Credit for someone else's flight?
 

I've never heard this mentioned, but is it possible to get credit for someone else's flight, car rental or hotel stay by giving them your account number?

I ask this because I know some flight credits and awards are transferrable, some are not. Anyone speak to this?

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g'day
wl

They check the name on the frequent flyer account with the name on the ticket, so it is not possible for flights. I do not know about cars or hotels. I have wondered about the InterContinental promotion where they offer miles to two people, if you were a single person checking in, could you designate a second person for the miles.

In general for FF programs, one can designate an award to anyone, but one cannot transfer miles to another persons account.

For transfers from one program to another, e.g. Diners Club to airlines, some airlines only allow transfer between the same person while others allow transfer to someone else.

Years ago it was easy to get miles for a flight other than your own. Back in 1987-1990, before coworkers knew the value of mileage programs I used to loan them my card for check-in and earn miles for their flights. I also would do this with my grandma, neighbors and friends.

I was able to earn miles on my parents flight a while back, appox. 3 years ago was the last time I did that and it was on Northwest. As of now, I still earn miles on other peoples car rentals. All I do is tell them my FF # and I get credited. As for hotels, I have never tried that.

Hasoose

On a vacation with my future in-laws last fall I was responsible for returning the rental car. When I returned the car I asked if there was a FF# on the rental. Lo and behold there was not. Not wanting those miles to be lost I simply pulled out my FFP card (a laminated card w/all the numbers) and had the clerk enter my number. About 3 weeks later I had the miles.

Moral: yes Virgina you can earn miles on someone else's rentals.

[This message has been edited by BSL (edited 05-11-99).]

a good friends wife of mine has a daughter with the same (second) first-name ("Gisela") and ... yes it works (... but it's probably better for this not to try it on the same flight ...).

Sheraton (now Starwoods) will credit all points to the account of the one paying the bill!

Marriott allows to credit up to three rooms for the same stay (Rewards program, not the miles program). A good friend will some times check-in visiting people in his home-town Zurich to the Marriott on his name/account

I too have done this. I earned miles for my father when I was flying (TWA, which I had not flown previously or since). It helps that we have the same initials, and I made sure that the number was entered on the record by telephone, in advance.

i too have been able to accrue miles on someone else's flight -- my twin brother's.
similar first name, obviously same last.
usually, i convince him to fly "my airline" using "my number" by giving him a free domestic RT using my miles. a pretty even exchange as i get bonus miles as an elite member, e.g., two years ago i got 20k credited to my account for a trip he took to london.

Although I have never done this myself, this is perhaps not something that one should be bragging about.

I am sure that there are many 'lurkers' from the airlines themselves, and if they see that to many people are getting away with this, they may crack down....

Then again, it could be that I have watched to many episodes of the 'X-Files'.. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif