click on blue line above to enter

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Enter by September 21, 2007 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Labels: baseball, free trip, World Series

Here are the details you need to know

-Open a Chase checking with a $100 deposit and get 10,000 Continental OnePass Miles

-Get another 7,500 bonus OnePassmiles and earn 1 mile for every $1 in qualifying purchases with the Chase Continental Airlines Preferred Banking Card for a $65 annual fee per checking account or choose a lower annual fee option and earn 1 mile for every $2 in qualifying purchases with the Chase Continental Airlines Banking Card for a $25 annual fee per checking account.

That's 17,500 OnePass miles at the bottom of the webpage is this offer for 7,500 OnePass miles
-You can also add up to three additional cards for others on your joint checking account and pay no additional annual fees. Plus each new cardholder will receive 2,500 bonus OnePass miles for an additional 7500 miles

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
you must print out certificate on the webpage (click on blue line above)
this account can't be opened on the internet, it must be done at a Chase branch

Labels: bonus miles, Chase, Continental Airlines, onepass

To make your stay even more rewarding, this distinctive group of deluxe hotels is extending double miles per night to SkyMiles members!

Whether traveling on business or leisure, Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts invites you to experience the renowned Swiss touch with its fresh, modern and contemporary hotel design.

And those double miles add up — that's up to 5,000 miles!

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
This offer extends through November 30, 2007.

Labels: bonus miles, DeltaSkymiles.bonus miles, Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts

"This is how Ben Baldanza CEO of Spirit Air responded to a complaint letter from a first-time customer:

"Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I'm concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He's never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny."

Which might have been ok, had the email stayed inter-office, but Baldanza seems to have hit "reply all" and accidentally sent the message back to the original complainant. Oops.
Even if you read the original complaint and agree with Baldanza in principle, that's a pretty jerkoff way to respond to a customer and if he had any balls, he would apologize and refund the twenty-two cents or whatever the passenger paid to ride on Mr. Baldanza's discount thrift store flying claptrap.." [Via consumerist.com]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
see the rest of the story and comments - click on blue line above

Labels: Spirit Airlines, travel

"CHICAGO, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines and Mileage Plus are proving that redeeming frequent flyer miles is short and sweet by offering its members more value for their loyalty. United Airlines is temporarily reducing the amount of Mileage Plus miles needed to redeem award travel on some of its shortest flights.

For a limited time, certain United Economy(R) Saver award travel booked on united.com will be available for 15,000 redeemable miles instead of 25,000 miles *. This award travel is for nonstop, roundtrip flights that are 700 miles or less each way on United, United Express or Ted flights." [Via money.cnn.com]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Tickets must be booked on united.com by Dec. 12, 2007 for travel between Sept. 1, 2007 and Dec. 14, 2007
Click blue line above for all the info.

Labels: free flight, United Airlines, United Mileage Plus

With Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards program, it's easy to go someplace fun for free! It usually takes only 8 roundtrips (16 credits) for an Award, but since you are a college student between the ages of 18 and 23, we've got a special offer for you.

You'll get 4 bonus credits just for enrolling in Rapid Rewards. Then all you have to do is fly 3 roundtrips purchased at southwest.com (4 credits for each roundtrip) in the next 24 months, and you'll automatically qualify for 1 free roundtrip Award valid for travel to any of our over 60 destinations.

Do The Math. Take A Break!

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
As a College Rapid Rewards Member, you’ll also continue to receive double credit on all flights booked at southwest.com while in the college program. That means you’ll be getting 4 Rapid Rewards credits (vs. the standard 2) for each roundtrip.

