Friday, September 30, 2011
It's official, 15 hits have counted!
Um, but there's an issue. I had 16 as of 9/29. Let the neurotic behavior begin!
Vinesse posts miles, tiers finally appear
Well, they didn't get all sixteen of the hits that had posted, but I did get GS credit for the first three tiers, i.e., 12 of the hits. Hopefully, the rest will catch up in the next round.
Biscoff hit early this year and Vinesse pleasantly surprised me for my purchase of a wine cooler (recorded on US's website as a wine purchase), so there are two more hits that posted. The downside is, without my spreadsheet in front of me, I've lost track of exactly how many I have, although I believe the number of credited hits is 18. Since we're still in September, I'm not particularly concerned. Note that Vinesse was a concern since we didn't have confirmation that it would count as a hit without a subscription.
Beltway has reported on FT that people are getting credit for AR trivia, Vinesse non-wine hits and funding a Sharebuilder account without making a trade. All good signs for the Grand Slammers.
Biscoff hit early this year and Vinesse pleasantly surprised me for my purchase of a wine cooler (recorded on US's website as a wine purchase), so there are two more hits that posted. The downside is, without my spreadsheet in front of me, I've lost track of exactly how many I have, although I believe the number of credited hits is 18. Since we're still in September, I'm not particularly concerned. Note that Vinesse was a concern since we didn't have confirmation that it would count as a hit without a subscription.
Beltway has reported on FT that people are getting credit for AR trivia, Vinesse non-wine hits and funding a Sharebuilder account without making a trade. All good signs for the Grand Slammers.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
e-miles finally completed
Well, that was an unexpected surprise. I had a bunch of e-miles clicks waiting for me and I completed enough to put me over 500 miles. Deposits apparently occur monthly, but I couldn't tell you if I will get them 10/1 or 11/1. Hey, as long as it counts, I'm not complaining.
A little half and half anyone? Some bonuses starting to post...
So here's the scoop. A number of Flyertalkers are starting to report that their bonuses are posting. And some aren't. A number of people have called customer service at US and the general consensus is that there is no general consensus. It appears that the tier bonuses could appear anytime from tomorrow through the next two weeks. Great, combine airline customer service with IT and get pretty much any airline promotion that has run this year.
Most of the other news is good. It is virtually impossible to confirm, but it does appear that the Audience Rewards trivia is counting as a hit. This bonus is extra nice, since AR has proven very difficult to deal with. My Hertz hit posted, as did the Trackitback. People are reporting some issues with Sharebuilder, though.
I did manage to get a hit this weekend, eating at a local restaurant for Dividend Miles Dining. Zero cost, since I would have eaten there anyway. This hit was making me nervous. It is so simple to get that it would be easy to just keep putting it off and never getting around to it. Glad it's out of the way.
Most importantly, though, happy new year to everyone, Jewish or not. May your new year be fruitful and sweet. It's been rough around the country for the past year, so I'm rooting for everyone out there.
Most of the other news is good. It is virtually impossible to confirm, but it does appear that the Audience Rewards trivia is counting as a hit. This bonus is extra nice, since AR has proven very difficult to deal with. My Hertz hit posted, as did the Trackitback. People are reporting some issues with Sharebuilder, though.
I did manage to get a hit this weekend, eating at a local restaurant for Dividend Miles Dining. Zero cost, since I would have eaten there anyway. This hit was making me nervous. It is so simple to get that it would be easy to just keep putting it off and never getting around to it. Glad it's out of the way.
Most importantly, though, happy new year to everyone, Jewish or not. May your new year be fruitful and sweet. It's been rough around the country for the past year, so I'm rooting for everyone out there.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Any day now...
In theory, today is the day that we find out how many hits US has credited us for. Of course, in theory, Communism works.
Note: I will be out the remainder of this week and much of next, so there may not be much in the way of new posts, starting tomorrow.
Note: I will be out the remainder of this week and much of next, so there may not be much in the way of new posts, starting tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Buying US Airways miles for $28.68
This hit is always out there but I've been too lazy to do it. Until today. The hit was $27.50 plus 7.5% tax, although I get to subtract a few cents for the SPG points that I earned on my credit card. Who doesn't need 1,000 extra US miles, anyway?
It gets interesting for the next four hits. 20->24 hits gets me an additional 10,000 miles, but then it's an incremental 15K, followed by two jumps of 20. At that point, I'm simply trying to find the cheapest marginal hit.
