New online shopping notes: bonus miles/points for Forever 21 and Gilt Groupe

Posted: January 23, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Shopping | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

The most recent mailing I received from AAdvantage eShopping lists Forever 21 as a new retailer, thus you can earn 2 bonus AA miles per dollar on Forever 21 purchases made through the AAdvantage portal. I cross-referenced this with United’s MileagePlus shopping and they are now offering 1 mile per dollar 2 miles on the dollar (evreward.com mistakenly has Forever 21 listed as earning only 1 United mile per dollar). (Updated 1/24/2012 but United is also offering 500 bonus miles for $75 spent on a single purchase through Jan 31.)  This is excellent news for me. I shop at Forever 21 far more often than is dignified and acceptable at my age but at least now I can use the earning of bonus miles as an excuse. (Did they really need to name the store Forever 21? How about Forever 27? Or Forever 40? That buys me a lot more time.)

On another note, when I made my two initial purchases on Gilt Groupe in order to garner 1500 bonus United/Continental miles for both me and my boyfriend, I had shopped through the Marriott shopping portal and also received 4 Marriott points per dollar spent. Double-dipping works in this case because you don’t have to shop through the United MileagePlus portal in order to receive 1500 bonus miles AND 5 miles per dollar spent. Register here. They’ve imposed a $50 minimum purchase requirement since I made my purchase of a single jar of powdered ginger.

So on one Gilt Groupe purchase, I received

1. 1500 United Miles for signing up

2. 5 bonus United miles per dollar spent

3. 4 Marriott points per dollar spent (these took forever… about 3 months… to post, but just in time to boost my account for my next Marriott points-stay).

This little jar of ginger powder earned me a boatload of miles and points.

50 bonus United/Continental miles per Facebook check-in

Posted: December 14, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Accruing miles through social media | Tags: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

I’ve been grudgingly liking a lot of things on Facebook lately, in order to enter unlikely sweepstakes and jump on some promotion or another (or get Mucinex coupons). I’ve long come to terms with the notion that my Facebook profile does not reflect my inner soul nor my remarkably vibrant personality. (My collection of fridge magnets, however, is still highly indicative of who I truly am.)

Happily, this means I can actively take part in a program where you can earn 50 United or Continental miles (per 24 hour period) for a Facebook (or Foursquare, which I don’t use. I’m not even really sure what that is.) check-in at or near any of these airports. Register here.

Sure, you can remember to check in on Facebook whenever you’re flying, but the coolest thing about the program is that you don’t really have to be AT the airport, just in its vicinity — close enough for a check-in. I tested this during the minute and a half it took my megabus last night to hurtle past the Newark airport on the turnpike and successfully confused several friends who noticed the check-in on my wall. They assumed I was like, flying off somewhere.

Mercifully, I had the presence of mind to whip out my iPhone and check in during my active digestion of a really awesome dinner (the sashimi omakase at Jewel Bako, pictured below with the full intention of inciting great envy. I’d label the fish, but I think it would piss off the environmentally aware.) and almost immediately, I received an email from MileagePlus, telling me that I will soon receive 50 bonus miles (“soon” meaning 6-8 weeks) and listing offers from some airport retailers.

I’m still kicking myself for forgetting about the program on my way up to New York. I could have checked in when we stopped at the Newark train station! Anyway, I was riding up on Amtrak. It was too blissful. I got distracted.

Since the 50 miles can be earned daily, I am trying to brainstorm ways to well, check in daily. Should I entrust an airport employee with my Facebook password? Use my transpass to take the train to the airport every day, taking the super, super, ultra-crazy “long way” home? (Incidentally, if you’re in the Philly area, you should know that a transpass gets you on the airport train free. Otherwise it’s 7 bucks each way). Start hanging out with the forlorn wine nerds at the bar of the airport Marriott?!?!

Sashimi omakase at Jewel Bako