34 down, two to go...

Another meal at the W Boston and a quick stop at Hertz, where I promised to drop off some of the websites that I use to find all of these great deals.  I suppose that I should point to my own, but this is probably going away soon.

Hey, Flyertalkers out there, let's be nice, okay?  There's a lot of flaming going on in the GS forum.  Can we keep it down?  Seriously, if somebody asks a question or mentions something at the end of a thousand-post thread that was mentioned four hundred posts ago, it may be missed.

What's next: And now, for something completely new...

A number of people have asked me what I am going to do once GS11 is over.  That number happens to be zero, but I'm okay with that.  Well, not really, but I don't get much say in the matter.

In any case, I like the travel blogging.  It's fun, productive and allows me to practice my typing.  I'm still unsure about a couple of things, though:

1) I suck at blog design.  I literally just kept what blogger has and can't figure out much more than that.  I guess "Blogger for Dummies" would be a good start, but I look at Gary's and Lucky's blogs and feel more than a little envious.  Hopefully, my next effort will be a little better.

2) I've decided to focus on hotel points, and solely hotel points.  A) I like hotel points programs and feel like they don't get the presence that airline programs do, and B) Lower-end chains like Choice, Wyndham, etc. don't get the coverage they should.  In addition to hotel bonuses, I'll probably touch on bonuses from credit cards, rental cars, etc. 

The new blog will be found here, mostly because all of the good names were taken.  Hopefully, I will start posting soon. 

Right on track with Hertz

I'm slowly getting over my Hertz paranoia, as the hit managed to post again properly this week.  Four out of six Hertz hits done, 32 out of 36 overall.  Breathing a little easier, as I could finish it off at any time with (expensive) hotel transfers.  Instead, I'll take my wife to dinner at a W restaurant.

Mike

FTD: How to lose a customer in ten minutes

A month after the order date, my FTD miles still have not posted.  I called 1-800-SEND-FTD and got
Gene.  The fuzzy background indicated to me that I was speaking to a rep many miles away.  I explained the situation and asked when my miles would post.  He then asked me for my name, address, address of the recipient, what was written on the card and the last four of the credit card number, in addition to other items that I have forgotten (in order to verify me; This guy has a career at the TSA coming!).  He told me that the miles had posted.  I informed him that they hadn't.  He read back to me the US Airways number.  I told him it was the correct.  He told me the miles had posted.  I told him they hadn't.  He told me that he would let management know (CEO or CFO?) and I asked him when the miles would post.  He didn't know.  I asked him if they would contact me.  He said they would, but didn't know when.  I like to keep track of whom I spoke to, so I asked him what location he was at.  He told me that the company was headquartered in Downers Grove, IL (now that's a downer) but that he was not allowed to release his location.  Too bad, since I was going to take my GS miles and fly to wherever he was to buy him tea.

I didn't really trust that he knew what he was doing, so I got a supervisor.  She told me that, in fact, the miles hadn't posted but assured me that Gene would be reprimanded.  Pictures of a dungeon, the gimp and whips/chains immediately came to mind, so I told her that perhaps it would be better if he were just corrected on procedure.  She agreed.  No gimp.  She told me that she would personally deliver the mileage request to a specialist who would process them immediately.  When?  Dunno, maybe 24-48 hours.

I wouldn't have ordered from FTD if it weren't for this promo, but if I had previously had any thoughts of doing so, they are gone now.  I can only what it is like to try to get a missed delivery fixed. 

Note to all companies who view customer service as a cost center rather than a revenue center: You will be reprimanded.  I heard the gimp has some availability.

Mike

Two more credits

Best Western and Teleflora were kind enough to credit today, bringing me up to 37 credited hits.  The interesting one at this point will be how long SPG takes.  I got credited for a lunch four days ago and the points were shipped out the same day.

Sweeps week

Not that kind, the important kind. 

Another 10K was officially credited to my account as US did a sweep yesterday and caught 24 of my 26 hits.

Interestingly, I also got 50 points for Audience Rewards.  You know, the show that never took place and they never called me or refunded my ticket so I charged it back?  How's that for a run-on sentence?  Clearly, a nice non-profit wasn't ready for the onslaught of crazy people ordering tickets for shows they would never go to.

Back on track with Hertz rental #4

One down, four more to go with another Hertz rental this afternoon.  That's four, for those who are keeping count or reading the titles.  Add in two SPG meals and that should do it.

