US Airways has announced its 2011 Grand Slam, where you can earn up to 110,000 bonus miles. Here are the details, and our initial picks for quick, cheap hits (to be revised as we learn more). Is it worth playing? It can be a great way to pick up some extra miles, although we personally wouldn't invest too much time into it, given how lucrative credit card bonuses are these days–if you're busy, those have a better ROI, especially if you're not able to easily and cheaply make it up to a high number of hits.
Also, don't forget that through September 15, you can buy US Airways Dividend Miles at a 100% bonus; so if you buy 50,000 miles for about $1478 you'll have 100,000 miles, enough for a business class ticket to Europe or North Asia on a Star Alliance partner, such as Lufthansa or Asiana. Check the US Airways Star Alliance Partner Award Chart.
Be sure to check out our post Is Buying US Airways Miles with a 100% Bonus a Good Idea for advice on potential awards and their cost, and also note the Dividend Miles processing and close-in ticketing fees in our post Comparing Award Ticketing Fees and How to Avoid Them.
Grand Slam Dates: September 14-November 14. You will not earn hits before September 14, so save your qualifying activity until then!
Register: US Airways Grand Slam Registration
Rules: US Airways Grand Slam Rules
FAQ: US Airways Grand Slam FAQ
Key points from the Rules and FAQ:
Max 1 hit from each activity or partner, except for renting a car or staying at a hotel, where you can use the same partner for all 6 hits
What if I earn a number of hits that aren’t shown on the award chart (for example, 6 or 7 hits)?
…Bonus miles are only awarded in four hit increments. So, if you earn seven total hits, your total bonus mileage will be 3,000 bonus miles (that you earned after four hits). Earning one more hit (eight hits total) will get you 7,000 more bonus miles, bringing you to the 10,000 bonus mile level.
How can I earn hits for hotel transfers?
You can transfer your hotel points into Dividend Miles at the hotel’s program website or visit usairways.com/convertmiles. If you transfer hotel points to Dividend Miles, you can earn one hit (with a maximum of one hit per hotel family). You have to earn a minimum of 850 Dividend Miles from each transfer in order to qualify as a hit. If you transfer 25,000 miles from Starwood you only get one hit, even if you transfer from Starwood again. However, if you transfer 5,000 miles from Starwood and 3,000 miles from Marriott you earn two hits.
If I’m not Preferred status can I earn all of the bonus miles in Grand Slam?
No. You must be Preferred status in order to earn the miles in the 40th bonus tier. If you are not currently Preferred you may earn a hit by purchasing Preferred status or Trial Preferred status. Just make sure your Preferred status is active when you make your 40th for hit or you will not qualify for the final bonus.
Preliminary picks for Quick (and Cheap) Hits
(Listed cheapest first, to be revised once we know more about the individual partner offers)
1. Magazines for Miles: Redeem miles for a magzaine; jump on this one as last year the cheapest magazine deals sold out first.
2. Transfer e-Miles (Sign up and earn some if you don't have any yet, but wait until 9/14 to transfer)
3. Redeem e-Rewards (Sign up and earn some if you don't have any yet, but wait until 9/14 to redeem)
4. Use your US Airways Dividend Miles credit and debit cards (1 hit per card type) if you have them. Unfortunately no hits for signing up for either card
5. Transfer Points.com miles to US Airways (need to see what the minimum is)
6. Shop at Dividend Miles Shopping Mall (don't have to buy something; can make a cheap donation to iTunes or the like)
7. Download Dividend Miles Toolbar and complete 3 searches at usairways.com/shop
8. Buy a soda or cheap snack from Dividend Miles Dining participating restaurant
9. Buy something cheap from OfficeMax. WAIT though on this one since there's no place to enter your Dividend Miles #, so not clear how they'll track it.
10. Thanks Again: Buy a cheap Restaurant.com certificate, look for 60%-80% off coupons you can use
11. Buy something cheap from SkyMall
12. Trackitback.com: Buy a single pack for $19.99 + shipping, total of $24.99
13. Reserve SuperShuttle
14. Buy cookies from Biscoff
15. Buy cheapest qualifying package from Network Solutions
16. Buy Miles (usairways.com or points.com; max 1 hit)
Don't forget there's a 100% bonus when buying Dividend Miles until 9/15
17. Share miles (usairways.com or points.com; max 1 hit)
18-26: Convert hotel points to miles (max 9 hits): Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges, Hilton HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport, InterContinental Hotels Group (Priority Club), Marriott Rewards, Radisson Gold Points Plus, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), Wyndham Rewards
27-32: Rent a car (max 6 hits): Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Sixt, Thrifty
33. Buy flowers (check whether 1800Flowers, Teleflora or FTD.com/Florist.com is cheapest)
34-38: Stay in cheap hotels (max 6 hits) or other cheaper partner activity (auto insurance etc.). Note that hotel stays must generate at least 250 Dividend Miles.
Note that for your hotel programs, you want to set your preferences for Hilton HHonors and Marriott to earn “Points and Miles” so that you can collect both hotel points and qualifying miles for your stays during the Grand Slam promotion.
Examples of miles earned from various chains:
Best Western: 250 Dividend Miles/stay
Choice: 250 Dividend Miles/stay
Hilton: 500 miles/stay for Hilton; Hampton and Homewood only 100 miles/stay or 1 mile per dollar spent, so may not work for Grand Slam
Hyatt: 500 miles/stay
IHG: 500 miles/stay for Intercontinental; 2 miles per dollar spent at other IHG brands.
Marriott: 2 miles per dollar spent at Marriott; and 1 mile per dollar spent at Courtyard by Marriott.
Starwood: 2 points per dollar spent, 3 points per dollar spent for Gold and Platinum members.
39. Sign up for Netflix, but must be a subscription through May 2012–no longer as cheap a hit since 1 month doesn't count (must be new address and credit card from any existing subscription)
40. Buy Trial Preferred status if you don't already have Preferred status, in order to earn top bonus level.
What are your thoughts? Do you plan to participate in the Grand Slam?
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