dgordon

Although officially IDine says you can sign up 3 credit cards, you can actually sign up 6. Now that additional visits are allowed per month, and given that AMEX secodnary cards have different numbers, this might matter if you are focusing on getting miles into a certain account. The credit card name does NOT have to match the name on the IDine account. For example, I can have a credit card in my father's name be listed under MY AA number - and visa versa.

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Ms.DtG

dingo

I've actually got two different accounts with IDINE as well with miles going into two different mileage accounts. Perhaps the result of both of these is up to 12 cards?

cordelli

Well then, I think it's time for the company credit card to go onto an Idine account

dingo

How do you add the additional three cards? I can see how to go up to three on the website, but not more than that.

knowitall

Just call IDine & add the cards over the phone.

dgordon

This is good if you have some relatives who aren't interested in miles but want to help you out and like some of the restaurants that allow unlimited visits. A phone call takes care of it.

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Ms.DtG

[This message has been edited by dgordon (edited 07-05-2003).]

connex2me

Can I change the FF-programs that idine posts to easily? You know like earning CO miles one week and AA miles the next? Can it be done online and will it be effective immidiately?

KathyWdrf

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I've done it with one of my credit cards. Flip-flopped it between FF programs.

Or you can also just have each of several credit cards connected with a different FF program, without doing the flip-flopping.

You'll need to set up separate idine accounts (different usernames, like connex2me_AA and connex2me_UA) for each FF program.

The only "gotcha" is that the website won't let you delete the "primary card" (i.e., if you have only one cc, you can't delete it). So to work around this, you have to add some OTHER credit card to the account, then delete the one you want to flip-flop to the other FF program.

I realize this is probably clear as mud, so if you need further details, let me know!


Kathy

Roger

Kathy, I needed to read your post a couple of times as it appeared to contradict I-Dine's response to my similar question - they said no, I couldn't change from AA to BA, I would need to cancel my existing account and start over.

BUT you show an alternative: have two or more separate accounts, for example for AA and BA miles, and amend the credit card info when you need to make change from one to the other.

I hadn't thought of this, so thanks .

dgordon

For example, I put my Dad's account on my daughter's new starwood card (secondary to my husband's card - she already has with mine)so that during the double bonus promo with starwoods charges will go to that account, and my father's AA FF account will be rounded to 10K. He had about 8K and won't be flying much at 92. IDine has been ideal in rounding it off. So the last IDine restaurant gave 40 points per $,and as soon as it credited to his IDine account, I cancelled that card and entered the card to my daughter's iDine account. As soon as AA gets the miles, I will transfer the 10K to a DC award and put it in my DC account to transfer to BA. This is how I found out that they allow six cards - in the past they have allowed 4, but I thought that was an exception. The only problem with flip-flopping so often is keeping track of where the miles are suppose to go. What is the reason that you want to flip flop so frequently? Maybe there is another solution to the problem. If it is because you don't have enough credit cards - if one of them is AMEX, you could get a secondary card in your own name (claiming one is for business expenses and one is for personal use), then each could be with a different airline program. You could have one card with your middle initial and one without.

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Ms.DtG

[This message has been edited by dgordon (edited 07-06-2003).]

Family flyer

This may help clarify the confusion ... You can cancel accounts any time you want over the phone. You can't close an account online.

But if you have six credit cards you may not have to close accounts. Simply open another FF program online with another credit card and use that credit card when you dine.

KathyWdrf

But there is ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to close idine accounts at all!!! You can easily switch credit cards between accounts online, if you want to. Sometimes there is a particular credit card (with a particular miles/points partner, double or triple earning promotion, etc.) that you may want to use in more than one idine FF program. That is why you might occasionally want to switch a particular card between idine accounts.


Kathy

dgordon

Put another way, you only need one credit card attached to an airline FF# to keep your iDine account open. You can add a second card and delete the first. You can now take that card and add it to another airline FF#. Perhaps you have a credit card you don't really use at all - maybe you have a balance on it..it can be used to keep a card on an account. When you want miles on that account, just transfer the card you will actually use. You can even use a debit card # that has a MC logo.

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Ms.DtG

pitsheel

now get them to take diners club and ill be happy...

dgordon

For a short time they did, and there were restaurants in both programs and I would get miles and discount. Now Diner's club has launched their new program and it is IDine and you get 20% off instead of 10 miles, 40% off instead of 20 miles per $. So it the iDine cash program but without paying the extra fee. So it's a pretty good deal. Tried it for the first time today. Of course it is only iDine restaurants that accept DC.

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Ms.DtG