American Airlines introduced frequent flyer programs in 1981 to encourage customer loyalty. The other major airlines quickly followed suit. Together, the 70+ frequent flyer programs give out more than 10 million free tickets annually.

If you are a frequent flyer, the recent 70 company airline survey by Tim and Nina Zagat produced few surprises. For intl flts, Singapore Airlines came first (in all classes) for comfort, food and cost, although Thai International and British Airways were up there in the top dozen or so. US airlines did very poorly all round. Bottom of the heap comes Aeroflot which is described as not for the faint of heart. In-flight food remains a key area of criticism. Vegetarian options can still include just a plate of cold beans, whilst a persistent customer moan is about meat or fish turned to ashes in the microwave.

Most programs (e.g., United, American, USAir, and Northwest) will give you a free US domestic roundtrip for 20,000 miles, a ticket to Hawaii or the Carribbean for 30,000, a ticket to Europe for 40,000 and a ticket to Australia or Asia for 60,000. Each airline, however, has its own set of rules and somewhat different mileage levels. Delta requires 30,000 miles for a free US domestic ticket. Given joining bonuses and mileage promotions, one can sometimes reach this with one overseas flight. Northwest and USAir give you a minimum of 750 (Delta, 1000) miles for each flight segment. Northwest will give you two one-way tickets for 20,000 miles. NWA will not preissue boarding passes the day before the flight. Some airlines will award two tickets for less than twice the mileage needed for one ticket. For example, it is possible to get two tickets to the Carribbean from Continental for only 40,000 miles.

Note: The minimum number of miles required for a US domestic roundtrip ticket will increase to 25,000 on United, USAir, and American on 8/1/94, 1/1/95, and 2/1/95, respectively. Since the travel certificates are good for one year, be sure to redeem your frequent flyer miles a few days before the deadline, or you'll have to earn an extra 5,000 miles for a free ticket. Other changes include an increase to 45,000 miles for a free first-class US domestic ticket on American, an increase to 50,000 miles for a free roundtrip ticket to Europe on United (as of 2/1/95), and a reduction in the minimum number of FF miles awarded per leg from 750 to 500 on Northwest. Northwest has also announced that it is dropping out of the American Express Membership Miles program (1 miles per $1 spent) on 3/31/94 or 4/30/94. Current members of AmEx Membership Miles are Continental, Delta, Southwest, and USAir. Northwest is switching to an arrangement with First Bank Visa (800-948-8300) and has already dropped their deal with Bank One Visa. Delta, Continental, USAir and Southwest are staying in the program. (Call 1-800-AXP-MILE for more information.) United will stop its practice of automatically mailing out award certificates at the 20,000 mile mark on 10/1/94, and will issue them only upon request, just like all the other frequent flyer programs. Northwest will allow frequent fliers to obtain a US domestic ticket for 20,000 miles (instead of 25,000 miles) as of 2/1/95 only if they travel from mid-September through mid-November.

If you're using a frequent flyer ticket and traveling with a companion, give the award ticket to your companion so that you can rack up more miles on your paid-for ticket. Moreover, paid tickets are upgradable, while free tickets often aren't.

Delta has established a "Rapid Redemption" program that allows you to redeem your frequent flyer miles for free tickets when buying a ticket by phone or at a Delta ticket office. There is a $60 charge, however, for this service. (The charge is per transaction.) You can still redeem the old way without the extra charge. Frequent flyer miles can also be exchanged for upgrades at no extra charge.

Northwest's frequent flyer records do not seem to record flights that were changed after ticketing, so check the records carefully. However, Northwest recently installed a new phone system (1-800-327-2881) that lets you request a review of tickets to adjust your account.