2/4 on getting some variation of, "Oh, so you're one of those people!" when (not) picking up my cars.

A quiet weekend

My cancelled trip to NYC wiped at least two hits off the board and nothing posted, so I'm stuck at 31 hits with 26 having posted.  That means three more trips to Hertz, which is the easiest way for me to get the extras at this point, with at least two more meals at the local W Hotel.  Of course, that leaves me at exactly 36, leaving no room for a foul ball.  Ugh, may have to go for that third meal at the W.  My wife is not going to be thrilled with date night for the next few weeks, but she should have no problem spending the miles.

The inevitable chink in the armor...

This is why you do or plan for extra hits: My trip to NYC this weekend got cancelled, costing me two hits.  Not good.  Not a desperate situation either, though, since I can make up at least some of them with Hertz rentals (I have three I can still do.) and a few more meals at the local W Hotel.  That does mean that my cost per mile goes up, but it also means that at least one of the expensive hits that I did earlier makes a difference.  How do I determine that?  Excellent question:

I have 31 hits completed (but not credited).  I can do four hotel hits and three Hertz hits, giving me 38 total.  Of the 31 I have done so far, three were "expensive," meaning $50 in value or more.  If I hadn't done those three, I would have only gotten 35 hits total, and that doesn't give me a "pinch hit" in case of a foul ball.  Truthfully, I'm probably not going to eat at the W three times.  I'll be lucky to get two.  But it matters.

Hertz posts again

Minutes after posting something on FT asking when I could start to panic about my Hertz hit not posting (They post on Thursdays.), the hit posted.  Those FT guys sure do work fast!

Also, I got the "new" receipt, where the number of miles that you earn does not show on the receipt.  No effect on the posting, obviously.

Choice now ready for take-off

Hey, they were right!  Apparently, the problem was that my old US number was listed as an AWA number and US managed to relink it.  On the other hand, I've now got more than enough hits to qualify for the promo, so those Choice points will likely sit until GS12.

Mike

Hit #31: Lunch at SPG

What's even better than a $91 lunch at the W Boston?  Having someone else paying for it and letting you use your SPG number.

Looks like I'm actually on track to get 39 hits this year.  Which means that I can skip one or two hits that I planned on doing or go for triple-protection.  Decisions, decisions...

But I really wished that I had saved a couple of the more expensive hits.

Odd issues with Choice hit

So Choice couldn't take my US number.  No idea why, since others have had no problem.  At first, they tried to tell me it was a United number.  Nope.  So it's going to be 72 hours while they figure out exactly what the problem is.  I won't hold my breath.

Choice Hotels for the pinch-hit

Let's face it: Something isn't going to post.  I know it, you know it and US knows it.  So it is critical to do hit #37 and maybe even #38.

To that end, I transferred some e-Rewards points to Choice and kicked in $44 to buy another 4,000.  I don't like paying that much, but it's worth it as an insurance policy.  My new e-Rewards account offers a number of hotel partners, so I'm just saving up for next year.  GS 2012 will be made on the back of hotel transfers.

Note: for Choice, the purchase was almost instantaneous, but you actually have to log out and then back in to see the points.

As my total breaks 200,000...

Given some help from last year's GS and previous miles, I am proud to say that my US balance is now over 200,000.  Hoping that SQ will be in my future someday.

My Hilton double-dip came through so, with the addition of the Office Max miles, I am now up to 25 posted hits. 

In addition, I did another Hertz hit today, where the clerk said to me, "Oh, so you're one of those people.  It's always nice to be recognized.

Office Max shows up

Per the discussion in FT, I decided to email Office Max to speed them up.  Hey, whaddaya know, there it is!  That's hit #23 that credited, although I'm pretty confident about most of the rest.

Hey, just for my personal edification, I'm curious if anybody actually clicks on the adsense ads ever.  Please feel fre to leave a comment.

I bit the bullet...

and moved 5,000 Membership Rewards points to Best Western for future transfer to US.  I have to admit, it hurt, since I consider it a $50 hit.  But it will be hit #36, assuming that my back-to-back Starwood nights transfer separately, I get to the W for dinner on October 19, 26 and November 2, and that they all credit successfully.  And that I get four more Hertz hits.  And that I get no "foul balls (hits that don't credit)" with my existing hits...

