Who has won anything from FT contests? A show of hands please.
Dec 12, 2015, 7:34 pm
#721
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Starwood Gold , HH Gold, Hyatt Gold, Aadvantage, Rapid Rewards CP
Posts: 1,586
Let's hope this breaks a dry spell for all of us! I won a trip!
Congratulations on winning Jimmy Buffett & Huey Lewis New Year's Eve SiriusXM Sweepstakes!
It comes with airfare to NYC, hotel for two nights, and tickets to the concert on New Year's Eve. Very excited!
Anyone know if I can change the date on the return ticket? Would be nice to extend the stay if I can. I could always ditch the return and book my own I guess. Thanks in advance for advice.
Congratulations on winning Jimmy Buffett & Huey Lewis New Year's Eve SiriusXM Sweepstakes!
It comes with airfare to NYC, hotel for two nights, and tickets to the concert on New Year's Eve. Very excited!
Anyone know if I can change the date on the return ticket? Would be nice to extend the stay if I can. I could always ditch the return and book my own I guess. Thanks in advance for advice.
Dec 12, 2015, 9:41 pm
#722
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA & IHG Plat, SWAlist, Frontier 100k, Marriott Titan, IHG-Hilton-Hyatt-Wynd Gold, Nat EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 445
Congratulations, that is awesome! It never hurts to ask them when they are booking your airfare, if going out early, or back late doesn't have a price difference I've never had anyone balk at changing it up for me. If they won't then sometimes, depending on how they booked the airfare, direct booking, travel agency, etc. then you can just change it and pay the change fee. Most promotional, or marketing firms that handle the contests are flexible.
-Patrick
-Patrick
Dec 13, 2015, 10:15 am
#723
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,114
Let's hope this breaks a dry spell for all of us! I won a trip!
Congratulations on winning Jimmy Buffett & Huey Lewis New Year's Eve SiriusXM Sweepstakes!
It comes with airfare to NYC, hotel for two nights, and tickets to the concert on New Year's Eve. Very excited!
Anyone know if I can change the date on the return ticket? Would be nice to extend the stay if I can. I could always ditch the return and book my own I guess. Thanks in advance for advice.
Congratulations on winning Jimmy Buffett & Huey Lewis New Year's Eve SiriusXM Sweepstakes!
It comes with airfare to NYC, hotel for two nights, and tickets to the concert on New Year's Eve. Very excited!
Anyone know if I can change the date on the return ticket? Would be nice to extend the stay if I can. I could always ditch the return and book my own I guess. Thanks in advance for advice.
Cheers.
Dec 13, 2015, 12:57 pm
#724
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Programs: AA, Delta, IcelandAir, Starbucks
Posts: 279
Frenchie Flyer,
Some years ago I won a trip for four to some Golf thing in California (I was supposed to meet Tiger Woods and give him some Gatorade, but that part fell through as his big scandal broke the week before!) Anyway, the contest people were super great about accommodating our flight requests. 2 of our group had to return early for some other event and they completely allowed it. Actually I did all the work for them flight-wise. I found the best fares, the best times, on the airline I preferred (you know for miles), and presented them to her. They were super nice and we ended up with the flights of our choice including my friends leaving early.
The moral of this story is that it doesn't hurt to ask. And also maybe have a plan to present for alternatives that would suit you.
Oh and also I should mention that claiming the prize was a two part process. First the claiming part was through a one of the major sweepstakes companies (Somewhere in MN I think) and they did the validation/approval/affidavit part. They were sort of a pain (not really keeping you in the loop with what was going on.) After that was sorted then I worked with a promotional team in Texas that did all the actual trip logistics. They were the ones that helped me arrange flights, the car rental (they also let me choose my preferred brand and then reimbursed me), hotel (their choice), event stuff, etc....
Some years ago I won a trip for four to some Golf thing in California (I was supposed to meet Tiger Woods and give him some Gatorade, but that part fell through as his big scandal broke the week before!) Anyway, the contest people were super great about accommodating our flight requests. 2 of our group had to return early for some other event and they completely allowed it. Actually I did all the work for them flight-wise. I found the best fares, the best times, on the airline I preferred (you know for miles), and presented them to her. They were super nice and we ended up with the flights of our choice including my friends leaving early.
The moral of this story is that it doesn't hurt to ask. And also maybe have a plan to present for alternatives that would suit you.
Oh and also I should mention that claiming the prize was a two part process. First the claiming part was through a one of the major sweepstakes companies (Somewhere in MN I think) and they did the validation/approval/affidavit part. They were sort of a pain (not really keeping you in the loop with what was going on.) After that was sorted then I worked with a promotional team in Texas that did all the actual trip logistics. They were the ones that helped me arrange flights, the car rental (they also let me choose my preferred brand and then reimbursed me), hotel (their choice), event stuff, etc....
Dec 13, 2015, 7:20 pm
#726
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Starwood Gold , HH Gold, Hyatt Gold, Aadvantage, Rapid Rewards CP
Posts: 1,586
Thanks everyone! With that encouragement, I am writing to them to ask for what I want. We'll see. If they use my preferred airline, it will save them money and my tax bill will be lower.
Dec 14, 2015, 8:54 pm
#727
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: CT
Programs: A3 Gold
Posts: 182
Let's hope this breaks a dry spell for all of us! I won a trip!
Congratulations on winning Jimmy Buffett & Huey Lewis New Year's Eve SiriusXM Sweepstakes!