Air Canada 1-800-361-8253
 Partners with Austrian, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, First Air,
 Singapore Alaska Airlines 1-800-654-5669
 Partners with Northwest, TWA Aloha Airlines 1-800-486-7277 AAdvantage (American) 1-800-882-8880
 Partners with TWA, Cathay Pacific, Singapore, Canadian
 Cancels miles after 3 years. America West 1-800-247-5691
 Partners with Virgin Atlantic Canadian 1-604-270-7587
 Partners with Air France, Lufthansa, American, Qantas (for flights
 between Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, and Canada). Continental 1-713-952-1630
 Partners with Air France, KLM. Delta 1-800-323-2323
 Partners with Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Japan Air Lines (no
 economy), KLM, Lufthansa, Singapore, Swissair 
 Restrictions: US/Canadian residents only, only with voucher,
 travel must originate in US. MarkAir 1-800-MarkAir (1-800-627-5247)
 500 miles for signing up, free travel starts after 10,000 miles. Midwest Express 1-800-452-2022 Northwest 1-800-447-3757
 Partners with KLM. TWA 1-800-325-4815, 1-800-221-2000
 Partners with American, Alaska, Air India, British Airways United 1-800-421-4655
 Partners with Air France. Travel must originate in US. Also
 partners with SAS, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Aeromar (Mexico), Antillean
 Airlines (ALM -- to Caribbean), Aloha Airlines, Ansett Australia,
 Ansett New Zealand, British Midland, Emirates (Middle East),
 Gulfstream International (Caribbean), Sunaire Express (Caribbean),
 Transbrasil, and TW Express. Mileage is given only
 for the legs connecting a U.S. city to Europe for theses airlines.
 If you are continuing onward to say Asia, you will not receive
 mileage on United on the leg from Europe to Asia. USAir 1-800-872-4738 (frequent traveler service ctr) 1-800-442-2784 (international award travel) 1-800-428-4322 (US domestic reservations)
 Partners with British Airways and AF. British Airways 	1-800-955-2748
 Lets you combine the mileage for up to four family members.
 Partners with USAir. Hawaiian Airlines Gold Plus 1-800-367-7637 Mexicana Frequent Flyer 1-800-531-7901

USAir has a frequent flyer program for undertakers (or is it a "frequent dier" program?). Ship 30 corpses with USAir, and you get a free US domestic round trip ticket.

If you catch an earlier flight, make sure that your frequent flyer number is recorded, even if you gave the number when checking in for the first flight. Frequent flyer numbers do not necessarily transfer from one record to another when you change flights. If this happens to you, send a copy of your ticket receipt and boarding pass to the airline to get your mileage recorded. (You may be able to just call the customer service department and tell them the ticket number from your receipt, instead.) It pays to ask about your frequent flyer number every time: when you make reservations, when you check in, and when you arrive at the gate for each flight segment.

If you exchanged miles for a certificate but find you can't use it, some programs allow you to redeposit the miles back into your frequent flyer account, sometimes for a fee. Another option is to exchange the certificate for an "open" ticket. Such a ticket has a fixed origin and destination, but leaves the departure and return dates unspecified, and can be used for up to a year from the date of issue. With the recent mileage increases in frequent flyer programs, this alternative is especially attractive, since it effectively extends an expiring certificate for up to a year.

If you want to use a free frequent flyer ticket, be sure to get the tickets well in advance of the flight. Seating for free tickets is usually limited on most flights, and tends to fill up fast. If you find that there are no seats available when you want to fly, try another airport. It may pay to drive 50-100 miles to catch a free flight from a smaller airport, even if you have to pay for long-term parking. 

Most airlines will transfer frequent flyer miles to your heirs upon your death. If there are enough miles for an award, the awards can be issued in their names. Otherwise the miles may be transferred to their accounts. 

Premier FF Membership

If you travel more than a certain number of miles or flight segments on some airlines, they'll upgrade your membership in their frequent flyer program to Premier (Silver) or Gold status. These programs let you earn frequent flyer miles more quickly, let you get free or cheap upgrades, and get preferred seating.

[As of 10-OCT-94, TWA eliminated its free space-available upgrade policy for frequent flyer members. Instead, you will receive upgrade certificates every so often depending on how many miles you've flown (e.g., every 3,000, 5,000, or 10,000 miles, depending on class of membership and type of fare). Frequent flyer members can also purchase upgrades from TWA airport or city ticket offices, by calling 800-221-2000 (fax 610-631-5280) or by writing to TWA Upgrades, PO Box 810, Fairview Village, PA 19409.]

For example, TWA gold card holders can upgrade any unrestricted coach ticket to first class on a space available basis. (Likewise, in Continental, if you pay full fare coach and are a FF member, they'll upgrade you to first class.) Continental silver elite members get a 100% mileage bonus on subsequent flights. USAir waives blackout dates and capacity controls for award travel by members of their frequent flyer program who have reached the Priority Gold level. The mileage levels for status change vary from airline to airline, and the benefits vary as well, but typically one or two overseas flights or 20,000 to 35,000 US domestic miles will be sufficient to upgrade your status.

Some airline reservation systems dynamicly modify the available seating based on your frequent flyer membership status. The idea is to reserve the desirable seats (window seats, far forward, away from engine noise) for the more active members of the frequent flyer program. Some airlines are also providing automatic free upgrades to first class at reservation time to high mileage flyers. So be sure to give your frequent flyer number before asking for a seat assignment.

If you're a member of an airlines frequent flyer program and don't receive any mail from them within a month or two of flying, call them to make sure your account is still active and that they have your current address. Airlines sometimes misdirect your frequent flyer mail, especially after a temporary change of address or hold on mail.

Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans

Many large hotel chains offer frequent traveler incentives to their guests, including free airline miles and points that are redeemable for free hotel rooms. Some are even offering the free airline miles without requiring a flight with the stay.

Here's a summary of what the hotels are now offering:

 Hilton:
 - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay.
 Airlines include Air Canada, American, America West, and
 United (no flight required); Delta and USAir (ticket and
 boarding pass required). 
 - Points: 10 points per $1 spent. Redeemable for free weekend
 nights, sports tickets, and merchandise.
 - May earn miles and points for same stay. Spouses may combine points.
 - 3 stays earn one free weekend night.
 - Extra goodies for gold-level members (12 stays/year), such as
 airline club passes, boosts in FF membership status, and car
 rental club benefits.

 Holiday Inn:
 - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay, 2.5 miles per dollar spent.
 Airlines include Air Canada and Northeast (flight required),
 United and Northwest.
 - Points: 1 point per $1 spent. Redeemable for free travel and
 merchandise. 
 - May not earn miles and points for same stay. (No double dipping.)
 - $10/year membership fee, waived for the first year.

 Hyatt:
 - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay for United mileage (no flight
 required), Alaska Airlines, Northwest, and USAir (flight
 required). 1000 miles/stay for Delta (flight required).
 - Points: 5 points per $1 spent. Redeemable for free travel,
 room upgrades, and car rentals.
 - May not earn miles and points for same stay. (No double dipping.)

 Marriott:
 - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay for American, British Airways,
 Northwest, or USAir. 1000 miles/stay for Continental or TWA
 (no flight required). 2,500 bonus miles after fifth stay.
 5,000 bonus miles for Continental.
 - Points: 10 points per $1 spent, including amounts charged to
 your room, but excluding tax and service charges. Bonus points
 from Hertz car rental. Redeemable for free travel, hotel
 rooms, and car rentals. 35,000 points gets you a free night
 stay in any Marriott Hotel.
 - Restrictions: In a given stay, can get points or miles, but
 not both.

 Sheraton:
 - Sheraton Miles: 2 miles per $1 spent for (free) standard membership
 (blue club card), 3 miles per $1 spent for gold membership
 ($25/year, golden club card). Each Sheraton Mile is redeemable
 for one Airline Mile on American or United. Sheraton Miles are
 redeemable for free stays, special vacation packages, etc.
 Gold membership provides you with 4 pm late check-out
 guarantee, room upgrades, and other amenities.

Many hotels also offer discounts for members of certain groups. For example, membership in AAA (American Automobile Association) or the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) for example can get you a 10% discount at many hotels and motels. Visiting someone at a local university or hospital can be good for either a discount or a room upgrade, depending on the hotel. There are also often special discounts for government employees and military personnel.

 Note that you don't need to be 65 to become a member of the AARP -- you can be as young as 50. You also don't necessarily need to be a member of the AARP to take advantage of some discounts. For example, if you're over 50, Choice Hotels offers a 30% discount for travelers with advance reservations, 10% for those with no reservation. 

Always ask for the best price, especially in the off-peak travel season.

Telephone Companies

These programs give you frequent flyer miles for every dollar spent on long distance phone calls. If you can, charge your phone bill to one of the affinity credit cards to get even more miles. 

1. MCI. (Originated the idea in 1989.)
 MCI currently offers 500 miles to enroll and 5 miles for every
 dollar spent. Airlines include Northwest, American, and Continental.
 1-800-755-2172

2. US Sprint. Airlines include TWA and America West.

3. AT&T
 With the AT&T True Rewards program, you can earn frequent flier miles on
 Delta, United Airlines, or USAir (or free AT&T long distance
 certificates). During every month you spend $25 or more on long
 distance, you earn 5 frequent flier miles for every $1 spent. During
 the first month you get a triple bonus (quadruple credit). Call
 1-800-7-REWARD to enroll. Only calls billed via an AT&T calling
 card or dial 1 service are eligible. You don't have to decide what
 to do with your credits until you cash them in, and you can get 5%
 cash back instead, if you prefer.

4. Metromedia. Airlines include TWA.

5. Teletravel. Airlines include Continental.

Other relevant programs:
 + Air Miles Program 800-222-2AIR

Subject: [3-16] Discount Coupon Offers 

Discount coupons for air travel can often be obtained from a variety of sources:

 - AAA has included dollars-off coupons for travel on USAir and
 United in their membership newsletter in the past.

 - Some catalogs and magazines, especially those associated with business
 equipment, such as the AT&T phone catalog, have included coupons
 for savings on flights on Continental and Northwest.

 - Supermarkets in California periodically offer promotions
 providing discount coupons upon purchase of a certain amount of
 groceries. 

