HATE pre-registering for airline bonuses
 

Needless to say, I missed one or I would not be so incensed over the issue. Most of us are busy and it adds a great deal of time to have to research each time we fly to see if a bonus is available. I missed the EUR bonus with AA, got a reminder in the mail AFTER I returned. I am sure it is like coupons in the supermarket. The airlines only want those of us who care to get the bonuses but it truly makes me crazy. This is a relatively new phenomenon and I would like to see a Flyer Talk revolt change the minds of the marketing types at all the airlines. How about it??? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Preach it, sister! I couldn't agree more. Once we get DL whipped into shape, this can be our next grass-roots revolt-- 'cause you know FlyerTalkers are always revolting http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I hate the mandatory registering too. In addition, the main promo lines read to me:
[...] this promotion is for everyone, except
- where you live
- where you travel
- when you travel
- whatever class you decide to fly
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Found a note on my LH statement "you could receive up to 30K bonus miles for flights US-Germany, check our website" Tell you what - I checked and checked, but didn't find anything. Grrr.

What bothers me even more than having to register for promotions and bonus miles is AA's penchant for listing special sale fares on their web site then telling you this nonsense (example taken from their current "Fall Florida SAAle"):

How Will I Know If I Receive The Discount?
You will need to choose a login option below, then:

select "TRAVEL PLANNING"
select "MAKE RESERVATIONS"
select "CHOOSE BY SCHEDULE"
select "PRICE ITINERARY"
click the "DETAILED FARE RULES BUTTON"
locate the "Fare Basis" information
You will receive these discounted fares if the "Fare Basis" is one of the following:
LEO7WEBN
LEP7WEBN
LR07WEBN
LRP7WEBN
If another "Fare Basis" is listed, the fare does not qualify.

This is ridiculous. Why can't they treat this type of sale like they do a NetSAAver or Weekly Focus FAAre? In those cases, you just click on the fare in the far right column and the availbility search automatically looks for itineraries that qualify for the special fare.

[This message has been edited by bbinchi (edited 11-01-2000).]

Couldn't agree w/ Karen2 more... You just have to keep checking (esp before each flight) otherwise, you always seem to find out afterwards. One time for us, my husband called me at ORD (since he decided to return early, and in stead of transferring thru Dallas, he transferred thru ORD) just before his flight back to SAN, and luckily I just checked AA.com (for some strange reasons). So, I hanged up right away, and registered him for bonus minutes before his flight took off. but, yeh, how often can you do that??

Helen

You can always register after the event claiming that you registered before the actual flight. They have such a mess in their computer system that they wouldn't know anyway. I have been told that I've registered myself for various bonuses on dates when I was thousands of miles away from the nearest internet place which obviously indicates that CSR-s just put in random dates after customers complain about not getting their bonuses.

True enough- and yet sometimes you DO register and yet still do NOT get the bonus! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

Especially on one unnamed carrier! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Exactely! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

I can usually keep up with registering, but making sure the miles and bonuses post is even a bigger job.

Agreed. Registering SUCKS !!!! (sorry... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif)

Another issue that also enflames me are those hard-to-swallow geographical clauses. " Valid only to legal residents of Kamtchakta-Stan and its possesions " .... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif




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Gaucho100K

DITTO to all of the above!

What would be their purpose, other then to estimate demand or intice you to travel for the bonus?

Ditto to all the above, plus, because of residency requiremnts, the AA and DL websites don't let me register on the site for their bonus promotions (although I was able to register over the phone), since whenever I hit the bonus codes to register on the AA website, I received an error message, saying that I had entered the wrong code. This after I had clicked on the code THEY posted.
Also AA and DL will not let Canadian residents price or purchase flights on their websites, thus precluding the possibility of getting bonuses for online booking.

bj-21.

Hey! Hey! AA gave me the EUR00 bonus after all! I registered after the trip but before the return had posted. Makes one wonder how their computer works. Not only that, I got a 25% bonus on miles for no apparent reason (not a Gold, not even close) so I ended up with about double miles! Not bad for a cheap trip: SFO-LHR on a voluntary bump voucher!! Hee Hee http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I have gotten into the habit of registering for things even if I don't think I'll be doing it. For example, one time I registered for a double miles on a full fare ticket, thinking I never fly on a full fare ticket. Well, I ended up going to Mexico and it was a full fare ticket and double miles showed up between ORD and DFW. A nice surprise. So, now that you can register at their web-site, I regularly do this -especially checking before a flight. Yes, you don't know how you might be re-routed. Still waiting for my return to post from LHR to ORD - hope all the bonuses will show up then. Triple miles pluse extra for on-line booking. Should get about 32,000 for the flight. Already changed my 4 earned upgrades for 10,000 miles.

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DtG