iDine/Rewards Network - M-T-W: Combine RN + OpenTable $$ promos

[Hoping that this is enough of a deal to let it stand by itself as a thread...]

You've got to try this. I'm racking up the bonus $$, together with the double miles. OpenTable, the reservation site, is running a simultaneous promotion in which, if you eat at a restaurant booked online through them during a participating restaurant's dead period, you earn 1,000 OpenTable points. 2,000 points earn a $20 certificate good at one of their member restaurants (they don't own any). Of course, the dead periods coincide with the RN double miles promo: M-T-W, usually by 6:00pm and from 9:30pm.

The work: You need to register at OpenTable. You need to check the list of OpenTable restaurants offering the bonus against RewardsNetwork's listings. You need to book through them. (Which shows up on the maitre 'd's computer screen.) You need to mangia during the dead period. I don't know what happens if you're bad at honoring reservations, but I don't see any threats -- you're not out anything for a no-show.

There's no fee. You don't have to register a credit card. You don't get advertising emails, but you get follow-ups asking you to rate your dine in both programs. (When I complained that several restaurants didn't honor the Restaurant Week program commitment of "$15.09 2-course prix fixe lunch", one saw it, and called me to apologize and invite me to return outside of Restaurant Week for a $15.00 prix fixe lunch and a free adult beverage... They were really hurting when I was there. I digress.)

Thus, last night: I finished up ~3,000 AAdvantage miles and $20 for one pair of dines. At the weekend, I earned ~500 miles and $20 for another pair. Those were at a sushi restaurant in which the deal made one of my ~$25 lunches almost free. Well, it's not $20 cash, but still...

The Open Table 1000-pt bonus requires a reservation for at least two people. I've never tried booking one for two people and showing up alone. Did you do this? (Just curious if one could get away with this. I would think normally one couldn't, as the restaurant would usually make less money on one person than on two or more and would balk.)

Oh, and I don't know what makes you assume that there's no penalty for no-shows with OpenTable. I believe that if you're a chronic no-show, they WILL take action against you, though I don't remember the specifics. Maybe they cancel your points, ban you from the site, and tell on you to your mother? ;) But there apparently can be undesirable consequences.

Did you do this?

Oh, and I don't know what makes you assume that there's no penalty for no-shows with OpenTable. I believe that if you're a chronic no-show, they WILL take action against you...

1) Sometimes.

2) I said I haven't seen anything about it. And there's no ante. (I think I was called once - ahead of time - to confirm that I meant it. "I think" because I saw the restaurant's name show on my caller ID, but didn't catch it.) I wouldn't push it, though. I think they'd probably cancel one's membership.

To me the only pain is checking each time to see which restaurants are in both programs. But that's not a big deal when the payoff is $20 every two dines, plus the miles.

I probably should have said I'm not a shill, but that's obvious elsewhere on these boards.

So you've still gotten the full 1,000 OpenTable points even when dining alone?

Hmm, maybe I'll try it sometime. (I've only ever used the 1,000-pt reservations for two or more.)

Yes I have. I just didn't want to trumpet it in my post because I didn't want to invite trouble (e.g., the old thing of too many FTers pushing the line and the whole thing going to hell).

On the other issue, I was just thinking that OpenTable could take the position that it's between you and the restaurant, and leave it to them to take any action that's their policy for no-shows. But I still wouldn't want to push it, actually for higher reasons than just keeping my membership in OpenTable. (Sorry, this devolved into a conversation with myself, and isn't a shot...)

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OK, just as I was writing this I got my first advert from one of the restaurants we (three) ate at. "Bottomless spaghetti and meatballs Monday nights for $16" (at a high-end restaurant). Damn those ads!!! (...meaning, in this case, satan get thee behind.)

I don't know what happens if you're bad at honoring reservations, but I don't see any threats -- you're not out anything for a no-show.

From the OpenTable FAQ (http://support.opentable.com/cgi-bin/opentable.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=gru2g8wj):

Question: What is your no-show policy?

Answer: If you do not arrive for a reservation, you will not receive any applicable OpenTable Dining Points for that reservation. When a restaurant assigns no-show status to your Web reservation, OpenTable will automatically send an email to inform you of this. Your OpenTable account will be deactivated automatically if you accumulate four no-show reservations within the same twelve-month period.

There is no penalty that I'm aware of for making reservations and then canceling them, though, as long as you do so at least 30 minutes in advance.

According to Opentable's terms, you have to have 2 people ordering 1 entree each. If this works with 1 person showing up for a table for 2, does that mean that it will work for 1 person ordering just appetizer and dessert or 2 people sharing a meal? Most of the Opentable restaurants near me are too overpriced even with the double-dip possibility, but if it would work for non-entree items it would definitely get me eating out more!

Can't answer that one specifically, but it works for me at a sushi rstaurant, ordering a la carte, and at a restaurant where I use a 15% off coupon from a neighborhood newspaper. The sushi restaurant is all a la carte (though they have specials on a board), and neither RN nor OpenTable see that I've used the coupon in the other one. And I have to say, the RN/OpenTable restaurants (being ethnic) I go to in different cities aren't particularly expensive. Sorry to hear that you encounter that.

i have never tried a 1000 pt reservation on opentable for one person, but i suspect the restaurant has a way of confirming. i know from experience that if you're late, you will be downgraded to 100 pts if your arrival falls outside of the bonus window (this happens whether you call ahead to change the time, call to let them know you're "almost there," or even if you intentionally book a table for a time slot you know you won't show up for).