Thanks Keith
 

Keith--Just wanted to thank you for mentioning idine in a recent post. I signed up a couple of weeks ago, and in the last 2 weeks, I've racked up about 10,000 miles just going to places that I was planning on going anyway--lunches with clients, and office holiday dinner, all at places on the idine program.
Thanks again.

Please give more details for those of us unfamiliar with idine. Thanks.

You can sign up at idine.com.
You can select various FF programs (I use AA), then register up to 3 credit cards. There is no fee. Search for restaurants in your area or all over the country. It gives details as to what the benefits are for each restaurant (most are 10 miles per dollar, but some as many as 20, and as little as 5). Just eat there, charge it with one of the credit cards you have registered, and you get the miles.

Jeez. I have had idine for awhile and have watched them go from giving 15% to 20% off the check price over the years. Do they now give miles in addition to the price discount?

You can choose miles or cash back. There is no annual fee for the miles program, but there is a $49 fee for cash back. They allow you to use your first $49 earned for the fee so you don't have to pay up front.

The rewards are typically 10 miles per dollar or 20% back, so each dollar is essentially costing you 2 cents (when comparing to the option of getting cash back). But, since you start earning miles immediately (rather than having to give up your first $49 earned) it may be better for those of us who don't eat out as often. :)

I think you select either the cashback awards or the miles, not both. Since most of the restaurants offer 10 miles per dollar (and one place that I eat regularly offers 20 miles per dollar) I went with the miles. It adds up quick!

I get my card free through my husbands' company's credit union. I'll check it out.

You are welcome, almesq.

I've been on the program for a bit over a year and picked up about 30,000 miles for doing nothing special. I'm single, and get a lot of to-go meals using the credit card.

One warning, if you are picking a restaurant because it is in the program, Idine doesn't point out when the restaurant leaves the program. It is good to check before going.

And don't forget that gift certificates bought with the card also count:-)

Keith

I mention it all the time here also. It is a great way to earn miles. I have my cards registered with IDine for American Airlines Advantage and the points go right into my account. I'm not sure that it's been made real clear so far, that you don't need to do anything after registering to get your points. For instance, you don't have to present a card or mention anything to the server. If you charge the meal on the registered card you will automatically get the points. We've often been surprised that we got points at restaurants we had no idea were part of the program. And you get the miles including tax and tip!! Most restaurants are for 10 miles to the dollar, some are more. Fraunces Tavern in New York gives 20 miles per $. Our meal there earned us over 2000 miles.
Keith makes a good point about checking the website to make sure a restaurant is still in the program. Also, you'll find some restaurants won't give the points on weekends. We've often looked at the website and changed which night we ate where to get the miles.
If you register on the website with your own profile, they also email you every time you earn points and notify you when new restaurants in your area are added to the program.

You can get 'Priority Club' points- all Holiday Inn products. I registered my Marriott Rewards Visa, so I now get points from both hotel chains.

We stay in hotels more than fly.

Keith or anyone-Do you know if you can register
a bank debit card or do you need to register only a card in which you get a statement?
I looked all over the site for the answer-Thanks
R5

Well, you guys had me all excited and I just joined AA Advantage program so I could then join idine. But when I started to fill out the application for idine, there is no provision for Canadian provinces under 'state'. So now I feel like I've been cut off at the pass. Any ideas?

kodi, I guess I'm not too surprised since they also don't include any Canadian restaurants for earning miles.

Yup, I noticed that when I checked out the site. But I do vacation in the USA quite often and would love to earn the airmiles. I'll be in Florida for a month this winter and I also go across the border shopping quite often and eat out. I had no trouble at all joining AA Advantage. I've sent idine an email asking aobut joining. I hope it works out. The more airmiles , the better!!

razzledazzle,

I don't know, but it doesn't cost anything to try registering the debit card and see what happens.

Keith

Just a thought, but does anyone ever receive any 'snail mail' from idine? Or is it all via internet? Maybe I should just dummy my address like I do on priceline and just make it fit.

I'd give it a shot, although I don't know if they check the address with the billing address on your credit card.

They do mail out a directory of all their included restaurants, twice a year. But no great loss if you don't get it. Many of them are out of date by the time it's published anyway.

Success!! I have managed to join. Hopefully there won't be any snags.
Now I can start earning more airmiles.
Thanks everyone.

Just to let everyone know. I did make my address fit, but I had also emailed idine about my address. I received a very nice email from them, welcomimg me and asking me to emial them my proper address. So ,I'm very pleased and will most likely get the snail mail directory too.
I'm happy!

We've been building multi miles on our United credit cards, too. I don't know how many airlines are involved.

While we're on the subject of rewards, do ya'll know about

www.opentable.com?

Not as generous as the prev. mentioned (Basically you get a $10 G.C. for every 10 resvs) but a tad more sophisticated. What I really like about this resv. service is that they will e-mail your guest(s) w/your message & the resv. includes tel,
#, and exact addresses

Razzle, I have a Visa Check Card and was able to register it with IDine without a problem. I would say contact them and find out. If it's a check card, you should be able to do it since it works like a credit card anyway.

And I have racked up miles in other cities, since a good thing to do is check out what places are with idine when you go on vacation as well as at home!! But the above posters are right about checking what places are offering miles what night and how much. I don't even bother with the ones offering "5 miles on Sundays only".

Thanks Missjanna! I was able to register
the check card. Dissapointed tho that the majority of restaurants in my "neighbohood" won't let you use it on Fri.and Sat. Guess we'll have to take longer vacations during weekdays!
R5

Idine and American Airlines are doing a promo. Register at http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/Key=40191.P69D.G.Nvb701 and get double miles the first 3 times you eat at participating restaurants between 2/9 and 3/31.

Keith

Sorry, I must be missing something. I see restaurants in my area giving discounts of 5 to 20 percent but I don't see any info about miles.

Once you sign up, select the FF program and register a credit card(s), then log in, you will see it will change to showing the miles they offer.

The idine program is great if you have restaurants participating. For North Carolina, there are 5 regions. The 'Triangle' region has about 50 restaurants (including multiple locations of the same place) and includes restaurant 100+ miles away. One restaurant was in Goldsboro, which not in the Triangle, but it was the closest listing region.

The triangle area has a lot of restaurnts, but most don't participate.

However, I did find a new bbq place through their listings.