Oct 8, 2008 9:24 pm US/Eastern
Airlines Tighten Up Frequent Flier Miles
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Planes line up to take off at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
AP
It's one of the best perks for people who fly a lot -- earning miles towards a free trip.
"We used it for our daughter to fly to Spain for a year, used the other to fly to London," said one traveler.
"You buy the regular tickets, then upgrade to first class," another said. "It makes a difference."
But as airlines struggle to stay aloft, they have turned their sights on those miles, making it harder and costlier to get a freebee.
"You used to be able to get an award ticket for 25,000 miles. Now, if you really want the itinerary you want, it is really going to cost you double," according to Anne Banas of
Smartertravel.com.
And unless you redeem your miles online, many airlines will charge you fees from $25 to $100 to book that so-called "free" flight.
"If you can get a seat. That's the big problems these days because you can't find a seat," said one disgruntled traveler. "With all the blackout dates, it's just impossible."
And passengers are also going to be penalized if they take a lot of short trips. Airlines no longer automatically give you 500 miles. And some airlines are eliminating the bonus miles.
"At this point, airlines are desperate for money," says Banas.
She believes this new tactic may be short-sighted since frequent flyer programs are designed to keep customers coming back.
"If the airlines aren't treating these customers well, it's hard to see if they are going to get any loyalty at all."
One woman, traveling to Africa from Boston has even given up accumulating miles. "We've gotten rid of our frequent flier credit cards. We don't use them anymore. It just wasn't worth it."
Another thing to watch out for: airlines setting quicker expiration dates that will hurt leisure travelers who build up miles slowly over a long period of time.
Some experts suggest you use up the miles as soon as possible. And if you have an airline credit card, switch to one with more flexible rewards, or ones that gives cash back instead of points. You can save up the money to buy a plane ticket.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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