(Ok, not any other chain, Radisson wouldn’t count!) Best Western is awarding lifetime Diamond status to everyone who stays 60 nights in 2006. (Via The Global Traveller.)
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for March 2006.
Free $5 Starbucks Card
Mar
20
2006
HP is offering a $5 Starbucks card for customizing your profile with them. You don’t even have to sign up for spam. Starbucks card offers rarely come, but it’s about 15 seconds of work…
Le Meridien Now a Part of Starwood Preferred Guest
After some stops, starts, and glitches over the weekend it looks the like Le Meridien properties have gone live on the Starwood website and most are now listed as award redemption options as well. The integration is official, and Starwood elite members should now expect to have their status benefits honored across participating properties in the chain. (Notably absent are the Parker Meridien properties in New York and Palm Springs, which didn’t participate in the old Moments program either — as well as about ten other properties.)
Hotel Discount Codes
Orbitz is offering $50 Off hotel bookings of 3 or more nights. Discount code is 831750. It’s valid for stays through April 30th but the booking must be made by March 22. This presumably applies only to OrbitzSaver prepaid hotel deals. Meanwhile, Travelocity is offering $10 off “Good Buy” hotels with code HTL10. This can be used even on a single night stay, but can only be used once per Travelocity account (except for Travelocity VIPs who can use it an unlimited number of times). Flyertalk member CalItalian reported these discounts and noted, regarding the $50 Orbitz coupon, Best deals I found were weeknights in Reno or Laughlin, NV. 3*, 3 night stay with coupon for $25 to $28 plus tax.
Northwest Elite Status for Asia Residents
Mar
19
2006
Northwest is again explicitly targeting Asia-Pacific frequent flyers with offers of an elite status match. Details are rather scarce on the website, certainly they’ll match up to Gold (mid-tier) but I wonder whether they’ll go to Platinum since they’re looking for any possible incremental revenue while in bankruptcy. Presumably matched status will last through the end of the year. No information is provided on what documentation is required of your existing status levels.In all likelihood this will operate in a similar manner as when they offered it in 2005, detailed discussion of which can be found at Flyertalk.com.
Travel items you can’t live without
Alex Tabarrok notes his favorite items for travel: an inexpensive noise-cancelling headset, a Paul Frederick non-iron dress shirt, and his Kodak DX7590 digital camera. Allow me to suggest a wireless pocket router. Too many hotels have wired high-speed internet. I don’t always want to sit at the desk to work (especially frustrating at resort properties with balconies overlooking the ocean!). Or sometimes my wife travels with me and we’d both like to be online. This is the one I’ve been using, about $40 + shipping after $10 rebate. Second, power converters. Magellan’s has a nice website that’ll figure out for you just want converters and adapters you need, wherever in the world you’re traveling (I was shocked to find them accurate for Rwanda!). And don’t forget that clicking on the link to Magellan’s at ebates.com…
Netflix Signup Bonus
Mar
18
2006
Via Free Frequent Flyer Miles (actually, I got the email myself several days ago and then promptly forgot), you can get 4000 United bonus miles for signing up for Netflix. (Registration required.)It’s 2000 miles after your first month (minimum cost $9.95) and 2000 more miles for paying with a United Visa (which you can get free the first year and 20,000 bonus miles).
200 Free Northwest Miles
Mar
17
2006
Check out the quick Northwest Worldperks 101 and take the quiz (you really can’t fail) and earn 100 miles plus you’ll be registered to earn 2,000 miles when flying within 90 days. At the end of the quiz you have the option to move on to Worldperks 102 for another 100 miles plus you’ll be registered for 1,000 miles when making 2 qualifying purchases within 60 days.The 200 miles for the quizzes post instantly.
Westin LAX: Not so bad?
InFlightHQ stays at the Westin ex-LAX and doesn’t come away thinking it’s bloody awful. I hope he didn’t pay more than $55 for it (a frequently available Priceline rate, though when Pricelining 4* at the LA airport one hopes for the Sheraton). This hotel is likely the very worst Westin. Ok, maybe InFlightHQ wasn’t actually happy with his room… my room smelled like french fries, kalamari, and onion rings. Personally, at LAX I’d even prefer the Four Points.
Diners Club BA Transfer Bonus is Back
Mar
15
2006
Looks like the 50% bonus on Diners Club transfers to British Airways is back, valid between May 1 and August 31, 2006. There’s no information online yet but it’s mentioned in the program insert that comes with March bills. Not as good as the old days where the bonus was 100% during the summer, but better than a hole in the head and a welcome relief considering recent cutbacks in the Diners Club Club Rewards program. I’ll be taking advantage of this one, topping off my BA account for some transatlantic premium class flying… especially since the alternate uses for Diners Club points have dwindled with the departure of United, USAirways, America West, Northwest, and Continental from the program. Update: Details are available on the British Airways website though not yet on the Diners Club…
