Frequent Flyer Miles

Suppose you had a job at a store and they paid you with "special money" - money that can only be spent in their stores. There was something really special that you wanted, but you had to save this special money for a long, long time. Finally, the day came. You had saved enough of this special money to purchase this item. You go to the store and are anxious to buy it. One problem: They won't honor the special money you saved all of these years. The item is sitting on the shelf. You can see it, but they tell you they don't have it. You point out that there are several of these items; hundreds in fact. They finally acknowledge that there are hundreds of those items available, but none of them can be purchased with "special money"; only real money. Frequent flyer miles are "special money".

The last time that I used my ample mile accumulation was three years ago when I had to travel to Florida so that I could help move my mother to a nursing home. There were no cheap seats (economy class) available, so I had to use a LOT of miles to fly first-0class (not my choice - I was told that this was the only seat available). On the trip, I looked through that curtain that separates first-class from the economy class seats. There were dozens of empty seats. In some airlines, first-class IS first-class, but not this one. I just got a little bigger seat closer to the front and my meal was slightly less crappy than the one you can now buy in economy class. However, I arrived at my destination at the same time as the economy class passengers and was just as hungry.

Next summer, my wife and I would like to travel to Europe. We would like to use our frequent flyer miles. Trying to be proactive by making a reservation seven months in advance, I was told that there are no seats available in any class of service; at least none that I can purchase with my special money. If I wanted to buy two tickets or even eighty or ninety tickets, there were plenty of those seats. If it came right down to it, and I was forced to buy two tickets, I can assure you that I would not fly the same airline. I would rather swim than give any more money to an airline that does not honor their commitments...fine print or not.

I have logged over ONE MILLION miles with this airline in the last two decades. I am now considered a Gold member. Whoopee. I have over half of these frequent flyer miles available to use on this trip, but for some reason, they won't let me use them. I can fly to Toledo (Ohio, not Italy). I can fly to Paris (Kentucky, not France). I can fly to Moscow (Idaho, not Russia). Apparently, there is no way that I can use my frequent flyer miles to go where I want; let alone WHEN I want. Maybe I could eke out a ticket in the middle of the winter and just hang around Europe for five or six months until summer comes.

What should I do? Is the airline really honoring a promise? Is this the "American" way? Is this the way to treat a loyal traveler who has been a frequent flyer member for two decades?

Frequent flyer miles. Use 'em or you lose 'em. Just try and use 'em and see what happens. It didn't used to be that way, but it is that way now. Other frequent flyer rules are changing as we speak. When an airline issues "special money", they can certainly change any rules at any time on how this special money can be used. In any given year, only about ten percent (so they claim) of seats are available for those who want to use frequent flyers miles, but who really checks up on this? I suspect there may be TEN seats, not ten percent.

In 2004, a memo leaked out from American Airlines where the airline acknowledged that even on flights that are completely empty, there are no award seats available. What gives? Sure, seats may miraculously open up on these blacked-out flights - maybe a few days before departure when the airline is absolutely sure that no money-wielding passenger is not going to need one of them - but who can really plan a vacation that?

Oh, there are other tricks the airlines use to keep you from spending your "special money". Even if you are lucky enough to get one of those precious seats, there may be surcharges; fees for last minute travelers (perhaps the only ones that can use miles). Good seats are held (those coveted ones near the front) for paying passengers. Frequent flyers must go to the back of the bus near the bathroom. I once heard that Henry Kissinger said that there were only two reasons to sit in the back of the plane near the bathrooms: Either you have diarrhea, or you enjoy talking to people that do.

If I was retired and lived near a major airport that had an Admiral's Club, I would use some of my frequent flyer miles to join. I would just hang out all day...everyday...drinking the free drinks...eating the free snacks...watching TV...talking to important-looking people. I would wear some real old clothes and not be too concerned about my personal hygiene. At some point, an attendant would ask me about my departure time:

"I don't know. The airline won't honor my frequent flier miles, so I thought I would just live here for a few months until they do. Can I have some more of those doughnuts?"

Then I would sing a song, with my own special lyrics...

"I'm proud to fly on American. At least I thought for free. I spent two decades saving up miles, but I can't seem to leave this country..."

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