Now that we’re past New Years Resolutions (and we’ve all broken ours), gym signups are down. Gyms need to incentivize memberships. And they’ll pay companies to get them members, including companies that will kick back miles to you (rebating a portion of their commission).
You can earn 2000 United miles for joining a gym through GlobalFit’s “MileagePlus Fitness” program.
They have offers from Anytime Fitness, Bally Total Fitness, Curves, 24 Hour Fitness, New York Sports Clubs, and more.
The site claims best pricing, better than what you get walking into the gym, but I haven’t verified this.
Hat tip goes to Notiflyer and they did verify one pricing instance:
We checked out the price for a membership with 24 Hour Fitness that earns miles and the cost was a $259 payment for an entire year plus a $39 processing fee. The rate quoted at 24hourfitness.com was $29.99 a month, so the price is cheaper through this offer but you’ll need to buy a full-year membership.
Unsurprisingly, joining online (where you’re more apt to compare prices) is cheaper, and going through what’s effectively a shopping portal to make the online purchase can earn miles.
Definitely an interesting offer which I wrote about in February:
http://www.michaelwtravels.com/2013/02/get-in-shape-and-earn-2000-united-miles.html
Would love some extra miles for joining a gym. Too bad I’m already a member.
Don’t forget that for $349.00 Costco will sell a two year membership to 24 hour fitness. Of course no miles but eligible for the membership rebate if you have the Executive membership It’s sold in the aisle where they sell gift cards typically.
Cheers
But then I’d feel compelled to get up off of my lazy butt and exercise!
I had looked into the prices of these sort of deals a while ago and found them not to be a bargain – at least not for the mid-to-upper priced clubs. Plus, many people who belong to gyms do so at special corporate rates through their employers.
Beware of Bally Fitness….they have a reputation for playing hardball with members who try to get out of contracts (even if the contract terms were misrepresented by Bally). There was an excellent article on this in Smartmoney Magazine several years ago.
2,000 is what? $20.00?
in United’s program I’d say its worth half or approx ten dollars
Typically there is a lack of availability on many awards except at the more expensive redemption levels
So nothing to get excited about
The offer is of really no value. I wish bloggers would stop giving airlines publicity when they make offers that are rip-offs or even insulting because of their low value. If they can get publicity with terrible offers, they will keep doing that. Things like Priority Club offering 300 points to waste your time, United offering 2K miles for a gym membership which could potentially waste weeks of times, etc…I dunno. I realize there’s an argument to be made that all sources of miles should be mentioned but some of them really just cause people to lose time and money — and I place things like signing up for gym memberships, time shares, and so on firmly in that category. My humble opinion ONLY but these days 2K miles just ain’t worth the chasing. Yes to what UAPhil said — gyms do have a rep for playing hardball if you try to drop out of the contract because EVERYONE normal tries to drop out, only gym rats feel comfortable in that environment, so they have little option but to be aggressive to make you pay what you said you would pay when you signed the contract. I would never sign up for a gym with a plan to back out. If it was easy to do, it would defeat the whole purpose of having the contract. You should assume if you sign a gym contract you owe the gym the money whether you show up or not. Because you probably do!