Old Business, Part I

If I were better at this blogging thing (or, if I haven't spent the 15 of the first 18 days of this month traveling), I would have already mentioned American Airlines' Aadvantage 25th Anniversary celebration. Way back when (1981 -- I think the Earth was still flat), American Airlines launched the first airline loyalty (frequent flier) program. Obviously, in the last 25 years, there has been an explosion of programs, such that loyalty clubs have expanded well beyond the bounds of airlines and into most people's every day lives. You can get a punch card for your sandwich or coffee purchases, points for car rentals and hotel stays, cash back (and other perks) from credit card purchases, and even earn points that you can redeem for free condoms.

But, I digress....

American Airlines is offering a new deal a day for the first 25 days of May. Some of these are pretty good, and many are still available through the end of the month. There are also a few sweepstakes for which you can register to win some Aadvantage miles or other prizes. You do need to get on this, though, as many/all of these deals expire at the end of the month.

Some highlights:

Save 25% on an award ticket flown over the summer.
25 Aadvantage miles per dollar spent on flowers through FTD.
2500 bonus Aadvantage miles for a stay at an Intercontinental Hotel (Holiday Inn, for instance).
Double miles on your next AA flight.
25,000 bonus Aadvantage miles for getting AA MasterCard (enough for a free domestic ticket).

There are more deals -- some may appeal to you more than these. There is a scroll at the bottom of the page that will take you to previous day's deals. Keep checking back for the next week or so for the rest of the deals to come, as well.

Think of me fondly when you are using your newly found mileage wealth for fun and happiness.