Issue #126 -- Dec. 21, 2000
** CONTENTS **
Holiday "Best Wishes" ~ FrequentFlier Forum Topics ~ 2000 -- The Year Reviewed ~ Countdown to Elite: 1 Week to Go ~ Healthy Choice Does the Mileage Two-Step, Again ~ Northwest Rolls Out Mileage Mall ~ Earn Double Mileage Plus Miles for ORD Flights ~ Fly to Germany for 20,000 OnePass Miles ~ Thrifty Offers Bonus Miles 3 Ways ~ Deal Alert from SmarterLiving.com ~ Another Strike Against the UA-US Merger
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Holiday "Best Wishes"
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If you have the Flash plug-in on your computer, check the animated greeting card using the link below.
If not: Best wishes for the holidays and the New Year!
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Greetings!
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FrequentFlier Forum Topics
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As always, there's plenty of activity on the Forum...
OPHarbour is searching for opportunities to earn miles for local phone service. Natalie started another Igougo thread. Ronald wants everyone to know about United's College Plus program. Marika is just getting started and wonders if frequent flyer miles are offered for tickets purchased through online travel agencies. And Nick works for a company which (horrors!) doesn't allow its employees to earn miles for business trips.
Do you have questions? Do you have answers? Post them to the Forum!
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The FrequentFlier Forum
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2000 -- The Year Reviewed
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Also onsite is a new article reviewing the frequent flyer highlights of this almost-past year. At least as I see 'em.
Have a look and let me know if you see the year differently.
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Year 2000
<< M I L E S >>
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Countdown to Elite: 1 Week to Go
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Time's running out! If you haven't yet accrued the necessary miles, segments or points to qualify for elite status in 2001, you have just 1 week to do so.
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Healthy Choice Does the Mileage Two-Step, Again
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It's deja vu all over again. Healthy Choice is back in the mileage business.
Unlike the last mileage promotion (which, you'll remember, catapulted the Pudding Guy to mileage fame), the new offer has more to do with luck than with a predictable miles-for-purchases payout. Here's how it works...
Starting December 18, 2000, you can win 1 million frequent flyer miles at the Healthy Choice website. As, presumably, an incentive to play, Healthy Choice will donate 5 miles to the United Way of America for every person that enters the "scratch and win" game online in January.
Over and above the online component of the giveaway, from January to March 2001, Healthy Choice is offering 65 million free frequent flyer miles in instant-win game pieces available on specially marked packages of Healthy Choice foods, including frozen meals, ice cream, soup, lunch meats, and pre-sliced deli items. According to Healthy Choice, there are more than 100,000 winning packages, of which 24 will be 1 million mile instant winners. Additional awards will range between 250 to 50,000 miles.
One nice feature of the promotion: if you win, you can choose to receive miles from American, United, Delta, Northwest or TWA. On the downside, the offer is overly complicated and, insofar as it's a sweepstakes, there's a high probability you'll end up with nothing. It will be interesting to see if this version is as effective as Healthy Choice's last mileage initiative in spurring sales. My bet: it won't be.
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Healthy Choice
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Northwest Rolls Out Mileage Mall
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Northwest has launched WorldPerks Mall, a new section on their website devoted to special offers featuring discounts and bonus miles.
In addition to some of its longstanding travel and telecom partners, the Mall includes offers from online retailers eBags.com, Custom Framed Art and Ashford.
Featured categories of the WorldPerks Mall include: Car Rental, Communication Services, Financial Services, Hotels and Lodging, Shopping and Gifts, and Vacation Packages.
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WorldPerks Mall
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Earn Double Mileage Plus Miles for ORD Flights
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Mileage Plus members earn double miles for United roundtrips between Chicago and any of the following cities: Allentown, Norfolk, Portland (ME), Providence, Raleigh-Durham or White Plains.
Travel must be completed between January 1 and February 28, 2001. Offer is valid for travel in first (F class) and with selected United economy fares (Y, B, M, H and Q class). Bonus may be earned up to 3 times during the offer period. You must register, using offer code 554, to earn bonus miles.
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United
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Fly to Germany for 20,000 OnePass Miles
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For a limited time you can travel to or from Dusseldorf, Germany for only 20,000 OnePass miles. That's half the normal miles.
Travel may begin in the U.S.(Hawaii and Alaska excluded) or Dusseldorf and must be completed between January 15, 2001 and February 28, 2001.
To book, call the International Reward Desk at 1-800-344-1411.
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OnePass
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Thrifty Offers Bonus Miles 3 Ways
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From January 1 through March 31, 2001, Thrifty Car Rental is offering customers triple, double or bonus frequent-flyer miles with 3 airline partners: Alaska Airlines (triple miles); America West (double miles); and US Airways (200 bonus miles in addition to the normal 250 miles per rental).
To qualify for triple, double or bonus miles, you must rent from a Thrifty airport location for a minimum of 2 days, with bonus miles awarded up to a maximum of 14 days.
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Thrifty
<< S T E A L S & D E A L S >>
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Deal Alert from SmarterLiving.com
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Two hot deals from SmarterLiving.com...
>> Two-for-One Fares to Europe and Iceland for $380 R/T
Icelandair has released a two-for-one sale on travel to Europe and Iceland from the U.S. Travel is valid between January 10 and March 31.
For more details, go here.
>> Last-Minute Christmas Weekend Sale
American Airlines is offering sale fares for travel departing December 24 or 25 and returning December 24, 25, or 28. US Airways has matched this sale.
For more details, go here.
<< IN D U S T R Y U P D A T E >>
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Another Strike Against the UA-US Merger
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With our consumer-advocacy orientation, we subject new developments in the travel industry to the "What's in it for the consumer?" test. The proposed merger between United and US Airways fails that test, and we've come down against it. Bigger isn't always better. And in this case, bigger will translate into higher prices and fewer choices.
At least some of the Feds are apparently of a similar mind. The General Accounting Office (GAO) this week released a study summarizing its analysis of the proposed merger. The conclusion: allowing United and US Airways to combine would a) substantially reduce competition, and b) precipitate a wave of additional consolidation among United's competitors, further reducing competition.
Specifically, according to the GAO, the UA-US merger would reduce competition in 290 markets, affecting 16 million passengers.
The GAO, of course, isn't the decision maker; the DOJ is. And the deal must pass muster with the European Union as well. But the GAO's findings at the very least are another respected voice raised against a deal which is overwhelmingly likely to be a net negative for the traveling public.
Until next week...
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