United Premier Status Request

There are reports that the United Premier status request is working. Simply click this link and enter your United information, there is a chance you will get Premier through March 31, 2010 just for entering your information.

CO Status Match Comes Through For A United Upgrade

A few weeks ago I posted about Continental offering Delta members a status match, and I detailed how I went about taking them up on the offer here.

This past week I had a flight to Denver, and since I was a newly minted Continental Platinum with reciprocal elite benefits with Star Alliance members, I booked a direct flight on United to DEN. I was upgraded at the gate to Economy Plus, and was assigned the bulkhead seat with ample leg room. United's economy plus has 36' of pitch vs United's economy of 31' of pitch, see here for details on seating charts at United and other airlines.

Here are a few pictures from the Trip.

Bulkhead Seat

View on Approach

View of Downtown Denver

Bottomline

If you are a Delta/NW elite member and haven't already done so, go ahead and apply for the Continental status match. You'll have Star Gold status through February 2011, and the perks are defintely worth the few minutes of your time.

Hyatt Promo - 2500 United Miles Per Stay

Hyatt has partnered up with United to offer 2500 bonus miles (2000 bonus + 500 base) per stay. Registration is required, click here for registration.

Back in September Hyatt and United ran a similar promotion where you could earn 5,000 miles per stay. During this promotion I racked up over 130,000 United miles without even flying United.

Details

United Airlines® Mileage Plus elite members are invited to earn 2,500 miles per stay (500 base + 2,000 bonus) at any Hyatt worldwide through January 31, 2011.

Participating Hyatt brands include Park Hyatt™, Andaz™, Grand Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency™, Hyatt Place™ and Hyatt Summerfield Suites™. Earn 2,500 miles per stay

Join Hyatt Gold Passport today.
Stay at any Hyatt worldwide between November 1, 2009 and January 31, 2011.
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.

Terms and Conditions

To participate in this promotion you must join Hyatt Gold Passport via url www.goldpassport.com/unitedelites and stay between November 1, 2009 and January 31, 2011 at any Hyatt Hotel & Resort™, Hyatt Place™, Hyatt Summerfield Suites™ or Andaz™ worldwide. To receive 2,500 miles (500 base and 2,000 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 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).

Miles will be given for one room, 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.

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.

United Fall Promotion

United is running a fall promotion for flying with them from October 1, 2009 through December 31st, 2009. You can earn up to 15,000 United miles.

Fall Promotion Details

Purcahse and fly one qualifying roundtrip each month and earn miles. Fly two and earn miles and upgrades, up to 15,000 bonus miles and three regional upgrades. Qualifying flights must be taken between October 1 and December 31, 2009.

Terms and Conditions

Qualifying class of service: United First (F, A, P), United Business (C, D, Z) and select United Economy (Y, B, M, H, E, U, Q). Other classes of service are not eligible for this offer.

