FrequentFlier.com: February 2012

How to Survive the March 3rd United-Continental Merger

Posted by Tim Winship on February 29, 2012

On March 3, the new MileagePlus program consolidates and replaces the current Continental OnePass and United MileagePlus programs.

Most of the consolidation of the two programs will happen automatically, behind the scenes. But not all of it. And as with any large-scale computer project that involves the merging and purging and modifying of tens of millions of records, there's the potential for niggling lapses if not outright mayhem.

Here's what you need to know, and do, to guarantee a smooth transition.

Membership Account Numbers & Passwords

Current 11-digit MileagePlus account numbers will be retired in favor of OnePass eight-character numbers. If you have both United and Continental accounts, your OnePass number automatically replaces your United number in the new program. If you have no OnePass account, you will be issued a new eight-character MileagePlus number to replace your current one.

Passwords linked to your OnePass or MileagePlus accounts will remain the same, unless you have accounts in both programs. In that case, when the accounts are merged, the MileagePlus password will automatically replace your OnePass password.

Miles

"A one-time grant of MileagePlus award miles equivalent to your OnePass reward miles balance will be added to your MileagePlus account. We will do the same with elite qualifying activity and upgrades."

In other words, on March 3, OnePass and MileagePlus miles will be consolidated in a single MileagePlus account.

If you have not manually linked your accounts, the consolidation should take place automatically. The "should" is important here because the two accounts can only be combined if the member information is sufficiently alike in both accounts to trigger a merge. If you use different names (William in one, Bill in the other, for example) or have different mailing addresses in the two accounts, they may not auto-combine.

Credit Cards

If you have either a OnePass or a MileagePlus credit card from Chase, there's no need to do anything.

While your OnePass credit card account statements will henceforth refer to it as a United MileagePlus Explorer card, you can continue using the current OnePass card until it's actually replaced by a MileagePlus-branded card "no later than September 2012."

If you have both the OnePass Plus MasterCard and the MileagePlus Explorer Visa cards, you will have two MileagePlus Explorer cards post-merger, a MasterCard and a Visa. You can retain one and cancel the other, or keep both.

Elite Status

Elite members will receive benefits linked to the new 2012 Premier program beginning on March 3.

Status will be based on elite-qualifying activity in both your OnePass and MileagePlus accounts.

Checks and Balances

Here's what to do on or after March 3 to ensure you survive the cut-over with all your miles and elite perks intact:

Check your account to confirm that miles from your OnePass and MileagePlus accounts have been properly consolidated. And verify that you have been granted proper elite status as well.
Check your account details to ensure your contact information is current. (When accounts are merged, the most recent street address will be retained, and email address on file with MileagePlus will replace the one in your OnePass profile.)
Check outstanding reservations to confirm old MileagePlus numbers have been auto-replaced with new ones.
Check your earning preferences with any hotel or rental car programs to be sure that your new MileagePlus number is in place if you wish to earn United miles.

Reader Reality Check

How has the transition been for you? Any problems?

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Win a Transatlantic Cruise for 2 on the Queen Mary 2

Posted by Tim Winship on February 28, 2012

Enter Cunard's "Famous Transatlantic Crossing" sweepstakes by March 31 for a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for two on the Queen Mary 2.

The prize trip includes the following:

Seven-day Transatlantic crossing between New York and Southampton on the Queen Mary 2
Balcony stateroom
Roundtrip air and town-car transfer to departure port
Bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne
Spa treatment

To enter, provide the requested contact information on the sweepstakes landing page.

Time required to enter: less than 30 seconds.

The Fine Print

Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 21 years of age at the time of entry.
Prize trip must be completed by December 30, 2012.
Limit: one entry per person.
Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") of the grand prize: $8,910.

Somebody has to win, right? Might as well be you.

Want to get away for free? Check out our picks of the best current travel rewards sweepstakes.

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Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles for Spirit's Phoenix Flights

Posted by Tim Winship on February 27, 2012

Through April 30, Free Spirit members can earn 10,000 bonus miles for round-trip Spirit flights to or from Phoenix (5,000 miles each way).

