So a colleague took me out to a very nice lunch in Newport Beach, CA. Coincidentally, she picks an Idine place, and as she plucks down cash to pay the bill, I visualize 700 miles flying out the window. It took all of my self-restraint to keep my Amex walleted. Maybe with close friends you can explain Idine, but with acquaintances, IMO, it�s a slap in the face of their generosity.

However, now I know where I can take her out.

Considering the value of 700 miles is at best $15, I think you made the right choice.

Wow, I'm surprised you were able to keep it in your pants!

...the credit card that is.

Care to name the restaurant and perceived quality and value? Wasn't Capri Blu, by any chance? Maybe there is (or we should start) an iDine forum, with reviews, eh?

We've been (recently) to Amelia's over on Balboa (wife's BD) and liked its local flavor. Walking outside (across a breezeway) to use the bathroom (in a rainstorm) was an unexpected treat..... Had a great dinner and a bottle of Veuve for under 60.00.

It was only 5 miles per dollar IIRC, but the memories were priceless

Pat

Had this been some sort of desperate clamoring for mileage, you would have found the means to go for it anyway!

I suppose you could have gotten up when the waitress or waiter grabbed the card, somehow seen the numbers and exp on it, called idine from the place in the bathroom, and then signed her up on the phone such that she is the member, and her card number associates with YOUR FFN. Then before that tip and total was signed, you would be back at your seat and the miles would be yours.

Of course, that kind of secretive, near-ID theft type of thing would only be worth doing if the tab were more like $700 or something. And now, in order to later switch her name off the account, you would have to have another woman call idine to do it on the phone because it may not list itself online since it was set up on the phone.

Or, I'd just tell her that you wish you had the 700miles... But yeah, for $15 the only other thing you could have done was go get a gift cert on the way out or something like that.

The worst I have done is to have done an idine for 10cents at a bar I frequent just to see if it would actually give me only 1 mile. Other than that, I suppose my idinables have NOT been like the above scheme! Sounds like that kind of thing could make for a Dick Tracy story anyway. I am always up for the funny ones.

MM

I think it's funny when a bunch of us from work go to an iDine restaurant for lunch. Sometimes there are 8 or so of us going, and about half of us are mileage wh*res, so we are all whipping out cards when the bill comes. The other folks (the "normal" people, unlike us) drop cash on the table, and the rest of us scrap for the cash like vultures, offering to put the whole thing on our card.

Usually one of us will nonchalantly open with "I'm low on cash guys, let me just throw this one on my card" to which two or three others yell "Oh no you don't! Besides, you're a Northwest guy and AAdvantage is giving double miles right now!" One guy is iDine Prime, so if he succeeds in sneaking a big chunk of the bill onto his card, we hold him up for beers at the next happy hour. (At an iDine bar, of course! )

It's kind of a humorous scene to outsiders...

You should see what goes on at FT get-togethers. There were 26 of us in London ten days ago - granted, fewer than that number of family groups, but not the largest of its kind - and, while Luigi's wasn't an iDine spot, we all wanted to use our affinity charge cards! Being able to deal with it was a credit to their management.

pinniped: You don't know how lucky you are to work with people who understand your condition ~ addiction. At my office they just think I am very quirky.



[This message has been edited by paradocs (edited Feb 25, 2004).]

Sounds like a good approach. I'll have to try it next time.

Hope you guys left a nice tip.

Assuming you can get a good exchange rate at the ATM, it is pretty pointless to use a credit card outside your home country given the lousy conversion and surcharges on most cards.

....unless you just don't like carrying around HUGE wads of cash when overseas!!!


Kathy

Jailer...such restraint! Most people would be proud of you, Pops.

A true gentleman and a scholar.

Well, mostly a gentleman. Cause if you were much of a scholar, you'd have demanded to use your credit card and that she then pay you in cold hard cash for the lunch!

When the going gets tough...the tough get their mileage, no matter what!



This advise of course coming from a guy that not only doesn't participate in Idine, but who proudly doesn't even own an affinity credit card of any type!

Surely you jest? Mr. Premex, our hero and a resident expert on the United Mileage Plus program, doesn't have an affinity credit card?

Shocking!




Kathy

This thread reminded me of my iDine addiction right from the time I could actually dine in such restaurants. Friend of mine from grad school decided to buy us dinner.

After a great meal, I threw in my credit card after discovering it as a iDine participant. To this date, my wife cites this example as one of the manifestations of my addiction.



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gt0138d - a certified George P Burdell clone...

and one-third of the elite "dine three times, get a 500 mile bonus," if applicable.