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-   -   Best Method to Accumulate AA & Delta Points (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1012542-best-method-accumulate-aa-delta-points.html)

bob12403 Nov 9, 2009 5:20 am

Look into e-miles.com, too. You won't rack up tens of thousands of miles, but a couple of thousand easy Delta miles per year is possible, if you aggressively participate.

And I second the recommendation of Rewards Network for dining miles. Sure, it's not as lucrative as in years past, and very much dependent on having access to decent RN-affiliated restaurants. But if you do a bunch of cheap dines early in the year to get yourself up to VIP level (highest earning level=5 miles/$ spent), then take advantage of the various promotions, there's potentially thousands of extra miles that can be earned from that program. You can open an AA dining account as well as a Delta dining account, then focus on earning the bonuses in one or both of the accounts as they are offered.

AA_CPA Nov 9, 2009 9:28 pm


Originally Posted by rrgg (Post 12790267)
Check again Nov 15th.

Thanks!

Evan! Nov 10, 2009 5:41 am


Originally Posted by sdsearch (Post 12779105)
If you rent cars, then that's a good way to add to Delta. Delta routinely has richer car rental bonuses than AA, so even though I'm primarily with AA, I more often steer car rentals to Delta (and mostly increase my Delta miles only with car rentals lately!).

But you have to know where to look. Avis has a bonus which gives 5000 bonus miles for 4+ day rentals and 2500 bonus miles for 3 day rentals (US+ airport locations, any car class) through the end of 1999, but they've removed the promo page from the Delta website, so you have to go to the Avis forum here on FlyerTalk and find the recent thread about the Delta 5000 mile bonus and on the first page of the thread someone has a saved picture of the original web page showing the coupon codes and the terms. And everyone eho's been using it lately (including me), even after Delta rmoved the page from the web, has still been getting the bonus per the original (through Dec 31 2009, no GPS add-on required) terms using the original coupon codes.

Here's a link to that thread in the Avis forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/...ill-alive.html

(Depending on how your browser feels at the moment, post #4 in that thread may show the picture inside the thread, or you may have to click on the link to see the picture. One way, or another, though, post #4 gives you the picture of the original promo page.)

Also, Budget currently has a 3,000 SkyMiles bonus for a 1-day rental.

Here: Budget/Delta 3K for 1-day rental until Dec 31, 2009 - MUAZ002

museumlover Nov 10, 2009 12:46 pm

Wow! What great info! I may be a "newbie" but I'm learning because of FlyerTalk. Thanks again!:cool:

moondog Nov 11, 2009 3:02 pm


Originally Posted by sbagdon (Post 12752785)
For DL... just breath. You'll get some RDMs. :)

...which, are rapidly approaching zero value.

JudyJFLA Nov 11, 2009 3:35 pm

Don't forget Bankdirect.com as well for AA miles, 100 miles for each $1000 in checking each month. No fees and pretty brainless. It is figured on the average daily balance and is based in Dallas, TX in the heart of AA land. You also get an extra 1000 if you are referred and after open get 1000 for each referral you make up to 10. They are also transferable for 2x Hilton points. I still have referrals left available as well as other FT members.

I second on the dining. Check all bonuses on the FT board, there are always ones to sign up for, even just doing a survey for some dines gets you 500 miles. I eat at the same deli 3x a week and get miles on a different program every visit. Also great for those airline promos that need a hit or activity. If a chain restaurant near you is not on the program, but one in your travels is, buy gift cards there and use them at home. I have alot of Perkins GC's all bought in 1 day all over Naples $25 at a time in multiple transactions with 3 different credit cards. That was a great day, and now holiday pies for all!!
JudyJFLA

Evan! Nov 11, 2009 4:13 pm


Originally Posted by JudyJFLA (Post 12808517)
I second on the dining. Check all bonuses on the FT board, there are always ones to sign up for, even just doing a survey for some dines gets you 500 miles. I eat at the same deli 3x a week and get miles on a different program every visit. Also great for those airline promos that need a hit or activity. If a chain restaurant near you is not on the program, but one in your travels is, buy gift cards there and use them at home. I have alot of Perkins GC's all bought in 1 day all over Naples $25 at a time in multiple transactions with 3 different credit cards. That was a great day, and now holiday pies for all!!
JudyJFLA

+1 +1 +1 ^

When I'm on the road and eating alone I might as well eat at a Rewards Network restaurant. I too buy gift certs at chain restaurants for use at home. Great value! I never worry about program miles expiring because a cheap dine on the registered card restarts the clock. Judy is correct that there are many dining bonuses through RN. I earn at least 1000 miles a month just from dining on biz trips and at home.

sheriff7863 Nov 12, 2009 12:25 am


Originally Posted by TheDrIsAirborne (Post 12752374)
Also regular AMEX Membership Rewards points -- these also frequently have 20-30% transfer bonuses. I find its the best way to top off my DL account because SPG are so much more versatile than that.