Labels: free, frequent flyer, Raptd Rewards, Southwest Airlines

"My wife's grandfather, Sam Valencino, had a wonderful saying that he'd repeat often with a deep Southern drawl and a large scoop of sarcasm: "Everything's up but wages."
The thing is this, however: We all know it's true. When it comes to travel, it seems no fuel surcharge is high enough. No rental-car tax is too high. No hotel "resort fee" will go uncollected. Never mind fares. Now we're seeing the same upward creep in frequent flyer mileage plans.
So here's the nagging question: Now that we've spent our way to the poorhouse to build up this big bank of miles, why can't I find "saver tickets" for the family to fly from Anchorage to Miami and back? Huh? Inquiring minds want to know.
Welcome to the hide-and-seek game of frequent-flyer redemption.
I spend most of my time trying to game the system over at Alaska Airlines, since that's where I have most of my miles. In fact, I just ordered a bunch of magazines with the remainder of my Delta miles, which were set to expire. My choices included Men's Health, Nursing Week, Teen Cosmo and Spin. Woo-hoo.
In case you didn't notice, the cost to call in to Alaska Airlines and book a mileage ticket went up by 5,000 miles. If you can massage the Web site, www.alaskaair.com, you still can nab some of those saver awards for 20,000, plus the obligatory taxes. But this is one example where Alaska is able to offset the millions and millions of miles people are earning by charging up their credit cards.
Oh, don't worry too much, though. Alaska and partner Bank of America actively push the credit-card deals, including having Alaska flight attendants hawk the cards on every flight.
The credit cards, the phone tie-in with GCI, the groceries at Carr's and the partnership mileage arrangements with other airlines all add up to a mileage-churning machine that adds thousands of people into the qualifying pool of travelers that have 20,000 miles and want a free ticket on Alaska Airlines. There are tie-ins with mortgage companies, wine clubs, florists and most hotels and car rental companies.
In fact, Alaska Airlines is offering 20,000 bonus miles if you sign up for one of its credit cards on their Web site. That's a free ticket. If you can find one.
Many travelers, myself included, have struggled to find the 20,000-mile tickets during the busy summer travel season. On two occasions this summer, I pulled the trigger and booked first class on Delta, which cost me 45,000 Alaska Airlines miles each.
But as we ease into the fall, more of these seats tend to open up. Just today, I found 20,000-mile tickets in August and September from Anchorage to Orlando and Newark. To Chicago and Boston, the total went to 25,000 miles because at least one segment was on Delta or American, two of Alaska's partner carriers.
If you're having trouble finding the right date weeks or months in advance, you might have better luck waiting until the week before you travel. Personally, I hate to play "chicken" with travel reservations. But it's true that more mileage-redemption inventory appears just a few days before departure. And since there's no advance purchase requirement on mileage reservations, that's a real option for flexible travelers." [Via Anchorage Daily News]

The Pointswizard.com Spin: To read the rest of the article click on blue line above

Labels: Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, frequent flyer, Mexico, Southwest, US Airways

Correctly answer our weekly on-line LPGA trivia question for a chance for you and 3 friends to watch the year's best lady golfers compete for the 2007 ADT Title.
One Grand Prize:
One winner will receive a trip for four people to the 2007 ADT Championship, scheduled for November 15-18, 2007 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

12 First Prizes:
Each winner will receive a Simply Smucker's® gift basket valued at $50.

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
You must register.Enter by Aug. 31, 2007. Click on blue line above.

Labels: free vacation, golf, LPGA, Smucker's

In order to provide you with a more personalized travel experience, we’re inviting you to fill out our Travel Survey. Doing so will help us better understand your travel interests and allow us to serve up deals and promotions that are more customized to your needs. And we’re offering you 250** AAdvantage miles just for completing the survey and opting in to our email! It’s our way of showing how much we appreciate your time.


The Pointswizard.com Spin:
A great way to keep your account active for 18 more months or to pick up an easy 250 miles

Labels: AAvantage, American Airlines AAdvantage, free

"Unless you count the trail mix, you can't get a free meal on a domestic flight with a major carrier anymore. A bottle of water will cost you, and forget about a movie.

Why the skimpy offerings?

Cost-conscious mainstream airlines are trimming the fat, otherwise known as amenities, to provide the lowest fares possible. But as the flagships slim down, the category of low-cost carriers is rapidly beefing up, giving passengers the option of flying both comfortably and affordably.

