$30 back on $150 Amtrak purchase

[Ispolkom]

The American Express Facebook Sync app is offering $30 back on $150 spent on Amtrak, through February 15, 2014. Naturally, it requires you to have a Facebook account and install the app, and probably gives AmEx access to all of your Facebook data. Since I don't use Facebook except for deals like this, that's fine for me.

American Express offers similar deals directly on their Web page, but I haven't seen this one offered on any of our American Express cards.

 

[CHamilton]

That Amex Facebook offer is annoying. I just tried it. It's a pain to set up, and the offers they give you are less than exciting.

A different deal that may be of interest to some: Use the Hilton HHonors mobile app (for iPhone/iPod touch, but it works on iPad, too) to make reservations, and get 1,000 bonus points per stay. Reservations need to be made before 12/31/13 for stays through 12/31/14.

http://mobi.hilton.com/hh/iphone-app/?cid=OM,HN,HNApp,Tile,SignUpBox

 

[AlanB]

A different deal that may be of interest to some: Use the Hilton HHonors mobile app (for iPhone/iPod touch, but it works on iPad, too) to make reservations, and get 1,000 bonus points per stay. Reservations need to be made before 12/31/13 for stays through 12/31/14.

http://mobi.hilton.com/hh/iphone-app/?cid=OM,HN,HNApp,Tile,SignUpBox

I've already booked several hotels via the App, including 3 that I've already done. Now I'm just hoping to actually get the points. To be fair, they do say that it takes 6 to 8 weeks for the extra points to show. It's only been 2 weeks, so we'll see.

 

[Ispolkom]

The Hilton app isn't available for Android, so it's no use to me, and I'm much less likely to give Hilton a paid stay now that points and fixed miles is going away.

 

[AlanB]

The Hilton app isn't available for Android, so it's no use to me, and I'm much less likely to give Hilton a paid stay now that points and fixed miles is going away.

While I too lament the upcoming loss of the fixed points choice at HH, I can still get variable miles for Amtrak, which still makes this one of the best hotel programs around. There are NO other hotel programs that pay both their own points and airline/Amtrak points for the same stay.

 

[Guest]

I was offered the same $30 rebate on $150 purchase on Amtrak, WITHOUT the Facebook. It showed up right on my Amex account page. All I needed to do was click on "save this offer" or something. I think I was targeted.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Even in a year when most major hotel programs went through massive devaluations Hilton still stole the show as the single most destructive example. At this point their loyalty currency is becoming so diluted it's almost like Delta bought a hotel chain. At least Hyatt still left us some sweet spots to target.

 

[Ispolkom]

Even in a year when most major hotel programs went through massive devaluations Hilton still stole the show as the single most destructive example. At this point their loyalty currency is becoming so diluted it's almost like Delta bought a hotel chain. At least Hyatt still left us some sweet spots to target.

That's certainly true if you earn points by being a loyal customer to Hilton. It's less true if you are like me and get your points through credit card manipulation. Sure, the redemption costs are higher, but the points are so easy to gather that it's a wash. It's odd that the program punishes loyal customers who hoard points and rewards people who game the system, but there you have it.

And WRT my original post, the Amtrak offer appeared on one of Mrs. Ispolkom's American Express cards (a Hilton one, coincidentally), so now we have to figure out how to juggle vouchers to maximize the value of the offer on our limited paid Amtrak travel.