SPG 500 Booking Bonus Site Is Up - 9:24 PM EST

Starwood has a website that offers 500 bonus points per stay for booking a reservation when their customer service lines are busy.

The site is up and working as of 9:24 PM EST. All you have to do is go to the site, book your reservation and then receive the 500 point bonus when you make your stay.

Double US Airways Miles when you fly to Rio

If you're looking to experience one of the best parties on the planet in 2010, then why not make it even better by earning double the miles on the way there.

Here's the Breakdown:
US Airways is celebrating a new service to Rio de Janeiro with double Preferred-qualifying miles. Register now and book between August 12, 2009 and September 30, 2009 for travel between December 2, 2009 and February 28, 2010.

Terms & Conditions:

Registration and roundtrip purchase required. Offer valid only on tickets purchased from usairways.com. To be eligible for double Preferred-qualifying bonus miles, book August 12 through September 30, 2009 and travel December 2, 2009 - February 28, 2010. Miles will be awarded 4 - 6 weeks after travel has been completed and are eligible for Preferred status. Registration prior to booking is required in order to receive bonus miles. Flight segments to and from Rio de Janeiro must be operated by US Airways. ©2009 US Airways.

Maximizing the SPG Promotion

My current stay strategy has me earning 7500 Starwood points per week. That is enough for 1 night in a Cat 3 hotel or a few nights in the lower category hotels.

Maximize Your The Promotion

The recent Starwood Get Closer to Paradise promotion awards members 1000 points based on "stays". A "stay" is defined as a check-in and a check-out regardless at how many nights but consecutive nights at the same hotel don't count as separate stays if you check-in/out. So the trick is to make your trips a collection of 1 night "stays".

My total earnings for the week (assuming 4 nights in a hotel) are around 7500. Here is the breakout.

Sun Night = 1000 Get Closer to Paradise Promo, 500 Platinum Amenity, 370 Spend Points
Mon Night = 1000 Get Closer to Paradise Promo, 500 Platinum Amenity, 370 Spend Points
Tue Night = 1000 Get Closer to Paradise Promo, 500 Platinum Amenity, 370 Spend Points
Wed Night = 1000 Get Closer to Paradise Promo, 500 Platinum Amenity, 370 Spend Points
Total earnings = 7480 points per week

Bottom Line

Always read the T&C's of the promotion. This strategy may not fit everyone's preferences, I admit checking out is not the funnest process. But with the little extra effort you can really increase the pace at which you earn points and get you closer to that next award.

1500 US Airways Miles with each Avis Rental

Here's how it works:

Dividend Miles Preferred Members, can earn 1500 bonus miles with Avis on a qualifying rental at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S. Use coupon number MUAA015 and provide your Dividend Miles number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to receive your bonus miles. You can also update your Avis reservation online with the coupon number and your Dividend Miles number.

You can also use the Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number K024300 to receive up to 25% off your rental.

These miles are in addition to your base miles. Offer is reusable throughout the year.

Terms & Conditions:

Here's the summarized version:

- 1500 bonus miles on all car groups is valid until March 31, 2010, on a qualifying rental at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.
- Please mention coupon MUAA015 to take advantage of this offer.
- Dividend Miles Number must be mentioned at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to receive bonus miles.
- Offer valid on daily, weekly, weekend and monthly rates with a 3 day minimum length of rental.

Continental Mileathon - Earn Up To 100,000 Miles

Starting September first you can sign up for the Continental Mileathon. The promotion awards Onepass members with up to 100,000 miles based on partner activity during the promotion period. The promotion runs September 1, 2009 through November 30, 2009.

Here's how it works

• Register* for Mileathon between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, 2009, and then complete qualifying credit-earning activities at continental.com.
• Activities include using online check-in, booking flights, hotel stays and car rentals and more. Each credit-earning activity you complete between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009** earns you credits. The more credits you accumulate, the more miles you earn.
• At the end of the promotion, the top credit-earner in each OnePass category will also receive a Grand Reward - a dream vacation for two to Colorado, Hawaii, China or Paris, including First Class or BusinessFirst® airfare, hotel accommodations and a $500 gift card.
• *Must reside in the 48 contiguous United States.
• **This offer is not retroactive; credit accrual begins the date of registration.

Bottom Line

Remember to check back on Sept. 1, 2009 to register for Mileathon at continental.com/mileathon. This should be an easy way to add to your bank of Continental miles without traveling.

Starwood Dropped the Ball on Live Nation Promotion

You may remember a July 22nd post on this site titled "Starwood Would Like You to ROCK OUT!". A great idea, right? Each stay at a participating Starwood property guaranteed you one free general admission concert ticket to a Live Nation event redeemable until October 31, 2009. While the promotion is 100% legit, there's a very good chance you will need to be proactive in obtaining your redemption codes. A number of my colleagues staying at the same Starwood property as myself haven't received any notifications at all and another received four in one day.

