Podcasts about Hyatt

Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Is the golden age of points and miles ending—or is it simply evolving? This week, Ed is joined by Summer Hull and Julian Kheel to break down Chase's controversial decision to reduce Hyatt transfer ratios for Sapphire Preferred cardholders while maintaining the existing ratio for Sapphire Reserve members. The discussion goes beyond the headline change and explores what it means for the future of transferable points, premium credit cards, and loyalty programs. Is this a one-off adjustment, or the start of a broader trend where transfer ratios vary depending on which card you carry? The team also revisits Bilt 2.0 several months after launch, discussing which features have worked better in practice than they initially expected and how members are adapting to the new ecosystem. Finally, they tackle a question that has been debated for more than a decade: Are we witnessing the end of the golden era of points and miles, or just another chapter in its evolution? Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️  What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Chase changes Hyatt transfer ratios • Sapphire Preferred vs Sapphire Reserve differences • Why the change matters beyond Hyatt • Who is most affected by the new structure ✈️ Is Chase or Hyatt driving the change? • Theories behind the new transfer ratio • What Bilt may tell us in the future • Why everyone is watching closely ✈️ The future of transferable points • Could other partners see different transfer ratios? • Premium card differentiation • Why simplicity may be disappearing ✈️ Is the Sapphire Preferred still worth it? • Who benefits most from the changes • Annual fee considerations • Comparing Preferred and Reserve value ✈️ Bilt 2.0 several months later • Features that proved easier than expected • Mortgage and rent payment experiences • Real-world use of Bilt Cash ✈️ Managing Bilt Cash balances • Rollover limitations • End-of-year planning strategies • Potential redemption opportunities ✈️ Points Path updates • New flexible alerts coming soon • Award repricing opportunities • Benefits available to Slack members ✈️ Is the golden age of points and miles over? • Why this debate never goes away • How loyalty programs continue evolving • Where travelers can still find value   ⏱️ Episode 441 Timestamps  ⏱️ Episode 441 Timestamps 4:02 – Chase changes Hyatt transfer ratios 7:15 – Who wins and loses from the Sapphire Preferred changes? 10:09 – Is Chase or Hyatt responsible for the new transfer ratio? 16:08 – Are hotel transfers still worth it? 20:50 – Will more transfer partners be affected next? 25:00 – Bilt 2.0: what works better than expected? 29:52 – Planning around Bilt Cash expiration rules 31:27 – Points Path updates and new flexible alerts 33:37 – Is the golden age of points and miles ending? 35:48 – Why premium credit cards keep getting more expensive              

Get 50% off Cardpointers+ - Track cards, automatically load Chase & Amex Offers + a lot more. Lock-in lifetime membership at half off. (affiliate) https://milestomemories.com/go/cardpointers/ Mark is back from Colombia, and this one's a full Cartagena trip report. He breaks down two nights at the Hyatt Regency Cartagena (a Category 3 gem on points) and three nights at the Dreams Karibana all-inclusive — including the food wins, the brutal heat, the black-sand "beachfront," island day clubs, a killer rooftop bar with a live saxophonist, and the $650 check-in mistake that has one Globalist swearing off Hyatt for good. Plus Shawn answers the Grand Hyatt Athens critics, American Airlines finally drops aircraft trading cards, and Choice Privileges quietly guts its Japan award chart (Tokyo and Osaka properties jumping from 8K to 20K+ points). Is Cartagena worth it? Watch and let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 - Welcome to MTM Travel 0:25 - Grand Hyatt Athens: The Fallout 3:47 - American Airlines Trading Cards 5:30 - Choice Privileges Guts Japan 8:14 - CardPointers: 50% Off (Sponsor) 9:26 - Hyatt Regency Cartagena: Check-In & Rooms 11:06 - The Beach Reality & Island Day Trips 12:42 - Exploring the Walled City 13:44 - Umbrella Alleys & a Rooftop Bar with Live Sax 15:41 - Pools, Cheap Eats & Is Cartagena Worth It? 17:16 - Dreams Karibana All-Inclusive: The Food 18:31 - Friendly Staff & Entertainment 20:05 - A $650 Check-In Surprise 22:28 - Hyatt's Antiquated System & Did They Make It Right? 26:21 - Pro Tip: The Cancellation-Window Trick 27:57 - The VIP Lounge: Premium Booze & AC Escape 29:49 - Sharing Lounge Access + Italian Dress Code Drama 33:01 - Resort Condition: A Faded Old Conrad 35:31 - Final Verdict & Wrap-Up ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free

We share a quick life update and explain why we are taking a four to six week break so we can reset and come back stronger. Then we dig into the latest Chase and Hyatt changes, run our midyear points and cash back totals, and share how we finally locked in business class seats for our upcoming London and Scotland trip. • announcing a short podcast hiatus and the reasons behind it • plans to set up a guest scheduling system for future episodes • reacting to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Hyatt transfer cut to 4:3 • what the change means for Hyatt fans and award booking value • why Chase is pushing elevated offers after recent nerfs • midyear recap of cards opened and total points earned so far • cash back strategy including bank account bonuses and tracking • frustrations with US Bank central billing and bonus timing • warning story about Chime and why we are waiting on a resolution • booking last-minute business class to London using American Airlines miles • focusing more on family travel stories alongside points and miles If by chance no one in your family has a Chase Ink business card and you would like to get one, please use our links above.

In this episode, I'm recapping our family of five's first all-inclusive trip to the Dominican Republic and our stay at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. I'm sharing why we booked it, how we used points, and whether this popular resort lived up to the hype. I'll walk through the rooms, pools, beach, food, activities, water park, Scape Park excursion, nightly shows, and all the little details you'll want to know before booking. Spoiler alert: we may not be cruise people, but we are officially all-inclusive people!If you'd like to share about your trip on the podcast, email me at: kelsey@triptalespodcast.comBuy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/kelseygravesFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey_gravesFollow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mskelseygravesJoin us in the Trip Tales Podcast Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1323687329158879Mentioned in this episode:- Hotel Room Upgrade Guide: https://kelsey-graves.kit.com/e1c6074077- Packable Hammock Floats: https://amzlink.to/az0SlaCwsUzUA- Hyatt Ziva Cancun- How to book Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana on points- Room we originally booked: Junior Double Suite with a Sofa Bed- Southwest Airlines- Dominican Republic E-Ticket- ChatGPT Packing Lists- TSA Precheck Touchless ID- DAT Transfer- Favorite Restaurants: Tempest Table, El Mercado, Coffee Republic, Noodle & Thread, Prontoz, Journey's- Scape ParkTrip Tales is a travel podcast sharing real vacation stories and trip itineraries for family travel, couples getaways, cruises, and all-inclusive resorts. Popular episodes feature destinations like Marco Island Florida, Costa Rica with kids, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Aulani in Hawaii, Beaches Turks & Caicos, Park City ski trips, Aruba, Italy, Ireland, Portugal's Azores, New York City, Alaska cruises, and U.S. National Parks. Listeners get real travel tips, itinerary recommendations, hotel reviews, restaurant recommendations, and inspiration for planning their next vacation, especially when traveling with kids.

In today's podcast episode, we'll talk about how the New Sapphire Preferred® card wows, but the new Chase to Hyatt transfer rate breaks our hearts. Giant Mailbag(01:18) - Read more about stacking Chase Instacart deals here or learning to love Instacart credits here(04:33) - Elliot talks about getting into the Instacart game(05:58) - Christine found a great Instacart stackCrazy Thing(07:47) - IHG Targeted offer: 0K points every 0 nightsBonvoyed(08:53) - Wells Fargo ends point sharing (Sep 25)Read more about Wells Fargo changes here(12:30) - Greg rants about points brokersAwards, Points, and More(18:28) - United Pooling apparently now allows partner awards(20:22) - Alaska Airlines CFO hints at BOA point transfers(23:31) - Gondola: flight autosave(27:49) - Learn more about the Chase / Paze Promo hereMain Event(35:15) - Transfer ratio to Hyatt dropping to 4:3 (except for Sapphire Reserve® cards)Read more about this change in Hyatt transfer ratio here(52:50) - Is there any upside?(54:45) - Possible to-dos (if you care about Hyatt 1-1 transfers)Find our "Which Premium Cards are Keepers?" resource hereLearn more about Hyatt milestone spending here(1:08:02) - Learn more about the refreshed Sapphire Preferred® card here(01:09:53) - Lots of good stuff (effective 6/15)(01:15:42) - And some bad stuff (effective 10/1 for pre 6/15 cardholders)Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Frequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

Episode 176 of the Award Travel 101 podcast kicked off with a fun discussion inspired by a member's post asking which region of Europe or Northern Africa listeners would choose for an all-expenses-paid two-week vacation. The conversation highlighted how differently travelers prioritize destinations, with Angie favoring the expensive countries of Scotland, Norway, Finland, and Estonia, while Cameron debated between the broader sightseeing opportunities in Southern Europe and the appeal of Switzerland. The hosts also covered several points-and-miles news items, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve 150,000-point offer nearing its end, elevated welcome bonuses on Delta Amex cards, Citi's closure of new applications for the Custom Cash card, and changes to Air Tahiti Nui award pricing that have made once-predictable redemptions far more expensive.The hosts shared their latest points-and-miles wins and travel updates as well. Angie celebrated completing a Wells Fargo business card bonus, but now faces the challenge of meeting the hefty spending requirements on two Amex Business Platinum cards before her pool project expenses are finished. Meanwhile, Cameron successfully secured a United Business card despite being over 5/24, booked a Wyndham stay for an Auburn football game by purchasing points at a steep discount, and used a Citi Strata Elite credit toward a Blacklane transfer in Athens. Upcoming trips to Morocco, Ireland, and Turkey were also discussed, along with the ongoing balancing act of maximizing points while minimizing cash expenses.The main topic challenged the hosts to answer a simple question: where would they go with 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for two people, assuming a minimum two-night trip and a $1,000 cash budget for taxes and extras. Their examples showcased a wide variety of possibilities, including four nights in London using Virgin Atlantic and Hyatt points, a luxury San Diego getaway combining United flights with The Edit hotel credits, a Miami beach vacation with JetBlue and IHG, a Puerto Rico escape using Southwest and Hyatt points, a Morocco adventure built around Iberia award flights, and even a budget-friendly Orlando trip. The episode demonstrated that 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points can still unlock meaningful travel experiences when paired strategically with transfer partners and card benefits. The tip of the week reminded travelers to update their digital wallets before departure and ensure lounge access cards, National Park passes, and other travel essentials are easily accessible when needed.Episode Links:Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus ending soonCiti Custom Cash closedDelta cards elevated offersAir Tahiti Nui- American now dynamicWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Get your free travel insurance quote with Faye! https://milestomemories.com/go/faye-travel-insurance/ Chase just refreshed the Sapphire Preferred and buried a bombshell in the fine print. On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn and Mark break down everything Chase changed: the $95 fee stays, you get new 3X categories on gas, EV charging and vacation rentals, plus a doubled $100 hotel credit. The catch? The Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred lose 1:1 Hyatt transfers and drop to 4:3 on October 1. We cover whether the refresh is still worth it, why the $795 Reserve is now the only way to keep 1:1 Hyatt, why Bilt just won, and what you should actually do before the changes hit Monday. Mark's full breakdown is linked below. Let us know where Chase ranks in your points lineup now. Episode Guide: 0:00 – Chase drops a Hyatt bombshell 0:22 – Shawn in Casablanca + airport travel tips 3:33 – Inside the new Sapphire Preferred (and the 4:3 Hyatt cut) 6:35 – Bonus categories & why Chase is devaluing points 8:40 – The $795 Reserve push, Mark's article & the Oct 1 timeline 12:27 – Will this finally hurt Hyatt? 16:18 – Chase's fault or Hyatt's? Plus why Bilt won 19:44 – Shawn's points strategy going forward 22:48 – Mourning the old Hyatt & should you apply before Monday? ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free

The World's Largest Loyalty Programs™ research report from Let's Talk Loyalty is now available.Download it by subscribing to our newsletter on the World's Largest Loyalty Programs™ now.---------------Laurie Blair, SVP of Global Marketing & Loyalty at Hyatt, joins us today to unpack how Hyatt is redefining loyalty through its purpose of care. From “Empathy + Action = Care” to AI-driven personalization, strategic partnerships, and transparent reward design, Lloyd reveals how World of Hyatt continues to outpace expectations in hospitality loyalty. This episode explores how emotional connection, not just points, is shaping the future of loyalty.Hosted by Bridget Blaise – ShamaiShow Notes:1) Laurie Blair2) Hyatt3) Unreasonable Hospitality.