Low-cost carriers tend to keep their prices down by flying out of fringe airports, relying on online booking and providing just the necessary level of onboard services. Many stock their fleets with one type of aircraft to minimize the amount of training for crews. As part of the discount category, the airlines also can operate without union agreements and employment contracts that often trouble legacy carriers.

A Growing Category

Starting out in 1971 as a small carrier in Texas with only three jets, Southwest Airlines is credited with giving birth to the low-cost-carrier phenomenon. Its founding mission was to fly passengers to short-haul destinations, on time and for the lowest fare possible. Nearly 36 years later, countless carriers have copied the philosophy.

Global flight information company OAG released a 2006 report identifying 40 low-cost carriers in Europe alone. It also revealed that Ryanair, a low-cost heavyweight based in Ireland, was carrying more passengers per month than British Airways.

And the number of passengers interested in booking with low-cost names is on the rise. The low-cost sector accounted for 16%, or 416,000, of the 2.6 million flights scheduled for July 2007, according to OAG's Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics. Last month, 309.7 million seats were offered worldwide, of which 20%, or 61.9 million, were on low-cost carriers. In July 2006, low-cost seats made up only 16% of the 289.8 million airline seats on offer.

"There seem to be new low-cost [carriers] appearing every week," says Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, a London-based air transport research company. Simply being low-cost doesn't guarantee success, however. "Each year that goes by you see anywhere from four to eight new low-costs that can't keep the business model running and disappear after 12 months."

The Best of the Best

For its annual survey of the best low-cost airlines in the world, Skytrax examined commercial and front-line factors, surveying the accessibility and quality of Web sites--crucial for carriers that rely on online booking--and, perhaps most important, the clarity of prices and fares.

Because standards vary around the world and there are so many low-cost carriers, Skytrax named a global top three-- Jetstar Airways, Air Berlin and easyJet--and broke down the remaining results by region. Southwest Airlines, the carrier that started it all, ranked second in North America, falling behind JetBlue.

To assess what people are getting for their money, Skytrax also took into account consumer surveys. While some low-cost carriers offer complimentary entertainment like satellite television and snacks, as on Austrian-based NIKI, many grant passengers only a seat, a reading light and a smile.

The low-cost category remains the most competitive in Europe but is growing fastest in Asia, if for no other reason than that it has the biggest market. At the other end of the spectrum, South America and the Middle East emerged with only two top carriers each in the rankings, rather than three. Both regions have several other carriers, but they were deemed too small for inclusion.

New Options

As the low-cost sector continues to heat up, so do the options in terms of seating and routes. While many traditional carriers offer one class, Jetstar offers a StarClass premium cabin, while Oasis Hong Kong gives passengers a choice between Business and Economy.

The introduction of classes in low-cost travel is the result of carriers taking on longer-haul flights. While flights under two hours are most profitable, as more travelers look to fly farther afield, these airlines want a piece of the action. Oasis Hong Kong already flies from Hong Kong to London and may offer flights to the U.S. shortly.

So if you can travel substantial distances for paltry prices aboard a low-cost carrier, why opt for a big name airline?

"[People] might choose them because of the miles or because the major carrier can come pretty close to matching the low-cost carrier in price," says Tom Michelson, vice president of operations for Airtreks, a team of travel consultants and experts that provide multistop international air travel service and technology. "Given the choice between the two, the traveler might want to go with the known entity."

But with low-cost carriers such as JetBlue providing complimentary, 24-channel, live satellite TV on every seat back, the unknown is looking better every day." [Via finance.yahoo.com ]

The Pointswizard.com Spin: TTo see more click on blue line above

Labels: Airlines, JetBlue, low cost airlines

"Holders of the most exclusive American Express cards get a new perk starting today – free access to American Airlines Inc.'s airport clubs worldwide.

American Express Co. and American will announce today that Platinum and Centurion cardholders can get into American's Admirals Clubs on days that they travel on American.

