FF Miles for Xmas
Jul 15, 2000, 3:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 71
FF Miles for Xmas
Does anybody know how to get around the blackout dates all airlines seem to have around XMAS???? (I have free tix on most domestic airlines). They all pretty much seem to revolve around 12/20-25--all with a free day in between these dates.
I'm not Elite, or anything else for that matter, so blackout dates still apply for me. If I'm not flexible with my work, trying to fit a trip on that "free december day" with my FF miles is a difficult feat indeed (not to mention capacity constraints & other issues involved)!...........
I'm not Elite, or anything else for that matter, so blackout dates still apply for me. If I'm not flexible with my work, trying to fit a trip on that "free december day" with my FF miles is a difficult feat indeed (not to mention capacity constraints & other issues involved)!...........
Jul 15, 2000, 4:01 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Million Miler (mostly earned on CO)
Posts: 2,599
Some airlines offer awards free of blackout dates and capacity controls. The hitch is that the award "costs" twice as much to redeem as a normal award.
But if you really need to get somewhere, and you have the miles and don't want to pay, perhaps this might be an option.
But if you really need to get somewhere, and you have the miles and don't want to pay, perhaps this might be an option.
Jul 16, 2000, 5:27 am
#3
Join Date: May 2000
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,069
Is Southwest one of the airlines on which you have award tix? Last X-Mas season I used free tickets to fly on WN to Florida from CA and was able to work around the blackout dates allright - my outbound was on 12/20 and the return was 12/27, if I recall correctly. I think these were both Mondays and apparently not in sufficiently high-demand to be put on the blackout list. They seemed to only have about 6 or so dates that couldn't be used, I think the weekend of and the weekend before the holiday (and of course the 25th itself seems to very rarely be a blackout date).
Y.
Y.
Jul 16, 2000, 7:25 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 470
SWA awards do not have any blackout dates or capacity control parameters at all.
For the other airlines, it will be difficult to use miles for an award at that time. If you can do so, you will probably have to use twice the normal miles in order to avoid the restrictions.
For the other airlines, it will be difficult to use miles for an award at that time. If you can do so, you will probably have to use twice the normal miles in order to avoid the restrictions.
Jul 16, 2000, 12:53 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2000
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,069
Originally posted by Butcher Bird:
SWA awards do not have any blackout dates or capacity control parameters at all.
For the other airlines, it will be difficult to use miles for an award at that time. If you can do so, you will probably have to use twice the normal miles in order to avoid the restrictions.
SWA awards do not have any blackout dates or capacity control parameters at all.
For the other airlines, it will be difficult to use miles for an award at that time. If you can do so, you will probably have to use twice the normal miles in order to avoid the restrictions.
Y.
Jul 16, 2000, 7:39 pm
#6
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,952
DL waives blackout dates for its Medallion level members. Dunno if the other carriers give their elite fliers that privilege as well, but it's another option... If you have a carrier you're flying a lot on, you could pursue some cheap mileage runs (see examples posted copiously on the site) on that airline to attain elite status and get around the blackout date. Capacity controls are another matter entirely. Even the highest-tier elite fliers are subject to those.
[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 07-16-2000).]
[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 07-16-2000).]