This isn't exactly manufactured spend, but more manufactured timing, I guess. And I couldn't find anything in a search or think of a better forum to pose the question. Here's the deal:

Anyway, I'm nearing the required spend for this offer (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...000-miles.html), and if met the bonus miles will bump me up to GM on DL.

I have a 2.5 week trip coming up, and the hotel spend, even without incidentals, will meet the threshold. I would love to do this, get the bonus miles, and enjoy GM on my way home.

2.5 weeks seems to be just a long enough window to have the transaction post (2-3 days), bonus miles post (~5 days as reported in the DL thread), and DL status to update (2-3 days or over a weekend IME). Of course, this means that the hotel would need to process the charge at the beginning of the trip, rather than just place the hold and charge at checkout as usual.

So here's the question - has anyone had experience getting a hotel to charge your full room+tax up front, even on a flexible/postpay rate (which my employer requires)? And then just run a second transaction at checkout for the incidentals?

If it matters, I'm staying at a Sheraton. Something tells me that the rate may not allow them to bill everything out until the entire stay is over, but if this is possible I figured it's worth a shot.

I suppose my other option is just to buy $2k worth of something refundable to make the spend, and then cancel/return it after the postpaid hotel charge posts. But that seems like a hassle...