It gets interesting for the next four hits. 20->24 hits gets me an additional 10,000 miles, but then it's an incremental 15K, followed by two jumps of 20. At that point, I'm simply trying to find the cheapest marginal hit.
Earned hit #11, AR trivia and the first posting of the hits
My Priority Club points posted overnight, so I have now gotten credited for 11 hits. It's always fun seeing my DM balance change and trying to guess what hit credited.
Audience Rewards trivia points also posted yesterday, which gives us a chance to see if those count as a hit. I think. I can't remember from last year whether they broke out which hits you had actually received.
Speaking of which, the chatter on FT is that tomorrow will be the first day that we will see how many hits we officially have. US posts hit totals every two weeks or so. Hopefully, it comes through.
Audience Rewards trivia points also posted yesterday, which gives us a chance to see if those count as a hit. I think. I can't remember from last year whether they broke out which hits you had actually received.
Speaking of which, the chatter on FT is that tomorrow will be the first day that we will see how many hits we officially have. US posts hit totals every two weeks or so. Hopefully, it comes through.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Three hits and a miss
Alas, the first hit got pulled back today, as the Audience Rewards show that I bought (Brass something-or-other) got cancelled. Of course, no one bothered to tell me, so I didn't find out until I called. Good thing that I did. For now, I'm going to see what happens with the trivia points, but I have a feeling I'll be buying another ticket.
The plus side is that I got two cheapos and a potential cheapo. I bought my wife a teddy bear on FTD (With the romantic message, ""Happy birthday! You're worth every one of the 650 miles (and 93 Starwood points) I earned from ordering this!") and some flowers on Teleflora. Total cost? -$15.16. Negative? How did I pull that off? Well, it turns out that what I bought her this year is a grand total of $15.16 less than the cost of the flowers I would have bought her locally. Hey, those costs work both ways.
Vinesse could be an issue. FTer dsquared37 turned me on to a wine chiller, which cost me $10.70, after $.75 shipping (versus the free shipping that others seem to have gotten). There is still some controversy over whether a non-subscription is good for miles and, therefore, a hit. The T&C on Vinesse's website may or may not indicate that a wine purchase is required. Of course, those T&C are also from 2009, so take it for what it's worth. If it does come through, it's a cheap hit for a wine chiller that I will never use for the wine that I don't drink.
The plus side is that I got two cheapos and a potential cheapo. I bought my wife a teddy bear on FTD (With the romantic message, ""Happy birthday! You're worth every one of the 650 miles (and 93 Starwood points) I earned from ordering this!") and some flowers on Teleflora. Total cost? -$15.16. Negative? How did I pull that off? Well, it turns out that what I bought her this year is a grand total of $15.16 less than the cost of the flowers I would have bought her locally. Hey, those costs work both ways.
Vinesse could be an issue. FTer dsquared37 turned me on to a wine chiller, which cost me $10.70, after $.75 shipping (versus the free shipping that others seem to have gotten). There is still some controversy over whether a non-subscription is good for miles and, therefore, a hit. The T&C on Vinesse's website may or may not indicate that a wine purchase is required. Of course, those T&C are also from 2009, so take it for what it's worth. If it does come through, it's a cheap hit for a wine chiller that I will never use for the wine that I don't drink.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Will Hertz be the one that hurts me this year?
Pardon the pun.
My Hertz hit from last week really should be hitting any minute now, and it shouldn't be a problem. But I haven't seen anything yet and I got a PM from a FTer who was told at the location that I went to that Hertz won't give miles for the hourlies. Ouch. If I can't get the Hertz/rental car hits, 36 is pretty much out of the question.
My Hertz hit from last week really should be hitting any minute now, and it shouldn't be a problem. But I haven't seen anything yet and I got a PM from a FTer who was told at the location that I went to that Hertz won't give miles for the hourlies. Ouch. If I can't get the Hertz/rental car hits, 36 is pretty much out of the question.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Nothing to report today, but a big hello...
Nothing new today. No new hits, no new confirms. Rats.
But a big hello to everyone who attended the Boston Do last night. I enjoyed putting a lot of names to handles.
But a big hello to everyone who attended the Boston Do last night. I enjoyed putting a lot of names to handles.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Supershuttle hits, and fortunately, my wife's birthday is in October...