Apparently, there's a manual step that SPG must perform on their side to ensure you receive the redemption code email and they are not consistently doing it. Also, there's a good chance when you call the Platinum number (USA 1.888.625.4991) the representative won't even know about the promo.

Let me clarify something before I proceed. I'm not an anti-Starwood person by any means. I'm the complete opposite and this isn't the typical experience I've had in the past with SPG promos.

Luckily, there is a relatively painless way to go about getting a hold of your codes. I've outlined the process I underwent to get mine below. Give it a shot. It's worked for several of us and takes about 5 to 10 minutes on the phone.

1) Log into SPG.com, go to "My Account" -> "My Recent Activity" and check for entry titled, "LIVE NATION LAWN TICKET". There's nothing worse than calling to complain and being wrong. Check first!

2) Call the Platinum Preferred Guest number. No reason not to start at the top.

3) Explain the situation to the representative and let the individual know that you are not receiving your redemption codes. Be specific on the number of missing codes. Tell him/her that a code needs to be entered by a SPG rep into your Starwood profile to trigger the emails (I wasn't able to get any more specific details). You may need to be patient as many of them are still not aware of the promotion. If he/she is still lost, tell the rep that a colleague of yours had the same issue, discussed it with a SPG rep, and received his/her codes via email from research.stt@starwoodhotels.com , and that the rep can should reach out to that group. Hopefully, the rep will be able to help. None of my colleagues needed to go as far as the email address.

4) Once the issue is sorted out, you should receive an email in 24 to 36 hours from research.stt@starwoodhotels.com with all your redemption codes. Follow the redemption link to the site and enjoy! Hopefully general admission tickets will still be available. They're disappearing fast!

Hit a Grand Slam with US Airways

Earn hits with our partners and score bonus miles. It's that easy. You can earn up to 50,000 miles, 4,000 of which are Preferred-qualifying, so step up to the plate! It’s time to join the big leagues with some big league miles. Earn as many hits as you can between September 1 and November 15, 2009.

Here's how it works:
Register online
Earn miles with our partners

US Airways Credit Cards (earn 1 hit per card type – max of 5 hits)
Hotels (earn 1 hit for every stay – max of 6 hits)
Hotel transfers (earn 1 hit for every transfer – max of 6 hits)
Cars (earn 1 hit for every rental – max of 6 hits)
Other partners (earn 1 hit – max of 1 hit per partner)
Watch your miles add up

Not a Dividend Miles member? Join now.

Check out the link below to view the terms and conditions.

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/help/promotions/GS09terms.aspx

Drink Certs & Continental Miles

Drink Certs

There was high demand for the Delta drink certs, I got many requests and some interesting itineraries. Ultimately they went to a lucky reader from Illinois who responded first.

I still have the Continental Drink Certs if anyone can use them, just send me an email theweeklyflyer (at) gmail on how you can use them by the end of the year.

Continental Miles

I'm well on my way to earning the Continental Miles from the Chase promotion. As you'll recall the Business Account stated that it required the $60 debit card, which I declined. I will get an automatic 10k miles for signing up for the Business, but am waiting to find out if I get the additional 15k for using the basic Business debit. I've completed my 5 transactions on the business card quick. 1) Bottle Water in Airport, 2) Starbucks coffee Monday morning, 3) Grilled Chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A, 4) Separate transaction for un-sweet tea at Chick-Fil-A, 5) Dinner on the card. That was the quickest way to use the required 5 transactions.

Tomorrow I'll use the personal debit card from the personal Chase Checking account I signed up which I've confirmed will earn the additional 15k Continental miles. At worst I'll earn 35k, not bad for a few hours of effort and $25.

How To Search Our Site For The Latest Promotions

Want to see if we posted the newest promotion for your favorite Hotel Chain or Airline?

Its easy, on the right menu bar on this screen, select the article tag search "Promotion", then read through the latest list of promotions we've posted. We try to only post the real point/mile earning options and avoid the canned "deals" that gets sent to us daily by the advertisers.

If you don't see your latest promotion, let us know by posting in our comment section or sending an email.

Starwood Credit Card Offering 25,000 Bonus Points

Starwood's American Express Credit Card is offering a 25,000 point sign up bonus. This is a significant increase from when I signed up, they were only offering a 10,000 sign up bonus.

The card comes with the following

• Earn 10,000 Starpoints® with your first purchase - enough for up to 3 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel
• Plus - earn an additional 15,000 Starpoints when you spend $15,000 in 6 months
• Use Starpoints for free nights and upgrades at over 890 participating Starwood hotels and resorts in 95 countries
• Redeem Starpoints to fly on hundreds of airlines with no blackout dates
• Earn one Starpoint for every dollar of eligible spending and double Starpoints at participating Starwood properties and retail outlets
• Pay no annual fee for the first year and $45 thereafter

This is my favorite card because it allows me to earn Starpoints which can be deposited into any of the participating airlines (Delta, American, US Airways, United, Hawaiian, Lufthansa, and many more) . The card only comes with a $45 fee after the first year. You earn 1 Starpoint for every eligible dollar spent and 2 Starpoints for every eligible dollar spent at a Starwood hotel. The real kicker is when you transfer Starpoints to airlines in increments of 20,000. When you do this you receive a 5,000 airline mile transfer bonus giving you a total of 25,000 airline miles.

