• Juice up your earnings with QCGC. https://qcgc.io/?ref=mtmv1 (sponsored)
• MTM Detroit Meetup Tickets - https://mtm.zohobackstage.com/MTMTravelDetroit2026#/

Capital One is facing a lawsuit over canceled rewards, and Shawn and Mark get into the bigger problem with banks treating points like real currency when it helps them and funny money when it helps them. They also talk retention offers, when a card is not worth keeping even for free, and rank the major transferable points programs from worst to best.

What we cover:

• Capital One being sued over allegedly canceled rewards after account closures.
• Why earned points should come with stronger consumer protections.
• How to compare retention offers against referral offers, credits and annual fees.
• Why no-fee cards can still be worth checking for retention offers.
• The Business Platinum changes, Dell frustration and when a credit stops mattering.
• Shawn and Mark's rankings for Amex, Chase, Bilt, Citi, Capital One and Wells Fargo.
• Why Chase has slipped, Citi has become more useful and Bilt may have the most interesting upside.

Episode Guide:

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:21 Detroit event details and why in-person networking still matters
• 2:52 Capital One sued over canceled rewards
• 7:51 How to think about retention offers
• 11:16 No-fee cards can still have retention offers
• 13:25 Dell, Business Platinum credits and the breaking point
• 14:52 Ranking transferable points programs
• 16:15 Capital One vs Wells Fargo at the bottom
• 19:03 Bilt vs Citi and the middle of the rankings
• 19:45 Why Chase keeps slipping
• 23:07 Amex makes the case for number one
• 26:14 Mark's case for Bilt as the best program
• 29:15 Which programs are essential for most people?

Links:

• Free newsletter
• Join our free Facebook group
• Diamond Patreon
• Gold Membership
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Miles to Memories website
• Capital One lawsuit - https://mtmdiamond.slack.com/archives/C0ACC849Z3J/p1778758564025649
• Retention offers - https://milestomemories.com/american-express-business-platinum-retention-offer/

• Juice up your earnings with QCGC. https://qcgc.io/?ref=mtmv1 (sponsored)
• MTM Detroit Meetup Tickets - https://mtm.zohobackstage.com/MTMTravelDetroit2026#/

Capital One is facing a lawsuit over canceled rewards, and Shawn and Mark get into the bigger problem with banks treating points like real currency when it helps them and funny money when it helps them. They also talk retention offers, when a card is not worth keeping even for free, and rank the major transferable points programs from worst to best.

What we cover:

• Capital One being sued over allegedly canceled rewards after account closures.
• Why earned points should come with stronger consumer protections.
• How to compare retention offers against referral offers, credits and annual fees.
• Why no-fee cards can still be worth checking for retention offers.
• The Business Platinum changes, Dell frustration and when a credit stops mattering.
• Shawn and Mark's rankings for Amex, Chase, Bilt, Citi, Capital One and Wells Fargo.
• Why Chase has slipped, Citi has become more useful and Bilt may have the most interesting upside.

Episode Guide:

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:21 Detroit event details and why in-person networking still matters
• 2:52 Capital One sued over canceled rewards
• 7:51 How to think about retention offers
• 11:16 No-fee cards can still have retention offers
• 13:25 Dell, Business Platinum credits and the breaking point
• 14:52 Ranking transferable points programs
• 16:15 Capital One vs Wells Fargo at the bottom
• 19:03 Bilt vs Citi and the middle of the rankings
• 19:45 Why Chase keeps slipping
• 23:07 Amex makes the case for number one
• 26:14 Mark's case for Bilt as the best program
• 29:15 Which programs are essential for most people?

Links:

• Free newsletter
• Join our free Facebook group
• Diamond Patreon
• Gold Membership
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Miles to Memories website
• Capital One lawsuit - https://mtmdiamond.slack.com/archives/C0ACC849Z3J/p1778758564025649
• Retention offers - https://milestomemories.com/american-express-business-platinum-retention-offer/

MTM Travel - May 7, 2026

Chase has a massive new Sapphire Reserve offer, but the rest of the episode shows why the points world feels less predictable than it used to. Shawn and Mark break down Rakuten's strange but useful Bank of America and Bilt stack, Citi ending ThankYou point sharing, the refreshed AT&T Points Plus card and Chase's quietly weaker Points Boost values.

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 2:56 Rakuten, Bank of America and bonus Bilt points
• 7:51 Chase Sapphire Reserve hits 150K
• 12:34 Chase spending offers get easier to track
• 13:48 Citi ends ThankYou point sharing
• 16:43 AT&T Points Plus gets a real refresh
• 20:43 Chase Points Boost gets less predictable
• 25:37 Final thoughts on transferable points rankings

Topics Covered

• Rakuten is offering up to $300 back, or 30,000 Bilt points, when applying for select Bank of America cards.
• The Bank of America Travel Rewards card can stack its own offer with the Rakuten payout, making it a strong no-annual-fee play.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve now has a 150,000 point offer after $6,000 in spend in the first three months.
• Chase appears to be matching some recent Sapphire Reserve applicants to the new offer, with reported cutoff dates.
• Chase targeted spending offers are becoming easier to track after activation.
• Citi is ending ThankYou point sharing, removing a useful option for two-player households.
• The AT&T Points Plus card adds stronger AT&T discounts and keeps its no-annual-fee setup.
• Chase Points Boost remains useful in theory, but the changing rates make it harder to plan around.