It comes with airfare to NYC, hotel for two nights, and tickets to the concert on New Year's Eve. Very excited!
Anyone know if I can change the date on the return ticket? Would be nice to extend the stay if I can. I could always ditch the return and book my own I guess. Thanks in advance for advice.
Congratulations on winning Jimmy Buffett & Huey Lewis New Year's Eve SiriusXM Sweepstakes!
It comes with airfare to NYC, hotel for two nights, and tickets to the concert on New Year's Eve. Very excited!
Anyone know if I can change the date on the return ticket? Would be nice to extend the stay if I can. I could always ditch the return and book my own I guess. Thanks in advance for advice.
I can't believe the last win posted here was August!!!! That's a huge dry spell. My own spell goes back to November of 2014 and only was broken this week when I won a modest prize with a $30 value. It's not much, but I'm happy to have the losing streak broken.
Dec 26, 2015, 11:08 pm
#728
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA & IHG Plat, SWAlist, Frontier 100k, Marriott Titan, IHG-Hilton-Hyatt-Wynd Gold, Nat EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 445
You can always ask them to negotiate the final tax calculation too, i.e., their MSRP is often a good bit more than the real world equivalent. Or, you may have to estimate it, I have found that many companies don't do taxes, and you'll have to do it on your own with your own estimate, but ask a CPA so you are covered.
Dec 27, 2015, 9:05 am
#729
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
You can always ask them to negotiate the final tax calculation too, i.e., their MSRP is often a good bit more than the real world equivalent. Or, you may have to estimate it, I have found that many companies don't do taxes, and you'll have to do it on your own with your own estimate, but ask a CPA so you are covered.
Apr 1, 2016, 3:01 pm
#731
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Starwood Gold , HH Gold, Hyatt Gold, Aadvantage, Rapid Rewards CP
Posts: 1,586
Good for you Lucky Lou! Congrats!
Follow up on our trip won to NYC. They did book me on the flights I suggested and were gracious about it. Put us up in the big Marriott near the Brooklyn Bridge. The NY eve concert was a lot of fun. We spent some pts to 5 more nights in the Chelsea area. Weather was nice till the last couple days and we were ready for it clothing wise if not emotionally. Very nice!
Follow up on our trip won to NYC. They did book me on the flights I suggested and were gracious about it. Put us up in the big Marriott near the Brooklyn Bridge. The NY eve concert was a lot of fun. We spent some pts to 5 more nights in the Chelsea area. Weather was nice till the last couple days and we were ready for it clothing wise if not emotionally. Very nice!
Apr 3, 2016, 1:51 pm
#732
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,114
Good for you Lucky Lou! Congrats!
Follow up on our trip won to NYC. They did book me on the flights I suggested and were gracious about it. Put us up in the big Marriott near the Brooklyn Bridge. The NY eve concert was a lot of fun. We spent some pts to 5 more nights in the Chelsea area. Weather was nice till the last couple days and we were ready for it clothing wise if not emotionally. Very nice!
Follow up on our trip won to NYC. They did book me on the flights I suggested and were gracious about it. Put us up in the big Marriott near the Brooklyn Bridge. The NY eve concert was a lot of fun. We spent some pts to 5 more nights in the Chelsea area. Weather was nice till the last couple days and we were ready for it clothing wise if not emotionally. Very nice!
I've won a few things recently but not travel related. Won a $100 prepaid Visa card last month & a Canon Hero camera yesterday in instant wins, where the Grand Prize was a trip & they were secondary prizes. I think I've only won one travel sweeps & it was from the LA Clippers (trip to NYC to see Clippers play the Knicks).
Hope springs eternal though. And glad that FTers are winning travel sweeps.
Cheers.
Aug 17, 2016, 8:16 pm
#733
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 387
Just won this trip:
http://summerofstella.absweeps.com/s/summer-of-stella
2 round trip tickets to LA. 2 ticket to LA food and wine next week and hotel. Will keep you posted. It's 5 nights. Now how can I explain this to my boss for the days off. Ugh!
http://summerofstella.absweeps.com/s/summer-of-stella
2 round trip tickets to LA. 2 ticket to LA food and wine next week and hotel. Will keep you posted. It's 5 nights. Now how can I explain this to my boss for the days off. Ugh!
Aug 17, 2016, 10:39 pm
#734
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Just won this trip:
http://summerofstella.absweeps.com/s/summer-of-stella
2 round trip tickets to LA. 2 ticket to LA food and wine next week and hotel. Will keep you posted. It's 5 nights. Now how can I explain this to my boss for the days off. Ugh!
http://summerofstella.absweeps.com/s/summer-of-stella
2 round trip tickets to LA. 2 ticket to LA food and wine next week and hotel. Will keep you posted. It's 5 nights. Now how can I explain this to my boss for the days off. Ugh!
Aug 17, 2016, 11:58 pm
#735
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,753
Just won this trip:
http://summerofstella.absweeps.com/s/summer-of-stella
2 round trip tickets to LA. 2 ticket to LA food and wine next week and hotel. Will keep you posted. It's 5 nights. Now how can I explain this to my boss for the days off. Ugh!
http://summerofstella.absweeps.com/s/summer-of-stella
2 round trip tickets to LA. 2 ticket to LA food and wine next week and hotel. Will keep you posted. It's 5 nights. Now how can I explain this to my boss for the days off. Ugh!