AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

In article Tsdqd.405505$wV.131490@attbi_s54,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

:-( Then I won't be able to make a reservation for business travel at
your hotel.

Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Jay: I have a Diners Club card which I've been using the early 90's
for business travel.

I don't know of a single hotel (or even small B&B in our market) that
doesn't pre-authorize guaranteed reservations on a credit card.

right. But your hotel is the only one that I've heard of that doesn't
take American Express or Diners. I don't have a Visa card
(just a debit card)

--
Bob Noel

right. But your hotel is the only one that I've heard of that doesn't
take American Express or Diners. I don't have a Visa card
(just a debit card)

Yeah, we took a stand against the machine. By my count, since August of
2002 it has cost me 3 customers.

American Express is dying -- and Diner's Club barely exists. 92% of our
guests use Visa/Mastercard (they really *are* the same, BTW), 4% use
Discover, and 4% pay cash.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" writes:


American Express is dying -- and Diner's Club barely exists. 92% of our
guests use Visa/Mastercard (they really *are* the same, BTW), 4% use
Discover, and 4% pay cash.

At one point, DC had the USGovt. account, but I think they are long
out of it.

In some cities, the major eateries rebelled against Amex; and they
cut their tax.
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 14:05:24 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

4% pay cash.

Wow. The only reasons I can come up with for paying cash for a hotel
is 1) you earn a lot of money under the IRS radar, and this is a way
to spend it; or 2) the lady with you is not your wife, and your wife
or her lawyer has access to your credit-card records.

It is now almost unheard of not to have a credit card that pays you a
1 percent rebate or 1 frequent-flier mile per dollar spent, if not 2.
Who would not take such a discount?

Furthermore, it's more difficult and time-consuming to pay with cash.
I now use my credit card at the post office for transactions even
under five dollars. (Double miles for the USPS!)


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
the blog www.danford.net

Wow. The only reasons I can come up with for paying cash for a hotel
is 1) you earn a lot of money under the IRS radar, and this is a way
to spend it; or 2) the lady with you is not your wife, and your wife
or her lawyer has access to your credit-card records.

There are apparently a fair number of people who have had their credit cards
yanked. I'm always amazed how many credit card preauthorizations come back
"Declined" -- and often from top notch-looking people.

Since we don't accept checks, their only other option is to pay cash.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
Wow. The only reasons I can come up with for paying cash for a hotel
is 1) you earn a lot of money under the IRS radar, and this is a way
to spend it; or 2) the lady with you is not your wife, and your wife
or her lawyer has access to your credit-card records.


There are apparently a fair number of people who have had their credit cards
yanked. I'm always amazed how many credit card preauthorizations come back
"Declined" -- and often from top notch-looking people.

Actually, I used to have an account that regularly came up declined
even though it was in good standing. Evidentally my buying habits
kept triggering their security system. It caused me a lot of grief.
I told them I had the scissors in my hand and they could either figure
out how to adjust things to keep me as a customer or I could terminate
the account right then and there.

It was a pain, but I switched all the stuff I have set up to direct
bill to that card and I had to memorize a new card number for online/
phone purchases.

Cub Driver writes:


4% pay cash.

Wow. The only reasons I can come up with for paying cash for a hotel
is 1) you earn a lot of money under the IRS radar, and this is a way
to spend it; or 2) the lady with you is not your wife, and your wife
or her lawyer has access to your credit-card records.

Or maybe you're tired of ****tyBank & Choicepoint tracking your
every move, not to mention Fatherland Security and Rev. Ike. There
was a time when what you [legally] did was your own business; but
that's no longer true in this country, unless you make real efforts
on your own behalf. And the most effective is: pay cash. When asked
for your name and address, ask back: Why do you need to know?
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Or maybe you're tired of ****tyBank & Choicepoint tracking your
every move, not to mention Fatherland Security and Rev. Ike. There
was a time when what you [legally] did was your own business; but
that's no longer true in this country, unless you make real efforts
on your own behalf. And the most effective is: pay cash. When asked
for your name and address, ask back: Why do you need to know?

Um, we ask your name, address and daytime phone number when you make a
reservation, and we verify it at check-in.

We do this not because we're interested in your every move, but so we can
mail back the cell phone charger (or whatever) that an amazing percentage of
our guests accidentally leave in their suite when they check out.

(We've got an amazing collection of them, BTW. I think we have one of every
charger -- and they're all different -- ever made.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" writes:

Or maybe you're tired of ****tyBank & Choicepoint tracking your
every move, not to mention Fatherland Security and Rev. Ike. There
was a time when what you [legally] did was your own business; but
that's no longer true in this country, unless you make real efforts
on your own behalf. And the most effective is: pay cash. When asked
for your name and address, ask back: Why do you need to know?

Um, we ask your name, address and daytime phone number when you make a
reservation, and we verify it at check-in.


I didn't say you, Jay. I said the listbroker business, with their
allies the cc: folks.

Besides, you can save the trouble. Trans Union's Trans-Link/Reverse
Lookup service will take that cc: # you have and give you the address
& phone of the cardholder. Then you can send them junk mail, just like
the big junkmailers..

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:38:03 GMT, Bob Noel
wrote:

right. But your hotel is the only one that I've heard of that doesn't
take American Express or Diners. I don't have a Visa card
(just a debit card)

I don't know about hotels, but many enterprises don't accept anything
but MC and Visa. I presently carry a Delta/Amex card (12,500 free
miles for signing up, and no fee for the first 12 months) but I make
sure to carry a backup Visa card in my wallet.

To get back on subject, I don't use my AOPA credit card except when
shopping at Sporty's. I am reimbursed for money spent on gasoline, and
the amount I spend isn't enough to make it worthwhile to file for the
rebate.

The one time I went to an FBO for training, where credit cards were
accepted, they didn't take MasteCard! (Chandler AZ.)

Anyhow, I don't particularly like MasterCard. It seems rather low-rent
to me.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
the blog www.danford.net