I’ve Been Renting from Thrifty

I used to be an Avis zealot, especially since I could usually save about 30% using the ‘D002807’ discount code (Amateur Sports Assistance Program). But with that code now gone, and a whopper of a frequent flyer bonus from Thrifty, I’ve been moving my rentals recently. Thrifty Car Rental is offering 1,000 America West miles per rental. Most of my rentals are one day and about $25. Pretty nice deal. Twenty car rentals — $500 — would equal a free domestic ticket. And I still get free “blue chip” express service. I still don’t find them quite as well organized as Avis or Hertz, but as long as I’m earning 1,000 miles on a $25 rental I’ll stick with ’em. And the offer lasts through the end of the year.

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Tips for securing award seats

CBS Marketwatch offers six tips for securing airline awards. They’re basically sound, but I’d quibble at the margin with them and clarify in some cases. So allow me to rewrite their six. If you don’t earn alot of miles, consolidate your miles into one or two programs so that you reach a critical mass of miles for redeeming tickets. If you do earn alot of miles, be sure to spread out your mileage earning so that when it comes time to redeem, you have more than one option to use to find availability. (And if you don’t earn alot of miles, make sure you take advantage of more opportunities – credit cards, telephone, online shopping, etc.) Be flexible. Sure, I agree with this one. If you’re able to choose a variety of days for travel,…

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What the Coalition is Contributing to the Iraq War Effort

From the Washington Post’s weekly “Ideas Industry” column: THINK TANK HUMOR: Oh, and you thought think tankers were dry, mumbling folks. Ha! Laugh-parched staffers at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace came in one morning last week to find a listing of “Coalition of the Willing: Contributions to War Effort” in their mailboxes, complete with “official” U.S. Department of State header. Here’s an excerpt of the countries and their “donations”: Lithuania: Giving up the Bomb: What’s in it for You? A Foreign Ministry Documentary. Denmark: 721,999 boxes of Her Majesty’s Butter Cookies. Georgia: Eduard Shevardnadze will resign to serve as interim Iraqi president. Portugal: 23,339 tons of fresh calamari for Iraqi POWs. Uganda: Offer of asylum to Saddam Hussein. Netherlands: 290,000 tons of cannabis for medical purposes only. Singapore: 50 copies of government film, Spanking…

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Restaurants on the cheap

I’m finding Restaurants.com gift certificates available on Ebay for 70% or more off of their face value. I recently picked up a $50 gift certificate for Gerard’s Place here in D.C. for only a $1. Of course, that pretty much only buys me lunch — but I’m on the prowl for another Gerard’s Place gift certificate of a similar denomination. Choose browse, choose Gifts & Occasions, then choose Gift Certificates. Within Gift Certificates, search just for the city you’re looking for (e.g. Washington DC). Just be sure that the terms of the gift certificate work for you. All of them are different. Some require parties of 2 or more. Others require parties of 4. Some are lunch only and others are dinner only.

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