Elite couples - How do you split the points ?
 

I'm a 1P-soon-to-be-1K on UA and have the UA MP Visa. My wife, feorlen, is a Gold VIP with Hilton and has the Hilton Hhonors Amex. Most of the time it works out rather nicely with one of us collecting miles and the other collecting hotel points. We both charge our own stuff on our respective cards and collect the points/miles for our purchases.

Today we had a minor good-natured scuffle over who was going to pick up the bill for lunch.

My parents are in town for the Thanksgiving Holiday, having flown out from IAD earlier this past week.

We took them out to the new Academy of Sciences @ Golden Gate Park and booked a table at the Moss Room in the basement for lunch(Which I'd recommend if you can afford it. It's not ridiculously expensive, but it's not the main cafe upstairs either).

At the end of a good meal, our waiter came by and dropped off the check. I snatched it up quickly, mostly to prevent my Dad from trying to pay for it(He paid for dinner yesterday) and immediately threw down my MP Visa. feorlen's Amex hit the table simultaneously and we both looked at each other, trying to look determined but really just about this far >.< from cracking up.

"You just hand that check over right now there Mr. 'Dillo" feorlen said.
I could see by the look on her face that I wasn't going to win this one :D, so I passed it over, chuckled and pocketed my MPV card.

I'm curious as to whether other FT couples have similar "problems" ?
Do you have just one card or do you each have your own ?

For ourselves, I'd say we split things up pretty evenly between the two cards.

since most programs are progressive in the sense that benefits are higher at higher levels (idine, airlines, etc.), we try to concentrate on one account for each program. It's all the same, so there is no "mine" or "yours".

Or just 'hers.'

We are doing the same as DUKEE. We focus on one airline program (AA) and the rest is who ever, where ever. It is either on a linked Amex card or a linked MC/AA card.
We get a $49-$69 rate at Marriotts, so hotel deals/points are not that important to us.

Have you been to a large gathering of flyertalkers when the bill arrives? :D

We don't care one way or the other. Our main focus is on airline miles, we gave up the hotel stuff a couple years ago. The bulk of that we get by flying, the rest is just too little in comparison to worry about.

I would think it's like any joint budget, if it matters you need to either split the bill or keep track of who paid what to keep it even.

One of the most memorable quotes for me was from the MR seminar in PHX: "The decision was made not to go to an Idine restaurant tonight for dinner. I was told we all want to keep our fingers, hands, wrists, and probably arms. Also, some think its a turnoff to maul others in an attempt to pay the bill for everyone" :D Good times had by all.

I'm the family strategist on miles accumulation/redemption. My husband looks to me to let him know in which hotel chain he needs a stay, and what credit card should be used for expenses.

I move the points around and choose where I need to stay to maintain status.

sometimes Mr T asks "how much are they paying us to stay here?"
or "how much are they paying us to fly on this airline?":D

and hes the travel agent!!

Split the bill between both cards that way each of you get the points/miles.

Don't you mean, he says, "How much are those fools payin' to stay hea'?"

mrs drnp and I both accumulate using SPG Amex because we can combine the points from her account into mine if needed for hotel redemption or mileage transfer.

So I guess there is a such thing as a free lunch: just take a FTer with you to an iDine restaurant! :D