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The award-winning Hilton HHonors® program qualifies on all three points. Thanks to an exclusive HHonors feature called Double Dipping®, HHonors members can earn both hotel points and airline miles for the same stay. In addition, if you’re enrolled in ’s Membership Miles program, and you pay for your hotel room with your American Express card, you not only LLUSTRATION BY GORDON BY LLUSTRATION STUDER I earn Hilton HHonors points, but you can also opt to earn Membership Rewards bonus points instead of airline miles (these points can be used for travel, merchandise, and gift certificates.) Members can also earn Hilton HHonors bonus points toward free travel by using either the Hilton HHonors Platinum Credit Card from American Express® or the Hilton HHonors Visa® Signature Card from Citibank®. Both cards offer HHonors bonus points for every purchase, and additional points for purchases at Hilton family hotels. Another advantage of Hilton HHonors: The program allows members to earn miles with more than 55 airline partners – more than any other hotel reward program. Double Dipping for both points and miles is available for stays at any Hilton family hotel including Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Loyalty Programs

Miles, Points and Service Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Bring Travelers Back Vacations Club®, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and Scandic hotels, making What Frequent Business Travelers Know Hilton HHonors one of the largest hotel rewards programs in the world. ven as the travel industry struggles to recover, one perk – Choose loyalty programs with flexible E frequency programs, has remained intact. In fact, many programs rules. InterContinental Hotels’ Priority Club Rewards guest have been enhanced, some dramatically – a nod toward the travel imposes no blackout dates on Reward supplier’s understanding of the vital importance of customer loyalty. nights. Points never expire either, and For travelers, it’s never been easier to accumulate balances, and the can be transferred to another member’s account. Priority Club members have choice of rewards has never been greater. their choice of earning points good for hotel stays, miles in airline programs, So how can you maximize points? Business travelers in the know or points good toward merchandise. have a number of strategies such as using loyalty programs that are Furthermore, Priority Club Rewards is the only frequency program to feature generous with points, offer a variety of flexible reward options and a Personal Shopper service. Call the don’t require an airline ticket purchase to earn balances. concierge and you’ll get expert advice

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Hilton HHonors® Gets Personal with New Earnings Options

New Individualized Benefit Enables Travelers to Maximize Points & Miles®

How would you like to be rewarded? Hilton HHonors, one of the world’s leading hotel rewards programs, recently launched a new earnings options program that allows members to personalize how they are rewarded for their Hilton family hotel stays. From now through December 31, 2004, members can choose from among three Double Dip Earnings Style options. HHonors members interested in maximizing their miles now have two choices. Members with longer stays can select Points and Variable Miles – ten HHonors Base points plus one airline mile per eligible dollar spent during their stays. Members with shorter stays can select Points and Fixed Miles – ten HHonors Base points plus 500 miles per stay (100 miles at Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites® and Scandic hotels). Members who prefer to concentrate on points can choose Points and Points – ten HHonors Base points plus five These new earnings HHonors bonus points per eligible dollar spent. options give HHonors Members can choose the Double Dip option most appealing members the opportu- to them at any time prior to any stay by changing their profile nity to Double Dip their preferences online or via phone to the Hilton HHonors Customer way and choose the Service Center. And members can change their earning preference benefit that best suits anytime – even with every stay, if they wish. their travel style. “These new earnings options give HHonors members the opportunity to Double Dip their way and choose the benefit that best suits their travel style,” said Mary Beth Parks, vice president of marketing for Hilton HHonors Worldwide. “It’s another example of the way Hilton HHonors meets the individual needs of our members.” Hilton HHonors members can take advantage of the new Earnings Style options at more than 2,500 Hilton Family hotels worldwide. For more information and detailed terms and conditions about the Hilton HHonors Earnings Style benefit, visit hiltonhhonors.com/myway.