Turns out there are three flower-related hits (1800flowers, ftd and teleflora), a fact that had escaped my attention earlier. Shipping is the killer with both of these, with the shipping costing as much as the cheapest items!
My DFW Super Shuttle no-show hit. Thanks to FTer Heffa, who was kind enough to check a bunch of us in when we all missed our non-existent flights to DFW and weren't able to get to our non-existent Hyatt reservations.
My DFW Super Shuttle no-show hit. Thanks to FTer Heffa, who was kind enough to check a bunch of us in when we all missed our non-existent flights to DFW and weren't able to get to our non-existent Hyatt reservations.
Office Max is working! Hit #20
Thanks to the folks who kept on the companies to get the Office Max link working. I've needed a new calculator, so the cost of the calculator didn't count against my total, although the shipping did. Total cost for the hit was $7.98.
Since this was hit #20, I hit another step and reduced my cost per mile to $.008. Not near my target of $.005, but still not terrible.
Since this was hit #20, I hit another step and reduced my cost per mile to $.008. Not near my target of $.005, but still not terrible.
Hit #19 and some mild disappointment
Hit #19 goes to DM shopping, which is one of the ultra-cheap hits. I bought a couple of songs through the itunes link which I was planning to buy anyway, so that's a freebie hit for me. The problem is that I often have trouble getting credited for itunes downloads through affiliate sites, so I'll have to keep an eye on this one.
We've now reached that stage in the promo where I get disappointed if my balance doesn't change overnight. Not a big deal, but I've done enough hits that I expect to see more miles each day when I wake up. Still, I'm doing my hits earlier this year than I did previously, so it'll give me more time to watch and wait.
We've now reached that stage in the promo where I get disappointed if my balance doesn't change overnight. Not a big deal, but I've done enough hits that I expect to see more miles each day when I wake up. Still, I'm doing my hits earlier this year than I did previously, so it'll give me more time to watch and wait.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
An oldie but goodie: Track it Back makes hit #18
Lucky #18 and the half-way point belongs to Track it Back, a company that produces little stickers that you can put on the back of electronic goods so that people can return them if you lose them. TiB is best known in FF circles, however, as the guys who were offering 40 miles per dollar while US was doing a 250% partner bonus promo, allowing scores of frequent flyers to earn 140 miles per dollar spent. Ah, the good ol' days. $24.57 for a sticker gives them a great profit margin and me another hit. That includes the world's most expensive shipping envelope at $4.99.
SkyMall and my Wyndham points conversion were kind enough to post last night, giving me nine veritable hits.
SkyMall and my Wyndham points conversion were kind enough to post last night, giving me nine veritable hits.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I'm on the Interweb! Hit #17 from Network Solutions
I now have a domain name that I may never use, but the $25.31 was a reasonable price for hit #17. Note: You will get 2,000 US miles for doing a 3-year registration, through the link on the shopping page (It says only 1,000.). Use code RETAIL70AF on the page with the slider (how many years you are choosing) and it will knock the price down by 70%.
My seventh hit posted last night, so that's always a good feeling. My pierced ribbon votives arrived yesterday and man, are they ugly.
My seventh hit posted last night, so that's always a good feeling. My pierced ribbon votives arrived yesterday and man, are they ugly.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
And Priority Club makes 16
Valuing PC points at 0.6c each, I made a $60 hit to transfer 10K PC points into US. That's hit #16 and worth another 8,000 miles or so. Yup, this was a lazy hit, but one that I would have to do anyway, so I might as well get it out of the way early. I just hate the expensive ones.
Unfortunately, this transfer could not be done on line, so I had to spend several minutes on the phone with someone who kept verifying my information over and over and then told me that my frequent flyer number didn't match the one on account. PC makes it easy to get points, but doing anything else with them is like pulling teeth. I have been put on hold several times, because they can't replace the fake number with mine.
Two more hits credited today, Thanks Again and well, something else, I think SPG. That's six in total that have actually credited. I'm a little worried about the Super Shuttle hit. Hopefully, DFW didn't close down the no-show loophole. And I even tipped the phantom driver!
Unfortunately, this transfer could not be done on line, so I had to spend several minutes on the phone with someone who kept verifying my information over and over and then told me that my frequent flyer number didn't match the one on account. PC makes it easy to get points, but doing anything else with them is like pulling teeth. I have been put on hold several times, because they can't replace the fake number with mine.
