you might notice this is my first post - i found the site 2 days ago and I am adicted. I am only 25, but have racked up 145000 priorityclub, 50000 spg, and 172000 aa points without traveling more than once or twice a year, just using idine and my credit cards - could someone enlightened me to the 250 point bonus for $15 purchases - could you clarify if I, on seperate transactions, buy 10 $15 gift certs at 10 different restaurants, will I get 3 aa miles per dollar spent (30 points) AND 250 point bonus, for a total of 280 points per 15?

This is for AA idine right?

I think you're correct, but the 250 pt bonus hasn't posted so I cannot confirm. It might take awhile to get the bonus...

Also, after so many dines the pts increase to 10 times the bill instead of 3 times.

Welcome to FT!

Yes, you would get the 250 mile bonus AND the "regular" idine miles for each separate transaction. I don't participate in the AA program, so I'm not sure when the bonus miles will post, but I think that I saw other posts that said "6-8 weeks after the end of the promotion".

Right now, you are receive 3 miles/$ spent. After 12 dines in the calendar year, you become an "elite" member. Then you will receive 5 miles/$ spent! But until 6/30/06, they are running an offer that elite members will receive 5 miles/$ EXTRA - a total of 10 miles/$ spent!

12 purchases is perfect since i am going to hit 15 tonight - elite status will be achieved after 2 days

Welcome, yep this is correct with just a minor multiplication difference, 3 x $15 = 45 +250 = 295, not 280.

even better - between umpires in Chicago allowing the white sox 4 outs in the ninth inning, and me short changing myself 15 points per purchase, today didn't turn out too bad.

thanks for the welcome

Hi,
I am new to Idine and AAdventage card, so please can someone clarify this for me,
If I have AA card to use it in Idine restaurants, I have to be registered with Idine and pay membership fee in addition to AA membership fee?
O just register with AA dine program. This a little confusing to the newbie

thanks

Let me add my welcome and if the Sox cannot win on their own - we gotta give them help

You need to sign up for the idine program, and register a credit card (any) with the idine program. You can reach it via a link on the AA site. While there, you can create a profile and register your credit card with the idine program. (There is no charge to sign up! ) ^

Then just use that (registered) credit card to pay for your dine - and enjoy the miles! (You do not have to say you are getting miles - just pay as you normally would.)

Just use the registered card to pay to earn the miles! (Example - if you have a Visa and MasterCard, but only register the Visa, you would not earn miles if you pay with the MasterCard.)

Also be sure to check on the website what cards are accepted that earn miles at that location! The restaurant may accept AX, VI, MC and Discover (as seen by the sign on their door), but they may only give mileage when using VI and MC, or AX and MC (but not VI) - so you may not get the miles you think you got! So check the website first!

Another option - if you have more than 1 credit card - is to register different cards with different programs. (I have 4 cards and each is registered to a different program.) So, depending on which card I pay with, and if the location accepts that card for idine, I can earn miles for different programs! This is especially helpful if the location gives mileage "limited to 1 visit per month". So I used a different card each time, and earn UA miles the 1st dine, CO miles the 2nd time, DL miles the 3rd time, etc...

As you wrote it (each $15 gift cert a DIFFERENT restaurant), definitely.

In case you (or someone else) is wondering whether it HAS to be different restaurants:

1. Some restaurants offer unlimited visits, others offer 1 visit per month. You must be logged into your AAdvantage Dining account to be able to reliably tell which offer unlimited visits that month. (And, btw, don't assume that becaue offer unlimited visits this month that they will next month; I've definitely seen several restaurants who were unlimited visits for several months suddenly switch to a limit of one visit per month.)

2. In terms of earning regular dining miles (per dollar, not per visit) you can even have multiple visits per day at "unlimited visits" restaurants. But here's a special warning when participating in promos (like the AA 250) which are per visit, not per dollar: If you buy two $15 gift certificates on one visit (or on two visits "too close" to each other on the same day), even if you have them rung up separately, some people have found them to be "combined" for the purposes of iDine, meaning they wouldn't count for separate 250 mile bonuses. So if going after 250 mile bonuses, I'd feel safest visiting an "unlimited visits" restaurant only once a day at most (so that each visit gest attributed to a different date).

If the charges are the same amount on the same day, sometimes idine's computer thinks they may be duplicate charges, and you will only initially receive credit for one dine. You may have to FAX in copies of your other receipt(s) to idine to receive your missing credit(s).

One way to avoid this (thinking it's a duplicate charge) is to vary your tips on the dines. Example - if the bills are $15 each, add a penny or 2 tip - thus your charges are $15.00 and $15.01 - not the same and not duplicates!