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. I would use the gift card to help pay for some of my wedding expenses. The best travel tip I know is to be flexible and spontaneous. I have learned some valuable tips on award booking.

  4. The most important thing I’ve learned is to be grateful for the opportunities to earn lots of points and travel free. To be slightly obsessed but not so much as to get stressed.

  9. I’ve learned to always behave nicely even if you are asking for an upgrade to which you are entitled. Of course, sometimes $20 helps as well.

  10. One of the best tips I’ve learned is to call American Airlines if you change your original flight and had put in for an upgrade. By calling AA, you can be sure that you can have the upgrade request restored to the original date of ticket purchase – not the date of the change in schedule.

  13. I would love it if you gave one of the cards to the grad student because grad school is expensive and they need all the help they can get.

    But for the second card, my mom has been through cancer and back surgery last year, so now that she’s feeling better, I’d like to take her for a long weekend on Amelia Island, Florida. One night will be paid using my Marriott Free Night certificate that I got because Gary mentioned the Marriott Visa 70,000 signup bonus (even though he didn’t get any credit from our signing up). So the $100 would apply nicely toward the second night.

    My travel tips — use newspaper bags to pack your shoes and search for discount codes before you buy anything, including travel, and do your homework!

  14. Ladies, get your hair cut into a simple style before traveling. Something that doesn’t require a bunch of gadgets and styling products. Lightens your load and makes it quick in the mornings to get out and explore on your awesome travel adventure!!!

  15. $100 means I can take the Amtrak next time I travel on a weekend trip instead of smelly Chinatown buses!

  16. The most valuable thing I’ve learned from this blog is how to control the temperature in any hotel room. Thanks!

  17. I would use the $100 towards a trip to Disney World. (My four year old has started paying waaay too much attention to commercials on TV lately).

  19. Best Travel Tip

    When going to Mexico wear a hat or T-shirt from the area your going to. The time share people will leave you alone knowing you have been there before.

  21. I would use the $100 gift card to buy my American friend’s beer in Portland (when I’m there for the first time in May).

  25. I would take my fiancé out to a celebratory dinner for getting a new job and for us moving to London!

  26. I’d take my husband out to a nice restaurant. We rarely go out due to my health and diet restrictions, poor guy has been suffering.

  30. I would use the gift card towards lift tickets for a weekend in VT, to make use of the mental amount of snow this year in NYC.

  31. What you will do with a $100 gift card? – use it on my Danube River Cruise trip coming up.
    What is the best travel tip you know? – always carry bubble wrap and baggies.
    What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from this blog? – hang up and call again for FFY travel, and it has worked. I had to book a trip to Italy almost segment by segment before it was done.

  32. Best tip I’ve learned from this blog is how to use credit cards to maximize my miles. In the fall I blew 250,000 BA miles on an awesome Asia trip — despite having not set foot on BA metal since 1997!

  34. My best travel tip is for when taking a long international flight that leaves early morning… Stay awake all night so you can sleep on the plane and already begin adjusting to the time change. This applies regardless of the class of service you’re flying.

  35. Always pack immodium when traveling. It really sucks having bathroom issues when you are stuck in a remote area – like hiking the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu!

  41. The #1 tip I’ve learned on this blog is the VIP override on hotel thermometers! That has improved my quality of life significantly. Thanks 🙂

  43. What you will do with a $100 gift card?

    Use it to pay my cell phone bill to free up cash for travel.

    What is the best travel tip you know?

    Wear a shirt with a pocket on it while flying, and store anything small needed on my flight in that pocket.

    What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from this blog?

    How useful BlueBird can be.

  44. One hundred dollars to pay for another AF on my CSP card. My best advice even though specific and not general was your first or only trip to Rome book downtown and not in the ‘burbs’. Thought about booking at the Crowne Plaza but switched to Westin Excelsior. Great decision. My wife loved it as did I.

  45. My favorite travel tip is to always travel with a mini power strip. (1) In an airport with two few power outlets this increases the likelihood that you’ll get power (since you can share an outlet someone is already using. (2) It means you only need a single power outlet converter when traveling in a foreign country.

  47. The most valuable thing I have learned is how to wrest control of a hotel room’s thermostat! With a simple video to boot!

  50. I’ll spend the $100 of course, probably on my upcoming trip to Aruba.

    Favorite tip is to always be flexible, it’s amazing how much difference a week can make in the cost of airfare/hotels.

    Best thing I’ve learned from the blog would just be to remain flexible and there will always be a way out of any given situation, typically to my benefit.

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