United Months of Miles
Aug 16, 2011, 10:03 am
#106
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BKK
Programs: SPG Plat & IC Amb
Posts: 179
Sure about that? Never sent to UA but I have to US during their grand slam promo. There's a difference in the way transfers and "stays" (which could be dines only) are posted.
With US, transfers show as "CONVERSION: SPG POINTS TO MILES"
And stay credits show up as "STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST ADD TRANSFER"
With US, transfers show as "CONVERSION: SPG POINTS TO MILES"
And stay credits show up as "STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST ADD TRANSFER"
My SPG stay posted like this.
Jan. 30, 2011 STARWOOD ADD MILES 306
Aug 16, 2011, 10:40 am
#107
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: aa, spg
Posts: 69
I'm actually wondering this as well. When I click on the link there is nothing to indicate it registered me. I emailed them to ask, will update once (if) I hear back.
Aug 16, 2011, 11:01 am
#108
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Orange County, California
Programs: UA 1K .951MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Avis President's Club
Posts: 29
1P (almost 1K) earning miles in all ways possible....got the 4 for 500 email - no surprises here 
Aug 16, 2011, 2:41 pm
#109
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: JFK/PVG/YYZ
Programs: CX GO, HH Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 33
4/500 for this GM here. Took advantage of the 4K Netflix promo and $100/1000mi Dining promo a few months ago. Still disappointed MP+ didn't honor my Thinkpad purchase from Lenovo.com, which should've given me 1.75mi/$.
Aug 16, 2011, 6:14 pm
#110
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,146
We'll see how well this one is implemented vs. the partner activity bonus back in February (which most pax seem to have never received without significant work with MP CS).
ETA: Wonder if MyPoints transfers will count? I've already got around a few dozen partner activities lined up in the timeframe, plus have plenty of MyPoints ready to transfer over to MP if needed. (Realized the end date is 20 Nov, too; I was thinking it ended in September... that takes it well into my busiest travel period of the year and thus plenty more hotel stays and car rentals, plus perhaps some Christmas shopping.)
ETA: Wonder if MyPoints transfers will count? I've already got around a few dozen partner activities lined up in the timeframe, plus have plenty of MyPoints ready to transfer over to MP if needed. (Realized the end date is 20 Nov, too; I was thinking it ended in September... that takes it well into my busiest travel period of the year and thus plenty more hotel stays and car rentals, plus perhaps some Christmas shopping.)
Last edited by exerda; Aug 16, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Aug 16, 2011, 7:57 pm
#111
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Houston
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, UA 1.56MM (fmr UA1K)
Posts: 5,770
I was targeted also. I don't find this promo to be especially compelling. I can't see it shifting my behavior. Is it just me?
Aug 16, 2011, 8:20 pm
#112
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,813
I got the 2 transactions/1000 miles. I guess I am lucky, it seems to be pretty random.
Here is what I am thinking:
On the UA Shopping Mall, buy $10 gift card on giftcertificates.com ($2.95 fee) for CVS. Use that CVS gift card to buy other gift cards at the store (gas, groceries, etc.) Assuming that is stuff you would otherwise still buy, you will be paying $5.90 for the 1000 miles (2.95 x 2).
Assuming you put the giftcertificates.com purchase on a miles earning card (say 1 mile/dollar) you would get 25.9 miles from the purchase, plus the 1000 miles. You would also get 51.8 miles from the shopping mall (2 miles/dollar). So the cost per mile would be $0.0054746 ($5.90 for 1077.7 miles. This does not factor in the $20 worth of gift cards because that is money you have to spend anyways.)
I hope I am right about this, but please comment/correct my work.
Last edited by will2288; Aug 16, 2011 at 8:31 pm Reason: edit
Aug 16, 2011, 8:26 pm
#113
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: Kimpton IC, Hyatt Diamond, Gold Marriott, Lifetime Platinum Starwood
Posts: 8,665
Aug 16, 2011, 8:38 pm
#114
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA ExecPlat, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,446
Aug 16, 2011, 8:48 pm
#115
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Aug 16, 2011, 9:10 pm
#116
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
I actually could use this promo, alas I wasn't targeted.
Last edited by dsquared37; Aug 16, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Aug 16, 2011, 9:14 pm
#117
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,393
Aug 16, 2011, 9:20 pm
#118
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
On the UA Shopping Mall, buy $10 gift card on giftcertificates.com ($2.95 fee) for CVS. Use that CVS gift card to buy other gift cards at the store (gas, groceries, etc.) Assuming that is stuff you would otherwise still buy, you will be paying $5.90 for the 1000 miles (2.95 x 2).
Assuming you put the giftcertificates.com purchase on a miles earning card (say 1 mile/dollar) you would get 25.9 miles from the purchase, plus the 1000 miles. You would also get 51.8 miles from the shopping mall (2 miles/dollar). So the cost per mile would be $0.0054746 ($5.90 for 1077.7 miles. This does not factor in the $20 worth of gift cards because that is money you have to spend anyways.)
I hope I am right about this, but please comment/correct my work.
Assuming you put the giftcertificates.com purchase on a miles earning card (say 1 mile/dollar) you would get 25.9 miles from the purchase, plus the 1000 miles. You would also get 51.8 miles from the shopping mall (2 miles/dollar). So the cost per mile would be $0.0054746 ($5.90 for 1077.7 miles. This does not factor in the $20 worth of gift cards because that is money you have to spend anyways.)
I hope I am right about this, but please comment/correct my work.
I'll probably use this offer only if a superb miles-for-flowers offer comes along this fall, or I otherwise make an online purchase I was considering anyway. If, however, anyone has come up with some cheap activities or purchases that don't require time spent running around, I'd love to hear about them (as would others, I'm sure).
Aug 16, 2011, 9:34 pm
#119
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: DL PE, Hyatt Diamond, HH Gold, UA Prem, PC Plat
Posts: 653
Originally Posted by will2288
On the UA Shopping Mall, buy $10 gift card on giftcertificates.com ($2.95 fee) for CVS. Use that CVS gift card to buy other gift cards at the store (gas, groceries, etc.) Assuming that is stuff you would otherwise still buy, you will be paying $5.90 for the 1000 miles (2.95 x 2)...
<snip>
the cost per mile would be $0.0054746 ($5.90 for 1077.7 mile
<snip>
the cost per mile would be $0.0054746 ($5.90 for 1077.7 mile
Aug 16, 2011, 10:24 pm
#120
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,813
With no limit to the number of bonus miles you can earn, I was reading will2288 to suggest repeating the CVS purchase described here many, many times, to go to CVS with, say, $2000 of gift cards in hand and 107,700 bonus miles pocketed for $590 in spend and a half hour at CVS. That might be more worthwhile.