Two more hits credited today, Thanks Again and well, something else, I think SPG. That's six in total that have actually credited. I'm a little worried about the Super Shuttle hit. Hopefully, DFW didn't close down the no-show loophole. And I even tipped the phantom driver!
Give a Christmas Dog Collar to the SPCA from Skymall
If you need a cheap hit, there is an inexpensive Christmas dog collar on Skymall. I'm happy to take a collection of them if you want to send them my way and donate them to the MSPCA after the promo is done. PM me at Flyertalk (mikeef) or leave your email below and I'll contact you with my address.
Mike
Mike
Batteries cancelled, need to redo Skymall hit?
Seriously? The merchant ran out of 9 volt batteries? I'm ordering this, instead. My wife will love me for it.
Mike
Mike
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hertz rental bonanza, otherwise known as "Oh, no, she's making him a sandwich!"
(Kudos if you get the obscure Simpsons reference in the title.)
For those of you who are lucky enough to live in Boston, New York or Stamford, you have a special Hertz opportunity for an easy hit. Hertz offers hourly rentals in these cities, and while you may have to pay some extra taxes or fees (My $12 hit totaled $24.83 after getting hosed by Boston's convention tax.), it's a good marginal hit if you are getting toward the end. 50 miles, which is 49 more than the hit requires.
I'll get my six rental car hits easily this year, which is a plus, since I was using lunches at Starwood for hits last year, and those are now less likely, with the 200 point hotel minimum.
Note: Certain rental agencies will not give you points for rentals that do not take place at an airport. Please check and make sure your agency is not one of them.
The following conversation took place this weekend:
Me: Oh, I have to run over to the Park Plaza Hotel on Monday.
DW: Why?
Me: I'm having an affair.
DW: (After five minutes of laughing): Seriously, why?
Me: What, you don't believe somebody would have an affair with me?
DW: Okay, what points scheme is this related to?
In Boston, the Hertz "hourly rental" place is across from the Boston Park Plaza hotel. The guy told me that I needed to take the car out once he did the paperwork, but once he realized that I truly had no interest in it, he just checked me back in. He understood once I told him it was a mileage promo. Total was $25.60, due to non-amortized Convention Center tax. The receipt said "50 miles awarded" and gave my DM number.
Total transaction time: about four minutes. It's worth noting that, when I told my wife that, she started to get nervous that I actually was having an affair.
Mike
For those of you who are lucky enough to live in Boston, New York or Stamford, you have a special Hertz opportunity for an easy hit. Hertz offers hourly rentals in these cities, and while you may have to pay some extra taxes or fees (My $12 hit totaled $24.83 after getting hosed by Boston's convention tax.), it's a good marginal hit if you are getting toward the end. 50 miles, which is 49 more than the hit requires.
I'll get my six rental car hits easily this year, which is a plus, since I was using lunches at Starwood for hits last year, and those are now less likely, with the 200 point hotel minimum.
Note: Certain rental agencies will not give you points for rentals that do not take place at an airport. Please check and make sure your agency is not one of them.
The following conversation took place this weekend:
Me: Oh, I have to run over to the Park Plaza Hotel on Monday.
DW: Why?
Me: I'm having an affair.
DW: (After five minutes of laughing): Seriously, why?
Me: What, you don't believe somebody would have an affair with me?
DW: Okay, what points scheme is this related to?
In Boston, the Hertz "hourly rental" place is across from the Boston Park Plaza hotel. The guy told me that I needed to take the car out once he did the paperwork, but once he realized that I truly had no interest in it, he just checked me back in. He understood once I told him it was a mileage promo. Total was $25.60, due to non-amortized Convention Center tax. The receipt said "50 miles awarded" and gave my DM number.
Total transaction time: about four minutes. It's worth noting that, when I told my wife that, she started to get nervous that I actually was having an affair.
Mike
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Share miles weekend hit
Shared miles with a FTer and got a hit at a cost of about $31. Again, a little high, but it's one I would have done, anyway. The danger with these weekend hits is that I don't have my spreadsheet in front of me and am having trouble keeping track. Thus, the blog.
I have officially gotten three hits to credit now, the points.com transfer, which took about two days, and the mileage share and magazine redemptions, which were essentially instantaneous. I'll keep an eye on the rest and update them as they come in.
