I was contacted by Biltmore Who's Who last summer. For $750, I would be a life member. With this membership, I would receive 2 round-trip airline tickets, good anywhere in the US.
The woman I spoke to stated there were no restrictions, no catches, no blackout dates and no expiration dates. I asked her on three separate times if I could travel anytime, on any airline, and if there were any hidden catches just to use the airline voucher.
She emphatically stated each time, I could travel anytime, on any airline, from my local airport, that there would be no blackout dates, and there were no catches to using the voucher. It was their way of saying thank you for being a member.
Planning my summer vacation out west this summer, I got out the voucher.
I checked the Biltmore website for vacation destinations. Much to my surprise,
there were several restrictions, catches and blackout dates. I could only redeem the voucher 60 days in advance. I normally book my flights 6 months in advance.
To use the airline voucher, I HAD to stay in a hotel Biltmore picks, from 3 days (using a flight from the west coast) to 7-10 days (flying in from the east coast). The cost of the hotel room they tell you that you must stay at is much more than you could get online, or through a travel website. The hotels are not ones I would stay at if I were booking them myself. The room rate is charged when you make the reservation.
The cost of the hotel room alone which I would be required to stay at for the 7 days, would cost more than what I can get for 2 round trip fares on JetBlue
from the east coast to Long Beach, 3 nights in Las Vegas, and a rental car for a week.
This is why they give it to you. They know you won't or can't use it with their conditions.
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