Having heard that there are few seats set aside for frequent flyers on most flights, we simply want to get our request in as early as possible, especially as there are 4 of us, and we want to travel together. Although we've used f.flyer miles on various airlines in the past, we don't exactly make a hobby of it and therefore aren't privy to all the ins and outs. It generally takes us quite a while to rack up enough for really good trips, and we want to fly from Boston, where we'll be visiting family, into Rome next June.

Again, any and all tips gratefully received. What should we look for and be aware of? We want to use the miles we have and not pay for the flight, rather than pay and rack up lots more miles, at this particular time in our lives. Thanks!