I'm going to start looking at local car rentals this week. Speaking of which, if you are reading this, feel free to check out the rates through the adsense link that is somewhere on this page. No, I don't get referral fees, but I think google gives me money or something if people click on my ads. I'm not too up on this whole interweb thingie.
Mike
I have officially gotten three hits to credit now, the points.com transfer, which took about two days, and the mileage share and magazine redemptions, which were essentially instantaneous. I'll keep an eye on the rest and update them as they come in.
I'm going to start looking at local car rentals this week. Speaking of which, if you are reading this, feel free to check out the rates through the adsense link that is somewhere on this page. No, I don't get referral fees, but I think google gives me money or something if people click on my ads. I'm not too up on this whole interweb thingie.
Mike
Friday, September 16, 2011
Five more hits, but don't forget that "apply" button
Took a big hit today for $70, with a Wyndham transfer. I have a feeling that I'm going to discover that this one is not worth the money in the end, but if I'm stuck at 36 hits, I'll be okay with it. I traded Marriott points with another FTer for it.
Spent 500 US miles for Fast Company magazine. I could have done Sunset for 400 miles, but there's a chance I'll actually read FM.
Other hits: Thanksagain got me a restaurant.com cert. Use promo code Savor for 80% off. FTer Heffa was kind enough to offer to check a bunch of us in at Super Shuttle, so that was another hit. Finally, some $.99 batteries at SkyMall got me a hit. I hope they give credit for hits under $1, but at three miles per hit, they'll owe me at least two miles.
The "Apply" button came into effect twice today. For Restaurant.com, when you enter the promo code, you have to hit "Apply" to get it to take. For SkyMall, you have to hit the button after you enter your US number. Don't leave it out.
I'm now at 13 hits and running at $.008-.009 per hit. Good, but not great. That Wyndham hit is going to end up costing me, although I may be valuing Marriott points that aren't going to get used effectively. I keep finding cheap hits that I had missed previously, so all is good for now. Hopefully, as the number of miles goes up, I'll be able to keep the costs down.
Spent 500 US miles for Fast Company magazine. I could have done Sunset for 400 miles, but there's a chance I'll actually read FM.
Other hits: Thanksagain got me a restaurant.com cert. Use promo code Savor for 80% off. FTer Heffa was kind enough to offer to check a bunch of us in at Super Shuttle, so that was another hit. Finally, some $.99 batteries at SkyMall got me a hit. I hope they give credit for hits under $1, but at three miles per hit, they'll owe me at least two miles.
The "Apply" button came into effect twice today. For Restaurant.com, when you enter the promo code, you have to hit "Apply" to get it to take. For SkyMall, you have to hit the button after you enter your US number. Don't leave it out.
I'm now at 13 hits and running at $.008-.009 per hit. Good, but not great. That Wyndham hit is going to end up costing me, although I may be valuing Marriott points that aren't going to get used effectively. I keep finding cheap hits that I had missed previously, so all is good for now. Hopefully, as the number of miles goes up, I'll be able to keep the costs down.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Seven hits today...
The good news is, I did seven hits today. If all eight credit (and they should, since none of them is a "controversial" hit), that's 10,000 miles at just under 0.6 per mile.
Biscoff: Anna's sampler for $8.47, plus $5.00 in shipping (subtracting out $.40 for the value of the SPG points I earned on my credit card). See Beltway's thread (the link is in a previous post) for the cheapest hit.
1-800-FLOWERS was also kind enough to sell me a set of Pierced Ribbon Votives. I have no idea what they are, but they could be elephant dung (I'm pretty sure they're not.) and I would have taken the hit for $13.99. Beltway's thread. Edited to Add: There is at least one post in the FT thread where 1800F posted the hit for a date before the promo began, even though it was ordered after the promo. I'd wait a week on this one.
I have my Visa Debit card from last year and that got me a free hit today. It counts as free if I am purchasing something that I would have purchased otherwise, since there is no additional outlay.
I gave in and did my first hotel transfer, as well. 850 SPG points became 850 miles, which is a net loss based on 3c per mile. A $25.50 hit this early in the game hurts, but I'm pretty sure that I would have needed this one to push me over the top, anyway.
Freebies:
Here's where it gets good: I got three free hits (well, virtually free, anyway).
1) I downloaded the US Airways Toolbar and did three searches to earn a mile. Possibly the easiest hit in the history of this promotion.
