Last Day for Restaurant.com 80% Off Coupon

You can buy $25 coupons for $2 thru September 30th.

Offer Code: Chef

Hyatt - Next Big Thing Promotion Available

Hyatt's Next Big Thing promotion is available for registration. We posted about this back on September 15th, but now the details are out.

Promotion

Between October 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010 members can choose to earn the reward you want.

• 1 free night award after every two stays OR
• 3,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points on every stay, starting with your second stay.

To Earn Unlimited Free Nights or Bonus Points

• Register today for the reward you want – free nights or bonus points.
• Stay at any Hyatt worldwide between October 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010.
• Provide your Hyatt Gold Passport account number at reservation and check-in.

Bottom Line

This is one of my favorite promotions. You can earn a free night at a Hyatt hotel for every 2 night stays. This beats out Starwood's Free Weekend Nights by a long shot since it doesn't limit the category of hotel or limit the redemption to weekend nights only. If you have the chance rack up some Hyatt stays make sure you redeem/book as soon as possible before all the Faster Free Night availability gets used up.

St Regis DC Trip Report

This past weekend we stayed at the St Regis in Washington DC using 3 free nights from the SPG Free Weekend Nights Promotion.

Check In

When we arrived at the hotel there was no check-in line. The check-in process was quick and efficient. As a Platinum member I was not offered any check-in amenity but was offered an upgrade to a Carline Astor suite which was fantastic.

The Room

As mentioned the Caroline Astor suite was great. It was 665 sq ft, slightly bigger than my friends apartment. Walking into the room there is a large walk in closet to the right and a small entrance foyer. Continuing into the room you enter the living area with dining table, couch, desk, and flat screen tv. To the right is the Master bedroom. The bathroom was very large, and the coolest part was the tv on the mirror in the bathroom. Overall the room was very nice with shades of blue throughout.

The Hotel

One secret about the St Regis (that the check-in clerk forgot to mention) is that every night at 6:00 PM they hold a champagne ceremony in the lobby for "anyone" who is in the lobby. The bar tender comes wheeling a cart of champagne from the bar, they make a small announcement then slice the cork off the bottle in an elaborate display. Then anyone who was in the lobby at 6:00 PM gets free champagne tasting. We only discovered this on our last night. The service was pretty good overall. Butlers are assigned to rooms, the doorman always grabbed the door. Other than small mix ups there are no complaints with service.

W Rooftop Bar

The W Rooftop Bar was close by so we went there with my cousin to have drinks one night. The views were great at sunset.

View of White House

Bottom Line

This was a great use of Free Weekend nights. The hotel regular rooms were going for around $350 and the suites were going for around $600 per night.

Air France's A380 Inaugural Flight

Be the first to cross the Atlantic on the A380 with Air France

Beginning October 1, 2009, Air France will be holding an auction for its two inaugural flights: one from Paris to New York and one from New York to Paris, in order to offer you a unique experience.

Take part in humanitarian actions for children in need

Funds generated from this auction will be donated to humanitarian projects selected by the Air France Foundation in different countries around the world.

In Paris or New York, exclusive options

Auction winners will enjoy a shopping and cultural journey to discover or rediscover Paris or New York with unique experiences and exclusive benefits.

The dates

Join the auction on October 1st for the auction launch!

Hyatt Diamond Members - Check Your Account for Free 1 Night Award

It seems Hyatt in addition to offering The Next Big Thing Promotion, and $20 Gift Card at Hyatt Place, is giving their Diamond members a free 1 night stay award at a Hyatt Place or Summerfield Suites. Hyatt emails will go out on Sept 24th, and the mail offer will come within a week.