1. Offer valid only for original recipients of the email invitation to this offer.
2. Registration required any time prior to travel, or within 30 days after travel, but must be completed by Dec 31, 2009, in order to qualify for the bonus miles.
3. To register for this offer, go to united.com/offer/MPD539
4. To qualify for this offer, registered members must purchase and complete one paid roundtrip anywhere United flies within the ticketing and travel periods. For this offer, a roundtrip is defined as travel from an origin city to a destination city with return travel beginning in the outbound destination city back to the first origin city with all segments on United or United Express®; a segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing.
5. Circle trips do qualify. Open jaws do not qualify.
6. Eligible classes: United First (F, A, P), United Business (C, D, Z) and select United Economy (Y, B, M, H, E, U, Q).
7. Ticketing period: October 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009.
8. Travel period: October 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009.
9. E-Ticket® purchase required.
10. For tickets purchased in the U.S.: Tickets purchased through United Reservations are subject to a $25 ticketing fee and tickets purchased at airport ticket counters are subject to a $30 ticketing fee. Fees are subject to change.
11. For each month of the offer, registered member can earn 2500 bonus miles for the first qualifying roundtrip completed, and 2500 bonus miles and a promotional Regional Upgrade for the second roundtrip completed in the same month. Promotional Regional Upgrade will expire three months from the date of deposit, at the end of month.
12. For this offer, roundtrip will be counted in the month in which it is completed.
13. Bonus miles can be earned on a maximum of two roundtrips per month (5000 bonus miles), for a maximum of six for the offer period (15,000 bonus miles). A maximum of one Regional Upgrade can be earned per month for a maximum of three for the offer period.
14. Bonus miles will credit to the account six to eight weeks after qualifying activity.
15. Offer not valid on government fares.
16. Not combinable with other non-combinable offers.
17. All Regional Upgrades terms and conditions listed at united.com/upgrades apply, except the expiration date.
18. Passenger must be a member of United's Mileage Plus frequent flyer program for travel to qualify for this offer. Flights must be credited to the Mileage Plus account in order to qualify.
19. Valid on United and United Express, and not on United-marketed code-share flights operated by other carriers. Bonus miles apply to base flight miles only and do not count toward elite status. Bonus is in addition to paid flight miles and any applicable elite or class-of-service bonuses.
20. Offer subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.
21. Miles accrued, awards issued and bonus offers are subject to the rules of the United Mileage Plus program. The Mileage Plus program, including accruals, awards and bonus miles offers, is subject to change without notice. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the passenger. United and Mileage Plus are registered service marks. For complete details about the Mileage Plus program, visit united.com. (MPD539)

Hyatt Next Big Thing Promo Combines United Miles Earning Option

Hyatt's recent Next Big Thing promotion allows you to earn a free night at a Hyatt for every 2 stays at a Hyatt property. This promotion was recently amended (see post #47) by Hyatt to allow you to select miles (instead of Hyatt points). This is fantastic news because United is running some really good mile promotions for staying at Hyatt properties right now.

United Promotions for Hyatt Stays

This is all good news so now you'll be able to combine the Next Big Thing promotion with the 2 United mile earning promotions (5k per stay & 2.5k per 2 stays). So you can now earn 5k United Miles + the standard 500 United mile amount for every Hyatt stay + 2500 United Miles for every 2 stays.

So lets assume you stay 4 nights a week and switch between Hyatt properties every night you'll earn at the following rate:

1st Night - 5000 United Miles + 500 United Miles

2nd Night - 5000 United Miles + 500 United Miles + 2500 United Mile Bonus

3rd Night - 5000 United Miles + 500 United Miles

4th Night - 5000 United Miles + 500 United Miles + 2500 United Mile Bonus

Total United Miles earned in 4 nights = 27,000 United Miles

Bottom Line

Even if you don't normally fly United, this promotion is well worth taking advantage of to earn the maximum amount of miles for your hotel stays.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wyndham: An Easy 10,000 Airline Miles

Wyndham Hotels currently have a promotion where 10,000 airline miles can be earned for stays at three different hotel brands. The promotion is currently active and you must register by September 10. Stays must be completed by October 10. Amtrak and the following airlines are taking part: Air Canada, American, Continental , Delta, Midwest, Northwest, Spirit, United, and US Airways. Sun Country is offering 100 UFly points.

Sign up for Wyndham Rewards and set your account to earn miles instead of points.

My Prescription

If you are hungry for airline miles then you could have 10,000 in just three days by staying at just three of the hotels 11 brands: Days Inn, Super 8, Ramada, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Baymont Inn, Hawthorn Suites, Microtel Inn, and Wingate Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. Here are the participanting hotels. Worth investigating.

United Eliminates Close-In Award Booking Fee

I got an email from United Monday stating they are removing their Close-In Award booking fees which were previously $75 and $100 per ticket. This is good news for those of you who like to use your United Miles for last minute trips. Be sure to book your award on United.com to avoid the $25 award fee for booking through United Reservations.

Email from United

Mr. Weeklyflyer,

We understand you've been looking for an easier way to book award travel, and we're happy to announce we are leading the way.

Becoming the first airline to remove the close-in award processing fee is our way of providing you with even more value for your continued loyalty.

Beginning July 30, 2009, you can book a Mileage Plus® Award ticket less than 21 days in advance, and pay no close-in award processing fees.

