Use Frequent Flyer Miles or Not?

Like Lola, we book our United tickets on points 333 days out from our travel date as that is when the United postings come online. We've never missed out on using our points. Still, the Olympics could be causing special problems.

That is a tough one. We have been fortunate with our Alaska miles, but I generally call and book the day seats open up. We have only used them on British Airways. But they partner with Delta, Air France, and American as well as British, so you'd think they could find something for you. Did you try asking for a return flight from some other city, outside Italy but close enough you can easily get there by train? Zurich, for example, is an easy and inexpensive trip away from Milan. Or return to a different US city and fly to Seattle from there on a paid ticket? I think Delta flies out of Salt Lake City, and that is an easy trip back to here on Southwest.

Bob: You can get onto the AA website and check for available award seats right now itself. If you can find it, then you should be able to call Alaska and see if you can get it. Another tip - don't just look for tickets to Italy. Start by searching for just flights across the pond. See if you can get from the AA hubs in the US to say London or Madrid. If you can get that piece, then try for the connection flights on their partners (Iberia, Finnair, British, Malev, etc.). Don't just look for SEA-Italy. Also, look at the new flights that AA is introducing (Budapest, Helsinki) since sometimes these may have more availability. If you intent is just to go the shortest route with minimum connections, then you may be out of luck.

Bob, the American Airlines award chart is showing lots of availablity for coach seats in late June and through July for most dates, but at the higher level (60,000 miles each way, so 120,000 RT). That is for flights from Seattle to Milan; most with a change at JFK but some at O'Hare. Will you have enough AA miles for that? If so, I wouldn't think they would all disappear by December. If not, you could see if Alaska agents will check the alternatives suggested above-into and out of alternate cities not too far from Seattle and your destination in Italy. (I still say Zurich is a good alternative; we used that last time for an Italy trip and it was easy.) I have the Alaska partner desk to be very helpful, but there is a limit to how much checking around for alternatives they can do. If they do come up with something, be prepared to accept it right away; do not ask for time to consider or check other possibilities. They rightfully get cranky if you do that. As far as paying for the tickets, $1400 is pretty standard from Seattle in high season. You could probably safely wait until mid-January or so and still get that fare, although it is not guaranteed, We have generally booked well before that, but in monitoring prices they didn't seem to rise until closer to summer. This year could be different, though. If you can't find anything you could always reconsider and go to Alaska next summer. That's what we are doing-award seats were plentiful a month ago.

One thing to consider is to buy the tickets and use your miles to upgrade to business class. I've done that a number of times and it makes the plane part of the vacation rather than something to be endured. Pam

Here's a little more info: 1) I did call Alaska on the very first day I could (333? days prior to our departure) and I was able to find seats on about the 4th day I called. However I had to wait until 333 days before our return date to check for return tickets and they haven't been available at all. 2) I've been checking for international return flights leaving from every city that Alaska's partners fly out of - knowing that I should be able to get there on my own from Rome or Milan ( I can leave from either city) since the European commuter airlines are very cheap. 3) I'm frankly not willing to use 120,000 miles for an uncomfortable coach seat -- 240,000 for both of us. I'd rather save my miles for future trips. 4) I'm interested in the idea of using miles to update to business class if it doesn't take too many. I'll check that out. Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll hold off purchasing tickets until I get my AA availability the first of Dec and then give them a month of checking to see if anything shows up. If not, I'll probably just purchase tickets in Jan. Bob

I've used FF miles for one-way of a trip, then paid $ for the return. Sometimes I don't have enough miles to cover the entire round-trip. Sometimes FF seats aren't available on the flight I want. The airlines don't make it easy; they increase the # of FF miles charged for certain flights. Not all FF programs are the same. I use the United Airlines FF program for international flights. United has a way to combine FF miles and $, but you need to make this combo at the same time. Making a reservation for one leg, then returning to make a reservation for the second leg will result in a very high cost for the $ leg.

Bob: I am relieved to see that someone else is having the same problem as me. I plan to attend the Olympics next summer, and because of my rooming situation and ticket situation I don't have much flexibility going to and coming from London. So 330 days out from the day I want to go to London I called United Airlines and was able to get a one way ticket for 30,000 points plus $7 tax/fees and $25 for using a reservation agent. In mid September, 330 days out, I started calling UA to book a flight back. Despite calling every day I have not found a 30,000 point return flight. The best that I can do is spend 55,000 points and $170 for a flight. As soon as these begin to disappear from UA's web site I will reluctantly book a 55,000 point flight. If it happens that 30,000 point flights do appear I will book one of those and buy back my points - essentially paying $150 to reclaim a net of 25,000 points. Another alternative to fly from London on Icelandic Airlines which is considerably cheaper than the major airlines. This is a really unforutnate situation for those of us plan to visit western Europe, and particularly the UK, next summer. Hope things work out for you. George / Seattle

Guess I'll jump on this one too. I have been trying to book my Alaska miles for a trip: Sea-Rome and Paris-Seattle. I don't have enough for the complete trip so am just working on getting the domestic portion booked. My trouble is that I am trying to work around an Aer Lingus schedule roundtrip from NYC-JFK. The connection is pretty bad. Arriving at JFK in the morning and not leaving until just after 5pm via Dublin to Rome. HOWEVER, it works better as a connection to my Alaska FF miles if I do: JFK-Dub-Rome inbound and Paris-Dublin-Chicago outbound. Crazy. Aer Lingus airfare is $837. and my FF miles will be 25,000 plus booking fee/tax $37. Probably should jump on that right?? Also in the mix for me is that I am meeting some friends in Paris for just one night and the trouble is, I'm a planner and they aren't necessarily. I have hesitation booking a stop in Paris with such uncertainty about whether my friends will actually go through with their plans. Sometimes though, you just have to take risks... small one as it may be.