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Episode Description

On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark discuss their recent weekend trips including more Hilton payment headaches for Mark and a last minute cert redemption at the JW Marriott Las Vegas for Shawn. How do these hotels measure up and is the JW Marriott in Vegas worth staying at even though it isn't on the Strip? We also dive more into the decline in front desk customer service and the art of complaining. Specifically when is it not worth pursuing a complaint and how can you maximize the system within the rules. We also discuss British Airways pulling a promo without any communication and the software hotels use to track you.

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:21 Burning a last minute Marriott cert
• 1:35 JW Marriott Las Vegas review - One of the best Vegas resorts?
• 6:47 The death of front desk hospitality
• 8:40 The downside of Marriott vs. Hyatt and vice-versa
• 14:19 Mark’s Hilton payment follies continue
• 21:39 The art of complaining, pushing limits & enjoying your life
• 27:52 British Airways pulls a popular promo without communication
• 32:05 Taking advantage of the rules they set & hotel software quirks

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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.

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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

• 0:00 A 737 airplane in a hotel room!
• 1:04 Horrifying Dominican Republic food poisoning story
• 3:08 Fancy hotels vs. street food when it comes to food poisoning
• 4:08 DCA airplane tragedy
• 6:30 United’s 100K Business card offer
• 8:57 IHG credit cards both have increased offers
• 10:48 Why you should avoid VPNs when applying for credit cards
• 12:33 Best practices for credit card apps & mistakes to avoid
• 14:18 Funding a Roth IRA with bank bonuses in 2025
• 16:19 JetBlue’s confusing new Premier credit card
• 18:20 Why you probably want to pass on JetBlue’s new card
• 19:55 Cool S - Sidewalks that generate electricity in Japan

Links

• 737 Hotel room - https://www.corendonhotels.com/corendon-amsterdam-new-west/nl/room/737-suite/
• https://x.com/somakazima/status/1884464176094929220?s=46
• Food poisoning DR - https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/mans-wife-son-die-by-food-poisoning-during-vacation-abroad/
• VPNs and credit apps - https://travel-on-points.com/credit-card-applications-using-a-vpn/
• Mark’s Bank bonus challenge - https://travel-on-points.com/fund-roth-ira-with-bank-bonuses/
• JetBlue premium card launch - https://milestomemories.com/jetblue-and-barclays-launch-new-premier-credit-card/
• Japan’s cool sidewalks - https://www.facebook.com/reel/3891368217857166
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXvH5-KhbO8

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!

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 and Mark are joined by Joe Cheung to discuss what is going on this week. They start with a discussion of the recently released JetBlue Premier card which has to be one of the most underwhelming new premium cards to come along ever. They also discuss Mark's trip to Minneapolis which included visits to the Ice Carnival and Mall of America plus why Joe is continuing to love slumming it with Spirit Airlines.

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Trashing JetBlue’s confusing new premium credit card
• 5:10 The golden age of lounges & why JetBlue’s offerings are catching up
• 10:30 Why we continue to fly Spirit Airlines when it makes sense
• 14:10 A crazy airplane story - Passengers suddenly deplaning for no reason
• 16:47 Mark’s Minneapolis Adventure - MOA, Hyatt Regency, Ice Carnival and more
• 19:40 Hyatt Regency Bloomington review & Ice Carnival
• 25:12 Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America - Is the mall dying?
• 33:03 Downtown Minnesota and other takeaways
• 37:30 No service on short flights - A modern conspiracy?

Subscribe to MTM Travel & 20 Minute Travel in the same feed!

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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

• 0:00 China’s crazy “Nail Houses”
• 0:53 Southwest adds Iceland Air as interline partner
• 2:12 How Southwest’s new partner is a huge change to the airline’s business model
• 2:52 Flying over 800MPH with the jetstream
• 4:00 Increased welcome offers on Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
• 5:27 Why the Bonvoy Bold no annual fee offer is probably the best
• 6:08 Amex Blue Business Plus 75K no lifetime language & how to check
• 7:50 Why you probably shouldn’t be afraid of bank issues 1099s
• 9:30 Hilton’s new timeshare offers - How to score an even better deal
• 10:45 Why do people still buy timeshares in 2025?
• 12:20 Alaska’s frustrating phantom award availability
• 14:08 Why Alaska’s tech issues with partners are a big problem for points transfers
• 16:19 Cool S - Japanese trains and quirky features
• 18:00 Japan train tips & what you should know

Links

• House inside highway - https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1882906853690204271
• Southwest/Iceland Air - https://milestomemories.com/southwest-airlines-and-icelandair-expand-interline-partnership/
• Jetstream flight - https://x.com/bbcweather/status/1882013275132477779?s=46
• Blue Business Plus 75K - https://travel-on-points.com/targeted-75k-blue-business-plus-cash-offer/
• Thoughts on 1099s - https://travel-on-points.com/what-to-do-with-referral-1099s/
• Hilton Timeshare deal - https://milestomemories.com/new-hilton-timeshare-offer-6/
• Alaska Phantom - https://travel-on-points.com/alaska-partner-booking-error/
• Japan trains - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgJBJa3whEc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ArK5grG7ZY

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!

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 Shawn's recent trip to Oahu which included stays at Disney's Aulani in a 2 bedroom villa and the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. We'll go over the hotels including who should and shouldn't stay at Aulani plus some of the issues Shawn ran into at the Hyatt Regency. We also discuss visiting the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, the Dole Plantation, plenty of snorkeling and everything else we did on this one week trip. All paid for with a little bartering and miles & points.

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Oahu trip review - Aulani, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, North Shore, Pearl Harbor and more
• 2:28 Flying United to Honolulu - TravelBank redemption
• 3:57 Bartering for our “free” trip to Aulani
• 6:10 Aulani room review - 2 bedroom villa - Is it dated?
• 8:25 Kids everywhere - Is that a dealbreaker for visiting Aulani?
• 11:44 The Disney of Aulani - Planning in advance
• 15:41 Bottom line on Aulani - Is it worth the price or should you go elsewhere?
• 19:56 Heading up to Oahu’s North Shore - Snorkeling, Turtle Bay, Surfing & Famous Filming locations
• 26:12 Visiting the Dole Plantation - Gardens, trains and more
• 27:40 Hyatt Regency Waikiki problems on arrival
• 32:18 Shawn’s terrible room at the Hyatt Regency & how they fixed it
• 34:57 Hyatt Regency Waikiki Ocean Front Suite
• 39:21 Visiting Pearl Harbor and bringing history to life for children
• 44:32 Final takeaways from this Oahu trip - What’s next?

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 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