Check your account to see if you were awarded one

• Log In
• Select Awards
• Select Promotional Awards
• View Your Award

Terms and Conditions

Member will receive one free night award at any Hyatt Place or Hyatt Summerfield Suites valid 9/23/2009 to 12/31/2009. Free night awards will be posted to your My Promotional Awards and can be redeemed by signing in to your Hyatt Gold Passport account via goldpassport.com or by calling 800 228 3360 or your nearest Worldwide Reservation Center. All hotel reservations are subject to availability and must be made in advance. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Free night award is valid for standard guest room accommodations. Free night does not include service or incidental charges. Additional guests may be subject to additional hotel charges. Promotional blackout periods may apply due to seasonal periods or special events, and normal arrival/departure restrictions apply. Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts encompasses hotels managed, franchised or leased by subsidiaries and affiliates of Global Hyatt Corporation. The trademarks Hyatt, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Placer, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Hyatt Gold Passport, and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. 2009 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

AirTran Offer - $25 off Coupon to Florida

From now until October 31, 2009 AirTran is offering $25 off your next flight to/from Florida.

Simply enter your email address and they'll send you a $25 discount voucher.

Terms and Conditions

Discount Rules and Restrictions: These special discounts must be booked on airtran.com by Saturday, October 31, 2009, and are valid for travel on AirTran Airways flights to or from Florida destinations only through December 18, 2009. Discount must be redeemed at the original time of purchase. Limit one (1) discount per person. A $75 fee per person applies to any change made after purchase, plus any applicable increase in airfare. A first bag may be checked for a fee of up to $15 per person and a second bag may be checked for a fee of up to $25 per person. Reservations may be obtained or changed through an AirTran Airways Telephone Reservations Center for an additional $15 per person. Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice.

Hyatt Place Offers $20 Mastercard Gift Card with Each Stay

Hyatt Place is offering a $20 MasterCard gift card for stays between September 21st and November 25th, 2009. Note that this promotion is only good Mon-Thur. There is also a same offer from Summerfield Suites.

This can make earning with the Faster Free Night promotion even sweeter.
The Offer

Being on the road just got a little more rewarding. Simply stay one night, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at a participating Hyatt Place® between September 21st and November 25th, 2009 and we'll make your stay even more satisfying with a $20 prepaid MasterCard gift card. Use it for anything you want – at home or on the road.

Make your reservation today at the Hyatt Daily Rate and request promotion code GFTCRD. Enjoy everything Hyatt Place has to offer during your stay and then enjoy a little something on us after you check out. After every qualifying stay, we'll send you a $20 prepaid MasterCard gift card – a welcome bonus you can use to treat yourself or share with someone special.

Terms and Conditions

Offer valid 9/21/09 to 11/25/09 for Monday through Thursday qualifying stays at participating Hyatt Place. Not valid for stays over Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights. All hotel reservations are subject to availability and must be made via telephone, HyattPlace.com, or GDS prior to the qualifying stay. Guest must request offer code GFTCRD at time of reservation and pay the Hyatt Daily Rate to receive $20 MasterCard Gift Card. One $20 MasterCard Gift Card per qualifying stay. A qualifying stay shall be defined as one or more consecutive nights at any participating Hyatt Place hotel for Monday through Thursday during the promotion period for reservations with the GFTCRD offer code. If the guest checks out and back in during the stay period, such multiple stays do not constitute a qualifying stay. Limit one gift card per qualifying stay, regardless of the number of rooms. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. A limited number of rooms are allocated to this promotion. Promotional blackout periods may apply due to seasonal periods or special events, and normal arrival/departure restrictions apply. Fulfillment of gift cards will be through Springbok via U.S. mail following your stay. Gift cards will be mailed 6-8 weeks upon completion of the qualifying stay. Gift card will not be replaced if lost or stolen. Gift cards are subject to all policies and terms and conditions set by issuer, which are subject to change at issuer's sole discretion. Hyatt Place reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. Springbok Services is a registered agent of KeyBank National Association. Giftcards are issued by KeyBank National Association pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporated. MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated.

Starwood 500 Bonus Point Booking Site Is Up

The Starwood 500 bonus point booking site is up. If you make a reservation through this link while their customer service is busy, you'll earn an extra 500 points on your stay.

New US Airways Envoy Suite Video

Last Friday I posted about US Airways rolling out the new Envoy Suites starting in December 2009.

Check out this video on Youtube about the new Envoy Suites.



