It was early 1980s , and I was a sales rep with a territory I covered by car. Sometimes I would spend a night on the road, but mostly made it home in the evening. So I checked into a Holiday Inn in Charleston West Virginia, and there was a Promotion Advertised on the front desk. " Stay so many nights , and travel any where in the world". The Holiday Inn was about $25 or less back then. I don't remember how many nights were required, but I did the math and how ever many nights were very doable. ( number of nights X $25 = way less than the cost of a trip). And my company would pay for the nights. I hit that Holiday Inn every monday night for as long as it took to earn Two Tickets on TWA to Hong Kong, and 5 nights at the Holiday Inn Harbor View.
I think that predates "FlyerTalk" , and the internet.
We had a great time. Nice room on an upper floor with harbor view.
I was a pioneer and didn't know it.