What happens when an organization says all the right things about culture, puts the values on the wall, launches the initiative, and nothing actually moves? Carlee Wolfe has spent more than two decades inside that gap, and her answers will challenge how you lead. Carlee Wolfe is Associate Vice President of Leader Development and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt Hotels, where her work sits at the intersection of global leadership, talent strategy, and culture. Her perspective is shaped not only by the boardroom but by two decades of coaching volleyball and volunteering with the Olympic and Paralympic movement, including adaptive sports. In this episode, we explore: Why the moments before and after a big transformation matter more than the launch itself, and how leaders ride the wave ahead of their teams What organizations consistently get wrong about high performance, and why doing your job well makes you a great performer, not an underperformer Why belonging does not mean comfort, and what happens when belonging becomes a brand promise with no actions, policies, or behaviors behind it How community functions as real organizational capacity, from shared learning in the age of AI to carrying the weight together Why burnout never wins for anyone, and how to lead for sustainable output instead of endless hours Timestamps (estimates, confirm against final edit) 00:00 Cold open: when culture initiatives do not move culture 01:10 Welcome and what this show is about 01:52 Meet Carlee Wolfe 03:05 Carlee joins the conversation 03:55 The arc of transformation: leading the before and after of big moments 07:00 What organizations misunderstand about high performance 10:55 Doing your job well makes you a great performer 11:05 Silicon Valley, global work cultures, and the overwork trap 12:40 Output over hours: burnout, capacity, and decision quality 16:30 Belonging does not mean comfort 20:50 Trust is built when actions match the words on the wall 21:30 Community as capacity: carrying the weight together 24:55 The bar you can raise alone versus the bar you can raise with others 27:55 Where to find Carlee 28:25 Join the Difference Makers on Patreon Connect with Carlee Find Carlee Wolfe at: LinkedIn (search Carlee Wolfe) and https://www.aceandarrowconsulting.com Connect with us Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources. Join the Difference Makers community for the exclusive conversation with Carlee: patreon.com/aworldofdifference Connect with Lori: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriadamsbrown and https://loriadamsbrown.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when an organization says all the right things about culture, puts the values on the wall, launches the initiative, and nothing actually moves? Carlee Wolfe has spent more than two decades inside that gap, and her answers will challenge how you lead. Carlee Wolfe is Associate Vice President of Leader Development and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt Hotels, where her work sits at the intersection of global leadership, talent strategy, and culture. Her perspective is shaped not only by the boardroom but by two decades of coaching volleyball and volunteering with the Olympic and Paralympic movement, including adaptive sports. In this episode, we explore: Why the moments before and after a big transformation matter more than the launch itself, and how leaders ride the wave ahead of their teams What organizations consistently get wrong about high performance, and why doing your job well makes you a great performer, not an underperformer Why belonging does not mean comfort, and what happens when belonging becomes a brand promise with no actions, policies, or behaviors behind it How community functions as real organizational capacity, from shared learning in the age of AI to carrying the weight together Why burnout never wins for anyone, and how to lead for sustainable output instead of endless hours Timestamps (estimates, confirm against final edit) 00:00 Cold open: when culture initiatives do not move culture 01:10 Welcome and what this show is about 01:52 Meet Carlee Wolfe 03:05 Carlee joins the conversation 03:55 The arc of transformation: leading the before and after of big moments 07:00 What organizations misunderstand about high performance 10:55 Doing your job well makes you a great performer 11:05 Silicon Valley, global work cultures, and the overwork trap 12:40 Output over hours: burnout, capacity, and decision quality 16:30 Belonging does not mean comfort 20:50 Trust is built when actions match the words on the wall 21:30 Community as capacity: carrying the weight together 24:55 The bar you can raise alone versus the bar you can raise with others 27:55 Where to find Carlee 28:25 Join the Difference Makers on Patreon Connect with Carlee Find Carlee Wolfe at: LinkedIn (search Carlee Wolfe) and https://www.aceandarrowconsulting.com Connect with us Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources. Join the Difference Makers community for the exclusive conversation with Carlee: patreon.com/aworldofdifference Connect with Lori: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriadamsbrown and https://loriadamsbrown.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get your free travel insurance quote with Faye! https://milestomemories.com/go/faye-travel-insurance/ American Airlines is quietly blocking last-minute partner award space, Alaska is raising its partner and phone booking fees on July 1, and Shawn just had a really bad "five-star" stay at the Grand Hyatt Athens. On this episode of MTM Travel, Shawn and Mark break down the AA award change and who it actually hurts, the Alaska fee increases and how the Summit card can offset them, and a brutal play-by-play of a Hyatt stay gone wrong — slow undersized elevators, road-noise "motel" rooms, burned eggs, no elite recognition, and a manager who hid in the back — all against a flawless stay at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona. Plus why lounges are cracking down on taking food and drinks, the role of private-equity cost-cutting, and how Hyatt only displays its good TripAdvisor reviews. Let us know your own Hyatt experiences down below, and we'll be back Thursday with more travel news. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:19 – Welcome back: Barcelona vs. Colombia (and the "Barthelona" debate) 1:33 – American Airlines blocks last-minute partner award space 5:30 – Alaska raises partner & phone booking fees (July 1) 8:40 – The decline of Hyatt 9:17 – Grand Hyatt Athens: a "five-star" disaster 15:21 – Hyatt Regency Barcelona done right 18:46 – Hyatt's rapid expansion & all-inclusive slide 21:00 – Every problem is a chance to win (or lose) a customer 25:35 – Why can't you take food and drinks from the lounge anymore? 28:18 – Hyatt only shows its good TripAdvisor reviews 30:09 – Final thoughts & what's coming Thursday ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free

Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC's DMCsFlytographer - Earn commission on professional vacation photographyCozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE at checkoutKatie Ferrari, Regional VP of Global Sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, breaks down how preferred partnerships work behind the scenes and why they're about far more than just extra perks. You'll learn how programs like Hyatt Privé help advisors create more personalized client experiences, strengthen direct hotel relationships, and advocate for travelers more effectively from booking to check-out. Katie also explains when it makes sense to book through a preferred partner versus a wholesaler or DMC, how loyalty programs and advisor benefits work, and why the best advisors know how to use relationships, not just rates, to elevate a trip.About Katie Ferrari:Katie Ferrari is the Regional Vice President of Global Sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where she leads sales teams across the Americas and oversees key relationships within Hyatt's luxury, lifestyle, and leisure segments. A passionate hospitality leader, she is dedicated to building meaningful connections, mentoring others, and advancing colleague resource groups across the organization. Before joining Hyatt's global sales team, Katie held leadership roles at Park Hyatt Washington and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two daughters, and a rotating crew of foster kittens, and enjoys tennis, live entertainment, and travel.linkedin.com/in/katieferrariLearn more about Hyatt's Travel Professional Loyalty program and advisor benefits here: hyatt.com/events/en-US/groups/travel-professional-loyaltyNeed help connecting your IATA number to your World of Hyatt account? Watch Hyatt's quick setup tutorial: World-of-Hyatt-Advisor-Planner-Profile-Setup-60s-1080p-EN.mp4Today we will cover:(03:00) What a preferred partnership means(08:40) Hyatt Privé vs. consortia bookings: what's the difference?(10:15) How advisors market preferred partnerships to clients(19:30) Advisor loyalty perks, qualifying tier nights, and client points(27:30) Who advisors should contact at hotels and why relationships matter(32:00) The future of advisor relationshipsFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Send us Fan MailWelcome to this episode of ‘For the Love of Chiropractic'. On this episode I got to sit down and speak with a man I have known and deeply respected for many years, Mr. Paul Weber, of the law firm Hyatt and Weber. Paul has prevailed for clients at local, state and federal trial and appellate court levels, as well as in arbitration and mediation forums. He has secured wins in numerous complex civil litigation cases, including a coverage dispute between two insurance companies involving a claim in excess of $70 million; complex million-dollar medical malpractice suits; and a high-profile coverage and liability action brought by a concert attendee who was severely injured when a fan dove into the audience from the venue's stage.Clients praise Paul for his hands-on service approach. He evaluates the merits of each case, discusses all available options, and stays engaged at every stage of the process – whether pursuing resolution through out-of-court negotiation or at trial. Drawing on his experience representing plaintiffs in personal injury and medical malpractice litigation, Paul frequently counsels medical professionals and businesses on litigation avoidance and insurance coverage strategies. He regularly presents seminars to chiropractors and offers practical, frank advice on ways to implement best-practice tactics designed to mitigate risk.I hope you enjoy my conversation with my dear friend and guest,  Mr. Paul Weber.

How has SAS Eurobonus award availability been in the months since the Million Mile Madness challenge? What's the single best card for your "player two"? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on June 3rd, 2026.(00:38) - How many backup flights do you have booked at any one time, and how many fees does that incur? (04:43) - Has Greg tried/considered applying for a Discover card as a way to get “in” with Capital One since he has been unable to get approved for Capital One cards in the past? (06:05) - ​How has SAS Eurobonus award availability been in the months since the Million Mile Madness challenge? Any regrets? Learn more about the Million Mile Madness challenge here.(09:15) - ​​Given all the hotel devaluations which now includes Hyatt, which hotel points would you recommend accumulating? Seems every chain wants lots of points for a room. Learn about the decreased Hilton point value here(16:01) - What's a single best card for "P2" (player two)? (23:24) - Should Chase Rapid Reward credit card holders EVER book something above Choice fares if you don't care about the multiplier? (26:11) - How do you redeem Bilt cash for grub hub, walgreens and the $25 dining? (32:47) - Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card annual fee just posted today but still haven't received the free night certificate. I was planning to downgrade to surpass, when can I expect it, if it takes more than 30 days will I still get annual fee refund? (34:36) - ​​I want to fly Cathay Pacific First Class between Chicago and Hong Kong, either way or both works. I'm extremely flexible and can probably come up with enough points in any currency. How do I find it? Find our "Which award search tool is best?" resource here(36:57) - ​I'm applying for my first mortgage soon. While my credit score is fine, I'm a bit worried about having to explain my long laundry list of credit card accounts thanks to this crazy hobby. Should I be? (41:24) - ​​So what are your favorite choices for virtually undiscovered islands similar to Koh Kood that lack the crowds but still have things to do (50:38) - What airline programs should be avoided due to poor customer service? I try to book when flights come out, which means there are often schedule changes that can be a problem/opportunity.Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “swappin' back n' forth” by up @ night Mentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

In today's episode, Greg shares the story of how Citi shut down his accounts and what's next for him. (What will he do without his beloved Prestige card?) Read more about Greg's situation with Cit here.Giant Mailbag(01:06) - Russel discusses how Barclays American Airlines card is not a way back to Citi(02:57) - Flyguy talks about also being shutdown by Citi for paying the bill from multiple checking accounts in a single cycleBonvoyed(04:53) - American Airlines blocking close-in domestic award availability to partners here(07:58) - Alaska Airlines: Increased partner award fees & no points or status points on saver fares here(13:36) - What are Hilton points worth? Find out here(21:00) - Hyatt reasonable redemption value previewAwards, Points, and More(23:26) - Vacations by Marriott here(28:42) - World of Hyatt to launch early access bookings for elites and cardholders June 30th.(30:01) - Credit card referral offers(32:53) - Learning to love Instacart credits hereMain Event: Life after Citi(37:25) - Greg's shutdown storyRead more about Greg's situation with Cit here(52:12) - There was a brief window to transfer points(58:40) - Globe Card (from Aviator Silver) opened shortly after shutdown(1:03:41) - What's lost and what to do about it(1:07:51) - Citi's unique transfer partners(1:11:42) - AA status: Will pursue AK status instead(1:14:38) - Priority Pass restaurants: US Bank Altitude Connect(1:16:58) - Grocery(1:23:44) - DiningSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Frequent Miler Beginner's Guidehttps://frequentmiler.com/start-here/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality   This week opens at LE Miami — which Scott describes less like a travel conference and more like Coachella for hotel nerds — before the guys dive into the real industry tension underneath the party. Hyatt tells investors to stop counting rooms and start counting fees, arguing that “empty calorie” growth is the wrong metric. But the panel digs into the contradiction: the premium story is Park Hyatt, Andaz, Thompson, and Alila — while the actual growth engine may be Essentials, all-inclusives, and credit card economics. Translation: hotel companies are increasingly distribution platforms, loyalty machines, and maybe even banks. Then Hilton's Undergraduate by Hilton gets a second look. The name still gets roasted, but the strategy starts to make sense: college towns are wildly underserved, Graduate doesn't pencil everywhere, and tired select-service boxes are begging for conversion. The question is whether this is lifestyle innovation — or just another brand solving an owner pipeline problem. The guys also react to Sonder co-founder Francis Davidson's new AI travel startup, Odessia, and debate whether dedicated AI travel agents can win when ChatGPT and Claude already own so much user context. That leads into a bigger conversation about trust, human travel advisors, preference passports, and why overwhelmed travelers may want fewer options — not more. Finally, Minor Hotels makes the case for “asset-right” hospitality, arguing that brands need more skin in the game if they want owner trust. The crew closes with DMs, celebrity hotel speculation, World Cup demand anxiety, and Ben teasing a possible conversion-brand play of his own. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you're an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance   Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro & L.E/Miami Recap 05:52 — Hyatt's New Growth Strategy 16:35 — Hilton's Undergraduate Brand Bet 24:25 — Sonder's Founder Is Back: Odessia and AI Travel Planning 33:35 — The Human Concierge Is Making a Comeback 50:00 — What's In Your DMs? 59:25 — Spice of the Week   Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/   Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/   Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In this episode, Mike is joined by former moderator Jackie and her P2 Brent to discuss one of the most creative uses of points and miles you'll hear about — the Mother's Ruin Challenge, a single-day bar crawl across four cities (New York, Chicago, Nashville, and Charleston) all completed to earn free drinks for life. Jackie and Brent break down the logistics, the planning, and how points and miles made the whole thing possible — turning what would have been an outrageously expensive last-minute multi-city trip into something totally doable.Two news items worth knowing: American Airlines appears to be cutting off partner programs like British Airways and Alaska from booking last-minute saver awards within 144 hours of departure, while those same seats remain available through AA's own miles program. On the brighter side, Hyatt is rolling out Advance Booking Access starting June 30, 2026, giving Explorist, Globalist, and Lifetime Globalist members a 13-month award booking window — a full month ahead of everyone else.The episode closes with a spotlight on Chicago Seminars (November 6–8 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago O'Hare), a weekend gathering of roughly 500 points-and-miles enthusiasts featuring sessions ranging from beginner to advanced, manufactured spending discussions, and networking — plus a philanthropic component benefiting select charities. The overarching theme of the episode: points and miles aren't just about saving money, they're about lowering the barrier between "that would be cool" and "I'm actually doing it."Links to Topics DiscussedAmerican Airlines blocking last minute partner awardsHyatt Advance Booking Window for elitesChicago SeminarsWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Save big on Vegas with Las Vegas Advisor — get 10% off a membership with code MTM (new members, affiliate): lasvegasadvisor.com I went on vacation and they sold Las Vegas. Live from Montenegro this week because the news would not wait — both of the Strip's biggest operators are heading toward going private. Barry Diller's People Inc. (the former IAC) has put a non-binding, all-cash offer on the table to buy the 73.9% of MGM Resorts it doesn't already own at $48.30/share — an ~$18 billion deal — and take the company private. Pair that with the Caesars / Fertitta Entertainment take-private we covered last week, and Las Vegas may be entering a brand-new era owned by the billionaire class instead of Wall Street. Is that good or bad for the guest experience? I make the case. Plus: the Cromwell has officially reopened as the Vanderpump Hotel (new lampshades, the Gigolo cocktail garden, and why it's still the best Caesars property to base yourself at), the Rio's new $27 buffet that's drawing comparisons to a highway motel breakfast, and a little Star Trek: The Experience nostalgia. Episode Guide: 0:00 They sold Vegas while I was gone (live from Montenegro) 0:25 Cromwell is officially the Vanderpump Hotel 1:44 Inside Vanderpump: the Gigolo bar & saved Cromwell chairs 2:50 Best Caesars property to base at — comps, parking, rates 3:30 The "headless man" at Park MGM 3:47 Star Trek: The Experience & the onion ring tower mystery 4:31 Rio's new buffet: the Hyatt Globalist breakfast backstory 5:24 $27 for THIS? Rio vs. the Carnival World Buffet 6:46 Hyatt keeps letting standards slip 7:08 The big one: two Strip giants going private 7:42 Barry Diller's People Inc. bids $48.30/share for MGM 8:50 Hornbuckle stays — what the deal needs to close 9:44 Why Diller wants MGM 10:28 Big picture: the billionaire era of the Strip 12:16 "Best thing to happen to Vegas"? The guest-experience case 13:29 Wall Street, Macau & MGM's crown-jewel assets 14:34 A new era for Vegas — could the land come back? Want more MTM Vegas? Get our exclusive weekly aftershow and join the community.