Holders of those American Express cards already get access to a number of other airlines' airport clubs, but until now, about the only way they could get into an Admirals Club was to buy their way in.

Simon Kahn, vice president of Platinum and Centurion marketing for American Express, said its cardholders let American Express know what they wanted.

"We talk to our card members all the time," he said. "One of the things we hear from them is that they want access to American Airlines lounges. In research study after research study, American Airlines has come out as one of the most popular carriers for our base. We just think this is a terrific additional benefit for those cardholders."

The Platinum and Centurion cardholders – whether consumer, business or corporate members – tend to spend a lot of money. American Airlines spokesman Charley Wilson said the relationship will work to American's benefit as well.

"It provides American Express' Platinum and Centurion cardholders access to our clubs, and it also provides American Airlines an opportunity to talk to them and expose our products and services to them," he said.

To gain access to an Admirals Club, a traveler must show an American Express Platinum or Centurion card and an itinerary showing that he is flying on American that day. The cardholder can bring two guests.

Normally, American charges $50 for a one-day pass or $300 to $450 to join for one year, depending on frequent-flier status, with renewal costs of $250 to $400 a year. Its AAdvantage frequent-flier club members can also trade in miles for Admirals Club memberships.

Of course, getting in through an American Express card won't be free, either. Holders of the Platinum card pay a $450 annual fee, and the more exclusive Centurion card reportedly costs $2,500 a year.

The free access applies only to the cards issued directly by American Express, not to cards issued by bank partners such as Citibank." [Via Dallas News.com]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
It's good to see an expansion of benefits for Amex's two most expensive cards. Delta, Continental and Northwest Airlines also have this benefit already.

Labels: american Airlines, american Express, Amex, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines

TD AMERITRADE has teamed up with United to bring you a special offer. Open and fund a TD AMERITRADE account by September 30, 2007, and earn up to 25,000 United Mileage Plus bonus miles. The more you deposit, the more miles you earn.

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Ends September 30, 2007

Labels: bonus miles, TD Ameritrade, United Airlines, United Airlines Mileage Plus

Save 10,000 miles on awards to Mexico

Mexico Award SaleSave 10,000 miles off the regular 30,000-mile Mileage Plan Coach Saver award when you fly on Alaska Airlines from the Continental U.S. and Canada to Mexico.

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
This offer is available for booking beginning July 25, 2007, and is valid for travel between September 3, 2007, and October 31, 2007.

Labels: Alaska Airlines, award ticket, Mexico, sale

Save up to $35 & Earn up to 1,000 Miles.

Plus, earn an additional 500 miles* on any rentals booked here!

Now through December 31, 2007, enjoy the savings below and earn double miles on weekend rentals of two or more days or weekly rentals at a participating airport or off airport location in the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada. That's 100 Mileage Plus miles per day on weekend rentals or 1,000 Mileage Plus miles on weekly rentals.

The Pointswizard.com Spin: click blue line above to get more details

Labels: Hertz, Mileage Plus, United Airlines

Take advantage of this great Orlando offer.

The Pointswizard.com Spin: Bonus Cancun, or Puerto Vallarta Mexico certificate. Click blue line above to get details.

Labels: Cancun, Disney, Orlando, Puerto Vallarta, travel

"The country's effort to move away from a dependence on foreign oil and embrace green initiatives appears to be behind a change in one of New York's purest traditions, the menu of the classic steakhouse.

The production of ethanol, which is made from corn, is one major reason classic cuts of prime beef are becoming more and more expensive, an analyst at the cattle market analysis firm Cattle-Fax, Tod Kalous, said.

"It's getting worse," the owner of Ben Benson's Steakhouse, Ben Benson, said. "The problems the ranchers are having are making it more difficult because feed is getting more expensive."

Brooklyn's Peter Luger Steakhouse now serves a rib eye. On some nights at Ben Benson's in Midtown, diners can order buffalo steak. The Old Homestead of the meatpacking district serves one of the city's best Kobe burgers.

