MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!

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

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

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

Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio Mark is headed to the Azores, so naturally we start with why Portugal has almost no air conditioning. Then it is a bank-by-bank rundown. Citi added lifetime language to the Strata cards, and nobody knows yet how hard they will enforce it. Chase may have quietly created a 3/24 rule for business cards, you have one week left to move Sapphire Preferred points to Hyatt at 1:1, and Chase's new investing redemption is the least exciting 1 cent per point you will ever see. On the good news side, Bilt reversed its terrible referral rule, now allows product changes with targeted upgrade offers, and added Amtrak as a transfer partner for the first time in years, though at a ratio that stings. Plus Citi adds Japan Airlines with a 30% launch bonus, and a 25% bonus to Avianca that we will politely beg you to think twice about. Is Citi's lifetime rule a dealbreaker for you? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 Mark Heads to the Azores & Europe's AC Problem 1:50 Lufthansa's Very German Customer Service 2:53 Last Call: Sapphire Preferred to Hyatt at 1:1 4:34 Does Chase Have a 3/24 Rule for Business Cards? 6:03 Chase's New 1 Cent Investing Redemption 9:03 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 9:55 Bilt Reverses Its Bad Referral Rule 11:31 Bilt Allows Product Changes & Upgrade Offers 13:01 Bilt Adds Amtrak as a Transfer Partner 16:22 Citi Adds Lifetime Language to the Strata Cards 19:50 What Is Citi Even Doing? 20:51 Citi Adds Japan Airlines With a 30% Bonus 23:03 A 25% Bonus to Avianca (Proceed With Caution) Links Chase 3/24 - https://milestomemories.com/new-3-24-rule-for-chase-business-cards/ Citi new rules - https://milestomemories.com/citi-tightens-strata-card-bonus-rules-with-new-lifetime-language/ Bilt product changes - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-now-allows-product-changes/ Chase invest - https://milestomemories.com/chase-launches-invest-your-points/ 💳 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

Amazon 4 months of Audible for $.99/mo. (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-prime-day-2026/ Shawn's personal inKind referral - https://milestomemories.com/go/inkind-referral/ Shawn walked into a Chase branch to withdraw money and walked into every points person's nightmare: account locked, suspicious activity, and a phone tree with no humans in it. What follows is the full anatomy of a lockout, from the banker with the super secret number to the moment Shawn nearly handed him the fake World of Hyatt credit card that has been living in his wallet for years. That spirals into the security conversation we all need to have: password managers and passkeys, the scams hitting travelers abroad, why your debit card should never leave your wallet, and the shutdown anxiety that makes every declined charge feel personal. Then two deals worth your time: Audible at 99 cents a month for four months ahead of Prime Day, and the Target stack that gets inKind gift cards down near 68 percent off, beating even Costco. What is your worst locked-account story, and how do you keep yourself secure? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:30 Chase Locked Shawn's Account 3:39 The Fake World of Hyatt Card in Shawn's Wallet 6:13 Password Managers, Passkeys & the LastPass Lesson 9:18 Fraud Abroad: Apple Pay Scams & Missing Alerts 10:21 Debit Card Rules to Live By 12:26 When a Decline Feels Personal (Shutdown Anxiety) 14:01 The Mystery of the Spotless Banker Desk 17:35 Audible for 99 Cents a Month 19:10 The Target inKind Stack 21:18 Final Thoughts Links https://milestomemories.com/inkind-gift-cards-at-target/ 💳 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

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

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

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

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

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ American Airlines is raising Admiral's Club membership from $700 to $850 up to $1,200 to $1,400 depending on status, which conveniently makes the Executive card look like a much better deal even after its annual fee went from $595 to $695. That card now includes a $500 travel credit, up to three authorized users for $175 total, and doubles the bonus loyalty points you can earn from 20,000 to 40,000, so it is a real shortcut if you are chasing status. Less good is AA changing elite upgrades on three cabin planes, so your complimentary upgrade now only gets you from economy to premium economy, and reaching business means buying premium economy first. Hyatt on the other hand launched one of the best promos we have seen, a free night certificate for every three qualifying nights at Latin America and Caribbean resorts, up to five certs, though the timing quirks are strange since you have to register by the end of September for stays in the first quarter of next year. We close with an epic thread from a hotel check in agent covering nine things that actually work, from the email to send 72 hours out to why checking in later gets you a better room, and the notes hotels are quietly keeping on you. Let us know in the comments if the Executive card is worth it now. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:30 The Gate Agent Who Sang to a Delayed Flight 1:53 A Brutal Travel Weekend (5 Hours on the Tarmac) 6:08 Lake Life & The End of Summer 8:11 Admiral's Club Prices Jump to $1,400 12:26 AA Guts First Class Elite Upgrades 16:13 Hyatt's Caribbean Promo: A Free Night Per 3 Nights 20:18 9 Hotel Check-In Secrets 20:49 Never Book Third Party 22:07 The Email to Send 72 Hours Before 23:36 Why You Should Check In Later 24:17 Use Their Name 26:52 Free Stuff You Can Just Ask For 30:53 What Hotels Write About You 34:38 Final Thoughts Links Check-in tips - https://www.x.com/Kevincreates77/status/2083124490783846514 AA singing - https://x.com/TrashPandaNever/status/2085805790212800886/video/1?s=46 AA lounge skyrockets - https://onemileatatime.com/news/american-admirals-club-membership-fees-increasing/ AA executive refresh - https://milestomemories.com/citi-aadvantage-executive-card-refresh/ New Hyatt promo - https://milestomemories.com/hyatts-latin-america-caribbean-promotion/ ✈️ 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