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg revisits his "Poking the Bear" article and argues that the industry may be underestimating what happens if Zillow is pushed into becoming a direct competitor. Using a Nike-versus-Hyatt branding analogy, Greg and Rob debate whether a Zillow brokerage, franchise, or even MLS would be a nightmare scenario or simply the next stage of competition. The conversation expands into a broader discussion about MLS infrastructure, IDX, cooperation, listing distribution, and whether the industry is protecting outdated systems at the expense of innovation. Rob argues that the industry's real asset is cooperation, not marketing, while Greg contends that blowing up existing systems creates more risk than reward. The result is one of the podcast's most philosophical debates about competition, infrastructure, and the future of real estate. Key Takeaways Greg explains the premise of his "Poking the Bear" article and why he believes the industry should be careful about forcing Zillow into a more direct competitive role. The hosts discuss whether a national Zillow brokerage or franchise would be a serious threat to existing brokerages and brands. Rob argues that direct competition is preferable to the current situation because brokerages know how to compete against other brokerages, franchises, and MLSs. Greg questions whether Compass's evolution into a larger conglomerate could create opportunities for boutique and independent brokerage models. The discussion shifts to MLS infrastructure, with Rob arguing that cooperation—not marketing—is the true value proposition of the MLS system. Rob and Greg debate whether IDX remains relevant in its current form and whether it should become an opt-in rather than opt-out system. The hosts explore the difference between cooperation data and marketing data, and whether those functions should be separated moving forward. Greg argues that unrestricted competition could create unintended consequences, while Rob maintains that open competition ultimately benefits consumers. The episode closes with a larger conversation about preserving what makes the U.S. real estate market unique while adapting to new competitive realities.   Links Greg's Article   Connect with Rob and Greg Rob's Website  Greg's Website    Watch us on YouTube   Our Sponsors: Cotality  Notorious VIP The Giant Steps Job Board    Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

Brinkmann, Sigrid www.deutschlandfunk.de, Büchermarkt

Brinkmann, Sigrid www.deutschlandfunk.de, Büchermarkt

Episode 174 of the Award Travel 101 podcast focused heavily on Hyatt's newly announced award chart changes and how travelers can adapt to them. Cameron Laufer and Mike Zaccheo explained that Hyatt is replacing its traditional fixed categories with a more dynamic five-tier structure across eight hotel categories, resulting in noticeable increases for many properties. Standard award rates are rising roughly 17–38%, while some peak pricing jumps could reach as high as 67%. Although a handful of properties decreased in price, far more increased, especially luxury hotels. The hosts discussed examples like Park Hyatt Siem Reap remaining at 15,000 points per night while Secrets Punta Cana increased slightly from 29,000 to 30,000 points. They also noted positives, including free night certificates remaining valid at top-tier pricing and expanded booking windows for elites and cardholders, while questioning whether Hyatt may quietly shift more nights into higher pricing tiers over time.The episode also covered several loyalty program updates and transfer partner changes. Hilton launched a summer promotion offering 2,000 bonus points for shorter stays and 4,000 for longer stays, while Kimpton introduced its seasonal secret password promotion. The hosts highlighted major transfer partner shakeups, including American Express removing Etihad as a transfer partner in the U.S. They also reviewed transfer bonuses ending soon, including bonuses from Amex to Hilton, Chase to Southwest, and Capital One to Qantas. In the “highlight post” segment, they addressed a listener frustrated with having 193,000 British Airways Avios, emphasizing that Avios become much more valuable when used through partner airlines such as Iberia, Qatar Airways, Finnair, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, while reminding listeners that Avios are easy to keep active with occasional account activity.The hosts wrapped up with personal trip updates and practical award travel advice. Mike shared several upcoming trips, including Napa Valley, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Paris, detailing how he pieced together premium cabin flights and hotel stays using a mix of American Airlines, Alaska, Air France, and Hyatt points. Cameron discussed rebooking a tour through a shopping portal for significant cashback and planning logistics for an overnight arrival in Athens after a long economy flight. The episode concluded with a “tip of the week” focused on organizing complex award itineraries using tools like spreadsheets and TripIt to track reservations, monitor schedule conflicts, and simplify “gardening” award bookings over time.Episode Links:Hilton Summer PromoKimpton Secret PasswordAmex drops EtihadHyatt ChangesWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

In this episode, our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer continues her conversation with Tamara Lohan, Global Brand Leader for Luxury at Hyatt.Tamara shares what it's like to step inside a large company after co-founding and building Mr. & Mrs. Smith for more than two decades. She gets into the difference between a mentor and a sponsor, why she wishes she'd built her network earlier, and the deep work of repositioning Park Hyatt, Alila, and Miraval for the next luxury traveler. She also makes the case for more women at the top to change the structures of an industry that asks leaders to travel hard, and names the contradiction every visible leader feels between showing up and doing the work.Also see: Travelers Want Hotels With a Point of View - Tamara Lohan, Hyatt A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestionsIf you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer continues her conversation with Tamara Lohan, Global Brand Leader for Luxury at Hyatt,Tamara shares why today's guests increasingly reject scripted hospitality experiences and what great service looks like instead. The conversation explores emotional intelligence in hospitality, the importance of “reading the room,” how Hyatt is thinking about AI and personalization, and why the future of luxury service depends on becoming more human, not less.Also see: Travelers Want Hotels With a Point of View - Tamara Lohan, Hyatt A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestionsIf you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Hyatt's new award pricing is officially here — and travelers are still trying to figure out exactly how bad it is. This week on Miles To Go, Ed is joined by Julian Kheel from Points Path to break down Hyatt's new multi-tier award pricing system, including what changed, which properties were hit hardest, and whether this truly changes the value proposition of Hyatt loyalty. They also discuss where Hyatt still trails competitors — especially around free night certificates and "4th or 5th night free" style benefits — and why the next 12 months could be important for Hyatt's long-term strategy. From there, the conversation shifts to a surprisingly valuable new Chase offer through the Paze wallet platform, where Sapphire cardholders can currently earn up to 10x Ultimate Rewards points with select merchants. Plus, British Airways raises carrier-imposed surcharges yet again, Delta may be expanding free checked bag benefits on its credit cards, and Ed shares another frustrating round of United Wi-Fi roulette while waiting for Starlink to expand across the fleet.  Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Hyatt's new award pricing system • Multi-tier pricing officially launches • Which properties increased the most • Why it may impact luxury redemptions more than everyday stays ✈️ Is Hyatt loyalty still worth it? • Why Hyatt still offers strong transfer value • Concerns about aspirational awards getting harder to reach • How loyal travelers may rethink their strategy ✈️ Hyatt's missing benefits • No free night certificate top-offs • Lack of a 4th or 5th night free benefit • Why competitors may now have an edge ✈️ A valuable new Chase earning opportunity • 10x Ultimate Rewards points through Paze • Which merchants currently qualify • Why this could be huge for some travelers ✈️ Air France's growing loyalty strategy • Tiffany Funk taking over Flying Blue loyalty • Air France credit card + Bilt partnership discussion • Earning status through rent and mortgage payments ✈️ Delta may expand free checked bags • Reports of 2 free checked bags on Delta Amex cards • Why the economics may make sense for Delta • Potential impact on card signups ✈️ British Airways raises surcharges again • Carrier-imposed fees increasing significantly • Why Avios redemptions continue getting more expensive • How U.S. programs still differ from European carriers ✈️ United's ongoing Wi-Fi struggles • Starlink rollout reaches ~5% of fleet • Why United Wi-Fi still frustrates frequent flyers • The promise (and risk) of Starlink expansion ⏱️ Episode 438 Timestamps  0:49 – Julian fills in for Richard this week 3:44 – Points Path discounts and award alerts discussion 7:17 – Hyatt's new award pricing officially launches 10:28 – How much worse are Hyatt awards really? 12:22 – Hyatt's free night certificate disadvantages 16:44 – What Hyatt may need to add next 21:16 – Amex fraud/security frustrations 27:06 – Tiffany Funk joins Flying Blue loyalty leadership 34:05 – Chase Paze wallet and 10x Ultimate Rewards opportunity 38:40 – British Airways raises surcharges again        

What makes a luxury hotel memorable today?In this conversation, our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer, sits down with Tamara Lohan, Global Brand Leader for Luxury at Hyatt, to discuss why travelers are increasingly drawn to hotels with a strong sense of place and identity. They also explore Hyatt's luxury growth strategy, the role of storytelling in hospitality, and how wellness is evolving beyond fads into something more meaningful for guests. A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestionsIf you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

The World of Hyatt new award charts are live now, and we have thoughts! We'll give our first impressions in this episode, and you can read more about the new award charts here.(00:25) - World of Hyatt's new award charts are live(01:44) - Where it hurts the most(04:05) - It's not all doom and gloomRead more about our first impressions here.(11:55) - AnalysisSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

Episode Description Shawn blew up his Europe itinerary at the last minute, but this one worked. He canceled Condor premium economy through Frankfurt and rebooked American to Athens for fewer miles, less cash and a cleaner connection. The catch was making American economy survivable, which led him to Hyatt's American Airlines status for a day benefit. Shawn and Mark talk through how the 8,000-point Hyatt redemption worked, why the Main Cabin Extra seat process was clunky, and how his account eventually showed full American Platinum status before travel. They also cover a Royal Air Maroc business class win from Casablanca to LAX, Benjy's strategy for checking AA award bookings after you book, the weird world of backup reservations, and Delta's new second checked bag benefit for eligible Amex cardholders. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:18 Shawn's last-minute Europe rebooking 2:31 Hyatt status for a day on American 4:32 The status finally appears 6:18 Platinum vs. Platinum Pro benefits 9:00 Royal Air Maroc business class to LAX 10:28 Award space quirks and hotel plans 14:18 Rechecking AA awards after booking 16:28 Backup bookings and reservation "gardening" 19:30 Delta cards add a second checked bag 20:35 Carry-on vs. checked bag strategy Links Travel Freely/CardGenie Hyatt: American Airlines partnership FAQs LoyaltyLobby: Hyatt's American Airlines Status for a Day awards MTM: Over 75k Miles Back & 4 Upgrades with 1 Award Booking Strategy MTM: Delta Amex Cards Adding New Benefit One Mile at a Time: Royal Air Maroc launching Los Angeles flights American Airlines: Using miles for travel

I'm at Hyatt Regency Orlando, where I'm with Managing Director Paul Joseph breaking down how the hotel uses Xpodigital to modernize the on-site event experience while adding profitability by selling digital signage as sponsor inventory through revenue share.

