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

  6. I recently viewed your clip on the $20 buck trick for hotel check in. Want to try some day just to see if it works or not.

  9. My sis is going on her first overseas trip
    Next week. I’d give it to her so she can treat herself to a nice meal…

  10. Hang up call again is the best tip I’ve learned here. Third time was a charm in getting an economy ticket to from the US to the Middle East to price out at 60k US Airways miles.

  13. I’m going to pay it forward and give it to someone who used to work for me and who could use it more than me.

  16. What is the best travel tip I know? Research as much as possible before leaving. Whether it’s a short business trip or a long holiday overseas, I feel so much more confident by preparing in advance so I arrive informed and intelligent. Besides, nefarious ne’er-do-wells can spot confused tourists and target them; by being confident, I *look* confident and this has helped me avoid issues with muggings, assaults or the like.

  18. My dad is in hospice. I’d use t :(e gift card to send a thank you basket from Harry and David’s to the angelic staff caring for him.

  22. I would use the card for a massage when I travel to New Orleans with my husband in a few weeks. I will have some time to occupy while he takes meetings.

  24. It’s still February… all earnings are earmarked for “the man”. I’d deposit my $100 GC into my Bluebird account and then use it to pay taxes, of course!

  25. Go online and review your upcoming United award trips regularly. The computers will make changes and maybe you’ll be notified, maybe not. Two changes on an upcoming trip created a 20-minute connection between flights in separate terminals at O’Hare and a 40-hour layover at an intermediate stop in Europe which would have forced me to miss a prepaid tour and hotel night. Fortunately I was able to get an alternate routing rebooked when I found the changes, which they didn’t notify me about.

  27. I will donate it to my friend Robin whose son Ben is having heart surgery and has to travel from FL to Ohio for the surgery.

  34. I would use a $100 gift card to buy my two new grandbabies something. My best travel tip is to relax and enjoy the journey. And, the most important thing I’ve learned is that there are a lot more people reading this blog than some of the others on BA.

  40. I’m in southern India right now and I learned about the Grand Chollah from this blog–staying there this weekend. Am overwhelmed by the surrounding poverty. En route discovered a marvelous vet that is helping street dogs. This money would go straight to his place,the Arc, where it can do great good!

  41. I’d use that $100 to pick up some otherwise hard-to-find in-New England Passive Aggressive wine when in Portland, OR, later this week–plus a coffee or two at Stumptown, of course.

  45. I would use if for a donation to the local food pantry. If your kids don’t actually help you take the items there, they don’t realize it ever happened. I want my children to be able to empathize with those in need.

    You best piece if advise: hang up and call back!

    Thank you.

  46. First off, I think any service industry resource needs to be properly trained and held accountable when that training fails.

    As for the $100, I would use it to pay the fees associated with using United Award Miles for a flight from Frankfurt to Rome.

  48. I have an anniversary coming up soon – there is a restaurant that I would like to try but never had becase of the cost

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