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/ Chase ran a wave of shutdowns this week aimed at people hammering the Amazon card, some reportedly cycling millions a month through buyers group spending, and we walk through Doctor of Credit's full list of what actually triggers a Chase shutdown. More importantly, we cover the three things that catch normal people who are not doing anything extreme, bust out risk on a brand new card, credit limit cycling, and sitting on a massive negative balance. Alaska Atmos also added Philippine Airlines as a partner, and business class availability is wide open at 75,000 miles from San Francisco and 85,000 from Los Angeles, though we get into why Manila is a rough connection point and not really a jumping off spot for the rest of Asia. Seats.aero shipped a Chrome extension that overlays award pricing directly onto Google Flights, and it works well right out of the box. We close with Hilton cutting the fees hotel owners pay, which sounds small at 0.3 percent but is a real chunk of what they collect, and explain why less money coming into the program almost always means devaluations for you. Let us know in the comments what your favorite award search tool is. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:19 Lake Life & Too Many Houseguests 2:05 Chase Shuts Down Amazon Card Users 3:45 What Actually Triggers a Chase Shutdown 6:43 The Three That Catch Normal People 9:30 Seats.aero's New Chrome Extension 12:13 Alaska Adds Philippine Airlines 16:46 Hilton Cuts the Fees Owners Pay 18:48 Hilton Rise & Falling Brand Standards 23:12 Hotel Rates Have Doubled 24:05 Final Thoughts Links Chase shutdown wave - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chase-amazon-prime-shutdown-large-spend-inactivity/ What causes shutdowns - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/what-causes-chase-credit-card-shutdowns/ Seats.aero Chrome - https://milestomemories.com/seats-aero-chrome-extension-adds-award-prices-to-google-flights/ Atmos award space - https://milestomemories.com/book-philippine-airlines-business-with-atmos/ Hilton cutting fees for owners - https://onemileatatime.com/news/hilton-cuts-loyalty-fees-hotel-owners-pay-bad-hilton-honors-members/ ✈️ 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

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/ Both Hyatt cards have increased welcome offers, and we explain why the personal card's 75,000 point headline is a little misleading since a chunk of it is just base earning you would get anyway. Frequent Miler is reporting that Chase quietly added new terms to Chase Offers warning that abuse may get you excluded from future offers, which leads into a real conversation about where the line sits between an error in your favor and outright fraud. Bank of America is now handing out retention offers through its Erica chatbot, so you can click through your cards quickly without ever talking to a person, though accepting one offer appears to lock you out on the rest. United also has new targeted MilePlay promotions, some of them worth 20,000 plus bonus miles just for getting the credit card and opting into notifications. We close with a real problem on Bilt travel, where a hotel showing $279 a night turned into an $800 plus bill at checkout because resort fees were not disclosed up front, something Expedia's own site does correctly. Let us know in the comments what the craziest abuse story you have heard is. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:24 Hyatt's New 75K Personal Card Offer 3:07 The Hyatt Business Card: Who It's For 6:34 Chase Warns "Gamers" on Chase Offers 8:20 Where Gaming Becomes Fraud 11:01 BofA Retention Offers Via Chatbot 12:58 A Rough Citi Retention Call 14:26 United's New MilePlay Promotions 17:29 Bilt Travel's Pricing Problem 18:06 The $279 Room That Cost $800 23:38 Final Thoughts Links Hyatt business - https://milestomemories.com/world-of-hyatt-business-card-70k-offer/ Hyatt personal - https://milestomemories.com/75k-bonus-on-word-of-hyatt-card/ Chase Offers - https://milestomemories.com/chase-adding-abuse-warning-to-some-chase-offers/ BofA retention - https://milestomemories.com/check-for-bank-of-america-retention-offers/ MilePlay - https://milestomemories.com/united-airlines-mile-play-promotion/ ✈️ 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

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