In Spirit's program, 10,000 bonus miles are enough for two round-trip off-peak award tickets for travel on flights of 1,250 or fewer miles if you are a Free Spirit MasterCard cardholder.

Deal or No Deal

The last time we heard from Spirit, the low-cost-but-fees-for-everything carrier was offering 5,000 bonus miles for flights anywhere in its network.

In most programs, such a significant bonus, earned for any and every flight, would be a winning combination. But as I pointed out at the time, the shortcomings of the airline's Free Spirit program seriously undermine the value of Spirit miles and of any promotion that awards them.

That holds true for the current promotion as well. Even with twice as many bonus miles on offer, the singular focus on Phoenix flights—which are limited to flights between Phoenix and either Dallas or Las Vegas—makes this a weak offer, with limited applicability, from a lackluster program.

Unless you're a certified Spirit loyalist, or you just can't find a better price to or from Phoenix, this offer is a no-go.

Reader Reality Check

I'm obviously not a fan of the Free Spirit program. Are you?

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Upgrade to a Sheraton Club Room, Earn 1,000 Bonus Points

Posted by Tim Winship on February 24, 2012

Pay more. Get more. Get rewarded. That's the premise of this new promotion from Sheraton.

Offers Details

Between February 21 and May 31, Starwood Preferred Guest members will earn a 1,000-point bonus for every Sheraton Club-level stay charged to an American Express card.

Eligible stays must be booked using DAILYFS or SICLUB rate plans, referencing promotion code CL1 if booking by phone.

More than 300 Sheratons have Club lounges. Benefits vary by property but generally include free wi-fi and complimentary breakfast, drinks, and snacks.

Platinum members are automatically upgraded to Club rooms, when available.

Deal or No Deal

While there's no set network-wide formula, Club rooms tend to be priced $20 to $30 higher than non-Club rooms. Worth it? Quite possibly, especially if it includes breakfast. If so, the bonus points are icing on the cake.

Otherwise, the Club surcharge can be viewed as the price to buy an extra 1,000 points.

Worth a look in any case.

Reader Reality Check

Club room, anyone?

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New Aeroplan Award Option: Music & Other Digital Media Downloads

Posted by Tim Winship on February 23, 2012

Canada's Number 1 loyalty program, Aeroplan, ain't what it used to be.

Last year, the program's award chart underwent significant modifications, resulting in higher prices for many of the more desirable award flights. And more recently, the program has begun imposing fuel surcharges on many partner awards, further eroding the value of an Aeroplan mile.

For those with miles in the program, however, there's a new redemption option that may take some of the sting out of the recent setbacks.

Aeroplan members may now redeem their miles for music, e-books, Facebook credits, games, and other apps through the Media Store.

It's a two-step process:

Redeem miles for credits in blocks of 25, 50, or 100.
Redeem credits for digital downloads at the Media Store.

Prices: 3,000 miles for 25 credits; 5,500 miles for 50 credits; 11,000 miles for 100 credits. So each credit costs either 120 or 110 miles, depending on the quantity purchased. If a mile is worth around 1.2 cents (my valuation), each credit is worth around $1.32.

Deal or No Deal

The Media Store isn't exactly iTunes, but that was clearly the model. There's a fast and robust search function, and individual tracks may be previewed before buying.

The key question, of course, is value. How much are your miles worth when redeemed for music and e-books?

For context, most albums fall into the nine-to-15 credit range. Adele's "21" is available for 10 credits, for example, as is Joni Mitchell's "Blue." So those albums cost $13.20, if the credits are valued according to the value of the miles required to acquire them.

That's a bit more than you'd spend elsewhere—Adele's album is $11.12 at Amazon.com—but not so much more that the deal is a no-go.

Most individual tracks are priced at one credit apiece, or about $1.32 worth of miles. Tracks on iTunes cost $0.99 each. Again, you're paying a premium for the convenience of using miles, but a modest enough premium that the price is not a deal-breaker.

