Way back in 2000, GlobalPass (then known as LatinPass) made an offer few could refuse.
By flying at least one international segment on each of 10 LatinPass partners, flying at least three segments on any partner airline, and staying a minimum of three nights in at least two partner hotels and renting a car for a minimum of five days from a car rental partner, members could earn a cool 1 million miles.
As any mileage-game observer could have predicted, the proverbial crowd went wild. So wild, in fact, that LatinPass began adding caveats and clarifications right and left, and pulled the plug on new registrations earlier than originally planned.
In an honorable move, LatinPass eventually lifted some of those after-the-fact restrictions, and many savvy flyers were able to complete their planned mileage runs, including our own Randy Petersen.
Now, a trip down memory lane is always fun, but why now?
Well, if you’re one of those fortunate few, remember this: LatinPass miles expire in three years in the absence of account activity. Translation: If you partook of the LatinPass million-mile challenge and haven’t kept your account active, you might be kissing a lifetime’s worth of mileage good-bye.
Generally, transferring miles to and from partner programs would suffice as “account activity,” and reinvigorate your expiring miles for another three years.
But think again if you want to make that transfer to Hilton HHonors. As of April 30, GlobalPass miles became non- transferable to HHonors points. Now the only transfer options that remain viable are American Express Membership Rewards, Diners Club Club Rewards, Dividend Club and Marriott Rewards. The Membership Rewards, Club Rewards and Marriott Rewards programs are strictly “inbound”; that is, you may only transfer miles into your Global Pass account from those programs. In Marriott’s case, this will require that you call Marriott, let them know that you wish to earn GlobalPass miles instead of Rewards points, and make a stay.
Don’t delay. It’d be a shame to lose those miles.
