Frequent Traveler University at Las Vegas is approaching soon from April 29 to May 1, and many people have asked about getting access to the special track on manufactured spend. This advanced track — organized by Omar (Travel Summary) and Tahsir (Bengali Miles Guru) with help from Frequent Miler — has already sold out, and there are no plans to add more tickets.
Tickets to the regular track are still available for $199, and my understanding is that it will have some MS topics on a smaller scale while discussing other aspects of earning and redeeming miles. It’s also a good idea to attend just to mix with the other attendees. Some of the best tips aren’t shared during the sessions themselves but during private conversation later.
I still wanted to see if there was anything more we could do to make it easy for people to meet and talk with their favorite experts. I’ve managed to arrange for a private lunch with Omar, Tahsir, and me during FTU. Julian (Devil’s Advocate) may show up, too. Tickets to this lunch will be auctioned off here on the blog, and 100% of the proceeds will go to charity.
While I’m no MS expert, I get to tag along since I’m picking up the tab. 😉
What Is Happening?
Lunch for readers who are attending Frequent Traveler University. Three or four bloggers will be attending, and four readers will be able to join us for lunch at my expense. Location and time are TBD. Carson Kitchen (near the event at The D Las Vegas) is my first thought.
The Prizes
All Access: Two winners will receive admission to the regular FTU track ($199 value), admission to the blackjack tournament on Friday night ($50 value), and a private lunch with bloggers to discuss manufactured spend. Minimum bid on this package is $150.
Lunch Only: Two other winners will receive an invitation to lunch only. This is intended for people who have already purchased a ticket to FTU or who will purchase a ticket separately. Minimum bid on this package is $25.
As of 11:00 PM on Wednesday (one hour to go!), the current high bids are $425 for All Access and $375 for Lunch Only.
How to Bid
Submit a comment to this post. Your comment should include which prize you want and your bid. You may bid for one or both prizes. Example comment: “$200 on All Access and $40 on Lunch Only.”
Disqus allows users to edit their existing comments, so you can increase your bid if you need to. Or submit a new bid. I will review all comments at the end of the auction to find the highest bids.
Please DO NOT include your email address. I don’t want people to share their private information by accident. When you submit a comment, Disqus already requires you to log in or create an account. The email address you use to log in is kept hidden, and I can view it from my admin control panel. I will use that email address to reach you.
What If You Win?
As many of you know, my father recently passed away while piloting his Comanche. He served on the board of the Pacific Coast Air Museum in Santa Rosa and was chair of the organizing committee for the Wings over Wine Country airshow in September. All winners of this auction will be asked to make their contribution directly to the Pacific Coast Air Museum, a registered 501(c)(3) charity.
Your contribution will be fully tax deductible. Save your receipt and send it to me so that I can confirm your prize. Remember that you must either purchase your own FTU ticket or win a prize that includes FTU admission in order to attend lunch.
Bonus Offer: If you are flying on Alaska Airlines to Las Vegas, I have two MVP Gold Guest Upgrades that I will give away at random to the winners.
Auction Duration and Terms
You must submit your bid between Friday, February 26, and Wednesday, March 2, 2016. All bids must be submitted by 11:59 PM PST on March 2. Winners will be announced and notified on March 3. I retain full discretion to determine the prize winners and may disqualify bids for any reason. Donations to the Pacific Coast Air Museum must be confirmed by March 10, 2016, to secure your prize. This auction is only open to residents of the United States.
Oh, and bids must be made in increments of $1. No pennies!
