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« May 2004 | Main | July 2004 »

June 29, 2004

More Free

Free one-year subscription to Wired magazine. (Hat tip to Scott Carmichael)

Posted by gleff at 8:26 AM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2004

Government Victory As Farce?

The standard media line is that Qantas has been taken to the shed over award availability by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the Commission has forced the airline to reform.

    Mr Samuel said talks with Qantas had resulted in action by the airline to review and improve disclosure about the limited availability of frequent flyer seats. The most notable improvement was an internet site allowing consumers to identify flights where frequent flyer seats were available.
So the government has forced the airline to do what almost all major world airlines are doing, working to put award availability online. And Qantas' willingness to do this is unlikely to be related to the cost savings it will see from reduced agent time spent on award bookings?

Airlines worldwide are pushing consumers to their websites because of the lower distribution costs involved. And award bookings are often the most time-consuming (as it can be difficult to find find) and thus most costly.

Somehow this is a victory for the Australian government?

Posted by gleff at 3:36 AM | Comments (0)

Air Canada Tussles with Air Miles

Canadian shopping loyalty program Air Miles faces a newly intensified challenge from Air Canada as its Aeroplan program branches out into more partnerships in retail.

This is hardly new for a frequent flyer program, many of its US and Asian counterparts have already recognized that their currencies are powerful incentives beyond distinguishing commdity airline seats, and the partnerships are profitable as airlines sell their points to retailers for a higher price than the cost of airline seat redemptions.

As Air Canada reaches more consumers through non-aviation earning opportunities, look for them to offer more non-aviation redemption opportunities as well -- just as Air Miles offers low point redemption for movie tickets, many US carriers offer miles for magazines, and United now partners with Sony to offer music downloads.

Posted by gleff at 3:30 AM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2004

A writer goes to Iceland and learns to to appreciate miles and the people who love them

Last week Slate ran a five part series by Marisa Bowe who took advantage of the $61 roundtrip mistake fare to Iceland and met alot of Flyertalkers along the way.

Here's Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.

Bowe also shares the Iceland Tourist Board's press release about the mistake fare. They offered free admission to the seven geothermal pools of Reykjavik to anyone presenting a $61 ticket.

Posted by gleff at 5:37 PM | Comments (0)

Second night free at Mandarin Oriental DC

I almost forgot about this deal, but a friend of mine was asking about great hotel rates for a two night stay in DC and I came up with this offer from the Mandarin Oriental: stay one night and get the second night free, through August 30th.

That makes a two night stay run $175 per night, an outstanding deal for the newest luxury property in the District... considering that pre-paid internet rates can run as high as $299 at the rather blase' Grand Hyatt.

Posted by gleff at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)

Free Stuff Sunday

It's Sunday, and time for my semi-regular roundup of random stuff you can get for free.

With most things free, of course (fare glitches aside), you get what you pay for...

Posted by gleff at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)

Acrimonious labor relations at Hawaiian

Hawaiian Airlines bankruptcy trustee was kicked off a Hawaiian flight by its pilot.

    A Hawaiian Airlines pilot asked bankruptcy trustee Josh Gotbaum to get off a plane preparing for takeoff Thursday, saying he was angry about Gotbaum's policies and could not safely fly the Boeing 767-300 with the trustee aboard.


    Gotbaum agreed to leave rather than delay the takeoff, an airline spokesman said yesterday.


    "The pilot told him he wasn't happy to have him on the flight," said Hawaiian spokesman Keoni Wagner. "Rather than delay the flight by discussing it at that point, he decided to take another flight."


    The pilot, Capt. Craig Kobayashi, said yesterday: "So many employees are so emotional about him after all of the things Gotbaum has done, such as freezing our pension plan."

I wouldn't want to be a passenger on a flight where the pilot claims to be so easily rattled as to compromise safety. For the ongoing benefit of passengers, this pilot should be immediately placed on leave.

Posted by gleff at 6:51 AM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2004

Best Deal Miles for Flowers

The FTD offer for 30 United miles per dollar spent still works. It was originally marketed to United 1K members but works for anyone.

