The skinny on Dining Programs
 

I currently have three credit cards registered with the United Dining Program.

Two of the resturants in their dining program I visit atleast once a week each. In the past, I have only been getting the miles for my first visit at each once per month. I would like to know if there is a way for me to earn more miles each month. I have plenty of credit cards to register for programs.

Is there any truth to the rumor that you can get miles for each visit if you pay using a different credit card each time at one of the establishments? I thought you could only earn miles for one visit per month no matter which three cards I used.

How can I find out rather easily if the two particular resturants in my area also belong to another airlines affinity program?

Is each airline dining program run by a different company or is it like MCI where they handle a variety of airlines?

Am I able to belong to three or four different dining programs using different credit cards even if the same company runs them?

Will I earn miles for each visit if I rotate between programs/credit cards?

I appreciate any help/tips that you are able to provide. Thanks.

The only was to get miles more than once per month at the same restaurant is to register different cards in separate airline programs. For example I have a Amex personal card, Amex business card, Optima, Diners and Visa registered in NWA, Delta, AAdvantage, USair and UAL programs respectively so if I do visit a restuarant more than once I use the card tied to the particular program.
Mike

Yes, the same company runs all these different airlines' dining programs. It is called iDine. However, you are able to register a different credit card with a different dining program. For example, my visa is registered with British Airways Dining; my mastercard is with American; my Amex Starwood card is with iDine; and my Delta Skymiles card is registered with NW Dining.
You can earn additional miles if you eat at the restaurant more than once a month by not using the same credit card twice in that month. However, your miles will be posted to the different carriers rather than to just one.

www.idine.com

Register online and you can view all of your account activity.

[This message has been edited by cactuspete (edited 08-18-2001).]

Great answers above. I had called idine a few weeks ago and got the same answers.

Hoangb: How do you keep track of all this? And do you check each of your FF accounts to make sure they post? I'd be interested in your system, please. And thanks!

Here is a thought. I signed up our personal Visa, work Visa, and debit card to receive UA miles for dining.

We never even bother to look up which restaurants take the card or not. I.e., we focus on food quality, price, etc. Still, considering that we (spousal unit and myself) charge about ten meals per month; we are not looking too bad to have one in ten show up on our statement as having earned miles. I.e., blind chance results in miles here and there at random.

No, this is not as effective as looking the restaurants up, going to the specific establishments, etc. But, sure as heck works and there is no time/money/paperwork involved other than the initial sign-up.

Idine will only let you register a credit card for one program. If you belong to flyaway airlines plan and takemethere airlines, and both are Idine, you can only register the card at one. You have to use different credit cards for the other programs.

Idine sends an e-mail when ever I collect miles, I keep those in a folder in the e-mail system, when the miles post I delete the e-mail, any left there are miles that have not posted. But I have never had a problem with miles not posting.

Butcherbird hit it right on the head too, never use a credit card that isn't part of a program to pay for a meal. It's a pleasant surprize to see that expensive meal come in as part of the program, just as much as the diner you were just driving by and stopped for breakfast in the middle of noplace.

[This message has been edited by cordelli (edited 08-18-2001).]

paradocs,

Good question. In order not to get confused with which card is registered with which program, I wrote the list down on a sheet of paper. Eventually, I memorized which card is registered with which airline program.

In general, I don't dine out a lot in restaurants that belong to the programs. Howevever, I frequenlty would check to see which restaurants in the vicinity of my neighborhood participate in the programs. I now more or less have memorized which ones they are. When I do dine out in these restaurants, I would use my credit card of choice to earn miles, my Amex Sheraton Starwood card. I registered this with the frequent flier program that I enjoy earning the most miles.

I would keep the dining receipts in a separate envelope. I do check the airline's website to see whether or not my miles for a certain dining experience have posted. Once I see that they have, I would throw the receipts away. (BTW, all the miles have posted. I have never been cheated out of a single mile.)

In general, my recommendation is to try to use a primary card for your dining mileage earning opportunities. Only when you realize that you have eaten at a particluar restaurant previously in the month should you resort to using your secondary card(s). If you want, you may want to initiate a record keeping of your dining acitivities on to monitor your monthly mileage earning progress.

I tend to remember which ones I have been to in a month. If I see that I am revisiting that restaurant, I just remind myself to use my secondary cards.

I hope this answered your question somewhat.

Ditto on registering for several airline dining for miles programs with different credit cards. I keep track of receipts by keeping them in separate files for each frequent flyer program. I keep a list all my credit cards which indicates the dining for miles program that they are registered for, and in addition, I put a sticker on each credit card with the airline name written on it.

[This message has been edited by wayneb (edited 08-18-2001).]

Thanks for the ideas about keeping track of idine.

I didn't know idine would send an email. That's great to know. I am going to sign up for them. Thanks CORDELLI!

HOANGB, I like your method. Thanks for taking the time to explain.

BUTCHER BIRD, I am more serious about this than you. But, I admire your more carefree approach.

We eat out a lot, so I am making an effort to choose an idine restaurant whenever convenient. If the food and service are good I will go back. Just have 2 airlines selected so far. Last night we got 1000 DL miles at a great and popular steak place. Why not get the miles too?

I just added up the miles from dining on my DL account. This is my primary miles for dining. In the last 6 months over 11,000. Not too bad for something I was doing anyway. These add up.

This program is good. When will they figure out a way to reduce the benefits? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Hmm...

It would seem IDine handles many, but not all of the dining programs.

Anyone know who handles US Airways'?

As far as I know, USAir Dividend Dining is handled by iDine as well. I'm almost certain of this.

If you don't want to track a bunch of credit cards (or only have a couple of cards), you can just switch programs.

For example, you register a card to top off NWA. When you get the required miles, you just cancel your NWA membership (wait for the miles to post first) and then signup with another airline.

Afer you sign up, it only takes about 48 hours for your membership to become active.

Yeah, this is a pain. I know United's version at www.ual.com/dining can be done separately and still gives access to online transaction history, etc. Do any of the others, AA, DL, etc, have an alternate online signup too?