Lets assume you like to fly Delta and want a card to earn Delta miles. So your option is to get the Delta Gold card or the Starwood Card, and lets assume you spend $20,000.

Starwood American Express

• Earns 1 point per dollar
• 20,000 points earned + 5,000 transfer bonus
• $45 annual fee
• Total Delta Airline Miles earned = 25,000

Delta Gold American Express

• Earns 1 point per dollar
• 20,00 points earned
• $95 annual fee
• Total Delta Airline Miles earned = 20,000

Not only does the Starwood American Express card earn you 5,000 extra miles for every 20,000 points transferred, but you can transfer/redeem on over 30 other airlines. So when Delta tells you that there is no availability or they require a higher point redemption value for the 25,000 Domestic coach award, you can simply transfer your Starpoints to another carrier with better availability (i.e. American almost always has better availability than Delta).

Don't forget this card also allows you to redeem your points earned in over 960 hotels worldwide including St Regis, Westin, W Hotel, Sheraton, Le Meridien, Aloft, Element, Four Points, and Luxury Collection hotels.

Bottom Line

This is my main point earning card for a number of reasons in addition to the sign up bonus. To take advantage of this 25,000 sign up bonus offer click here, then select the Starwood American Express Card (9th card in list) and fill in the details.

Bumping on Delta Gets a Raise

Earlier this month I posted about how Delta was increasing the amounts they pay out for voluntary denied boarding (Bumps) up from a minimum of $200 to a minimum of $400.

Well, I've confirmed this is the now the new amount they payout for bumps. Yesterday on a flight to Atlanta $400 was given out for a 2 hour delay.

With the new amount, that comes out to $200 an hour to hang out in an airport for 2 hours. Not bad compensation for your time.

Reader Give-Back - Free Airline Drink Certificates

The year is coming to a close and some of my airline drink certificates are about to expire. Since I can't use them I thought I would share them with you all.

I have (2) Delta and (2) Continental drink certificates up for grabs. Please only take these if you are going to use them.

If your the winner send me an email to theweeklyflyer (at) gmail.com and I"ll mail you the certs.
Thanks for reading, and if you have time please visit our sponsored links to keep us going.

Promotion & Program Coverage Feedback

We are doing our best to cover the promotions that are out there and tricks on how to use them. For instance we've invited our good friend (NoUpgradeAvailable) who travels the weekly red-eye on a Star Alliance carrier to share with us his experiences with Star Alliance, Starwood Hotels, and other programs he uses. Keep an eye out for his new posts.

Please give us some feedback so we can better cover the programs that are relevant to you.

• Are there promotions we've missed?
• Is your airline not being covered?
• Is there a better way to take advantage of the promotion we've posted?

If you see something were missing please post in our comments or you can email me directly at theweeklyflyer (at) gmail.com or noupgradeavailable (at) gmail.com.

1000 US Airways Miles with each Starwood Stay

For all you US Airways and Starwood fanatics out there (I know there must be more than just me), check out the latest joint promotion awarding 1,000 Dividend Miles per a stay at select Starwood properties. This offer is valid on stays through December 31, 2009. To reserve, book online or call 866-716-8137 and ask for rate plan FDAILY0.

Terms and Conditions

The fine print is a little too much to list out here, so I’m just hitting the key points. The see the entire terms and conditions check them out here.

• Offer valid for Airline Direct DepositSM participants for stays at participating hotels & resorts in Arizona, California and Nevada consumed by December 31, 2009 using rate plan FDAILY0.
• To receive the bonus miles, guest must be a member of Starwood Preferred Guest®, and have selected UA Airways Dividend Miles as their currency of choice in advance at MoreMiles. With Airline Direct Deposit, the Starpoints® earned from only hotel stays and select bonus offers will be converted automatically to the member's airline account and may not be transferred back to Starwood Preferred Guest.
• Please allow 6-8 weeks for US Airways Dividend Miles to be posted to your airline account.

Travel Tip - Lock Your Hotel Door

I think one of the most important tips I can give is to lock your hotel room door.

This past week I was staying at a Hyatt Place and was assigned a room. Upon using the key to enter the room I was having difficulty getting the key to work. Finally the key opened the door, and what did I see...some one's bag and clothes strung out all over the couch, and someone in the bed. Obviously the front desk person made a huge mistake. They quickly corrected the problem for me, but the invasion of that person's (and mine) privacy was pretty bad. And all this happened because the front desk person assigned an already assigned room, which could have been avoided if the person in the room just locked the door.

If this happens to you, be sure and send a note to the hotel's GM and copy the frequent guest program. In almost every case they'll try to fix the problem with a load of extra points, in my case 10,000 points.

