Best Bets – November, 30 2004

Best Bets – November, 30 2004
  1. It’s back (again)! Hyatt has reintroduced its Faster Free Nights promotion, the perennial Freddie-Award contender that never really seems to die. Until Feb. 28, 2005, Hyatt Gold Passport members will earn a free night after every two qualifying stays paid for with a MasterCard.

    For details and to register, visit http://www.goldpassport.com, or call 1-800-51-HYATT.

  2. Hawthorn Suites is making travel more rewarding with its “Stay Here. Stay There. Stay Free.” promotion designed for members of Hyatt’s Gold Passport program. Through Dec. 31, Gold Passport members can earn a free night at Hawthorn Suites with every stay at a different location.

    This means that members need only complete one stay at Hawthorn, and for every stay thereafter at a different location, they will earn a free night during the promotion period.
    The free nights can be redeemed at participating Hawthorn Suites through June 30, 2005. For complete promotional terms and conditions visit http://www.goldpassport.com.

  3. Do you have 15 hotel stays scheduled before Jan. 31, 2005? If so, you could be 25,000 points richer.
    Marriott Rewards is offering members 5,000 bonus points for every third stay completed between Sept. 15 and Jan. 31, 2005, at a Marriott hotel when they pay with an American Express Card. Members can earn the bonus up to five times.

    To take advantage of this lucrative offer, register online at http://www.marriottrewards.com or call 1-888-MARRIOTT (1-888-627-7468) during the promotional period.

  4. As we approach the holidays, remember that nearly every major airline program offers special mileage-earning deals through their online malls. And if you happen to be a Delta SkyMiles member, you’re in for a special treat. SkyMiles members who shop at SkyMall.com before Dec. 31 will earn a full 15 miles per dollar spent on every purchase. That’s easily the best online shopping deal going.

    See http://www.skymall.com/delta15 for details.

  5. Are we reading this right? It seems that after we’ve been touting the standard 15,000-mile bonus for getting a United Mileage Plus Visa card, someone’s come along and topped it. At least for the foreseeable future, successful applicants for the United Mileage Plus Signature Visa card will now earn a full 20,000 miles on their first purchase.

    The link is too long to reproduce here, but interested applicants can find out more by logging on to http://www.FlyerTalk.com, clicking into the “Mileage Buzz” forum, and then entering the “list of current mileage deals creating a buzz.”

  6. It seems that popular promotions are coming back from the dead at a rate that would make George Romero proud. And Northwest’s Fly Free Faster is no exception.

    Until Feb. 15, WorldPerks members who successfully apply for the WorldPerks Visa card, then earn two partner credits for renting a car, staying at a hotel, dining out, using the phone or shopping online will earn 5,000 bonus miles.

    Check out http://www.nwa.com/offers/fff2ndchance for details.

  7. AirTran Airways is offering double credit to its A+ Rewards members for all travel booked at www.airtran.com through Jan. 31, 2005, and completed during the same time period. Members can earn a free one-way coach ticket after only 1 1/2 roundtrips in business class, or two roundtrips in coach.
  8. Southwest Airlines is offering double credit to Rapid Rewards members for a limited time only. Members can receive double credit when they purchase airfare on southwest.com using their Visa card. Purchase and travel must be completed by Dec. 15.

    For more information, visit http://www.southwest.com/visadoublecredit. A reminder: This program still has an online booking bonus in place until April 1, 2005.

  9. Southwest Rapid Rewards has announced that its “bonus credit for online booking” promotion, originally slated to end on Dec. 31, has been extended to April 1, 2005.

    The one-credit-per-roundtrip booking offer essentially allows members to earn three credits for each roundtrip, making a free flight (at 16 credits) available after just over five roundtrips. (One-way flyers earn half a credit.)

  10. Alaska Mileage Plan continues its winning ways with yet another award sale – this time offering discounted award travel between any city in Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Oregon or Washington and the California cities of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, or Long Beach.

    Book your award travel online at http://www.alaskaair.com for travel on Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air and save 7,000 miles off the regular 20,000-mile Mileage Plan Coach Saver award.

    This offer is valid for travel between Jan. 10 and March 15, 2005. In addition to the standard Saver award blackout dates, the 7,000-mile discount is not available on Feb. 17-21 or 26-27, 2005.

  11. We may be jumping the gun here, but when a Freddie Award winner returns, we take notice.

    InterContinental Hotels Group will be bringing back its “Double Points or Double Miles” promotion next month. Members will earn double their usual number of points or miles beginning with their second qualifying stay from Jan. 17 to April 30. Guests of Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites will start earning double with the first qualifying stay of at least five consecutive nights.

    To register, visit http://www.priorityclub.com/double. Or call 1-888-560-5660 and enter 1590 when prompted. Keep in mind that the promotion doesn’t officially start until January, so the link may not yet be live, and the representative may have no idea what you’re talking about, at least not yet.