Frequent Flier Program

Here's good news for Delta 's frequent fliers: Delta SkyMiles no longer expire.  The change came at the first of the year, but so far, no other carrier has followed Delta’s lead. Here’s a look at activity deadlines set by nine U.S. frequent flier programs, followed by a summary of the perks that elite -- that is, the most frequent -- fliers receive from airlines that track miles rather than points.  Many carriers say miles or points never expire if you have activity in your frequent-flier account at least once in a certain period.

You keep hearing about people who take these fabulous trips (see story) and they don't pay a penny - or very many pennies. You have miles, but you don't seem to be getting much, well, mileage out of them. For the last seven years, my life has been all about points. I quit my recruiting job on Wall Street, for which I traveled more than 150,000 miles a year (and collected numerous corporate credit card points), and founded ThePointsGuy.com , a website that's all about maximizing frequent-flier miles and credit card points.

It was 25 years ago this month that American Airlines introduced the first frequent-flier program. Since then, earning miles toward free flights and upgrades has become wildly popular among business and leisure travelers alike -- and surprisingly profitable for the airlines. But frequent-flier programs are starting to show their age. Some travelers are becoming frustrated by the difficulty they're having cashing in their miles as the airline industry struggles to stay aloft.

In the wake of the deal to merge American Airlines and US Airways, many business travelers are asking themselves the same question: What does this mean for me? Change is the only certain answer. And change, according to some airline experts, is not good for business travelers who have grown accustomed to their regular airline routes, connecting hubs and frequent flier programs. "What I can see is 900 pitfalls," said Joe Brancatelli, a business travel expert who writes a regular online column on the subject.

Frequent fliers on six major airlines may exchange the miles they earn for discounts on goods and services from more than 100 online merchants under a program announced Tuesday. MilePoint.com, which is launching the program, said Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways, America West and TWA are the initial airlines that have committed to participate, along with Hilton HHonors Worldwide, Hilton Hotels' loyalty program.

Gift cards accounted for 18% of holiday spending last year, so likely some of us still haven't gotten around to using the prepaid presents. Here's a new way to spend them down: United-Continental airlines allows members of its frequent-flier program to exchange gift cards from major retailers for air miles. The Mileage Plus Gift Card Exchange accepts more than 60 types of gift cards -- Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, Peet's Coffee & Tea and Walmart, among them -- that have at least $25 credit and no expiration date.

Low-fare airline JetBlue has begun a frequent-flier program called TrueBlue. It offers points instead of miles, based on flight length. A round-trip cross-country flight, such as between Long Beach and Dulles in suburban Washington, is 12 points. It takes 100 points to earn a free round trip. The points expire after a year. Through Dec. 31, fliers who book through www.jetblue.com earn double points, enabling them to almost--but not quite--earn a free flight with four coast-to-coast round trips.

Spokesmen for Delta Air Lines said today it may file more suits against travel companies that sell its frequent flier coupons because the airline wants to stamp out the increasingly widespread practice. Delta announced Tuesday that it was suing Travel Creations Inc., a broker based in Atlanta, for violations of the state and federal Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act.

The owners and an employee of a Woodland Hills travel agency were sentenced to prison Tuesday for defrauding American Airlines of more than $1.3 million through a frequent flier program scheme, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office said. James Robert Winkleman, 35, of Agoura Hills, owner of the North Ranch Travel Agency, was sentenced to four years and fined $250,000. His partner, Philip Ross Rinker, 35, of Agoura Hills was sentenced to two years and fined $15,000.

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by two Pennsylvania men alleges that USAir committed civil fraud by making changes in its frequent-flier program. The plaintiffs--Albert M. Zlotnick of Philadelphia and Antonio D. Pyle of Pittsburgh--filed a class-action suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday asserting that the mileage credits they had accumulated will become less valuable when changes that the airline allegedly made recently take effect Dec. 31.

