bangkokiscool

That is quite the trip down memory lane. I remember the different phases of the promo: the pre 9/9 phase when I was incredulous UA would release the promo, the gradual realization over a couple of days that this was another pudding guy situation where literally millions of miles would be up for grabs, again the disbelief that UA would do this, the numerous phone calls to MP and web support in Manila and India, the screen shots, the intervention from UA Insider, the bombshell that the promo was revised, then the other bombshell that 9/9 through midnight was the deadline, and the frantic ordering that night dealing with fraud alerts and CC holds from the banks, then the post 9/9 prognostication and WAITING. I feel like I've been thinking about MOM for the better part of a year now, always in the back of my mind.

And I shamelessly take credit for instigating the whole 9/9 deadline with this post and this reply from UA Insider.

Most of my purchases were Sams and Meijer GC's. The Sams GC were consolidated into larger denomination GC, and used at Sams gas stations to fuel up the SUV throughout the fall and winter. The Meijer GCs couldn't be consolidated, so every trip to the grocery store ended with the swiping of multiple $10 gift cards, my wife asking "so did we get the miles from this yet?", and raised eyebrows from cashiers. The last of these trips was just last week! The personalized Christmas letter from the Meijer gift card department thanking me for my gift card business in 2011 was a nice touch too.

So all in all an extremely intense and rewarding experience. I realize it wasn't UA's intention to 1) allow unlimited earning and 2) allow earning through GC. However, if the intent was to promote the shopping mall and encourage purchases through the mall, then those were accomplished as I spent (i.e. did not resell or liquidate) all the GCs I purchased myself.