Posted by gleff at 3:57 AM | Comments (0)

Two Travelocity Offers

Save $25 on last minute deals and earn triple miles from Budget car rental.

Update: As many readers know, Travelocity is selling the same packages as Site59. Alert reader Vito emails to point out that there's a better offer than Travelocity's $25 off -- just go to Site59 and type MC59 into the Promotional Code field on the billing page during check out and use your MasterCard to purchase for $59 off. Offer valid through September 30, 2004. Thanks for the heads up!

Posted by gleff at 3:55 AM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2004

Continental miles sweepstakes

Lending Tree is giving away 500,000 Continental miles. No purchase necessary. No warranty on your ability to use the miles except at the EasyPass level, however. ;)

Posted by gleff at 7:27 AM | Comments (0)

More Companion Ticket Offers from Los Angeles

Last month, America West began offering free companion tickets after two roundtrips to and from Los Angeles.

United has matched this offer, as has American.

Registration is required for all of the offers, and flights must be completed by November 15th.

Posted by gleff at 7:23 AM | Comments (0)

Hilton Personalizes Benefits, too

It isn't just Air Canada and Delta.


Hilton HHonors members can register their preferred way to earn points for hotel stays.

Beginning July 1, members can choose between:

  • 10 HHonors points and 1 airline mile per dollar spent

  • 10 HHonors points and 500 airline miles per stay

  • 10 HHonors points plus 5 bonus HHonors points per dollar spent
Members can switch their choice at any time -- a good idea to focus on the fixed point offerings for single night stays, and variable offerings for longer, costlier stays.

Posted by gleff at 7:17 AM | Comments (0)

Replace Car Tires and Take to the Skies

Purchase a set of Michelin tires by November 15th and earn 2500 Delta miles.

Posted by gleff at 7:15 AM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2004

Transportation and environmental heresy

It turns out that cars may be more fuel efficient than trains (link via Marginal Revolution).

    Challenging assumptions about railways' green superiority, the study finds that the weight and fuel requirements of trains have increased to the point where rail could become the least energy-efficient form of transport.


    Engineers at Lancaster University said trains had failed to keep up with the motor and aviation industries in reducing fuel needs.


    They calculate that expresses between London and Edinburgh consume slightly more fuel per seat (the equivalent of 11.5 litres) than a modern diesel-powered car making the same journey.


    The car's superiority rises dramatically when compared with trains travelling at up to 215mph.

Here's the money quote:
    "I know this will generate howls of protest, but at present a family of four going by car is about as environmentally friendly as you can get."

Posted by gleff at 6:00 PM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2004

25% Amex Conversion Bonus

Through June 30th there is a 25% bonus for transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Aeromexico.

Of course, Aeromexico is a partner of Delta (and a member of Skyteam) so this may be of value far beyond Mexico.

Posted by gleff at 6:16 PM | Comments (0)

Discounts with Visa

It's worth checking the Visa website occasionally. They have several discounts and free offers to take advantage of with companies you're probably buying from anyway. Just a few examples:

Posted by gleff at 5:45 PM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2004

Easy Partner for Northwest Fly Free Faster 4

In my discussion of strategies for Northwest's Fly Free Faster 4 bonus I mentioned earning a partner credit by shopping at Office Max through the Northwest Mall and purchasing some "free after rebate" items.

From today through Saturday, June 26 the following items are free after rebate at Office Max:

    Belkin Double-Sided Copy Clip (0223-2300)

    $4.99 - $4.99 = $0


    3M 10-oz. Electronic Equpiment Cleaner (2034-5253)

    $5.99 - $5.99 = $0


    Endust 10-oz. Duster (0221-4142)

    $8.99 - $8.99 = $0


    Digital Camera Memory Card Readers (2068-8481/2068-8506/20688711/2068-8490)

    $29.99 - $19.99 - = $0


    Sakar Trimstyle Caller ID Phone of 13 Memory Desk Speakerphone (2017-2965/2017-2956/2033-2089/2033-2052)

    $19.99 - $9.99 - $10 = $0


    24-CD Wallet (2055-6649)

    $4.99 - $4.99 = $0


    Royal Expert 2 Organizer (2004-5782)

    $14.99 - $7 - $8 = $0

Remember that your order has to total over $25 to count towards Fly Free Faster 4, so be sure to order more than one item.

