More miles for your points

August 26, 2007

United Airlines is letting Mileage Plus frequent-flier members get free flights of under 700 miles each way for 15,000 points -- instead of the usual 25,000 -- if you book on United.com and travel before Dec. 14. From Logan, that covers flights on United and code-share partners as far as Washington, Montreal, and Toronto.

Rentals beget trips
Thrifty Car Rental is offering tripled frequent-flier miles on seven airlines for three-day-plus rentals of mid-size or bigger cars booked on Thrifty.com with code TPE7 through Nov. 15: Corporate sister Dollar Rent A Car is offering a similar deal.

Top 10 summer places
Raytheon Co.'s Cleveland-based private-plane booking service, Flight Options LLC, ranks these as the 10 most popular summer destinations for folks who don't have to fly commercial: Las Vegas; Aspen, Colo.; Jackson, Wyo.; Hailey, Idaho; Eagle, Colo.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Napa, Calif.; Nantucket; Carlsbad, Calif.; and East Hampton, N.Y., with Santa Fe on the brink of cracking the top 10.

Venerable dining and nightlife guide Zagat Survey last week launched a Zagat.mobi made-for-wireless website offering access to restaurant and hotel listings that you can also text-message.

Business travelers worried about lost luggage are receptive to new services that ship bags to a destination before their trip, but not willing to pay too richly, according to a new Orbitz for Business online poll of 436 business travelers. Fifty-six percent said they'd be willing to pay something for luggage delivery, but, of those, 30 percent wouldn't pay more than $25 and just 7 percent would pay $100 or more.

PETER J. HOWE