We share how we're reshaping our points and miles strategy after Hyatt devaluations, including new card moves and the reality of planning family travel when award space disappears. We also walk through our Italy and Switzerland pivot, plus a credit score rebound that lets us apply for new cards with confidence. • choosing the Bilt Palladium for the signup bonus and transfer partners • why we skip mortgage payments through Bilt for now • using Bilt cash to activate the 3x accelerator on planned spend • targeting Japan Airlines miles and watching hard expiration rules • adding Capital One Savor for uncapped 3x groceries • pending Wells Fargo Autograph Journey verification and what we're sending • navigating Chase 5/24 and our plan to earn more Chase points via a business card • booking Hyatt stays before devaluation while keeping options open • dropping Lake Como due to missing standard award space for two rooms • deciding between Florence costs and a Switzerland-heavy itinerary • planning Rome with hotel openings still uncertain and building a backup • timing credit card applications after utilization drops and scores rebound above 800 If you listened to last week's episode where I had our very first guest on, I would love feedback if you haven't already sent it. Find me on Instagram at travel party5, and we will catch you on the next episode. 

In this episode, we sit down with Karolina Sliwinska — bartender, mixologist, bar program consultant, and founder of Elite Bartender — to talk about what it really takes to build a career in hospitality. From Toronto nightclubs to luxury Marriott and Hyatt properties across Canada, Karolina's path is a masterclass in versatility and knowing your craft inside and out. **From Poland to the KW bar scene** — Karolina moved to Canada at 18 and worked her way from wedding catering in Guelph to some of Toronto's most iconic venues, including the Government Nightclub. **Why nightclubs and chain restaurants matter** — Karolina makes a strong case that high-volume environments like Jack Astor's, Moxie's, and nightclubs teach speed, spill control, and accountability that craft-focused bars often skip entirely. **Hotel bartending and slowing down** — She breaks down how Marriott and Hyatt properties reward personality and genuine connection over volume — and what bartenders should know about unionized vs. non-unionized hotel gigs before signing on. **Spirit-free cocktails are here to stay** — Karolina has priced mocktails at $10–12 across menus she's designed for Hyatt, Marriott, the Gaslight District in Cambridge, and Mediterraneo in Waterloo — and they sell just as well as the boozy ones. **The business side of bartending** — Understanding cost, margins, and how to get your front-of-house staff actually selling the menu is what separates a good mixologist from a truly elite one. **Elite Bartender** — Karolina's KW-based brand offers bar program design, staff training, menu consulting, and private event bartending from house parties to 200-person weddings. Find Karolina at the following: @elite.bartender LinkedIn - Karolina Sliwinska A big thank you to Jean-Marc Dykes of Imbiblia. Imbiblia is a cocktail app for bartenders, restaurants and cocktail lovers alike and built by a bartender with more than a decade of experience behind the bar. Several of the features includes the ability to create your own Imbiblia Recipe Cards with the Imbiblia Cocktail Builder, rapidly select ingredients, garnishes, methods and workshop recipes with a unique visual format, search by taste, using flavour profiles unique to Imbiblia, share recipes publicly plus many more......Imbiblia - check it out! Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling and Malivoire Winery. Links kyppsaunders@gmail.com @sugarrunbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

In Episode 173 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer covered a wide range of points and miles strategies, starting with two standout community posts. Angie highlighted an important discussion about insuring a complex trip booked across multiple credit cards to maximize welcome bonuses. The group recommended considering a standalone policy through companies like Allianz and using tools such as Squaremouth to compare coverage, while also putting the most expensive trip components on the card with the strongest travel protections. Cameron shared a clever positioning flight success story where a member booked Delta flights to JFK through Air France Flying Blue after transferring Chase points during a transfer bonus, saving a significant amount of points. The discussion also touched on the importance of understanding cancellation fees across different partner programs, with Virgin Atlantic noted as a favorite for inexpensive Delta award cancellations.The episode also covered several major pieces of points and miles news, including Chase's 30% transfer bonus to Southwest, IHG's 100% bonus on purchased points, Citi's 25% transfer bonus to Wyndham, and new Qatar Airways restrictions limiting how many people can be added to family and friends redemption lists. Angie shared a recent Wells Fargo business card approval with a $500 bonus that will help offset a large pool deposit expense, while Cameron discussed receiving his Rakuten-to-Bilt transfer and reminded listeners about the updated earning structure for different Bilt status tiers. The hosts also gave personal trip updates, including Angie's evolving Morocco itinerary and Cameron's plans to lock in Hyatt stays before upcoming program changes while continuing to prepare for Greece travel.The main topic focused on “workhorse cards” — the credit cards the hosts rely on consistently for everyday spending and maximizing rewards. Cameron highlighted favorites like the Chase Ink Cash for 5x office supply spending, the Amex Gold for dining and groceries, the Citi Strata Premier for its broad 3x categories and American Airlines transfers, and even the premium Bilt Palladium setup. Angie discussed cards she uses heavily in rotation, including the Citi Custom Cash for groceries, the Hilton Surpass for earning a free night certificate through annual spend, the Venture and Venture X for simple 2x earning, the Chase Freedom Flex for rotating categories, and the Venmo card for Costco purchases that code as grocery spend. They wrapped up with a practical tip for travelers booking independent hotels abroad: always compare prices across hotel websites, portals, Booking.com, Expedia, Costco Travel, and aggregators like Trivago because rates can vary dramatically.Episode Links:Chase to Southwest BonusIHG Buy points BonusQatar RestrictionsCiti to Wyndham BonusWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Episode Description Hyatt's 2026 award changes are live, and Shawn and Mark look at what happened after the switch. Some stays barely moved, some got cheaper, Japan got hit hard, and a few members appear to have been charged rates that do not match what Hyatt showed during booking. They also talk through the points hoarding debate after Benjy's "case for zero" article. A big transferable points balance can feel like an emergency fund, but it can also lose value while cash could earn interest or get invested. Then they close with Chase's new 10X Paze offer, the limited but useful merchant list, and how it can stack with Rove shopping bonuses. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:23 Hyatt's devaluation aftermath 2:47 Japan Hyatt awards get hammered 4:28 Category 1-4 certificates lose ground 6:00 Hyatt booking glitches and overcharges 9:30 Detroit seminar tickets and hotel warning 10:53 The points hoarding mistake 13:52 Investing cash vs. holding points 15:10 Shawn's Citi ThankYou redemption win 16:21 Cashing out, burn rates and earn rates 20:24 Chase Paze 10X and Rove stacking Links Travel Freely/CardGenie — https://travelfreely.com/cardgenie/?bref=mm Hyatt 2026 award chart updates — https://newsroom.hyatt.com/awardchartupdates Doctor of Credit: Chase Sapphire & Freedom 10X Paze Promo — https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chase-sapphire-freedom-cards-get-10x-with-paze-checkout-through-2026-united-newegg-shoprite-dunkin-etc/ MTM: Rove promotion and stacking with Paze — https://milestomemories.com/new-rove-promotion-and-stacking-with-paze/ Paze merchant directory — https://www.paze.com/merchant-directory Points mistake - https://milestomemories.com/points-and-miles-mistake/

