U P F R O N T
"What is FIFA?"
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Thanks to the many soccer-savvy readers who took time to answer the "What is FIFA?" question posed in last week's newsletter. The answer:
"Your question is interesting because, for me, as a Brazilian, it sounds just like if you were asking what Super Bowl is or what UNO, UNESCO, IATA stands for... but I understand that. Different cultures...
"FIFA stands for International Football Federation Association, not in English but in French. Federation Internationale de Football Association. It was founded in 1904 in Paris but its present headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland. However, if you go to Lausanne, you cannot absolutely miss the Football museum. By the way, when we say football, we refer to what Americans call soccer. What Americans call football we refer as American Football, completely unknown and beyond comprehension under the Equator and Europe."
- Bruno (writing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
O N S I T E
New on the FrequentFlier Forum
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Skip has the details and registration link for the US Airways 10,000-mile bonus offer for London and Amsterdam flights. Hal is wondering about the benefits of HHonors Diamond status. Travlynn points the way to Celebrity Cruises' sweepstakes. And much more...
Do you have mileage-related questions, answers, anecdotes? Post them (and read others') on the FrequentFlier Forum.
M I L E S & P O I N T S
American Doubles Miles for JFK-Long Beach Flights
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AAdvantage members will earn double miles for nonstop travel on AA's new service between New York/JFK and Long Beach from June 15 through Sept. 15, 2002. Register prior to travel using promo code NYLGB.
Fairmont Hotels Offer AAdvantage Bonus, Discount
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AAdvantage members who charge stays at participating Fairmont hotels on their Citi AAdvantage cards between June 14 and Sept. 2, 2002, are eligible for 2 special offers --
- Double miles (500 base and 500 bonus) for all qualifying stays
- Special pricing. Request the "AAdvantage Summer Rate."
> More...
Amex Adds Award Partners
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American Express has expanded its roster of Membership Rewards award partners. Cardholders can now redeem points for products or services from the following: American Express Travelers Cheques, American Golf Corporation, AT&T Prepaid Services, Banana Republic, Blockbuster, Broadway.com, Citarella, Discovery Channel Store, Gloss.com, Hammacher Schlemmer, Harry and David, Hollywood Movie Magic, Loews Cineplex, Morton's of Chicago, the Nike Learning Center, Platinum By Invitation Only Events from American Express, Time Consumer Marketing, Inc. and USA Today.
American Express has also added the following charity partners to the program: Rebuilding Together, The September 11th Fund and UCP (United Cerebral Palsy).
> More...
Amex Doubles Points for Business-Card Charges
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Through July 31, 2002, OPEN Small Business Network cardholders will earn double Membership Rewards points for purchases made on an eligible, enrolled American Express charge or credit card from the OPEN Network at FedEx Express and FedEx Ground, IKON Office Solutions, MSC Industrial Supply, Newark Electronics and Mailboxes, Etc.
> More...
Triple Shuttle Miles Extended Through Aug. 31
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The triple-mile promotions from Delta and US Airways for shuttle flights (Boston-New York-Washington) have been extended. The original end date was May 31; it's now Aug. 30, 2002. Delta's "20 minutes or 20,000 miles" guarantee has also been extended, but only through June 30, 2002.
The bonus miles count toward earning 2002 elite status in both programs.
The Delta offer requires no registration. Register for the US Airways offer here.
SkyMiles Elite Members Can Check for Upgrades Online
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SkyMiles Medallion members now can check upgrade availability prior to booking a flight at Delta's website. If the upgrade is available, members can then proceed to complete the entire transaction online: purchase a ticket, confirm the upgrade, and choose a seat.
> More...
Join WorldPerks & Fly to Earn 6,000 Bonus Miles
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Northwest is offering new WorldPerks members up to 6,000 bonus miles for joining and flying.
Join the program between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2002, and fly within 6 months of enrollment to earn 1,000 bonus miles after taking your first flight (1 way or roundtrip) and another 5,000 bonus miles after taking a second flight (must be roundtrip).
Travel can be on Northwest or a Northwest Global Airline Partner.
New members will also be entered automatically into the 100,000 Bonus Miles Sweepstakes.
> More...
Gap.com Purchases Earn United Bonus Miles
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Mileage Plus members can earn 3 miles for every $1 spend at Gap.com.
To register, visit http://united.com/gap, then click through to Gap.com to begin shopping.
S T E A L S & D E A L S
Deal Alert from SmarterLiving.com
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This week's hot deals from SmarterLiving.com...
Summer fares to London and Europe from $578 R/T
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British Airways has announced a new sale on summer travel from the U.S. to destinations in Europe, including cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Milan, Nice, Paris, and Vienna. Flights to Europe include free stopovers in London in either direction.
> More...
Get lucky with Las Vegas fares starting at $68 R/T
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American and United are offering sale fares from West Coast cities to Las Vegas, starting as low as $68 round-trip from Los Angeles (LAX). Travel is valid through Sept. 30. America West has also released a Vegas deal, with round-trip flights for two as low as $80 per person.
For all 3 airlines, purchase tickets online only, at least 7 days before departure, and by Sunday, June 9.
> More...
S W E E P S & F R E E B I E S
Stay at Best Western, Win a Jag
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Stay at a Best Western hotel between June 24 and Aug. 25, 2002, and request a "Sleep and Win" scratch-off card. Instant-win prizes include 5 Jaguars, 10 Ford Explorers, free Shell gas for a year, etc.
> More...
[Other travel-related sweepstakes and giveaways are online here.]
S I T E 2 S E E
VirtualBellhop Takes Bags Out of Travel Equation
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If you want to take the 'lug' out of luggage, VirtualBellhop makes it possible to fly with just a carry-on. Your bags are picked up by a VBH courier a day or 2 before you leave and shipped to arrive at your destination before you do.
A recent Wall Street Journal article compared VBH with Airborne, FedEx, UPS and another competitive service and found VBH to be superior overall.
Cost: $40 and up, depending on weight, distance, type of service. Not cheap. But the convenience factor might make it worthwhile.
[Thanks to Julia for the recommendation.]
> More...
F R E Q U E N T F L I E R F U N N I E S
Sometimes it DOES Take a Rocket Scientist
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Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of air-liners, military jets and the space shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.
British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the British engineers. When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's backrest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin, like an arrow shot from a bow. The horrified Brits sent NASA the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the U.S. scientists for suggestions.
NASA responded with a one-line memo: "Defrost the chicken."
[Thanks to Dana for sharing this.]
Until next week...
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