Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe discuss Shawn’s recent trip to Nashville and all of the takeaways from his time spent there. They go over why there are so many brands these days and how consumers are changing. Plus will there be more changes to Hilton credit cards and how will they integrate all of their upcoming partnerships into the program? Joe also discusses his Spirit adventure and why Southwest may be finally moving away from their cattle call boarding. Episode...

Episode Description In this episode, Shawn and Grant discuss their experiences in the miles and points hobby. They talk about the evolution of the space, the changing credit card landscape, and strategies for maximizing rewards. They also touch on the importance of organization and tracking, especially when it comes to credit card offers and free night certificates. Finally they dive behind the scenes of upcoming trips, share their love of Scandinavia and discuss how cruise hacking has...

Episode Description In this episode of the Miles to Memories podcast, Shawn and Joe discuss their experiences recording on the road and share some travel hacks for setting up recording equipment in different environments. They also talk about their missed opportunity to see the solar eclipse and the impact of the eclipse on wildlife. The conversation then shifts to regional food chains like Bojangles and Waffle House, and the excitement of these chains expanding to new locations.   On...

Episode Description We discuss Shawn’s experience with the Wynn status match, Hilton buying the Nomad brand, increases in Global Entry fees and much more! Plus some quick deals to help you along your way. Episode Notes 0:00 - Eclipsing 7:05 - Wynn status match experience 12:07 - Joe booked a Spirit flight 28:04 - Nomad hotels are going under the Hilton brand (except Vegas) 31:50 - Global Entry and NEXUS costs increasing 38:13 - Quick deals Benjy’s Choice Hotels article Enjoying the...

Episode Description Joe’s back from an epic Disney trip, Shawn visits the Tropicana before it closes and a ton of credit card news in this week’s podcast. Plus, Joe considers booking Spirit and we discuss what’s going on with the blogosphere and Google’s negative SEO changes (negative for independent people, that is). Episode Notes 0:00 - Joe just got home and is Disneyed out 6:43 - Tropicana closing 10:01 - Booking Spirit Airlines 18:41 - Amex updates Delta card rules to minimize...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe dive into a lot of recent happenings in the travel and miles & points space. From hating on budget airlines to United's new pooling feature there is a lot happening in the airline space. Other topics discussed include: how the Timeshifter jetlag app works, why the Meta Smartglasses are worth a consideration for upcoming trips and how the Rio/Hyatt integration is working in reality.  Episode Notes 0:00 Rayban Meta Smartglasses (Amazon...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn discusses his recent family Spring Break trip to Lisbon and Paris. Learn about the flights and redemptions plus some of the cool things seen along the way. Family travel can be difficult, but it is so rewarding, even if it is squeezed into a tight timeframe. Shawn & Joe also discuss the power of returning places, where to stay at Disneyland Paris & how a drone show inspired the whole thing.   Episode Notes 3:38 One-way car rentals for...

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn is joined by MtM Contributor and MtM Diamond moderator Benjy Harmon. Shawn & Benjy dive deep into why you may want to rethink your hotel elite strategy, why Hyatt may be overrated and a cool little place you can visit on your next stop into DFW.

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn & Joe discuss trip planning including national parks, the insanity of summer demand and why you might want to visit during off-peak seasons. They also follow up on their jetlag discussion including a cool app to help you out, go into the details of two new “best ever” Marriott card offers plus discuss the recent category changes for Hyatt which saw many hotels increase in cost.  

Episode Description Joe recounts his trip to Taiwan, including Grand Hyatt Taipei, flying E-V-A Airlines in business class, highlights in Taipei, and eating at random bathroom tiled floor restaurants. How much money did the kids get in their red envelopes? Listen and find out! Episode Notes 0:00 - Joe just got home and is jet lagged 9:30 - Grand Hyatt Taipei (haunted?) 15:32 - EVA business class 28:05 - Exploring Taiwan 31:13 - Aloft Tainan 33:27 - Taipei highlights Enjoying the...