on gift ideas for clients, friends, family or not. For those road warriors who’d example, run frequent promotions and business associates. rather not spend points on more time awarding as much as 5,000 miles for a Join loyalty programs that offer points away from home, there are hotel loyalty roundtrip flight. that are valid with the most supplier programs like Radisson Gold Rewards, Book a flight through the carrier’s own partners, whether they’re travel-related which benefits members not only with Web site. Members of airline frequent hotel stays and flights but with GoldPoints flyer programs who book directly often that may be used at various restaurants get bonuses of 1,000 points or more for and upscale retailers like Skymall. Gold- new routes, or during special promotions Points can also be earned at retailers that figure can jump to 5,000 points. such as FTD.com, through Thrifty Car Use an airline’s special Web-based Rental, hotel partners of Radisson, features whenever possible. American including Country Inns & Suites by Airlines offers mileage bonuses for Carlson, Park Inn Hotels, Park redeeming award trips online instead of Plaza Hotels, Radisson SAS on the phone or by mail. To encourage properties in Europe, the usage, many carriers also are offering Radisson Edwardian group substantial point bonuses for online in the United Kingdom, flight check-in as well. and at T.G.I.Friday restaurants. Be aware that if you book through Watch for special programs on airline certain discount Web sites, such as shuttle flights. The Delta and US Airways priceline, hotels.com or hotwire.com, shuttles along the Eastern Corridor, for you may not earn miles or points.

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InterContinental Hotels-Priority Club Rewards, -, Delta Air Lines-Sky Miles, Imperial Oil-Esso Extra, GiftCertificates.com, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts-The President’s Club, Airways-, America West Airlines-FlightFund, - and Sprint. Sign up for affinity cards, and channel as much purchasing as you can through them. Marriott recently launched a loyalty card for small businesses: the Marriott Rewards Visa Business Card. With it, your company will earn one point for every dollar spent; three points for every dollar spent at a Marriott property. Another affinity card with generous rewards is the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard. As with most airline frequent flyer cards, you earn one point per dollar spent. But unlike airline frequent flyer programs, which typically

Buy the points you need to reach an An online tool for purchasing miles award level. Many frequency programs allow you to buy blocks of points in allows members to easily top up their increments of 1,000 to reach the mini- balance of BA Miles accounts and mum threshold for an upgrade or a free book reward flights sooner. airline ticket. Members of the Executive Club program in of BA Miles accounts and book reward require 25,000 miles for a free trip, over 190 countries can now buy BA flights sooner.” rewards at Amtrak start at 1,000 points Miles online at www.ba.com, enabling The online tool was built by Points in California and 2,500 points on the them to reach reward redemption levels International Ltd., the independent East Coast. Amtrak points can also be quickly. “At British Airways, we are loyalty points exchange firm that allows converted to miles on United, Midwest continually looking for ways we can add consumers to exchange points and miles Express or Continental, or can be used value for our most loyal customers,” said from one participating loyalty program at Hilton, Starwood and Marriott hotels. Simon Parks-Smith, British Airways’ to another. Points Exchange has, to date, Remember that discount carriers head of product management. “An attracted close to 40 partners, including also have loyalty programs – sometimes, online tool for purchasing miles allows eBay-Anything Points, American generous ones. America West’s members to easily top up their balance Airlines-the AAdvantage program, award-winning frequent flyer program,

Tip: Use Hotel Programs to Reach Elite Status Quickly

Marriott International Inc.’s Rewards program allows members to achieve Elite status faster than ever before and receive exclusive benefits across all Marriott brands that participate in the program. For example, all Marriott Rewards members can now request hotel stay awards just 24 hours before check-in to most participating hotels by calling 1.800.450.4442 or by visiting marriottrewards.com. Additionally, Marriott Rewards members can earn Silver Elite status and benefits after spending just 10 nights per year (previously, 15 nights were required.) In addition to free hotel stays, members have more than 300 different reward options, including Nick Faldo and John Jacobs golf schools; spa packages; luxury cruises; car and SUV rentals from Hertz; theme park passes to Disney, Universal Studios and Discovery Cove Orlando, and a variety of retail merchandise. To enroll in Marriott Rewards, call 1.800.249.0800 or log onto marriottrewards.com.

