A few weeks ago I saw that I never received credit for several restaurant visits. I filled out the online form for missing miles and had to follow up about 5 times until receiving a response. In the meantime I went through my older credit card statements and saw that I never received credit for about 50% of the restaurant visits at participating restaurants. Again, I reported these restaurant visits several times (the online form lets you go back several years) and this was their answer showing that missing credits are normal for them. Instead of making it right and apologizing for credits not being posted, they are blaming the customer for not following up after each single restaurant visit with them:


Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate the opportunity to speak with you!

Claims on missing rewards must be submitted within 90 days from the date of the restaurant visit for consideration. Unfortunately, we will be unable to extend rewards for transactions that exceed this time period. Please refer to the program’s Terms and Conditions for more information on this policy.

Keep in mind that we send our benefit confirmation e-mails within 7-14 days after a qualified transaction is registered. If you fail to receive one of these notifications, you may log into your online profile and review your transaction history. Should you notice a missing transaction, please contact us as soon as possible so that we may investigate the cause and award any due benefits.

We truly apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions as I would be happy to assist you!

Sincerely,

Heidy Luque | Senior Member Services

I don't know why they let you submit older missing dines if the limit is 90 days.

I tend to check at least once a week (sometimes more often) while the dines are still fresh in my mind. In fact, when I spot a missing dine, I usually have to "twidddle my thumbs" for some time before it gets to the 10 days they want you to wait before sumbitting a missing dine.

I don't understand what you meant "had to follow up about 5 times"? For each missing dine, they send a request for a receipt and/or credit card statement. During that "twiddling thumbs" phase, I've generally already put a file together to send them as soon as I get the request (with my name, email, and frequent flyer number next to the receipt in the scan). As soon they send the inevitable email saying they don't see their dine in the system, I reply with the file documenting the dine. I've never failed to get the dine to post within 2 weeks after that if there was nothing wrong with the dine (not exceeding any once-a-month limit, not dining on the wrong day of the week, not dining at a restaurant which had just left the program, etc).

So I don't understand what "5" followups you mean. 5 followups per each missing dine, or just 5 followups for 5 missing dines? :confused:

Just a wild guess, but could these missing credits be related to the change of terminals to support chip cards? It would be a good time for a restaurant to review their current provider and maybe choose a new one with better plans. If they don't notify RewardsNetworks, I'd expect those transactions to be lost. Notifying RW of missing posts may get someone to check with the merchant and see what's happening. Be especially cautious if they appear to be using alternate equipment during a temporary service outage.

Anyone know if you can get the signup bonus (typically 2k-3k miles) more than once? I see there is an option to cancel your account. Can you cancel, and then signup again after a certain amount of time? if so, how much time do you have to wait?

In intent, nope. The terms and conditions usually state something like the current bonus offer's

"This bonus offer is open to all new AAdvantage DiningSM members without a dining profile. To qualify, you must create a dining profile by July 31, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, including creating a web login, and remain opted in to receive emails from the AAdvantage DiningSM program with a valid, deliverable email address. You must also continue to satisfy any other applicable Online/VIP level criteria to earn this bonus."

The airline frequent flyer numbered account to credit miles to needs to not have been registered with iDine / ... Dining previously, as I was told by their staffer when I inquired.

It's still a fairly generous way of earning miles, as it can be 5 miles per dollar spent, including taxes and tip. Use the proper credit card and you can double dip - more miles, points, etc.

What has ended includes the generous bonus offers they used to make. Ten point, even 20 point, restaurants, bonuses for meeting other occasional offer conditions, etc. In my experience, there are fewer places to earn, and the spread of places to earn has diminished - most earning places are fast food of lower quality, compared to the past.

Whereas some of us used to easily earn 100,000 miles annually or more, last year I missed the number of dines to retain VIP status by a dine or two. It took me half of 2017 to regain VIP status, because it's more about restaurants I choose to dine at that are members, rather than selecting member locations I'm curious about.

Yep, them were the days, especially as 100k miles had a lot more entertainment value a decade ago.