Preferred miles member card usage?
Jan 22, 2015, 10:36 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 2
Preferred miles member card usage?
This might be a stupid question....but I recently got my gold preferred member card in the mail. Can you do anything with the card? Or is the magnetic strip just for show?
Jan 22, 2015, 12:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PHX these days
Programs: US Chairman, M&M FTL
Posts: 222
- Enter a Lounge abroad (or US ones when traveling out of the country) - some swipe them, some do not.
- Use it during checkin for pulling your reservation on the kiosks
It is not just for show - it has your information on it.
What do you want to use it for?
- Use it during checkin for pulling your reservation on the kiosks
It is not just for show - it has your information on it.
What do you want to use it for?
Jan 22, 2015, 5:40 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
I have NOT been able to use it:
1. At US Airways kiosks
2. At ticket agent desks or lounges (as your boarding pass will show your status)
3. When trying to get help from US personnel, hoping that being Preferred would be worth something
Thus to me it's worthless, other than the Gold Preferred number on the back.
1. At US Airways kiosks
2. At ticket agent desks or lounges (as your boarding pass will show your status)
3. When trying to get help from US personnel, hoping that being Preferred would be worth something
Thus to me it's worthless, other than the Gold Preferred number on the back.
Jan 22, 2015, 5:52 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
My baggage tag has a mag strip on it, so I can use that for my reservation and stuff? If so, that sounds cool, either way it's gonna stay on my bag and I never carry my actual card around, don't know if that'll cause problems for me proving my status.
Jan 22, 2015, 7:22 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: COS
Programs: AA EXP, MR Silver
Posts: 148
The baggage tag strip has nothing on it - just a side effect of their being manufactured from the same piece of material as that used to make and encode the dividend miles elite card.
Yes, I have scanned my baggage tag strip with a magnetic card reader, and it shows no information, while the elite card has all my information (name, FF#, elite level, expiration date) encoded.
Jan 23, 2015, 4:06 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat, SPG Plat, AMEX Plat, Hertz PC, Travels too Much Platinum
Posts: 3,290
I have NOT been able to use it:
1. At US Airways kiosks
2. At ticket agent desks or lounges (as your boarding pass will show your status)
3. When trying to get help from US personnel, hoping that being Preferred would be worth something
Thus to me it's worthless, other than the Gold Preferred number on the back.
1. At US Airways kiosks
2. At ticket agent desks or lounges (as your boarding pass will show your status)
3. When trying to get help from US personnel, hoping that being Preferred would be worth something
Thus to me it's worthless, other than the Gold Preferred number on the back.
Jan 23, 2015, 12:52 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PHX these days
Programs: US Chairman, M&M FTL
Posts: 222
I have NOT been able to use it:
1. At US Airways kiosks
2. At ticket agent desks or lounges (as your boarding pass will show your status)
3. When trying to get help from US personnel, hoping that being Preferred would be worth something
Thus to me it's worthless, other than the Gold Preferred number on the back.
1. At US Airways kiosks
2. At ticket agent desks or lounges (as your boarding pass will show your status)
3. When trying to get help from US personnel, hoping that being Preferred would be worth something
Thus to me it's worthless, other than the Gold Preferred number on the back.
Jan 23, 2015, 12:53 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PHX these days
Programs: US Chairman, M&M FTL
Posts: 222
If you look at the letter that came with the card, they explicitly tell you that the strip on the luggage tag is disabled for your security
Plus the kiosk accepts the card; even if the tag had the strip, there is no way to allow the kiosk to read it (it is the wrong size)
Jan 23, 2015, 2:06 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
Your status should show on your boarding passes if you fly a oneworld airline, and have your US FF# in the reservation. Some partner lounges may still ask that you show your physical elite card for lounge access, so it's best to carry it when travelling.
The baggage tag strip has nothing on it - just a side effect of their being manufactured from the same piece of material as that used to make and encode the dividend miles elite card.
Yes, I have scanned my baggage tag strip with a magnetic card reader, and it shows no information, while the elite card has all my information (name, FF#, elite level, expiration date) encoded.
The baggage tag strip has nothing on it - just a side effect of their being manufactured from the same piece of material as that used to make and encode the dividend miles elite card.
Yes, I have scanned my baggage tag strip with a magnetic card reader, and it shows no information, while the elite card has all my information (name, FF#, elite level, expiration date) encoded.
Jan 24, 2015, 9:09 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AA PLT, AS 75K, DL DM, HY Globalist, HH Diamond, MC/RZ/SW Platinum, AB/UA Silver, WN CP
Posts: 1,122
Some kiosks do not know what to do with the info. In particular, ones at Express locations may behave as if nothing has been swiped at all. I've also been told by some mainline agents that the only thing they can do with the card is type in the DM number printed on the front. I have been able to get it swiped in a former US Club (but not AA one). Apparently there are a variety of systems and/or card readers.
If you look at the letter that came with the card, they explicitly tell you that the strip on the luggage tag is disabled for your security
Plus the kiosk accepts the card; even if the tag had the strip, there is no way to allow the kiosk to read it (it is the wrong size)
Plus the kiosk accepts the card; even if the tag had the strip, there is no way to allow the kiosk to read it (it is the wrong size)
Jan 24, 2015, 11:14 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EP, OZ Diamond, WS Plat, Avis CHM, Hertz PC, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 910
I've gotten it swiped at check in, at the US clubs, and also in the LHR Terminal 5 BA First lounge (as a Oneworld Emerald flying BA J, otherwise I would've had to use the Business Terraces lounge). Thus it does serve some purpose ...