We have some fun going over the 10 craziest things I have done to earn miles and points, enjoy!
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Super busy here, probably the busiest stretch I have faced. No Buzz post, not much happening anyway.
Over the years I have done many crazy things to earn more miles & points. The addiction has been very strong, there is no cure I hear #ohno. I know others who have done much crazier things. I can actually keep a perspective about this addiction as I know how easy it is to lose it all and let it take over your life! To me, the fun aspect and the dopamine released into my brain for “scoring’ a deal and sticking it to a big faceless corporation is of primary importance hehe.
These off the top of my head, I am sure there are many others.
- I once flew to Amsterdam via Honolulu. I remember in Amsterdam I had just enough time to visit the bathroom, wash myself, change to a new set of clothes and brush my teeth before lining up for the security screening to fly back! I think I paid in the low $300s. Add the elite bonuses on top, wow! Northwest Worldperks Platinum baby, it was like a drug. Awesome highs for years, I don’t remember I missed an upgrade.
- I once flew Syracuse to Detroit to Seattle to Atlanta to Syracuse. 3 days in a row! Slept three nights in the Seattle to Atlanta flights before saying good morning to the same lounge attendant in the Atlanta lounge. Final go around I got a bump that pretty much paid for most of these tickets #winning.
- I flew to Honolulu back in the day when Northwest had ridiculously low fares and with the Platinum elite bonuses you could take a huge step in requalifying for Platinum. Got out of the plane, went to buy macadamia nuts, got back in the line. The same airport person we said hello to could not believe we were to fly back already! Many from Detroit were doing these flights back in those days. Met another Flyertalker on the flight who is a blog reader!
- As you all know, I still have a full set of hair. There was a promo by Bosley and Delta (or was it Northwest?) years ago that awarded 20k miles for a hair restoration consultation. Well, why not? My father started losing his hair in his late 60s so I was obviously concerned and just had to consult with them lol.
- Miss the awesome Northwest Worldperks promotions with its partners. I forget the name of it and they ran it for several summers. It had to do with using the partners, the more you used them the higher the miles you would earn. So, when the Dining Network was a participating partner and you can use them again (and again and…again), well, guess what. I went to the same local establishments and got me a small coffee at $1.06. Like over 150 times for hundreds of thousands of miles. I got so sick of their coffee near the end. When the cashiers saw me near the end of the promo it was ring, swipe and “see you soon”. No coffee please.
- One of the best scores ever was scoring the Fairmont Presidents Club Platinum status. LIFETIME Platinum status that is. It was with Living Social and it was to be Platinum status for a year. Google it. Well, someone screwed up and I just happened to be online that day when it broke. For $1,500 I have had Platinum status in Fairmont for several years. Complimentary night every year. Crapload of food certs. Free massage. 4 Passion benefits every year (choose more food certs!). Suite upgrades. And more. I should give away a Fairmont robe (or two) here one day. With Accor buying Fairmont we fear this ride may be over.
- In a Blue Angels airplane show I discovered that the drinks were Cokes. As in bottles. With the cap awarding Coke Reward points. Well son, grab some bags and get to work! I wish I had brought the whole family, we will have even more bags full of Coke bottle caps. Walking back to the car carrying bags full of caps and seeing others looking at us thinking we were bums collecting bottles for the recycling refunds, priceless! They had no idea that these were pure gold of course. Before they too devalued to oblivion!
- Many years ago there was a promo by Valuemags that awarded a ridiculously high number of miles per magazine subscription. I got in on that and got some people on my Christmas shopping list a magazine subscription. Some for several years. Why go to the mall when you can take care of it online and get a crap load of miles instead I say!
- Back in the US Mint dollar coins days I got to know the delivery driver really well. Super nice guy. Always kept a cheery demeanor even though I think the weight of my shipments may have caused him back troubles. I haven’t seen him in a long time. Hope his back is okay! From the Mint to the bank to circulate the dollar coins. I felt bad about that…a little.
- Okay, this one is a little out there as well. The plan was to have two kids all along. And the deal was I name the kids after my parents, assuming it was one boy and one girl of course. It’s a Greek tradition thing. So, lets just say my kids somehow had miles in their accounts before they were even born! #longtermplanning!
I have left out other forms of MS crap I used to do…just not crazy enough. It was all…execution lol.
And the cheesy blogger question: What is the craziest thing you have done to earn miles & points?
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Great stuff! Love the last one, I should have done it since I knew what name my first son would have. 🙂
Dubai to Toronto round trip business class on Aeroflot x 3 for NW/DL platinum status for two years. Mistake fare flown the first ten days of the year.
BRONZE! We need to have drinks and talk about the good ole NW days! Zone Certs rocked! I did the HNL run a few times too… $385 for 19keqm as my memory serves!
Oh yeah, $385, that was it!
