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Gilt City Offering up to 15 Miles per Dollar Spent Through May 5

Nick Ewen
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Nick Ewen is a director of content at TPG and helps readers leverage credit cards (he has 23 of them) and loyalty programs to travel more for less. His 20+ years of expertise has helped him visit over 50 countries and all 50 states. He's been at TPG for more than 11 years.
May 04, 2017
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6 min read
Chicken and Waffles
Gilt City Offering up to 15 Miles per Dollar Spent Through May 5
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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers here.

Taking advantage of online shopping portals is a great way to maximize everyday purchases you make online, allowing you to earn bonus points or miles on items you were planning to purchase anyway. I always check these portals before shopping on virtually any website, as you'll occasionally see limited-time offers for certain merchants. Today Gilt City is back with a new promotion that allows you to earn up to 15 miles per dollar spent, but only through tomorrow, May 5.

This is actually the second promotion the site has offered in 2017 (the first was in early April), indicating that Gilt, the site's parent company, recognizes the power of these portals in incentivizing customers. Gilt City is actually just one part of the Gilt Groupe and was launched in 2010 to compete with the likes of Groupon and Living Social, providing discounts on goods, services and experiences across 13 major cities in the US. Even if you don’t reside in one of these metropolitan areas, the national site has several deals open to anyone. The site typically offers discounts of at least 25%, though a quick scan of the current items at the time of writing show some at more than 50%, making now a great time to enjoy a nice meal or a high-end product at a lower price and with a nice haul of miles.

Snag some Z's on American Airlines flights from Philly to the Caribbean. Image courtesy of American Airlines.
Your next business-class flight could be closer to reality if you make a purchase through Gilt City this week. Image courtesy of American Airlines.

For the next two days, through Friday May 5, the following five airlines are offering enhanced earning rates:

  • American: 12 miles per dollar
  • Alaska: 9 miles per dollar
  • Delta: 10 miles per dollar
  • Southwest: 9 points per dollar
  • United: 15 miles per dollar

Each of these portals typically offers just 2-3 miles or points per dollar spent, which is still a solid bonus for simply shopping online. However, these enhanced earning rates are all at least four times higher for the next two days.

Here’s a sample of what you’d earn (along with the return on your purchase) by spending $100 through the corresponding portal, with all calculations based on TPG’s most recent valuations:

AirlineMiles/PointsValueReturn
American1,200$16.8016.8%
Alaska900$17.1017.1%
Delta1,000$1212%
Southwest900$13.5013.5%
United1,500$22.5022.5%

As you can see, these numbers are quite impressive, and the value will only increase as you spend more (though your rate of return remains constant). If you can pull in a nice haul of miles and enjoy a discounted meal or beauty product in the process, that’s a win in my book!

Here’s a sampling of some of the deals available during this promotion, including how many miles you’d earn in the process:

Chicago

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  • The Second City: Two weeknight tickets to Up Comedy Club Show plus $40 food/beverage credit for $75 (33% off), earn up to 1,125 miles
  • Chuan Spa at the Langham Chicago: Luxury spa day with prosecco and gift for $59 (65% off), earn up to 885 miles
  • Harold's Chicken Shack: $200 catering credit through July 27 for $120 (40% off), earn up to 1,800 miles

Los Angeles

  • Spa del Rey at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey: Classic massage with hot stones for $119 (32% off), earn up to 1,785 miles
  • Nobu Los Angeles: Two-hour sushi-making class for $275, earn up to 4,125 miles

Miami

  • GUYandGIRL Spa at the Mondrian South Beach: Massage and foot scrub or facial and foot scrub for $99 (38% off), earn up to 1,485 miles
  • Pilates Strong: Ten 50-minute group Reformer classes for $139 (58% off), earn up to 2,085 miles

New York

  • Prime Cycle: Ten classes for $145 (42% off), earn up to 2,175 miles

San Francisco

  • Adventure Connection: Two-day red wine tasting and whitewater rafting trip for $239 (41% off), earn up to 3,585 miles

Just remember that you must click through your desired airline’s shopping portal first in order to earn the bonus miles. You can find a list of all portals here, though only American, Alaska, Delta, Southwest and United are offering increased bonuses through this promotion.

Keep in mind too that these bonus points or miles are in addition to those you’d earn on the credit card you use to make the purchase. I’d recommend using a card that offers solid return on non-bonus category spending like the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express or the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Bottom Line

Screen Shot 2017-04-29 at 5.11.55 PM
If you're in need of some pampering and airline miles, this newest promotion is perfectly timed.

Making purchases through online shopping portals is a great way to maximize your earning rates on every day activity, and this limited-time offer through Gilt City is a great way to try some new experiences and boost your account balances with select airlines. Just be sure to act quickly, as these increased rates are only valid through Friday May 5!

Will you be taking advantage of any Gilt City deals this week?

Featured image by Getty Images