Airline Dining Programs - What's the Problem?
 

July Inside Flyer has a piece on DINING DILEMNAS DIAGNOSED, regarding the above.

My recent experience with NWA/DELTA only is:

Since 1/99 both have changed to the Dining ala Card program. http://dalc.com

Used NWA for visits 1/99, 2/99, 3/99 & 4/99 & all visits were posted correctly by the end of the next month.

Used DELTA for visits 5/99 & 6/99 and all visits were correctly posted. In fact, visits on 6/30/99 were posted to Delta acct on 7/13/99. I expect 7/99 visits will be posted by 8/99.

The only problems are:
1-The 800# call in service is a little slow to respond.
2-Both the NWA & DELTA promo stuff promises at least 3 written directories/year if you use the program. I've used the program & have called about the directories & have never received any. HOWEVER, you don't need the directory since the listings @dalc noted above have been 100% accurate.

In summary I like the NWA & DELTA programs. Why all the kvetching?

I have received a directory for the DL program, and according to the directory they mail you a knew directory each quarter if you had activity in the previous quarter in the program.

Like arturo once said, and I tend to agree, the restaurants are not so good and then the postings don't always come in properly!

I've been very satisfied with the United Dining program (no flames please - I'm just giving my personal experience and I've got about 20K miles through this program).

I am glad some of you can profit from these dining programs. I "stand" under the (hopefully wrong) impression that those guides of Restaurants giving miles is a good guide for "where not to go". I hope I am wrong with that prejudgement.

agree about the UA program, it seems to work just fine. I get at least 2 directories/yr.

I checked my United Summer dining guide. There are 17 restaurants within a ten mile radius of my house. Only five I would go to without the prompting of the miles, and three of these are fast food.

The one I go to most often, is also on the Transmedia discount card. When confronted with ten miles per dollar spent or a 20% discount on the meal, the $$ wins over every time.



[This message has been edited by Craig6z (edited 07-20-1999).]

doc, auturo never said anything that clearly!

I've been using Continental's Dining program for about 6 months with no problems. It's also run be DALC. Some of the postings take a while. As for the restaurants, some of them are top notch. Tennessee Mountain in NY and Tommy Tang's in LA are 2 excellent places that are in the program.

I had a pleasant surprise with UA's program recently. I was checking over my most recent "current" statement, which contained April 99 activity. There was a dining mileage credit on a date I didn't recognize. A check of my credit card statement revealed that it was for a restuarant in NYC that I had visited with a friend, completely without any knowledge that it was part of UA's dining program. A nice little unexpected bonus.

And the restaurant name (I'm not kidding):
"Serendipity".

p.s. It was great food as well. The absolute best vegie burger I've ever had. (As a vegetarian, I feel at least somewhat qualified to pass judgement on that.) And positively divine sundaes.

I have also had no problems getting credit on AA or UA. Some of the restuarants are marginal, but some are quite nice. One of our favorite places to go in DC is Perry's in Adams Morgan, which participates in the DALC-run programs. Great Sushi and an excellent rooftop dining area.

I had been using AA's program in the past, but haven't used it recently. Then, about a month ago, I get a postcard from AA saying that if I didn't use the program by this Aug that my membership would end. Anyone else get this? With AA the membership is free, why would it end? Unless their thinking of charging for it in the future...

Does anybody have a link for signing up for the UA program? I couldn't find anything on ual.com

Thanks, Jim

All Mileage Plus members residing in the U.S. are invited to participate in the Mileage Plus Dining program at no charge. To join, please call 1-800-555-5116.

(from http://www.ual.com ,mileage plus, Dining program)

burkey- They are trying to reduce their administrative costs and possibly scare you as well! If you're active on AA anyway, I don't know why they would bother. Similarly, if DALC is doing the work, I sure don't know why they'd care.

By the way, if you folks like this kinds of things/programs, you can also sign up for IGT (In Good Taste, Florida; 1-800-4-IGT-USA) and Transmedia (Transmedia Network, Florida 1-800-422-5090). They offer rebates for 25% or 20%, respectively. No references thanks!