I have Amex membership rewards - but dont see bonuses anywhere - how often do they come and where should I look for them?

sheriff7863 Nov 12, 2009 12:35 am


Originally Posted by SJS58 (Post 12748568)
I'll start off with a few quick things I've done to help accumulate points with both programs.

American Airlines

opinionplace.com - has given me 75-250 miles for doing surveys
erewards.com - collect points and turn them into 2000 AA miles
citi credit cards - 25K miles(give or take) and they seem to allow churning of cards if you want to try it.
SPG points transfer - Transfer 20K starwood points for 25K miles...or after our Capetown stay, we turned in 60K starwood points for free nights plus 50K AA miles.

Delta
Erewards.com - same as above
SPG - same as above
Delta AMEX - Various miles, 25K(give or take) special bonuses
Bonuses..bonuses... Watch Delta for partner bonuses, transfer bonuses, etc. Last December turned in 20K Starwood points and my wife ended up with 62,500 delta miles. Car rental bonuses and promotions. Watch flyertalk for various options.

Hopefully a good start to more ideas...

erewards says inivite needed - how do I get an invite from Delta, etc?

lin821 Nov 12, 2009 2:03 am


Originally Posted by sheriff7863 (Post 12811089)
I have Amex membership rewards - but dont see bonuses anywhere - how often do they come and where should I look for them?

Amex MR is being discussed in our American Express Membership Rewards Forum. FT has different individual forum for specific programs (miles/points/travel-related). Find time to get familiar with different forums on FT so you won't miss the action. :)


Originally Posted by sheriff7863 (Post 12811108)
erewards says inivite needed - how do I get an invite from Delta, etc?

e-Rewards hasn't been giving out open invites for quite a while. They send out target invites from partners/sponsors once in a while for the last 18 months or so. You just have to keep an eye in the correspondences Delta sends you and hope you'll be "selected" one day.

Not sure where you are based but e-Rewards program in the U.S. has more sponsors/partners. Since your sponsor will have an effect on your (future) redemption choices, choose your sponsor wisely when you do get an invite.

Visit our S.P.A.M. Forum, where is the home forum for e-Rewards inquiries on FT, and join the discussion. Two threads for your special attention though:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/s-p-m...ough-them.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/s-p-m...er-thread.html

BTW, welcome to FT!

JudyJFLA Nov 12, 2009 3:55 am


Originally Posted by sheriff7863 (Post 12811089)
I have Amex membership rewards - but dont see bonuses anywhere - how often do they come and where should I look for them?

I find the best use of MR points is to wait for a big airline promo like US and PC just had (and Delta/NW last season) and then transfer for a hit, that way you usually get 2000 miles for the 1000 points, or more if it was the last hit in the Priority Club promo, as it was 1000 points = 4000 PC Points.

JudyJFLA

thepla Nov 12, 2009 6:19 am

Since you are looking at getting miles, it can be assumed you would like to use them.

From all the threads, and my experience with 3 Million miles in both DL and AA you are way better to accumulate AA miles. With DL, especially overseas, you will need to accumulate twice as many miles for awards. Read all the threads on DL about how difficult it it to use their miles. They just don't seem to have standard awards until it is so close to flight that you need to pay fees.

With AA it is WAY easier to use miles for awards.

AAerSTL Nov 14, 2009 1:23 pm

AAdvantge eShopping has a good double miles promotion for retailers such as Gap and Piperlime if you are interested. After $250 spending on any Mastercard credit or debit card, you will receive a $25 Mastercard gift card too.

Evan! Nov 17, 2009 7:07 am

FTD 30 SkyMiles per $
 
This just in....

http://www.ftd.com/insider30/

european28 Nov 17, 2009 10:29 am


Originally Posted by thepla (Post 12811869)
Since you are looking at getting miles, it can be assumed you would like to use them.

From all the threads, and my experience with 3 Million miles in both DL and AA you are way better to accumulate AA miles. With DL, especially overseas, you will need to accumulate twice as many miles for awards. Read all the threads on DL about how difficult it it to use their miles. They just don't seem to have standard awards until it is so close to flight that you need to pay fees.

With AA it is WAY easier to use miles for awards.

I agree, using DL for booking international awards is quite a challenge. Until about a year ago, you could not even check the availability of international reward flights on-line; the only way of finding that was to call in and hang on the phone (literary for hours) while they were checking individually each system of each partner airline for availability. Most of the time, nothing was available, so the process had to be repeated daily for weeks at a time.

I lucked out last year when DL/NW merger was going on. I was able to transfer my DL miles to NW and book DL international flights through NW portal (the same flights did not show as available on DL website).

I wish I found FT sooner. There is a wealth of information here.


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