TravelMann

[Looks like it's back--according to the latest FlyerTalk email. Link isn't working yet.]

Northwest to Bring Back "Fly Free Faster"
Northwest WorldPerks' Fly Free Faster promotion is back, which means you can be 10,000 WorldPerks miles closer to award travel. Here's how it works: Register first, then complete one qualifying activity and earn five partner credits between June 1 and Aug. 31 to earn 10,000 bonus miles. For registration and complete details, visit www.nwa.com/offers/fff2004 and enter registration code 8645. Please note that the promotion doesn't start until June.

Standby4321

Gotta love that annual FFF promo!

fromYXU

www.nwa.com/offers/fff2004 is not a working link.

May have to way until closer to June.

tcook052

Seems they tinker with the fine print every year and it's making it harder to achieve. Curious to see what this year's version looks like: spend a min. $50 with twelve WP Mall e-tailers? Am seriously thinking of skipping FFF5 in favor of a SPG mattress run for 6K instead.

notsosmart

I did not see any of the fine print (and the link isn't working) but based on what the previous posters wrote this is a complete waste of time. 10K miles?

The mall partners are never a good deal, and the overall onerous qualification requirements of last year's fff3 make this a non-starter.

Why is mile-a-(insert favorite end word here) always better? Is it because it runs during shoulder/off seasons?

fromYXU

Staying in hotel counts as a credit (did last year). After 5 stays you get all the credits you need. Easy 10,000.

dunwu

Great! Ready to dive in.

MIKESILV

Promo works great for me since my qualifying purchases are usually ones I would make anyway. Funny as it might seem to some, I do think that might be some of the thinking behind this.
It might be a good idea to buy something you actually need/want.

Glad NWA decided to run this again and surely a tighting up of the rules was to be expected. I guess they got tired of people buying 3 $1.25 fishing lures and spending $2.00 six times at an i-dine place for beer, qualifying for 20k.

Watch out for the hot FT thread coming your way " How I made FFF5 for under $1.75" ....coming your way soon.

I cannot agree WP Mall is useless especially when they run double miles promos which are quite often.
The best value vendor on the WP Mall Gift-Certicates.com you get miles for the GCs than you can use them often to get miles again at the vendor site.

mike

brians51

I'm kinda wondering where that comment came from. If you remember FFF, FFF2, and FFF3 there was only small changes.

In the First one you had to use just 4 partners, in FFF2 qualify and 5 partners (no min purchase thru internet, no min purch from idine) in FFF3 qualify and 5 partners ($25 min purchase thru internet, no min purch from idine), I am guessing it won't be that much different for this one.


Um I think that was one poster, maybe you should search to see how many people were happy for the last couple of years. It is the best if you travel for business.

This is kind of odd as well. I seem to remember it was very easy especially since I didn't fly anywhere.

It goes something like this.

Qualify: take a flight blah blah blah (within specific flight #s) or sign up for MCI, Earthlink, AT&T worldnet, Cell phone, etc... in addition to the miles earned thru the sign ups IE: earthlink 4 months for 10,000 plus this 10,000 ( if you do Idine go and by a pop $3.00 ) so $88 for internet and $15 for 5 pops = 20,000 miles for $103 with $88 split over 4 months

bhatnasx

I don't recall the exact T&C's of last year, but I remember that 7 friends & myself did a weekend in PDX as the qualifying trip (130 - inclusive of taxes & fees) and the partner activities was an iDine bar crawl the night before. So basically, less than 50 bucks on alcohol & something to soak up the alcohol + 130 for a weekend of about 5K EQMs = 10K bonus miles - it was a good enough deal for me. For some of my friends who didn't go on the trip to PDX, they were new to NW & got a 15K visa offer which qualified them - so they spent about 110 bucks or so for 25K miles - not a bad deal at all at about .4 cents/mile.

SPN Lifer

Some partners delay issuing credit or cancel orders. Check out for the unreliable ones (such as Old Navy) and carefully monitor them, or get an extra "insurance" transaction.

Seems a pretty good promo if you read and follow the rules.

Ling

I qualified on the past FFF's with a NW flight, and have used a non-priceline hotel stay, a car rental and then 3 idines to finish the promotions. Am flexible with the leisure travel, and I tend to do all idines in the same day. If I'm not hungry, I get take-out (or dessert, I always have room for dessert). It's a project and I want to finish!

I try not to wait until the last minute, because I missed AA's 20 partner promotion a couple of years back by using the purchases on the mall. And of course, three didn't post in time, or didn't have the item in stock, and they all don't post on the day you order...they wait until the order is sent and your credit card is charged. I hate having to fight for my miles.

I like the FFF's better than Mile-a polooooza etc. because I don't travel as much as some FTers. Usually lowest fare possible domestic flights and almost always leisure. I've been using priceline for hotels to save on cost, and that doesn't count for promotions. Don't you just love Idine?

Linda

tcook052

Maybe I should've explained further in my previous post, and for that I apologize.

What some here forget is that it is sooooo much easier to qualify for those living in the U.S. than for us Canadians. For example, there's always I-Dine or free shipping offers at WP e-tailers like Target or steals for the qualifying flight like FNT-DTW for USD 111.00 return, none of which we can take advantage of. Last year, on the WP Mall many of the e-tailers wouldn't ship to Canada at all. I did order socks and stuff some some on the Mall, like JC Penney and Eddie Bauer but had to scramble to make all of the requirements. Departures from Canada on NW to USA aren't all that cheap either.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that IMHO dollar-for-dollar FFF is becoming too pricey when compared to other promo's, such as the current SPG 6K promo which requires only 3 stays by end of July. If you can snag 3 fairly cheap hotel nights for maybe CAD 250.00 and earn the 6K it's better in my books than spending maybe CAD 1,000 to earn only 4K more.

It also all depends too on what kind of traveller you are. If you travel on business frequently and are able to use hotels + cars + I Dine, making the requirements isn't that hard. As a strictly leisure traveller, it's that much more of a chore for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying making the minimum is impossible, just harder. I've banked the 10K from the last 3 FFF offers but much for me is riding on the what the exact fine print says when it's posted by NW as to whether I'll earn it this year or not.

vandykes44

I remember that there was discussion about this in previous years, but because it didn't affect me I didn't pay much attention.

I have a CO voucher that I need to use by July 9. Does anyone remember if booking a flight through CO on NW metal and earning NW miles counted as a NW flight for the purposes of previous FFF promotions?

fromYXU

That makes a lot of sense. Lots more options once you get south of the border.

Once the FFF4 details come out will know better what are the options. Last year most of my credits came from hotel stays that would of happened regardless. So easy 10,000 last year and hoping for the same this year.

BTW, could you combine the SPG offer with FFF4 by giving your WP#?