Frequently Flying: Use and Abuse Those Miles

Travel opens my eyes to new colors and experiences and smells and tastes…and my favorite souvenir is always my memories. I’m not a big photographer, and I don’t really like looking at pix, so my memories are my souvenirs…plus all the cool stuff I find and haul back with me on the plane.

don't you love this British Air ad I saw at a bus stop?

I’m lucky to have BFFs who live in some pretty great cities around the world, with a spare room or couch; and TBG usually doesn’t mind when I go away as long as I’ve reasonably stocked the fridge and am not away 2 consecutive weekends.

You know Moi bio…Moi passport is always ready (well almost always, at the moment it’s held hostage at the NYC passport office, but I’ll update you on that later!) and my wheelie is under my bed, open, with things being tossed inside frequently for my next trip. I have a drawer devoted to making my international travel easier: adapters, hairdryers with euro plugs (see Hair-Mergency), a wallet filled with euros and another with pounds, and a zip lock baggie in my wheelie with an assortment of tea-bags and Crystal Light singles and a 220 volt water heater to make an emergency cup of hot tea or lemonade in the middle of the night.

And I like to travel frequently…at least a couple times monthly around the US, and several times a year internationally, so I need to travel cheap and accumulate alot of frequent flyer miles. In the past few years this means I’ve been extremely loyal to Delta, as they have great connections from NYC to many of the places I travel frequently, like Chicago and SoFlo; partner with airlines like Air France so I can get convenient flights to Paris and other European cities. I also keep up my American membership, and between the two, I’m covered.

Last year I was able to fly free on Singapore Air, a partner of United (using up those old miles: use ‘em or lose ‘em), roundtrip to Singapore to visit childhood BFF C, in coach on my preferred dates. This year I went to Berlin for BFF T then to my Paris BFFs, again coach, again on my preferred dates, on frequent flyer miles.

In March I booked a trip to India for January 2010 on American, all business class, again, frequent flyer miles. I was looking for mid to late January, and that’s what I got!

This time, I’m trying to meet up in Paris with Omaha BFF J and my 10 year old sort-of god-daughter, S. It’s a little trickier, because I want to fly from NYC on Delta frequent flyer miles, and they want to fly from Omaha on American frequent flyer miles. For her birthday. In the Spring. After school gets out. Over a holiday. So not alot of flexibility on dates.

After alot of phone calls, BFF J found and booked their flights. Naturally I said book theirs’ first, I’ll find some flights that match. They were able to get the dates they wanted, plus 1 day. Staying an extra day in Paris, what’s wrong with that? Mine was a little trickier: It was now several days later, and although still 9 months out, Spring dates for Paris were going quickly. Finally, I was able to book my dates arriving in Paris 2 days before they arrive, but leaving the same day, within 2 hours. 20,000 extra miles for business class on the trip there, which is nice so I’ll arrive at 7:30am totally rested and ready for action. So I get an extra 2 days (child-free! sorry J)  to see friends, run my errands, and just enjoy. Perfect! A few hours on the computer and we saved over $4000.00 from the prices we were finding for 3 tickets to Paris in May. Now we just have to agree to our top 10 Paris with child to-do list!

Moi’s tips for booking frequent flyer trips:

1. Book early.

I usually book my international frequent flyer trips 9-10 months in advance. I tried to book the India trip even earlier, but the routes weren’t set yet! For domestic flights this isn’t such a problem. But if you are trying to make a longer trip, and have limited travel opportunities, book early.

2. Watch your mileage.

I try to be very loyal to 1 or 2 airlines. This helps me accumulate miles quicker. Yes, I may pay $40 more for a flight this month, but I’m going to accumulate enough miles to have a free trip to India, which will save me $2000! Think long term mileage, not short term.

3. Make sure you do not let your mileage accounts sit idle.

A few years ago your miles could sit unused for several years without you traveling or redeeming miles. No longer. For most airlines you must have activity…either deposit or use miles…every 18 to 24 months or you’ll lose the miles. A BFF (I won’t say who!) lost several hundred thousand (yes, I mean over 200,000!) Air France miles she was “saving” because she hadn’t used the account for 3 years.

4. Consider opening a credit card that gives miles.

Obviously this is only for those of you who can manage a credit card and not pay more in interest than the miles are worth. But I have a Delta Am Ex, and they match in Delta miles what I charge in dollars each month, and since I pay my bill in full each month, I earn alot more miles. Plus, this puts me in a higher Frequent Flyer category at Delta, so I qualify for better perks, and I earn more miles on top of that!

5. When you sign up for a frequent flyer club, read their emails!

For example, Delta sent me an email in August that if I filled out a form online, for every flight I took on Delta through December, I would get double miles. I didn’t pay anything. I didn’t change my travel plans. All I did was enter my name, frequent flyer number, and hit send, and I get double mileage for 4 months. For me, that will be over 20,000 miles. For pressing send. All I had to do was read my email.

6. Check if anything you normally do gives airline miles.

Like car rental. Like hotel stays. Like getting a mortgage. Yes, there are alot of offers out there. Take advantage of them. Why not?

7. If you have time and energy, start reading other travel guides online.

There are alot of great travel columns on the internet, on facebook, on twitter like NYTimes Travel Twitter that talk all things travel including great deals, some that are only available for a matter of hours. So sometimes you have to do a little extra work to get the benefits. But it can be worth it, if you have the time and energy. Kind of like clipping coupons.

For more booking tips check out Travel & Leisure’s Top Travel Websites of 2009!

Have any great frequent flyer tips on using or getting miles? Do you have a favorite twitter website we should all be checking? I’d like to hear them!

I’m shopping flights now!