Amtrak is offering three bonuses for its 5th anniversary. 200 points for registering for the promotion. 2400 points for earning Amtrak Guest Rewards points with three partners by June 30. 2400 points for spending $3000 on the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard between April 15 and June 30. The 200 points are a free gimme. If you have the Amtrak credit card, $3000 in spending over two and a half months is easy to qualify for for most. I used to highly recommend the Amtrak credit card as indispensable because it has no annual fee, it charged only 1% on foreign currency transactions, and Amtrak points could be transferred 1:1 into United. However, Amtrak pulled the plug on United transferred and MBNA is increasing the foreign exchange transaction fee to 3%. I no longer recommend acquiring…
Earn Points Towards Wyndham Stays, Just Not Via Wyndham’s ByRequest Program
Apr
16
2005
The La Quinta Returns Program is introducing redemption at Wyndham hotel and resort properties as a new option beginning this weekend. Ironically, Wyndham doesn’t offer points towards future stays in its own ByRequest program.
20% Priority Club Award Nights
Apr
15
2005
Priority Club is offering 20% off hotel night award redemption for stays between April 15 and June 15 at select properties. Participating Crowne Plaza properties are only 16,000 points… Participating Intercontinentals are just 24,000…
Star Alliance Status Matches Available to U.K. Residents
Apr
15
2005
Residents of the U.K. are invited to receive elite status on the Star Alliance carrier of their choice (excluding Singapore) by filling out a form and faxing a copy of a frequent flyer statement that shows elite status with a competing airline. For general discussion of elite status matching and instructions for receiving matches with several airline programs, see “The Status Match Master Thread” — a Flyertalk discussion I started in October 2003.
Free Samples
Apr
14
2005
Dove Moisture Bar Bausch & Lomb multi-purpose solution Head & Shoulders Shampoo Pepcid AC Garnier Fructis Celine Dion Perfume Covergirl Outlast Liquid Makeup John Frieda in your choice of colors
How Can Banks Afford to Give You Miles, Rebates, and Premium Services?
Apr
14
2005
A piece in yesterday’s StartupJournal explained credit card interchange fees. Interchange fees, what credit card companies charge merchants when you use your card, average 1.75% for Visa and Mastercard and 2.4% for American Express. Larger merchants, naturally, negotiate lower feels than mom and pop businesses, but those percentages are the average. If Chase, which issues the United Visa, pays United 1.25 cents per mile and awards a mile per dollar spent on the card then they’re making half a cent on each dollar transaction. That half cent, plus any annual fee, funds their operations and any additional perks that come with the card. It also turns out that which prestige level card you use may now play a part in determining what the merchant gets charged. If you’re using a ‘premium’ Visa (such as Signature…
United Award Discount to Japan and Taiwan
Apr
14
2005
United is offering discounted award travel to Nagoya or Taipei via Nagoya. Ticket by June 30 and travel between April 28 and September 15. Roundtrip between North America and Nagoya or Taipei Economy Saver Award was 60,000 miles Now only 44,000 miles Business Saver Award was 90,000 miles Now only 70,000 miles First Class Saver Award was 120,000 miles Now only 100,000 miles
When it ALMOST makes sense to pay the higher mileage award level for a flight
Apr
13
2005
Joel Widzer claimed a premium level first class award on a domestic flight from LA to Dallas. While that strikes me as a little crazy for a midcon flight, I can’t criticize him too much. For the very first time I recently claimed a premium first class award on a domestic flight. It was a last-minute transcon, I was paying out of my own pocket, and the flight would have cost about $1500 in coach. Plus I knew I wouldn’t get an upgrade. I had to fly on one specific return flight, and there was only one first class seat left for sale. Claiming the premium award allowed me to pull a seat from revenue inventory and take that last first class seat. Still, it was a questionable use of miles defensible only based on…
Best and Worst Burger
Apr
13
2005
One of the worst cheeseburgers I ever ate was onboard a United Airlines flight to San Francisco when it made me sick. For awhile in 2001 that became the standard lunch offering on first class transcontinental flights. Occasionally it was edible, but flight attendants had a hard time preparing it and more often than not the bun was served rock hard. It was supposed to be a ‘gourmet’ burger but it just wasn’t. I’ve long grilled my own burgers with a pat of butter inside the patty. It keeps the burger moist and juicy even if I overcook the meat. But Tyler Cowen offers an idea that I hadn’t thought of myself: stuff it with blue cheese as well. Yum! As for me, I’d add some mushrooms and grilled onions and that might be the…
Amtrak Eliminating Unreserved Service in the Northeast
Amtrak is moving to reserved service only across most Northeast trains effective April 25. Members holding award tickets for unreserved trains can call Amtrak Guest Rewards customer service at 1-800-307-5000 to exchange the award for a reserved ticket for no additional points.
