OK, a newby here but I find this thread hiarious! Mostly because I'm guilty of almost everything I've seen here!

Cornroaster, I have to admit I've never even thought of the waitress gambit. Very creative! I don't know how the owners of those restaurants would feel about it but...: I'll give that one some thought.

Here's one that I didn't see in this thread although I'm sure it's pretty prevelent: I'm currently single. It's odd how, when I meet a potential date, the conversation always gets around to, "do you like to travel?" "Are you in any rewards programs?" "How many points/miles do you have?" All the while thinking, how do those programs match up with mine and are they 'blendable'.

And, just to let you know, I spend about 40 weeks a year on the road for a major hotel company---one that has a sizeable rewards program. Unfortunately, as such, I don't qualify for their program. The result is that I usually stay at competeing hotels so that I get the perks that come with being in those programs' higher echelons. Try getting that past T & E approvers! I have to admit though, so far they've been great and understand that life on the road is a grind and all they say is that their OK with it as long as I'm comfortable and it allows me to do my job to the maximum of my ability. Pretty cool, IMO.