Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description On this episode of the podcast we dive into our 2025 trip planning including some of the headaches we are facing booking big trips for ourselves and others. We also dive a bit more into family travel, the pains of homeschooling, not underestimating children and some of the places we are eyeing to visit in the upcoming year. Links: Point.me (Shawn's referral) Seats.aero (Shawn's referral) Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed! Youtube Podcast 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! 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. Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License  

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description This week Hyatt was in the news a lot as their credit cards came in window for higher offers while they added Venetian as a new partner. We go over the details of the card offers including why you may not want to jump on this round. We also go into detail of the Venetian partnership explaining the benefits and what Hyatt customers get in terms of benefits and value when booking at Venetian. Hint: it isn't much. Variable pricing is also in effect which is a troubling trend for Hyatt. Will it spread?   In other news Flying Blue devalued their program overnight with awards going up as much as 25%. We also discuss: a cruel airport trick, why you shouldn't leave your balcony door open on a cruise ship, Chase's targeted 5-7X offers, Airbnb's poor fire response, how to earn 10X AA miles for donating to fire relief and travel destinations that live up to the hype.   Episode Guide 0:00 The meanest of airport tricks 1:36 Why you should follow the rules on a cruise ship 3:14 Airbnb’s poor LA fire response - Reason to book hotels? 5:14 Venetian Las Vegas officially joins World of Hyatt 6:45 Who should book Venetian via Hyatt & what benefits you can expect 8:32 Rio Las Vegas vs. Venetian for Hyatt customers 9:47 Increased offers on both Hyatt credit cards 12:04 Chase sends out 5-7X targeted spending offers - How to check 13:40 How to use & extend the IHG Premier United TravelBank credit 15:57 Flying Blue’s overnight devaluation 18:21 Earn 10X AAdvantage miles when donating for LA fires 19:31 Cool S - Travel destinations that live up to the hype Links Airport walkway trick - https://x.com/somakazima/status/1878084848314658925?s=46 Birds on a cruise - https://x.com/stoppfeenin/status/1876888616867135592?s=46 Airbnb fire issues - https://x.com/anammostarac/status/1876872587738833184/photo/1 Hyatt/Venetian partnership - https://travel-on-points.com/hyatt-venetian-las-vegas-partnership/ Hyatt card offers - https://milestomemories.com/new-bonuses-for-hyatt-cards/ Chase targeted offers - https://travel-on-points.com/chase-my-bonus-spending-offers/ United IHG - https://travel-on-points.com/ihg-card-united-travelbank-credit/ Flying Blue deval - https://travel-on-points.com/flying-blue-devaluation/ 10X AA for fire donation - https://travel-on-points.com/los-angeles-fire-donations/ Andy Luten Cool S - https://x.com/andystravelblog/status/1860825360595914809 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description In this conversation, Shawn and Mark discuss various aspects of travel planning, including their upcoming trips, the pros and cons of timeshares, the debate between using Airbnb versus hotels, and the intricacies of booking award travel. They also touch on the use of travel tools and why being cheap isn't always the best option. The episode ends with some discussion of Phuket which Shawn calls the Cancun of Thailand. Find out where to visit in Southern Thailand instead and why you might want to avoid this tourist hotspot. Links: Point.me (Shawn's referral) Seats.aero (Shawn's referral) Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed! Youtube Podcast 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! 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. Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License  

This week dives into Hyatt's recent elimination of a beloved suite upgrade trick, leaving frequent travelers questioning their loyalty status. There's also buzz about a lucrative Amex Platinum offer that could elevate your rewards game. Explore clever travel tips and tackle the changing landscape of paying taxes with credit cards. Plus, enjoy highlights of spectacular New Year's celebrations around the world, complete with dazzling drone shows, and learn about innovative theft protection for gift cards.

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description In this episode of MTM Travel, Mark shares his recent trip to Asia, detailing the chaos of his travel plans, the vibrant nightlife of Bangkok, and the unique culinary experiences he encountered. From disastrous flight cancelations and changes to exploring local culture, Mark's journey is filled with insights and tips for travelers. During the trip Mark visited Bangkok and Singapore and stayed in the Conrad Centennial and Hyatt Regency Bangkok. He reviews the hotels, his experiences, the food and his unique takeaways from his quick trip. He also discusses his Cathay Pacific business class journey, the scramble to fix a crazy last minute canceled flight and why he really didn't enjoy the Singapore Business Class seat. Buckle up and enjoy!Episode Guide Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed! Youtube Podcast 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! 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. Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License  

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description On this episode of MTM Travel, Shawn is joined by Joe Cheung as Mark is traveling around Asia. The two discuss various timely topics including Disney's free dining offer, Joe's travel experiences in New Jersey, skiing with family, and their New Year's Eve adventures in New York City. They also share insights about Park Hyatt New York and shopping at the insane American Dream mall, highlighting the differences in shopping experiences and the challenges of traveling during busy times. Other topics discussed include: Disney's new free dining offer, traveling to open our minds, Rio's new Hyatt Globalist breakfast and New Year's Eve bucket list destinations. We'll be back to our normal schedule next week with the main podcast on Monday and the news on Wednesday! Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed! Youtube Podcast 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! 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. Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License  

