...and a very belated "Thank You" to someone out there.

Years ago (probably 1998) here on FlyerTalk, someone posted on how they purposefully didn't have any affinity bonus miles (hotel, phone company, credit card, etc.) post to their primary airline's frequent flyer program, as it seemed to improve their chances for obtaining lower mileage requirement, capacity controlled Saver awards, when they were not generally available.

I took that person's advice, have never regretted it, and to this day consider it the most valuable piece of advice I ever got here.

All that my Mileage Plus (United) account contains is actual flight miles and flight related bonues. All my affinity miles go to an airline frequent flyer program that I don't fly that often anymore (Delta most of the time).

Then, as that person experienced, when Saver awards could not be obtained normally due to capacity control, and all other options didn't pan out, the request for exception, when backed up with, "Look at my account. Every one of those miles comes from direct business with you folks. No dinning or MCI or credit card miles. All yours"...was acknowledged. And within a few minutes on hold or a call back later, an exception was made and Saver awards were almost always "found."

I know that with the current tide of "no waivers, no favors" out there, that this strategy may have less success in the future. But as of just the other day, it still carries a great deal of weight.

I tried for about an hour to find by searching the archives who this person was that gave this advice, as I have long forgotten. But if you are reading this right now...many, many Thanks for the great tip. I've never hit an immovable capacity control brick wall with it, and have never had to use a Standard award because of it.

BTW, it has always been quite humorous to call Mileage Plus and ask that they remove some piddly affinity bonus miles that snuck into my account by some old profile or oversight. When they ask me why, I tell them. And they usually respond, "Nice strategy."