New Years Resolutions: For Your Miles and Points
Dec 8, 2003, 10:31 am
#1
Founder of FlyerTalk
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,540
New Years Resolutions: For Your Miles and Points
It's near that annual time of the year when I make a list and don't check it twice. The list of things I promise to myself that I'll do better with my miles and points.
Here's:
- I've got to get a MasterCard in my wallet for all the promotions that require such. I've been meaning to do it from some time now since I write about the promos (like Hyatt) all the time. Almost embarassed to say that I had to borrow an employees MasterCard to qualify for a 5,000-mile AAdvantage bonus for staying at Sheraton in the next month.
- Change a very old habit. I've really screwed up. I miss the days of carrying around certificates for my upgrades and can't seem to get in the habit of reading and knowing what my electronic upgrade wallet contains. I let 8 upgrades expire this last year because I didn't know they were there and I could have used them.
- Get a better Spam control. For some reason most of my e-newsletters from my frequent flyer programs end up in the Spam in-box and I miss many of them before they are deleted. Not sure if it is just me, but this could be a problem and needs to a resolved in 2004.
I'm thinking there are more. How about you?
Here's:
- I've got to get a MasterCard in my wallet for all the promotions that require such. I've been meaning to do it from some time now since I write about the promos (like Hyatt) all the time. Almost embarassed to say that I had to borrow an employees MasterCard to qualify for a 5,000-mile AAdvantage bonus for staying at Sheraton in the next month.
- Change a very old habit. I've really screwed up. I miss the days of carrying around certificates for my upgrades and can't seem to get in the habit of reading and knowing what my electronic upgrade wallet contains. I let 8 upgrades expire this last year because I didn't know they were there and I could have used them.
- Get a better Spam control. For some reason most of my e-newsletters from my frequent flyer programs end up in the Spam in-box and I miss many of them before they are deleted. Not sure if it is just me, but this could be a problem and needs to a resolved in 2004.
I'm thinking there are more. How about you?
Dec 8, 2003, 1:26 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: HHonors Silver
Posts: 4,030
I should get serious about exploiting opportunities for mileage earning, such as paying every bill that can be paid by credit card, with a mileage earning card. I wrote a check to the dentist today realizing that I was costing myself XX miles by doing so.
Dec 8, 2003, 1:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Qatar Platinum, Etihad Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 415
- MasterCard is a should have. I'm planning to apply for one too as I've been missing many offers (not as many offered as in the US but still)
- Go all the way for redumption. I will attempt to max my redumption and avoid paying cash. The Euro is hitting a record high and I think the point/miles value has appreciated.
- Aim to maintain my BA Silver status. Won't bother myself for Gold.
- Avoid using my American Express cards for forign currency purchases. The mark up of 2.7% or more is really killing me.
- Keep better track of partner (hotel/car rental) activities as I usually many don't post and I lost hundreds of miles due to that.
- Keep bugging customer service of various programs and complain that promotions most of the time tend to target US-based customers only and forget about the rest of the wolrd!
- Make a habit of logging on FlyerTalk at least once every two days. I tend to miss many topics if I don't do so!
[This message has been edited by dabbagmm (edited Dec 08, 2003).]
- Go all the way for redumption. I will attempt to max my redumption and avoid paying cash. The Euro is hitting a record high and I think the point/miles value has appreciated.
- Aim to maintain my BA Silver status. Won't bother myself for Gold.
- Avoid using my American Express cards for forign currency purchases. The mark up of 2.7% or more is really killing me.
- Keep better track of partner (hotel/car rental) activities as I usually many don't post and I lost hundreds of miles due to that.
- Keep bugging customer service of various programs and complain that promotions most of the time tend to target US-based customers only and forget about the rest of the wolrd!
- Make a habit of logging on FlyerTalk at least once every two days. I tend to miss many topics if I don't do so!
[This message has been edited by dabbagmm (edited Dec 08, 2003).]
Dec 8, 2003, 1:37 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Greener Pastures
Posts: 10,515
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dabbagmm:
- Make a habit of logging on FlyerTalk at least once every two days. I tend to miss many topics if I don't do so!</font>
- Make a habit of logging on FlyerTalk at least once every two days. I tend to miss many topics if I don't do so!</font>
-Keeping my status with Northwest and continue to give them and UA the majority of my hard-earned money.
-Actually use my miles instead of hoarding them for that "possible last minute emergency fare to Europe or the west coast" even though I know that I'll pretty much never have that last minute emergency. It's just so **** hard rationalizing using my miles sometimes because I'd almost always rather pay and get the EQMs and the NW Domestic Upgrades (can you say addiction problem?)
and lastly,
-as a 100% leisure traveler, continue my last years resolution of taking at least 1 trip per month be it by air/rail/car (not a cruise fan) to see the world and sightsee, backpack, camp, budget travel and encourage others to do so as well - a well traveled person is a well rounded, cultured, understanding person in my books.
Dec 8, 2003, 11:39 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: HI, USA
Posts: 288
My motto for 2004 is to burn my miles and points... enjoy them (I do have a stash for emergencies)No one is increasing the value of them it seems like the opposite
My husband has even begun to appreciate my freebies or near freebies.
My husband has even begun to appreciate my freebies or near freebies.
Dec 9, 2003, 2:34 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: MUC
Programs: LH Sen // HH Dia; Bonvoy LTTE
Posts: 3,205
I'll have to keep better track of miles/points/promos and claim missing miles/points earlier. I've lost quite a number of miles/points because I requested these too late (e.g. "Sorry, it's already more than six months after your hotel stay. You can't claim the missing points for the amenity welcome gift anymore.").
