Mileage junkies worldwide know that a great way to top off your favorite mileage account is dining out at restaurants that participate in the Rewards Network program.  Approximately halfway through the year, I switched my credit cards over to the United Mileage Plus option in the RN program, and I’ve been earning Mileage Plus miles ever since.

Well today as I’m sometimes want to do during my lunch half-hour, I took a look at my mileage program balances as well as my progress in the Mileage Plus Dining program.  To my astonishment, I found that I was only one dine away from “VIP” status in the Mileage Plus Dining program.  VIP status will net you 5 miles per dollar spent on dining at participating restaurants as opposed to 3 miles per dollar for mere regular members.  Not being one to leave an extra 2 miles per dollar on the table, I began to think of how I might get that extra dine in.

Mrs MJ on Travel and I have no dining out plans until New Year’s Eve, and those do not include dining at a participating restaurant.  It just so happens that a participating restaurant is located very near my home Metro stop in DC’s Columbia Heights neighborhood.  Like any good mileage junkie, I paid them a visit after work just for a glass of wine (OK, 2 glasses).  Does that make me a little crazy?  Probably.  But the wine was good, and during the next year, I’ll be earning 5 miles per dollar spent on dining at participating restaurants.  Are you?  If not, sign up to participate with your favorite mileage program here.