Place of Travel Deals, Frequent Flyer/Guest Programs
Reader Pauline reported, she got declined on getting a new visa card because she already has AMEX card, I though it was just a bad luck, it seems to me that more people have reported, you have to be a new applicant to ALL CITI AA cards, not just the AMX/Master or Visa.
Maybe you can get one for personal and one for business, but if u ever had any AA CITI card before, you may not get anything.
According to this thread by Starwood Lurker, SPG AMEX Credit Card(US) will provide 2 additional benefits, but with higher annual fee
1 SPG and Amex will provide Cardmembers with five night credits each year. That means only 20 nights to achieve Gold status or 45 nights to reach Platinum status.
2 Cardmembers can also receive a complimentary third night when they use their Card to purchase a two night minimum stay at participating Sheraton hotels and resorts worldwide. This is an exclusive offer only available to SPG Cardmembers.
However, the annual fee will be increased to $65 per year.
5 free nights are nearly useless benefits and stay 2, get 3rd free, we will need to see how many hotels are participating and how they gonna load the rate.
I posted below for 40K sign up link, then I saw someone mentioned 75K offer and remember seeing one in my email earlier today, but delete right the way. Why? I did not read the detail email, only saw 75K, then saw 3 cards, then assumed 25K each, not good deal, deleted.
I can post link, does anyone want to give a try, I don’t see anywhere mentioned it’s a targeted promotion although diff people get diff offers.
Visa, Amex and Visa business
Visa, Visa business, and AMEX
This time is partner with Visa card again. Marriott gift card and vacation card is considered as Visa and it can even be used for prepaid rate
For many years, I don’t remember hear any good thing about US air other than their crazy buy miles promotion+good award chart. They had some crazy ideas such as removing inflight entertainment, charging for water, no bonus miles for elite members. They tried to make other airline to match their crazy ideas, but most of them failed, which is a good thing.
I flew with them in first class for the first time last weekend, it’s actually not bad at all. I think it’s much better than UA’s first class. Their seat is big and soft, but UA’s seat is hard and narrow.They have more flights equipped with in flight internet than UA. To be honestly, I think UA is currently having the worst domestic first class seat and equipment. No power, no internet, extremely uncomfortable seat, bad award redemption practice.
If you don’t live in a hub city, maybe u should give US airways a try.
According to Lucky, American will eliminates award close in fees for Gold and Platinum member and award redeposit fees for Executive Platinum start from tomorrow.
American Airline is really a unique one, they are the only major US carrier charges award redeposit fees for its top elite member. thanks they finally remove it. As for close in fee, I think CO and US will eliminate them eventually, even before CO and UA merge.
UA and AA offered this kind of discounted award redemption as a promotion in earlier 2008, 15000 miles for flights shorter than 750 miles. Since then, it’s never been offered again.
Now UA brings it back with more restrictions and shorter distance 700 miles for 17500 miles as a promotion. I consider it can be a good value because some short haul flights are very expensive even in coach class. Also, I am sure we all have no problem sitting in coach for a 700 miles flight.
Similar idea applies to award redemption for intra Europe flights, most intra Europe flights are short distance, but they are not cheap. 25,000 miles for a coach seat within Europe is a good value(obviously depends on where u go), not to mention most flights’ business class is just a economy class seat with mid seat blocked.
Any, here is the term for the promotion:
If Gary is the person who have redeemed the most number of award tickets, I am probably the person who spent the most unpaid time on loyalty programs– at least 5-6 hour per day.
I am sure some of you may be surprised, what do I do each day for some many hours? For me, in addition to read the blog I mentioned in previous posts, I read every flyertalk forum that I have miles with once per day, but still, that won’t take too long. The most time consuming are account management and trip arrangement for total 12 people including me and my wife and all intermediate family members. Those involves too many airlines and hotels booking for both paid and award, not to mention the entire trip planning. Like my parents want to go Europe and Japan in next 6 months on 2 separate trips, so I need to set everything up including award ticket, hotel, trip planning, local Chinese speaking guide hire in case I will not be there with them.
So now you guys know how “busy” I am everyday now. 
ed asked me in comment section”where to spend 10 minutes per day looking for deals?”
Here is my suggestions:
Gary’s blog, Lucky’s blog, Loyalty Traveler, my blog and Dans deals are enough for deals hunting, trust me, when there is a great deal around, you will find them from one of these blogs.
I joined my first loyalty program in 2001-Air China, then successfully redeemed a round trip from PEK-PVG in 2004 after 2 or 3 R/T(don’t remember) btw LAX-PEK. After that, I thought this was so cool, you flew few times, then you could get something for free. Oh yeah!! I then I asked myself, if airlines have these programs, hotels should have similar. Of course they have, I found out SPG, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Hyatt, etc. In the beginning, I was just like most people, get very little points/miles by room rate or flying, but that did not last long. In 2005, I read a blog entry(I think Gary changed the entry’s name, it was something like”how to spend 670,000 points on a trip”) and realized there are lots lots more in the world of loyalty programs, it’s not just something fly more, get more.
After that, I spent lots of time to learn most major programs on earth, not just earning and redeeming,but everything. At the same time, I learned many useful travel related tips, how to find best fare, cheapest hotel, car rental etc. Almost 6 yeas since I read Gary’s blog and Flyertalk now, I have enjoyed luxury travel with my wife and my family for the price of motel , cheap coach ticket and see the place I otherwise wouldn’t see without high cost, I don’t normally have to wait in line at check in, security or boarding process, I don’t have to worry about flight cancellation, I don’t pay high rate for hotel because I have points to burn, same thing for air. I also applied similar idea to other area such as stacking coupons/discounts/rebates together to make nearly all my household items free or even with profit. Or to make a $700 Brand new Washer cost less than $200 all inclusive.
I don’t say Loyalty programs have changed my life, because I learned them early enough before I even started to enjoy my life, but I do say they are part of my life now, to me, they are like a game to play everyday. Maybe eventually I will get bored, but for now, I am happy with what I am playing!