Here is a link to a longer version on Youtube.

DL Flight: So I was stupid, drank too much and vomited before take-off

I couldn't resist posting this story from over on the Delta forum at Flyertalk. It is the funniest post I've read in a long time.

Basically the flyer is traveling on Delta, and downs a few drinks before the flight, then the title explains the rest.

Mileage Specials offered by World Hotels on Partner Airlines

This one's a little different since many of us are loyal to a small number of hotel chains, but it's worth checking out. You may not associate independent hotels and local chains with frequent flyer programmes, but with WORLDHOTELS you can reap the benefits of a luxurious night’s sleep while still enjoying the service and individuality our members are known for.

As a frequent flyer, each time you stay at one of the participating member hotels worldwide at a qualifying rate, you can earn 500 miles (or equivalent) per stay through the mileage programs of their airline partners.

Just present your frequent flyer card at check-in and, if your rate qualifies, we will automatically credit your airline mileage account.

US Airways Special Promotions:

For Dividend Miles members:

5000 miles per night in a Suite!
500 miles per night
2000 miles per stay!
1000 miles: Miles, Fruit, Wine & More - Take to Italy!

For more details regarding our other airline partners click here.

US Airways Rolls Out New Envoy Suite

Today US Airways announced their new Envoy Suite and its pretty sweet.

The first of the Envoy suites will be rolled out on A330-200 aircraft's in December of 2009 with the rest of the A330 fleet being completed by mid 2012. This is a huge improvement to US Airways Envoy Class, by why so long to roll out to entire A330 fleet?

Check out the discussion on flyertalk in this thread.

Bottom Line

US Airways definitely needed to do something to keep in line with the competition for premium travel. I would still look to use my US Airways miles with a Luftansa or Swiss for premium award redemption, but this may be an option for you in Charlotte or Philadelphia.

Southwest Double Credit Promotion

Southwest Airlines is offering a double credit promotion from September 17, 2009 through October 31, 2009. Registration is required.

As a reminder, to take advantage of this special offer, you must

• Register for this promotion between September 17 and October 31, 2009
• Book a flight for yourself at southwest.com or swabiz.com between September 17 and October 31, 2009 for travel between September 17 and October 31, 2009
• Complete your travel between September 17 and October 31, 2009.

It's that easy! With an offer like this, you'll be on your way toward an Award in no time. Register and book your next trip on Southwest Airlines today.

Terms and Conditions

One additional credit per one-way flight will be issued regardless of fare purchased. Business Select Customers will receive 2.25 credits for flights less than 750 miles and 3.0 credits for flights 750 or longer. Member must register for this promotion between September 17 and October 31, 2009 to qualify and registration must be completed prior to booking and commencement of travel. Reservations must be booked between September 17 and October 31, 2009. Travel must be completed between September 17 and October 31, 2009. Rapid Rewards account number must be entered at the time of booking. Member will receive one bonus credit per qualifying one-way flight. Travel on Award or Companion Pass does not qualify for promotion. Bonus credits do not count toward A-List qualification. Rapid Rewards credit will post to your account within four days of completing travel. Changes made to the itinerary after purchase may eliminate qualification for this promotion. The Rapid Rewards Award is free, but travel is subject to the government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $10 per roundtrip. Travel good on Southwest Airlines-operated, published, scheduled service. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply. BN017

US Airways Race to Preferred Status

Get ready for the fastest, easiest way ever to get (or keep) Preferred status. Just fly between October 1 and December 25, 2009 on any US Airways or US Airways Express flight, and you'll earn Preferred status faster than ever before. The more you fly, the more you'll earn. Think of it as an end-of-the-year shortcut.

Here’s how it works:
Fly 7,500 miles or 10 segments and earn Silver Preferred status
Fly 15,000 miles or 20 segments and earn Gold Preferred status
Fly 22,500 miles or 30 segments and earn Platinum Preferred status
Fly 30,000 miles or 40 segments and earn Chairman’s Preferred status

Don’t worry, the miles you fly will also count towards the total miles you flew for the year – you’ll be awarded the highest status between the two. So if you fly 55,000 Preferred miles for the year but only end up flying 8,000 Preferred miles during the promotion period, you’ll still earn Gold status for the year.