I miss NW so much, the agents at Chisholm MN were the best. I always got whatever I wanted. Then Delta came in and the descent started…still sinking!
Its so weird NW couldnt make money and you say they were awesome. Delta makes money hand over fist and they are sinking? The wonderful world of Airlines.
Different era indeed!
Buying several thousand dollars of visa prepaids still seems weird to me if I think about it.
just “several thousand”?!?! Go for the Gold, get into 6-figures!
LOL. j/k
PedroNY
A lot of the stuff that we do is just weird. We are not normal. We are…sick 🙂
CrapitalOne ShareBuilder was running a promo where you could earn 2,500 Dividend Miles for making 1 trade. I became the proud owner of 1 share of Acura Pharmaceuticals. I have no idea what they do.
The best part was the it was stackable with a promo ShareBuilder was running at the time where you would earn $50 for opening a new account. I funded it with my Bluebird, so the ACH debit failed.
I ended up earning $50 and 2,500 Dividend Miles for $0.
Everyone in my family (an in-laws!) got 2,500 miles on this promo, back in the day! That was a good one. 🙂
Cheers,
PedroNY
I remember the ShareBuilder promo. I sat out. I am weird like that 🙂
Great Post! NWA was the best of the best, reminds me of my MSP living days. It sounds like mileage runs was you de facto way back in the day, great stories, I imagine.
Thank you for posting, even during this busy time of year, I imagine there are are a lot of clients who are waiting till April 17th to file. Good Luck!
Cheers,
PedroNY
NWA was THE best. So many people called it Northworst….I was really offended and got angry every time 🙂
Based on recent Blogger post’s, it seem that Miles and Points are OUT and FREE FOOD is IN. So I will do my part……free burrito on your birthday at Qdoba https://www.qdoba.com/rewards HT KUMAR…………………F Lying Ted.
Buzz I almost forgot to mention or compliment you on today’s post. I thought it was one of your best, highly entertaining, a keeper for sure…………..But then again I am a sentimental softy and yesterdays post by
DansDeals.com Only The Hottest Deals And Free Stuff!
“Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat For $16.88 Shipped From Walmart”….. just moved me to tears.
Is anyone else here getting hosed by Victoria’s Secret Secret Rewards Contest? Sent in 40 entries (cost $45.) got back 8 rewards worth $80. That just won’t buy that many Brassieres!!! I feel violated.
TBB comments section would not be the same without you, thank you!
#entertainment
I’m relatively new to the points and miles hobby so no stories from me. However, during college, I was crazy with collecting Coke bottle caps. Our college’s food provider only served Coke products. The only thing I actually got out of those Coke Rewards were magazine subscriptions.
Also, one of my two Panera accounts awarded me with a free bagel every day this month. Who wants a bagel?!
I never got one of those free every day for a month awards, I am jealous!
United.bomb karate trick shaved off YQ on trips to EU. This started the trick it thread on FT.
Each Avis rental awarding 9999 Skypesos.
I think I did a few of those 9999 Avis rentals too.
I am new to the game too, so no stories other than getting blacklisted by Staples online with my Ink+. Tried the McAfee virus promo back in Jan, I don’t think they liked how much I was trying to purchase + new customer to Staples.
Getting blacklisted is a badge of honor. I am still blacklisted by ETrade and Fidelity for opening too many accounts…repeatedly 🙂
Buying the no fee $500 gift cards from Chase seems very mundane now. But at the time I felt like a real buckaroo buying thousands and loading them to my four Bluebirds. No friends or family understood so I really did feel like the Lone Ranger.
We.Understand.You.Here 🙂
I have a good friend whose job requires buying incentives for a sales team, which is usually gift cards from grocery stores, but sometimes electronics online with portals. This has been about $140,000 in the past 2 years, but at one point she owed me $30,000 for final four tickets. We’ve also been able to get $1 off/gallon of gas for the last 18 months. She actually had her Amex Biz Platinum converted into a credit card (after paying off $50k+ on time) b/c her balance was 80% of her listed income.
Sorry, that was me above. I must have made my last smartass comment on this computer…
Sounds like a great place to work 🙂
Buzz you so crazy.
Hmmm, Pensione Suisse Roma has three nights of my 5 available, then one not, then the last one open. Still looking and wondering if I should considering moving mid-stay. Just hate to lose a day by having to hassle with that.
Also looking in Paris, maybe the Generator Hostel, private room. Common areas where people can mingle, I like that because I get lonely travelling alone. I like the level of service some bed and breakfasts provide, they really hold your hand, and as a noob without French or Italian language skills, that would be helpful. Not sure how much these hostel staffs help out with making arrangements and so forth.
Thanks for listening, it is just what is on my mind at the moment.
Never stayed in a hostel before, I don’t know!
Many in the hobby do the Vendome in Paris 🙂
2013 Every 3 days I rented a car from Avis to hit the KLM promo. Ended with 50,000 KLM miles, and Avis First