Tag Archives: points.com
February Promo Roundup: Point & Mile Earning Opportunities
Posted on 08. Feb, 2012 by PointsAdvisor.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now is a great time to start planning for your points/miles funded summer vacation. Warm days at the beach may seem eons away right now, but some smart planning in the winter can make for a less expensive (or even free) vacation this summer. We’ve compiled a list of promotions to get you started. Full disclosure: these promotions are on our site or with our partners.
Buy, Gift & Transfer for More:
American Airlines AAdvantage: Get up to 15,000 bonus AAdvantage miles when you buy or gift miles now until February 29, 2012.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue: Buy Flying Blue miles for yourself or as a gift before March 15, 2011 and receive up to a 30% Bonus. Buy Air France Flying Blue miles here, or KLM Flying Blue miles here.
bmi Diamond Club: Buy miles now till March 15, 2012 and automatically receive a 20% bonus on the number of miles purchased.
Virgin America Elevate: Buy or Give Elevate Points and get up to 50% more points. Now till February 29, 2012
Alitalia Mille Miglia: Receive a 30% Bonus when you buy or gift miles before 23 March 2012.
La Quinta: Receive a 20% discount when you buy or give La Quinta points before March 31, 2012.
Amtrak Guest Rewards: Now until March 31, 2012 whenever you buy Amtrak Guest Rewards points, you’ll receive a 30% bonus.
Earn points/miles while you shop online:
You can earn points/miles in the program of your choice when you shop online at the following retailers. You make a purchase and then choose to earn in any of these programs:
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™
American Airlines® AAdvantage®
Best Buy Reward Zone®
Frontier EarlyReturns®
Hawaiian Airlines® HawaiianMiles®
Priority Club® Rewards
US Airways® Dividend Miles®
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Earn with these retailers:
T- Shirt Now: T-Shirt Now features an assortment of witty Ts with slogans and phrases from your favourite TV shows, movies and celebrities.
Kanto AV Systems: Katno AV Systems has a wide range of AV products, including TV mounts, cables and speakers.
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/saavem
Continue Reading
Top 5 Reasons You Should Care About Points & Miles
Posted on 25. Jan, 2012 by PointsAdvisor.
In our loyalty program-saturated world here at Points.com, it’s easy to forget that not everyone is an avid point/mile collector. I recently met someone that told me they couldn’t be bothered with loyalty programs (the horror!), and that they didn’t carry a single loyalty card in their wallet.
For anyone who has ever questioned the hype around loyalty programs, here are our top 5 reasons you should care about loyalty programs.
1. Frequent flying not required:
Gone are the days when the only people that reap the benefits of reward programs are frequent flyers. Airline loyalty programs remain rewarding, but even if you don’t fly, there are a ton of other ways to collect points/miles. Check your local grocery stores, coffee shops, retail stores, car rentals, pharmacy – anywhere you spend money – to find out what their loyalty program offerings are. Loyalty isn’t just for brick-and-mortar stores anymore either. Many online retailers offer points/miles for purchases. Check out our latest promos page to see a few online retailers who are offering points/miles for purchases.
2. You’re spending money, why not earn points/miles while you do it:
As mentioned above, loyalty programs can now be found at most major retailers. They give retailers a way to reward their most loyalty customers, and most programs get more rewarding the more you spend. If you find yourself frequenting the same stores, as many of us do, joining a loyalty program can pay off in dividends. Some retailers offer discounts after reaching a certain balance, or even cash off your purchase. Others allow you to redeem for merchandise you wouldn’t have been able to fit in your budget.
3. There are more ways to earn points & miles than ever before:
Many loyalty programs now offer new and innovative ways to collect their currency. Some programs host online malls that allow you to earn points/miles for shopping through their site, while others allow you to create gift registries, so your friends and family can give you points/miles for special occasions. Loyalty programs are working hard to find new ways to go where their members are, making sure that it’s easy for you to make use of their program.
4. You can use points & miles for a lot more than just flights:
I’m always happy when I hear from a friend or Points.com user who has used their points/miles for their dream vacation, but some of the most memorable (and useful) rewards can come from redeeming for merchandise. One of my teammates redeemed for a Dyson vacuum cleaner, another, a gift card for Amazon.com. I’ve known others to use their miles for new digital cameras or a discount off of an Ancestry.com subscription (something you can get on Points.com). Although you should always compare the value of each redemption option before hitting “go”, sometimes it’s worth it to pass up on the vacation for something else you really need.
