Apr
11
2005
But I’m sick and most of what comes out of my keystrokes makes little sense. See you tomorrow!
I was going to write…
A Gratis Networks Offer NOT Worth Doing
Apr
11
2005
The free iPods folks are offering a free I love Free iPods.com t-shirt when you complete one of their marketing offers. No referrals are required for this one, but you do need to do an offer youself. Frankly not worth it. I’ll save doing offers myself for the offers I do want, like the free Playstation Portable or the free digital camera.
Two articles on tipping
Apr
10
2005
Joel Widzer thinks tipping should be quid pro quo for service. Tyler Cowen points out that this isn’t how tipping generally functions. Apparently there is generally “little relationship between quality of waiter service and size of tip,” tips go up in sunny weather, and waitresses (but not waiters) can increase their tips by drawing a smiley face on the check. Joel’s advice makes intuitive sense to me, but clearly doesn’t mesh with existing norms and customs. In fact, why should Joel’s advice work at all — making it clear to a service person that they’ll be rewarded with a tip? What’s the enforcement mechanism? Once good service has been rendered, why does the strategic tipper need to follow through at all, unless there’s an expectation of iterative interactions? When tipping comes after service, why do…
100 Free American Airlines Miles
Apr
10
2005
Points.com is giving away 15,000 American miles each day, but perhaps more importantly you get 100 miles just for entering. You need to signup for a free Points.com account to enter, or if you’re already a member you can simply sign in for the points. Points.com has unveiled their new interface, and while it appears slick and streamlined there’s no new functionality that I’m going to find personally useful. What’s more, they’ve increased their fees to $10/month for a premium account!
Free Bloomin’ Onion From Outback Steakhouse
Apr
09
2005
Take a survey on your recent experience with Outback’s curbside takeaway and they’ll send you a gift card for a free Bloomin’ Onion. You’ll be asked for a passcode. 4720 is for my local Outback. Passcode 2217 is posted at Fatwallet.
Instant Free Hilton Gold Status Now Online
Apr
09
2005
Last week I posted a promotion code to receive instant Gold status with Hilton just by calling them up. It turns out that there’s a website where you can enroll with HHonors Gold status online. No phone call required! If you’re an existing HHonors member you still have to call with the promotion code to get the status… or you could open a new account with Gold and then merge the two. Once you’ve created the new account, log in online, choose ‘member services,’ and select ‘combine multiple accounts.’ Add your existing account into your new Gold one.
Diners Club: on the Comeback Trail?
Apr
09
2005
Colloquy says that the comeback of Diners Club continues, noting that US Diners Club cards will benefit from the global acceptance of Mastercard. They do note the devaluation of Diners Club Club Rewards points vis a vis Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards tickets: Diners Club’s effort to make the card easier to use puts it squarely in the sights of competing card issuers and their airline partners. Southwest Airlines has already raised the number of Diners Club points required for a free ticket: Previously, Diners Club customers had to spend just $16,000 to earn a free Southwest ticket; now they will have to spend $24,000. By contrast, it takes $19,200 in spending on Southwest’s own Bank One credit card to earn a free ticket on the airline. The piece doesn’t mention the devaluation for Priority Club…
Delta to Give Passenger Data to CDC
Apr
09
2005
Via Tripso Daily, Delta is going to start turning over passenger data to the government. This time it’s not for security. They’re sending the information to the Centers for Disease Control so the government can track the whereabouts of passengers who have been exposed to illnesses. Says one airline representative, “there are privacy concerns.” Gee, ya think?
The End of Airport Club Lounges?
Apr
06
2005
In yesterday’s Washington Post, Keith Alexander suggests that airline club lounges are becoming less relevant: Those plush airport clubs began to lose their appeal after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Duffy frequently found herself stuck in long security lines and often had to rush through concourses just to catch her flight, leaving little time to relax in the club. And because of heightened security, Duffy could no longer hold meetings with clients in the clubs as she once did. So she began renting meeting rooms or suites at nearby hotels. Though it requires a bit more of a cumbersome process in the past, it’s still generally possible to hold meetings in airline clubs even if you aren’t traveling. Renting a club conference room or attending a meeting in one is usually enough to get a…
United Introduces Hotel and Car Rental Awards for Elite Members
Apr
05
2005
United elite members can now redeem Mileage Plus points for hotel nights at Marriott and Radisson and car rentals with Avis, National, Alamo, and Hertz. This is good progress, to be sure, although the certificates are paper and take four to six weeks to obtain and it looks like blackout dates and capacity controls will apply. In general the hotel nights represent a fair value for non-airline redemption, in some cases you’ll get a full penny per point. Rental car redemption strikes me as somewhat absurd, with pricing running from 10,000 to 12,500 miles per day. Nothing like the good old days when flight awards came with hotel nights and rental cars, or even when — once that practice ended — award redemption came with complimentary hotel and car rental discount certificates. But it sure…