US Airways will determine and award your Preferred status on January 10, 2010. You don't need to register (we'll keep track of your flights). Hard to believe, but that's what it says.

Not a Dividend Miles member? Join now.

Terms & Conditions:

Only Preferred qualifying miles and segments earned on flights operated by US Airways and US Airways Express can be applied towards this promotion. Only base flight miles and segments, including Preferred segment minimums, count toward this promotion. Preferred-qualifying bonuses, e.g. class of service bonuses and miles earned on flights operated by US Airways’ partners, are not applied toward qualification criteria. Retroactive mileage credits will not count towards your status unless they are applied before December 29, 2009. Enter your Dividend Miles number at time of booking to receive your miles into your account. This promotion is subject to all Dividend Miles program terms and conditions.

Airline Wifi Codes

Back on August 5th, I posted about all the Free wifi codes that we knew existed. We posted codes for American, Delta, and Airtran.

Well, they've all expired. The only code I can find is for new sign users on Delta - 1666da73u1.

If you know of any wifi codes that are available for use, and would like to share, please post a comment to share with the readers of this site.

Faster Free Nights Is Back at Hyatt

Hyatt announced on their website they are bringing back Faster Free Nights starting on October 1, 2009. Check out this flyertalk thread for more details.




The Next Big Thing From Hyatt Gold Passport

Launching October 1 you can choose your reward then earn as many as you can. Unlimited rewards. Unlimited hospitality. Registration begins September 25, 2009. Earn Faster Free Nights starting October 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010. Redeem Faster Free Nights between October 15, 2009 through March 31, 2010

Choose to earn 1 of the following offers:

• 1 free night award after every 2 eligible stays
• Or 3,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points per eligible stay, starting with your 2nd stay
• Registration begins on September 25, 2009.

Bottom Line

This is one of my favorite promotions. You can earn a free night at a Hyatt hotel for every 2 night stays. This beats out Starwood's Free Weekend Nights by a long shot since it doesn't limit the category of hotel or limit the redemption to weekend nights only. If you have the chance rack up some Hyatt stays make sure you redeem/book as soon as possible before all the Faster Free Night availability gets used up.

Fly more and save more with United

United Airlines has come up with an inventive way of reducing flight costs in 2010 allowing individuals to earn an electronic certificate for up to 50% off a domestic flight.

How it works:
Simply register for this promotion, and with each qualifying itinerary you’ll increase your discount, as shown in the chart below. You can start earning your savings as soon as you book and fly.

- Offer valid in all paid, published fares in United First®, United Business® and United Economy® classes.
- Electronic certificate will be sent via email within 4-6 weeks after the end of the offer period.
- Your Mileage Plus account must include a valid email address in order to receive the electronic certificate. Update Profile

Terms and conditions of e-certificate:
To qualify for this offer, registered members must purchase and complete at least one paid, qualifying roundtrip flight on United® or United Express® operated flights within the following ticketing and travel periods. For this offer, roundtrip travel is defined as two each-way segments with outbound travel from an origin city to a destination city and return travel from the original destination city to the original departure city. All segments must be on United or United Express, booked under one reservation and on one ticket. Open jaw and circle trips do not qualify.

Offer valid for members residing in the U.S. (including Hawaii), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Ticketing period: September 14 - December 31, 2009
Travel period: September 14 - December 31, 2009

Not combinable with other noncombinable offers.
Registration requirement: Registration is required anytime prior to travel, or within 30 days after travel, but must be completed by December 31, 2009 in order to qualify for the program. To register for the offer, go to www.united.com/offer/mpd579.

Passenger must be a member of United’s Mileage Plus frequent flyer program in order for travel to qualify for this offer.

A maximum discount of 50% may be earned for 6 or more paid, qualifying roundtrips on United or United Express operated flights taken within the qualification period.

E-certificate is valid for travel between February 1, 2010 and May 31, 2010. Some blackout dates may apply.

