Episode Details

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