Thanks. This is probably the single biggest example of airlines treating the travelling public unfairly, yet nothing is done about it.

It's kind of funny, because in general I'm no airline critic. I think most airlines do an extraordinary job of getting people from point A to point B with almost perfect safety, reasonable comfort and great value. I certainly get more value from airlines than any other SERVICE I purchase (my general theory is that goods are cheap in America, and services are overpriced).

Yet despite this value equation, the airlines have allowed the frequent flyer programs to morph into something quite dodgy. Selling mileage is like crack to airlines; they can't get enough of it. Yet, with margins so squeezed and every dollar critical, they refuse to make available enough seats for consumers to actually use the mileage they've accumulated.

So why is nothing done? I think the primary reason is that these programs are just too darn complicated. Have any of you guys ever listened to a Congressional hearing on the airline industry? The overall level of cluelessness is high. Most Congressman just can't understand why Des Moines doesn't have more nonstop service, and why there's less price competition into secondary cities. You want them to try to figure out frequent flyer seat availability? It's way beyond their pay grade.

And frequent flyers themselves don't complain enough. The ones who are most passionate about the whole thing -- flyertalk participants -- are generally excellent gamers. OK, maybe we're annoyed we can't fly to Paris for free anytime we'd like, but we've all figured out something we can do with the miles. If we even care about free tickets -- a lot of folks just want first class upgrades.

So "the game" continues. I suspect eventually it will get so bad that the airlines will be called onto the carpet for it -- especially in our litigious society. Or the airlines themselves will feel sufficient pressure to clean up their act (maybe if nobody accumulates ff miles on credit cards anymore?).

In the meantime, plenty of flyertalkers will be staying up until midnight 331 days in advance to get their rare reward tickets booked.