Better late than never. A snippet from the email has all the information you need:
To thank you, our elite members, we’re offering you 500 bonus Starpoints® per eligible night in September 2008. These bonus Starpoints are in addition to any bonuses for which you’re already registered.
Simply register by September 15, 2008, at http://SPG.com/thankyou500 and start collecting bonus Starpoints for all your September nights. Feel free to forward details to your friends and family so they can take advantage of this offer, too.
We know the airlines aren’t giving us any point perks so get ‘em while you can.
United Airlines recently added the feature for Mileage Plus members to purchase an additional 1,000 miles on upcoming roundtrip flights for a fee of $20. So, in addition to the miles you earn with your flight, they are letting you tack on a few extras. Registration in advance of your flight is required.
Terms and Conditions
As you are a valued United® Mileage Plus member, we are pleased to offer you a special opportunity: Receive an extra 1,000 bonus miles on your next United roundtrip for just $20. Simply register and pay $20, and your account will be credited with 1,000 bonus miles after your next paid, qualifying flight on United, United Express® or TedSM.
Registration is required prior to travel for each qualifying roundtrip completed before December 31, 2008. There is no limit to the number of bonuses you can earn, though only one bonus can be applied per roundtrip. The registration fee is $20 per bonus.
Members must register for this offer at united.com/addmiles between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. Valid credit card will be billed immediately for the registration fee. Registration fees are non-refundable and are subject to change. Prices are quoted in USD and include applicable federal excise tax. Roundtrip is required. A roundtrip is defined as travel from an origin city to a destination city with return travel beginning in the outbound destination city back to the first origin city with all segments on United, United Express or Ted. Open jaw and circle trips do not qualify. Valid only on paid, qualifying roundtrips completed between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. Members will earn 1,000 bonus miles on the first qualifying roundtrip originating and completed after offer registration. Valid only on flights operated by United, United Express or Ted and not on United-marketed code share flights operated by other carriers. Offer is combinable with other bonus mile offers. This bonus may be earned a maximum of one time per qualifying roundtrip. Members may register to earn this bonus an unlimited number of times for qualifying roundtrips completed by December 31, 2008. The registration fee is $20 per bonus. Must be a Mileage Plus member to participate in this offer. Miles for the completed qualifying flight must be posted to the Mileage Plus account in order to qualify for this bonus. Allow 1-2 weeks after your flight posts to your account for the bonus miles to be applied. Bonus miles do not count toward elite qualification. All standard Mileage Plus rules and conditions apply. Miles accrued, awards issued and bonus offers are subject to the rules of the United Mileage Plus program. The Mileage Plus program, including accruals, awards and bonus miles offers, is subject to change without notice. Offer subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. United and Mileage Plus are registered service marks. For complete details about the Mileage Plus program, visit www.united.com (MPD038)
This seems like a reasonable cost for miles ($0.02/mile) which is about market value of a mile. However, the miles do NOT count toward Elite Qualification.
This might also be viewed as a way for the airlines to capture more revenue from the consumer while further de-valuing the miles you accrue through actual flights.
For those who travel on the Monday to Thursday schedule, the idea of being out of town Sunday night can be both disheartening and de-moralizing. However, it does come with a few upsides: 1) airports are usually less crowded; 2) flights are less full, making it easier to get the elusive space-available upgrade; and 3) the added rest of not waking up at 4 AM on Monday helps you make it through a busy Monday out of town.
Starwood has just added an incentive to travel out on Sunday with added Starpoints for Thursday through Sunday stays. Register for the promotion here.
Terms and Conditions
Now through September 30, 2008, earn 1,000 bonus Starpoints for Sunday through Thursday stays at participating Starwood hotels and resorts.
*Participation dates vary by hotel. In addition, stays at Four Points® by Sheraton hotels will receive 500 bonus Starpoints rather than 1,000.
View participating hotels in: United States Canada Caribbean Hawaii
Happy travels.
We’ve received a few SPG promotions recently. This promotion targets travelers to the Chicagoland area. Register here and start collecting your bonuses.
Terms and Conditions:
Come back to Chicago this summer – we’ll make it worth your while!
Register now to receive:
- 1,000 bonus Starpoints for every 1-night stay
- 2,500 bonus Starpoints for every 2-night stay
- 5,000 bonus Starpoints for every 3-night stay
Up to a total of 25,000 Starpoints!
Just register now and your points will be awarded automatically. Valid for stays now through September 30, 2008, seven days a week at hotels in downtown Chicago, at the airport and throughout the Chicagoland suburbs.
Don’t miss this special bonus Starpoints offer. Simply register now, and be sure to book online to get the best rates!
Might not apply with special rate codes, so let us know your experiences with this one.
