I may get mad at Starwood Preferred Guest from time to time, such as because they’re adding a new highest level for redemptions starting February 1 and the points price of better than a quarter of all their hotels will be going up at the same time. But I do have an emotional attachment to them, and I’ve already scheduled redemptions for over 25 hotel nights so far in the first half of 2007. So it’s no surprise, perhaps, that I’m addicted to the What Color is Your Dream? video that I watch over and over in a loop on SPGtv in my room, stay after stay… And boy does that Sheraton “We Belong” commercial tug at the heartstrings! (Thanks to Flyertalk member tjk1976 for the YouTube links.)
250 Bonus Points on Hampton Inn Stays
Jan
20
2007
Book at Hampton.com by March 31, 2007 for stays completed by April 30, 2007 and earn an extra 250 Hilton HHonors points by entering promo code H250.
Amtrak Mastercard Update
The Amtrak Mastercard is on hold — no new applications are being accepted. Amtrak and Bank of America are ending their relationship. Only purchases that are posted prior to the closing date of the May 2007 statement will earn Amtrak points. Presumably a new bank will partner with Amtrak over the next few months, but there’s currently no new partner in place.
ANA offers 20% off of Partner Awards
ANA is offering 20% off the mileage required for awards with its partners as long as they’re booked via the ANA website. All Nippon Airways may seen obscure to some, but they’re a Star Alliance carrier so their partners are varied. And they’re an American Express Membership Rewards partner so if you have Amex points you can transfer them to ANA and redeem for fewer than the usual miles required.The ANA partner award mileage chart outlines the number of miles usually required for an award. Take 20% off with this promo. And after you’ve signed up for an ANA account their website is actually quite good at searching for award availability.
United Changes its Expiration Rules
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…
Free Airtran Ticket for Money Market Deposit
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…
United reduces online booking bonus
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.
Alaska 20,000 Mile Visa Signup Bonus Continues
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.
$34 off on JetBlue
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.
Delta Clamps Down on Award Routings
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…