E-certificate is valid for travel within the United States, or between the United States and Canada, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

5,000 United Miles Per Hyatt Stay

United is running a promotion with Hyatt where you earn 5,000 United Miles with every stay at a participating Hyatt hotel from September 1st through October 31, 2009.

• Stay at any Hyatt worldwide between September 1 and October 31, 2009.
• Provide your Hyatt Gold Passport and Mileage Plus account numbers at
  reservation and check-in.
• Request Mileage Plus miles at check-in for each of
  your eligible stays.

This sounds like a great promotion to use if your staying at a Hyatt hotel. For the past few months Hyatt has been running a 2,500 Hyatt point per stay promotion when you pay with a MasterCard. The 2,500 point promotion expires this week, September 15th. So this new promotion with United is very timely.

Bottom Line

The key thing to note with this promotion is it is yet again a "per stay" promotion and that it is only marketed to United 1k members. So if you can find a few Hyatt hotels in the city you are in, you can earn 20,000 United miles per week (5,000 x 4 nights) depending on how many nights in your staying pattern. After a few weeks you could have enough for a business class trip to Europe on Starr Alliance.

Terms and Conditions

To participate in this promotion you must join Hyatt Gold Passport via url www.goldpassport.com/united1K and stay between September 1, 2009 and October 31, 2009 at any Hyatt Hotel & Resort™, Hyatt Place™, Hyatt Summerfield Suites™ or Andaz™ worldwide. To receive 5,000 bonus miles per eligible stay, you must provide both your Hyatt Gold Passport and United Airlines Mileage Plus membership account number at time of check-in, choose miles for your stay and pay an Eligible rate.

"Eligible Rate" is any hotel published room rate, including, but not limited to rates found on hyatt.com, hyattplace.com, hyattsummerfiedsuites.com, prevailing rack rate, BAR, volume, AAA and senior citizen rates, etc. "Ineligible Rates" are discounted rates, including, but not limited to, any free night stays, Internet wholesale rates (such as priceline.com, hotels.com, etc.), traditional wholesale rates (such as GOGO Worldwide Vacations, Pleasant Holidays, etc.), airline crew rates, airline employee rates, travel agency employee rates, Club at the Hyatt discount certificate stays, Hyatt Vacation Club stays, Hyatt employee or employee family discount rates, airline interrupted-trip vouchers or contracted rooms (a contract room is a room that has been reserved pursuant to a written and executed agreement between a hotel and a corporation, government agency or individual for a negotiated room rate in exchange for an agreed upon number of rooms to be rented for an extended period of time).

Only one bonus will be given per member regardless of the number of rooms. A qualifying stay means one or more consecutive nights at any participating hotel or resort when paying an eligible rate, whether or not the guest checks out and back in during such period;award stays do not qualify. Only one bonus will be given per member, per stay, regardless of the number of rooms.

All hotel reservations are subject to availability and must be made in advance. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for bonus miles to be posted to your account. Miles are subject to the terms and conditions of the United Airlines frequent flyer program. This promotion is subject to the complete terms and conditions of the Hyatt Gold Passport program. For complete terms and conditions of the Hyatt Gold Passport program, please visit www.goldpassport.com. Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts™ encompasses hotels managed, franchised or leased by subsidiaries and affiliates of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The trademarks Hyatt™, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts™, Park Hyatt™,Andaz™, Grand Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency™, Hyatt Place™, Hyatt Summerfield Suites™, Hyatt Gold Passport™, and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. © 2009 Hyatt Corporation.All rights reserved.

Bonus Night at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

The St. Regis hotel chain is offering a free bonus night with a 3 day consecutive stay. It's a simple straightforward promotion. You can either book online or call 1 877 STREGIS but make sure to mention promo code R4R/R4H. There is some small print with this deal, so please read below to see some of the more relevant T&C before booking. Follow the link to the remainder of the T&C. Also, you can't use points for 3 nights and get the 4th free. This promotion is for paying customers only. A savy business traveler may be able to find a good use for this offer.