So the bottom line is every time you get to your room, use the deadbolt, and if there is an additional lock, use that one too.

The Encore Las Vegas

My wife and I just returned from a weekend in Vegas and stayed at the Encore. The Encore is located next to the flagship Wynn Hotel and across from the Fashion Show mall. The hotel has 2034 rooms referred to as suites. A few weekends ago some friends and I met up in Las Vegas and tried our luck at the Palazzo. But in this report, I'll provide some pictures of the room and view.

The View

The Pool

The Night View

The Room

The room was very nice, all rooms are called suites at this hotel but they are a little bit smaller than the Palazzo suite I was in a few weeks ago. The room had a king bed, separate seating area with a desk, and a large bathroom. The bedroom had a cutout where you could see through to the seating area and in the cutout was a large flat screen TV on a swivel.

Dining

We ate at Daniel Boulud at the Wynn, Society Cafe at the Encore, Botero at the Encore, and Okada at the Wynn. Daniel Boulud is a 1 star Michelin restaurant and overlooks the lake of dreams which has a performance of sorts including a giant frog, flowers, and ever changing lighting. Society Cafe was a great place for breakfast and is located off the Casino floor in the Encore. We ate at Botero for lunch and were impressed, I had the Kobe beef burger and it was great. Okada was a bit over priced for sushi, but was good and over looked a lake next to the lake of dreams.

Bottom Line

Overall this hotel is more of a boutique hotel on the strip, even though it has 2034 suites. The casino was less crowded than the Wynn and others. We even got to play blackjack with Kirk Curbstreet, he lost the first three hands which we won, the Gators always beat Ohio State, even at blackjack.

Another Vegas Trip

I just returned from 3 nights in Vegas at the Encore.

I met my wife in Atlanta and we flew out there together in First class. She was on an award ticket and I used a PMU to upgrade to first class. On the approach into Vegas we flew over Lake Mead.



The return flight was easy until we got to Atlanta. Because of the tropical storms Atlanta was a mess. My wife and I's flight were ok, but my cousins flight was cancelled and the other cousin's flight was delayed significantly due to air traffic control.

I'll post pictures of the Encore tomorrow.

Marriott Mega Bonus - Earn 50,000 Points with 25 Nights

Marriott just sent me a promotion for 50,000 bonus points after 25 paid nights by January 15, 2010. While this offer is tempting since I like to stay in Ritz Carlton hotels (Marriott members can redeem Marriott points in Ritz Carlton hotels), the current Starwood 1,000 points per stay promotion and Hyatt's 2500 points per stay promotions I think offer better value.

Consider 25 stays at a Hyatt vs Starwood vs Marriott given the current promotions.

Hyatt (25 Stays) = 112,500 bonus points alone + spending = (25 nights x 2500 bonus) + (1000 G Promotion x 25 nights) + (1000 Diamond Amenity x 25 nights)

Starwood (25 Stays)= 37,500 bonus points + spending = (25 nights x 1000 bonus) + (500 Platinum Amenity x 25 nights)

Marriott (25 Stays) = 50,000 bonus points + spending = (25 nights) + (0 Platinum Amenity x 25 nights)

I believe the obvious choice is Hyatt since given their award chart you can book 5 nights in their top tier hotel. If you go with the SPG promo you can book 1 night hotel in their top tier. If you do choose the Marriott promotion you can expect to earn enough for 1 night in a Ritz Carlton or 1 night in their top tier hotel.


Promotion From Marriott Website

Register to earn up to 50,000 MegaBonusSM points with Marriott Rewards®

Suddenly, a whole new world opens up with Marriott Rewards® MegaBonusSM. Sign up now to earn 35,000 MegaBonus points when you stay a total of 20 paid nights, plus 15,000 additional MegaBonus points when you stay a total of 25 paid nights.

That’s a total of 50,000 bonus points. It’s that easy to earn more toward a dream vacation with Marriott Rewards.

Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way:

Register: By selecting the red “Register” button to the right, or by calling 1-888-MARRIOTT (627-7468).

Stay: At any of more than 3,000 participating Marriott® hotels from September 15, 2009, through January 15, 2010, and pay with your Visa® Card.

Earn: 35,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights, and an additional 15,000 after 25 total paid nights, for a total of 50,000 MegaBonus points.

Terms and Conditions

• Registration is required by October 31, 2009.
• Marriott Rewards® members who register for this promotion will earn MegaBonusSM rewards for qualified stays made between September 15, 2009, and January 15, 2010, at a participating Marriott® property and payment is made with a Visa® Card.
• This offer is non-transferable.
• Nights spent while redeeming an award are not eligible for credit.
• A stay is defined as consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity.
• Only one room per hotel is counted toward a member’s nights or stay.
• Members electing to earn miles are not eligible for this promotion.
• All Marriott Rewards program terms and conditions apply.
• Participating brands worldwide include: Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance® Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard® by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn® by Marriott®, Residence Inn® by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites® by Marriott®, TownePlace Suites® by Marriott®, and Marriott Vacation ClubSM International
• Visit MarriottRewards.com/MegaBonus, call 1-888-MARRIOTT, or your local Marriott Rewards Guest Services office for complete details.

