Just Keep Asking

I got some awesome messages in response to yesterday’s post. So many good stories about how much we can receive when we put a smile on someone’s face. Yet another reminder to me how we have the power to brighten someone’s day or darken it. My favorite email was from James. Here it is:

Loved your column today.

Just. Ask.

Here’s my “3 Ways To Get Bonused.”

1. Train The Rep! – 2,000 ThankYou points for informing them the Citi Prestige American lounge benefit extends for free to family members. They didn’t know, so seeing as I had just trained them, I asked if it was worth anything to find that information out. Apparently it was.

 2. Tell A Joke! – 3,000 Starwood points for telling a joke to a rep and “making her day.” Just ask.

 3. Play The Idiot Card! – My patented move. 2,500 Ultimate Rewards points to Chase Freedom because I’m an idiot (cancelled a Ritz card before 5x points from a $500 Marriott stay posted).  I told the guy my mistake and asked if I could get some UR points because of my stupidity. He obliged.

All these are just what I’ve received in the last month. Haven’t even tried for any annual fee waivers yet this year but they’re coming soon.

Also, I emailed that I had sent 20-30 cards for the IHG Priceless Surprises promo and hadn’t heard anything back. 2 days later I received 90+ plays.  We’ll see if those 52,500 points post.

Oh, speaking of IHG, I also played the idiot card for the first promotion last year with 4 of 6 requirements needed.  For me it was stay 2 times at 2 Holiday Inns, pay with a credit card, and earn 50,000 points. Anyway, I ended up staying at the same hotel twice (a lot of Flyertalkers made the same mistake and were pissed). I called the awful call center and said I was an idiot for staying at the same Holiday Inn twice when I could have stayed at one down the street. I asked if they could do anything because of my stupidity and they gave me an extra 10,000 points.  Still 30,000 short but better than nothing!

FYI, if you have short legs on United, they allowed me to cancel an outbound while keeping the inbound leg intact (outbound was weather-delayed 12 hrs and the refund paid for my 1-way Hertz rental). No status with United. I just asked. After 10 minutes on hold, the refund was done.

Just. Keep. Asking.

Starwood And American Card Matches

I’ve been getting daily emails from you guys who are getting free points for asking. People who signed up for 50,000 American miles are getting 60,000. And some of those who got the Starwood card at 25,000 points are getting bumped up to 35,000.

So, what’s the secret to these free points? What do these jedi masters of persuasion know?

Just. Ask. For. What. You. Want.

It’s not that complicated. And a piece of me dies every time I hear another nerd use the phrase “social engineering.” Using your personal charm isn’t some geeked out process. Stop being weird, awkward, and scared about things like this. Just ask.

Hopefully you feel you deserve what you’re asking for. Otherwise, don’t waste your time on it. Remember, we aren’t robots so always try to appeal to the human being on the other end of the phone. Why should you get matched to a higher bonus? Maybe other people have gotten it…maybe you’re a loyal customer who expects loyalty in return…or maybe you have better reasons. Whatever it is, figure it out and pick up the phone.

Is this all the fault of the internet? Is Steve Jobs somehow to to blame? Do we point our fingers at Al Gore? I don’t know. But it never fails to amaze me how uncomfortable people have gotten when it comes to talking to another human being. It’s truly unbelievable how much I’ve gotten through the years just by asking. It’s pretty ridiculous how much you’ll receive once you’re willing to strike out.

Remember, there’s no such thing as a firm no. You just want what’s fair. So pick up the phone and ask for it. If that doesn’t work, hang up and call again. Or talk to a supervisor. But if you’re googling “social engineering” right now, I’ve failed you all.

Bonus Air Canada Miles For Conversions

This is one of those not-for-everybody deals but it’s definitely worth looking at for some. Grab up to 55,000 bonus Air Canada Aeroplan miles when converting other points. Thanks Carl for sending this and suggesting a Starwood point transfer.

March AwardWallet Codes

Here are this month’s 50 free AwardWallet codes for you quick clickers.  Log into your account, click on your name, and select “Upgrade Using A Coupon” to apply a code. This will upgrade your account for 6 months (even for existing users). Please only take 1 of these each. I’ll edit the post Monday morning when they’re all gone. If you’re new, AwardWallet is a must for tracking all your accounts, balances, user names, passwords, and expiration dates.

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JetBlue Cards

After an absence that felt long (at least to me), say hello to credit cards from JetBlue again. Pretty good options from Barclays with a 30,000 point bonus on Personal and Business cards. Have a great weekend, family of nerds!

 

Also, here’s a helpful email from reader Bruce about his experience signing up for a Citigold checking account:

“I just got around to opening my Citigold account yesterday. That reminded me I need to thank you for alerting me to that and other daily words of credit card and travel wisdom. You are one of the few blogs I read every day and I appreciate the to-the-point updates.

I want to share I couple things I discovered in opening the account. I was able to sign up for 50,000 AAdvantage miles through offer code WD3QFS2Y4C. I’m an AAdvantage card holder, so I received the offer via email and was able to bring my email into my branch. In reading the fine print, I discovered a way to cut weeks off of the qualifying time by opening the account late in the month. The two required bill payments are based on calendar months, so you can pay one on the 30th and the other on the 1st of the following month. That should expedite the posting of bonus points and allow one to cancel the account a month earlier (saving one $30 monthly fee, which kicks in on the third month.)”