Where's my pudding!!!
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 208
Where's my pudding!!!
I have been a voracious reader of flyer talk and several well know travel/points blogs. I remember reading about a guy that bought a ton of pudding to reap millions of airlines points or another who spent the day driving rental cars down the street between rental agencies effectively hacking the system for a large number of points.
Does opportunity like this still exist? I just feel like I missed that boat.
Does opportunity like this still exist? I just feel like I missed that boat.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,009
Yes, most programs are much more sophisticated these days. I haven't heard of a big bonanza opportunity like that in quite awhile.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I have been a voracious reader of flyer talk and several well know travel/points blogs. I remember reading about a guy that bought a ton of pudding to reap millions of airlines points or another who spent the day driving rental cars down the street between rental agencies effectively hacking the system for a large number of points.
Now that Manufactured Spending exists, fewer people do things the above to earn miles. But MS (Manufactured Spending) itself is somewhat harder for many people than it was in its heyday a few years ago.
Nothing easy / simple lasts very long. If it's too easy, the airline or credit card company or whoever figures that out and stops it.
#7
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#8
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#10
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#11
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
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#14
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: AA Plat Pto, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,538
There was (briefly) the SAS Eurobonus rental deal this summer. That could have been a gold mine if the terms had not been revised to add limits to US rentals.
Keeping aware of smaller deals is the way to go. Delta offered a partner promotion earlier this year that netted me 14k for under $100 in additional spend. American countered with a streamlined version and Alaska currently has a bonus for surveys, dining, and shopping.
Keeping aware of smaller deals is the way to go. Delta offered a partner promotion earlier this year that netted me 14k for under $100 in additional spend. American countered with a streamlined version and Alaska currently has a bonus for surveys, dining, and shopping.
#15
Join Date: May 2003
Location: San Francisco, CA Frmr AA Plat AW Plat Frmr UA 1K Frmr HGP Plat now just UA 1MM/1P
Posts: 320
This summer (for another month and a half) United is giving members up to 5500 miles for a mid-size Hertz rental booked through the United website, 1 day or longer. Theoretically, if you had nothing else to do, you could do 1 day rentals over and over and over again, if you were living near an airport where rentals are very cheap, and run up a bunch of miles that way. But you'd still have to pay for all those rentals, and you'd still have to go to the airport Hertz location to pick and return each one. And it would only work at certain airports (some are way too expensive for that), and only if it was easy for you to keep getting to the rental facility every day or whenever.
Now that Manufactured Spending exists, fewer people do things the above to earn miles. But MS (Manufactured Spending) itself is somewhat harder for many people than it was in its heyday a few years ago.
Nothing easy / simple lasts very long. If it's too easy, the airline or credit card company or whoever figures that out and stops it.
Now that Manufactured Spending exists, fewer people do things the above to earn miles. But MS (Manufactured Spending) itself is somewhat harder for many people than it was in its heyday a few years ago.
Nothing easy / simple lasts very long. If it's too easy, the airline or credit card company or whoever figures that out and stops it.
To put the Hertz rental promo in perspective: 5500 miles is approximately what I earn with Mileage Plus on a round trip transcontinental flight these days as a Gold member. And while my home airport is a 1+ hour bus ride away and rentals are expensive to boot, the combination of lack of car and regular meetings 50+ miles away = a significant number of 1 day car rentals.
I've also only booked when I get $30ish rates = $50ish net cost - Hertz at this airport can be base $100/day or completely unavailable.