Posted by gleff at 4:25 AM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2004

Renting a Car in Europe

MSNBC's Savings Sleuth offers tips for renting a car in Europe. Since I can't figure out how to provide a permalink to the piece, I reproduce much of the advice below:

    1. Reserve your car ahead, before you depart from the US

    Without fail, you'll find that rates will be lower when you book from home. If you're already on vacation and you decide you want to rent, it's even worth it to have a friend or family member reserve on your behalf from the US.



    2. Stick to the big car rental agencies

    When it comes to renting a car in Europe, you'll more often than not get the best quotes from the biggest agencies: Avis, Hertz, EuropeCar, and AutoEurope. Be sure to inquire about current specials and discount initiatives.



    3. Rent a manual shift

    You'll save a bundle by renting "a stick" shift car. Manual vehicles are far more common in Europe than they are in the US, which is why you'll wind up paying a premium for an automatic.



    4. Rent a diesel

    Diesel fuel costs one-third the price of regular unleaded gas, so it's worth your while to inquire about car in the fleet that run on diesel fuel. Seat, Renault, and Peugeot all make diesels, and are common rental models at many European agencies. Just be sure to learn the local word for "diesel" before you pull up at the pump. Remember, there are 3.8 liters per gallon—multiply the cost per liter by 4 to get the approximate price of a gallon.



    5. Rent by the week, not by the day

    Weekly rental rates beat daily rates by a long shot in Europe. Even if it means keep the car over the weekend, you'll save money with a seven-day contract.



    6. Look into leasing

    If you're renting longer than three weeks, then it's worth it to investigate a "short-term" lease. (AutoEurope, for one, offers decent terms.) Click here for more information on that.



    7. Know your insurance

    Unlike in the US where insurance is optional, many countries in Europe require you to purchase collision damage insurance from you car rental agency. This can run you as much as $125/wk. Italy requires that you purchase theft insurance too ($75/minimum).



    8. Avoid renting and parking in cities

    Driving can be hairy and parking costly in Europe's major metropolitan areas. Try to avoid having a car in a city, if you can. Parking can cost $20/day or more.



    9. Don't bother with an international driver's license

    Contrary to popular opinion, you do not need an international driver's license to get behind the wheel in Europe. All an international driver's license does is translate the information on your regular license into 10 languages. Spend the $10 you'd pay to AAA for an international driver's license on a nice market lunch instead.



    10. Learn what the signs mean

    There are several websites that outline basic road signage in Europe. Give them an eyeball before you get behind the wheel. Also, be aware that Europeans tend to be more aggressive on the road.



    11. Keeps lots of cash ready for tolls

    Europe's ever-improving network of superhighways may be efficient but they also cost lots of money. Don't be surprised if you have to shuck out as much as $15 per stretch. France and Italy, for example, charge roughly $5-7 per hour on the road.


    12. Have a good map

    The name to remember when it comes to good driving maps for European roadways is Michelin. Be sure to buy one for the country or region you're visiting. They're the best.

Posted by gleff at 4:45 AM | Comments (0)

June 18, 2004

Just a reminder

If you enjoy the content of this blog, sign up to have each day's entries sent to you by email. Just enter your address in the box underneath my picture on the right.

(Note: I have never used this site's subscription list for any other purpose.)

Thanks for reading!

Posted by gleff at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)

Triple USAirways Miles to and from Washington, DC

USAirways is offering triple miles (registration required) for flights between Washington DC and 17 cities to promote the arrival of 'Go Fares' in DC.

Posted by gleff at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)

Charter One Gift Card Opportunity to Diminish?

