Through March 31, Citibank is offering 40,000 Thank You Points for: Opening a checking account with a minimum of $1000 and then making one direct deposit ot two bill pays each month for three months, and Depositing $25,000 into a savings account. The 40,000 Thank You Points will be deposited within 4 months of meeting the offer requirements. Normally I’d be reluctant to recommend tying up $25,000 in a savings account currently paying ~3%. But that’s a far sight better return than I’ve gotten in equities so far this year… And leveraged with the fixed point redemption chart, the 40,000 Thank You Points represent an additional $800 – $1200 retun in about seven months on top of that 3%.
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Best Credit Card for Gas and Groceries
This comment on my recent post about the Hiltom American Express points to a Fatwallet post about the Citi Drivers Edge Mastercard. And… ding, ding, ding, ding. This was exactly the card I was referring to when I said certain Citibank Thank You Network-linked cards have specific advantages on certain kinds of spend that win me over The person who first turned me on to this option asked me not to post about it, and I’ve honored that. But since a commenter brought up the card and even linked to a relevant FatWallet discussion here on my blog I think it’s a bit more fair game. During the first year of cardmembership the Citi Drivers Edge Mastercard offers a 6% rebate on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations. (And it’s churnable, so after the first year or…
The Philosopher’s Hotel
Via Tyler Cowen, the Philosopher’s Hotel features a series of rooms that are perhaps less overtly amazing but equally compelling for the right clientele: each room revolves around the life, work and philosophy of a particular philosopher. The above rooms, for example, respectively play off Georges Bataille’s concepts of sexuality and eroticism, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophies of language, ethics and mysticism and Henry David Thoreau’s obsession with time, age and nature. Other rooms revolve around famous thinkers such as Nihilist Friedrich Nietzsche… One of Tyler’s commenters writes I imagine the Bentham room would have the means to see what was going on in all of the other rooms? I suppose one couldn’t reconcile postmodernism with the concern of upgrade, however.
Up to 5000 Delta Miles with Avis
Avis is offering 2500 bonus Delta miles on a 3-day rental and 5000 bonus Delta miles on a 4-day rental. You must use the relevant coupon codes mentioned in the link in order to get the bonus. It’s offered on “a qualifying rental at participating Avis airport locations in the contiguous United States and Canada.” Qualifying presumably means paid, i.e. no free day coupons in conjunction with the bonus mile offer. And airport Avis locations only. The terms and conditions do not specify any maximum number of times that this bonus can be earned, and important point in light of the recent imposition of a limit on the number of times you could earn the Delta bonus from Budget (which is owned by the same company as Avis). Although even there reports are that folks…
Coming Frequent Flyer Tie-in Between Lufthansa and JetBlue?
The Financial Times says that a frequent flyer partnership is in the offing between Lufthansa and JetBlue. No details yet, and I haven’t seen anything else written on the matter with actual confirmation. But there’s a glimmer of hope, finally, that one could choose to fly JetBlue while still participating in a real frequent flyer program (of which TrueBlue does not count). While Lufthansa’s award pricing levels are on the whole rather high, to my mind crediting JetBlue flights – should it become possible – to a Miles & More account will make wonderful sense. At least until all the detais are revealed. There are plenty more partnerships in the Miles & More program, so you can combine far more activities towards the awards you’re seeking. And the redemption side is much richer. After all,…
Gratuitous Spitzer Schadenfreude
Online Travel Review reports that Eliot Spitzer’s prostitute wasn’t so high-end after all. He paid for her travel… on Amtrak Regional service, not the Acela. The indictment notes that the woman took the 5:39pm train which, you’ll note, is Amtrak’s slow regional service, rather than the faster, more comfortable Acela…the 5:39 regional train arrived 15 minutes AFTER the 6pm Acela train. He did manage to save $220 on this part of the transaction… Would have been a better story if he’d signed up for an Amtrak Mastercard and redeemed the signup bonus for her tickets.
Summary of Starwood Preferred Guest
I’ve written up a summary of the Starwood Preferred Guest program for Webflyer.com’s Head2Head feature. It’s as follows: Introduction: The Starwood Preferred Guest program began in February, 1999 by combining the old Westin Premier and Sheraton Club International Programs. Its key selling point from the beginning was ease of points redemption: no blackout dates or capacity controls, if a participating hotel had a standard room available you could pay for it with points. Only in 2008 has Hilton begun to follow Starwood’s lead on redemption, and all other programs remain clearly behind. The Starwood brand includes Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien, St. Regis, W Hotels, Luxury Collection, and Four Points (and element and aLoft brands on the way). With over 860 hotels, it’s a larger program than Hyatt’s but much smaller than Marriott, Hilton, and Priority Club. …
American Dining for Miles Bonus – for AA Elites Only
Via Free Frequent Flyer Miles, iDine (ok, Rewards Network, it’s probably time I start calling it that) is offering American Airlines elite members 500 bonus miles in each month you spend $150 in qualifying dines through their program. There are bonus mile offers like this all the time but they’re usually short-running. This one lasts through February, 2009.
New Intercontinental in Bali, But A Greater Variety of Locations Would Be Nice
Intercontinental Hotel Group is opening a second Intercontinental property in Bali and has signed on an existing hotel to become a Holiday Inn. The luxury resort’s 104 rooms and suites will be located in low-rise cluster pavilions and will be complemented by 54 private villas, all featuring private pools with underwater seating, outdoor showers and private landscaped courtyards. The resort will also offer a wide selection of premium facilities, including a luxurious Spa InterContinental with spacious indoor and outdoor treatment areas, an all-day beachfront restaurant and specialty dining. Now, the existing Intercontinental in Jimbaran Bay is one of the very best Intercontinetnal properties in the world. Their club guests are met prior to customs and immigration and the airport and brought to the lounge while hotel staff process such formalities on their behalf. The club…
Hooters Hotel to Be Sold and Re-Branded
First there was the demise of Hooters Air. Not comes news that the Hooters Hotel & Casino, off the strip in Vegas, will be sold and re-branded. Somehow wings and breasts aren’t enough to leverage restaurants success into other markets. In fact, the financal performance of the hotel has been dreadful. Bond analysts during the past few months have questioned the feasibility of the deal if the property kept its Hooters brand. Under the Hooters Hotel brand, cash flow has been falling at the property. Cash flow, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, dropped 32 percent to $1.1 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. It was $1.7 million in the same period a year earlier. The property has yet to report its fourth-quarter earnings. Relative to the capital investment in…