Dear *point* man:
I thought you would be the perfect person to ask this question. In your view, what is the best way (website or otherwise) to keep tabs on all your miles and points?
Sincerely,
Faraz Q
Honestly, Faraz, there is no real benefit to keep tabs because points are not the same as cash. They cannot be economically used for anything else besides flights, free stays, or free rentals. Therefore, I would just check the balance when planning trips. In the case of Southwest, where coupons can expire, just sell them on Craigslist or give them as gifts before their expiration date. I would also add that points actually decrease in value these days with all the restrictions and additional "processing fees" so it would be in your best interest to use them as soon as possible and avoid having a balance at all!
Keep those questions coming.
There’s not much to say other than register especially if you’re already staying at a Marriott hotel between July 1st and August 31st, 2008. You’ll earn 10,000 Marriott Rewards points for every third paid stay you make at Marriott.
Term and Conditions:
- Marriott Rewards members who register for this promotion will earn 10,000 bonus points every third paid stay, when their first paid stay and subsequent paid stays are made between July 1 and August 31, 2008, at a participating Marriott property – up to a maximum 30,000 points.
- Registration is required.
- Registration ends June 30, 2008.
- This offer is not transferable.
- Nights spent while redeeming an award are not eligible for credit.
- A stay is defined as consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity.
- Only one room per hotel is counted towards a member’s nights or stay.
- Members electing to earn miles are not eligible for this promotion.
- All Marriott Rewards program terms and conditions apply.
- Visit MarriottRewards.com, call 1-888-MARRIOTT, or call your local Marriott Rewards Guest Services office for complete details.
I don’t know why Marriott and other hotels do not automatically sign up frequent travelers for these promotions. Just imagine what a nice surprise it would be to see bonus points on your point statements without having to go through the tedious process of registering every quarter for the special promotion. Perhaps they are testing to see if you still care.
You can use it on a vacation or save your client some money. It’s a win-win. With gas prices continuing to rise, I can definitely see the car rental business losing some money as people start jumping on the "staycation" bandwagon.
Promotion Details Here:
The beginning of the summer travel season is the perfect time to enjoy a Free Tank of Gas from Hertz. Just rent any Economy through Full-Size vehicle for a minimum of three days and get a free tank of gas for use with your rental. Hurry, this offer is valid on vehicle pickups through June 30, 2008, with PC# 113120.
Stay green.
It seems that United, as of July 1st, will be going the way of its competitors in eliminating the 500-mile minimum for Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) on its flights and moving toward earnings based on actual miles flown. Complete details here.
This may impact those folks who fly short routes serviced by UA such as DC - NY and Chicago to…well..to anywhere under 500 miles!
Mileage Accrual Details
To ensure that Mileage Plus miles earned toward elite status and award travel on United are aligned with actual miles flown, we are revising our base accrual policy. Beginning July 1, 2008, for flights of less than 500 miles, passengers will earn redeemable miles equal to the actual miles flown. Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) will also be awarded based on actual miles. Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS) are not affected.
This new mileage accrual structure will apply to travel on or after July 1, 2008, regardless of when the travel was ticketed. Flights of less than 500 miles flown on or before June 30, 2008, will accrue Mileage Plus miles under the previous policy of a minimum mileage accrual per individual segment flown.
Look for these and other changes to make it more difficult to 1) achieve status and 2) accrue miles.
You have 3 days so register now if you’re a Starwood Preferred Guest. Simply register and stay at participating Starwood hotels or resorts between May 1 and May 31, 2008.
You have two choices in how you’ll earn your 10,000 bonus Starpoints:
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Earn 2,000 bonus Starpoints with every two eligible stays (up to 10 eligible stays and 10,000 bonus Starpoints).
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Or, earn 2,000 bonus Starpoints with every four eligible nights (up to 20 eligible nights and 10,000 bonus Starpoints).
Get your points, but don’t live for them.
Check with your current airlines - my bet is they are offering a similar program to their frequent flyers. "Qualifying" means these miles help you earn status which may not amount to much these days but it does mean you’ll be one of the first to board over the recreational travelers and possibly beat them out of a seat when going standby.
Click here to register.
Offer Details:
Registration is required by June 15, 2008. Only travel completed on or after date of registration is eligible for this offer.
Travel period: April 21, 2008 through June 15, 2008
Earn double Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) on United, United Express and Ted flights (two times the actual base flight miles)
This offer does not apply to class of service bonus miles or EQM, elite bonus miles, redeemable bonus miles, promotional EQM or Elite Qualifying Segments
Elite Qualifying Miles are not redeemable for flights but do count toward Premier®, Premier Executive® and 1K® status
Baby steps. That’s the best we can hope for.