[Targeted] Easy 500 AA Miles for a Falafel or Burger!

Aadvantage Dining has decided to join in on the food delivery boom. After all, who isn’t tired of Seamless, GrubHub, UberEats and the whole gamut of food delivery apps and programs?

I received an email today notifying me that I’d been selected to partake in this trial program aimed at bringing delivery to AAdvantage Dining^SM so you can earn AAdvantage miles however you choose to dine: 

We heard you when you said you wanted to earn AAdvantage^® miles for takeout and delivery!

You’ve been selected as part of an exclusive group of AAdvantage Dining^SM members eligible to earn 500 AAdvantage^® bonus miles to help us test a new concept. All you need to do is order online from one of 300+ local restaurants available through a special program set up uniquely for AAdvantage Dining^SM by 9Fold.

Take three simple steps to earn 500 AAdvantage^® bonus miles:

Search restaurants through the link below and order online for delivery or takeout before October 16

Pay with a credit or debit card linked to your AAdvantage Dining^SM account

Answer a brief survey about your experience

The program is powered by 9Fold, an online ordering system for restaurants.

I got really excited at first, thinking I could order a single burger or falafel or salad every day from now till  October 16th and earn 500 Aadvantage miles per pop, but then I read closer, and the terms say you can only earn the 500 mile bonus once.

This special offer expires on October 16, 2019, is good for one online order at a single participating restaurant, and is capped at a maximum of 500 AAdvantage^® miles during the Bonus Period. You must follow the search link above to order from the restaurant of your choice, then pay using a credit or debit card linked to your AAdvantage Dining^SM account. You will receive your survey 5-7 days after your order. Terms and conditions apply.

(dang!).

As a preliminary matter, I must say how dissatisfied I am with programs like Seamless, Uber Eats, etc. While these programs have a wide array of participating restaurants and streamlined payment methods, they jack up the prices so much – by inflating the menu prices, adding preparation fees and delivery fees. Dave doesn’t seem to mind as long as he gets his Pinkberry delivered 2 or 3 times a week, but I’m infuriated by the inflated prices.

I like the idea of an Aadvantage Delivery program. This seems like a logical step from the Aadvantage Dining program and a worthy way to continue to maximize miles. I also like that you can choose whether you want delivery OR takeout for many of the participating restaurants.

Another benefit – the Aadvantage Delivery program lists many restaurants with no or a minimal delivery charge, and the few menus that I checked and compared to the restaurant’s direct website showed identical prices.

A current drawback – the list of participating restaurants in New York City is very limited. I didn’t see many restaurants on the list that I’d actually order from. I assume the list will get longer as the program develops.

A current unknown – will the charge on the linked credit card show that it is from the restaurant itself or from 9Fold? If the charge is directly with the restaurant, then you should be able to stack points and miles.

I’ll definitely try the program once and get my 500 miles.