In some sense there’s no such thing as junk mail, there’s only mail that doesn’t interest you. If it were truly junk, not of interest to anyone, it would even get sent. Which isn’t to say I like the pile of stuff I toss into the recycling every day that there’s mail delivery. But I have an appreciation for bulk marketing mail that most people don’t.

I open my bulk e-mail as well, if it looks like it’s coming from a loyalty program.

Two items of note came in yesterday’s mail.

Bonus Miles from the US Airways MasterCard

The US Airways MasterCard offers targeted bonuses regularly. Many folks signing up for cards get quickly sent an offer for up to 15,000 bonus miles to get them used to actually using the card, since the signup bonus itself doesn’t require any spend.

Then there are frequent quarterly bonuses as well, even to me which comes as a surprise since I put over $25,000 in spend on the card last year.

Free Non-Airport (and Even Airport) Lounge Access

Regus business lounges are places to go work around the world with free internet and coffee (and they even have a new lounge at London Heathrow terminal 5), and several progams offer you free access to business lounges and even to the Heathrow lounge in terminal 5.

Interestingly, ‘Gold’ status used to be a common offer and I do have that, but over the past year those have dried up and mostly give away ‘preferred’ membership.

American Express Business Platinum though still markets free Gold:

Both of these are things I wouldn’t know about if I didn’t actually read my ‘junk mail’.