For really Frequest fliers, the issue is often getting a business class or first class ticket. While we have not had any problems getting coach tickets on UA, we have found that at least one way on the last two trips attempts, we were unavailable on any flight #, during low time for the location and given a willingness to travel a week worth of spread to reserve a first class ticket! This has been true with tickets requested a year in advance (the plane had been opened for booking, not one seat had been taken yet), and more recently, 6 months in advance (still waiting for it to clear!!) and being a 1-k!

I believe the sheer percentage of seats set aside is of value in considering programs. I also agree with other posts here that it can also be very misleading. Some airlines are so agressive with the points granted, not for flights, that it creates demand for cashing those points that does not relate to the carrying capacity of that airline versus percentage seats offered.

Perhaps some airline will pledge, in some binding form, that all flights offered will provide X% seats for frequent flyer tickets. Terms would include each class of service and on a "saver/planahead basis" provided the request was made at least X days before the flight.

The bill of rights being shoved around Congress hopefully will insure that complete disclosure is made by airlines as to the availability of seats. This would be similar to disclosures on contests, etc. If you offer a program, publish the awards available, and then refuse to provide those awards, then some intervention may be appropriate. We cannot vote with our feet, as these program have us locked in when we have banked 100,000s of miles credit. The same can be said with the hotel programs.

In the meantime, each of us seem to be attempting to address this problem, with each other and occasionally with the airlines as the case arises. More on that later.