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!

As with another poster, I think the restaurants in the dining programs tend to be of lower quality overall. Sometimes they are older restaurants that have not kept up with the industry and/or their competition, more often they are places that have never caught on and use the mileage programs to get people into their establishments in a way that their food cannot.

A notable exception is newly opened restaurants. As I understand it, the way the programs work is that they provide the restaurant with cash up front to "pay" for the miles (or cash discounts) the members will eventually generate. New restaurants are often short of funds, plus they need to get people in the door to help establish their spot via word-of-mouth (it's cheaper than advertising). So, newer establishments often seem to be of better quality than older restaurants. The only problem is that they usually pull out of the programs as soon as they are discovered!

That said, we use the United/American (identical selection) dining programs a couple times a month. We also have Transmedia, which has a larger, if not necessarily better selection to choose from (actually, I prefer Transmedia's program because I can get vouchers for the miles when I ask for them and deposit them into anyone's account, which helps with expiring mileage crisis). There are a few stand-by places we frequent from the programs that deliver decent food at a fair price. But if we are looking for a great meal or the latest hot spot, we turn to our local food critics or the Zagat guide for expert opinion.

I enjoy the Delta dining program. I actually found a number of the restaurants I usually eat at are on the program including my all time favorite.

------------------
MilesNut

Actually, I have not had any problems with the dining program. I do not go out of my way to visit a restaurant -- but it is nice if one I have picked is on the list.

I disagree that "the finest restaurants" are not on the list. There have been two great (and fine) restaurants on the list for me -- Marco Polo in PHX and Nation in NY.

The pleasant surprise was the 290 miles I got for booking a Blue and Gold Cruise in SF (to Alcatraz). Their restaurants must be connected with the program so I got the miles for a cruise!

--Jim

Nation, just off 6th on W45th? It's a pretty good place actually and a great bar. It's three levels right? I think as someone metioned, it's a new place- and a generally better bet in these programs!

I disagree with those downplaying the quality of the restaurants in DALC, ITG, and Transmedia. Some excellent places that have been around for decades are in the program.

These companies offer the restaurants alot more in terms of services then you'd think, It's alot more then some miles for them.

There are plenty of top notch ones in these program, for example:

Tommy Tang's in Pasadena
The Godfather in San Diego
Tennessee Mountain in New York
Restaurant 101 in Brooklyn

Can a meal at a participating restaurant for two airlines, say United and American, be counted for miles on both? If not, how can you influence where the miles are designated?

I've joined United, Delta and American's dining programs and it seems my miles almost alwasy end up getting credited at American. United I had to chase after them. Delta would credit after three-four months.

After my frustrating experiences getting miles credit I figure if I get the miles, fine, but it's no big deal.

OMNI: I would not discredit some of the restaurants in the dining guides:

Both of these are in NYC and have become among my favorites:

Trois Canards: Some of the best FRENCH! food I have had, and the price is a great bang for the buck. The Duck is a must and so are the deserts.
Tennessee Mountain: I have to thank Boomer and NJDavid for introducing me to this place. The best place for ribs outside Kansas City or Texas (or whereever the best ribs are.) Again, another great value.

NOW when YOU ALL COME TO THE CAT'S NYC FLYERTALK PARTY IN ULTIMATE HEAVEN IN MARCH, 2000 IN THE GREATEST CITY ON EARTH, NYC, WE MUST VISIT EITHER OR BOTH PLACES!

So COme on up to NYC and see the city where the CAT is the LION KING! http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

So far I've just registered for American's program. I wonder how much overlap there is between programs. I bet many of the same restaurants belong to each...

I'll second your recommendation of Trois Canards... I live around the corner from there in Chelsea - and it's one of the best in the neighborhood. My girlfriend and I just wandered in one day and had an outstanding meal http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Answering your question about overlapping restaurants and double credit if you are in two dining programs... I think it goes to the one that gets credited faster (in my experience lately, it's American!)

OMNI for CaptainB: HURRAY! Another New Yorker on the F-T boards! You and your girlfriend should try to come to one of the soemwhat frequent NYC F-T get togethers sometime. You both are welcome.

And a belated welcome to F-T!


[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 07-29-1999).]

On the NWA, DELTA & AMERICAN programs, all run by Dining ala Card http://www.dalc.com you have to preregister a credit card & that determines which program gets the credit. So, if you register Visa #1 with NWA & Visa #2 with Delta, you can get credit 2x each month for the same place by presenting a different registered card each time.

Yes, and you are theoretically only supposed to register a given card with only one program (to avoid duplication of points)

If TC needs a third, I'll surely give it. They also really make out, I think, on those heading over to the Joyce theater.

I checked out the dining programs pariticipants in the programs offered by both Alaska and United. While the very best restaurants (where you would go for special occasions) aren't listed, there are certainly quite a few passable places that offer decent food and nourishment. Might as well get miles.

The number, however, listed on the UAL website is NONFUNCTIONAL!!! Anybody have any clues?