Prediction

Last August Delta announced an award ticketing fee for all Domestic or International flights. I predict Delta will soon match United in removing this fee.

Bottom Line

This was a way for airlines to charge a premium on award redemptions to match the high prices of last minute tickets. With the addition of in additional pay-services such as pay for seats, food, and fuel surcharges, the airlines can make more money if the seats are filled rather than going empty.

United Attacking Credit Card Fees

Today, July 20, United will stop processing credit-card transactions from certain travel agencies. The travel agencies will now have to start paying the 3.5 percent credit card processing fees that United previously paid. This transition in fees will likely be paid by you at some point as travel agencies need to make money too. If this change leads to increased income for United, it is probable that other airlines will follow suit in this copy-cat industry.

According to a New York Post article, "half of airline tickets are now purchased through the country's roughly 18,000 travel-agency locations." So, 50% of you, in theory, may see a change in costs today or in the near future.

My Prescription

Although this is suppose to be only a trial program for United, the writing is on the wall that this program, if successful for United, will grow and make it to other airlines. The implementation of this change will also likely lead to further changes in the buying patterns of consumers who look to find the optimal way to maximize their spending. With no booking fees on United, and many other airline sites, it is likely that consumers will continue to shift their purchases to airline sites. It will be interesting to see if this materializes. If it does, how long before booking fees, or whatever term airlines want to make-up, become standard on tickets purchased on their sites? Regardless, prepare for more fees.

Special Series - Earning Miles & Points Without Travelling

If you recently graduated from College or plan on graduating in the near future United has an easy way to rack up 10,000 Mileage Plus Bonus miles.

Earn United Miles through College Plus

As a United College Plus® member, you can earn miles toward free travel on United flights and with Mileage Plus® partners. But you also have many exclusive bonus-mile opportunities available to you.

Graduation Bonus

We will help you celebrate your college graduation with 10,000 Mileage Plus bonus miles (see United College Plus rules for details). Just send the following to the address below, and your bonus will be posted to your account within 4-6 weeks of receipt:

• A copy of your final transcript showing that you did indeed graduate as a full-time student from a U.S. college or university.*
• Your United College Plus/Mileage Plus account number.**
• Your e-mail address.

Mileage Plus, Inc.P.O. Box 40Rapid City, SD 57709Attn: College Plus Graduation

Mileage Plus partners

Plus, earn miles when you stay at a hotel, rent a car, make a long-distance phone call, make a purchase on your Mileage Plus Visa®, shop or invest online- and more - with over 100 Mileage plus partners around the world. For more information or to enroll, visit united.com/mileageplus.
* Copy of official transcript must be received within 12 months of graduation.** Must be a member of College Plus prior to graduation to be eligible for bonus miles.Questions? Please contact collegeplus@united.com.

Hyatt: Earn 3,000 Airline Miles Per Two-Day Stay‏

Although this promotion that has been available for several weeks this one is worth mentioning in case you were not aware of it: Hyatt is offering 6x the airline miles per 2-day stay. The total amount of miles awarded per stay is 3,000 miles for a majority of the airlines. The offer is valid until August 31, 2009. Click on your airline program of choice from the list below to enroll:

Airlines

Air Canada (Aeroplan) - 3,000 Miles
Alaska Airlines - 3,000 Miles
American Airlines (AAdvantage) - 3,000 Miles
Continental (OnePass) - 3,000 Miles
Delta (SkyMiles) - 3,000 Miles
Midwest (Midwest Miles) - 3,000 Miles
Southwest (Rapid Rewards) - 3 Rapid Rewards Credits
United (Mileage Plus) - 3,000 Miles
US Airways (Dividend Miles) - 3,000 Miles
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club) - 4,500 Miles

Rail

Amtrak (Amtrak Guest Rewards) - 3,000 points

The Terms and Condition of the American Airlines Offer (although they are all similar):

Stay 2 Nights and Earn 3,000 Miles! You can now earn 6 times the miles, for a total of 3,000 American Airlines AAdvantage(R) miles, on every Hyatt stay through August 31, 2009. To earn six times the miles:

• Enroll in Hyatt's Gold Passport program if you are not already a member.
• Stay at any Hyatt worldwide through August 31, 2009.
• Provide your Hyatt Gold Passport and AAdvantage(R) account number upon reservation and check-in.
• Request AAdvantage(R) miles at check-in for each of your eligible stays.

