what do you think was the ZENITH of miles programs?
 

-When was it the best it has ever been?...
was it last year, was it 2001? or maybe way back?

I wanna know when people think the whole miles and poinst game was at its best and maybe hear a few examples too

So go for it; and kindly onsider these things or add on some more or even alter my question(s) if you feel there is a better way to put it out there:

-When did the points and miles you could earn actually be veiwed as the most valuable they have ever been?

-When did getting a free ticket actually mean just that?

-When was it both easy to earn and easy to burn?

In my opinion, much has tightened up and changed for the harder (to redeem) in 2003, but the earning possibilities are enormous, indeed.

For me, I keep thinking that maybe 1-2 years ago, the earning potential was great but it was still rather easy to actually get award travel and fly.

Several years ago, you could walk up to an airport desk and give them a certificate for free award travel you had eventually earned, and just get on a plane. BUT it was much harder to earn in those days too.

I mostly fly economy and not very often on the same carriers. So by the time a person like me actually EARNS enough points, things have inveriaby changed with that carrier's award structure. Thus, it can be a frustrating and never ending chase of a game. I almost NEED promos like that BA Jaguar thing to thrust into a certain level of needed mileage (just to see them up thier anti as well)

On some airlines, by the time I get there, several 'blocks' of these earned miles are nearly about to expire! (Singapore Airlines does not continue your whole account balance just because of new activity within some 3-year period... I currently stand to lose over 10k of older mile earnings if I dont redeem by Sept 03 and yet I only recently GOT to 25k on that airline!)

------------------
If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!

Triple miles in 1988. Hands down. That promo put FF programs on the map for millions of less frequent travelers.

agree, triple miles in 1988.

Another great year was 1991 when airlines coming out of the Gulf war ran several "Fly Three-Get One Free" ticket promotions which did not interfere with your normal mileage accumulation.

DItto on the triple miles year. Award levels were pretty terrific then too. TWA had 65K points for one F ticket to Europe plus a companion for the price of lowest coach and that coach fare didn't need to be available, it could have been sold out.

Ditto.

Of course the triple miles also probably directly lead to the big devaluations in program benefits that followed shortly thereafter.

I'd give up all my complimentary upgrade benefits in a second if they brought back the 2 person awards like 2 First Class tickets to Hawaii, 6 nights at any Westin hotel or resort worldwide, and 7 days car rental...a totally free vacation all for only 75,000 miles total!

Those were the days!

The Zenith of miles programs? Sounds like a way to earn miles by watching TV, or reading Sinclair Lewis' Babbitt. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by LastClass (edited 03-05-2003).]

I believe you have to split your question into two parts because we're really talking about 2 cycles in FF history, before and after non-flying miles accumulation. No doubt the tripple miles deal stands out in memory but for sheer volume of accumulating miles, for me it was thanks to Citibank. During 1999 they launched their "Click-City" Aadvantage card. All early applicants have zero annual fee for life and earned double Aadvantage miles for the 1st year.

I miss TWA, I think their mileage upgrade policy was the best. But look where that got them....

Agree TWA was the best triple miles was my best year

I would say 2002. With all the ways to earn miles, I loaded the boat.
Alaska Air 100k (money orders)
US Air 100k (money orders)
United 60k +15k (savings bonds + bonus)
Starwood 150k (savings bonds)

plus flights and regular charges.
It was a beautiful year for FF miles in an otherwise crappy year.

Ken, I did not do quite as much but I must say in a way I agree with you because it was STILL easy to get all those miles and beat many systems that many marketers are now stopping left and right, and still relatively easy to redeem them as well.

Starting Jan 1, 2003, it seemed that (A) everyone upped their anti's and (B) they started to catch the holes and stop programs that many liked the workings of.

You hit it right and well-timed, I think.

I sure did like those days when you could actually go to the airport with awards certs and just get on a plane! For me it was the early 90s, but I had so no miles back then.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gifMM

TWA was great. Two First Class tickets to Europe for 90k. Two coach around-the-world tickets for 100k. And triple miles in 1988!
The other good deal that's gone is the AA airlines exchange of sticker upgrades for mileage, which effectively gave a platinum member triple miles for every trip.

I only go back to 1992 in the FF game, but can remember some good 3x miles on OnePass in fall 1993 and flying weekends to New York as mileage runs. Those 3x deals definitely helped.

But I'd say the late 2000/early 2001 Continental mileage bonanza was my own high-water mark. Calling in codes, wondering what'd post and what wouldn't, and getting 4x miles on some trips. I did one to Portland on a $188 RT that earned 31K total miles. There were stories of HKG RTs pulling six figures.

CO also had decent mileage sales back then, including 20K to DUS and 25K to HKG. One guy on the HKG flight turned around, in the front of coach, and asked, "Did anybody here pay for their ticket?" Felt like we were some traveling band of gypsies.

These things never last, though.

Mid 1990's on DL, when there was:

• Minimum 1000 miles/segment.
• Upgraded flights earned class of service bonuses.
• 2 SWUs for every 20,000 miles flown, no limit.
• Old (pre-Skymiles) redemption levels.

Hands down the triple miles era. Don't forget the Marriott 10,000 pt. bonus PER. night as well!