Relevant Terms & Conditions:
- Offer valid at participating St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, please see participating property list.
- Offer is valid for stays booked and completed between August 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010.
- Advance reservations are required should be made using Promotion Code=R4R (Resorts) or Promotion Code=R4H (Hotels).
- Offer is only valid for a four-night minimum/maximum length of stay.
- Only available for arrivals on Wednesday-Saturday at Hotels. At Resorts all days of arrival are available.
- The complimentary fourth night must be used in conjunction with a full paid three night stay.
- Consecutive reservations for this offer will not be honored.
- These offers are based on Starwood’s best available unrestricted retail rates.
- Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Reservations cannot be changed, are pre-paid and non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.

SPG 500 Point Booking Bonus Site Is Up

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. 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.

Starwood Rocks Out! With Rock Out Promotion

Back in July we posted about the Starwood Rock Out Promotion where you can earn a ticket to a Live Nation concert with every stay at a participating Starwood property. Well I'm happy to report that between my wife and I we redeemed tickets to 2 Live Nation Concerts.

Back in early August I along with others had a problem receiving the certificates from Starwood. That turned out to be a preference setting on my Starwood account where I requested not to be contacted by Starwood about various promotions. A quick email to Starwood Lurker on Flyertalk resolved the issue and I had the ticket codes the next day, thanks William.

First we are going to see Brad Paisley w/Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne.

Then the concert I am most excited about, we are going to see REO Speedwagon & Styx Tickets.

REO Speedwagon


Styx

Restaurant.com is 90% Off Through 9/13/09

This is really a good deal. If you can find a regular restaurant you visit or one you'd like to try out, its worth it for $1 to get a $25 gift card.

Be sure to use promo code NINETY to save 90% off w/every $25 Gift Certificate thru 9/13/09 3:01 AM PST at Restaurant.com.

New Movie About A Frequent Flyer / Consultant

Up In The Air

The movie Up In The Air is about "Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles."

This is from the director of Juno and Thank You For Not Smoking. Lucky over at One Mile posted a trailer that is on YouTube earlier today. The movie opens in theaters on December 4th, 2009.

Check out this movie review and the trailer below.



After over 139 nights in a hotel room this year, I'm looking forward to seeing this one.

New Starwood Promotion - September 9th

Nights Advance

Platinum members will have the chance to start earning status for next year's elite qualification. Any nights between October 1 and December 31 will not only count towards 2009, but will also be counted toward 2010. Registration starts September 9th.
SPG.com/nightsadvanceterms
SPG.com/nightsadvancefaq

Nights Count Double

Nights count double will be available to all Gold members and a group of Preferred members who are very close to qualifying for Gold. This offer will allow members to earn elite qualification twice as fast by doubling your night earnings from September 15- December 15, 2009. Registration will start September 9th. In the meantime, more information can be found at:
SPG.com/ncdterms
SPG.com/ncdfaq

Bottom Line

Platinum members will be given a choice of both offers. Only one of these offers can be registered during this time frame (November 30). This is a great way to earn status for this year and the following year. If you can earn status for next year during this calendar year, you'll be able to focus on the program with the best promotion next year.

SPG 500 Booking Bonus Site Is Up - 10:25 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.

Earn 3,000 Delta Skymiles And 20% Off Your Next Car Rental With Budget

Budget is running a promotion until December 31, 2009 where you earn 3000 Delta SkyMiles with every qualifying rental of ONE or more days.


Budget Offer Details

• Earn 3,000 bonus miles on qualifying rentals of one or more days at participating Budget airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.
• Offer valid on all car groups, excluding Specialty (group X) until December 31, 2009.
• Mention coupon number MUAZ002 and your Delta SkyMiles number at the time of reservation or at the counter to receive bonus miles.
• Mention BCD number U093300 to receive discount of up to 20% off your rental.