There's a rumor afoot that Charter One Bank Gift cards are going to become less lucrative for earning miles. Charter One bank, whose gift cards have been useful for earning up to 5000 miles a month at no or next to no cost, is said to be planning to limit purchases to $1500 per month.

I just entered my order for $5000 for the month, so the offer is apparently still working to its full potential. But it may not last much longer.


The opportunity is described in detail at

    Charter One offers to sell you Gift Cards for no extra fee up front. These are pre-loaded Mastercards which can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. They can also be used for PIN transactions for a charge to the card of $1 per transaction, or for withdrawals from an ATM for a charge to the card of $2 per transaction. Purchase of the cards are charged to your mileage earning credit card, usually as a purchase (but see the cautions below). This opens interesting possibilities for cheap miles:


    If you buy two $500 cards and then use them to buy a $996.75 money order at the US Post office, you will have fully depleted the cards, paid the two $1 fees and the $1.25 post office fee, have a money order you can deposit into your bank account, and have earned 1,000 miles for the credit card purchase, for a cost of a cheap 0.325 cent a mile. (Even better, buy a $998 money order, and charge the $1.25 fee to you mileage producing credit card - preferably one that gives you extra miles, like the Delta American Express or the Starwood American express.) Or, you could just withdraw the money at a bank, paying the $2 per card fee, for a cost of a still very cheap 0.4 cent a mile.

Note that this only works for purchases with Visa and Mastercard because American Express treats the transaction as a cash advance (no miles, hefty fees). Also note that several folks have reported getting cash advances with the cards at bank branches for no fee, and purchasing traveler's checks at AAA with these cards for no fee -- making the net dollar cost of the miles zero.

Even at 1500 miles a month, the tactic will still be useful for topping off accounts. But the maximum benefit would then fall to 18,000 miles a year instead of the current 60,000. Alas.

Posted by gleff at 6:20 AM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2004

United Denied Government-backed Loan

The Air Transportation Stabilization Board has denied United's request for a federally backed $1.8 billion loan. Apparently they believe the airline can survive without it, not surprising since the airline's chief executive more or less said the same thing last week.

Of course, if the airline couldn't attract financing on its own, there would be an equally good argument to deny federal support.

More fundamentally, what is an emergency measure designed to address potential liquidity problems in the immediate aftermath of September 11th still doing considering financial support for airlines three years later? And why are they open to considering another application from the airline in the future? Will we ever get out from under this process?

Posted by gleff at 6:26 PM | Comments (0)

Tens of Thousands of Pilots Defending Against Terrorism?

Joanne McNeill writes that air marshalls are ineffective and arming pilots would be better -- and that Barbara Boxer is leading the charge to put guns in cockpits. Apparently only Nixon really could go to China.

Posted by gleff at 6:21 PM | Comments (0)

Outstanding Predictions

I stumbled upon this three-year old article in Fast Company where Randy Petersen offers several predictions about frequent flyer miles:


  • 25,000 miles for a domestic award ticket will remain the standard for awhile, though may eventually go up. Verdict: still true after three years.

  • Award travel to Hawaii will remain difficult. Verdict: true, but no bonus points for 'degree of difficulty' on this one.

  • The IRS won't tax miles. Verdict: true after three years of data.

  • Customized rewards are coming. Verdict: Air Canada's introduction this year of a suite of benefits for elite members to choose from makes it look more and more like this prediction is coming true.

  • It will get easier to redeem miles for small awards. Verdict: True. It isn't just miles for magazines anymore, either, with the last entry into the field of United's partnership with Sony which permits downloading music for miles.

  • It will remain difficult to move miles from one program to another. Verdict: true. In fact, it has gotten more difficult in the past couple of years as airlines (such as United, Delta, and Continental) have dropped out of the Hilton Reward Exchange, Delta miles can no longer be exchanged for Diners Club reward points, and Amtrak has capped the number of points that can be moved out of a Guest Rewards account in a calendar year.
All in all, a pretty good batting average Randy!

Posted by gleff at 6:47 AM | Comments (0)

United is Offering Discounts from DC, too

Sign up to receive an electronic coupon good for 10% off flights of $100 or more purchased by June 20, 2004 for travel from Washington, Dulles (IAD), Reagan International (DCA) or Baltimore-Washington International (BWI).