 Podcast founder Melissa joins Dena this week since Catalina is still away. Similar to last week, this week's guest host also airs her grievances with the pod as of late. Starting with audio trends, “Melissaaaa I'm drunk and outsiiiideeee” has been trending (examples from @stevenandluke and @sarahu192). Dena's FYP includes a surprising lack of Eurovision content, Hyatt devaluation points breakdown (thanks to @carielizabethh), and a Trader Joe's money opportunity from @erica_tara. Melissa's FYP is full of “quick and easy” exercise transformation videos (i.e. @juliiaannne), Qigong tutorials, and jaw release videos (featuring a stitch with LeAnn Rimes from @lazor.lanson). NYC TikTok is all about who's lining up for what, and this week it's Mimi's yogurt (video from @imjuhm). Dena and Melissa contemplate hacking their spouse's algorithm like @lmcanty. And @valinthebay's take on slow walkers ignites Melissa's latest hot take.    Check out all the videos we mention and more on our blog (2old4tiktok.com), Instagram (@2old4tiktokpod), and TikTok (@2old4tiktok_podcast).  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The next stop on the Suite Spot Road Trip takes travelers to Delray Beach, Florida, to visit the newly re-imagined property, Hyatt Place Delray Beach, with special guest and General Manager of the hotel, Taylor Wauhob.  This recently renovated property boasts incredible ocean views, robust F&B, newly designed interiors, and an attractive location that supplies plentiful fun for the whole family.  Tune in now to hear the full episode and why Hyatt Place Delray Beach should be your next vacation destination. Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in, and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, Ryan Embree, here for another edition of the Suite Spot Road Trip. We are here down south, just a bright line trip away from our TMG headquarters at the Hyatt Place, Delray Beach, a beautiful property, which I’m so excited to talk about and showcase today, with the general manager, Taylor. Taylor, thank you so much for hosting us here at your Hyatt Place. Taylor Wauhob: Thank you so much for having me. It’s such an honor to be on the show and really excited to tell you about Delray and show off our property. Ryan Embree: It’s a beautiful property. It’s an incredible location. I can’t wait to get all into it, but in hospitality, we love a good story, right? We love talking about experiences. We come from different brands. Sometimes we fall into the industry, sometimes we went to school for it. So share a little bit us about your professional journey and the hospitality career that brought you here to the Hyatt Place. Taylor Wauhob: Absolutely. My journey into hospitality was certainly unexpected. I got a job at a front desk during college, just needed something to do in the downtime. Ryan Embree: Heard that before. Taylor Wauhob: Yeah, it’s something to keep me doing the right thing. And I fell in love with it. I was really nervous stepping into it. It’s a lot of guest interaction and I was a little shy at the time, so I wasn’t sure how it would go, but I really loved it. And I didn’t know what life after college was gonna look like for me. So I decided to just invest fully in that role and see where it took me. And thankfully I worked for a management company that really invested in internal growth. And so just a few weeks before graduation, I was offered a role as a manager in training. And I was excited to have an idea of what my future would look like. So I pursued that and I’ve moved all around the country I had with that company, and it eventually brought me to Florida where I finally felt like, all right, this is a good spot to put down some roots. I found Kolter Hospitality, which has such a beautiful portfolio, so I really liked the opportunity to grow within a company without having to leave the state of Florida. So I started here two years ago and this is where we’re at now. Ryan Embree: Well, it’s incredible and a true reflection on the transferable skills of hospitality. You really can go wherever across the country, and then you end up at a beautiful property like this. Well, congratulations. The property recently underwent a complete renovation, a complete design reimagination. Obviously those story, there’s always a story with those, right? Sometimes headaches, but they’re passion projects that end up looking like this, like we have here. Tell us a little bit about the renovations, what guests love about it, and then maybe personally what you love about it. Taylor Wauhob: Yeah, absolutely. I think I started at the perfect time. I came into the property about three months before the renovation was gonna start. So I got to see peak season at this property pre-renovation which was certainly a challenge. It was an older hotel. There was some condition challenges that we were facing, but I also got to see the guests who still loved this property, even despite that. So it was great to interact with that clientele and then be here through the whole process. And I’m really thankful that I still have over 50% of my team from pre-renovation. Ryan Embree: That’s amazing. Taylor Wauhob: Yeah. It is, it is no easy feat. Anybody who’s been through it knows that you hope to never do it again, but it was certainly worth it. So it was really cool to see this all come together. I think it’s really easy to look at the individual items and kind of think how is this gonna come together as a design. But the designer did an incredible job. It’s got a really coastal feel now, and I love that it really fits Delray Beach. There’s no other Hyatt place that you’re gonna walk into and have this design or feel this kind of property way. So it’s been really nice to see our guests come in and be so pleasantly surprised at the changes and just how much it fits the area now. Ryan Embree: Any elements that you particularly like? Taylor Wauhob: It’s bright and it’s airy, which I absolutely love. But my favorite is our bar. We’ve got such a beautiful light fixture over that bar. With big open windows, so you can see everybody walking around downtown. And it’s just a really great draw right there. Ryan Embree: It’s a unique property for a unique location. And I had the opportunity yesterday evening to walk around. We were talking about, you wouldn’t even known it was a Tuesday night. It felt the energy, the vibe, the feel felt like a weekend. There were kids playing in the green areas and families, there was nightlife going on. I think I walked by a couple live bands that we’re playing as well. Paint a picture for those who aren’t familiar with Delray Beach about the location of this property because you’re steps away from a lot of of great, just nightlife and food and beverage, everything. Taylor Wauhob: Well, you summed it up really well. You can go for a stroll, you wouldn’t know what day of the week it was, and you wouldn’t know who lives in the area. Really, it’s a little bit of everything. It’s such a great draw for families, for college students, for retirees. If you just walk from here to the beach, it’s a mile away in that walk. You’re gonna hit every kind of cuisine you could imagine. The best seafood, of course, you’re gonna hit great bars that have patios, live music, outdoor games or rooftops with coastal views. You’re gonna pass by all kinds of different events. There’s comedy shows, there’s concerts, there’s the retro arcade where kids and families can hang out, but you can still grab a drink and hang out for the day. Great boutique clothing stores, every kind of gelato and ice cream you can imagine. So just so much lively stuff going on. It’s really great. Ryan Embree: Very cool. And obviously nightlife, food and beverage, big draws to this area, but great for events as well. When people are coming in. Groups that come in behind us here is the front desk. I’m sure one of the most common questions is come in and you’re like, Hey, where’s the best place to eat? What is some of your staff saying? And then maybe, what are some of the food and beverage options you mentioned the bar before that you offer here on site for guests? Taylor Wauhob: Well, we always try to make sure that we’ve got something for our guests who come in and they just wanna be able to unwind here and not have to step out. As much as we love Delray, we also want them to be comfortable just on property. So we do have a really great small menu, but it caters to a little bit of everything. We’ve got some good chicken caesar salads, some sandwich options, flatbreads, wings, you know, all the necessities. And some of those items are available 24/7, so if you’re coming in off a late flight, we’ve still got you covered. And then we’ve got our grab and go market, which has some great options as well. Fresh pressed juices and sandwiches and things like that. But outside of the property, there’s really too many options to count. But some of my favorites, we’ve got Geronimo’s that just opened up. It’s a new tequila grilling bar, a beautiful patio and awesome spot to hang out. We’ve got Gabriela’s, which is an amazing modern Italian restaurant. And then right next to that is Hyde Park Steakhouse, which is a little bit more elevated. They’ve got a live piano player in the evening sometimes. It’s a really cool environment. Ryan Embree: Oh, awesome. And again, just steps away from the properties location, which makes it really nice. Local events, obviously big occupancy drivers for the hotel as well. What are some of those bigger draws that get your guests and travelers here? And then maybe some of those events, local events that you might not know about those secret finds? Taylor Wauhob: Absolutely. So our biggest one of course, is gonna be the Delray Beach Tennis Open. Happens for two weeks every February. We are the premier location for that. We’re the closest in walking distance. Just a block away from here and even if you don’t like tennis or don’t know anything about it, as I don’t, it is so much fun to attend these events. This past year, this city of Delray actually started a window decorating contest. So all of the local businesses participate, and we set up these huge window displays. We didn’t win this year. We’ve got a little chip on our shoulder about it, so we’re coming back strong next year. But it’s really fun for everyone to participate and vote. Ryan Embree: Awesome. And any kind of smaller local events that people might not know about? Taylor Wauhob: Yeah, absolutely. Again, we’re the best location for that too. Right across the street from us is the Arts Garage and Old School Square. So the Arts Garage is a really cool venue that offers comedy shows, live musicians, plays all kinds of different performances. It’s a really intimate venue that offers, you know, drinks. So you can hang out for a little bit before and after. And then Old School Square has an outdoor amphitheater, and then that huge lawn. One of my favorites is during Christmas time, they set up the 120 foot Christmas tree. And inside of it is Santa’s workshop, so it’s really fun for everybody to hang out and take pictures. It’s a good event. Ryan Embree: That’s awesome. People taking pictures, obviously sharing a lot of that on social media. You and your team done a great job on Facebook, Instagram, make sure you follow the Hyatt Place, Delray Beach there, social media presence. We talk about it all the time on this particular podcast about how important it is. Why do you think as a hotelier, who has managed multiple hotels. Why do you think it’s important for hoteliers to have a strong social media presence today? And how are guests kind of using this local area in their own social media feeds and maybe even the property? Taylor Wauhob: Yeah, absolutely. Well, it’s no secret that the new generation of travelers is looking more at things like social media, and they care more about that. And with things the way they are today, everything’s so expensive. If people are gonna take the time to invest in traveling, they’re no longer looking for just a hotel to stay at. And then to get out and experience the city. They want every aspect of their stay to be part of the experience. And so I think that’s where Instagram and all of social media becomes so important. They wanna see is the property gonna provide some sort of unique experience while I’m there in the evenings? And for our property specifically, I mean, it’s so easy to make it look good on social media. It’s just really beautiful property. And so it’s done a great job of highlighting all of the things that people can do. Even when they’re not in Delray, they can grab a drink at our bar and hang out in all of these really beautiful spaces and make the most of it. We’ve got a great second floor outdoor pool that has a really resort vibe to it. And so I think our guests see that. And a recent example, we had some girls stay here actually, and they put together a really cute video of them going through the hotel and unpacking and, and then their time throughout Delray. And it was cool to see them highlight and tag us in in that love Ryan Embree: That, I mean, that’s every marketer’s dream, right? They’re telling your story for you. For hoteliers that aren’t on that platform or aren’t kind of social listening, so to speak, they miss out on that opportunity. So it’s so important. And because again, your guests, when you have a property like this, your guests are engaging with you and they might be doing a great job of telling your story. And other travelers want to hear guest experiences too. You know, of course we love to take our pictures of our properties that look the best it’s ever looked right and our nicest meals. But that real authentic, I know that’s a term we throw around a lot, but to get that real world authentic experience, Taylor Wauhob: And they’re always gonna see it differently than we see it. Ryan Embree: A hundred percent. Taylor Wauhob: So, you know, my favorite part of the hotel might not be what the guests are loving the most. So it’s really cool to see what they’re experiencing and loving about our property. Ryan Embree: And that learning can translate to other things, right. You start to see that there’s a particular area of the hotel being showcased a lot on social media. Maybe you add something there. Maybe there’s a programming or an element that you add there to even amplify that even more. So I’ve heard some incredible stories. That was a great example that you had there. I saw on your Instagram recently that the properties Instagram recently, I wanna get this right, that you guys received the Hyatt 2025 Commercial Team of the Year Essentials Awards. Congratulations to you and your team. Taylor Wauhob: Thank you so much. Ryan Embree: Talk to us a little bit about that award and what it means to you as general manager. Taylor Wauhob: Oh gosh. Coming off of a renovation year. It means so much to get that award. I mean, this team just, went through a lot with the renovation. It’s incredibly difficult. So renovation was 2024. We received this award for the 2025 year, which our first year outta renovation coming outta that reno, the market didn’t know who we were. We were essentially a brand new property. We didn’t know who we were or how we wanted to establish ourselves. So we really had to come together as a team and decide what do we wanna be in this market? And so we put in a great deal of effort to make sure that we were the friendliest hotel in the market. So, you can stay anywhere. You can pay for a clean room, you can pick any hotel within walking distance of this area. But what sets us apart is our team and the effort that they put in. So to kind of rebuild our reputation, earn back the market share that we had lost during renovation, and prove to the market once again that we are a premier destination to receive this ward was just showing us that all of our efforts did not go unseen. So it was really great to be able to celebrate what that meant with the team and feel like we earned it. Ryan Embree: It’s amazing. And shown through your leadership with the retention of the employees too, to see through that, obviously challenging time, but to be on the other side of it and then to reap the rewards of that award. So congratulations on that. But to speak to your point, and I think, you know, it’s a great lesson for hoteliers to kind of find that north star and encompass of who you are. And even if it’s to the detail of we want to be the friendliest, that might not be an award necessarily that you’re, that you’re winning, in a market like Friendliest Hotel. But if you get buy-in from your team on that can really, again, act as kind of a compass or North Star. Taylor Wauhob: Absolutely. I mean, I can’t be here every day. I can’t interact with every single guest. So knowing that my team is carrying out that vision, and still moving forward in that direction, even when I’m not here, it just, it makes a world of difference and they really earned it. Ryan Embree: So cool to see. So we always like to wrap up with a few fun, like rapid fire questions. So get to get to know you, get to know the property location a little bit better. So you mentioned it. Favorite view at the property? Taylor Wauhob: Oh, favorite view. Room 413. Ryan Embree: Okay, we got the room. The first room number that I’ve heard on this question. Taylor Wauhob: It’s got beautiful floor to ceiling windows in a curved wall in the living room that looks out, out in all of downtown Delray Beach. And you can see beautiful sunrises from that room. It’s amazing. Great for bridal parties. Ryan Embree: I like it. 413, remember that. It’s a little tip, but a note. Favorite signature drink or dish, either at a local spot or here at the property? Taylor Wauhob: Okay, well I’ve got two then. So if you’re on property right now, we’ve got our spring collection. Cocktails and mocktails. My favorite right now is the lavender lush mocktail. It’s actually great. Really refreshing. And then Rocka Hula is a new restaurant in town. They have the coolest custom cocktails. I mean, shock and Instagramable. This is the place to go. It’s really great. Ryan Embree: Okay. We’ll have to check that out. Favorite piece of art or design? At the property or around Delray Beach? Taylor Wauhob: I would say our elevator landing. We’ve got a really cool octopus mural. It’s beautiful. Everybody loves to take pictures right there. It’s my favorite. Ryan Embree: See, that’s one of those places you could see on Instagram. Probably. Favorite fun fact about the property. I always like asking this question ’cause there’s just so much. I always get some really unique answers that if you never ask you’ll never find out. Taylor Wauhob: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So everybody thinks the big draw for Delray is Atlantic Avenue, which is one of them. But we are also located right here on Pineapple Grove. Which is a historic arts district, but back in the 1900’s it actually used to be Pineapple Farms. And it was second only to Hawaii in production. And so now it’s famous for that. There’s a sign on both ends that says Pineapple Grove. Ryan Embree: I saw that. Taylor Wauhob: Yeah. Yeah. There’s all the lights on the streets, so it’s really beautiful. Ryan Embree: Very cool. Okay. See the fun fact learning stuff. So as we wrap up today, you know, I ask you as general manager, newly renovated property, just got that award. You spoke a little bit about to it, but what, what’s the lasting impression as people kinda walk out through this lobby that you hope to impart on departing guests and what they remember about their experience here? Taylor Wauhob: I think it coincides really well with Delray Beach. People come to Delray, who have never been here before, and they’re very surprised by it because, you know what to expect from Fort Lauderdale or West Palm, but you come here and it’s got all of the nightlife and activity that you would want from a big city while still having this really small town charm to it and they call it The Village by the Sea, and it really lives up to that. So I love that guests leave Delray feeling pleasantly surprised and they feel the same way from our property as well. And that’s always my goal at least. But they really come in expecting a standard Hyatt place. Tons of people have stayed at a Hyatt place. But we’re very different than that. And so people show up and they’re excited at something new and then they get that same experience from Delray and they walk away just feeling like they got so much more than they ever expected. So that’s always our goal to impart on our guests when they leave. Ryan Embree: Awesome. Well, really appreciate you hosting us. You’ve got a beautiful property. Thank you. Incredible location. You know, again, you and your team are are knocking it out of the park here. Taylor Wauhob: Thank you. Ryan Embree: We hope to be back soon. Thank you so much, Taylor for taking some time with us. Taylor Wauhob: Absolutely. We’d love to have you again for a little vacation. Ryan Embree: All right. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for joining us on the Suite Spot. To join our loyalty program. Be sure to subscribe and give us a five star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.  

Get $200 after making your first $500 payment with Melio! (affiliate) https://www.milestomemories.com/go/melio Episode Description Hyatt's award chart changes are arriving, so Shawn and Mark talk through the last-minute bookings that made sense, the ones they skipped and why hotel credits have changed the way they use Hyatt points. They also break down a clean example of partner award pricing: the same American Airlines flight priced at 54K Avios, 36K American miles and 18K Alaska miles. Then they look at Hilton free night certificates at all-inclusive properties, including the growing SLH options and the downside of possible extra charges for kids. Finally, Mark recaps his completed New York City pub crawl from Central Park to FiDi, with stops at Bryant Park, Moxy, Pub Key, Nancy's Whiskey Pub, White Horse Tavern and The Dead Rabbit. Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:03 Hyatt's last call before award chart changes 8:08 Same flight, three different award prices 13:01 Hilton free night certificates at all-inclusives 17:26 Mark finally finishes the NYC pub crawl 20:19 Rooftops, local bars and Flatiron cocktails 23:34 Greenwich, SoHo and the crawl strategy 27:05 Tribeca whiskey bars and FiDi favorites 30:20 Dead Rabbit, inKind and final takeaways

  OA1262 - How are a car accident in California, a tax fraud case in Nevada, and two bus accidents in New York and Pennsylvania all connected to the Dobbs abortion case? Find out on this week's accidental too-deep dive into state sovereignty. Jenessa read a bunch of extra cases just to be thorough, and accidentally uncovered Kavanaugh planting the seeds that would grow into the “egregiously wrong” “rule” for ignoring stare decisis. But also mostly we'll talk about the weird world of state sovereignty, Clarence Thomas being obnoxious and ahistorical while accusing everyone else of being ahistorical, and Sotomayor getting some peace for a change to write a pleasant little 9-0 decision about some non-partisan procedural legal nerdery that benefits injured plaintiffs. Nevada v. Hall, 440 U.S. 410 (1979) Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt, 587 U.S. 230 (2019) Listen to oral arguments on Oyez: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2018/17-1299; Timestamp for Kavanaugh dropping the “egregiously wrong” bomb: 50:47 Ramos v. Louisiana, 590 U.S. 83 (2020), Kavanaugh concurrence Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215 (2022) Galette v. New Jersey Transit Corp., 607 U.S. ___ (2026) The “major questions doctrine” Kavanaugh inception timeline: U.S. Telecom Association v. F.C.C., 855 F.3d 381, 422-423 (D.C. Cir 2017), Kavanaugh dissent Repeal of the Clean Power Plan, 84 Fed. Reg. 32520, 32529 (proposed Jul. 8, 2019) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 60). West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, 597 U.S. 697 (2022) Additional sources: Episodes 1229 & 1230 for an in-depth explanation of immunities, including state and federal sovereign immunity: “The complicated web of immunities that makes accountability so difficult” Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 U.S. 419 (1793) U.S. Const. amend. XI Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U.S. 1 (1890) Ex parte Young, 209 U.S. 123 (1908) Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!  