Links

• Rakuten Bank of America bonuses - https://milestomemories.com/rakuten-offering-extra-bonus-for-bank-of-america-cards/
• Chase Sapphire Reserve 150K offer - https://milestomemories.com/is-chase-matching-the-sapphire-reserve-offer/
• Chase quarterly spending offer lookup - https://milestomemories.com/how-to-find-chase-spending-offer-details/
• Citi ending ThankYou point sharing - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi-ending-points-sharing-on-5-16/
• AT&T and Citi enhance Points Plus card - https://milestomemories.com/att-points-plus-world-mastercard-refresh/
• Chase The Edit 2.5 cent Points Boost - https://milestomemories.com/new-2-5x-points-boost-at-select-the-edit-hotels/

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Spirit Airlines is gone, and even travelers who avoided Spirit may feel it in their wallets. Shawn and Mark talk through the fallout for cheap flights, the JetBlue and Frontier merger mess, and why low-cost carriers have such a hard time making the model work in the U.S.

They also get into JetBlue's pricing lawsuit, data tracking worries, a robot that bought its own Southwest seat, and the cheap travel items that actually earn space in the bag. Yes, that includes Benji's forever stamp.

What we cover:

• Spirit Airlines disappearing and what it means for airfare
• Why JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit all ended up tied together in this story
• The difference between Ryanair, Allegiant and the U.S. low-cost model
• JetBlue's lawsuit over pricing, cookies and tracking claims
• Whether airline pricing algorithms and shared pricing data hurt consumers
• A robot flying Southwest with its own seat
• Cheap and free travel items worth packing, from plastic bags to backup headphones

Episode Guide:

• 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:20 - Spirit Airlines disappears
• 3:06 - The JetBlue and Frontier merger fallout
• 5:02 - Why U.S. low-cost carriers struggle
• 7:45 - What losing Spirit means for fares
• 10:38 - Low-cost carriers need a new plan
• 12:30 - JetBlue lawsuit and pricing tracking claims
• 15:47 - A robot gets its own Southwest seat
• 17:06 - Cheap and free travel items worth packing
• 21:00 - The travel gear we actually keep packed
• 24:10 - Freebies, bottle openers and fancy hotel pens

Track your travel credit cards for free
Free newsletter
Join our free Facebook group
Diamond Patreon - bonus shows + Slack community
Gold Membership
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Miles to Memories website

Episode Description

Hyatt used to be the easy button for a lot of points and miles travelers. Transfer Chase points, book Hyatt, chase Globalist and enjoy the perks. That strategy is getting harder to defend after Hyatt's five-tier award chart and another round of category changes.

In this episode Shawn and Mark talk through the real cost of Hyatt's latest moves, why Globalist status may not pencil out the way it used to, and how hotel loyalty strategy changes when no single program deserves all of your stays.

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:21 Hyatt's latest changes hit hard
• 3:23 The low-end value disappears
• 5:02 Hyatt grows up and shifts priorities
• 6:02 Is Globalist still worth chasing?
• 8:29 Why being a free agent makes more sense now
• 11:20 Goodbye to the category one gems
• 13:06 Chase points, free night certificates and Hyatt bright spots
• 15:31 Building a new hotel strategy beyond Hyatt
• 18:44 Breaking the Hyatt habit
• 20:25 Guest of Honor and milestone rewards
• 21:21 What other programs offer that Hyatt does not
• 23:28 The properties that really hurt

Links

• Travel Freely
• Miles to Memories
• MTM Travel on YouTube
• Hyatt Category Changes - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-reveals-hotel-category-changes-for-2026/
• Is Hyatt Status Worth It? https://milestomemories.com/is-hyatt-globalist-status-worth-it/
• Life After Hyatt - https://milestomemories.com/my-favorite-hotel-programs/

Travel Freely helps you organize your credit cards, annual fees, 5/24 status and travel rewards strategy. Sign-Up Now https://milestomemories.boardingarea.com/go/travel-freely-eop/

Episode Description

Travel is getting more expensive from every direction. Shawn and Mark talk through JAL and ANA's higher fuel surcharges, Aeroplan's upcoming award chart changes, Spirit's possible government-backed rescue and American Airlines' new portable charger rules.

They also discuss Google's new individual hotel price tracking tool and why it may be useful even when you are booking with points. Plus, Mark recaps his father-son Vegas trip with Connor, including Hoover Dam, Boulder City, a forgotten laptop scare and the redeye flight Connor never wants to repeat.

