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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The Contrarian's Guide to Frequent-Travel Plans


BY JOE BRANCATELLI
October 31, 2002 -- Once upon a time--which was 1984, when a pair of unrestricted tickets to Hawaii cost 75,000 miles--your humble scribe produced the complete guide to frequent-flyer programs on just four magazine pages. All the rules, all the awards, all the charts, all the tricks, all in just four pages.

Of course, that was once upon a time, before affinity cards, long-distance partners, pages and pages of incomprehensible rules, hotel frequent-stay plans and the magical, mystical moment when loyalty programs morphed into general travel-marketing schemes. The programs today have spawned non-travel gamers, their own currencies and now aren't even directly tied to the needs and interests of their travel sponsors.

One thing hasn't changed in the intervening 18 years, however. I'm still a contrarian about frequent-travel plans. And long after I have ceded the knowledge of the minutiae of the programs to experts such as Randy Petersen and Tim Winship, I suggest the contrarian's view remains the best one.

So, for your edification and enlightenment, here is the current edition of The Contrarian's Guide to Frequent-Travel Plans.

YOU'RE PLAYING AN UNREGULATED LOTTERY
It really doesn't matter how rich a program seems to be or how well you've been rewarded in years past. This is undeniable: Playing the frequent-travel programs is the moral and financial equivalent of playing an unregulated lottery. The program sponsors--the airlines and hotels--are under no legal obligation to disclose the odds of winning. They don't even have to disclose whether the awards on their charts actually exist. They are not required to tell you how many--if any--seats or rooms are available on any given day. They reserve the right to change any rule at any time and usually without advance notice. They are the police, the judge, the jury and the executioner. And, with minor exceptions, the courts have upheld their right to be the masters of their own domains. In the very broadest sense of the term, they rig the game for their own benefit.

THE AIRLINES ARE NOT BANKS
Since the game is rigged, you'd be foolish to treat your frequent-travel accounts as the equivalent of a bank account. Since the airlines and hotels guarantee nothing and control the value and the distribution of the "currency," don't trust them with your miles and points. Don't "bank" miles or points. When you earn enough for an award, cash out as soon as you can. Or think about it this way: The airlines run lousy airlines, why do you think they could run a good bank? Frequent-travel miles and points only have value when you use them. Banking them and leaving them to the vagaries of the changes airlines or hotels may impose is bad planning.

ONLY UNRESTRICTED AWARD LEVELS MATTER
The experts say that more than nine of ten awards successfully cashed are claimed at the lower-priced "restricted" levels. That's fine. But if you're planning a dream vacation around earning enough miles or points to win a restricted award, then you're a fool. I have no sympathy for travelers who tell me the airlines or hotels are ripping them off because they can't claim a seat or a room on the day they want at the restricted level. That's why the awards are restricted. And remember, they are restricted in a game that is already unregulated and rigged. To me, the only "truth" is the unrestricted, supposedly no-strings-attached award levels. If you want a seat or a room on the day you want in the place you want, expect to pay the unrestricted price. If you score at the restricted level, consider it a miraculous bonus.</font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by odnyc:
When I call Jet Blue for the lowest fare it never seems to be available.

It takes quite a bit of nevre to quote fares in the hundreds of dollars for short hops and deny your customers the benefit of a real frequent flyer program.

jet Blue is one of the great marketing frauds ever- totally positive press; meanwhile, I hear many complaints about leg room, customer service etc.

Can't anyone out there break the total media halo given to this product?

I understand when once a year travellers but into this nonsense.

But what savvy frequent flyer would ever fly Jet Blue unless the price was literally rock bottom (By the way $100) to from NYC to Buffalo is hardly rock bottom. At that rate per mile, NY-LAX would be $2,000 and still no real, valuable frequent flyer program.

Please explain the mystery of Jet Blue.</font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by odnyc:
When I call Jet Blue for the lowest fare it never seems to be available.

It takes quite a bit of nevre to quote fares in the hundreds of dollars for short hops and deny your customers the benefit of a real frequent flyer program.

jet Blue is one of the great marketing frauds ever- totally positive press; meanwhile, I hear many complaints about leg room, customer service etc.

Can't anyone out there break the total media halo given to this product?

I understand when once a year travellers but into this nonsense.

But what savvy frequent flyer would ever fly Jet Blue unless the price was literally rock bottom (By the way $100) to from NYC to Buffalo is hardly rock bottom. At that rate per mile, NY-LAX would be $2,000 and still no real, valuable frequent flyer program.

Please explain the mystery of Jet Blue.</font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by glenngpr:
I do not work for any airline..here is my opinion:

I've flown 2 RTs on JetBlue. One was RT JFK-SYR, the other RT was JFK-ONT. The flights upstate were fine; the cross-country flights were horrible. Leg room is non existant, the lure of the satellite TV wore off real quick, and the lack of meal service (or any type of service) on the flight added to the unending monotony.

Now, here's another perception. I frequently fly from NY to the Bay Area on business, and never, ever, did I have to fork over more money to fly American. The JFK-OAK flights regularly price lower than JB when I schedule flights. Plus, I can upgrade, and there's that little thing called AAdvantage that allows me to redeem miles worldwide.

Analise, it seems you're issue is CO, and JetBlue may be a better alternative for you.

But there are some who don't see JetBlue as the panacea they are portrayed to be. </font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AS Flyer:
While you may not like Jet Blue, they are, in large part, responsible for those low fares you enjoy on AA. [This message has been edited by AS Flyer (edited 11-08-2002).]</font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AS Flyer:
...then it was only in retaliation for Jet Blue stealing much of their transcon business and lowering the yields on what business they could keep.</font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by glenngpr:

Analise, it seems you're issue is CO, and JetBlue may be a better alternative for you.

But there are some who don't see JetBlue as the panacea they are portrayed to be. </font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kanebear:
People, does the word TROLL mean nothing to you??? Ignore them and they will crawl back under their rocks, I promise. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif</font>

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Analise:
All I can really compare my experiences to are with CO. I've flown AA but their MRTC seems to be the exact same room as CO. B6 is incredibly better than CO.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif</font>

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