A Unicorn Starlux Award, Southwest Is Building Lounges & the Duct-Taped Passenger

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Shawn's InKind referral ($25 off $50) - https://milestomemories.com/go/inkind Shawn spent the weekend refreshing seats.aero and it paid off: a single Starlux business class saver to Taipei at 75,000 Alaska miles, even if it means leaving three days early. That kicks off a very Taiwan-heavy conversation about EVA, StarLux, the free Taipei stopover tour, and the JAL phantom space that keeps breaking our hearts. Then the story everyone saw this week: a first class passenger restrained with duct tape by fellow travelers, and the surprisingly complicated questions underneath it, from the legality of stepping in to why these midair meltdowns keep happening, plus the only would-you-rather that matters: duct taped in first or free in a middle seat? We also cover Benjy's underwhelming test of Flying Blue Platinum award space and the United cardholder trick that quietly beats it, Southwest and Chase teaming up on airport lounges with a premium card to match, and American expanding Flagship dining, which sparks our real philosophy: eat on the ground, sleep in the air. What is the best first class lounge you have ever visited? Let us know in the comments. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:25 A Unicorn StarLux Saver to Taipei 2:59 Taiwan's Three Great Airlines (and JAL Phantom Space) 4:47 The Duct-Taped First Class Passenger 7:24 Duct Taped in First or Free in a Middle Seat? 10:23 Airport Beers & Getting Kicked Off for Being Drunk 12:05 Flying Blue Platinum Award Space Disappoints 13:25 The United Cardholder Award Space Hack 15:32 Melio: $230 Gift Card After a $500 Payment 16:24 Southwest & Chase Are Building Lounges 19:59 AA Expands Flagship Dining 23:00 Eat on the Ground, Sleep in the Air 26:22 Final Thoughts Links Duct taped - https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/04/us/disruptive-passenger-duct-tape FlyingBlue space - https://milestomemories.com/flying-blue-platinum/ AA Dining - https://milestomemories.com/aa-flagship-dining/ Southwest lounges - https://www.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/lounges/ 📧 Free newsletter 💳 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