We walk up to the Southwest self-help kiosk. I don’t reach for my wallet as Ms. TPOL does to check-in. “No checked bags, print boarding pass, I win,” I boast with great satisfaction. I have my Rapid Rewards number memorized. Seinfeld would be proud.
Heading to the Admirals Club, I didn’t take out my Citi Exec card, I recited my AAdvantage number by heart. Even worthless Delta is no match for my memory as I login to verify that I have indeed drained my SkyPesos account to zero.
This brings me to SPG, a number that is too long and has no pattern. Every day it seems SPG has a promotion, targeted or not, that requires me to input my SPG number to register. I never remember it and have to go back to AwardWallet to look it up. The same can be said about the ugly Hyatt GoldPassport number whose use of a letter at the end throws of my rhythm. Finally, there is Club Carlson with enough digits to resemble a nuclear code. Even if I can remember one, there’s another for my business account that I have just forgotten.
The nerdiness of the points game is apparent by the number of accountants, lawyers, and financiers who blog on the topic. That is why I don’t feel ashamed to say that I feel cool when I can recall account numbers to agents and excel through the check-in process while fellow travelers bumble around for a credit card to swipe.
Any other nerds out there willing to admit to the satisfaction of knowing their frequent flier numbers?
I know of the top of my head my AA Number, Delta, and United. For hotels I know my IHG and Hyatt number for some reason like you I cant memorize my SPG number I always have to look it up.
Impressed that you know your hyatt!
Southwest, AA, Hilton, United, and IHG are all stored in my head. As well as my wife’s AA and Southwest. And then I think I know the first 4 or 5 characters of a few more.
It gets tricky when you start signing up for every program known to man!
award wallet shows 54 accounts so I feel your pain but commend your abilities
I have my BA and AA numbers memorized and can recall my wife’s with a little thinking. My SPG, no. But it’s saved in Google Chrome for me. With the Open Your World promo I would have to go to spgpro.com to copy my SPG before going to the promo page, as that didn’t remember it.
oh yes, i do have BA memorized as well. I have to go on there so frequently to find availability for everything. It’s stupid that you can’t sign up with your username and pw.
Jeeze, all these people have all this stuff memorized. I have my United number (really the only airline I fly nowadays where I need to know it off the top of my head) memorized and that’s it. I think I know my IHG number but it would take a minute to think of it.
You wold not do well with the awardwallet drinking game being developed in real time on twitter lol