The strongest industries are built on relationships that outlast individual transactions. In this episode of the IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Larry Drummond, Executive Director of the International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI), to talk about what fifty years of industry collaboration has taught him about trust, transparency, and building lasting business connections. Larry shared how IPMI started in 1976 when a group of New York-area scientists came together to share data across competing precious metals companies. After 25 years at Engelhard and a leadership role at Metalor, he came out of retirement in 2018 to lead the organization he had served as a volunteer board member and past president. What struck me most was Larry's description of an industry where someone can be your customer, vendor, and competitor at the same time. He shared examples of refiners picking up the phone to ask competitors for help during operational setbacks, knowing the favor would be returned without losing customers in the process. The conversation reminded me that even in commodity-driven businesses, transparency and verified trust create the foundation for everything else. With IPMI's 50th annual conference coming up in Orlando, Larry's perspective is a great preview of what makes this industry tick. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS * In precious metals, the same company can be your customer, vendor, and competitor at the same exact time. * IPMI was founded in 1976 by New York-area scientists who recognized the value of sharing data across competing companies. * When operations go down, refiners call competitors for a week of help, knowing the favor will be returned without customer poaching. * Record-high gold prices flooded refiners with material, but financing costs and capacity limits turned some lots into losers. * IPMI memberships pay for themselves through the price discount on a single annual conference registration. * Portable x-ray guns have transformed the industry, letting even small operators verify what they have before shipping it up the chain. Contact Details LinkedIn - Larry Drummond LINKS Show NotesBe a Guest About IC-DISC AllianceAbout IPMI TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Larry Drummond: Unique things about this industry is that someone can be your customer, vendor, and competitor at the same exact time. Those relationships, even with your competitors, I can't say there's any kind of big precious metal company that something hasn't gone wrong in your operation at some point in time. I've personally been involved in situations where you could pick up the phone and call your competitor and say, "Listen, I need help for about a week." And they will handle some of your materials and not steal your customer because they know one day they may pick up the phone and call you. David Spray: Good morning, Larry. How are you this morning? Larry Drummond: Very good, David. Good morning. How are you? David Spray: I am great, thank you. So you are, I believe, the executive director of the International Precious Metals Institute, is that correct? Larry Drummond: That's correct. David Spray: And I guess the organization goes by the initials, right? IPMI? Larry Drummond: Yes. Everyone refers to it as IPMI. When we do legal documents, we use the full name, but for the most part we just use IPMI. David Spray: Okay. So can you just tell me a bit of the history of IPMI? Has it been around very long? Larry Drummond: Yeah. Well, we've been around very long and it's very appropriate we're doing this podcast today because we're celebrating our Jubilee year this year. So we were formed in July of 1976 and the history is that a group of scientists in the greater New York area where there was many major precious metal companies had formed, got together because they saw the need to share scientific data. And what's important about this is the pathway that they set still lives on today where people, member companies openly share a lot of information. Now again, they don't share their total trade secrets, but they share information where collectively the industry gets to benefit from that. David Spray: Okay. So Larry Drummond: It was started by a group of scientists and we've grown from there and we'll talk more about that during the course of the podcast here. David Spray: Okay. Well, that is great. And so when did you join the organization? Larry Drummond: So I joined in the late '90s, around 1997 I think was my first PMI. And the IPMI is really founded on volunteerism. There's actually only two of us that are employees and the rest are volunteers. So I was one of those volunteers and very early on got involved with the board of directors. I worked for Englehart Corporation for over 25 years and Englehart was one of the cornerstone founding members. Now it's owned by BASF. So in 2002, I joined the board and the executive committee and before we had term limits, I served on that for over 13 years as a. Oh, wow. And including all the officer roles and I'm also a past president of IPMI, which is a volunteer role. David Spray: Okay. And then at some point you shifted from being a member to being the executive director, is that correct? Larry Drummond: Yeah. I'm the past president for the Americas for Medalor Corporation, which is now part of Tanaka. And I retired in 2015 for a brief while and in 2018, I went back to work for the IPMI as the executive director. David Spray: I bet that must be great to be able to reconnect with all your longtime contacts in the industry. Larry Drummond: It's true. And it's really one of the key attributes of IPMI is really building relationships. If I could, if you look at our tagline, it's connecting you to the world of precious metals. And when I talk to people, especially people getting involved for the first time, I said, "Well, what does that mean?" I said, "We can boil IPMI down to really a few words and what they mean." It's connect, learn and build relationships. I was fortunate that I've spent essentially my entire career in precious metals, again, joining Ellhart in 1979. And some of those relationships that I've built over the years still exist today. So it's really one of the key things that we try and stress to people is to really build relationships. And the important part about that is that our industry, the transactions are very high value in terms of the precious getting transacted. And in many cases, you as a vendor are sending what you think to be a known amount of precious metals contained in some form that a refiner has to refine and produce fine metal out of. So there's a lot of trust involved. So building those relationships, it's trust but verified trust. Building those relationships is key and it's something that our members are very good at and personally that I've benefited from over the years in my career. And to this day, like you mentioned a few minutes ago, there's still many colleagues that I have that I've had relationships for over 30 years, you know what I mean? Wow. David Spray: Yeah, it's so interesting because on the surface it's a commodity. And so you would think that relationship wouldn't matter. You would think that just, "Hey, I'm buying two ounces of gold or a pound of gold and here's the price and we agreed on the price. And so what's the need for the relationship?" But I think you bring up a good point. It's because the seller may not know completely to the gram maybe how much material they have or the grade of the material. Is that kind of where that trust comes in? Because they think they're selling one thing, the refinery gets something and their team says it's slightly different. Is that what happens? Larry Drummond: Well, again, the trust comes in because many, I would say most of our member companies really have state-of-the-art laboratories, especially the big refineries and those are accredited laboratories. I David Spray: See. Larry Drummond: So there's techniques in terms of sampling and analytical procedures that really define how much metal is in particular a lot and it's not a perfect science, but it's a science that's been developed over the years. And so there's that trust, but it's verifiable trust. David Spray: Understood. So I imagine now when you came into the industry, did the people selling the material to the refiners, did they have that same type of equipment to know with that same precision or is that something that's just evolved as equipment has gotten more precise? Larry Drummond: Well, it's evolved over the years, particularly with the advances and the portable x-ray guns that now almost anyone can buy and afford. So if you're a very small company sending stuff up through the sort of food chain, if you will, of transactions, you can have a fairly good idea of what you have. David Spray: Okay. Okay. So what do you enjoy the most about this executive director role? Larry Drummond: Really, I think the thing I enjoy the most is really to see people building those relationships and I try and foster that. In other words, there's especially any new member or new attendee that comes to one of our events, there's an open door policy where, hey, if there's anyone you want to meet, myself or one of my colleagues will introduce you. And so I think really the thing I get the most out of it is really seeing those new developments in terms of relationships and then the fostering of the old ones. That's really what I get out the most. And one thing I want to highlight is we're going to be coming up to our annual conference. For any first time attendees at our annual conference, there is a kickoff social event on Saturday afternoon and it's by invitation for all first time attendees and myself, some of the officers, some key members, some past presidents are present at this social function and at this social function we just give some words of wisdom, if you will, on how to best navigate your first IPMI conference. And again, we'll stress this building of relationships and we'll also, again, stress this open door policy. If there's any particular person you want to meet, just let us know and one of us will make sure you get introduced. David Spray: I really appreciate that because I think you may recall that this will be my first conference. Larry Drummond: Exactly. David Spray: I saw that first timer event. And it's interesting because I've been a member of REMA, the Recycled Materials Association, also known as ISRI for 20 years or so. And I really just stumbled across one of your members as one of my team members who's doing some research trying to find more scrap metal people and they kind of stumbled on this person and they ended up becoming a client and they said to me, "Oh, you've got to be at the annual conference. We're happy to make some introductions." And yeah, it seems like there's a lot of similarities between that and the industry I know a little better the recycling scrap metal industry in terms of relationship, duration of relationships, networking. So yeah, I'm just so excited to attend. And I'm doing the whole thing. I'm coming in the day before on Friday so I can play in the golf tournament and go to that new timers, first timers event. I'm really looking forward to it. Larry Drummond: At the first timers event we started a few years ago now and it's really proven to be very worthwhile. We've gotten a lot of good feedback on it. So yeah, we're looking forward to seeing you and a bunch of other new people at that event. David Spray: Yeah, that sounds great. Are you doing anything different for it being the 50th annual or is it just business as usual like any annual conference? Larry Drummond: No. Well, again, we have our annual conference agenda, which is again, a combination of technical presentations and social events. And if I could maybe just expand a little bit on that for those that may not have attended, again, it kicks off technically we kick off Saturday night with an opening reception. We've developed an agenda to have pre-events prior to the opening reception and that's the golf event and we have another one at the same time as the golf event, a pickleball tournament for those so inclined to play pickleball. And then there's a session for the student meet and greet. So these are for the graduate student awards program that we have and the first time attendees. But then when we kick off on Sunday morning with the actual programs, it's designed basically to have technical presentations in the morning. There's usually one right after lunch, but then from about three o'clock on, there's a variety of social functions up through 10 o'clock at night each night. Culminate- David Spray: Yeah, to encourage that networking, right? Larry Drummond: Exactly. And a lot of our attendees have wall to wall meetings. I view my role in putting on this annual conference as offering sort of a smorgasbord of items in a combination of technical items, obviously the food and beverage and the social events, then everyone can pick and choose what they need to do. There are some members that will attend every technical session. There are others that may have 30 meetings set up over the course of. So again, what we try and do is provide that landscape, if you will, so that everyone can pick and choose what they need to do when they need to do it. David Spray: Okay. No, that makes sense. Yeah, like I said, I'm super excited to be there for the 50th. Let's see. And that'll be in Orlando at the Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort. Larry Drummond: Yeah. So we're at the Hyatt Grand Cypress and just a word to those who have not registered yet, you can register right up until the conference. The one issue we have is that the hotel is sold out on the Monday and Tuesday evening. So if you go on our website, you'll see we've put some alternative hotels. The one good thing about this location, we listed four or five, but there are probably 25 hotels within a five-minute Uber ride of the Hyatt because it's basically right next door to Disney Springs, so it's pretty accessible. David Spray: Okay. Well, that sounds great. Yeah, one of the questions I had was whether it was too late Larry Drummond: Not David Spray: To register. Larry Drummond: David, if I could, I don't think I fully answered the ... So for the 50th, so we have the presentations and the social events, but we're also working in throughout the days and evenings celebratory items of the 50th. So there'll be some videos playing. There's a lot of different graphics. So we're working a bunch of things in with the branding of the 50th, if you will. David Spray: Okay. Yeah, no, it's pretty exciting. In fact, I'm on the website. They have the countdown clock, 22 days, 23 hours, 42 minutes and two seconds. Did the attendees have to be a member of IPM or is Larry Drummond: There a David Spray: Guest option? Larry Drummond: No, no. You do not have to be a member. You'll see if when you go to a register, if you are a member, then you get the member price. So there's basically at all our events, the members get a discounted price, which is one of the benefits of membership. So there's a price delta, if you will, for non-members. And what we've done, you could see it's not much, but we've made it a little bit of a incentive, if you will, to take a couple of minutes out and join as a member because you can actually save more than what the individual membership costs. Corporate memberships obviously are a little bit more expensive, but for an individual membership, the price you pay for the membership is actually a savings compared to the price difference you'll pay for an event for one event. David Spray: Yeah, I noticed that. I joined I think about a year ago, nine months ago and this will be my first actual event and I noticed that. I noticed the price delta and I registered early. I have my hotel room and I noticed that. I'm like, wow, that membership's a no-brainer. It pays for itself if you just go to one event. Larry Drummond: Exactly. And we try to encourage that because again, some people maybe they just don't want to be bothered or have the time to take out. But the problem is even if you just go to one event by being a member, then you have access to all the information, the newsletters, the website. When we do have an event, then there's an app for the event. So you get all these other benefits as well. David Spray: Okay. And where is IPMI located physically? Is it in Orlando? No. Larry Drummond: So physically we have, it's myself and Sandra Orranz, who is our longtime administrative manager and she has an office in Pensacola, Florida. I'm working out of my home here in New Jersey, but physically we have an office in Pensacola. David Spray: And I must say Sandra has been wonderful to work with. I can't believe how ... She makes me feel like I'm the only member that she has to help and I know I certainly am not. So yeah, she is so impressive. Well, that explains it that she's been doing this for a little while. Larry Drummond: It's a funny story. One of my predecessors, and it's the reason we're in Pensacola, by the way, he was an executive that retired from Roman Haas in Philadelphia and he retired to Pensacola and he was the one that they hired to be executive director at the time, this was over 25 years ago. And so he was looking for office space in Pensacola and he happened to go into this office where Sandra was working, which that particular business was going out of business. Oh, really? David Spray: Well, Larry Drummond: The office space became available and they hit it off, had a great conversation. As you could see, it's very easy to talk to. So the joke is the internal joke that we have is Sandra says that she came with the furniture. David Spray: Now, will she be at the conference? Larry Drummond: Absolutely. That's great. David Spray: I look forward to finally meeting her in person as well as meeting you physically. Larry Drummond: She'll be there manning the registration room, which is front and center. You'll see once you arrive at the hotel and we'll be there in force. David Spray: Now do you have the latest registrar headcount? Is it in the several hundreds? Larry Drummond: Yeah, we just pressed it over 500 the other day. So we generally are in that 500 to 525 range, so we will probably exceed that this year. Despite the discounts that we offer, you'd be surprised at how many people still register rather late. David Spray: Yeah, I guess some people, their schedule is just harder to commit to that far out. Now you said you're in New Jersey. Are you from New Jersey originally? Larry Drummond: Yeah, I'm born and raised in New Jersey. And again, starting back with back in the late '70s, which was New Jersey based headquartered New Jersey and like I said, now BASF. So no, I've been in New Jersey in my entire life. David Spray: Okay. Yeah, there's some beautiful parts of the Garden State. I've got several clients in New Jersey and especially the Jersey Shore is ... Yeah, it's just so funny because I'm in Houston and Houston has elements that remind me of places in New Jersey in terms of if your only experience in Houston is just driving through town on Interstate 10, or if you've only flown into the airport, your perspective is, oh, it's industrial, there's a lot of manufacturing, chemicals, and it seems like not a great place to live. But when you get off the beaten path and you get into the real neighborhoods and the rural areas, you realize just how beautiful much of the state is. Larry Drummond: New Jersey is very much like that. A lot of people have the perception that everything is like how it is right around Newark Airport there and I could tell you it's not. When you get 30 minutes outside of that area, as you probably know, there's so many beautiful areas. David Spray: Yeah. So what about the future of the organization? What are you and the board excited about over the next five to 10 years? Larry Drummond: What we're excited about and what we've been working on is really to try and expand a bit to what I call sort of underserved segments and not optimally served geographical areas. So yes, we are the International Precious Metal Institute with heavy membership from North America and Europe, but we also have a lot of member companies from Asia. So in terms of the underrepresented segments, we've been working with the jewelry industry to try and expand the members and the attendees that we get directly from the jewelry industry. We have a bunch of people involved from the jewelry scrap side of things. Actual jewelry manufacturers were trying to expand on that. And so we've collaboratively joined forces, if you will, with CJO, CIBJO, which is basically an association of associations of the jewelry industry and we have an event. They're actually celebrating their hundredth year this September in Italy and we'll be attending that event. So we've been attending for the past couple of years now to try and build on that. And geographically, one of the key areas, again, we're trying to work on a bit more and again, collaboratively in the Asia Pacific area with different organizations there to try and, again, cross fertilize it a bit as best we can. As an example, we have people speaking at conferences there and vice versa, inviting various people to speak at our event. In fact, you'll see it's pretty predominant. On the Monday morning we have a session called the World of Precious Metal Finance Gold and Silver, and we have three different speakers from Asia as part of that gold and silver panel. David Spray: Oh, that is great. And I noticed that on the agenda. I plan to go to as many of the events or the educational things just to learn as much as I can. But like you mentioned, I think my assistant already has me tentatively scheduled for about 15 meetings while I'm there. So it'll be a balance. Larry Drummond: One of the things I wanted to mention about, and this is, I think, important for those, especially people coming for the first time, is we've consciously adjusted these agendas over the past few years. If you go back in time, some of the IPMI meetings from many years ago, it was technical sessions all day long and then people just felt the need for meetings. Then there was three to four hour sessions for a bunch of years, but what I've done since I took over is we've really changed the timing of the sessions to be either 75 or 90 minutes, some are 60 minutes so that someone like yourself, they have 15 meetings and there's some people that may have even more meetings than that, you can pick and choose when you're doing, say, "Listen, all right, I really need to go to that golden silver one or this one." So when you're scheduling your meetings, you can then take that 90 minutes and just block it out so that you can attend certain sessions that you really feel that you want to. The other thing I've mentioned too is in the case that you just simply can't make those sessions, all attendees get a complete prospectus of all the presentations That are made after the conference. And the only asterisk I'd put on that is that we have to get authors permission to release their presentation to everyone. But I can tell you from past experience, it's like 99% of those presenting give us the authority to send it to all attendees. So that's another benefit that you have that if you are tied up in meetings that you still will get access to those presentations. David Spray: Well, that is great to know. And I think you said you joined the industry, you joined Englehart in 79, is Larry Drummond: That David Spray: Right? Larry Drummond: Yes. David Spray: So you've been involved with IPMI for almost its entire time of Larry Drummond: Being? No, I wouldn't go that far because again, I came up through finance. I was a very young accountant for hard back and David Spray: Stuff. Oh, okay. Larry Drummond: But as I grew into mid-management, if you will, by the mid 90s, that's when I started to get more involved with things like the IPMI. David Spray: I see. Okay. So you've only been involved about half the time that Larry Drummond: It's- Yeah, so just slightly more than half. Yeah. David Spray: Okay. And I'm just curious, since you've been involved in the industry, what comes to mind as one of the one or two biggest changes in the industry since you've been involved? Larry Drummond: I think really what's developed over time is this, I saw it when I first got involved, but it's much more so today, is the openness and transparency. So again, going back to what I said on the earlier part of this podcast about these building relationships, it's a two-way street obviously for everyone. But one of the unique things about this industry is that someone can be your customer, vendor, and competitor at the same exact time. David Spray: Isn't that interesting? Larry Drummond: And so I think that's what I've seen develop more and more as time goes on is this real sort of congruence of those kind of relationships. And as you'll see, when you attend the events, there's a lot of critical and detailed information exchanged. And obviously in private meetings, there's even more, but I think that's one of the key things that we've seen is that real transparency. David Spray: No, that sounds great. And it sounds like what maybe hasn't changed is just the importance of the relationships. That probably sounds like that's been consistent over the whole time. Larry Drummond: That's key. And those relationships, even with your competitors, I can't say there's any kind of big precious metal company that something hasn't gone wrong in your operation at some point in time. Let's just say you're taking an inventory and you're supposed to be back up in operation next Monday and something happens and, "Hey, listen, you're going to be delayed a week." I've personally been involved in situations where you could pick up the phone and call your competitor and say, "Listen, I need help for about a week," and they will handle some of your materials and not steal your customer because they know one day they may pick up the phone and call you and say, "Hey, listen, we had a power failure, we had this, " whatever the situation was, but that they may need a helping hand too. So that's one of the key things that's really great about those relationships. David Spray: What about has the center of the gold industry shifted more to the Middle East or the Middle East role? Has that changed over time? Larry Drummond: Well, obviously there's a lot going on in the Middle East, but there's a big shift in that into the Asian market and that's one of the reasons why we have a predominance of Asian presenters and panelists as part of that golden silver session. David Spray: Okay. These record high prices, what's the impact of that on the industry other than I would assume ... Well, why don't I just ask you, what's been the impact of that? Has it been a good thing, a bad thing? Is it neutral for the industry? Larry Drummond: Well, I'd say overall for a lot of our members, it's a good thing, but it's a good thing that didn't also come with a lot of pain, if you will, along the way. So yes, generally speaking, the higher prices are better, but there was also a tremendous increase in the financing costs. And so as an example, if you think about the sort of supply chain of gold scraps, so this we buy gold stuff. So there's a corner store in a little shopping center where you live, we buy gold and that sells to another person who sells to another person who sells to maybe depending on the size of that operation, a couple of steps involved before we get a member company buying bigger lots and then it winds up going to the ultimate, what I call primary refiners or smelters where they're taking in scrap and their output is fine gold that's deliverable to the various exchanges like the London, Abullion Market Association, things like that, or into New York. But because so much material came out when this price came up, many of the refiners were getting filled up in terms of their capacity very quickly. And in this sort of refining gold business, it's a beat the clock kind of situation where you're settling with your customer and then you're transforming that metal into fin metal in your operation and then selling it to the marketplace. And So from the time you settle with your customer, which there's generally a preliminary settlement for almost the whole value of the lot upon receipt or day or so, a couple of days after receipt, you're financing that medal. So what a lot of member companies found was just inundated with material. And the issue is yes, even though you could possibly make more money because of the higher prices and the very slim percentage that they contractually get to retain as part of their commercial transaction, if the finance costs and the operation costs exceed that, then you're losing money on that lot. So there was a period of time where everyone along the line from the small guy all the way up, the financing cost and the timing of free capacity affected the situation. David Spray: Wow. Wow. Well, Larry, I can't believe how the time has flown by. Was there anything I didn't ask you that you wish I had? Larry Drummond: No, I'll just maybe put one final plugin for our annual conference. Again, for those of you who have never been to an IPMI conference, this would be a very good one to start your IPMI journey on. So again, June 6th to 9th in Orlando, Florida. There's still time to register if you go to wipi.org. All the information is there for you to see. And David, perhaps I can send you a link as well that maybe you can put at the end of the register registration link at the end of the podcast. David Spray: Yeah, please do that. And we also can put it in the email body itself that goes out to our email recipients and then in the show notes as well. Larry Drummond: Okay. David Spray: Well, Larry, thank you for your time. And like I said, I look forward to meeting you in person in a few weeks in Orlando. Larry Drummond: Okay. Look forward to seeing you. Thank you very much, David. David Spray: Thank you. There we have it. Another great episode. Thanks for listening in. If you want to continue the conversation, go to iciscshow.com. That's icy-d-icow.com. And we have additional information on the podcast, archived episodes, as well as a button to be a guest. So if you'd like to be a guest, go select that and fill out the information and we'd love to have you on the show. So that's it. We'll be back next time with another episode of The Icy Disc Show.