Not alot of time to use it, but still useful for those of us in the DC area buying United tickets every week.

Posted by gleff at 6:09 AM | Comments (0)

United Round-the-World Sweepstakes

In addition to the Round-the-World promo for flights in and out of Washington, DC, United is offering a Round-the-World sweepstakes: flights purchased in and out of the DC area between June 15th and June 20th (short window!) earn an entry in the sweepstakes, and so will email entries:

    If you wish to enter without making a purchase you may do so by sending an email containing your first name, last name, complete mailing address and telephone number to unitedaroundtheworld@eprize.net. For each valid email which contains all of the required information you will receive one (1) entry into the Promotion. Sending more than the allowable number of email entries will result in the voiding of all of the entries for that individual. Limit: three (3) entries per person or email address each day during the Promotion Period by any method or combination of methods of entry.

Posted by gleff at 4:24 AM | Comments (0)

American Offers DC Bonus

American has joined United and Northwest in offering 2500 bonus miles per roundtrip in and out of the Washington, DC area for travel between June 15 and September 30. Registration is required

Posted by gleff at 4:19 AM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2004

Starwood Amex Bonus

The Starwood American Express offer for up to 10,000 points as a signup bonus is back and valid through July 16.

Longtime readers will recognize this as what I recommend as best mileage earning credit card.

Posted by gleff at 1:17 PM | Comments (0)

Are you earning enough hotel points?

Erica Silverstein asks whether you should focus more on hotel points than airline miles.

No doubt some hotel point programs can be easier to redeem with than miles. Starwood is the perfect example: all of their 'standard' rooms are available for redemption.

I find that airline programs still offer the greatest value proposition provided that you redeem for international upgrades or international premium class tickets. But hotel points are certainly underemphasized in most folks' portfolios.


I say collect both!

Posted by gleff at 4:19 AM | Comments (0)

Miles for Large Sodas, but No Miles for Popcorn

I read some weeks ago that Cinemark Theatres was offering 100 American Airlines miles with each 44 ounce soda.

Didn't seem too lucrative until Free Frequent Flyer Miles pointed out the obvious: stay around the theatre after the credits and check for cups left behind at the seats. You might pick up a few thousand miles for free.

Posted by gleff at 4:16 AM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2004

Marriott $100 Bonus

Marriott hotel stays that include a Friday or Saturday night receive free breakfast and $100 towards a future stay, subject to rate availability when paying with Visa.

It's actually not available for my upcoming Marriott stay in Florida, though I could grab the rate at any of the 10 other Marriott properties in town. It's almost enough to make me change locations.

Posted by gleff at 7:45 AM | Comments (0)

$40 Roundtrips from Washington Dulles

Independence Air is offering a "Friends and Family" promotion beginning on their first day of flying (tomorrow) through the end of the month -- $40 roundtrip plus tax to anywhere they fly.


Since the email from their Director of Marketing, which was forwarded to me, says "You can FWD:FWD:FWD this to anyone and everyone. Go ahead!" I feel pretty comfortable sharing it on this website.

    -----Original Message-----

    From: Rick Delisi [mailto:Rick.Delisi@flyi.com]

    Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 10:59 AM

    Subject: Special Offer to Friends of Independence Air Team Members



    Greetings to Everyone I've Ever Met In My Entire Life:



    As you can probably imagine, all of us at INDEPENDENCE AIR are pretty excited about our new service at Washington Dulles. We're ready to start flying in less than a week--June 16th. As part of the inaugural celebration, everyone on the Independence Air team is allowed to invite all our personal friends and family to fly to any of our first nine launch destinations for just $40 roundtrip (plus whatever taxes the government feels compelled to add) but ONLY during our first two weeks of service from June 16-30.



    Forty bucks roundtrip! That ain't bad!



