggest Mall 10:55 - Horseback on the Beach (Booked with Chase Travel) 11:49 - The Sights: Notre Dame, the French Quarter & Hassan II Mosque 13:04 - Is Casablanca Worth It? A Melting Pot of Religions 14:29 - Hyatt Regency Casablanca, World Cup Fever & the Markets 17:34 - The Flight Home & the Dana White Jet Lag Hack 20:24 - Brutal Service, Bad Food & 55K AA Miles 22:15 - Sleep vs the Full Experience: Is Skipping the Meal Worth It? 26:08 - New Global Entry Machines & Faster Passport Renewals ✈️ 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. Jun 18

    Why Hotel Owners Are Fighting To Cost You More and Is Points Even Fun Anymore?

    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/  Shawn's Capital One Shopping referral - https://capitaloneshopping.com/r/424785a3-c3f2-4b84-a077-f724abcd89ff It was a wild week in the points world. An email to Chase Ink Plus cardholders made it look like 5X on office supplies was getting axed, the internet panicked, and we called it as a likely mistake before Chase confirmed it was just human error. We also break down the Paze spend 10 dollars get 10 dollars promo that people abused so hard with New Egg gift cards that Chase started shutting down options in a single day, and the new Amex Resy credit changes coming August 1 that may or may not be a big deal. Then we get into the meatier stuff: a great One Mile at a Time piece on hotel owners pushing Marriott for a bigger cut, why that means points will likely cost all of us more, and Ben's editorial on whether miles and points is even fun anymore. Plus a Capital One Shopping shout out and why those targeted offers are worth a look.  Episode Guide: 0:00 - Intro: The Great Office Supply 5X Scare of 2026 1:37 - Chase Ink Plus 5X Email: Mistake or Devaluation? 3:55 - The Paze Promo That Got Abused (and Nerfed) 6:54 - Amex Resy Credit Changes Coming August 1 10:14 - Capital One Shopping: Don't Sleep on the Offers 12:09 - Hotel Owners vs Marriott: Why Points Will Cost More 17:01 - Is Miles and Points Even Fun Anymore? 20:08 - Better Earning vs Worse Availability 22:20 - Going Mainstream Killed the Simplicity 24:55 - Social Media Killed the Loophole 26:52 - A Tip of the Cap to Lucky and 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/ OMAAT points editorial - https://onemileatatime.com/insights/miles-points-worth-it/ Marriott owners fighting back - https://onemileatatime.com/news/marriott-hotel-owners-demand-more-money-bonvoy-award-stays/ Paze deal - https://milestomemories.com/100-in-free-spend-with-new-paze-promo/ Resy changes - https://milestomemories.com/bad-news-for-amex-cardholders-with-resy-credits/

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Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
337 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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