5. There are ways to earn faster than ever before:
Many loyalty programs now offer options to allow you to buy more points/miles, or transfer them to family members and friends. These increasing options give you more ways to get points/miles when you’re close to redeeming. Another option is to follow our Points.com Earn Opportunities feed, that lists the latest promotions for your programs.
Yes, being an avid collector requires a little bit of extra work, but it can really pay off over the long run if you are patient and determined.
Happy earning!
PS. If you’re new to the loyalty game and Points.com, check out our popular post: 5 Tips for New Points.com Users.
What’s your favorite part about being a loyalty program member?
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/aseltz
Continue Reading
Organize your Loyalty Life: 3 Tips for Cleaning up Your Loyalty Life 2012
Posted on 16. Jan, 2012 by PointsAdvisor.
January is half over by now, which means many of us may have already slacked off on those New Year’s resolutions. A few people around the office have resolved to be more organized, so we thought this might be a good time to talk about some ways that you can organize your loyalty life in 2012.
1) Keep your loyalty cards in one place
Depending on the program, having your program card or account number handy can be the difference between earning points/miles and missing out. Store them in your wallet, or if you’re a loyalty program junkie with a fistful of cards, you could carry your cards in a separate wallet. Some people have even been known to drill a hole in the corner of their cards and keep them together on a key ring. Whatever works!
2) Stay on track
Just like your finances, it’s best to know where you stand with regards to your loyalty program balances—especially to avoid expiry of points or miles. You can keep track of all of your balances in your digital loyalty wallet on Points.com. For a list of the over 100 programs you can track on Points.com, visit our Points.com Supported Programs page.
3) Less is more
People always say quality over quantity, and in this case, they’re right. Rather than managing tons of loyalty programs that you rarely use, pick your top five favorite programs and get more out of your rewards. Choosing a few programs to focus on will ensure that you only have to keep an eye out for a handful of promotions and allow you to consolidate your points/miles into the loyalty programs that work best for you.
4) Don’t miss out
Cover all of your loyalty rewards bases by subscribing to loyalty program emails to keep up-to-date with the current promotions and deals going on. You can also follow most loyalty programs on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-the-minute news. At Points.com, we gather a list of our partner’s promotions each month in our Monthly Promo Round Up, and we also update promotions on our Current Promotions page.
This year, don’t let your unorganized loyalty wallet keep you from receiving the rewards you deserve. This is one resolution easy enough to keep!
Continue Reading
Happy New Year from Points.com!
Posted on 04. Jan, 2012 by PointsAdvisor.
We hope that your holidays were filled with cheer, family, friends and points and miles!
Happy New Year from the Points.com team. We look forward to another year of bringing you the latest loyalty program news and advice.
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/gabriel77
Continue Reading
Give the Gift of Miles & Points This Year!
Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by PointsAdvisor.
With the holidays just around the corner, the thought of braving the chaotic mall to pick up a last-minute sweater, DVD, or coffee maker is enough to suck the holiday spirit right out of you. Skip the crowds this year and give the gift that the whole family will enjoy–the gift of loyalty rewards.
Gifting Points & Miles:
Many loyalty programs now offer the option to purchase points/miles as a gift. If you’re stumped for a gift for the loyalty-obsessed person in your life, consider gifting points/miles in their favorite program. It may be just enough to top up their account for that award trip or hotel stay they’ve been dreaming of. As an added bonus, the holiday season means lots of promotions for buying and gifting points/miles. Check out our current promotions page to see a list of promotions for lots of popular loyalty programs.
Creating a Gift Registry:
If you happen to be that hard-to-buy-for loyalty-obsessed person, consider creating a gift registry for yourself to make things easier on your friends and family members!
US Airways and JetBlue recently launched travel Gift Registries with Points.com, allowing consumers to register for the gift of loyalty rewards to meet their travel goals. Gift registries can be created for any event, be it a wedding, honeymoon, life milestone, anniversary or just because.
How it works:
- US Airways Dividend Miles members can log onto www.usairwaysgiftregistry.com to create a gift registry for miles and highlight their specific goal – just like a wedding registry! And JetBlue TrueBlue members can log onto http://www.truebluegiftregistry.com to create a personalized TrueBlue Gift Registry and set goals that help get to the trip they want.
- Members can share their registry with friends and family via social media platforms including Facebook or through email, inviting them to contribute miles or points to reach the goal. Contribute can be made to the registry by buying points/miles or transferring existing miles into someone’s account.
- Members can track their progress against their goal using a graph on the registry.
This holiday season, give the gift of travel to someone else, or make finding the perfect gift for you easy for your friends and family members by creating your own gift registry.
Happy Holidays from Points.com!