JetBlue: $599 all-you-can-fly month-long pass

JetBlue just announced a potentially great deal for those intending to travel in September and early October. The deal is $599 for an All-You-Can-Jet Pass to any JetBlue destination during the airline's traditional slow period of September 8 to October 8. Passes are available through August 21 or while supplies last and are good for any available seat. You must call JetBlue (1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583), option 4) to buy the pass.

Additional information regarding the passes:

• Call 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583), option 4. You do not have to be a TrueBlue member at the time of purchase, but a TrueBlue number is required to book all flights.
• Domestic taxes and fees included
• International and Puerto Rico taxes and fees not included
• Each flight must be booked no later than 11:59 p.m. MDT three days prior to the flight's scheduled departure.
• Nonrefundable/nontransferable/no name changes permitted
• Customers who already have a flight booked during the pass travel period can pay the difference to upgrade to the pass by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583), prompt 4.
  Each All-You-Can-Jet Pass is eligible for 35 TrueBlue points. Flights booked on the pass are not available for additional TrueBlue points.
• You may only book one flight per city per day; if a violation of this policy is found, JetBlue will honor only the last booking made and cancel the customer's other bookings from that city on that day.
• To change or cancel All-You-Can-Jet Pass travel:
  Greater than three (3) days before a flight: $0 change/cancellation fees
  Less than three (3) days before a flight: JetBlue's standard change/cancel fees apply
  In the case of a no-show, the customer's pass will be placed on hold, any reserved pass flights will be canceled, and no new flight segments wil be able to be booked until the customer pays a $100 no-show penalty.

How I Redeemed US Airways Miles for 2 First Class Lufthansa Tickets

This past weekend I used a total of 250,000 (125,000 x2) US Airways miles for two round trip First class tickets to Europe on Lufthansa airlines. I'll explain how I found availability, and transferred & bought miles to get enough to redeem for the First class tickets.

Finding Availability on Star Alliance

Since US Airways doesn't have an online way to check Star Alliance partner availability, I signed up for a free ANA frequent flier account. Once I had an account I logged in and navigated to their partner award availability tool to search for the flights I was hoping to find.

I was looking for 2 first class tickets to Europe on the following itinerary for next summer.

Orlando to Frankfurt on flight in First (O)
Frankfurt to Madrid on flight in Business (I)
Barcelona to Frankfurt on flight in Business (I)
Frankfurt to Orlando on flight in First (O)

On my first set of dates I was able to find direct flights from Orlando on an Airbus A330 or through Dulles on a 747. I selected the flight with 1 less connection point departing from Orlando.

Transferring & Purchasing Miles to Get to Award Level

To begin with I had 80,000 US Airways miles, barely enough for 1 business class trip to Europe. So I was deficient 170,000 miles (250,000 - 80,000 = 170,000).

First I transferred 60,000 Starwood points over in batches of 20,000. When you transfer over 20,000 starwood points you earn a 5,000 bonus from Starwood. So that allowed me to transfer and get 60,000 miles + a 15,000 miles bonus, then using the US Airways 50% transfer promotion that expired in July I got an extra 37,500. Now I had a total of 192,500 miles (80,000 + 112,500), but still needed another 57,500 miles.

Next I used the US Airways purchase miles 100% bonus promotion to buy 29,000 and get a bonus of 29,000 for a total of an additional 58,000 miles. These miles cost a total of $755 (.025 per mile + $30 processing fee). Now I had my total of 250,000 US Airways miles.

Bottom Line

Finally when I found my flights and had enough miles I picked up the phone and called US Airways International Awards desk at 800.622.1015 to make the award reservation. In the end I got two international First Class awards for a total of $755 + 60,000 SPG points + 80,000 US Airways miles. I think its a pretty good deal for tickets to Spain in First Class that are selling on the market for about $9,000.

Hyatt: $150 Food Credit and 5,000 Points for Resort Stays

Hyatt recently announced a new promotion designed to entice travelers to visit their resorts. To entice travelers Hyatt is offering a USD$150 food and beverage credit and 5,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points for resort stays. Resorts in the U.S. and the Caribbean are eligible for stays between August 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010 according to the Terms & Conditions.

The Promotion

150 Reasons to Visit Hyatt Resorts

Visit one of our Hyatt resorts in the U.S. or Caribbean between August 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010, and enjoy your next meal on us. Be immersed in the sights, sounds and tastes of one of our breathtaking destinations. Experience the blending of local culture and natural beauty through a broad spectrum of activities, spa treatments, gourmet dining and more.