------------------
Pictures from hotel stays
Basic Hotel stays/nights/points calculator
Short overview: KLM FD, LH M&M
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Pictures from hotel stays
Basic Hotel stays/nights/points calculator
Short overview: KLM FD, LH M&M
Dec 9, 2003, 1:36 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,570
- Make AA 1MM Lifetime and then dump the AA Mastercard in favor of either a pure-rebate or home-grown points card.
- Dump all of the other mileage credit cards in my wallet unless they will continue to waive the annual fee.
- Keep hotel credit cards if they provide some real value, such as continued low-elite status in the hotel programs that I actually use once in a while. Otherwsie...dump 'em.
- Continue to milk 0% teaser offers to the max, paying close attention to my FICO score to make sure this action doesn't cause it to go haywire. (So far, it hasn't.) Keep this 0% teaser money in liquid low/medium risk investments so I can get debt-free quickly if needed.
- Continue to hit short-term hotel bonus promos where applicable, but don't overpay for a bad property just to earn hotel points. Consider Priceline for hotel stays, but also consider how hard hotels are now working to get their own promotional rates reasonably close to Priceline levels. (I've noticed this a lot in the past 4-5 months, and have been booking a lot at Marriott.com for only 25-30% over Priceline levels.
- Dump all of the other mileage credit cards in my wallet unless they will continue to waive the annual fee.
- Keep hotel credit cards if they provide some real value, such as continued low-elite status in the hotel programs that I actually use once in a while. Otherwsie...dump 'em.
- Continue to milk 0% teaser offers to the max, paying close attention to my FICO score to make sure this action doesn't cause it to go haywire. (So far, it hasn't.) Keep this 0% teaser money in liquid low/medium risk investments so I can get debt-free quickly if needed.
- Continue to hit short-term hotel bonus promos where applicable, but don't overpay for a bad property just to earn hotel points. Consider Priceline for hotel stays, but also consider how hard hotels are now working to get their own promotional rates reasonably close to Priceline levels. (I've noticed this a lot in the past 4-5 months, and have been booking a lot at Marriott.com for only 25-30% over Priceline levels.
Dec 9, 2003, 1:47 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: PDX
Programs: UA Nobody, HH Silver, PC Platinum
Posts: 996
Fly somewhere every month, and see if we can both make UA Premier Exec. (Should make Premier this year, for the first time).
Randy, thanks for the reminder about getting a Master Card - I was almost stuck in Moldova because the only cash advance card they would accept was MC, and we only had our Visas.
Become a more active member of Flyer Talk - maybe even make a "Do"!
Kate
Randy, thanks for the reminder about getting a Master Card - I was almost stuck in Moldova because the only cash advance card they would accept was MC, and we only had our Visas.
Become a more active member of Flyer Talk - maybe even make a "Do"!
Kate
Dec 9, 2003, 2:59 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: BKK, formerly Irvine, CA, UA 1-k-MM, Hilton-gold, Gold Starwood
Posts: 3,004
Fly when the prices are really down and the bonus points are highest, Jan through March.
Get my 100K qualification in by March, only need 75,000 this year 2004.
Take it easy for the summer and pick up another 25,000 in the fall.
Get my 100K qualification in by March, only need 75,000 this year 2004.
Take it easy for the summer and pick up another 25,000 in the fall.
Dec 9, 2003, 4:04 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: El Paso, TX, USA
Programs: Kicked out of all of them
Posts: 32,554
-Collect and spend wisely
-Try to get status on an airline for the first time ever, although I doubt it will happen
-Collect enough points/miles for a trip to Australia
-Try to get status on an airline for the first time ever, although I doubt it will happen
-Collect enough points/miles for a trip to Australia
Dec 9, 2003, 4:54 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi [+MKK4 EBBER R577 EDSEL R577 ELKEY EXERT]
Posts: 15,826
- Concentrate less on Continental (given their new EQM scheme)... actually I mean quit CO cold-turkey
- Work towards Gold on NW (was only a few thousand off the past two years)
- Concentrate my hotel stays on one chain by using Priceline less
- Work on my tan
- And... somehow be less concerned about how to earn miles (like that's going to happen).
Aloha
- Work towards Gold on NW (was only a few thousand off the past two years)
- Concentrate my hotel stays on one chain by using Priceline less
- Work on my tan
- And... somehow be less concerned about how to earn miles (like that's going to happen).
Aloha
Dec 9, 2003, 5:11 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA LT Gold; BA Silver; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,081
Visit here more often (have gotten instand HHonors Gold and gotten a lead on the AA Platinum challenge in just the last week)
Cut loose from CO and get Elite on another airline.
Cut loose from CO and get Elite on another airline.
Dec 9, 2003, 6:00 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
#1 Stay home more;
#2 8,325 miles per month on AA, I promise, no more of these 12000 miles in one day;
#3 Get SEN on LH; and
#4 Make 300000 miles on AA in 2004 and again in 2005 so I will complete 2MM by the end on 2005.
[This message has been edited by rbAA (edited Dec 09, 2003).]
#2 8,325 miles per month on AA, I promise, no more of these 12000 miles in one day;
#3 Get SEN on LH; and
#4 Make 300000 miles on AA in 2004 and again in 2005 so I will complete 2MM by the end on 2005.
[This message has been edited by rbAA (edited Dec 09, 2003).]
Dec 9, 2003, 8:20 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 26
In 2004 I will vote with my wallet more often rather than be blindly loyal to programs where I've earned status. If service isn't up to par time and again, then I will spend my money elsewhere. We let the airlines and others get away with service atrocities and then don't hold them accountable for it the way that would get their attention.