A list of selected airlines that offer flights out of major U.S. cities Here is a list of selected national and international airlines that offer flights out of major U.S. cities. In some cases, an airline may not have its own mileage-reward program but may partner with another airline. Note: "FF" denotes "frequent flier. " Aer Lingus (800) 474-7424 reservations Frequent flier handled by email: goldcircleusa@aerlingus.com http://www.aerlingus.com Aeroflot Russian Airlines (888)

Although many signs point to a strengthening U.S. economy, the overwhelming sentiment in the business travel world remains doing more with less. That attitude came across in a recent study that found many business travelers are staying a few extra nights to handle more business instead of making multiple trips. Partly as a result, the estimated total number of trips in the U.S. dropped 22.7% from 2000 to 2011, but overall spending on business travel increased 3.3%, according to a study released last week by the Global Business Travel Assn., a trade group in Virginia.

Gift cards accounted for 18% of holiday spending last year, so likely some of us still haven't gotten around to using the prepaid presents. Here's a new way to spend them down: United-Continental airlines allows members of its frequent-flier program to exchange gift cards from major retailers for air miles. The Mileage Plus Gift Card Exchange accepts more than 60 types of gift cards -- Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, Peet's Coffee & Tea and Walmart, among them -- that have at least $25 credit and no expiration date.

Forget about beverage selections. The flight attendant on a recent US Airways flight to Denver was peddling credit. Any passenger willing to sign up for the airline's frequent flier reward credit card would get 30,000 bonus miles — enough for a domestic flight — plus a litany of perks longer than the drink menu. But you had to act fast. The flight attendant said you'd get the promised perks only if you signed up while still in the air. But limited-time offers almost always come with a catch, and this one had two: The card had an $89 annual fee, and US Airways has the worst record of reward seat availability among 24 major carriers, according to the recently released ezRez Reward Seat Availability Survey.

The nation's first frequent flier program launched 30 years ago this month and, by most accounts, the programs have only gotten more complicated with age. When American Airlines introduced its frequent flier program in 1981, the concept was simple: Passengers received free tickets or upgrades based on how many miles they had flown. Today the programs are more complicated, with some airline passengers getting reward points for flying, staying at hotels, renting cars and using certain credit cards.

Here's good news for Delta 's frequent fliers: Delta SkyMiles no longer expire.  The change came at the first of the year, but so far, no other carrier has followed Delta’s lead. Here’s a look at activity deadlines set by nine U.S. frequent flier programs, followed by a summary of the perks that elite -- that is, the most frequent -- fliers receive from airlines that track miles rather than points.  Many carriers say miles or points never expire if you have activity in your frequent-flier account at least once in a certain period.

A list of selected airlines that offer flights out of major U.S. cities Here is a list of selected national and international airlines that offer flights out of major U.S. cities. In some cases, an airline may not have its own mileage-reward program but may partner with another airline. Note: "FF" denotes "frequent flier. " Aer Lingus (800) 474-7424 reservations Frequent flier handled by email: goldcircleusa@aerlingus.com http://www.aerlingus.com Aeroflot Russian Airlines (888)

Frequent-flier awards are as close as business travelers ever get to a free lunch. But the elegance and sophistication of the meal is up to you. Manage your programs wisely and you'll be feasting. Get sloppy and you'll end up with table scraps. Blinded by the lure of free travel, too many business travelers lose sight of one basic fact: Frequent-flier programs are a business strategy, not an act of airline noblesse oblige. The awards you "win" are not really free.

Southwest Airlines has moved on (well, actually backward) from a lively discussion that began last week over changes it plans to make March 1 to its frequent-flier program. Its blog's Flashback Friday post shows upbeat "luv"-centric print ads that date back to the airline’s beginnings 40 years ago. I'm not going that far back, but a quick recap is in order: I wrote a blog post last week that was mostly positive about the revamp of the airline's Rapid Rewards program.

In a bid to attract business travelers, Southwest Airlines Co. has rolled out a revamped frequent-flier program. The Dallas airline, known for low-cost domestic flights, unveiled a new Rapid Rewards program Thursday. When the program launches March 1, the long-standing system in which frequent-flier credits were based on the number of trips taken will be replaced with one in which points accrue based on the price and type of fare paid. Other airlines, including JetBlue Airways Corp.