For Now: Canadians Only

For Aeroplan members who are U.S. residents, there's bad news: "The Service may be accessed and used only by natural persons located in Canada and is not available in any other location. If you are not located in Canada you may not access or use the Service."

The longer-term prospects are better. Now that the system has been developed and is in place—the technology is provided by Hip Digital Media—my best guess is that we'll see similar offerings from the major U.S. programs in the near future, perhaps also using Hip Media's back end if their agreement with Aeroplan isn't exclusive.

Reader Reality Check

Is this a compelling use of frequent flyer miles?

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Starwood Award Prices Will Change on March 1

Posted by Tim Winship on February 22, 2012

As it does every year, Starwood has reviewed its entire portfolio of hotels and, based on some combination of average daily rates and occupancy levels, adjusted the award prices of approximately 220 of its 1,000-plus hotels.

The new rates take effect on March 1.

According to my count, award prices at around 180 hotels are increasing, versus decreases at only approximately 140 hotels.

Of course, what matters most is the price changes at hotels where you plan to stay. Helpfully, Starwood has published a list of hotels affected by the changes, both positively and negatively.

Making the Best of the Changes

If you're a Starwood Preferred Guest member planning to redeem points for award stays after March 1, review the list and proceed as follows:

If your stay is at a hotel whose price will increase, book the stay at the current lower rate, before March 1.
If your stay is at a hotel whose price will decrease, wait until the new lower rate takes effect on March 1 to book the stay.

The clock is ticking ... don't miss the chance to lock in today's lower price if your hotel's rate is set to increase.

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Win Up to 1 Million Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

Posted by Tim Winship on February 21, 2012

Enter Southwest's "Partner Palooza" sweepstakes by May 15 for a chance to win the grand prize: as many as 1 million Rapid Rewards points, plus a Companion Pass for one year, plus a check for up to $4,878 to cover the taxes associated with the prize. (One million points will be awarded if 350,001 or more registrations are received. Fewer registrations mean a smaller prize.)

Other prizes, which also vary according to the number of participants:

First Place - Up to 200,000 Rapid Rewards points and A-List Preferred status for one year
Second Place - Up to 75,000 Rapid Rewards points
Third Place - Up to 50,000 Rapid Rewards points

There are also a slew of Instant Win prizes from Rapid Rewards partners, including three-day Hertz car rentals, Best Western travel cards, free Choice and La Quinta hotel nights, and so on.

To enter, provide the requested contact information on the sweepstakes landing page. That gets you one entry. After registering, you may receive additional entries by making purchases from participating Rapid Rewards partner companies and for using or signing up for the Rapid Rewards credit card.

Time required to enter: less than 30 seconds.

In addition to the sweepstakes and Instant Win, there's a bonus component to the Partner Palooza: After registering, Rapid Rewards members will earn 500 bonus points for every 2,000 points earned from two or more unique partner purchases, up to a maximum of 4,000 bonus points. Points earned through the Rapid Rewards credit card, Diners Club Club Rewards, Ultimate Rewards, and partner sign-up points do not count toward the bonus.

The Fine Print

Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.
Participants must have a valid Rapid Rewards membership number.
Limit: one entry per person for the Instant Win game, 215 entries for the sweepstakes.
Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") of the grand prize, if the full 1 million points are awarded: $21,138.

Somebody has to win, right? Might as well be you.

Want to get away for free? Check out our picks of the best current travel rewards sweepstakes.

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Earn Hilton HHonors Points for Texts

Posted by Tim Winship on February 17, 2012

Need a few extra Hilton HHonors points? I did. And sooner rather than later, according to the email I received from Hilton:

Dear Tim Winship,

This is a special reminder that time is running out on your HHonors account. To keep your account active, you must earn HHonors points at least once every 12 months. Otherwise, all of your points may be forfeited.

Because you are a valued member, we'd like to give you a final chance to save all of your accumulated points. There are lots of easy ways to do so, but you must act by April 01, 2012.