Terms and Conditions

3,000 bonus miles offer is valid from March 15, 2009 through December 31, 2009 on qualifying weekly rentals of one or more consecutive days at participating Budget airport locations in the U.S. and Canada where Delta Air Lines flies. Must use Coupon number MUAZ002. You must provide SkyMiles number at time of rental or check-in to receive bonus miles. A 24-hour advance reservation is required. Offer valid on all car groups, excluding Specialty (group X). The savings of up to 20% applies to Budget leisure weekly and weekend rates and is applicable only to the time-and-mileage charges of the rental. Offer does not apply to car group X. Taxes, concession recovery fees, vehicle license recovery fee, customer facility charges ($10/contract in CA) may apply and are extra. Optional products such as LDW ($29.99/day or less, except in Louisiana $49.99/day) and refueling are extra. Renter must meet Budget age, driver, and credit requirements. Vehicle must be returned to renting location, except where otherwise permitted. Minimum age may vary by location. An additional daily surcharge may apply for renters under 25 years old. Frequent flyer surcharge of up to $0.75 USD per day, may apply. Mileage accrual structure subject to change. Rental must begin by December 31, 2009.

Bottom Line

If this promotion in fact offers 3,000 Delta miles per 1 day rental, this could be better than the Avis 4 day 5,000 mile rental offer. Can anyone confirm this works for a 1 day rental?

Jumping Up Zones on Star Alliance

I know we all try to stay loyal to a couple airlines in order to maximize our miles and achieve the all mighty top echelon of status, but no matter how hard we try there are some instances where we just can't travel our preferred carrier. Which usually means last on the list as far as boarding goes equating to "give me the ticket so when you gate check my bag I have some way of locating it after the handler forgets to put it on the plane".

This doesn't necessarily always have to be the case. If you're flying on a Star Alliance carrier and at least Gold level status with one of the members, the others will let you board with their preferred/elite members. Giving you that precious head start on overhead bin space. I'm Gold with US Airways, but end up on United some of the time. I've used this process every time with no problems yet. The process is pretty simple.

When you book your flight, make sure that your membership number with the carrier holding your elite status is included instead of the membership number at the lesser carrier. You can't always do this through the website. I usually hit up the gate agent and he/she will exchange my ticket. One time I was running late and just showed the agent my card on the way through the line and away I went.

Give it a shot. It works.

SPG 500 Point Booking Bonus Site Is Up - 5:30 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 5:30 PM EST. All you have to do is go to the site, book your reservation(s) and then receive the 500 point bonus when you make your stay.

Using this promo can make the points add up fast. For instance if you have 4 stays a week for 4 weeks it ends up being 8,000 bonus points (2,000 points a week x 4 weeks) just for booking on this site. If you add the 1,000 Getting Closer to Paradise, then throw in the Platinum 500 point bonus per night it gives you an additional 6,000 bonus points a week or 24,000 bonus points a month for a total of 32,000 (24,000 + 8,000) bonus points per month not including points for spend. Watch your points add up.

Delta Million Mile Sweepstakes

Delta is running a promotion where if you register between August 25, 2009 and September 30th, 2009 you can win 1,000,000 miles. All you have to do is register, purchase and fly a Delta, Northwest or Alaska Airlines before November 30, 2009. A free shot at 1,000,000 miles, why not?

Delta Promotion Details From Site

Think of all the places you can go with 1,000,000 miles for Award Travel. We're celebrating Delta's alliance with Alaska Airlines by giving you the chance to fly virtually anywhere you want for years to come in our Million Mile Sweepstakes.

Register, then purchase Delta (or Northwest) and Alaska Airlines flights on the same ticket and earn a Million Mile Sweepstakes entry. Book your ticket and complete travel between now and November 30, 2009 for a chance to win 1,000,000 miles. The more times you fly, the more entries you'll earn. Remember, you have to register by September 30, 2009 to be eligible. Register today.

No purchase necessary. See Official Rules below for details.

The Terms and Conditions are at the bottom of the page.

New Smoke-Free Fleet from Avis

I don't know about some of you, but there's nothing worse after a long flight than hopping in a rental car that wreaks of smoke and bad deodoerizer. I was glad to see Avis's latest move to a completely smoke-free fleet. The policy goes into effect as of October 1, 2009 for every make and model. The company went as far as implementing a new inspection policy and $250 fee for smoking in one of its vehicles.

