Huge Miles & Points Pitfalls & Hilton's Big Devaluation
Dec 23, 2024
This discussion dives into the challenging pitfalls of the miles and points hobby, highlighting Shawn's struggles with reselling and the evolving landscape ahead. Illness during travel gets a spotlight, illustrating the emotional toll and choices faced by travelers. The talk also covers Hilton's significant devaluation, introducing new pricing tiers and complexities. Plus, they vent about the frustrations of Amazon reselling, including restrictive policies and seller challenges, while navigating the engaging and sometimes chaotic world of travel rewards.
44:52
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Shawn's Hong Kong Sickness
Shawn got sick in Hong Kong after flying on a mistake fare.
He had to spend two days in his hotel room and pushed through to visit Disneyland, worsening his illness.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Traveler's Sickness Paranoia
Travelers often worry about getting sick before or during trips.
Getting sick while traveling is inevitable, so try to stay healthy but don't stress too much.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Shawn's Amazon Reselling Journey
Shawn's Amazon reselling business grew from writing about deals on Miles to Memories to having a warehouse.
Amazon's restrictions on brands like Lego significantly impacted his business, demonstrating the platform's unpredictable nature.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn & Mark discuss many of the pitfalls of earning in the miles & points hobby. Shawn discusses his reselling efforts over the years and how difficult they have become. What is worth doing in 2025 and what pitfalls should you be aware of when pursuing other avenues of earning?
We also discuss Hilton's big devaluation which includes higher prices and multiple tiers for the first time plus Mark's big trip and being sick on the road.
Episode Guide
0:00 Getting ready for big travel & sick on the road
7:00 The downsides of Amazon reselling & other points plays
21:12 Why you need to be prepared to “lose” when playing the miles & points game
29:50 Hilton’s devaluation - Split awards, higher prices & more
41:19 The games that they play
Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed!
Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.
Melio Offer Terms: This is a business to business payment platform - no personal bills / payments. The offer is for new accounts only. If you sign up using the 20 Minute Travel link new members will get $200 cash back after making a $2000+ in payments via Melio pay. Gal from Melio will reach out to finalize the details of your payment. That is $60 in processing fees for a $200 bonus! After signing up and making your first payment with a vendor you will want to upload your bank info to your Melio account. Do it as the receiving method so you have a checking account set up to receive payments. You will then receive an email from (Gal) Melio saying you are eligible for the $200 bonus and it will tell you to set up your receiving method, or you can share your bank information if you prefer that.
MTM Travel - The Fun Side of Points & Travel!