It really doesn't matter what flight times I book; airlines will do what they want

[DandyDon]

It's been a while since I got one of those emails but I don't remember them asking for my agreement to anything.

They want you to agree to the changes so they don't have to refund your $.

Nope, I never got a request to ACCEPT the changes.

I haven't tried anything as the seat assignments are still okay, and I can't find an alternate itinerary with the same airline that I'd rather take. I could demand a full refund of the FF-miles and fees paid, but it's so difficult to get a round-trip at the lowest mileage so I'm keeping it.

 

[deepsea21]

but it's so difficult to get a round-trip at the lowest mileage so I'm keeping it.

Yeah, when it comes to using miles instead of paying fares, I'd let them route me about anywhere as long as I depart and arrive the same day if I can't find another miles route which is always gone by the time they start re-routing. Air miles is still better than paying even if they may inconvenience us with flight changes.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, when it comes to using miles instead of paying fares, I'd let them route me about anywhere as long as I depart and arrive the same day

You're tougher than I am, as I hate some of these FF-mile itineraries offered, like LBB-DFW-MIA-CZM. I'd hate to fly around the Gulf of Mexico instead of cutting straight across, and there are often long layovers involved.

I'm looking at using United FF-miles to go to St.George Utah in early November 2 or 3 weeks after a trip to Albuquerque to spend a week touring the Big Five national parks and a few others on the route. It's a bit chilly at times then in that area but not bad. I just hate to spend more than the lowest 20K miles as my dates are flexible, but the routes they suggest are dreadful. Most involve 2 connections usually with 3 to 6 hour layovers, usually sending me thru LAX! I have found a trip out with only 1 connection with 5½ hour layover, but I get there in less than 9 hours. The return choices a week later all involve 2 long connections and 15½ hour itineraries. They could get me out there in less than 6 hours and back in less than 5 if I'll spend a lot more miles...!!

\

 

[Scott]

@DandyDon you’re going to enjoy the views!
Any opportunity I have to go to St. George, I try to take the long way back to SLC through Cedar Breaks.

 

[flyboy08]

Best way to use FF is using partial FF and cash....never an issue and usually all seats are open buying this way....

And I've never been asked to accept a schedule change either? It's a take it or leave offer

 

[DandyDon]

@DandyDon you’re going to enjoy the views!
Any opportunity I have to go to St. George, I try to take the long way back to SLC through Cedar Breaks.

Long way? It looks like St.George to SLC is almost a straight shot on I-15. Well Cedar Breaks NM is 20 miles off of the interstate so that is a detour, yeah. I should be there Sunday afternoon three weeks from tomorrow. I kept looking at United's offerings to get me to & from St.George with a 6 night stay, not using more than the 20K mile minimum award, but not wanting to spend 15 hours going or coming as they kept offering - then I found this possibility with 7 hours each way. There is still a 4½ hour layover in Denver each way, but I can deal with those ok. I even have a couple of club passes I can use.

It'll be a quick visit as I arrive in St.G at 1:14pm if on time, so I've planned a 3¾ hour drive from the airport, thru the park, and on up to Salina for the night. If I can get my rental car and leave by 2pm, I can at least spend 2 or 3 hours at the park before heading to my hotel - more if I feel like it as my dinnertimes and bedtimes are flexible.

My daughter has been known to whine about some of my lengthy drive plans, but she's gotten better. She gets motion sick so she does most of the driving to avoid that, which is great by me. On our last trip together last March, she wanted to do a 9 hour drive from Lubbock to Surfside TX, but they've done that one before. I got them to take some detours and stop at three cemeteries so I could collect the plastic flowers I left last year and leave new ones. Her ancestors too, but I doubt she would have otherwise ever visited. I hope my granddaughter remembers. It added two hours, we had two vehicles, and we had 3 teens not related - 2 Chinese, but it wasn't too awkward. We came back on a different route and stopped by one more cemetery.

"Old men ought be explorers." T.S.Elliot

Best way to use FF is using partial FF and cash....never an issue and usually all seats are open buying this way....

And I've never been asked to accept a schedule change either? It's a take it or leave offer

I've never tried that. I will investigate.

 

[kixy1]

In the last 10 years, for non-direct flights I can only remember ONE time I haven't had the schedule changed (Turkish Airlines which has been the BEST airline I've flown). Often the changes aren't much and truly no bother, but still it's a change. I don't usually get direct flights changed. I totally agree...the FF game is a freakin' joke! I have so many miles, but can't seem to use them to get where I want to be. I use the miles plus pay option most of the time, but I'd sure like to have one of those ole' time free flights....

 

[DandyDon]

I totally agree...the FF game is a freakin' joke! I have so many miles, but can't seem to use them to get where I want to be. I use the miles plus pay option most of the time, but I'd sure like to have one of those ole' time free flights.

Back in '88 when the FF game was crazy with triple miles, finding seats was still wide open. I missed my flight out of Chicago once, called, asked for a First Class flight, booked, then showed up with my unused ticket. No problem. The airlines suffered a lot from those days I guess and got smarter for their shareholders, and there's not a lot of competition now.

I shop with two tabs, like for this next trip: Looking at departure flights on my round trip and another with just one-way itineraries for the return. Makes it easier to match up possible flights. They do so punish you for trying to get away with minimum FF-miles with their ungodly long layovers and extra changes.

Just under a month out seems like a great time to find bargains buying tickets if your time is flexible, and maybe so with FF-miles. Less than 3 weeks can put your bought tickets into a high rate tho, and with FF-miles the fees go up that short.

 

[ggunn]

They do so punish you for trying to get away with minimum FF-miles with their ungodly long layovers and extra changes.

The word "punish" carries connotations that I don't believe are there. The airlines are transporting FF passengers at a loss; why are you surprised when they move FF passengers around so that they don't compete for seats as much with paying passengers? It seems to me to be a reasonable tradeoff; you are flying for free so you get less of a choice as to flight times and itinerary than those who are paying for their tickets.

 

[DandyDon]

The word "punish" carries connotations that I don't believe are there. The airlines are transporting FF passengers at a loss; why are you surprised when they move FF passengers around so that they don't compete for seats as much with paying passengers? It seems to me to be a reasonable tradeoff; you are flying for free so you get less of a choice as to flight times and itinerary than those who are paying for their tickets.

I suspect the airlines offer 15 hour itineraries @ 20K vs 6 hours @ 40K so you'll spend the miles faster.