Frequent Flyer programs really suck nowadays

[DandyDon]

I miss the 1980s when you could actually use them for any open seat, then there was the 1988 joyride with triple miles for the entire year. I went crazy on that one.

Now, they make the miles almost impossible to use - unless you want to waste them by spending 50K instead 25K to get Fly Anytime flights. I plan ahead and try to use 25K for a flight, finding so many blocked dates, and then when I do find good dates - they are for insane itineraries with the worst times, extra flights on cramped planes, and overnight stopovers. I used to value FF-miles @ $20/1,000; these days I've been valuing them @ $10/K but I guess I need to abandon that.

These miles used to be more valuable for immediate travel needs, but now they charge a large fee for that. They seem to put a lot of work into advertising their FF programs while also sending the message that it's really better to just pay for the tickets.

Then there are the expiration dates if you don't use or earn. I once lost 25K with American back when they were more usable, but I was saving up for enough for a First Class ticket - and lost track of time. 18 months count down, tick tock - use or earn, or lose...!!

Ok, I protect my American miles while I try to figure out what to do with them by ordering things I want anyway thru their Eshopping site. It's tricky, as it will let you think you're still signed in from last visit, then buy - but not track since you weren't signed in. The answer there seems to be to check your account details, which then makes you sign in, see that you are indeed on your account - then buy from Walmart.com or wherever. Seems to work ok. Not many miles, but the expiration gets extended on all miles.

I don't know of an inviting way to extend United miles? I have a few, but consider them lost.

Delta miles don't expire, but they cut back their routes so much. I don't want to drive to Dallas-Fort Worth or fly American there so I can then board Delta.

Grrrr...!!

 

[Charles2]

I don't know of an inviting way to extend United miles? I have a few, but consider them lost.

Grrrr...!!

I have the same "Grrrrrrrrr" with my United (formerly Continental/Alaska) miles.

It seems that they have put an 18 month limit to their miles --- or --- you can get one of their 'Explorer' VISA cards and the miles never expire as long as you have the card. One nice thing about their card is the waiver of "foreign transaction fees" and the fact that one bag per passenger is free when using the card for purchase of the ticket.

But it is still not as good as the old Continental - and that was not as good as when Texas International had the fly three times and take a trip for free promotion.

 

[diversteve]

https://aa.rewardsnetwork.com/ - I manage to eat somewhere on this list often enough to keep my membership intact.

There's also one alert you can sign up for that sends you a monthly mileage summary without all the spam offers. Although they still include one in the e-mail. I have their credit card though also so it may be different if you don't.

 

[John A Lewis]

Always suspected that the reason for the dramatic increase in miles redemption requirements had to do with the fact that there are so many FF miles out there unredeemed--and that there are so many ways to earn them that don't involve actual butts in seats.

 

[KathyV]

I miss the 1980s when you could actually use them for any open seat, then there was the 1988 joyride with triple miles for the entire year. I went crazy on that one...

I still have some United Air miles and AA Advantage miles but I haven't had much luck with using them.

But we do use our Capital One Rewards Card for most of our purchases and we were able to use our Capital One Rewards Points to pay for our recent roundtrip airfare to the Caymans - we traveled roundtrip to Grand Cayman and Little Cayman from ORD and we only paid $47 total because I didn't have quite enough points to cover the entire purchase.

Capital One has a "purchase eraser" program that is really great. You book your airfare in the usual manner - you don't have to go through the rewards center to book it - and you actually earn rewards points on the airfare purchase. Then you call the rewards center (or go online) and arrange to erase your purchase.

You don't have to pay for the airfare and you can book the airline, dates, and seats that you want, not just the seats and dates that are available to rewards redemption members.

Our Capital One card doesn't have an annual fee and we don't have to pay any foreign transaction fees, so it seems like a pretty good deal for us.

One drawback is that the points are non-refundable, so once you spend them they are gone. So if something happens to change your plans then you have wasted your points.

 

[Steve_C]

If your credit card is linked to a program (mine is to American) then every purchase extends the miles and gets some more.

 

[RJP]

But we do use our Capital One Rewards Card for most of our purchases and we were able to use our Capital One Rewards Points to pay for our recent roundtrip airfare to the Caymans - we traveled roundtrip to Grand Cayman and Little Cayman from ORD and we only paid $47 total because I didn't have quite enough points to cover the entire purchase.

Capital One has a "purchase eraser" program that is really great. You book your airfare in the usual manner - you don't have to go through the rewards center to book it - and you actually earn rewards points on the airfare purchase. Then you call the rewards center (or go online) and arrange to erase your purchase.

You don't have to pay for the airfare and you can book the airline, dates, and seats that you want, not just the seats and dates that are available to rewards redemption members.

Our Capital One card doesn't have an annual fee and we don't have to pay any foreign transaction fees, so it seems like a pretty good deal for us.

One drawback is that the points are non-refundable, so once you spend them they are gone. So if something happens to change your plans then you have wasted your points.

Barclay Arrival+ MasterCard is a superior option to any of the Capital One cards. Higher earning rate, easier to redeem, and 10% "dividend" on redeemed awards.

My 2014 post on the topic:

http://www.scubaboard.com/community...ee-dive-trips-resorts-liveaboards-etc.480475/

 

[gopbroek]

The whole idea originally was to put 'but's into seats' back in the day when load factors were 50- 60%. For the last few years with consolidation and other factors the load factors are normally 85% or better, this means the remaining empty seats have a lot higher value. In the mean time the airlines have been selling billions of dollars worth of miles to the credit card companies (and anyone else who will buy them) for their marketing programs. It like a government that can't stop printing money as the actual supply of goods and services are decreasing, they become devalued, think Venezuela. The airlines are not alone, the hotel and car rental companies are doing the same thing.

 

[RJP]

there are so many ways to earn them that don't involve actual butts in seats.

I earned nearly 1,000,000 frequent flyer miles in 2014/2015 via sign up bonuses and "manufactured spend" on a bevy of credit cards. Covered 1st class airfare, hotel, rental cars and food for three weeks in Hawaii for my family of four as well as 1st class roundtrip airfare to Truk, a ten-day liveaboard there, and a week in Bonaire including airfare, hotel, food, and diving.

Easy to do.

 

[KeithG]

i was initially ( for several years) confused by air canada splitting the program off into something separate but then jamming both things onto the same website. i am mostly less confused now. but not always.

best part was that aeroplan miles do not expire (used to have a 7 year life) as long as you are an active aeroplan member. take a flight? you are active. buy something on your aeroplan credit card? you are active. makes it real easy to keep your points alive.

my divebuddy is banking them for when she retires in a few years. she has too many already...

for special trips the key is to redeem as soon as the flight is available, generally about 360 days in advance. the other key is to spend everything via the credit card (i charge $9 lunch) since the higher your aeroplan status (credit card spend) the more flights, seats and smaller # of points required for a flight.

i am still annoyed that a "free" flight costs me real dollars since none of the extra airport fee surcharges etc are covered.