2) I used Points.com to transfer four AA miles into a US mile. I value AA miles at two cents each, so that was an $.08 hit.
3) I transferred my e-Rewards into US Airways miles. No cost there. The thread I linked to describes both the e-Rewards and e-Miles programs.
Tomorrow gets more difficult. I got through the easy stuff and will have to start making decisions about which hits to take chances on (Will DFW SuperShuttle give points for a no-show again?) and which ones are worth the cash.
Biscoff: Anna's sampler for $8.47, plus $5.00 in shipping (subtracting out $.40 for the value of the SPG points I earned on my credit card). See Beltway's thread (the link is in a previous post) for the cheapest hit.
1-800-FLOWERS was also kind enough to sell me a set of Pierced Ribbon Votives. I have no idea what they are, but they could be elephant dung (I'm pretty sure they're not.) and I would have taken the hit for $13.99. Beltway's thread. Edited to Add: There is at least one post in the FT thread where 1800F posted the hit for a date before the promo began, even though it was ordered after the promo. I'd wait a week on this one.
I have my Visa Debit card from last year and that got me a free hit today. It counts as free if I am purchasing something that I would have purchased otherwise, since there is no additional outlay.
I gave in and did my first hotel transfer, as well. 850 SPG points became 850 miles, which is a net loss based on 3c per mile. A $25.50 hit this early in the game hurts, but I'm pretty sure that I would have needed this one to push me over the top, anyway.
Freebies:
Here's where it gets good: I got three free hits (well, virtually free, anyway).
1) I downloaded the US Airways Toolbar and did three searches to earn a mile. Possibly the easiest hit in the history of this promotion.
2) I used Points.com to transfer four AA miles into a US mile. I value AA miles at two cents each, so that was an $.08 hit.
3) I transferred my e-Rewards into US Airways miles. No cost there. The thread I linked to describes both the e-Rewards and e-Miles programs.
Tomorrow gets more difficult. I got through the easy stuff and will have to start making decisions about which hits to take chances on (Will DFW SuperShuttle give points for a no-show again?) and which ones are worth the cash.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Cheapest hits in the "other" category...
Flyertalk member Beltway has taken on the thankless task of keeping track of the cheapest hits in the "other" category, which is essentially anything not related to hotels, cars transfers of miles. This list can literally change minute by minute, so please check often for the best deals. This list is essential in keeping down your cents per hit.
And They're Off!
First hit today: Audience Rewards. Normally, I would wait until the second day of the promo, just in case, but I didn't want all of the cheap tickets to go, and Flyertalk notes that these hits post on the day of the show, not the day of purchase.
I bought a $15 ticket to a show in Charlotte (I don't even remember which one.), even though there were cheaper tickets for the Poetry Slam. I took one for the team, so to speak, since I have a feeling that the Poetry Slam is going to be filled with FT no-shows. In order to avoid that outcome, please see the thread here so that we don't fill up a particular show with no-shows. There is also an email address for those who wish to donate their tickets.
I bought a $15 ticket to a show in Charlotte (I don't even remember which one.), even though there were cheaper tickets for the Poetry Slam. I took one for the team, so to speak, since I have a feeling that the Poetry Slam is going to be filled with FT no-shows. In order to avoid that outcome, please see the thread here so that we don't fill up a particular show with no-shows. There is also an email address for those who wish to donate their tickets.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Stupid is as stupid does...
In my "idiot move of the day," I bought a book directly from Amazon's site today. Had I waited a few days, I could have bought the same book through US Airways shopping and gotten a hit for it. (Smacks self in head.)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Grand Slam starts in two days!
I know everyone's excited to start, and I'll be posting from Day 1. But my advice is to use the next few days to gather your hits and decide what you want to do. Find the cheapest hits and list them. Get a good spreadsheet together. Get a good night's sleep in preparation for the fun.
I'm not going to do my first hit until the 16th, with the possible exception of Audience Rewards, so that I can still get a cheap ticket. I'm just a little paranoid about the backdating that way.
I'm not going to do my first hit until the 16th, with the possible exception of Audience Rewards, so that I can still get a cheap ticket. I'm just a little paranoid about the backdating that way.
Friday, September 9, 2011
9,000 Club Carlson points for a 3-day Avis or Budget rental
Shopping for Choice points
Took a little bit of a hit today when I went to buy a Nordstrom gift card through the Choice shopping mall to get enough points to send to US Airways. Turns out that, for this particular merchant, gift cards are excluded. Ouch. That was going to be an easy hit by buying a card that I would have used anyway.
