Dining-for-Miles Bonuses From American, US Air Net 30 Miles Per Dollar Spent

In a recent blog post, I lamented the decline in the lucrative miles-for-dining bonuses that were once a fixture of the travel rewards landscape.

As if to prove me wrong, American and US Airways are offering 500 bonus miles for dines at Rewards Network restaurants where program members have not previously earned miles.

Offer Details

The bonus is 500 miles, and both offers require that a dining survey be completed within 30 days, but the two offers differ slightly in the minimum spend requirement and the promotion's end date, and in the maximum earning, as follows:

• American - 500 bonus miles for every new restaurant dine of $25 or more by September 30
• US Airways - one 500-mile bonus for a new restaurant dine of $30 or more by August 31

Again, the bonus is for dines at restaurants at which you haven't earned miles in the past.

The new bonus can be combined with the ongoing double-mile promotion (double miles for dining on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and filling out a restaurant review).

Deal or No Deal

If you live in an area where there are just a handful of Rewards Network restaurants, or you're simply not a miles-for-dining fan, this offer probably won't whet your appetite.

For the rest of us, though, the math is pretty mouth-watering, especially if the two current promotions are combined.

Let's say you spend $25 for a Monday lunch at a new restaurant, and fill out the online review form for that restaurant. By qualifying for the early-week promotion, you earn 10 miles per dollar spent, or 250 miles. Add to that the 500 miles from the new promotion, for a total of 750 miles. That's 30 miles for every dollar spent.

Reader Reality Check

I'm writing up a list of restaurants that will qualify for this bonus. And I plan to visit them on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays.

You?

Comments

[Tim Winship]

JS - Strange the rep would say that, when the terms & conditions clearly limit the US Airways bonus to a one-time 500 miles. But great that they overrode the limit for you. Keep an eye on your account, tho, in case their software is set to a award the bonus only once... no matter what the humans say.

[JS]

Thanks for the quick clarification Tim. Glad you figured out I was referring only to the USAir promo. Before having a chance to read your response, however, I spoke with a rep at the Dining Rewards Network for USAir to get their "official" take. Interestingly enough, he said that the promo is for every new dine with no maximum on bonus points earned during the promo period. I don't have it in writing but they notated my account. I'd be interested to hear if you get the same interpretation of the rules if you called them as well.

[Tim Winship]

JS - The 500 miles can only be earned once through US Airways' program, but can be earned an unlimited number of time in American's.

[JS]

Can someone clarify a particular detail? The article by Tim Winship states "the bonus is for dineS at restaurantS at which you haven't earned miles in the past", making it sound that All dineS at a new restaurantS during the promo period (until 8/31/2010) will earn the 500 mile bonus; so, conceivably one could earn thousands of miles for multiple new dineS. However, in the fine print of the promotion, it says "There is a maximum of 500 bonus miles that can be earned with this bonus", making it sound like you can earn the bonus for only one new dine and subsequent new dineS won't earn the 500 mile bonus miles. Any thoughts?

[JS]

Just a Heads up.
In doing comparisons I've found that not all restaurants that participate in the dining Rewards programs are uniformly carried by all airlines. Some businesses that are listed in a particular zip code by United are not listed in the Southwest listing. I must admit that I was surprised by that discovery, so be careful and not assume that you'll receive those coverted miles for any airline just becuase you received it from another.