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description This week the government began cracking down on a few things in the travel/finance space. First, they are targeting resort and other junk fees with new rules that will help consumers a lot. The government is also suing many of the big banks and Zelle over the service. Will this end up with better consumer protections?   In other news Chase Freedom turns 15 this year, but is their celebration worth actually pursuing? We also discuss our favorite flights, hotels and trips of 2024, Southwest's new elite perks and seating scheme, 5% bonus categories for 2025, Hilton's sudden devaluation and a crazy video of an AA flight flooding in midair. Episode Guide 0:00 Crazy flooded AA plane 1:06 New junk fee rules for resort fees and more 3:45 Why resort fees aren’t always bad in the miles & points hobby 4:24 CFPB sues big banks over Zelle fraud issues 6:48 Southwest announces how new seating policy works 8:39 All of the credit card 5% bonus categories for Q1 10:00 Chase Freedom’s “big” 15th birthday celebration 12:00 Chase cuts Ink referral amounts and limits 13:46 Credit card “triple dip” opportunities 15:58 Hilton’s big devaluation & new variable pricing 17:42 Cool S - Our favorite travel from 2024 18:38 Our favorite flight from 2024 20:08 Favorite hotel(s) from 2024 21:38 Our favorite trips of 2024 Links AA flood - https://x.com/hustlebitch_/status/1869410368176771159?s=46 FTC Rules - https://milestomemories.com/ftc-bans-hidden-fees/ CFPB Zelle - https://dannydealguru.com/cfpb-sues-chase-bank-of-america-and-wells-fargo/ Southwest Seating - https://travel-on-points.com/southwest-seating-policy/ 5% Cats - https://travel-on-points.com/5-categories-for-first-quarter/ Chase referral cap - https://travel-on-points.com/chase-ink-referral-offers/ Triple dips - https://travel-on-points.com/bank-of-america-increased-offers/ https://travel-on-points.com/why-december-is-the-best-time-to-open-new-amex-cards/ Hilton Deval - https://travel-on-points.com/hilton-no-notice-devaluation/ 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description 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! Youtube Podcast 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! 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. Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License  

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description This week American Express released a new surprise perk for Business Platinum cardholders that is quite interesting. Starting now you can get a $200 annual credit for Hilton (broken up quarterly), so what is the best way to maximize this new perk. And does the new Amex Business Platinum Hilton credit mean something else will be going away?   In other news Alaska Airlines is getting ready to launch a premium card but is it really worth pursuing? We also discuss a new hotel travel trend, the longest train journey in the world, Hyatt's upcoming luxury hotels, how to save every month on YouTube TV and why spending $900 on a hotel is actually saving money.   Episode Guide 0:00 “Naked Flying” - The new viral travel trend 0:58 Waldorf NYC is more expensive than we thought 3:00 Another Boeing whistleblower - Using defective parts? 5:48 Hyatt opening 50 new luxury hotels in next few years 8:26 Amex Business Platinum adds surprising Hilton credit 10:50 Alaska Airlines premium credit card is coming 13:04 How booking a $900 hotel actually saved Mark money 15:44 How to save money every month on YouTube TV 18:00 Streaming deals, ad supported tiers and expensive programming 19:46 The longest train journey in the world Links Travel trend - https://www.timesnownews.com/travel/news/naked-flying-is-the-latest-travel-trend-going-viral-and-it-is-helping-people-save-a-lot-of-money-article-116366033 Boeing whistleblower - https://fortune.com/2024/12/09/boeing-whistleblower-sam-mohawk-broken-parts-airplane-safety-culture-737-max/ Hyatt luxury - https://travel-on-points.com/hyatt-luxury-hotel-expansion/ Amex Hilton credit - https://milestomemories.com/amex-business-platinum-new-200-hilton-credit/ Premium Alaska - https://milestomemories.com/alaska-airlines-launching-new-premium-card-in-2025/ Universal FHR - https://travel-on-points.com/universal-orlando-hotels-with-express-pass/ Save on YouTube TV - https://travel-on-points.com/save-money-on-youtube-tv/ Longest train - https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/rbycyb/the_new_longest_possible_train_journey_in_the/ 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn & Mark discuss their end of year strategies as they maximize credits and plan for 2025. Shawn takes the approach of procrastination while Mark does it a different way. The two also discuss their upcoming Spring Break planning including why the Bahamas can be good or bad plus why they both value returning to places vs. only visiting new. Episode Guide 0:00 End of year procrastination - What we are doing to close out our credits, cards, etc. 6:01 Spring Break dilemma - Return or visit new places 13:35 Debating Bahamas + Atlantis “hack” 20:27 When flight award booking strategies go wrong 28:42 Best card or programs for traveling to China Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed! Youtube Podcast 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.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know! 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. Music: Rewind by Jay Someday | https://soundcloud.com/jaysomeday Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License