To receive a USD$150 food and beverage credit and 5,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points, contact your nearest Hyatt Worldwide Reservation Centre or visit hyatt.com to book your stay and request Offer Code DEL5K.

Participating Hotels

• Hyatt Regency Aruba
• Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
• Hyatt Regency Cancun
• Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay
• Hyatt Regency Coconut Point
• Hyatt Grand Champions
• Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
• Hyatt Regency Hill Country
• Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
• Grand Hyatt Kauai
• Hyatt Key West
• Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
• Hyatt Regency Lost Pines
• Hyatt Regency Maui
• Hyatt Regency Monterey
• Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six
• Hyatt Regency Scottsdale
• Hyatt Regency Tamaya
• Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach

Reports that Blackstone is going to Break-up Hilton

There are reports that Blackstone group is considering breaking up Hilton to realize value prior to debt repayment deadlines. Blackstone group purchased Hilton at the peak of the Leveraged Buyout Boom in 2007 for $26 billion. While a Blackstone spokesman is saying the reports are "categorically untrue" the RTT news site has a report, and so does the Wall Street Journal stating that Blackstone is considering breaking up parts of Hilton.

What this means to Hilton Point Junkies

While this doesn't necessarily mean that the Hilton Honors program will breakup, you can never be too sure. Since most of the Hilton properties are franchised, a sell-off or IPO of assets may or may not have an impact on the Hilton Honors program. Are you willing to bet your points on it?

Bottom Line

I would expect that Hilton will see a down tick in stays from their most valuable guests if those guests feel their points are at risk. I've already completed my Hilton stays for the year so I have no stays to cancel. If I had stays planned at Hilton Honors with the sole purpose of earning points I would be looking for further news to come out. If I'm right and there is a down-tick in frequent guest stays, I could see Hilton offering up a juicy additional Q3 promo (promo 1, promo 2) to entice frequent guests to continue to frequent their properties.

Travel & Leisure August Issue: World's Best Awards 2009

This month's issue of Travel & Leisure magazine has several best of lists that are worth reviewing. The best of lists include best hotels, airlines, cities, islands, tour outfitters, car rental agencies, and cruise lines. I particularly liked how the best hotels in key areas such as Hawaii, Europe, and the Caribbean were provided. It definitely provides us with some direction when considering hotels locally and around the world.

US Airways Fastbreak to Silver Status

Budget has teamed up with US Airways to offer a quick and easy way to obtain US Airways Silver Status. Simply register via this link and you'll be Silver Status on US Airways in 14 days. It gives you status for a 90 day trial period.

Try Preferred status on for size. See how you like it. At the end of your 90-day trial, you may want to keep it! Once you register, you’ll be Preferred within 14 days. And, if you qualify during your 90-day trial, you’ll keep your Silver Preferred status for the program year.

All you have to do is register and we’ll give you Silver Preferred status for 90 days (a $200 value!). You’ll travel Preferred and enjoy the best upgrades in the industry, waived baggage fees, bonus miles and more!

Just register between May 15 and August 31, 2009. Then, check your Dividend Miles profile to make sure we have your contact information so we can send you an email with your new status

Terms and Conditions

• Offer valid from May 15 through August 31, 2009
• Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
• Registration required to qualify and only one registration per customer permitted
• Offer valid for base level Dividend Miles members only.
• Members who have participated in the Trial Preferred program since May 1, 2007 are not eligible to participate
• Please allow up to 14 days for Silver Preferred status to take effect
• Silver Preferred status will be valid for 90 days following the effective date
• We will attempt to notify you of your account status via email during your Trial Preferred period.

Please visit usairways.com to ensure we have your up-to-date email address Dividend Miles member must fly minimum amount of miles or segments to keep Preferred status for remainder of program year. Members may enroll in the Trial Preferred program only once in any consecutive 24 month period. Members who have been granted Preferred status as a result of having elite status in another airline's program in the last 24 months or did not re-qualify for the same Preferred status in 2009 are not eligible to participate in the Trial Preferred program. Only elite qualifying flights earned on flights operated by US Airways and US Airways Express can be applied toward the Trial Preferred program. Only bookings made after member's status has been upgraded reflect member's new status.

I Just Earned 50,000 Continental Miles for $25

Our friend over at One Mile at a Time spotted the new 50,000 miles Continental bonus for opening a standard checking and a business checking account with a local Chase branch.

Personal Checking Bonus

• Get 10,000 bonus miles when you open a Chase CheckingSM account and make 5 debit card purchases or set up direct deposit
• Get another 15,000 bonus miles after your first qualifying purchase if you open a Chase Continental Airlines Preferred Debit Card (annual fee applies)
• Link

Business Checking Bonus

• Get 10,000 bonus miles when you open a FREE Chase Business ClassicSM Checking account and deposit $500 into your new account within 30 days of account opening
• Get another 15,000 bonus miles after your first qualifying purchase if you open a Chase Continental Airlines Business Debit Card (annual fee applies)
• Link

Bottom Line

This was the fastest way I've ever earned 50,000 airline miles. Even though I don't fly Continental very much, it was a good idea to pad my account for future travel. Continental is currently in transition from the Skyteam Alliance to the Star Alliance. The only thing I would caution is to watch out for the up-sell and stick with the exact accounts the promotion says, they tried to stick me with a debit card that came with a $65 annual fee as opposed to the free business debit card and the $25 personal Continental debit card. These miles help me diversify from Skyteam plus they only cost me $25 and about an hour of my time.

