Originally Posted by iahphx
Yeah, with the various multi-airline alliances these days, that SHOULD be true. But the problem I've run into is that the airlines are VERY reluctant to make free seats available to their partner airlines. For instance, I concentrated my Star Alliance mileage credits on US. Repeatedly, though, when I needed a ff ticket on UA, UA's website showed award availability when US couldn't get me a UA seat. So now I also maintain a UA ff account (funded largely by the absurd generosity of the credit card sign-up offers).
Obviously, the airlines can legally adopt any expiration day they want (provided they give adequate notice). But these are LOYALTY programs, and I would think that a signal that the most frequent flyers (flyertalkers) are unhappy with the changes might curtail this unfortunate new trend.
IMHO, using miles whether on partners or otherwise, for flights in the US is not a good use of the miles. Using them for International J or F is where they should be used to get good value. For example, I just book two seats LAX ORD for $240 each. Get around 3.5K miles and don't have to beg for seats.
As to the idea that the airlines can adopt any experiation date they want, that raises a lot of interesting legal points, but it is not as clear as glass. As to FTers opinions concerning the airlines, they are in a race to the bottom and, will be very surprized, when, in the not so distant future, miles programs lose their marketing power. Remember when all you could find in the markets were big, beautiful, tasteless Red Delicious apples. Now, we have varieties that actually taste good. And, the Red Delicious growers have mostly ripped out their over bred, mealy apple producing tress.