Episode Details

• Get a $230 gift card after making a $500 payment with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio

Bank of America cards are getting a transfer partner in 2027, and it is a big one: Alaska Atmos. We get into what it could mean for Preferred Rewards members and why you might want to start stockpiling now. Mark also ran the real math on Alaska versus American status, and the answer is not what the headline numbers suggest. But first, a travel gripe session: European airports that will not tell you your gate until five minutes before boarding, Lisbon's surprisingly giant suitcases, and the day a flight attendant almost evicted Mark's backpack from the overhead bin. Plus Alaska is launching a debit card that earns status, and X Money is making debit interesting again. Are you team carry-on or team checked bag? Let us know in the comments.

Episode Guide:

• 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
• 0:24 Back to StarLux for Asia
• 1:11 Europe's Gate Problem & Lisbon's Giant Suitcases
• 4:36 A Gate Posted 5 Minutes Before Boarding
• 6:54 Team Carry-On & Mark's Backpack Standoff
• 10:40 The Two-Bag Problem & Never Fight a Flight Attendant
• 12:06 Bin Space Wars & Deplaning Etiquette
• 15:08 Alaska vs. AA Status: Mark Runs the Numbers
• 18:06 Welcome Offers vs. Status Spend (and Why Mark Picked AA)
• 20:32 Bank of America Points to Atmos in 2027
• 22:36 Preferred Rewards & Why to Stockpile Now
• 24:13 Alaska Is Launching a Debit Card
• 25:48 X Money & the Debit Card Comeback
• 26:52 Final Thoughts

Links

• Alaska changes - https://news.alaskaair.com/loyalty/atmos-rewards-expands/
• AA vs. Alaska status - https://milestomemories.com/alaska-atmos-or-american-aadvantage-status/

💳 Join our free Facebook group (16,000+ members)
🏆 Diamond Patreon — bonus shows + Slack community
🥇 Gold Membership ($10/mo)
🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
📖 Miles to Memories website