Quick $200 Giveaway – Leave a Comment Here

by Gary Leff

Quick giveaway: $200 (2 prizes of $100 gift cards)

I received 5000 Starwood Starpoints from a complaint that I didn’t feel was a great idea for me to take. Rather than trying to get them to claw back the points, I feel better giving something away in its place. A few readers had proactively suggested (I didn’t ask for advice… 😛 ) that I give away Starpoints, but I can’t really transfer them and they’re expensive to buy. So a $100 gift card seems appropriate there.

And in addition I had an extra $100 card I had purchased to do a few experiments with, and that I don’t wind up needing. Obviously it’s money, and I could either use the card or manage to get the funds back into a bank account. But the card was purchased in the name of frequent flyer ‘science’ so I figure it’s worth giving away here as well.

So that’s two good reasons to give away $100, and I thought I’d give away 2 x $100 gift cards. It’s not a monster big prize, so we’re not going to do a multi-day multi-post extravaganza on it. Just a quick giveaway over the course of the next 24 hours. (I’m leaving it open that long to ensure everyone following by email subscription, or regardless of time zone, has a change to participate.)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post that answers any of the following:

  • What you will do with a $100 gift card?
  • What is the best travel tip you know?
  • What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from this blog?

Any of these work.

You may enter one time only. By entering you agree that I’m trying to do something reasonably nice and you won’t give me a hard time over the nuances of rules, complain in any way, and agree to be bound by any and all of my judgments are they relate to this offer (and agree that those judgments are final and are not appealable).

Fire away in the comments, I look forward to drawing winners and sending out the prizes.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. The most valuable thing I’ve learned is when talking on the phone with reservation agents, sometimes it is best to hang up and call bak in order to find an agent who will help

  7. Always travel w a few alligator paper clamps ( or whatever they r called) to keep your room curtains clamped together to keep ut nice n dark (especially for Intnl teavel!)

  10. best thing i learned was going to australia on US with a free stopover in Asia for 110,000 miles in business

  14. I would use the gift card on travel expenses since this is a travel year for a big birthday and a silver anniversary.
    I learned about Delta’s miles being relatively affordable flying Australia/Asia from the blog.
    My travel tip is to have some form of small snack/granola bar at all times in case of delays especially if there is a possibility there is no suitable place to purchase food or if all my currency has been used up.

  15. If you’re late for a flight and the security line is too long, don’t be shy and walk through the line politely and desperately asking people if they mind if you go in front of them because your flight is taking off in 15 minutes. If you get everyone’s buy in (which I always do), TSA will have no problem letting you go to the front of the line which could make or break you getting on your flight. ALWAYS works for me… In addition always print your boarding pass in the event that your phone battery dies right before you arrive curbside; paper can never run out of batteries 🙂

  17. I’d use the $100 gift card for changing my last United Mileage Plus first class redemption to get on LH first!

  18. Don’t use the old – fashioned coffee brewing machines…flight attendants use them to wash out their panty hose…A current flight attendant told me this.

  19. Best tip: Always carry your keys and your wallet with you, as sometimes even the gate-check bags get left behind!

  20. Not sure what type of gift card, but I’d like to use it toward the cost of my next hyatt or spg hotel stay. Gotta get to work on my 2015 elite status! Thanks for being so generous!

  22. Thank you for the awesome giveaway.

    What would i do with the $100 gift card? To be honest i dont know as of right now but it will def go to a future travel related event and planning.

    Most valuable travel tip i know is maximum on points and taking advantages of vdb and being flexible.

    I would say your post on travelpony personally saved me about $245 around there when i took my recent business trip this weekend.

  23. I’d use the gift card for gas on an upcoming road trip to visit a friend in New Orleans. Thanks for the giveaway!

  24. I’ve learned that my original travel aspirations were too low and have certainly raised the bar spoiling myself in international first class and 5* hotels for free

  25. Step 1. Go to Walmart and load it to my BB.

    Step 2. Write my office lease check with a BB check.

    Step 3. ???

    Step 4. Profit!

  26. Probably the best thing I’ve learned is about how to use stopovers on award tickets. Flying from the Middle East, it’s going to give me a free stopover in Dallas to see my family and then all the way to Hawaii for a wedding, all for the same amount of miles.

  30. I would use the 100$ to buy some cool stuff for my next trip. My best travel tip is to always take at least one pair of extra clothes with your carry on just in case you get delayed or the airlines looses your luggage. And the best thing I learned from your blog is always look for promotions on travel there’s always one out there. Thankx.

  33. Carry to different types of government IDs when you travel and store them separately – this way, if one gets lost or stolen, you have the other to board a plane and get home.

  36. The tips I’ve learned from this blog are invaluable. I especially like the best cards from each bank, it helps with my app o ramas!!

  38. What would i do with $100? I would take my girlfriend out to a special dinner, somewhere i can earn some points via reward network

  40. answering Q#2: we all work hard to get those miles,maximize them,fly the best F classes(yes cause we get picky-nothing bad with that;) but every time i arrive to a wonderful new place i realize that’s what matters the most…not krug,caviar or a ride in a porsche around the tarmac.

  41. Learned first and foremost to protect your credit rating by not going overboard and to be selective with credit cards.

  49. Wow, you got a lot of entries already!

    I’ve learned so much that I don’t even know where to start – but I first read about the Andaz Fifth Avenue and the lemon poppyseed pancakes here – and stay at that hotel often. Also generally the top end hotel redemptions

  50. Gary – what I’ve learned from your blog aside from the points/miles aspect is your take on the travel business in general and the hotel and airline business in particular.

    There’s value in knowing about why or why not something either might or might not happen – not saying you always get it right – but I think I am more informed about things than I would be otherwise

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