October 2005 -- What's the cheapest way to your next romantic getaway? By getting free airfare or hotel rooms. With careful management of your frequent flyer miles, hotel points, and more, you just might find yourselves on the road again soon. Here's a look at what's new in the world of loyalty programs this month:

USAirways and America West Combining Programs

With the merger of US Airways and America West, the airlines will be combining their frequent flyer programs into a single program. To be known as Dividend Miles, the new program will launch in the spring of 2006. Whether you’re presently a member of FlightFund, the America West frequent flyer program, or Dividend Miles, the program of US Airways, you can now redeem and earn miles on flights operated by either airline.

Also you now can receive a 500-mile bonus for booking online at either americawest.com or usairways.com. The program has no more Saturday night stay requirement for Dividend Miles awards. There’s also a single worldwide award chart with award travel beginning at 25,000 miles for roundtrip awards within and between the continental US and Canada.

When the programs combine this spring, your outstanding mileage balance will be automatically combined and integrated into the new Dividend Miles program.

For additional information on the new Dividend Miles program including award-travel charts, visit www.usairwaysinfo.com and click on the Frequent Flyer link.

Get Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards for Rapid Internet Service!

Southwest Airlines has partnered with PeoplePC Online, adding the internet service provider to its network of frequent flyer program partners. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Members will now receive four Rapid Rewards credits when they choose PeoplePC Online as their Internet service provider, starting at a $10.95 monthly connection fee. For more, visit www.peoplepc.com/go/flyswa1.

Get Double Marriott Points

Marriott Rewards members can earn double points when they pay for their hotel stay with any Visa card through Jan. 31, 2006. The offer includes Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn and Marriott Vacation Club International locations. You’ll earn double points on all Visa-paid Marriott hotel stays starting with your Visa-paid second stay. You must register for the Double Points promotion by visiting marriottrewards.com or calling (888) MARRIOTT.

American Express Enhancements

American Express has enhanced its Membership Rewards program, allowing cardmembers to instantly redeem points with any airline available on the American Express travel website. You can use your points to book directly online without blackout dates or restrictions for airlines, hotels or cruises.

Cardmembers using www.americanexpress.com/travel can cover all or part of the costs of any airline ticket, hotel room or cruise. The site recently underwent a redesign, featuring a private label version of the booking interface developed by Travelocity, along with its fares and rates.

TripRewards Expands Store

Members of the TripRewards loyalty program now have more reward choices with the addition of more than 200 items to the program's online point redemption store, TripRewards Marketplace. Whether your holiday shopping list includes an iPod, Godiva chocolates or gift certificates, you’re in luck; the expanded store offers them all. For more, visit www.triprewards.com .

Free Palm Treo

You can earn a free Palm Treo 650 Smartphone with the purchase of a paid, qualifying roundtrip or one-way flight of $500 or more on United, United Express or Ted, and the activation of a qualifying Cingular Wireless service plan. You’ll need to make your ticket purchase by Dec. 31, 2005 and complete your flight by Jan. 6, 2006.

To register for this offer, you must be a Mileage Plus member and log on to united.com/Treo. Once registered, you should complete your flight then you’ll receive an email with your fulfillment code.

New AA Route

American Airlines is celebrating a new route between Los Angeles and San Antonio with double miles; you’ll need to fly by Jan. 31, 2006. You’ll also need to register online with bonus code LASAT. For more, visit www.AA.com.

Miles for Parking

If you’re departing from Houston, you can earn 50 frequent flyer miles at Allright Houston Intercontinental Airport for each day parked. You can also earn miles for parking at Allright locations in Cincinnati and Milwaukee, although miles may vary. You’ll need to join Allright’s Parking Plus Club before departure to earn miles. Parking Plus will automatically credit your frequent flyer account once 500 miles have been accumulated in your Parking Plus Club account. To apply, pick up an Allright Parking Plus application at the parking lot or write Allright - Central Parking System, P.O. Box 60751, Houston, TX 77205-0751.

Continental Bonus Miles

Continental is celebrating several new routes with bonus mile offers:

• Newark/Liberty - Liberia, Costa Rica Through Feb. 28, 2006, you can earn 2,000 bonus miles.
  
• Houston - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Through Feb. 28, 2006, you can earn double miles on new nonstop service. You will need to register online for this promotion with promotion code 58005.
  
• Newark/Liberty - Ponce, Puerto Rico Through Jan. 31, 2006, earn 2,000 bonus miles. You’ll need to register before flying with promotion code 58001.
  

