Year end strategy?
 

Are you making a special effort to become IR elite level at the specific favorite airline where you want to get double ff miles in 2006 from IR?

To best of my knowledge this requires 12 dines in 2005 for each airline.

Yes I'm trying for elite level through AA. AA has a 3,000 mile bonus for 8 dines by 12/31/05 and for elite level, 10 pts per $ through 6/30/06 (5pts thereafter).

For those needing those last dines to qualify for something by the end of the year, consider buying gift certificates at iDine restaurants.

Besides theAA promo, are you all buying gift certificates if your actual dines for NW, US, ALaska, CO, BA did not reach during the applicable time period the $150?

I just made elite level a few dines ago on AA. Sweet!

Back in September, when US had the 8 dines/3000 mile bonus, I did my 8 dines. Since I only needed 4 more "dines" to become elite, I bought 4 more sodas! :D That was enough to get me to 12 dines and elite! :cool:

Traveler: very smart!

I even bought a tee shirt for my nephew and a six-pack of microbrew at one restaurant. Ding! It posted as a separate dine. Some here have posted about going to a restaurant, having a couple of drinks or whatever at the bar, closing the account with the appropriate credit card, then divning and closing THAT bill out - before deciding dessert and cappuccinos would be good also.

I am not necessarily advocating this, I am merely repeating what others have posted, and my own experience.

By having 12 dines in 05, you could be elite for all of 06-thus get double of the base miles. So it is smart to have a few more small drinks in 05.