I’ve gotten value from Thanks Again earning miles for years, just a few at a time. They started out with brick and mortar retailers and I’d earn points when I least expected it. Then they pivoted to focus largely on airports.
When you go through the airport you’re the airline’s customer, and the airport rarely knows who you are. But the airport makes money when you spend money at retailers there. So by rewarding that spend they learn about who their best customers are can provide even greater rewards. I interviewed their CEO two years ago and he explained their business model.
You register your credit card and then automatically earn miles at participating merchants, using the same kind of system that Rewards Network uses for dining to make the whole thing seamless, working in the background.
They’ve given me signup bonuses, and mileage-earning with them has counted towards larger partner bonus promotions.
A couple of readers reached out to me because they haven’t seen miles earned for their airport purchases post to their frequent flyer accounts. In both cases the members were crediting miles to United.
I’ve actually had the same issue. I contacted ThanksAgain through the feedback form on their website and hadn’t heard back. So I reached out to executives with the company.
Their President let me know,
The issue is limited to a few dozen Thanks Again accounts. We have a fix identified and we expect that it will be fully tested and in place by the end of September.
In the meantime, we are offering affected members alternative rewards.
In my own case I’m owed fewer than 500 miles for airport spending since my last mileage posting in October 2017. One affected member told me that he was offered a choice of 10,000 American AAdvantage or a $50 Delta gift card.
I submitted a claim for missing miles in January and have been following up every now and again with more claims through July. Less than 500 miles in question – they had showed in my Thanks Again account, but nothing was ever actually transferred to American. Out of the blue I recently got an email that the miles just posted – and yes, they are in my AA account. A bit frustrating, but the company seems to be trying to make things right.