About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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United Changes its Expiration Rules

by Gary Leff

united-plane
Jan 19 2007

United announced today that its miles will now expire after 18 months of inactivity rather than the current 36 months. The worst part of the change, though, is that instead of giving useful advance notice of the change, it’s retroactive to July, 2006. Accounts without activity from July ’06 through December ’07 will be terminated at the end of the year.The press release contains some whoppers: By shortening the amount of time a Mileage Plus account can remain inactive, United’s most loyal customers will compete with fewer people for award seats, making it easier for them to redeem their miles. Sure, I compete every day for international first class awards with the median member with 17,000 miles in their account striving for 25,000. Heh. As though it’s the fault of members (rather than the airline…

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Free Airtran Ticket for Money Market Deposit

by Gary Leff

Rippied from Free Frequent Flyer Miles, Suntrust is offering 16 Airtran credits (free domestic coach ticket) for a $10,000 or more deposit into a Premium Money Market Performance Account by March 9, 2007. The money needs to stay in the account for 90 days and you need to open or have an existing Smart Solution Plus or Signature Advantage checking account. I’m not an Airtran junkie (though I do have elite status in their program via a status match years ago), and their credits expire after 12 months (though I believe you can bounce credits back and forth between other elite members and thus extend their validity), plus I have other better uses for $10k so I’m not doing this one… but if you have interest in a money market and if Suntrust’s is attractive…

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United reduces online booking bonus

by Gary Leff

united-plane
Jan 19 2007

United’s online booking bonus has been reduced from 1000 miles to 500 – though on the upside, one-way itineraries now earn 250 miles rather than being ineligible. A sad day, truly, though certainly in line with the direction of the rest of the industry.

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Alaska 20,000 Mile Visa Signup Bonus Continues

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines
Jan 19 2007

The 20,000 mile signup bonus for an Alaska Visa has been extended to January 31, according to the most recent e-newsletter for the airline. It’s a great offer — though they aren’t waiving the $75 annual fee, the miles plus $50 companion ticket (that’s really usable) and club passes make the cost worthwhile.

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$34 off on JetBlue

by Gary Leff

The Upgrade: Travel Better blog points to a $34 roundtrip (or $17 each way) discount promotion on JetBlue. Start your flight search via their promo page and enter SEVENTEEN in the “promotion password” box. (Apparently teenage girls are worthy of an airfare discount.) The promotion is valid for travel through February 14.

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Delta Clamps Down on Award Routings

by Gary Leff

delta-airline-plane
Jan 18 2007

This is probably too inside baseball and technical for most frequent flyer program members, but Delta has implemented some nasty changes in the way they allow (or don’t allow!) you to book awards. There’s a current discussion of this on Flyertalk, naturally. As of this month, awards can only have two stops each way domestically and three internationally. If you live in, say, Montana and want to get somewhere on the East Coast you already have to make two stops (in Salt Lake City and Atlanta) most of the time. No extra stops in order to find an available award, and no extra stops to utilize your allowable stopover in a non-hub city.You can also only use ‘published routings’ when constructing your award itinerary. I have a United award flying DC-New York-San Francisco-Osaka-Bangkok-Phuket (with stops…

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Free Hilton Gold Status

by Gary Leff

hilton hotel
Jan 17 2007

A new promo for Hilton Gold status – this one soliciting Emirates Skywards Gold members, but apparently anyone can sign up using this link, which just enrolls you with promo code EMOD. New accounts instantly receive Gold status, hearsay suggests the promo will only last through January 31 and that status will last until April 2009 (I would have expected April 2008, but Hilton status sometimes just lasts awhile). Some promos have worked out well in the past. Others, like the Citibank Chairman’s offer for Gold status, have prompted Hilton to revoke the status when used by folks not actually eligible for the offer. (I know of some folks that got the letter revoking their gold status, and yet the status mysteriously remained.) So, as with so many of these things, your mileage may vary…

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I’m Not a Fan of New York Hotels

by Gary Leff

Most places in the world, if you’re paying $450 a night for a hotel, you expect something out of the ordinary. In New York you can expect a bed. That’s the first reality check for folks not used to staying in Manhattan. The Holiday Inn Midtown usually goes for upwards of $369 a night. If you want to stay under $300, check out the Ramada. If you want closer to $200, there’s the HoJo’s at Penn Station. Even when you’re at a nicer property, rooms and bathrooms are uniquely small. Think 250 square feet. 350 square feet might be considered a junior suite. And — I can say this as a former New Yorker — the hotels are staffed by New Yorkers…. When I’m up in New York I’m most likely to stay at the…

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25% Bonus for Converting Hotel Points to Northwest

by Gary Leff

nwa-planes
Jan 02 2007

Northwest is offering a 25% bonus on hotel points converted to miles by January 31. Registration is required.only valid for WorldPerks members who reside in North America. The bonus applies to points converted from Goldpoints, Hilton, Hyatt, Priority Club, and Marriott. Starwood transfers are not included.

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