For more, visit www.continental.com.

Delta Bonuses

Delta is offering several limited-time bonuses for selected auto rentals and hotel stays:

Avis: Receive a free one-car group upgrade plus 1,000 bonus miles on your next qualifying rental. You’ll need to book an intermediate through full size four-door car rental, at participating airport locations. Offer expires Dec. 31, 2005.

Hertz: Earn double miles and receive an upgrade on all qualifying Leisure Weekly or Leisure Weekend Rate rentals of two or more days when renting a compact through full-size car in the United States or Canada. When reserving, you’ll need to provide your SkyMiles number, CDP# 165385, and PC# 960050. Offer expires Dec. 31, 2005.

Hertz : Another offer for Hertz customers is 500 bonus miles and a savings of $5 per day on Leisure Weekend Rate rentals (or earn 500 bonus miles and save $20 on Leisure Weekly Rate rentals). This offer is valid on rentals of any car class at participating locations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. When renting, you’ll need to provide your SkyMiles number, CDP# 165385, and PC# 959372 (weekend rentals) or PC# 959383 (weekly rentals). This offer expires Dec. 31, 2005.

Hertz: You can also earn triple miles and receive special rates on Volvos, Jaguars, and the Lincoln LS at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. You’ll need to provide your SkyMiles number, CDP# 165385, and PC# 959000. This offer expires Dec. 31, 2005.

Hilton: Headed to the City of Lights? You can earn double miles, a museum pass, free breakfast, and spa access when you stay at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris. You’ll need to use reservation code PR15CE. This offer expires Dec. 31, 2005.

Xtreme Miles

Here's on that can have you on the road to the second honeymoon! You can earn up to 100,000 bonus miles with Northwest Airlines with a new Xtreme Miles promotion. You’ll have to register for the promotion by Dec. 31, 2005 but you’ll have through Jan. 31, 2006 to complete qualifying activities to earn points which will then be converted to bonus miles.

Just what earns points? You’ve got a whole list of activities you can take part in including:

• Fly with Northwest or KLM within North America or to Europe or Asia
  
• Use Northwest E-Services on nwa.com to make reservations, check in for flights or sign up for My NWA Info to receive travel notifications
  
• Stay at participating partner hotels or rent a car from a participating partner
  
• Purchase items through the WorldPerks Mall on nwa.com
  
• Take a NWA WorldVacations package
  

To take part in the promotion, you need to be a WorldPerks member and agree to receive emails from Northwest Airlines through Jan. 31, 2006. At the end of the promotion, points will automatically be converted to WorldPerks Bonus Miles. For more, visit www.nwa.com.

BA’s Big Bonus

Through Dec. 31, 2005, British Airways Executive Club is offering a free bonus flight promotion to members in the US, Canada and, for the first time, the Caribbean. After each transatlantic round-trip (or two transatlantic one-way trips), Executive Club members will be credited with a minimum of 50,000 miles – a special bonus of 40,250 miles plus the miles they would normally earn. Executive Club members first must register online at www.ba.com/freeflights2005 and then book their transatlantic flights in a qualifying First or Club World fare class. There is no limit on how many times members can earn the special bonus miles. All qualifying travel must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2005 to earn the 40,250-mile bonus.

NWA Bonuses

Northwest Airlines and KLM are celebrating several new routes and offering special bonus programs for a limited time:

• India: New nonstop service form Amsterdam to Bangalore and Hyderabad. To receive bonus miles, travel any time by March 31, 2006 and register prior to travel but no later than March 15. The bonus varies by destination and class; as an example, flights from San Diego to Bangalore earn bonuses of 7,500, 10,000, and 15,000 miles, depending on fare class. Once you’ve registered, make your qualifying reservations at nwa.com, call Northwest Reservations at (800) 225-2525 or contact your travel professional. For more, visit www.nwa.com.
• Des Moines, Fargo, Sioux Falls, Grand Rapids or Madison, Wisconsin - Las Vegas. Through Jan. 31, 2006, you can earn 1,000 Bonus Miles every time you fly on a paid roundtrip ticket between one of these cities and Las Vegas. The offer also applies to WorldVacations packages. Registration is required prior to travel, but no later than Jan. 31, 2006. There are blackout dates. For more, visit www.nwa.com.
  

Related Pages:

• Ways to earn frequent flyer miles
  
• Frequent Flyer and Frequent Stay programs