TIP: Planning to use miles for your next flight?

Anyone out there who truly understands airline mileage programs, please come forth. I have groups going to India, Ecuador, Botswana and China, and for the past several weeks I have been working with clients trying to wade through the airlines' red tape to decipher which miles can be used on what airline.
When American Airlines introduced the first frequent flier program (FFP) in 1981, it was to reward passengers who consistently flew American Airlines - a prize for their loyalty. It was simple, a point earned for a mile flown. Once you accumulated so many points, you could get a free airline ticket or use your points to upgrade to business or first class.

Twenty-five years later, mileage programs are more popular than ever. Today, all major carriers, both domestic and international, have FFPs. Many of the carriers have joined forces and created partnership programs with several airlines joining into an alliance. You can fly on one airline and collect points on another, as long as they're partner airlines. Not to be left out, hotel chains, car rental companies, banks and credit card companies all offer some type of reward program, usually associated with one or more airline programs. The original concept of reward is still there, but I think the loyalty part got lost in translation.

I have clients redeeming miles they have earned by saying, "charge it" on a credit card that enables them to earn points on American Airlines (or United or Delta). They may never have flown on an American Airlines flight, but in today's FFPs, that is no longer a criterion. Where is the loyalty here?

The airlines have created an absolute monster. Because so many people are collecting mileage points, the airlines have been forced to institute strict rules and regulations regarding award travel. Free seats are very capacity controlled, possibly as few as two or three on a given flight. The same applies to seats that can be upgraded. And the number of miles needed for a free ticket have increased. Much to my surprise, the airlines did away with expiration dates - as long as there is some activity in your account, i.e. a credit card charge, a flight or car rental, your miles will not expire.

Also, some airlines now permit you to "gift" a certain number of points from one account to another and even "buy" mileage points up to a certain amount. The biggest problem is that the rules governing the mileage programs are constantly changing; what was applicable six months ago may not be applicable today.

Now that we have a basic understanding on how FFPs work, let's see how we can turn mileage points into a free or upgraded ticket. Because mileage seats are so capacity controlled, I suggest you start early - 11 months early. The earliest you can redeem any points is 331 days prior to travel, which is the earliest flight schedules are loaded into the airline computers for resale.

Do I want to redeem my miles for a free coach ticket or do I want to buy a coach ticket and use my miles to upgrade to business class? The answer to that question may depend on what airlines you have mileage points with. Your best bet is to call your airline's mileage desk, give them your mileage number and tell them where and when you want to fly, and in what class of service. On most domestic carriers you can buy a coach class ticket and upgrade to the next class of service.

This is where it gets really confusing. If my points are on American Airlines and I want to go to New York or even London, I can buy a coach class American Airlines ticket and use my American frequent flier points to upgrade to business class, if available. However, if I want to fly to Delhi, India, I could fly to London on American Airlines and continue onto Delhi on British Air, a partner of American Airlines, but I can't use my American miles to upgrade on the British Air portion of the flight. I could use my miles to get a free coach, business or first class ticket and fly on both American and British Air, but not to upgrade. The same goes for Delta and Air France. If I want a free ticket in first class, I can combine the two carriers; I just can't buy a coach class ticket and expect to use my miles to upgrade.

Every airline has different rules and regulations regarding their mileage program, and the rules are constantly changing. Before Dec. 15, 2004, you could buy an American Airlines coach class ticket in the lowest available fare and be able to upgrade to business or first-class service, depending on the aircraft. Today, for international flights, American still lets you confirm flights in the lowest available fare but has added a $250 surcharge, in each direction, to upgrade, plus a set amount of FFPs. For several years Delta has used a higher fare basis for clients wanting to upgrade using mileage points. United and Continental also use a higher fare basis. Also, the number of miles needed for free tickets, or to upgrade to the next class of service, varies between airlines.

Is one FFP significantly better than another? From a travel agent's point of view, I think American Airlines is the easiest to work with, has numerous flights in the United States - particularly the southeastern United States - and flies both to South America and Europe. They also have good partner arrangements in Asia and the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand. Because all the airlines now have partner arrangements throughout the world, what you really need to consider is where you fly most. If you have family in Denver, Vermont, Hawaii or Hong Kong, and go to visit once or twice a year, you might want to consider looking at United Airlines Mileage Plus program. If Atlanta is your most frequent destination, check out Delta's Sky Miles program. It's not that other airlines don't go to these destinations, it's that certain airlines service particular cities more frequently and it gives you more choices to use your reward points.

Another option for collecting reward points is through credit cards, such as American Express or Bank One, that let you apply miles to several different airlines. I have been collecting American Express miles for more than five years and was finally able to use them on my flights to India last year. Previously, I had not been able to redeem them for the flights I wanted or the class of service I wanted, or the airline I wanted was not part of the American Express reward system. With a Bank One card you can redeem your points on any airline and are reimbursed for your flights depending on the number of points you have accumulated.

I hope I have not thoroughly confused everyone regarding the use of reward points. I repeat, your best bet is to call your airline mileage desk, tell them where you want to go and in what service - let their fingers do the computing. Have a great trip.