Episode Description On this episode Han Chicago joins Shawn to discuss his recent epic back to back First Class trips to Asia. Products discussed include the new Japan Airlines First Class, Korean Air First Class, Etihad's customer service, Singapore's foot well, a lofty Holiday Inn plus the redemptions along the way. Han also discusses avoiding the Park Hyatt Siem Reap plus his favorite parts of Angkor Wat and why you should visit now. He also discusses why Seoul is so underrated, visiting...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe discuss the Super Bowl in Las Vegas and what the experience is like seeing U2 at the Sphere. They also discuss tons of new card offers that have dropped in the past week including a fast track to the Southwest Companion Pass. Other topics include: Hyatt concierge frustration, losing Vendome, Chinese New Year & Joe’s upcoming trip to Taiwan. Episode Notes 0:00 - Las Vegas baby 16:44 - Shawn spring break updates and pivots, Hyatt...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe discuss the newly announced Epic Universe park in Orlando. This new theme park should be on everyone’s radar and we’ll tell you why. We also discuss the trap when returning things in a foreign currency, Shawn attempts to Vendome, Joe isn’t impressed with Trip It Pro and why Icon of the Seas will have to wait for next time. Episode Notes 1:54 - Joe’s no good very bad weekend 9:58 - TripIt Pro and Halfday 16:49 - Losing money on a return?? ...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn is joined by Mark Ostermann and Ian Snyder to discuss a recent set of events that could have proved tragic, but thankfully has a happy ending. Ian recently fell 1,000 feet during a difficult hike in Hawaii and spent 3 days waiting to be rescued. We discuss the story, his rescue and all of the lessons learned along the way with the laughter and fun you would expect! This is a crazy story you definitely want to hear.  Enjoying the podcast? Please...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn is joined by former MtM Contributor Ryan Smith to discuss his recent accomplishment of visiting every single country in the world. We'll discuss his journey as a writer in the miles and points space plus dive into his country collecting. Find out how his journey began, how he chose his last country and all of the amazing and challenging things along the way.  Episode Notes 0:00 Freelancing in this space & what it is like being a writer. 08:25...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe discuss the announced details of the new MGM/Marriott partnership. It is coming much later than expected (in fact we still don't have a date), but is it better than Hyatt's previous partnership and what sort of benefits will you get when staying? They also discuss some of Hyatt's quirks, Shawn's last minute Paris Spring Break trip and a checking account bonus that is lucrative and easy to grab.  Episode Notes 6:04 - MGM Bonvoy details...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe discuss how travel has changed over the years plus share some of their recent woes including double bookings and the Mexico award dilemma. They also discuss a big lawsuit against Google, United’s Adventure Week, some nice new airline portal bonuses and the fallout from Alaska’s scary MAX incident. Episode Notes 0:00 - Shawn’s jealous of Joe 4:20 - Check free cruise offers 6:24 - Old men yell at clouds 19:14 - More MAX problems, the...

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn and Joe welcome the new year with some discussions about celebrations around the world. They also discuss a new potential way you can move Amex Offers between cards plus Joe discusses his recent NYC trip including food and hotel recommendations. Episode Notes 0:00 - Dealing with end of year credits 4:16 - Visiting NYC 6:41 - Travel inspired by New Year’s Eve 16:53 - Don’t get scammed! 28:05 - Move AMEX offers around  30:32 - ...

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn is joined by PDX Deals Guy to discuss the end of year happenings in the miles & points space. They also discuss the brand new Ritz in Portland, Bilt's big changes and how we should look at them plus how a simple mattress run can go so wrong.  Episode Notes 0:00 - End of year insanity 6:00 - Update on Buyers Groups 11:45 - Mattress run gone horribly wrong 21:35 - Ritz Portland review - Stunning new property 29:50 - Bilt's...

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn and Joe discuss their naughty and nice lists for the miles & points space. They also debate the simplicity of 2% cashback, go over the Freedom Q1 bonus categories and discuss Bilt’s 16th transfer partner. Episode Notes 0:00 - Holiday talk and housekeeping/updates 10:11 - Hoarding 2% cashback cards 16:18 - New Bilt partner 21:35 - Q1 Chase Freedom categories 22:57 - Don’t sleep on Choice Hotels 25:20 - 2023 Naughty and Nice...

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn and Joe discuss some recent targeted Amex Offers for Marriott and Hilton cards that might just be the best we have seen. From big multipliers to free nights, Amex is really incentivizing cardholders to spend. We also discuss Chase’s strange new luxury travel portal, why you shouldn’t overlook Choice Hotels and all of the cool luxury properties that Hyatt and Marriott are opening in the next couple of years. Episode Notes 0:00 - Brief...

Episode Description On this episode of the podcast Shawn and Joe recap the latest Diamond meetup in Orlando. They also discuss Alaska’s huge announcement and acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines plus Joe chimes in on the Hyatt changes announced last week. Episode Notes 0:00 - MtM Diamond meetup recap and thoughts 7:50 - Hyatt changes 20:19 - Alaska buys Hawaiian 26:47 - Marriott/Celebrity 30:20 - Amex offers chat Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your...

Episode Description Disclosure: Hyatt invited me to their headquarters in Chicago to learn about this announcement. They provided my room, meals and flights, but did not dictate how this news is covered. On this episode Shawn discusses the big changes coming to the World of Hyatt program in 2024. He flew to Hyatt’s headquarters in Chicago to get all of the details and shares them here with you! Shawn and Joe also discuss positive IRS changes, de-briefing from Black Friday and more. Joe...

Episode Description On this episode Shawn and Joe discuss a recently announced devaluation by Southwest Airlines. As a revenue based program should they devalue their points? They also discuss some of the concerning changes with Amex, how you can earn thousands of bonus points with portal bonuses right now, some positive United changes and the points & travel rules we don’t mind following. Episode Notes 10:00 - Is AMEX devalued? 15:27 - Southwest devaluation 20:17 - United status...