We talk a lot about the ultra-premium credit cards with expensive annual fees, but there are plenty of people interested in credit cards with more modest annual fees. Luckily, there are some great $95 credit cards that can be supplemented with fee-free cards for a great travel rewards strategy. Giant Mailbag(01:20) - Melissa writes in with a question about locking in Hyatt prices before May 20th(04:48) - Jonathan writes in offering a few key data points to update our Hyatt points advance article, which you can find hereCard News(08:48) - American Express adds $300 in ChatGPT credits on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Business Gold Cards(12:40) - See our updated resource for the best cards for Priority Pass hereCrazy Thing: Priority Pass Restaurants(16:04) - Priority Pass RestaurantsAwards, Points, and More(18:02) - Mastercard Launches Mastercard Airport Dining Experience (‘Taste By/Of Priceless' Airport Lounges)(22:13) - JetBlue and United Unlock Reciprocal Loyalty Benefits(25:51) - Read Nick's post about Citi Travel for rental cars here(30:49) - Read more about Sixt offering prepaid fuel for $49.99 for rentals in the US for Sixt ONE members here(34:31) - Points Path Pro now shows United discounted cardholder pricing(36:23) - Read more about how to keep airline miles and hotel points alive hereMain Event: Best $95 travel credit card combo(37:37) - We'll focus on which combination of credit cards might make sense for someone to use, but we'll stick to a $95 annual fee budget. We'll focus on transferable points and include cash back that can be converted to transferable points(40:27) - Capital One(42:21) - Chase(47:54) - Citi(52:03) - Wells Fargo(56:07) - Other considerations(1:01:05) - Best Mixed-Bank $95 Wallet(1:10:40) - Nick's pick for best $95 wallet(1:13:39) - Greg's pick for best $95 walletSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