You see where I am going but, in theory, this should be my most expensive hit left.  But it's going to get ugly at the end, since I'm planning on doing #37 if I don't have 36 in time.  Better safe than sorry, unlike last year, when two hits went foul and I ended up with 35 hits.  Ouch.

Another update from US

US ran the numbers again and I received another 10,000 miles, having passed the 20 credited mark.  No other hits credited last night, so I'm still waiting on a bunch.  28 completed, 22 credited.  I have two hotel stays coming up, which should push me up to 30 (assuming SPG gets the conversion right) and then can make up the rest of it on hotel dines (three more) and rental cars (four more).  I'll likely have to do a hotel point conversion, which is an expensive but guaranteed hit.

Teleflora posting-three weeks from the order

I noticed on FT that people were starting to post that Teleflora had hit.  It hasn't hit for me, so I called them.  They told me it would be three weeks.  Odd, since people who had ordered after I did got their miles already.  This one is worth watching.

ETA: Turns out that the activity date is based on the delivery date, not the order date.  As is often the case, the representative was, well, wrong.

The eye roll...

I have to admit, I enjoy the eye roll.  That's when you tell somebody what you are doing for miles, they roll their eyes and look at you like you are crazy.  Today, it was another Hertz rental, which makes, um, 1+1=2.  In and out in three minutes, which beats my previous four minute mark and came with no sarcastic comments from my wife.

I told somebody about it today and he said, "Are you one of those people who bought gold coins from the mint?"  I can very confidently say that I bought no gold coins from the mint.  Silver dollars, on the other hand...

28 down, 22 credited.  Eight to go.  Well, probably nine. 

22/27, nine more to go!

I've now had 22 of my 27 hits credit, waiting on Office Max, FTD, Teleflora, Hilton and Network Solutions.

Office Max and Network Solutions appear to be "problem hits."  Not a red light, more of a yellow light.  Office Max hits posted last year in days, but the merchant is warning that it might take longer this year.  Or maybe not.  They don't really seem to know.

Network Solutions should hit, but it will be long after the promo is over.  In other words, there is going to be a lot of fingernail biting until the runner crosses the plate.  It's hits like these that lead to the need for a 37th hit.

So with nine to go, I have five hotel stay hits that I can do (with two already booked) and five car rentals left.  I also have a bunch of hotel points transfers.  In other words, I should be able to pull it off, with one to spare.  In honor of the promo, maybe I'll rent a car tomorrow.

The blog returns! With a few updates...

I'm back!  I know you've all been waiting with baited breath.  Who came up with that phrase, "baited breath," anyway?  Why would you think of something like that?  Just don't kiss me.  Or breath near me.

With the October roll-over, I got a quick 500 emiles, which posted almost immediately.  I also stayed at a Hilton for a few nights, giving me a hit there.  Hertz, DM shopping, debit card shopping, the toolbar and DM shopping mall all posted, meaning that I have reached 26 hits, with 21 having posted.  Still waiting on a couple of flower guys, Net Sol, Office Max and Hilton.  Truthfully, I could give myself a big boost by transferring some points from Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton, but those are very expensive hits, even after translating for the miles that I earn.  I'll save those for the end, in case it looks like I'm running behind.  But I'm confident of the five that are outstanding, so I think I'm in pretty good shape.  In the meantime, I'll have five more cars to rent, I have two upcoming hotel stays and my wife is going to get to eat at the W restaurant three weeks in a row.  There's the magic 36, although there will also be some "safety hits" thrown in, just in case.  The end is near.

In stall mode, off for a few days...

Well, no new hits or offers over the past few days, and I'll be out of town until Thursday, so there may or may not be any posts until then.  Unfortunately, I didn't think about GS11 when I made my reservations and only have one hotel stay, not two, for this trip.

One FTer has apparently discovered a flaw in the system regarding hotel transfer points.  According to the T&C, you must transfer hotel points for a minimum of 850 US Airways miles.  Anyone who did it for that exact amount, however, seems to be missing a hit.  It looks like the coders at US set the hit for greater than 850 miles.  I would anticipate this error being corrected by the next sweep.  While the explanation may sound odd, it absolutely corresponds with the hits that FTers have received.

I've decided to put off the Choice hit for this year and start prepping for next year.  Choice points apparently take a while to hit the system, and with six weeks left in the promo, I'm not going to chance it.