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Frequent Flyer Miles Northwest

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Many people have jobs that require them to travel, but haven't yet considered enrolling themselves in a frequent flyer program. You might also want to do this if you travel a lot. Put simply, frequent flyer programs allow flyers to earn free miles of flight for every mile traveled. For those sceptical about such a program, remember, it's free.

1. What's The Catch?

American Airlines frequent flyers do not earn frequent flyer miles if they travel on a Delta flight. In other words, it's a cheap marketing ploy to get you to be loyal to a particular airline. Of course, such a catch won't really matter if you plan well in advance and would end up using that airline anyways, right?

2. Why Frequent Flyer Miles?

- You can spend them on hotels, car rentals, even restauraunts

- No cost to sign up

- Easy to understand

3. The Rewards Are Clear

Airlines typically have an 800 number where customers can speak with representatives who are knoweldgeable with the program. When redeeming miles for free airline tickets, each mile accumulated is the equivalent of two cents. Therefore, in order to purchase a $200 airline ticket for free, a customer would have to have 10,000 miles accumulated, each worth two cents each. This might not seem like a lot but consider that your average flight can be thousands of miles in length and that's just for one way, not the return trip.

4. It's About Customer Satisfaction

The airlines are currently competing tooth and nail for your loyalty. In an age where you can select the lowest airfare from one destination to another with just the click of a button, airlines simply can't hold customer loyalty like they could in the past. Also, if airlines started to compete using price every airline loses money and then the entire industry isn't profitable anymore. This has caused most flight providers to strip out many of the common features of flights - you must pay if you want a meal, pay if you want to bring carry on luggage, etc. By providing frequent flyer miles, they are ensuring that they keep your business. Which makes them happy, and you get something for free, which makes you happy!

Warning About Frequent Flyer Miles!

Just as a side note, when you plan on using your frequent flyer miles, make sure that you plan way ahead. If you wait till the last minute you'll find that you won't be able to get the flights that you want because all of the seats allocated to "points" will already be taken. Same thing goes for hotels and other stuff. But since it's free, I guess we can't complain too much!

Frequent Flyer Miles Northwest

* Are there tie-ins with other carriers, especially those with international routes? Is some of the airline's service provided by commuter-carrier "partners"? In both cases, can you earn credits and use awards on those other airlines?

* How many miles (or trips) are required for particular awards?

* Is there a minimum award per flight (e.g., you are only flying 200 miles but the airline always awards at least 500)?

* Is there a deadline for using accumulated miles?

* Carefully examine the number and length of any "blackout periods" during which awards cannot be used. On some carriers, the Thanksgiving blackout may last a week.

* If you are planning a big trip and are thinking about joining that airline's frequent-flyer program, enroll before you travel. Airlines usually won't credit mileage that was flown before you became a member.

After you join a program, there are other things that you should know:

* Airlines reserve the right to make changes to their programs, sometimes on short notice. The number of miles required for particular awards might be raised, requiring you to use your old mileage (i.e., your current balance) under the more restrictive new rules. The airline may cease service on a route that you were particularly interested in-or it may drop the city you live in! The carrier may eliminate attractive frequent-flyer tie-ins with particular airlines or hotel chains.

* Cashing in your mileage frequently will limit your losses in case the carrier changes the rules, merges, or goes out of business. (Some private companies sell insurance covering some of these eventualities.) Accumulating a larger mileage balance will entitle you to bigger awards, however.

* Carriers often limit the number of seats on each flight for which frequent-flyer awards can be used. You may not be able to get reservations on your first- or second-choice dates or flights.

* Awards can often be issued in the name of immediate family members. However, if you sell or give an award to someone not named on the award or the travel document and the airline finds out, the recipient could have his or her ticket confiscated, and the carrier may penalize the program member's account balance.

* Ask the airline how mileage is registered; you will probably have to identify yourself as a program member when you book your flight or when you check in.

* Keep your boarding passes and the passenger coupon of your ticket until you receive a statement from the frequent-flyer program reflecting the correct mileage earnings for that trip. If a problem arises, get the names of the people you speak with and keep notes of your conversations.

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Lar has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Credit Cards and Hotels and Hostels. Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to the Land of Smiles - Thailand - and owner of Freeware Article Submitter. Lar's top article generates over 201000 views. Bookmark Lar to your Favourites.

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