How To Avoid Unpleasant Surprises 
With Frequent-flier Program

CODE:

T-AIR1

ORIGINATED:

3/2/99

UPDATED:

8/20/00

Does your frequent flier program made you by citing fine-print rules that keep you from using miles as you'd hoped to, or by changing the rules altogether? Here's the guide lines helping you how to avoid the unpleasant surprises.

• Know yours program's rules. Often, frequent-flier miles are not awarded for deeply discounted fares. And on partner airlines, awards may be restricted to specific fares or routes.

• Don't rely on verbal communication for reward information. Regardless of how authoritative a preservationist or travel agent sounds, get a copy of yours program's members guide. Preservationists and agents often unwittingly misinform customers. And they are not held accountable later for having done so.

• Check your mileage statements when you receive them and report discrepancies immediately. Mileage programs have deadlines for questioning errors: If you wait until you want to use your miles before you examine your statement, you risk learning too late that miles which should have accrued from a trip two years ago were never credited to your account.

• Hang on to all tickets, receipts (issued for electronic tickets), and boarding passes until you've confirmed that you received the miles you're due. If you don't get credit for miles or a mistake is made, or if you need to redeposit miles because of a canceled frequent-flier redemption, you'll need to send the airline's mileage program copies of all tickets, receipts, and boarding passes.

• Have your frequent-flier membership number handy when you make your reservation. If you don't give the number to the reservationists, bring it with you when you fly and give it to the check-in agent.

• Be aware of expiration dates for mileage, and use your miles as you accrue them. Airlines reserve the right to change their rules and requirements without notice. They may fiddle with blackout dates, change the value of already accumulated miles, or drop a partner.

• Use mileage for expensive routes. Cheap fares to Las Vegas, for example, are common; you'll get more value for your miles if you use them for a seasonal destination in its own high season. For that, however, advance planning is a must.

• Donate miles to a worthy cause. Delta, for instance, allows contributions in increments of as little as 5,000 miles to CARE, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and the United Way

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