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:21 Mark's father-son Vegas trip and getting beyond the Strip
• 3:27 JAL and ANA fuel surcharges are going way up
• 8:43 Aeroplan award chart changes coming in June
• 11:28 Spirit bailout talk and the low-cost carrier problem
• 14:56 American Airlines' new portable charger rules
• 18:11 Google Hotels adds individual hotel price tracking
• 20:22 Mark's flights, forgotten laptop scare and redeye strategy

Links

• JAL/ANA fuel surcharge increases — https://milestomemories.com/jal-and-ana-to-double-fuel-surcharges/
• Aeroplan award chart changes — https://onemileatatime.com/news/aeroplan-updating-award-chart-devaluation/
• Spirit Airlines rescue talks — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/22/spirit-airlines-rescue-trump-administration.html
• American Airlines power bank rules — https://milestomemories.com/american-airlines-rules-for-portable-chargers/
• Google individual hotel price tracking — https://milestomemories.com/google-launches-individual-hotel-price-tracking/

Get $200 back after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/

Mark made nearly $6,000 from bank bonuses in 2025, American is giving away 100,000 miles, and Alaska is making a big move with Hawaiian's credit cards. We also break down a sneaky-good Hilton Amex offer, how annual fee refunds actually work, and whether Chase's new Edit Hotels redemption bump is worth your points.

What we cover:

• Mark's 2025 bank bonus haul and whether it was worth the hassle
• -American Airlines' 100,000-mile centennial sweepstakes
• -Alaska keeping the Hawaiian brand while moving cards to Bank of America
• -A targeted Hilton Amex offer that can stack into strong return
• -How annual fee refunds and downgrades work by bank
• -Chase Sapphire Reserve redemptions at Edit Hotels for 2.5 cents per point

Links:

• Free newsletter
• Track your travel credit cards for free with Travel Freely
• Miles to Memories Facebook group
• Diamond Patreon and Gold Membership
• MTM Travel podcast
• Miles to Memories website
• 
  Bank bonus results - https://milestomemories.com/bank-account-bonus-results/
• 2.5X Chase Edit - https://milestomemories.com/new-2-5x-points-boost-at-select-the-edit-hotels/
• Annual fee refund rules - https://milestomemories.com/credit-card-issuer-annual-fee-rules/
• Hilton Amex offer - https://milestomemories.com/amex-offers-for-bonus-hilton-points/
• Alaska cards - https://news.alaskaair.com/company/alaska-air-group-and-bank-of-america-expand-partnership/
• AA giveaway - https://aa100sweeps.com/

Episode Guide

• 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel
• 4:10 - Mark's $6,000 in bank bonuses
• 10:00 - American Airlines 100,000-mile sweepstakes
• 13:06 - Alaska keeps Hawaiian and shifts cards to Bank of America
• 17:01 - Targeted Hilton Amex offer math
• 19:37 - Annual fee refund rules by bank
• 21:53 - Chase Edit Hotels at 2.5 cents per point
• 26:15 - Best bank bonus ever? Let us know

Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

Get $200 back after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/

Higher award fees, less lounge access, and one pretty wild new way to sleep on a plane. In this episode of MTM Travel, Shawn and Mark talk through Air New Zealand's new SkyNest bunk beds, Virgin Atlantic's uglier award surcharges, American cutting more basic economy benefits, Spirit's possible liquidation, and United tightening access to Polaris lounges.

What we cover:

• Shawn's Minneapolis meetup recap and Hyatt Centric stay
• The Fairmont Bermuda / Accor points reimbursement follow-up
• Air New Zealand's SkyNest bunk beds and whether they beat business class for sleep
• Virgin Atlantic's higher award fees and why the value keeps slipping
• American removing more elite perks from basic economy
• Spirit's possible liquidation and what it could mean for fares
• United restricting Polaris lounge access for many Star Alliance partners

Links:

• Free newsletter
• Track your travel credit cards for free with Travel Freely
• Miles to Memories Facebook group
• Diamond Patreon and Gold Membership
• MTM Travel podcast
• Miles to Memories website
• Fairmont follow up - https://milestomemories.com/fairmont-hamilton-princess-billing-error/
• Skynest - https://milestomemories.com/air-new-zealand-skynest-economy-beds/
• Virgin hikes - https://milestomemories.com/virgin-atlantic-just-hiked-award-fees-again/
• AA basic economy changes - https://milestomemories.com/american-removes-elite-benefits-in-basic-economy/
• United Polaris access changes - https://milestomemories.com/united-restricts-polaris-lounge-access-for-star-alliance-partners/

Episode Guide

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 4:54 Fairmont Bermuda and the Accor points refund mess
• 8:47 Air New Zealand's SkyNest bunk beds
• 13:30 Virgin Atlantic award fees jump again
• 16:59 Using Virgin points for AMC popcorn and drinks
• 18:46 American removes more basic economy elite perks
• 20:04 Spirit may liquidate and fares could get worse
• 23:04 United restricts Polaris lounge access for partner flyers

What do you think about Air New Zealand's bunk-bed idea? Would you pay extra for four hours of real sleep, or would you still rather have a traditional business class seat?

Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.