 - Discover card and other credit cards have on occasion included
 discount certificates with the monthly bills. Others offer discount
 certificates for opening an account. See also "Credit Card
 Voucher Offers" above.

 - A number of banks periodically offer discount coupons for opening
 accounts, usually certificate of deposit accounts (CDs) with some
 minimum balance. 

 - Computer hardware and software manufacturers are now offering
 coupons for free or cheap companion fares or other discount fares
 with the purchase of their product. Recent offers (1994) include
 Microsoft for software purchases and Compaq for laptop purchases.

The coupons typically have several blackout dates, require a Saturday night stay, and have a lot of fine print, but are often transferable. People will often advertise to sell these coupons over the net.

You can also get travel discount coupons in some of the travel discount books, but you can almost certainly get them for free from some of the publications listed above. But if you can't find one, spending $20 to save $50 is probably worth it. Such entertainment books include 800-513-6000 ($19.95, includes United coupon), 800-445-4137 (Continental coupon), 800-521-9640 ($25, Continental coupon).

- Frequent Flyer, Hotel Promotions/Discounts:

Sign up for ALL the various frequent flyer programs. You never know which airline you'll actually fly on, so it is best to accumulate mileage on all of them. You don't need to carry the cards -- just write down a list of your frequent flyer numbers on an index card, and carry that with you instead. You may want to consider signing up also for the AmEx membership miles program as well, even though it will cost you (Corporate AmEx cardholders $50; regular cardholders free for first year, then $25). Make a list of their partners for car rentals and  such -- you'll quickly add up miles on all your cards. Even if you get sick of air travel, you can always give the tickets to family members. Also join all the hotel clubs. (Some people advocate picking one program and sticking with it, to avoid the hassles of juggling many programs.)

Your clients probably have a company discount with a nearby hotel. Such discounts can range from 10% to as much as 50% off.

FREQUENT-FLIER FRUGALITY
 Frequent-flier credit has become a sort of currency--as one observer  (with a long memory) put it, it's the "green stamps of the '90s."  Like any currency, it shouldn't be wasted. Here's how to value it  and how to avoid spending it unwisely. I estimate that credit in a big line's frequent-flier program is  worth roughly 1 to 2 cents a mile. That estimate is based on two  factors: the wholesale prices at which airlines sell mileage credit  to their partners and the value of the tickets consumers can buy  with their frequent-flier "currency." Obviously, once you've earned the credit, you want to get as much  value from it as you can. That means using it in ways that approach  the 2-cent figure and avoiding uses that net you a value of 1 cent a  mile or less. With all the big-line programs, 20,000 or 25,000 miles of credit  gets you a round-trip anywhere that a given line flies within the  lower 48 states (and, possibly, to a few nearby places in Canada and  the Caribbean). You can fly coast-to-coast for the same number of  miles as you'd use for even the shortest trip. Clearly, then, you're better off saving your credit for a long  trip--one where you'd have to pay $300 to $600 for the cheapest  ticket. The easiest way to waste frequent-flier credit is to use it  on a trip for which you could buy a cheap ticket for $250 or less. If you live in the Midwest, save your miles for a trip to the West  or the Southwest. Don't use them for a short local trip. And don't  use them on a route where you can buy a cheap ticket on a low-fare  line. Although Europe is a popular destination, a frequent-flier ticket to  Europe can be a poor use of credit. As I write this column, you can  buy a round-trip ticket to Europe from many major U.S. cities  (including some on the West Coast) for less than $400. In fact, a  round-trip from Chicago to London currently costs less than one from  Chicago to Los Angeles. Since most big lines require 50,000 miles  for a round-trip to Europe, using your credit that way nets you a  value of under 8/10 of a cent a mile--even less, considering that  you'd earn an additional 7,000 to 10,000 miles if you bought a cheap  ticket. A frequent-flier ticket to Europe in the summer would be worth a lot  more, since summer fares are at least twice as high as they are  during a winter air fare sale. But the airlines don't make many  frequent-flier seats available for 50,000 miles in the peak summer  season--and some lines offer none at all. Hawaii is another popular destination for frequent fliers. But the  big U.S. lines ask an average of 35,000 miles for a round-trip  frequent-flier seat. That's not a good deal from the West Coast,  where you regularly see ads for discount tickets to Hawaii for less  than $300 round-trip. (However, you can get a frequent-flier ticket  to Hawaii from the East, Midwest or South for the same 35,000 or so  miles --and that can be a very good deal.) If you hate flying Coach as much as I do, upgrades are a fine way to  use your frequent-flier miles. Business and First Class fares are so  high that buying a premium ticket at the airlines' asking prices is  unthinkable--at least it is to me and, I expect, to many other  travelers as well. But upgrades are available at a reasonable price  when you pay with frequent-flier currency.