The new menu items at some city steakhouses are a result of an increase in the price of top-notch beef and a decrease in its availability.
Corn is the primary feed for cattle that produce USDA-grade prime beef. Corn is also the main ingredient for what many believe is the fuel of the future, ethanol. The production of ethanol has not only increased the demand for corn, it has made harvests more profitable for farmers, who receive the fruits of government subsidies when it is sold to ethanol producers." [Via NYSUN.COM]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Well, There's always Ranch1 for chicken.

Labels: air travel, food, New York, Steak

You can have the vicarious pleasure of watching other people travel to incredible places, do amazing things and occasionally embarrass themselves in public.

Here's the fun part:
You watch the travel videos of the teams in each destination. Then, you vote for the video that most makes you want to travel to that place.
The team with the fewest votes gets eliminated from the Challenge! (Ouch.) The other teams go on to the next round.
There are four rounds in all.
You can get 250 bonus miles for every round you vote in.
Plus, you can get an extra 1,000 miles if you vote in all four rounds—for a total of 2,000 bonus miles.
But there's even more to the Challenge than experiencing travel by proxy, influencing the fate of others and getting bonus miles:
You can find out all the inside dirt on the teams' blogs.
And, you can put in your two cents in the forums.

Destination 1 Voting August 6,7,8
Destination 2 Voting August 20,21,22
Destination 3 Voting September 3,4,5
Final Destination Voting September 17,18,19


As part of the SiteSeer Challenge, American Express® Cardmembers can also earn double flown miles! Register right here between July 25 and September 19, 2007, and then use any American Express Card to purchase a ticket on delta.com. This offer is available for flights between July 25-September 30, 2007. All travel must be completed by September 30, 2007. All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide. After all, the Challenge contestants aren't the only people traveling this summer.

The Pointswizard.com Spin: Remember you must register/Find Play at Home box on right side of screen and click on register

Labels: Delta, free miles Skymiles

American Airlines is going to become the first U.S. carrier to offer broadband Internet access to customers on its planes.

The service is expected to begin early in 2008 and (at this point) mainly on coast to coast flights. We would have thought Jetblue would have been the first but congrads to American Airlines for having the b*lls to be the first.


AirCell, a provider of aviation communications systems, said Wednesday that it will team up with American to test its new system for providing on-board Internet access -- AirCell's first partner on the project. AirCell says its system, which is based on cellular technology, is less bulky and much cheaper than Boeing's old satellite-based service.AirCell Chief Executive Jack Blumenstein told Reuters that the equipment costs about $100,000 per plane and that airlines can offer the service for about $10 per flight.

We think people would easily paid $3.95 an hour or $9.95 unlimited internet service.

"Beginning Jan. 1, airlines operating at New York airports will be required to provide passengers who are delayed on planes for three hours with water, snacks, and working toilets under the first law of its kind in the nation, which was signed Wednesday night by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

But an organization representing major airlines, the Washington, D.C.-based Air Transport Association, said yesterday it may file a lawsuit to block the new law, dubbed the Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights. A spokesman said the is "disappointed" in the law and thatlegislating such services is not practical.

The law creates an Office of Airline Consumer Advocate within the state Consumer Protection Board. The advocate will refer any violations to the state attorney general's office, which can seek a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per passenger per violation by an airline.

The law grew out of widespread passenger complaints after huge delays during the winter at some airlines, including JetBlue Airways Corp. of Forest Hills and American Airlines, the world's largest carrier. JetBlue stranded thousands at Kennedy Airport on Valentine's Day after a snow and ice storm blanketed the East Coast.

Federal law restricts what states can do when it comes to air travel, specifically prohibiting states from requiring that passengers be allowed to get off airliners delayed on the ground for hours. But states can require airlines to provide amenities for air travelers, according to the bill's two sponsors -- state Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) and Assemb. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria). Fuschillo is chairman of the Senate Committee on Consumer Protection.