Do any of the luxury hotel booking platforms (like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®) allow booking for others? If you are hotel chain agnostic, should you have a hotel credit card? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on May 6th, 2026.(00:16) - I have 14999 Delta Sky Miles and need one more lousy point to be able to book an award ticket. I can transfer 1000 points from Amex, but that seems like a waste. I tried to convince Delta support to comp me a point, but they were seemingly unable to help. Any suggestions (other than getting the Delta Amex card)? (04:03) - If you have complete flexibility to position to any airport in Europe to fly home to the USA, are flexible on arrival airport in the USA/Canada/Mexico, and time wasn't a constraint, but you would like a good points redemption in J (not first), where would you position to and which airline would you book on? (08:39) - ​If you are hotel chain agnostic, should you have a hotel credit card? (12:24) - Question on 5/24 if over, are there any data points on the United or Southwest business card? (14:38) - Should we now value Membership Rewards points higher than Chase Ultimate Rewards points? I'd rather have an American Express Platinum Card® than a Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card at this point. Would you guys disagree? (19:50) - Do any of the luxury hotel booking platforms (e.g., Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®, The Edit by Chase Travel℠, etc.) allow booking for others? (22:57) - ​At what cash back rate do you prefer cash over miles/points (excluding when you are working on a welcome offer)? (27:50) - Do you think we'll finally see an Ultimate Rewards Hyatt transfer bonus in the future? (30:15) - Question - Greg has mentioned a few times about being able to pay for the fees on British Airways with Avios, as a card benefit. I can't seem to see how to make that work. Any more details? (34:43) - ​For airlines that allow a stopover on an award flight, has your experience required a phone call reservation, or have you booked a stopover online? (37:03) - ​Can I apply corporate codes when booking hotels through Rove? Can Rove act like a shopping portal? Get corporate rates and Rove miles. (39:00) - ​​Is it possible to product change the old aviator if I've had it for less than a year now that it was product changed? I know banks frown upon this before the first annual fee posts. (40:58) - ​Barclays American Airlines card transferred to Citi. What would be the best course of action to get the welcome offer on the Citi American Airlines card now that I have one, but haven't previously gotten the welcome offer? (44:01) - ​​Does the FM team know if I make a reservation with the 25k Atmos Summit Companion certificate, and later cancel the reservation before the original expiry, if the certificate is returned and can be reused? (44:38) - ​Can I use Hyatt points for suite upgrades with cash booking through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®? (45:49) - ​​​What's each team member's biggest regret in their points and miles journey?Mentioned in this episode:Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

In today's episode, Nick owns up to his mistake: Yes, you can lock in Hyatt prices with Points Advance. Then we'll talk about paying rent with the Alaska Atmos Summit card, and which points programs are trending up or down. Mea culpa(01:23) - Oops: Nick made a mistake about Hyatt Points Advance in the originally published version of our Question of the WeekFind the (now edited) Question of the Week here: https://frequentmiler.com/can-i-save-points-on-a-hyatt-award-with-a-date-change-trick-question-of-the-week-ep2-5-4-26/Learn more about Hyatt Points Advance here: https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-points-advance/Giant Mailbag(05:44) - Ben discusses paying rent with the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® CardFind our podcast episode about big bonuses for huge spend here: https://frequentmiler.com/best-bonuses-for-huge-spend-frequent-miler-on-the-air-ep356-5-1-26/Card News(09:10) - Chase Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card/Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card application rule changes(13:32) - Barclays JetBlue Premier MastercardRead more about the Barclays JetBlue Premier Mastercard here: https://frequentmiler.com/JetBluePremier/#GotoAwards, Points, and More(15:20) - Rove adds Aeroplan as transfer partnerRead more about Rove adding Air Canada Aeroplan as its newest transfer partner here: https://frequentmiler.com/rove-miles-adds-air-canada-aeroplan-as-its-newest-transfer-partner/(17:10) - How to combine Citi ThankYou accounts (and what might be getting in your way)Learn more about combining your Citi ThankYou accounts here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-combine-citi-thankyou-accounts/(22:43) - Qatar is limiting Avios redemptions in terms of who you can redeem forMain Event: Transferable Points Changing Fortunes(25:36) - "Trending up" doesn't mean it is now a better program than one "trending down". It might be, but it also might just be closing the gap a little.(26:54) - Programs we think are trending down...(41:07) - Programs we think are staying about even(44:32) - Programs we think are trending up...Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/

Our guest this week is Mike Schugt of Orlando, FL, a former hotel and hospitality executive, founder of INNclusivity and fahter of two daughters. Mike and his x-wife are the proud parents of two young adult daughters.  After a successful career in the hospitality industry including senior roles at: Hyatt Regency, Hilton Hotels and Teneo Group, Mike has founded INNclusivity, a non-profit whose mission is: empowering adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to build meaningful careers in the hospitality industry by creating pathways to independence, purpose, and professional success.It's an inspring story about being a social entrepreneur, taking for-profit principles and bringing them to bear for the benfit of the community all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes -Phone – (407) 973-5253Email – mike@innclusivity.orgWebsite - https://innclusivity.org/Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tdvjcvJoin 21CD on the SFN U.S. Tour, a 30 day, 50 state, 60+ stop tour taking place from May 21 to June 21, 2026: to strengthen and grow the Special Fathers Network as well as give away 2,000 copies of our new book.  Special Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Join the SFN U.S. Tour in one of 60+ locations all across the U.S. from May 21st to June 21st.  Go to www.21stCenturyDads.org for additional informaiton. Please conisder hosting, co-hosting or simoly joining the tour near your home.  Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

(Disclaimer: Click 'more' to see ad disclosure) Geobreeze Travel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.  ➤ Free points 101 course (includes hotel upgrade email template)https://geobreezetravel.com/freecourse  ➤ Free credit card consultations https://airtable.com/apparEqFGYkas0LHl/shrYFpUr2zutt5515 ➤ Seats.Aero: https://geobreezetravel.com/seatsaero ➤ Request a free personalized award search tutorial: https://go.geobreezetravel.com/ast-form If you are interested in supporting this show when you apply for your next card, check out https://geobreezetravel.com/cards and if you're not sure what card is right for you, I offer free credit card consultations athttps://geobreezetravel.com/consultations!Timestamps:00:00 Devaluation Alert Overview00:25 Hyatt Category Changes00:50 Certificate Strategy Tips03:46 Book Before May 2004:34 Aeroplan Award Price Hikes05:20 Europe and Asia Examples08:07 Redeem Before June 202609:05 Chase Edit Portal Devalues11:15 Finding Value With EditMaxer12:37 British Airways Status Chaos14:12 Earning Oneworld Status Alternatives16:49 Wrap Up and Next VideoYou can find Julia at: ➤ Free course: https://julia-s-school-9209.thinkific.com/courses/your-first-points-redemption➤ Website: https://geobreezetravel.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geobreezetravel/➤ Credit card links: https://www.geobreezetravel.com/cards➤ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geobreezetravelOpinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. The content of this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available.

From credit card chaos to major points wins, in this episode of Wonderland on Points we're sharing the real-life ups and downs of traveling with points and miles. We walk through our frustrating experience applying for the Bilt Rewards Card, including identity verification hurdles and what to do when systems don't work the way they should. We also break down new updates from Bilt Rewards, how we maximize earnings through Rakuten and American Express Membership Rewards, and the creative strategies we use to stretch our points even further. Plus, we share some of our favorite recent travel moments—from booking a quick getaway with World of Hyatt points to navigating last-minute changes for a Savannah Bananas game—and the practical tips that help us stay flexible and make the most of every trip.Mentioned in this Episode:Girl's Trip Interest Form (April 7-10, 2027)Rakuten- Mary Ellen (Get 5000 AMEX or Bilt POINTS)Rakuten- Joanna (Get 5000 AMEX or Bilt POINTS)Find Us On Online:Sign Up for the Y! Wonder Travel NewsletterWonderland on Points Youtube ChannelMary Ellen | JoFacebook GroupAffiliate Links:Mary Ellen's Fetch (Use code MARYELLEN!)Joanna's Fetch (Use code JOANNALYNN)Mary Ellen's Upside (Use code KV4QC)Joanna's Upside (Use Code JOANNA32944)CardpointersHalara (use code "Wonderland" for 10% off)Tobiq 15%Our Favorite Travel NecessitiesWe receive a small commission when you choose to use any of our links to purchase your products or apply for your cards! We SO appreciate when you choose to give back to the podcast in this way!

Can I save points on a Hyatt award with a date change trick? Frequent Miler reader Matt wrote:I recently succeeded in changing a Hyatt award stay to avoid cancelling and forfeiting the Hyatt points. I'm wondering if that could be a strategy to leap past the upcoming changes to the World of Hyatt program. For example, I would create a reservation using points at a Hyatt property now and change the date later for a stay that is currently not bookable because it is more than 13 months away. Has anyone successfully used this strategy in previous years when category changes were announced, avoiding the need to make up point differences due to the associated program changes at that time? I understand that this is highly prospective and perhaps wishful thinking, but it could mean a sizeable savings in Hyatt points!We've been answering a reader or listener question at the end of each Frequent Miler on the Air podcast episode. Now, we've turned the question of the week into its own weekly episode. Tune in every Monday at 5pm for our Question of the Week podcast. And if you have your own question you'd like to submit, you can send it to mailbag@frequentmiler.com.Mentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

Planning a Hawaii trip with points? In this episode of Wonderland on Points, we sit down with Jamie to break down her incredible family vacation to Kauai and how she used smart points and miles strategies to save over 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS. We cover how she booked the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa using World of Hyatt points, flight strategies with Hawaiian Airlines and the Southwest Companion Pass, and what it's really like traveling Hawaii with kids. From exploring Waimea Canyon to finding the best local food spots and using tools like the Shaka Guide, this episode is packed with Hawaii travel tips, Kauai itinerary ideas, and practical ways to maximize points and miles for a dream family vacation.Mentioned in this Episode:Previous episode with JamieFind Us On Online:Sign Up for the Y! Wonder Travel NewsletterWonderland on Points Youtube ChannelMary Ellen | JoFacebook GroupAffiliate Links:CardpointersHalara (use code "Wonderland" for 10% off)Tobiq 15%Our Favorite Travel NecessitiesWe receive a small commission when you choose to use any of our links to purchase your products or apply for your cards! We SO appreciate when you choose to give back to the podcast in this way!Keywords Hawaii travel, Kauai travel guide, Grand Hyatt Kauai, World of Hyatt points, Hawaii with points, family travel Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines miles, Southwest Companion Pass, Kauai itinerary, Waimea Canyon, travel rewards, points and miles, Hawaii travel tips

Peloton's new "Note To Self" feature is the talk of the community this week, and Crystal and Tom break down what it is, how it works, and what riders are saying about it. In other fun news, Crystal herself was featured on Peloton's "At The Next Table" episode 4, where she spoke about the importance of Peloton community members. This week also brings Peloton senior pricing news, a new Hyatt partnership, exclusive content landing on Spotify, and a sold-out Sapphire Chase Experience. On the instructor front, Becs Gentry ran a 50K ultramarathon, Matt Wilpers tackled the London Marathon, Mariana Fernandez hits her 5-year Peloton anniversary, and Adrian Williams and Tunde Oyeneyin team up for a 2-for-1 Strength class with a fun announcement. Plus Club Bangers is back, Denis Morton dives into Jagged Little Pill, and there's a brand new Low Impact + Arms class type to know about. New episodes every Friday wherever you listen to podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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/

Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Are low-cost airlines still actually low-cost? This week on Miles To Go, Ed and Richard revisit the evolving situation around Spirit Airlines and what the future may hold for budget carriers as costs continue to rise. Even if Spirit survives, the bigger question remains: can the ultra-low-cost model still work in today's environment? That question becomes even more relevant when looking at Frontier's pricing. Flights that once defined "cheap travel" are creeping closer to legacy airline pricing — raising questions about whether the value gap is disappearing. They also take a closer look at Chase's Points Boost feature for Sapphire Reserve cardholders. While the headline numbers look appealing, the actual footprint is extremely limited — and may not deliver the value many travelers expect. Plus, a deeper discussion on airline loyalty, why perception still matters more than reality for many travelers, and how new partnerships and offer strategies could shape the next phase of points and miles. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Spirit Airlines: still in the game? Ongoing uncertainty around Spirit's future Rising costs and pressure on the low-cost model Why competition still matters for travelers ✈️ Are "cheap flights" disappearing? Frontier pricing trends and rising fares Demand vs cost pressures Why low-cost carriers aren't as cheap as they used to be ✈️ The perception problem for budget airlines Why travelers still avoid Spirit and Frontier How product differences compare to legacy carriers Frequency and reliability concerns ✈️ Chase Points Boost: good idea, limited value 2.5x redemption headline vs reality Only ~11 properties available Why this feels more like a test than a real benefit ✈️ Airline vs OTA hotel booking strategies Loyalty program incentives vs portal bookings Why direct partnerships (like IHG + ANA) matter The future of travel offer ecosystems ✈️ Loyalty programs are changing Shift from points to targeted offers Why "earn more points" isn't enough anymore The role of personalization in travel rewards ✈️ Hyatt vs Marriott: does earning more points matter? Big differences in redemption costs Why point value matters more than point totals Where each program shines ⏱️ Episode 434 Timestamps  0:48 – Intro and recording from the NYC office 3:30 – Travel gear: Ridge battery pack review 6:48 – Spirit Airlines update and uncertainty 8:01 – Chase Points Boost: what you actually get 9:53 – Frontier pricing and the "cheap flight" question 10:44 – Rising costs for low-cost carriers 15:00 – Loyalty programs and why people still choose legacy airlines 17:15 – IHG + ANA partnership and loyalty shifts 20:00 – Offer-based loyalty vs traditional points earning 23:47 – Hyatt vs Marriott value comparison

Hyatt is changing their award charts on May 20th, 2026, and it's pretty devastating with a new 5-tier pricing system and huge increases in prices. Today, we'll see if there's some good news in all of this. (00:12) - New 5-level award charts: lowest, low, moderate, upper, top (prev: off-peak, standard, peak)(02:08) - Is there any good news?(06:59) - Some good news about premium suites(11:49) - Thoughts and analysisVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn HeadsMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler's Best Offers Pagehttps://frequentmiler.com/best-credit-card-offers/