For holders of a Delta American Express card, Gary Steiger of Free Frequent Flyer Miles posts a useful tidbit: Current holders of either a personal or a business Delta American Express credit card that is not translucent can get 1000 miles through December 31, 2003, for switching to a translucent card. Call (800) 297-6200, press 3, then press 1. A live person will handle the transaction. This phone number is for business cards, but it also works for personal cards. Note that the new card will have a different account number on it. But the customer rep I spoke with said that bills paid by and to the old account will be transferred to the new one automatically. I would change all of these billings anyway, but you probably have some time to do so.
And while we’re talking shopping
Check out this introduction to earning miles for the same online purchases you’ll be making anyway. It’s a free article from the December issue of Inside Flyer and includes a comparison chart showing which of the different online shopping portals offer the most miles for a variety of popular merchants.Note that while the article and accompanying chart are very useful, they’re not 100% comprehensive. It’s still worthwhile keeping Smarterliving’s MileFinder and Ronald’s Cross Reference Guide in mind. Also note that contrary to the implication in the article, Goldpoints can be redeemed for miles with a whole sleuth of carriers (in addition to redeeming for Radisson hotel stays), not just for miles with USAirways and Northwest. The key is signing up for the Goldpoints program via Radisson Hotels (then take your account number over to the…
New laptop computer for less than $600
This Dell Inspiron 1100 is $849 – $250 rebate. That is, $599, not to mention free shipping.Comes with a celeron 2.3GHz processor, 14.1″ screen, 20 gig hard drive, and combo CD Read/Write – DVD drive.If you purchase it through the Continental Mall link to Dell you’ll earn 2 miles per dollar as well.
Australian Members of Parliament and their Miles
Australian members of parliament are not allowed to use frequent flyer miles earned on business for personal travel. Instead, they’re supposed to use their miles to save money on official trips. But almost none do. The policy is said to have saved all of AU$4096.34 during the first half of 2003. The article cites difficulty in redeeming awards and lack of flexibility on award tickets. Just as likely, there’s little incentive to save money. Booking award tickets takes extra effort when paying with someone else’s money is easier. And if a member of parliament retires, they’ll still have miles which can then be used personally.And yet the article doesn’t mention anyone considering dropping the requirement, as was done in the United States.
When in doubt, create your own category to win
Northwest Worldperks has been named the most popular Morth American frequent flyer program in a survey by Time Asia. Not it’s settled.
No NW LCC
Northwest Airlines is not going to create a low cost carrier within a carrier a la United and Delta (or like past failed operations at United, Continental, and USAirways). Smart move. Northwest has, more than any of the other major carriers, transformed itself into a hybrif of low cost carrier and full service carrier. Their labor costs remain high. They’re a victim of their own relative success in that they haven’t had bankruptcy as a real stalking horse to reign in union contracts. But they have successfully controlled their other major expenses, and if they can bring their labor costs in line with their post-bankruptcy competitors they should survive without risky ventures that threaten to cannibalize their existing business.
Washington Dulles is a terrible airport
Washington Dulles airport won’t be getting rail access any time soon, as a special tax to finance the measure was unanimously voted down. The transit tax district, which would have imposed a 20 percent real estate tax increase on commercial properties along the train route, was to have generated Fairfax County’s share of the project’s cost. But the Town Council’s rejection of the tax district in Herndon, on a 6 to 0 vote, effectively kills the tax district across the county and opens a $540 million hole in the financing scheme designed by state and local leaders. More than $38 million has been spent just to plan the 23 miles of rail. Property owners along the proposed rail line were being asked to foot the project bill, even though many of them would never see…
250 Starwood points
Starwood has a survey good for 250 points. (As posted on Flyertalk.com)
Diners Club conversion bonus
Through January 15th you can a 30% bonus when converting Diners Club points into United Mileage Plus miles.
Troubleshooter in Trouble
Travel writer Christopher Elliott has been sacked from his USAToday.com column. Elliott suggests it was because he was too critical of USAirways.The item of greatest note to me is that his firing was not simply for being critical to USAirways (an advertiser) in his online column that USAToday.com was paying for but also for what he wrote about USAirways on his blog.USAToday.com’s editor-in-chief cites content from Mr. Elliott’s blog as a basis for charges underlying his dismissal: Moreover, with your commentary appearing in other forums (for example your Nov. 25 blog item on USAirways), the potential of an appearance of conflict is almost unavoidable. I’ll leave it to the journalism profs and ethicists to comment further. Although the blogosphere may have something to say about this one.