"Anytime something is done that makes big business unhappy, their first response is to go to court and challenge it," said Gianaris. "I'm very confident the new law in New York State is legally sound and will withstand any challenges from the industry."
Fuschillo said he was delighted the legislation was signed into law. "Consumers pay a lot of money to fly," he said. "They should be treated with a lot better respect than they have been."

David Castleveter, the ATA spokesman, insisted the New York State law is pre-empted by the federal Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. Under deregulation, Castleveter said, government cannot regulate fares or service. "We're reviewing our options, including the possibility of a legal challenge," he said." [Via Newsday.com]

The Pointswizard.com Spin: Check out:
A JetBlue Airlines Nightmare Story

Labels: Airlines, JetBlue, Spitzer

"Saturday morning is the best time to find a deal on airline tickets, according to CNN Money. Most airfare sales are released to the Airline Traffic Publishing Company on Friday evening, and then forwarded to travel sites and agencies. With 200 million fares in circulation at any given moment, CNN has a novel solution for ferreting out the best deal:

Okay, you're at your computer in prime travel-shopping time. Where to go first? Not to one of the big three travel-agency sites. You instead want to visit ITA Software (itasoftware.com), a Boston company that developed QPX, a travel search engine that powers other search engines.
Primarily, it's a business-to-business site with no frills, but you can log on (as a guest) and search fares, even including those of some discount carriers.

Once you enter the usual information, QPX produces a list of flights with prices, departure and arrival times and warnings about inconveniences such as long layovers. You can also search for the lowest fares at any time during a month and for deals if you stay over a weekend.

You can't purchase a ticket through ITA, but you'll receive "booking details" that instruct you how to secure the flight you want. ITA Software lets you send an e-mail to your travel agent (a living, breathing one, not a Web site) to request the specific ticket it found. Or you can print out the details and then hunt for the same flight on a travel Web site where you can make a reservation.

To find an even better deal, be flexible like a gymnast. Fiddle with flying times and airports - anything to squeeze extra savings from the airlines." [Via consumerist.com ]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Some very good advice.

Labels: airfare, CNN, ITA Software, plane tickets, travel

NASCAR Grand Prize: Grand Prize is a three (3) day/two (2) night trip to Miami, FL between November 17 -19, 2007 for Winner and one (1) Guest to attend the NASCAR stock car race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2007.
The Prize consists of round-trip coach air transportation between major commercial airport nearest winner’s residence and Miami, FL, two (2) nights hotel accommodations

Two (2) tickets to the NASCAR stock car race on November 18, 2007, two (2) NASCAR pit passes for November 17 - 18, 2007 and $500 spending money.

Two (2) First Prizes: Each First Prize is one (1) Samsung 50” Slim Depth 720p DLP HDTV Television.

(450) Second Prizes: Each Second Prize is one (1) Hall of Fame Racing T-Shirt.

Five Hundred (500) Third Prizes: Each Third Prize is one (1) Hall of Fame Racing hat.

3,500 Fourth Prizes: Each Fourth Prize is one (1) Hall of Fame Racing coozie.

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Entry ends for this NASCAR race contest at 11:59:59 PM EDT on September 30, 2007

Labels: contest, Ford, free, Miami, Nascar, Nascar race

It’s easier than ever to take advantage of a great opportunity to earn rewards. From May 14 – August 31, 2007, you’ll earn 500 bonus miles for every second qualifying night at any of more than 3,700 hotels — up to 5,000 bonus miles.
Where will your rewards take you?
Any InterContinental Hotels Group Brand Worldwide
InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn® ,Holiday Inn Express®,. Staybridge Suites®,, Candlewood Suites®

PARTICIPATING AIRLINES/PARTNERS
Americas
Aeromexico®
Air Canada Aeroplan®
AIR MILES®† Rewards Program
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Continental Airlines®
Delta Air Lines®
GlobalPass®
LAN Airlines
Mexicana Airlines
Northwest Airlines®
Southwest Airlines®
United®
US Airways®

The Pointswizard.com Spin: To see other partners and be able to register just click blue line above

Labels: . Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn®, Hotel Indigo®, nterContinental®