Airline Miles - Tips and Tricks to get that free trip you deserve
Easy to earn, frustrating to use.
FICTION - airlines release a specific number of seats per flight for purchase with frequent flier miles.
FACT - airlines make available seats for purchase with miles that they wont sell otherwise.
FICTION - The earlier you book the more likely you will get the flights you want.
FACT - Seats for mileage are not available 330 days from departure when the flight first comes available. Seats for miles are released periodically depending on the demand for any particular flight. Seats for miles come from the same inventory as seats for sell, so if there are 2 seats for miles available and someone purchases 2 tickets then the 2 seats for miles will most likely be gone unless more are released. If a flight is undersold then the airline will release more seats the closer you get to the flight. People love to use their miles for Hawaii yet the seats are almost never available unless you can plan 3 to 4 weeks prior departure. NOTE: try to avoid booking within 14 weeks otherwise you will get hit with a booking fee. The fee goes even higher for booking 7 days or less prior departure.
Suggestions:
- check for availability on line.
- call and check availability. If you get a good agent then chances are they will find you an option. While working for a major airline, I recall many times that I was able to find options for people who asked why the other agents they had spoken to could not. They always asked why I could find them yet the other agents could not.
- Ask the airline agent to look at their partners availability. Many agents will only look at their airline and not the partners.
- If it is imperative you travel on specific flights then use double miles.
- Ask for a waitlist. Many airlines will waitlist a flight if you ask.
- Just because it is not available today does not mean it wont be available in a few days. Persitance is the key when using miles. Availability changes constantly.
- Above all other, PUT it on hold if you find something. Chances are it will not be available when you call back.
BEST AIRLINE MILEAGE PROGRAMS
- CONTINENTAL -
- no expiration date on miles. Customer service is excellent.
BEST ELITE PROGRAMS
- DELTA -
- Qualifying for Silver Status is by far the easiest. Other airlines restrict accrual towards Elite status based on the class of service you book. Delta does not. 3 round-trips to Peru or Chile in one year and you qualify for free upgrades for the rest and following year(with other airlines you would have to take twice as many trips to qualify for silver).
- UNITED -
- Upgrades on international flights tend to be easier to get with miles. There are no extra fees with upgrades however you do have to purchase specific class fares. Customer service is excellent.