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global carriers formed four years ago. won’t have upgrade eligibility until three (The alliance also includes Aeromexico. days prior to departure. Similarly, Air Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, New Zealand has just changed its pro- Delta Air Lines and Korean Air.) In gram to issue frequent flyer rewards based addition to integrated frequency pro- on dollars spent rather than miles flown. grams, the nine airlines in SkyTeam FlightFund, offers elite benefits that have access to 27 hub airports around • Don’t think financially challenged include unlimited space-available the world, offering a total of nearly airlines have given up on their fre- upgrades, mileage bonuses, preferred 14,000 daily departures. quency programs. United Airlines has seating, priority check-in and early just reduced – for the third time this boarding. Unlike traditional frequent Tips for Frequent Travelers: year – the number of miles needed for flyer programs, JetBlue Airways’ • Learn how to work with blackout frequent flyer award travel. United TrueBlue members earn points instead dates. has just begun Economy Saver award travel booked on of miles for flights flown. The airline publishing the AAdvantage Hot Spots united.com will be available for 15,000 has classified each of its routes as short, calendar on its Web site, allowing miles instead of 25,000, and United medium or long haul; customers earn travelers to check for dates when seats First or United Business Saver award points for each one-way trip (two points are available for certain AAdvantage travel will be available for 30,000 miles for a short flight, four for a medium award seats. (The advantage for business instead of 40,000. This award travel is flight, six points for a long flight). A free travelers: no more checking from day for most nonstop, roundtrip flights that roundtrip ticket, good for any destination to day to see whether an award seat has are 750 or less each way on JetBlue flies, is awarded once a customer opened up.) The calendar extends out United, United Express or Ted. reaches 100 points. When that threshold five months and is updated weekly. For is reached, you’re immediately notified now, it’s limited to a few major cities, Advertisers’ Web Addresses via e-mail. but by next year, it is expected that the At AirTran, the A-Plus Rewards entire network will be listed. British Airways system is based on how often you fly and http://www.britishairways.com whether you fly in Coach or Business • Channel everyday business spending Cendant TripRewards Class, rather than how long the flight is. (not just travel spend) to a charge http://www.triprewards.com A one-way coach flight earns one point; card linked to a rewards program. Hilton Hotels Corporation one way in Business Class is 1.5; every American Express is working with http://www.hilton.com $1,000 spent on the AirTran Airways vendors to encourage card payments A-Plus Visa Card earns two points; 0.5 for business expenses that are usually Marriott Hotels points for a Hertz rental. Rewards begin direct-billed, such as advertising. “The http://www.marriott.com at four points, for a one-way business- Los Angeles Times was used to direct class upgrade. billing, and didn’t expect customers to WRITER: Julie Moline is a business travel specialist and former editor-in-chief of Corporate Travel magazine. Channel your spending to the fewest DESIGN: Sundberg & Associates Inc number of suppliers rather than scatter- ILLUSTRATION: Gordon Studer PRODUCED BY: Meigs Media Group, Inc., ing points across several programs. Millbrook, NY E-mail: [email protected] Channel your spending to the fewest want to put $100,000 a month on a www.meigsmedia.com number of suppliers rather than scattering Corporate Purchasing card,” said Anré For information about Special Advertising points across several programs. The Williams, executive vice president, U.S. Sections, e-mail Stacy Sass McAnulty at: [email protected]. goal: to reach elite status as quickly as Commercial Card for American Express. possible, because then you can earn points “Now they’re very happy with that even faster than before. For example, volume. The customer is happy, too: members of British Airways Executive that’s 100,000 Membership Rewards Club Gold earn a 50 percent bonus of points every month, the equivalent of BA miles on British Airways and . four roundtrip coach tickets the company Look to airline alliances to maximize can use for future business trips, or to reward options. With Star Alliance, for hand out as merit rewards. example, if you join the frequency program of one Alliance member, you can earn/ • If you have to pay higher fares, redeem points on the 15 member airlines. at least reap better rewards. Alaska And when you reach elite status levels Airlines’ top-level frequent flyers who in one member program, you’ll receive purchase full fares will be given auto- the equivalent Star Alliance status level. matic, space-available upgrades to the Meantime, Northwest airlines just first-class cabin at the time of booking. joined SkyTeam, the alliance of nine Elite-level travelers on discounted fares

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