Airlines boost deals for frequent fliers
Posted
Aug 28 2009, 03:25 PM
by
Teresa Mears
Rating:
To keep their most loyal travelers coming back, airlines are making it easier to qualify for elite status in their mileage programs. In some cases, they're also making it easier to earn miles, The New York Times reports.
"What we're seeing is a bit of a resurgence on the airlines' part in focusing on their frequent-flier programs," Tim Winship, who writes about loyalty programs for SmarterTravel.com, told The Times.
Unfortunately, the airlines don't seem to have made it easier to actually get a seat with your frequent flier miles. If anything, cutbacks in flights have made such seats harder to come by this year, the McClatchy News Service reported.
The value of a frequent flier mile has declined in recent years as airline fares have stayed low. The current value is about 1.5 cents, CNN reported. It's usually best to pay for cheaper flights and use your miles on more expensive ones.
For the airlines themselves, the programs offer a major return on investment, perhaps one reason airlines are offering additional perks now to compete for travelers' loyalty.
Here are some of the latest deals and changes:
-
US Airways has a
promotion that will let you try out Silver Preferred Elite status for 90 days for free, if you register by Aug. 31. That's a $200 value, the airline says.
- American Airlines began allowing travelers to book one-way flights with their miles in May.
- United Airlines got rid of its $75 to $100 fees for booking an award flight less than 21 days ahead.
- Delta Air Lines has made it easier for frequent fliers to retain their elite status, including allowing them to roll over unused miles from one year to the next.
A number of airlines are offering bonuses for using miles for shopping and deals that give you extra miles for shopping and dining out, Winship reports at Smarter Travel.
As the airlines giveth, the airlines also taketh away. U.S. Airlines and Continental have joined American and Delta in raising baggage fees, notes The Boston Globe's Globe-trotting blog.
Related reading:
The smart way to use frequent flier miles
20 credit cards that pay you back
How to get luxury perks for your travel buck