Any account activity will keep my points from expiring. And in a program as robust as HHonors, that leaves me plenty of options. But the following promotion fits the bill especially well.

Offers Details

Through June 30, Hilton HHonors members can earn 1,000 points for registering a text-enabled mobile phone number and a Visa card. Once registered, you'll receive "up to two special offers each week via text message." The good news: You can opt out at any time.

In addition to the up-front bonus, you can earn 4,000 more bonus points after spending $100 with your registered card at any U.S. Hilton hotel or resort.

You may register up to three Visa cards.

Deal or No Deal

The texting portion of the promotion is a relatively quick, pain-free way to earn a modest number of HHonors points. And in my case, because the transaction will keep my points from expiring, the bonus is doubly rewarding. Sure, those text messages will probably be more of an annoyance than a revelation, but opting out is easy as well.

The 4,000-point spending bonus has an unpublished upside as well—it's combinable with Hilton's first-quarter points and miles promotions, both in effect through March 31.

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Alaska Airlines Adds Emirates to Mileage Plan Lineup

Posted by Tim Winship on February 16, 2012

Alaska Airlines has long played David to the U.S. airlines' Goliaths, a smallish regional airline with an outsized presence that belies its true size.

In particular, Alaska's Mileage Plan is a loyalty program befitting an airline many times its size, with a partner lineup that features earning and redemption on the likes of Air France, American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Icelandair, KLM, Korean Air, LAN, and Qantas.

Beginning on March 1, that impressive list gets even longer with the addition to the program of Emirates, the Dubai-based carrier that flies to 100 cities in 66 countries and boasts one of the world's youngest aircraft fleets.

Initially, Mileage Plan members will only be able to earn miles when flying Emirates. Program members will have to wait until "late 2012" to redeem their miles for free flights on Emirates.

Earning rates will be as follows: 50 percent actual flight miles for discount coach tickets (M, B, U, K, Q, L, T, V, X, H classes of service); 100 percent actual flight miles for full-fare coach (Y, E, R, W classes of service); 125 percent actual flight miles for business class (C, J, I classes of service); and 150 percent actual flight miles for first class (F, A, P classes of service). Emirates miles will count toward earning Mileage Plan elite status.

As is standard industry practice in promoting such tie-ups, Mileage Plan members will earn double miles on Emirates flights between March 1 and to May 31.

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New InterContinental Earning Rate Takes Effect Today

Posted by Tim Winship on February 15, 2012

Effective today, Priority Club Rewards members will earn 10 points for every eligible $1, or local-currency equivalent, spent at InterContinental hotels in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The previous earning rate was 2,000 miles per stay.

The change brings the Americas InterContinental properties into alignment with Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express hotels. The InterContinental hotels in other regions will be covered by the new earning rate "in due course."

According to IHG's press release, program members can expect to earn approximately three times more points under the new scheme. That may be true on average, and certainly lengthy stays at pricier InterContinentals will now earn more. But one-nighters at cheaper locations will earn less.

Although a positive one, the move is overdue and remains incomplete. Still, it at least partially offsets last month's increase in Priority Club award prices.

Reader Reality Check

About time? Too little, too late? What's your take on the change?

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21 posts from February 2012

02/29/2012

How to Survive the March 3rd United-Continental Merger

02/28/2012

Win a Transatlantic Cruise for 2 on the Queen Mary 2

02/27/2012

Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles for Spirit's Phoenix Flights

02/24/2012

Upgrade to a Sheraton Club Room, Earn 1,000 Bonus Points

02/23/2012

New Aeroplan Award Option: Music & Other Digital Media Downloads

02/22/2012

Starwood Award Prices Will Change on March 1

02/21/2012

Win Up to 1 Million Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

02/17/2012

Earn Hilton HHonors Points for Texts

02/16/2012

Alaska Airlines Adds Emirates to Mileage Plan Lineup

02/15/2012

New InterContinental Earning Rate Takes Effect Today