My Prescription

As stated in my review of Hyatt Gold Passport Program last week, Hyatt usually offers a conversion of points to miles at a 2.5 points to 1 mile ratio. To really leverage your Hyatt stays be sure to utilize the G code offer and the MasterCard promotion. With these promotions you will be able to earn over 3,500 points per stay in addition to the 3,000 airline miles. The 3,000 miles being offered per stay is equalivent to 7,500 points which, along with these promotions, is equalivent to getting 3+ one-day stays in a two-day stay.

Tickets to Canada are 2 for 1 with United

United Airlines announced a great promotion yesterday for those seeking to visit Canada. This limited time offer cuts the cost of a ticket to as low as $191 roundtrip when buying two tickets. Tickets must be purchased by July 5, 2009 so act now!



The Details

There are a few restrictions but they should not be an issue for the majority of travelers:

• You must call United (1-800-864-8331) to take advantage of this offer.
• Purchase by July 5, 2009.
• A 14 day advance purchase is required.
• Travel is valid daily and must be complete by September 30, 2009.
• A two-night minimum stay is required, and a maximum stay of 30 days is permitted.

To book your tickets call United's reservation office at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) and reference our "Canada offer." This companion fare offer cannot be booked online if you are purchasing airfare only. For tickets purchased via reservations for the Canada offer only, the reservations fee will be waived.

If you need sightseeing ideas or more information on popular events, the Canadian Tourism Commission has what you're looking for.

Special Series - Earning Miles & Points Without Travelling

We've received a lot of emails from our readers about this subject so we thought we'd start a series of posts to highlight the reward earning options that don't require you to travel. Earning Miles and Points without traveling is easier than you think, continue reading to find out how.

Airline Dining Programs
Airline dining programs work by allowing you to earn airline miles for every dollar you spend using a credit card or debit card that is registered with their program. First you enroll in a program, provide your credit or debit card details, select the restaurant where you'd like to dine, then start earning miles by using your registered credit or debit card.

Why Should You Sign up for an Airline Dining Program?
This is especially beneficial for our readers who aren't road warriors but like to travel by redeeming Airline award tickets. For you road warriors it can be a great way to top off an account or keep miles from expiring. But we all have something in common, you gotta eat!

So Many Choices
There are many airline dining programs to choose from. You have your traditional mainline carriers such as American Airlines, Delta, United, and then low cost carriers like Southwest. The key to selecting the right dining program is personal preference.

A good choice when selecting a program is to choose an airline program where you are near an award level and have the extra miles from the dining program put you over the top. Another option is to a choose program for an airline that you don't fly often but have miles in their program. This option will renew your airline miles expiration date and reduce the risk of your miles expiring. The most obvious reason to choose a dining program is if you are hub captive. Hub captive means that you live in a city where one airline has significant market share. For you Charlotte residents, your choice will pretty much be US Airways. The mile maximizing option is to find the program which you place the highest point value as an earning option. For example if I value a Delta airline mile at $.01 cents and an American Airline mile at $.014 cents the better option is to choose the American Airlines program since both programs earn airlines miles at the same rates.

Most Programs Earn Miles at the Same Rate

1 mile per dollar - General Member

3 mile per dollar - Online Member

5 mile per dollar - VIP Member

Enrolling in an Airline Dining Program
If you are not already a member its easy to enroll, simply click on the link, enter your information, and begin dining.

Alaska Airlines - Mileage Plan Dining Partner
American Airlines - AAdvantage Dining
Continental - Sorry Continental fans its the only major US based airline without a program
Delta Airlines - Skymiles Dining
Southwest - Rapid Rewards Dining
United Airlines - United Mileage Plus Dining
US Airways - Dividend Miles Dining

Bottom Line
Using an Airlines Dining program to earn extra miles is a quick and easy way to earn awards without traveling, keep miles from expiring, or build up your point balance.