How long does it take to unregister and re-register? If I need to top off a United account, can I unregister at AA, register at United, dine out, and then switch back to AA?

It happens immediately. Have unregistered at one site and then went to the other site and registered the same card.

Weekend Hotels are a better deal
 

There are very few Idine eateries in my area, so I don't frequent them except by accident. However, we make frequent weekend trips from the Norfolk area to DC and have found some great weekend hotel deals on Idine -- nice hotel with good location at a great rate + 10x miles.

Robin

Only one problem...
 

The only problem with this is that you have to have at least ONE card registered at each place. This makes it a problem when you try to register with AA, DL, NW, and UA, and only have two credit cards. The iDine sites won't let you unregister a card if it's the only card registered for that particular program.

Solution: many credit card companies offer "virtual account numbers" for single-purchase use. Generate a couple of these numbers, and register them as "second cards" in the programs you no longer want to participate in. Now, you can unregister your desired card, and reregister it as your primary program's credit card.


- Sameer

Unless, Idine has recently changed more rules that is not quite the case. You can close the account to free up your credit card. Then when another promo comes along you can reopen that account by providing a c card number.

Wow...I'm really surprised at all the real negative feedback. Sure, it's a bummer that we'll earn less miles. Idine won't be a prime opportunity to earn boatloads of miles anymore, for those that managed it. But it's certainly not any reason to drop out, or not sign up.

Register your cards and then forget about iDine. Don't do anything you wouldn't do if the iDine program wasn't there. Eat where you want when you want. Personally, I don't even know what restaurants around me are in the program. And every once in a while, a few miles pop into one of my accounts as a surprise, for something I did anyway.

I also think that the restaurants are going to be the ones losing. In omaha it was only in the second half of last year that the program started picking up restaurants. I actually convinced 2 of them to join when they were asking about different marketing ideas. I can not see the reason for a restaurant to join except to get new or repeat business. Now while some customers might join the cash program, it is a high hurdle. Many more will buy entertainment books feeling that they get a better benefit. Now for the large number of mileage earning members, I doubt that they will switch. Especially if they do not have outstanding coverage in their area. You also have the problem that after signing up you can not be assured that the restaurants you plan on going to will stay in the program. What happens if the main restaurants in your area drop out? Do you get you money back? Probably not.

I also have gone out of my way to go to a restaurant in a city because it was a member. For 5 maybe sometimes but for 3 or 1. No way. I am surprised that restaurants won't get this concept. If I went up to a restaurant and said that I want to do a coupon program with them and would draw them business with discounts of between ?3-10% off. I guess that is better than saying you get a free fortune cookie with your meal. I mean don't we all pick our chinese restaurant based on getting a cookie. I mean really if I am not drawing new customers or would be able to draw those customers for that little of a cost, why would I join. It is like throwing money away. Unless you consider it just slightly more expensive than yellow page advertising or a cheap webpage service. What they are not figuring out is that we only go to the website because we feel that there is a worthwile advantage. Additionally I do not necessarily believe that there is any specific quality link to the member restaurants despite what they told the ones that I referred.

This is a loss and if I was still a Bar manager I would really need someone to show me the advantage to me and then prove it. That I don't think is possible.

When Idine decided to start charging a $9 quarterly "inactivity fee" on the cashback program I decided that indeed it was time to drop out.

Personally I think everyone should drop out and indicate that the new program is unacceptable. Idine makes money hand over fist by loaning money to restaurants and then receiving 100% interest in the form of dining credits. But they won't be able to make money if the consumers decide against participating.

I'm more concerned about the lack of decent restaurants than about the drop in rewards. I just discovered that the only iDine restaurant I've frequented in the past 6 months is no longer in the program. And the prospects look bleak. I guess I'll just continue to get "surprise" miles by eating in random restaurants and live with that. So far, that one restaurant has been the only one worth repeat visits (which is probably why they felt they didn't need to stay in the program).

I echo that sentiment. I have been doing iDine for about 2-3 years, and I have not used it very much because -- even though there are a number of DC area restaurants listed -- most are not that good. I find myself going to the same handful, even though they were not terribly convenient. Now, at $3 or $1, I probably won't even go to those.

I recently started using the Hotel Rewards program, often getting 800-1200 mile/night for a decent hotel. Does anyone know if the Hotel program is going to be down-graded too>??

For those with a lack of credit cards - remember that AMEX allows secondary cards with a different number, and that debit cards can be used as well, and if you have a card you never use - for example a Discover card, or a non mileage card - you could place it on an account, until that is the program from which you want your miles.

For those who want to have accounts with several airlines but do not have enough credit cards to keep them open -- the Rewards accounts will also accept debit/check cards, as long as they display Visa or MasterCard logos on them.

What I have done is link a couple accounts to my debit cards. Then, if I want to top off a particular airline account that is linked to a debit card, I juggle the cards with another airline account that is linked to a credit card. I move a credit card to the airline account I want to top off.