U P F R O N T
If It's Wednesday, This Must Be...
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During the 3 years that the Crier has been published, many readers have asked that we change the publication schedule. Some have suggested Monday; others prefer weekends. But the majority of requests have been for mid-week distribution.
Accordingly, on a test basis to begin with, we're changing the publication day from Thursday to Wednesday, starting with this issue.
Good move, bad move? Lemme know at mailto:editor@frequentflier.com.
O N S I T E
FrequentFlier Forum Topics
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As always, there's plenty of activity on the Forum.
Brian asks: Can miles be sold on eBay? Weold is looking for a book suitable for a road warrior spouse. Richard wants to earn miles for buying a Dell computer. Ronald and Jean both have plenty of updates and suggestions, as usual. And much more...
Do you have questions, answers? Post them to the Forum!
> More...
TWA -- The Endgame
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After Nov. 31, 2001, TWA's Aviators program will be no more. Gone. Kaput.
Aviators miles, on the other hand, will live beyond the program's termination. To insure that your Aviators miles survive the conversion to AAdvantage miles, read the "Endgame" article on site. (And see "Rants & Raves" below for a dissenting view on the relative value of TWA and American miles.)
> More...
M I L E S & P O I N T S
Look for 'Best Bet' Awards
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We've mentioned this before, but a Delta news release reminds us that the time (summer, vacation travel, tight flights) is right to remind YOU that SkyMiles offers would-be award travelers a list of routes which are most available for mileage redemption.
Their Award Travel Tip Line currently lists award-seat opportunities for travel through Aug. 20, 2001. Award travel tips are available at delta.com or by calling 888-750-6699 and are updated weekly.
Some examples:
- Atlanta to Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Atlanta to Turks & Caicos
- Boston to Orlando, Fla.
- Cincinnati to New Orleans
- New York (JFK) to Tokyo
- Los Angeles to Mexico City
You'll find similar lists of best award bets (or, frankly, distressed routes) for members of AAdvantage (see the Hot Spots Alert on AA.com), OnePass (click on Reward Travel Forecast), and Dividend Miles (Award Travel Suggestions on the US Airways website).
Starwood Offers Preferred Guest Card
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Starwood this week launched the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card from American Express. There's no annual fee for the first year, and a $30 annual fee for subsequent years. The APR is 2.9% for the first 6 months, variable thereafter (currently 17.49%). The Preferred Guest card replaces the Sheraton Starpoints card, also from American Express.
Cardholders earn 1 Starpoint for every eligible dollar charged, plus 2 additional Starpoints for every eligible dollar charged at participating Starwood hotels. Starwood Gold and Platinum members earn 3 Starpoints per eligible dollar spent at participating Starwood hotels.
Another benefit of the card: complimentary membership in Preferred Plus, a new level of Starwood Preferred Guest that offers complimentary upgrades to a preferred room at check-in when available; 4 p.m. late checkout; free weekday newspaper.
To promote sign-ups, 1,000 bonus Starpoints are awarded for the first charged stay and 500 bonus Starpoints can be earned for up to 10 additional stays during the first year of membership. New cardholders also receive a certificate for 50% off a leisure stay for up to 5 nights redeemable at any participating Starwood hotel or resort initially and each year the card is renewed.
> More...
Cairo, Dubai Flights Take Off with Bonus SkyMiles
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Through Sep. 16, 2001, SkyMiles members can earn bonus miles on Delta's newly launched flights between JFK and both Cairo and Dubai.
Earn double miles for roundtrip economy and triple miles for roundtrip BusinessElite trips. Economy class bonus excludes S, T, U class. BusinessElite offer exludes I class, which earns the economy class bonus. Bonus miles are applicable on transatlantic portion of travel only. SkyMiles members in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean must enroll, by calling 1-888-558-3358 and entering code 1025.
Memphis Flights Earn Double WorldPerks Miles
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WorldPerks members will receive double miles on all N. America flights to or through Memphis, Tenn., between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2001.
This offer is good for all fares on Northwest-coded flights operated by Northwest Airlines or Northwest Airlink.
Register by calling 1-888-955-7878 and entering registration number 2121, or online.
BA Offers FlightFund Bonus
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Between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2001, America West FlightFund members can earn 5,000 bonus miles for every full-fare, round trip transatlantic flight on British Airways. Qualifying fare classes are F, J, W, Y or B.
Those completing 5 transatlantic roundtrips during the promotion period will be awarded an additional 25,000 miles on top of the initial 25,000 bonus miles.
Pre-register online at America West or call 1-800-247-5691 prior to travel using registration code BA5Y.
More Miles-for-Flowers from AAdvantage
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AAdvantage members can now earn 10 miles for every $1 spent at FTD.COM on flowers and specialty gifts.
AAdvantage members can also earn miles for purchases at 1-800-FLOWERS.
Online Rewards Watch: Greenpoints
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Currently, Greenpoints can only be redeemed for miles in 1 airline program, Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan. That redemption option ends on June 29.
Thereafter, Greenpoints can only be used for travel in Greenpoints' proprietary Travel Rewards.
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...
Fourth of July Holiday Travel Specials
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US Airways and Delta are offering Internet-only sales on Fourth of July travel. Departure is valid July 2-4, with returns valid July 5-6. Alaska Airlines has also announced a holiday fare sale.
> More...
Sale Fares between Atlanta and Cities in the East
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In celebration of its new service between Atlanta and Columbus, OH, America West has announced sale fares between Atlanta and cities throughout the East plus Toronto, Canada.
> More...
S W E E P S T A K E S & F R E E B I E S
Drawing for 25,000 ClickMiles
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Runzheimer Int'l is surveying frequent travelers, and anyone completing their online Business Travel Survey before July 15, 2001, will be entered into a drawing to win 25,000 ClickMiles. [Thanks to GeorgeS for the heads-up on this.]
The survey is open to all persons, 18 years of age and older, residing in the U.S., Canada, or the U.K.
> More...
R E A D E R R A N T S & R A V E S
AAdvantage NOT!
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[The following is in response to "TWA - The Endgame".]
As a long-term TWA frequent flier, I couldn't disagree more with your contention that, "For most of the 14 million members of TWA's Aviators frequent flier program, American's acquisition of TWA is a blessing. Not only will their Aviators miles survive, they will be converted into a more valuable currency, AAdvantage miles."
What's more valuable about AAdvantage miles? Is it the fact that it would take 25,000 of them for me to fly to Atlanta or Chicago, instead of only 15,000 miles under TWA's Aviator program? Or should I be happy that I'll have to plan such a trip 21 days in advance under AA's program, instead of being able to make reservations up to four hours before the flight under TWA's program? Or will I be happier knowing that if I don't have any account activity for a 36-month period, I'll lose all my miles, as opposed to TWA's program where miles never expired? (I've already had AA mileage expire, whereas I've never lost a mile with TWA since 1981.)
The real benefit of having frequent flier miles was that I could use them "in a pinch" to make last-minute reservations, and the tickets were completely flexible -- I could change the time of my return flight up to the last minute, with no penalty. I've actually used these tickets on three occasions to make reservations and changes to my flight the same day, avoiding the outrageous prices of last minute tickets for even short flights. I was also able to take my wife with me when my employer sent me to an annual meeting in France on short notice; TWA always seemed to have seats available when needed.
At least when American takes over, I'll get to commiserate with my friends when they complain that they paid through the nose for a last-minute ticket...but that's the kind of new experience I could gladly miss. It's just a shame that people judged TWA without investigating the facts; the AAdvantage program may be bigger, but it is definitely not better.
- Keith
Until next week...
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