Originally Posted by icedancer
With respect to the dining, I believe that in principle it's a great program, but in 2 years of being members of both UA and AAs program, we've never eaten at a participating restaurant where we paid the bill, not even by accident. There aren't any close to where we live, and the "nicer" restaurants that we'll get in the car and drive to never participate.
Not that this would help you now, but aren't there ever any close to whether you travel (or do you not check)?
Where in the Los Angeles area are you?
I'm in West L A and there are tons of iDine restaurants WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. I work in Tustin and while there I can't walk there are still tons within just a few miles radius. Tons of them by the 3rd Street Promenade in SM. Tons of them in Hollywood. But I understand that in some other parts of town it may be further...
You're not using them the way the program is intended if you say the "nicer" ones you drive to don't participate.
The whole point is that you're "supposed" to use the program to PICK which restaurants ("nicer" or otherwise) you'll go to (at least on occasion)! (The whole point of the program is to get you to eat at participating restaurants. It's a PROMOTIONAL program, after all!)
There are "nicer" (if less famous) restaurants in L A in iDine, but you won't "stumble" on them by accident unless they're down the street from you. There are just TOO MANY restaurants in L A, and only a tiny tiny fraction of them participate.