As a sales engineer, I have traveled extensively throughout 5 continents, and it has been a wonderful experience broadening my concept of the world and doing business throughout it. This post is about some of the other benefits I’ve gained from traveling and some ideas for other travelers.
Point, points, points. I may not be as prodigious with the points programs as George Clooney’s character in the movie Up in the Air, but sometimes I feel I’m playing the same game. I’ve been able to have wonderful family vacations and weekends away because of those points. This post is about the points programs that have been especially fruitful given all the travel I do.
Starwood Preferred Guest (Sheraton, Westin, W, Hotels) – Every year I make their Platinum guest level, which means I usually get their best rooms at any property, free Internet Access, breakfast, and evening cocktails no matter what rate I book a room at. It also means I stay approximately 50 nights a year with the chain. They often run double/triple point promotions, as well as free weekend nights for every 3 week days. They also have a partnership with American Express that pays 3 points for every dollar spent at their hotels/restaurants. The miles and the promotions add up quick, and my family and I go to Hawaii for a week or more a year plus we take weekends away throughout California. They have an excellent website, where I feel I can do most of my interactions with the program. The SPG program has been fruitful.
United Mileage Plus – As much as I complain about not getting upgraded or uncomfortable seats on United Airlines long haul flights, for the most part their mileage program has been very good to me over the years, and my company pays for their Red Carpet Club Lounge for me every year. They are officially the largest airline in the world now that they have merged with Continental. Although, I get the feeling that they are starting to cut back since the merger, and many of the staff and flight crew I’ve met are fearful for their jobs. Sometimes I feel like dealing with United is like dealing with a big bureaucratic government. Lately I have been feeling like my 100,000 mile a year status is not really all that its cracked up to be. They might even stop flying to the airport a mile from my house, which might be the death nail for my commitment to United. The quality of their long haul flights has been awful lately. Adding insult to injury, they have been very profitable the last few quarters probably due more to the outrageous fees they have started charging (for luggage, Economy Plus, food) & cutbacks they have made in flight schedules. Their website (circa 2010...that seems circa 1999) is awful, and often requires that I pick up a phone to get things done with the airline....hold time, repeating stuff to different agents, aggravation. My friends on American Airlines have an awesome iPhone application, and they rarely call the call center.
I have have flown over 750,000 miles with them, and taking away the 3 years I lived in Australia and could not fly a Star Alliance Carrier, I’ve averaged nearly 100,000 miles per year with them since I made them my preferred carrier. Our yearly family flights to Hawaii are subsidized by these miles, and I usually end up getting a few free flights to the East Coast from California for the whole family. United gives miles for every mile traveled, plus bonus miles per flight for reaching certain status levels and booking certain fare classes. Free tickets can be as little as 15,000 miles, but usually 25,000 for domestic flights (a bit more for Hawaii). Lately the more last minute and off peak I book with miles, the least amount of points it costs. It’s a little rough to plan a family vacation that way. Planning ahead usually means paying more. I am looking into other programs, but it is tough to change because the closest airports to us are serviced primarily by United. Although my pals tell me that both American and Delta offer great programs with less bureaucracy .
National Rental Car – What I love most about National is the Emerald Aisle selection of cars and the FAST process to pick up and drop off a car. I feel like I’ve been able to test drive all kinds of cars around big cities because I can choose exactly what car I want from what cars are available. I have “Executive Selection” status with National, so I tend to get a bit more luxurious cars. I’ve grabbed convertible Mustangs, supped up Chargers, Chrysler 500s, nice SUVs, and even some cars that have surprised me (like Hyundai Sonatas or Toyota Priuses). I rack up free rentals with them quickly and they send my receipt via email almost the very instant I return the car. They also have a good website that lets me have any interaction I need with National. When I used to have status with Hertz or Avis, it was never this easy or this good.
At the end of the day, points programs can’t replace the time I spend away from my family or alleviate often stressful travel situations. They can, however, help make our family vacations that much more special and give us experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise had.
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