JetBlue to Reintroduce TrueBlue Rewards Program This Fall

JetBlue recently announced that they are planning on reintroducing their rewards program as a result of feedback from their travelers. From JetBlue, the re-designed TrueBlue program is a more rewarding and flexible program with lots of benefits for you. For example, you will earn points based on dollars spent on JetBlue flights rather than segment length flown.

Here are some of the highlights regarding the revamped program:

• No blackout dates.
• Points in the new program will no longer expire as long as you have purchased at least one JetBlue flight or have eligible activity with the JetBlue Card from American Express within last 12 months from the last JetBlue flight or eligible purchase with the JetBlue Card from American Express.
• If you have not earned a TrueBlue Award by the time the program relaunches, you will be able to use the points you earn in the new program and convert them back into old TrueBlue points in order to get to an Award.
• Old TrueBlue points will continue to expire according to their original expiry date.
• TrueBlue Awards or TruePasses will remain valid until the expiration date listed on the TruePasses or Awards (12 months from issuance).
• You will need at least 5,000 points to earn an Award for a oneway flight. The number of points required to redeem an Award flight will vary according to the flight chosen; for example, some flights may require more than 5,000 points depending on your choice of destination, day of the week, time of year and how far in advance you are booking your flight.
• Earning of points on JetBlue is based on the base fare paid for JetBlue flights and eligible fees, less taxes and non-eligible fees. You earn three (3) points for every dollar spent. You will earn an additional three (3) points per dollar spent if you book on jetblue.com. That means, for example, if you book a flight at jetblue.com you earn a total of six (6) points for every dollar spent. You can also earn three (3) points per dollar spent for JetPaws™ fees.
• Getaways and Cruise Vacation Packages will be eligible to earn TrueBlue Points on the base airfare purchase price for the flight portion of the Package. All other travel services or products purchased as a part of such vacation packages, including but not limited to, hotels, rental cars, and cruises, shall be ineligible for TrueBlue point accrual.

Bumping on Delta gets a Raise

There are reports in this Flyertalk thread that getting bumped on Delta flights now comes with an increased incentive.

In the past Delta provided the following

Up to 3.5 Hour Delay = $200 Delta Dollars
Over 3.5 Hour Delay = $400 Delta Dollars

The Reported New Levels

Domestic - Either $400 or $600 Delta Dollars regardless of time frame.
International - The level has been raised to $600 to $750 Delta Dollars

Bottom Line

In the past a less than 3.5 hour delay meant you would earn a rate of about $57 Delta Dollars per hour for your time. Going forward if you can earn $400 Delta Dollars for a 2 hour delay this would bring your rate to about $200 per hour for your time. In my opinion this is time well spent. We will have a first hand report soon. If you have any experiences with the new Voluntary Denied Boarding levels, please post an update in our comments.

Starwood: Get Closer to Paradise

Starwood just announced a new promotion that should make Starwood hoteliers happy. The promotion awards 1,000 bonus Starpoints for each stay August 4 through November 30. The majority of North American and Latin American properties are taking part in the promotion. There are some hotels that offering only 500 points but those are few and far between. There are no significant restrictions in the Terms and Conditions.

My Prescription

Easy points that will indeed get you closer to paradise. If you are considering staying at Starwood properties sign up for this offer. There are rumors that Starwood may be announcing additional promotions soon. Stay tuned.

Free Wifi Codes for American, Delta, and Airtran

Previously I posted here about American Airlines promotion for free in flight wifi through August 23rd. Not only have they issued a new code extending this promotion, but Gogo in flight internet is offering free wifi on two other airlines.

Codes by Airline

American Airlines - September 5th - AAWiFi80208A2

Delta - August 31st - 159FLT3161

Airtran - August 31st - 159FLT3161

How to Use the Code

Connect to the Gogo in flight wifi network. Once you are connected open up a browser and sign in to Gogo. Once on the purchase page enter the code in the promo code section and watch the cost go down to zero.

Bottom Line

I posted this from 35,000 feet on a Delta flight using the promotion code above. This is an easy way to try the Gogo inflight wifi for free. If you know of any other airline codes please post them in the comments section. With inflight internet you'll notice your flighs go by much faster with internet access.

U.S. Airways: Fun Promotion

U.S. Airways has a fun promotion that will challenge your geography I.Q. The promotion is to increase awareness of their MasterCard but the fun is trying to make it through the all five rounds of the geographic location game. The game, I mean promotion, is available until August 31 and has daily and weekly prizes in addition to a grand prize of a $10,000 MasterCard gift cad and 100,000 Dividend Miles. Your chances of winning increases with additional entries so be sure to explore the options listed below.

