News, opinion, and minor notes from around the interweb: Via the Points Guy, American Express Membership Rewards is offering a 30% bonus on points transfers to Virgin America through September 2. Transferring to Virgin America is almost never a good idea, poor value per Amex point, and this bonus doesn’t change that calculation. This is really only useful is moving over a small number of points to top off towards a specific award level. According to this Milepoint discussion, Avis has removed blackout dates for redeeming AvisFirst two-day free rental day certificates. Via Merginal Revolution, another reason that Singapore fascinates me, garages in the sky that allow you to keep your car next to your living room in a high rise condo (subscription required). Hertz has made a deal to acquire Dollar and Thrifty car…
25% Bonus on American AAdvantage Purchased Miles through August 31
American is offering progressively greater discounts for larger points purchases, up to 25% off for a 40,000 mile purchase, expiring August 31. This is still 2.3 cents per mile all-in even with 25% off for 40,000 miles purchased, more than I would pay speculatively for miles but decent for topping off an account for a specific award level and especially with a particular award in mind. American allows award holds for 5 days, and points will post within a couple of days. So you can hold the award you want and then buy points you may need. The offer is in line with the recent trend towards short-term mileage purchase discounts and bonuses, but isn’t as rewarding as the beginning of April offer of a 30% bonus combined with a 15% discount that amounted to…
Hilton HHonors Launches New Online Shopping Portal
Just Another Points Traveler blogged this afternoon that Hilton HHonors had gotten out of the online shopping portal business (click through a program’s ‘online mall’ to the merchant you are going to buy from in order to earn points). She reported this based on an e-mail from the company which ran the old HHonors shopping portal, Hilton HHonors Earnings Mall has been discontinued, but your online shopping benefits don’t have to! To continue enjoying the savings and rewards of Earnings Mall, simply register for OO.com. It turns out, though, that there still is a shopping portal that lets you earn Hilton HHonors points for your online purchases. HHonors just isn’t working with that partner any longer. And the email simply came from the vendor that used to run the old shopping portal, trying to solicit…
Only One Week Left for Starwood American Express 30,000 Point Bonus
As a limited time offer through September 4th American Express will give you a similar number of points as the signup bonus on each of their personal and small business co-branded American Express cards. 10,000 bonus points after first purchase 20,000 more points after $5000 in spend within 6 months No fee the first year ($65 thereafter, which is lower than most airline co-branded cards This card has been top of my wallet since 2001, I signed up with no bonus at all, and there has never been an offer of more points than this though they have made this offer two times in the past. (In 2006 at the same time they brought out their small business card they bumped the signup bonus offer to 10,000 points. The standard bonus had been 4000 points,…
Walgreens Launching Loyalty Program
When United and Continental merged, then-head of United’s Mileage Plus loyalty program Graham Atkinson was forced out. He landed at Walgreen’s, and everyone has been expecting the rollout of a loyalty program for the drugstore chain. Now that’s exactly what’s happening. There will be points-earning opportunities for purchases, prescriptions, getting shots, and “participating in a walking program.” The more points you earn, the more existing points will be worth. Their goal is “tens of millions of sign-ups before the end of the year.” The program launches in September and there’s no word yet on whether points redemption availability will entail Starnet blocking when each quarter’s demand exceeds budget…
Luxury Hotels Shouldn’t Offer Packages Keyed Off the Occupy Movement
With a $349+ room rate, the occupy tie-in doesn’t count as ‘clever’. From my in-box this morning: The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte’s “Re-Occupy Charlotte” Post-DNC Package Announced For Immediate Release THE RITZ-CARLTON, CHARLOTTE INTRODUCES RE-OCCUPY CHARLOTTE September Weekend Package Will Usher In the City’s Post-Convention Return to Normal CHARLOTTE, N.C. – August 27, 2012 – When the convention crowds depart Charlotte on September 7, local residents will be able to reclaim their beloved city, enjoying the late-summer beauty for which Charlotte has become renowned. To celebrate this return to bliss, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte has introduced Re-Occupy Charlotte, a special weekend package which is valid between the end of the Democratic National Convention and September 30, 2012. Re-Occupy Charlotte offers a luxury weekend in “The Queen City,” with the package available to guests from any and all states, be they red, blue…
Why I Don’t Like Credit Card Chip and PIN Technology
When I was in high school in Central California, I was on the debate team and we traveled out of town frequently. The most common destination was Bakersfield. Our team always stayed in a motel off the freeway called the “California Inn.” There weren’t individual soaps in the bathroom. Instead, there was a wall-mounted dispenser with liquid soap that was called “EuroBath.” And sixteen year-old me thought that was special stuff! It’s from Europe! There’s this strange US fetish about Europe, not in all circles of course but in many. Anything that happens there is better, more cultured, more advanced. That’s not just about bath products, it applies even to credit cards. Europe has moved to “chip and pin” technology where (1) the cards have a chip in them that contains their identifying data and…
Leff Smackdown Watch: Am I Totally Wrong on American vs. Award Wallet?
Last month I wrote a letter to the editor of Inside Flyer arguing that it was unreasonable for Award Wallet not to be able to track American AAdvantage account balances. Randy Petersen had defended American’s decision in the August issue of the magazine, arguing that American’s position was consistent with their terms and conditions, they weren’t the first to do it (Southwest was), and it’s a reasonable move to protect member data. I suggested that blocking Award Wallet from helping members manage their American AAdvantage frequent flyer balances was an unreasonable move because: Award Wallet wasn’t even storing member account data at all. They didn’t see American account numbers or passwords or mileage balances. Their browser plugin, which members downloaded, kept all that information on their own computers only. It reduces security when members aren’t…
We Won’t Be Able to Wear Our Shoes Through TSA Checkpoints Any Time Soon
(…unless we’re selected for ‘pre-check’ that is) The TSA doesn’t like the shoe scanners that they’ve paid for. After spending millions of dollars testing four different scanning devices that would allow airline passengers to keep their shoes on at security checkpoints, the United States government has decided for now that travelers must continue to remove their footwear, by far the leading source of frustration and delays at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration said it had rejected all four devices because they failed to adequately detect explosives and metal weapons during tests at various airports. One of the scanners is now used in airports in 18 countries. The machines detect explosives in shoes just as well as putting shoes through an x-ray machines. But don’t detect some things that x-raying the shoes also fails to…
Westin Times Square Honoring $60 Rate
clayd333 shares the following email from the Westin Times Square (that I have since verified that others who booked the rate have received as well): Dear Westin New York Guest: Thank you for choosing The Westin New York at Times Square. Our records indicate that you have booked the Renew Your Soul package for your upcoming stay. Please be advised that this special offer is limited to single occupancy and is valid for the dates confirmed at time of booking. Any changes in dates, number of occupants or room type will result in a rate change and render the $60.00 rate null and void in accordance with hotel room modification policy. For assistance or for more information, please contact us at mars.01380@westin.com or call 212-201-4649 and select option 5. Kind regards, Reservations Department The Westin…
