partial fare coverage
 

Righto - I know that AA offers travelers the possibility of redeeming less than a full stash of miles for a discounted fare instead of a completly free ticket. I've been looking around but it dosn't look like anyone else does this. Is that true? Any other airlines done things like this in the past?

Thank ya...

Northwest does it as well right now. I just booked a ticket from MCO to YYC for $236 + 5,000 miles; it wasn't available with just miles and it would have cost at least $400. I think the promotion is limited to the Spring.

NW has been offering cash and miles deals periodically, so if you can't make the current one, wait a while and it will probably come up again. Sometimes they're a good deal and sometimes they're not. But of course you're paying some cash and getting no miles for it, so it doesn't at all help with your status level.