2009 Grand Slam Promotion - Some Good, Some Bad Changes
Aug 26, 2009, 4:26 pm
#32
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,865
Not sure about this one, anyone know for sure?
Sheraton Hotels®
sheraton.com | 800-325-3535
Offering the entire spectrum of comfort, Sheraton can be found in the most sought-after cities and resort destinations around the world.
2 miles per dollar on qualifying charges (Starwood Preferred Guest membership required)
Limited
sheraton.com | 800-325-3535
Offering the entire spectrum of comfort, Sheraton can be found in the most sought-after cities and resort destinations around the world.
2 miles per dollar on qualifying charges (Starwood Preferred Guest membership required)
Limited
Then look at Terms and Conditions: https://guest.starwoodhotels.com/moremiles/terms.jsp
YOUR USE OF THIS SOFTWARE CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
To earn frequent flyer miles, you must be enrolled in Starwood Preferred Guest.
SPG Starpoints earned on eligible charges during eligible stays will be posted to your account and then transferred to the airline program of your choice.
Base members of Starwood Preferred Guest who have opted to earn miles for stays will earn 2 miles for each eligible U.S. dollar with most airlines. Elite (Gold and Platinum) members of Starwood Preferred Guest who have opted to earn miles for stays will earn 3 miles for each eligible U.S. dollar with most airlines. Exceptions are as follows:
Air New Zealand AirPoints:
All members earn a flat 20 AirPoints per stay for hotels outside of Australia and New Zealand.
All members earn a flat 40 AirPoints per stay for hotels within Australia and New Zealand.
El Al Israel: All members earn a flat 12 El Al Points per stay.
Iberia Plus: Base members earn 1 Iberia Plus point for every eligible $5 US spent. Elite members earn 1.5 Iberia Plus points for every eligible $5 US spent.
LANPass: Base members earn 3.2 kilometers for every eligible $1 US spent. Elite members earn 4.8 kilometros for every eligible $1 US spent.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., reserves the right to provide any relevant information regarding your Starwood Preferred Guest account to your frequent flyer program in order to credit your account and for you to earn the applicable points or miles.
Miles can be earned on eligible charges from eligible stays as defined in Starwood Preferred Guest program terms and conditions, which may be found at SPG.com.
Valid for members of participating travel partner programs only.
Credit can only be earned in one program for each stay.
The election of Starpoints or airline frequent flyer credit cannot be changed for a given stay once check-out has taken place.
In order to earn miles, you must provide your Starwood Preferred Guest membership number at time of reservation or check-in.
Stays credited as miles will count towards elite levels of membership, as defined in Starwood Preferred Guest program terms and conditions at SPG.com.
Partner program terms and conditions apply.
Has anyone gotten US miles WITHOUT staying at the hotel?
Aug 26, 2009, 4:31 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,904
Here's 1 data point: I got Starpoints when dining at a Westin where I wasn't staying. It did not count as a stay and therefore I received no direct miles. So I agree with Tiki. In my case it was a bit of trouble because the restaurant had to call the front desk to take care of this. It probably wouldn't be worth it unless the hotel is not busy.
Aug 26, 2009, 5:43 pm
#34
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,786
From http://www.usairways.com/awa/content...GS09rules.aspx :
"Changes from 2008
No minimum spend requirement on US Airways credit or debit cards.
Each hotel stay counts as a hit, not every other stay.
Each car rental counts as a hit, not every other rental.
Hotel and car activity can be with the same partner each time or different partners.
No minimum points required to earn a hit for hotel transfers.
No minimum spend to earn a hit for a Dividend Miles Shopping Mall purchase."
"Changes from 2008
No minimum spend requirement on US Airways credit or debit cards.
Each hotel stay counts as a hit, not every other stay.
Each car rental counts as a hit, not every other rental.
Hotel and car activity can be with the same partner each time or different partners.
No minimum points required to earn a hit for hotel transfers.
No minimum spend to earn a hit for a Dividend Miles Shopping Mall purchase."
Aug 26, 2009, 5:51 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 45
I have received US miles many times without staying at Starwood properties. I fax the receipt and my Starwood Preferred Guest number to (519) 633-8557.
Aug 27, 2009, 9:11 am
#36
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,865
Looks like YMMV-some get it and some don't in practice. I asked the Starwood Lurker what the official policy is and waiting for him to check up on it, but it is interesting to see that some people get the miles and some don't.
Aug 27, 2009, 7:24 pm
#37
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: AA (1MM), Marriott (LT Gold)
Posts: 1,766
I know you're trying to get Lurker to take an official stance on the matter, but you are not the first. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...od-lurker.html
The more pertinent question is whether US Airways will view this activity as a hotel stay or a points transfer. "Hotel stay" activity can generate 6 partner credits, but "hotel points transfers" can only generate 1 partner credit from the same hotel program.
Aug 28, 2009, 4:37 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,865
Delta direct deposit for a restaurant bill without an associated stay counted in the Delta partner promo earlier this year for me.
I know you're trying to get Lurker to take an official stance on the matter, but you are not the first. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...od-lurker.html
The more pertinent question is whether US Airways will view this activity as a hotel stay or a points transfer. "Hotel stay" activity can generate 6 partner credits, but "hotel points transfers" can only generate 1 partner credit from the same hotel program.