    Here's how it works:

    --From 6/16-30 you can fly to/from Washington Dulles, Atlanta, Newark, Boston, Raleigh or Chicago

    --From 6/23-30 you can fly to/from any of the above cities PLUS White Plains (NY), Columbia (SC), Portland (ME) or Norfolk



    If any of this sounds good, here's what you do:



    --Call our toll-free reservation number 1-800-FLY-FLYi (800-359-3594)



    --Tell the reservations folks you want the "Friends & Family Promotion"



    --Tell 'em you know me: Rick DeLisi



    --Tell 'em my employee number: 13229



    --Select from the available flight(s) between 6/16-30 (not every single flight is available, but you'll have a good selection to choose from)



    --Make a reservation (this is NOT stand-by or anything like that, this is a CONFIRMED reservation)



    --You can fly as often as you like to as many places as you like, with as many people as you want to include



    Why are we doing all this? Because starting on June 16th, we're finally gonna start writing our own rules about how air travel ought to work. We're sick and tired of the way the airlines have treated people in the past and we're determined to be the airline that finally gets it right. Flying should be fast, easy and fun. Fares ought to be fair, and you should be treated like a welcomed guest. So we want to welcome our own friends as our first guests!



    PLEASE FEEL FREE to pass this email along to your circle of family and friends. You can FWD:FWD:FWD this to anyone and everyone. Go ahead!



    If you have any questions about all this, give me a call at the office or send an email to rick.delisi@FLYi.com



    If you want more information about what Independence Air is all about, please visit our website at www.FLYi.com



    I hope you get a chance to take advantage of this two-weeks-only offer. Even if you weren't planning on flying anywhere in the next couple of weeks, what the heck, for $40 roundtrip, you might as well just pick a destination and GO. Have fun!



    Rick DeLisi

    Director of Corporate Communications

    (703) 650-6019

Posted by gleff at 5:05 AM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2004

Enhancements to this Website

I've just added an RSS feed and a version of this website optimized for mobile phone browsing.

Posted by gleff at 6:18 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2004

Hits4Pay

I just signed up with Hits4Pay, a service that sends you email ads and pays you to read them. They give you $10 to signup and mail checks when you accrue $25.

It will probably take awhile to get there, but it's free money and I click on those Mypoints emails as it is...

(The previous link will show Hits4Pay that I referred you, and I do get something for the referral. You're welcome to go signup without the referral credit to me if you prefer.)

Posted by gleff at 5:28 AM | Comments (0)

United New Member Signup Bonus

Earn 3000 United miles for signing up for United Mileage Plus.

Most of the signup bonuses that United offers require a flight, and usually an expensive one at that. This one doesn't. I discovered this offer from an affiliate marketing website, and United's marketing materials say "Miles for Everyday Activities" and "Enroll today. Get 3000 bonus miles."

Because it's through an affiliate marketing page, Mileage Plus will actually pay me $3.50 for each person that signs up through the offer. (I don't know any way to link to the offer without the benefit to myself.)

Posted by gleff at 4:24 AM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2004

(T)ruth (S)eems (A)WOL

An "unknown machine malfunction" forced the TSA to re-screen 500 passengers at Long Beach airport on Tuesday.

The malfunction? One of the machines was unplugged.

Worse than failing to notice that the machine was unplugged while screening passengers has to be the TSA's unwillingness to deal honestly with the public and acknowledge the cause, instead of hiding being "unknown malfunction."

Posted by gleff at 3:47 AM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2004

Federal Procurement, or Who Says the Airlines Aren't Getting Enough Subsidies

Truly shocking and I'm not easily shocked.

    The Defense Department spent an estimated $100 million for airline tickets that were not used over a six-year period and failed to seek refunds even though the tickets were reimbursable, congressional investigators say.


    The department compounded the problem by reimbursing employee claims for tickets bought by the Pentagon, the investigators said.

...
    A prior report, issued last November, found that the Pentagon bought 68,000 first-class or business-class airline seats for employees who should have flown coach.
...
    The reimbursable tickets had no advanced purchase requirements, minimum or maximum stays or penalties for changes or cancellations under department agreements with the airlines.