With less than a week before we officially launch, I'm starting to position myself for easy, early hits before getting to the complicated ones.
With less than a week before we officially launch, I'm starting to position myself for easy, early hits before getting to the complicated ones.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Minimums for Hotel Stay hits
Unlike last year, where any number of points from a hotel got you a hit (Thank you, SPG restaurants.), US Airways is requiring a 200 mile minimum. At hotels that give miles per $ spent, this creates a potential problem for mattress runners. Thanks to lowfareair's thread on Flyertalk, we have easy access for the minimums:
Best Western: Any stay earns 250 miles
Carlson: Any stay earns 250 miles at Country Inns & Park Inn, 500 miles at Park Plaza and Radisson
Choice: Any stay earns 250 miles
Hilton: 500 miles per stay (fixed miles) at all except Hampton, Homewood, and Home2, which require $200 (variable miles). Check to see whether fixed or variable miles work better for you
Hyatt: Any stay earns 500 miles
IHG: $100 most brands, $200 Staybridge & Candlewood (two points per dollar, one point, respectively)
La Quinta: Any stay earns 250 miles, they might also allow points on third party website bookings such as Expedia. This one's a big "maybe."
Marriott: $100 (Marriott brand and better), $200 (all mid-tier and lower brands)
SPG: $100, or $67 for Platinum Members
Wyndham: $100, or any stay at a Wyndham Hotel or Wingate (these chains are 500 per stay)
Best Western: Any stay earns 250 miles
Carlson: Any stay earns 250 miles at Country Inns & Park Inn, 500 miles at Park Plaza and Radisson
Choice: Any stay earns 250 miles
Hilton: 500 miles per stay (fixed miles) at all except Hampton, Homewood, and Home2, which require $200 (variable miles). Check to see whether fixed or variable miles work better for you
Hyatt: Any stay earns 500 miles
IHG: $100 most brands, $200 Staybridge & Candlewood (two points per dollar, one point, respectively)
La Quinta: Any stay earns 250 miles, they might also allow points on third party website bookings such as Expedia. This one's a big "maybe."
Marriott: $100 (Marriott brand and better), $200 (all mid-tier and lower brands)
SPG: $100, or $67 for Platinum Members
Wyndham: $100, or any stay at a Wyndham Hotel or Wingate (these chains are 500 per stay)
Hotels: Alternative methods and points for Third Party bookings and no-shows?
There are six possible hits for hotel stays. If you're a frequent traveler, just be sure to set your profile to miles and enjoy the easy hits. I have three hotel stays during the period and I think that number will stay pretty hard and fast.
The other way to get the hits is a little more complicated. You can either make an "arrangement" with a manager at a hotel to give you a discounted rate, plus the points, and guarantee him/her a no-show. Or you can just go the no-show route on your own, although only Wyndham claims that it awards points for no-shows. Others state outright that you don't get points or say it's up to the local hotel. Caveat emptor.
Another cheap method to get hotel points is by using Expedia's best rate guarantee, where it will give you a $50 credit if you find a better rate for the same stay. Simply google Expedia Best Rate Guarantee and make your reservation. Get your credit, then cancel the reservation. Keep the credit and use it toward a future property. The problem? Only La Quinta allows you to do it, and even they are a "maybe." Double Caveat emptor.
The other way to get the hits is a little more complicated. You can either make an "arrangement" with a manager at a hotel to give you a discounted rate, plus the points, and guarantee him/her a no-show. Or you can just go the no-show route on your own, although only Wyndham claims that it awards points for no-shows. Others state outright that you don't get points or say it's up to the local hotel. Caveat emptor.
Another cheap method to get hotel points is by using Expedia's best rate guarantee, where it will give you a $50 credit if you find a better rate for the same stay. Simply google Expedia Best Rate Guarantee and make your reservation. Get your credit, then cancel the reservation. Keep the credit and use it toward a future property. The problem? Only La Quinta allows you to do it, and even they are a "maybe." Double Caveat emptor.
9/6/11: Reregistration
I re-registered for the promotion, just in case. It's important to print your registration. Note that, just above where your name is, it should read, "You have successfully registered for this promotion. Thank you for choosing US Airways."
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