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/nosheep
Continue Reading
Earn Points & Miles While You Shop Online This Holiday Season
Posted on 01. Dec, 2011 by PointsAdvisor.
What’s better than shopping from home in your pjs? Shopping from home in your pjs AND earning points/miles at the same time!
If you haven’t tried shopping in an earn mall yet, the holiday shopping season is a great time to start. Earn malls are portals through which you access hundreds of online retailers, and then earn points or miles for your purchases. The number of points/miles you will earn for each dollar you spend will vary by program and by store.
How do earn malls work?
You can think of an earn mall as an online shopping center. You walk through the (virtual) door, and find hundreds of stores, all of which offer points or miles from your loyalty program for making a purchase. Here are the three steps you’ll need to take to make use of an earn mall:
- Sign-in to your loyalty program’s online mall.
- Choose a store from their list of retailers.
- Make a purchase.Your points/miles will be automatically added to you account within the number of day specified on the program site.
Several of our partner programs host earn malls; we’ve compiled a list below for you. Be sure to check with your favorite loyalty program to see if they have an earn mall before you start your shopping this season!
Earn Malls:
Virgin Atlantic: You can earn Flying Club miles when you shop at online retailers such as eBay, Apple, the Nike Store and iTunes when you shop through their store.
Visit Virgin Atlantic Shops Away (US)
Visit Virgin Atlantic Shops Away (UK)
British Airways BA Miles eStore: Collect Avios points when you shop at over 300 retailers, including Target.com, Nordstrom and Apple.
Avios eStore: You can also earn Avios miles at the Avios eStore by shopping at stores like eBay, TicketMaster, Tesco Direct and more!
bmi Diamond Club: Shop at high street retailers such as Waterstones, eBay, Currys and John Lewis to earn bmi miles.
Visit bmi’s Online Shopping site
JetBlue ShopTrue: Shopping at JetBlue’s ShopTrue is twice as rewarding this holiday season: if you shop at select stores between November 14 and December 25, 2011, you’ll earn double JetBlue TrueBlue points.
Visit the JetBlue ShopTrue Online Shopping Mall
Choice Hotels Choice Privileges: Shop at Choice Privileges’ online mall and earn at least one point per dollar that you spend.
Visit the Choice Privileges Online Mall
Amtrak Guest Rewards: Get Amtrak Guest Rewards points when you shop at their online earn mall. With over 1,000 retailers (!), you’re bound to find what you’re looking for.
Visit the Amtrak Shopping Mall
LifeMiles e-Store: Earn LifeMiles when you shop at online retailers such as Old Navy, Khol’s and Best Buy through the LifeMiles e-Store.
We hope this list will help you find lots of ways to earn points and miles as you check off everyone one your list this holiday season.
Happy shopping!
Continue Reading
Shop for Holiday Gifts Using Your Points & Miles!
Posted on 24. Nov, 2011 by PointsAdvisor.
Want to save money on your holiday shopping this year? Try redeeming your points and miles for some of our great gift ideas! You can use points and miles to redeem for gift cards, online discounts, or even magazine subscriptions.
Here are a few ideas from our Holiday Gift Guide:
Gift Cards:
You can redeem for gift cards from hundreds of retailers on Points.com. Some popular options are gift cards from Best Buy, Amazon.com and Target, but there are lots more to choose from. Some people choose to redeem for gift cards and give those as gifts, or others redeem and use the gift card to purchase a gift. It’s up to you! Learn more about redeeming for gift cards here. *Please note: American Airlines AAdvantage requires a minimum balance of 25,000 miles to redeem for gift cards on Points.com.
Low Balance Offers:
Low Balance Offers are a new feature on Points.com, just in time for the holidays. You can make use of orphan points and miles to redeem for discounts from online retailers such as MooseJaw clothing, New Balance (US only) and Norton AntiVirus. Offers start as low as 500 points or miles! To find out which programs participate and to see all options, visit our redeem page on Points.com.
Magazine Subscriptions:
Some loyalty programs will allow you to redeem your miles for magazine subscriptions. Year-long magazine subscriptions make great gifts – it’s like a new present every month! Even better, magazine subscriptions start from as low as 500 miles, so they’re a great way to make use of low balances. Visit our Holiday Gift Guide and scroll to the bottom of the page to see your options.
Bonus Tip:
If you’re shopping online this year, be sure to check your favorite loyalty program’s website to see if they have an Earn Mall. Shopping through earn malls will allow you to earn points/miles as you purchase gifts!
Do you have any suggestions for using your points and miles to save money during your holiday shopping? Leave a comment below!