    "The millions of dollars wasted on unused airline tickets provides another example of why DOD financial management is one of our high-risk areas, with DOD highly vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse," the GAO said.


    Two of the three lawmakers who asked for the study were Republicans, and both were highly critical of the Pentagon's lack of financial control.

...
    While one GAO report focused on the unused tickets, the second investigation found potential fraud.


    It said the department paid travelers for tickets the department already bought and reimbursed employees for tickets that had not been authorized.


    A limited review of records for 2001 and 2002 identified 27,000 transactions totaling more than $8 million in reimbursements to employees for tickets bought by the government. These figures represent only a small portion of the potential fraud, the GAO said.

Posted by gleff at 8:25 PM | Comments (0)

Online Shopping Mileage Earning Comparison Guide

I've written several times about earning miles for almost all online purchases that you're going to make anyway (such as here and here).

One of the challenges is keeping up with all of the partnerships -- which sites allow you to earn miles, and through which programs? Do you actually have to check all the different mileage malls each time you want to buy something, and ever worse compare the earning rates as well?

Andrew Cram a chart that compares the earning ability of several hundred commercial websites across nine different mileage programs. A truly handy reference.

Posted by gleff at 7:40 PM | Comments (0)

New Amtrak Discount

Amtrak has two new discount codes (must be logged into your Amtrak Guest Rewards account for the link to work, not necessary to use the discount) for Northeast Corridor travel.


Code V823 and V132 provide 15% off qualifying fares for travel between June 1 and September 12, 2004.

I haven't found the full terms and conditions of the offer, but the codes do seem to work with some Acela Express trains.

Posted by gleff at 1:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 5, 2004

Irony-watch

AmeriDebt, the consumer credit counseling company, has filed for bankruptcy.

There are also allegations of shady business practices.

    Then the Internal Revenue Service, Federal Trade Commission and state regulators weighed in with a consumer alert about credit counselors. The FTC in November also sued AmeriDebt, one of the industries leaders, alleging it used deceptive marketing to bilk consumers.


    FTC Commissioner Thomas Leary said in testimony to Congress that AmeriDebt advertises its services as "free," when in fact the company retains a consumer's entire first payment as a "contribution."

...
    Leary cautioned in his testimony that some companies use their non-profit status as a badge of trustworthiness to attract customers, who are then duped into paying large fees. Those fees are sometimes funneled to for-profit companies.

Posted by gleff at 3:59 PM | Comments (0)

Northwest Instant Elite

Residents of Asia can get automatic gold status for the summer when signing up for Northwest Worldperks.

Posted by gleff at 3:51 PM | Comments (0)

Star Alliance Set to Expand

The Star Alliance is set to expand, adding South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal, and Finland's Blue1.

Blue1 might seem like a strange choice given its limited route network, but its parent company is SAS which is already a member of Star.

Posted by gleff at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

Free Knife

Amazon has a free knife available. Shipping on one is nearly $8, but shipping on 30 comes to only about $15. Order 300 of them for about $85 in shipping and re-sell them on eBay...

Posted by gleff at 8:59 AM | Comments (0)

June 4, 2004

Northwest Airlines New Member Enrollment Bonus

Northwest is offering up to 7,000 miles for new members of its frequent flyer program who take flights within six months.

So enroll in the program and participate in Fly Free Faster 4 as well and you should have a free ticket on Northwest by the time you're done.

Posted by gleff at 4:53 AM | Comments (0)

June 2, 2004

Delta Membership Rewards Bonus

Through July 15 Delta is offering a 15% bonus on Membership Rewards point transfers.

Posted by gleff at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

AA Mastercard Offers

The American Airlines Mastercard Business Card is available free the first year with 15,000 bonus miles for signup. The personal card is available free for six months with 12,500 bonus miles for signup.

(Hat tip to Free Frequent Flyer Miles.)

Posted by gleff at 3:29 AM | Comments (0)

June 1, 2004

Useful for getting work done while traveling

Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory is a listing of places that offer free wireless internet access.

Posted by gleff at 4:38 PM | Comments (0)