The Details

Prizes:

• (180) Daily Prizes – 20,000 Dividend Miles
• (5) Weekly Prize – iPod Nano (3rd Generation)
• (1) Grand Prize – One (1) Ten Thousand Dollar ($10,000) MasterCard gift card and 100,000 Dividend Miles

At the conclusion of each day during the Promotion Period there will be Five (5) Daily Prize Winners selected in a random drawing of all valid entries received. At the conclusion of each week during the Promotion Period there will be one (1) Weekly Prize Winner selected in a random drawing of all valid entries received. At the conclusion of the Promotion Period there will be one (1) Grand Prize Winner selected in a random drawing of all valid entries received. The entrant will be contacted using the email address provided with the entry and may be awarded the prize (subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these rules.) Administrator’s decisions as to the administration and operation of the Promotion and the selection of potential winners are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion.

How to Earn Entries:

• 1 for completing all levels of the game
• 5 for entering your US Airways Dividend Miles Number
• 5 for signing up for Earn More Miles email newsletter
• 5 for posting a tweet on the Twitter page
• 5 for each friend to sign up for the promotion and play via Facebook, Twitter, or email. One hundred friends, the maximum, will earn you 500 entries for the contest.

Terms and Conditions can be found on the promotion's site.

My Prescription

Somebody has to win so why not you? I am not a big fan of lotteries or contests where my chances of winning is slim to none but the geography contest is fun so why not play and take a chance on winning some miles, iPod, or the $10,000 MasterCard gift card.

Disney Raises Rates: Hilton to the Rescue

Disney just announced that single-day ticket prices to Walt Disney World have increased to $79 for adults and $68 for children ages 3 to 9. To help combat the increasing ticket costs, and take advantage of your Hilton HHonors points, consider using your Hilton reward points to purchase tickets for yourself and your family. For 180,000 HHonors points per adult (Ages 10+) and 165,000 HHonors points per child (Ages 3-9) you will be able to take your family to Walt Disney World for 4 days.

The Tickets

The tickets are the 4-Day Magic Your Way Tickets which are good for 4 days in all four Disney Theme Parks and four (4) plus visits to your choice of the following: Disney's Typhoon LagoonWater park,Disney's Blizzard BeachWater Park, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (tee time reservations are required and subject to availability) DisneyQuest®Indoor Interactive Theme Park, or Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex (except for activities/events that are separately priced). The tickets also include three additional features:

• Park Hopper
• Water Park Fun & More
• No Expiration Date

The Costs

The basic rates for these tickets on Walt Disney World's website are $225 and $192, respectively. That is before the addition costs of the Park Hopper ($13.00 per person per day), Water Park Fun & More ($13.00 per person per day), and the No Expiration Date ($13.00 per person per day). The total costs per adult averages $95 per day with the 4-Day Magic Your Way ticket for a total price of $381. The child ticket averages $87 per day for a total of $348. The costs for a family of four (two adults and two children) would cost $1,458.

My Prescription

The total cost using HHonors to purchase the tickets for a family of four would be 690,000 points. A substantial amount of points that may be better suited for redemption for hotels or airline miles. If you would prefer to save your cash for other ventures and are awash in points then consider making the purchase then kick-back and have a good time with your family at the Magic Kingdom.

Note: There is a seven day Magic Your Way Tickets option available through Hilton for 215,000 and 200,000 points for adult and child tickets, respectively. The value of the tickets for a family of four would be $1,746. The cost per day 64.61 and 60.00, respectively. A much better value for your points but seven days at Disney may result in sensory overload.

Fast Track to Hilton Honors Diamond Status

I recently started staying at Hilton properties more regularly. To accumulate points faster I requested to be fast tracked to Hilton Honors Diamond status.

The reason I switched some of my stays over is there is a really nice Hilton property in the city where we are taking an upcoming trip and I needed to top off my account. Plus there are two decent promotions going on at Hilton, the Delta promotion, and the 10,000 Hilton Points promotion.

How to Request Fast Track

I called the Hilton Honors help desk and simply asked if there was any fast track offer for Diamond status and motioned I had some upcoming stays I'd like to move to Hilton. They offered me Diamond if I stayed 21 nights in a 90 day period.

Now I earn all the perks of Hilton status with only 21 nights.

Starwood Q3 Promotion Announcement August 15th

From this Flyertalk thread we can expect the Starwood Q3 promotion to be announced on August 15th. The next clue about the promotion will be dropped on the SPG forum on or about August 3rd.

I recall the Q3 2008 promotion for Starwood was a you choose promotion. If it is the same this year it will be a great promotion. I think last years was a choice between a few point earning options with either nights or stays, stays counting double towards status, and a few other options.

We'll post an update as soon as the announcement is made with the details, so check back soon.