Earning American miles with Marriott, or transferring Marriott points into American miles, ends June 30. An email from American yesterday stated: We would like to provide you with an important update to the American Airlines AAdvantage® program. Effective July 1, 2010, the Marriott Rewards program will no longer offer AAdvantage miles for stays at Marriott hotels. All qualifying stays at participating properties completed by June 30, 2010 will be eligible to earn AAdvantage miles. It is also important to note the final date to convert your Marriott Rewards points to AAdvantage miles will be June 30, 2010. Presumably they couldn’t agree on the price of miles in a new contract, perhaps American wanted a higher price, Marriott wanted to lower the price, or they’ve been successful with other programs and not with American on reducing…
General
Category Archives for General.
Sometimes it Really is the Little Things that Make a Place Perfect
I’ve previously offered my peaen to the Le Meridien Chiang Rai’s macaron cookies. It’s just one of the little treats that guests receive throughout their stay, I remember receiving something different every day. And each day a new wonderful surprise! Keri, who recently checked out of that property, sent along the following photo. Brings back some of my absolutely favorite memories.
Predictions for a Continental-United Merger
I’ve been chatting with a bunch of media surrounding the expected United-Continental merger, being considered by the Continental board tomorrow. Lucky offered his thoughts on Thursday. Here’s his money quote: If you’re a mileage runner you shouldn’t be looking forward to this merger, plain and simple. Part of what makes United “profitable” as a customer is what a mismanaged airline they are and how poorly so many of their policies are thought out. If you complain that your seatmate farted, you’ll get a $200 electronic certificate good for future travel. And that’s certainly true, United is pretty dysfunctional and customers who understand their system have lone done well by them. Ultimately some of the more rewarding quirks of United will likely ultimately go away in a post-merger world. But somehow I don’t think United’s perspective…
Return to Manila: a continuation of “Cathay & British Airways First Class, Philippines and Macau, a Presidential Suite, and the Fat Duck Restaurant”
After 5 nights at the Hilton Cebu Island Resort & Spa, it was time to head back to Manila. I grabbed the hotel’s pink Corolla instead of a cab, it was right there and the price was right, a few minutes later we were at the airport. As is the case across the Philippines, we had to pay the airport’s departure tax in cash before proceeding through security. We were given a paper receipt, which we handed to a staffer immediately behind the booth where we paid the fee. Presumably they can match the receipts to the cash taken in, and the requirement for the receipt prevents corruption on the part of the staff member manning the booth. At least I can’t think of any other purpose for handing you a receipt and then collecting…
500 Free American AIrlines Miles for Registering with their eShopping Site By May 31
What was originally a 250 mile bonus for signing up for the American AAdvantage shopping mall expiring March 31 was boosted to 500 miles expiring April 30 and has been extended again — 500 free American AIrlines miles for signing up for their eShopping site, currently valid through May 31. (HT: Vito)
3000 Bonus American Miles Per Hyatt Stay and 10,000 Additional American Miles for 5 Hyatt Stays
This bonus will make Hyatt’s coming point increases go down a bit smoother. Hyatt is offering 3000 bonbus American miles per stay, on top of the usual 500 miles when crediting your stays to American Airline miles. The bonus can be earned 5 times between May 3 and July 5, and if you do earn it five times you earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles. This period coincides nicely with their Big Welcome Back offer of a free night every two stays, which runs through June 30. All told if you make 6 airport stays at $70 each, you might be all-in with tax around $475 and clear 3 free nights at any Hyatt in the world (valid through August 31) and 28,000 American miles. Registration is required. And don’t forget that if you aren’t…
Hyatt’s Upcoming Modest Points Devaluation
Hyatt Gold Passport posted on Flyertalk early this morning that they’d be making changes to their award chart. Currently hotels are spread across five categories. They’re creating a new category 6 as of June 4 at 22,000 points per night. That will include 20 properties. They’re also moving hotels up and down in categories, a total of 89 going up (including the 20 moving to category 6) and 65 going down. On the whole it seems that the reductions are all at the low end, e.g. there are 46 category 2 properties moving down to category 1. And the increases are more evenly distributed and even clustered towards the high end. There are even some two-category jumps, like the Grand Hyatt New York going from Category 4 to Category 6. Hey, I remember when you…
100 Free Continental Miles, This Time for Saving Your Avis Car Rental Account Number to your Onepass Profile
Points, Miles, and Martinis says that you can get 100 free Continental miles for adding an Avis Wizard Number to your Onepass profile. Took just a couple seconds (but then, I know my Avis Wizard number). Many folks complain that the various Continental 100 mile promises never actually materialize, but they do seem to post for me for often than not.
Purchase Starwood Starpoints for 1.45 cents apiece on May 3
Lucky points to an offer where you’ll be able to buy Starwood Starpoints for 1.45 cents apiece (e.g. 10,000 points for $145). Starwood points normally cost $35 per 1000 (but who would buy them at that price except to top off towards a specific award need?). The offer will be up at Discover America Daily Getaways sponsored by American Express on May 3rd. And there are a limited number of each points package, such as only 470 of the 10,000 point offers. And each purchase transaction is limited to 5 packages. There’s been speculation that this means you can only buy a total of 5 points packages, and so the interest has centered around the 10,000 point packages for most effect. But it’s not clear from the rules as to whether that’s per person or…
5000 Delta Miles Per Marriott Stay, Beginning With Your Second Stay
Via TM Travel World, Marriott is offering 5000 bonus Delta miles per stay beginning with your second stay between May 1 and September 6, 2010. The bonus can be earned up to 12 times for a maximum bonus of 60,000 miles. Registration is required (and begins May 1…) and you must set your earning preference to miles.