United offers Double Elite Qualifying Miles + Segements

That was fast! United has matched the American Airlines Double Elite Qualifying Miles promotion with their own Double EQM or EQS (segments) promotion. From September 2, 2009 until December 15th, 2009 you can earn double elite qualifying miles or segments on United. But you can only register for One of the offers.

The American and United promotions are great promotions for those of you who have already earned 2010 status on your favorite carrier. This will allow you to earn miles and status in another carrier. Its always good to build miles in other programs, you never know where you'll want to fly.

United Offer

A special opportunity to help you retain elite status or earn a higher level. Earn your choice of either double Elite Qualifying Miles* (EQM) or double Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS) on qualifying United® or United Express® flights.

American Airlines Double Miles Promotion

American Airlines is offering double elite qualifying miles in their newest promotion. Registration is required. Fly by December 15th, 2009 and you'll earn double elite qualifying miles on your flights.

Double Elite Qualifying Miles Offer

Reach AAdvantage Gold®, AAdvantage Platinum® or AAdvantage Executive Platinum® status faster than ever with this special promotion. Just fly on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection® between September 2, 2009, and December 15, 2009, and you'll earn double elite-qualifying miles - the miles that bring you closer to AAdvantage elite status membership - at an accelerated rate. And, with this special promotion, we're also making it easier to qualify for Elite Rewards!

Double Elite Qualifying Miles Offer Terms and Conditions

Double elite-status qualifying miles are not redeemable for award travel, but do count toward qualification for AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum® and AAdvantage Gold® status. AAdvantage elite-qualifying double mile offer is valid only for travel on eligible purchased, published fare tickets on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection® marketed and operated flights between September 2, 2009, and December 15, 2009, regardless of when the ticket was booked or ticketed. Flights operated by our codeshare partners or oneworldTM alliance carriers are not eligible for this promotion. Registration prior to travel is required. This offer does not increment the member's elite qualifying points, segments or award-eligible mileage balance. Double elite-qualifying miles will be calculated at 100% of the elite-qualifying miles earned for each applicable flight and will be deposited into the account of the traveling AAdvantage member within 6-8 weeks after travel is posted to your account.

AirTran Announces Expansion to Nassau, Montego Bay and Aruba

On August 25th, Airtran Airways announced service expansion to Nassau, Montego Bay and Aruba. The flights to Nassau and Montego Bay are proposed to originate from Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando. While the flight to Aruba will originate from Atlanta and Orlando only.

Orlando to Nassau Flight Brings Competition

Since Delta cut service to Nassau from Orlando, Jetblue started service. Jetblue, Bahamas Air, and now Airtran will certainly add competition to the route. A sample flight in January shows the price is around $210 all in right now.

I'm hoping the increased competition will drive prices down for the 1 hour flight. The Orlando to Aruba flight will be the only direct flight option from Orlando. While the Orlando flight to Montego Bay will only compete with Air Jamaica.

From Airtran News Announcement

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), today filed applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to begin offering service to Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and the island of Aruba.

If approved, service to the three popular tourist destinations would begin later this year and early in 2010 from a combination of key cities.

"Adding our low-cost, high-quality service from some of our largest operations to some of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean is a win-win for consumers and for AirTran Airways," said Kevin Healy, senior vice president, marketing and planning. "There's nothing quite like jetting off to a tropical island in the middle of Winter, and we look forward to making that possible from some of the largest cities in our network."

In the application, the airline proposes service to Nassau and Montego Bay from Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando; while service to Aruba would originate in Atlanta and Orlando. More information on flights, equipment and fares will be made available upon receipt of DOT approval.
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc.(NYSE: AAI), and a Fortune 1000 company, has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the Airline Quality Rating study for the past two years.

AirTran is the only major airline with Wi-Fi on every flight and offers coast-to-coast service on North America's newest all-Boeing fleet. Its low-cost, high-quality product also includes assigned seating, Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book a flight, visit http://www.airtran.com/.