I know you're trying to get Lurker to take an official stance on the matter, but you are not the first. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...od-lurker.html
The more pertinent question is whether US Airways will view this activity as a hotel stay or a points transfer. "Hotel stay" activity can generate 6 partner credits, but "hotel points transfers" can only generate 1 partner credit from the same hotel program.
I wish there was a Starwood here in Brisbane, I would just pop down there for breakfast to try it out but we will have to wait until we are in Paris next week.
I wonder if Club Bing might count here? They post as Air Incentives.
1 US Airways incentive partners. Maximum 1 Hit regardless of number of incentive partners used including but not limited to: Abbey Carpets, Google Check-out, Health Fusion, Loyalty Works, Vankomen Media, VOIP-Pal, Waterfront Place Hotel, WCI Communities
Last edited by Tiki; Aug 28, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Aug 30, 2009, 9:23 am
#39
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 425
I am not going to register for this program until after 9/1 just to be safe that they don't say "well you registered before you were technically able to register so we won't credit you any miles" like the Spring Ahead promotion fiasco.
I could have knocked this promotion out of the park so to speak but my corp travel just reduced a lot. I wish there had been a good promotion the past couple months after the Spring Ahead ended!
I could have knocked this promotion out of the park so to speak but my corp travel just reduced a lot. I wish there had been a good promotion the past couple months after the Spring Ahead ended!
Aug 31, 2009, 9:17 am
#40
Join Date: May 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: DL ♦M MM|HH♦|Marr Slvr|CO UA AA US|Pri Cub Plat|SPG|Avis 1st|Htz 5*
Posts: 5,044
Even better....
I think this will work.
Find a restaurant that is both a member of Div Miles Dining and restaurant.com. Buy a $10 gift certificate at restaurant.com for $2. Apply the discount code of TASTE for an 80% discount and pay only 40 cents. Then use the cert for an amount that exceeds $10 (most certs require a min purchase amount or min number of people) using a registered card at Div Miles Dining. Bang. You have one partner for the promotion. If you "click through" from another portal you can possibly double dip and get miles/points independent of Div Miles Dining.
Find a restaurant that is both a member of Div Miles Dining and restaurant.com. Buy a $10 gift certificate at restaurant.com for $2. Apply the discount code of TASTE for an 80% discount and pay only 40 cents. Then use the cert for an amount that exceeds $10 (most certs require a min purchase amount or min number of people) using a registered card at Div Miles Dining. Bang. You have one partner for the promotion. If you "click through" from another portal you can possibly double dip and get miles/points independent of Div Miles Dining.
- 1 hit for first US branded credit card when paying $2 for the certificate on line
- 1 hit for using restaurant.com (clicking through from Thanks Again)
- 1 hit for using a second US branded credit card for the balance in excess of the certificate value when dining
- 1 hit for Div Miles Dining (make sure the second cc above is registered through Div Miles Dining)
Voila! Four hits for, basically, one dining effort
Aug 31, 2009, 10:35 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
Sign up for Thanks Again as a US Aiways Dividend Miles member (here). Search for a merchant with the specification of "Restaurant- gift certificate" using a desired zip code. The results will link you to restaurant.com. Buy a $25 gift certificate and use TASTE as the discount code and it will cost you only $2.00 (at least that's what the email I just received from restaurant.com just told me). Use a US Airways branded credit card to buy the certificate. If you cross reference the restaurant with the participating restaurants that are part of Rewards Network (Div Miles Dining) you could earn the following (if you have two US branded credit cards):
Voila! Four hits for, basically, one dining effort
- 1 hit for first US branded credit card when paying $2 for the certificate on line
- 1 hit for using restaurant.com (clicking through from Thanks Again)
- 1 hit for using a second US branded credit card for the balance in excess of the certificate value when dining
- 1 hit for Div Miles Dining (make sure the second cc above is registered through Div Miles Dining)
Voila! Four hits for, basically, one dining effort
Mike
Aug 31, 2009, 10:43 am
#42
Join Date: May 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: DL ♦M MM|HH♦|Marr Slvr|CO UA AA US|Pri Cub Plat|SPG|Avis 1st|Htz 5*
Posts: 5,044
Aug 31, 2009, 10:51 am
#43
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: DCA: Go Nats! BWI/CLE: Go Tribe!
Programs: US3, WN, UA, AA, CO
Posts: 1,272
I wondered the same thing--Live Search Club counted as a hit last year, and I have e-mailed the DMSC to ask whether Club Bing will count as one of their incentive partners in this promotion.
Last edited by TribeFlyer; Aug 31, 2009 at 10:54 am Reason: corrected initials
Aug 31, 2009, 11:36 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 2.2MM LT Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,572
This is such a tempting promotion. I'm just trying to figure out how much effort I really want to put into this.
The first 12 points effectively earn 1k miles per point ($20 at 2 cents per mile)
The next 4 points effectively earn 2k miles per point ($40)
The last 12 points effectively earn 2.5k miles per point ($50)
That certainly seems worthwhile to shift some earnings preferences, and to take some incremental point-earning actions. I have four or five hotel stays and four or five car rentals already scheduled, so that's a big head start.
The first 12 points effectively earn 1k miles per point ($20 at 2 cents per mile)
The next 4 points effectively earn 2k miles per point ($40)
The last 12 points effectively earn 2.5k miles per point ($50)
That certainly seems worthwhile to shift some earnings preferences, and to take some incremental point-earning actions. I have four or five hotel stays and four or five car rentals already scheduled, so that's a big head start.
Aug 31, 2009, 3:00 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644