As of December 29th, Hyatt is introducing a new higher award category (‘category 5’) for their most expensive properties. Currently the most points required for an award night is 15,000. The new category 5 will require 18,000 points for a single night. In the U.S. this includes the Park Hyatt DC, Hotel Victor. It includes the Park Hyatts in Tokyo, Paris, and Sydney. I get those. But Dubai?Here is the new award chart. You may want to make 2007 reservations now, before December 29, using the old chart…
Miles for Cheese
Nov
12
2006
Specially marked packages of Swiss Knights Fondue and Cheese are offering 500 American Airlines miles. You can pick the stuff up at Costco, Traders Joes, and some supermarkets. Some folks looking to top off their American Airlines accounts may find buying long shelf-life, no need to refrigerate cheese worthwhile just for the miles. The economics aren’t quite as good as buying pudding once was but I suppose you, too, can reduce your cost basis by donating the fondue to charity and taking a tax writeoff. Product website is short on details, such as how long the promotion will run or whether there’s a maximum number of codes a single individual can redeem for their account.
Starwood’s New Bonus Points Promo
Starwood’s new quarterly promo is out. As usual, you have to register and then you’ll find out the offer you get. My offer in the Starry Nights Promo is You’ll earn 3,000 Starpoints after your third stay, 3,000 after your sixth stay and 3,000 after your ninth stay for a total of up to 9,000 bonus Starpoints. So 9000 points for 9 nights between December 1 and February 28. Registration is required by January 31.Some folks get 2000 points for every 2 stays up to 6000 points instead of 3000 points every 3 stays up to 9000. So as they say, “your mileage may vary.”
And you think it’s tough to spend YOUR miles?
I can’t vouch for the veracity of the piece, but Trinidad & Tobago’s Newsday reports that BWIA is not offering any additional mileage redemption seats at all through April 2007. PERSONS wishing to use their BWEE Frequent Flyer Miles to book flights on BWIA may not be able to do so until April 2007 because all mile bookings for confirmed seats on BWIA for the rest of the year and early next year have been filled. Yesterday, Newsday received calls from several concerned persons who said they contacted the BWEE Miles centre and were told that they may not be able to use their Frequent Flyer Miles to book tickets for the remainder of 2006 and possibly the first three months of 2007. Checks by Newsday with the BWEE Miles centre revealed that confirmed seats…
United Bonus Miles … 5000 to 25,000 miles for ticket purchases
Nov
11
2006
United is offering: 5,000 bonus miles for completing one qualifying roundtrip 10,000 bonus miles for completing two qualifying roundtrips 25,000 bonus miles for completing three qualifying roundtrips Ticketing and travel must be between November 10 and January 31, and the first roundtrip must be completed by December 31. Only roundtrips qualify, but it looks like all regular paid fare classes count. Registration is required.
Mileage Programs Drive Airline Profits — and Not Because of “Loyalty”
In the second quarter of 2006 United reported net income of $111 million on revenue of $5.1 billion. $97 million of that — 87% — was from “United Loyalty Services,” primarily the Mileage Plus frequent flyer program. In the third quarter of 2006 United reported net income of $220 million on revenue of $5.2 billion. $112 million of that — 51% — was from United Loyalty Services. It’s reasonable to say that United’s frequent flyer program drives its profitability (though it’s certainly possible for the airline to lose enough money that even its frequent flyer program couldn’t make up the difference). Meanwhile, Air Canada’s Aeroplan frequent flyer program (which is a separate publicly traded entity) saw its third-quarter profit jumped 77 percent as it sold more Aeroplan Miles through its commercial partners. Aeroplan earned C$34.3…
10,000 American Miles for Free Citibank Accounts
Nov
11
2006
There’s been a Flyertalk thread over the past two months on how to earn 10,000 American miles at more or less no cost by opening a Citibank checking and e-savings account and linking an American Airlines Mastercard to those accounts. Even though I have an AA Mastercard! (After all, you can get 20,000 miles or more with first purchase or $250 in purchases with fee waived the first year — and you can cancel before the fee is due, and they’ll give you signup bonuses many times).But the Free Frequent Flyer Miles website has done a writeup on the offer, and now I have no excuse not to participate. Cribbed from their latest update: Super offer through December 31, 2006: Get 10,000 American Airlines miles for linking your existing American Airlines credit card to a…
Holiday Inn Points Earn You Gold Golf Clubs and Unicycles
Nov
05
2006
This has been out for a few months but it’s my absolute favorite commercial, I can watch it over and over and still laugh. But I’m weird. It’s a great spot on points, but never really tells you why Priority Club is a good program or even how to join. What action are you supposed to take from this commercial? (I guess you’re supposed to ‘look again’ at Holiday Inn because you can earn points?) But it’s sheer brilliance nonetheless.
5000 Bonus Miles for Online Mall Purchases
Nov
05
2006
Northwest is offering 5000 bonus miles for spending $250 on a Northwest Visa at the WorldPerks Mall through January 15, 2007. Registration is required.
500 Free Lufthansa Miles
Nov
03
2006
Sofitel is having a sweepstakes that offers 500 Lufthansa miles just for entering.
