Oct 27, 2014, 6:47 am
Last edit by: jspira
The 2014 Frequent Flyer Award Redemption Pet Peeves Poll is now underway.
This poll focuses on which aspects of the award redemption process bother the frequent flyer the most.
Please take the poll here and join the discussion in this thread.
This poll focuses on which aspects of the award redemption process bother the frequent flyer the most.
Please take the poll here and join the discussion in this thread.
What Are Your Top Frequent Flier Award Redemption Pet Peeves? The 2014 Edition
Nov 1, 2014, 9:20 am
#61
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AS MVPG, CO, NW(now DL), Flying Blue
Posts: 6,554
redeeming for an F/J award and even though there are 1 or 2 segments where F/J isnt available(particularly incurs on Intl flights) you are still charged the full amount of miles for an F award and not prorated for the Y segments
Nov 2, 2014, 1:42 am
#62
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: OOL
Programs: VA Plat, QF LTS, UA MM, Hilton Diamond, Rydges Black, ,Le-Club Gold
Posts: 3,659
- Stinking high miles-costs (QF, EY, EK, SQ)
- Disgusting colossal surcharges (QF, BA, AF, LH)
- Foul huge mileage redeposit fees (UA,AA)
- Filthy "close-in" processing fees (UA, AA etc)-
- Hours on the stinking phone to book int'l awards (VA etc)
- Hours on the stinking phone to cancel awards (AV etc)
- Stinking airlines who "forget" to ticket partner awards within 48 hours, so the booking is lost (UA,others) and they don't tell you afterwards (UA)
- Clueless morons don't offer one-way awards? (US)
- Stinking dolts won't book mixed-class routes where one sector doesn't have that class (AA, AV etc)
- Daft gits at the call center can't book awards sector by sector (AV)
- Stinking crooks in the back-office who "forget" refunds on cancelled awards(AV & all)
- Crooked award-search-engine hides some partner-awards (QF and all)
- Crooked award-search-engine blocks some partner-awards (UA, AV)
- Crooked award search-engine comes up with biz awards at the full J class rate, but the long sector is in Y. You often see MEL-SYD (J) connecting to SYD-LAX (Y) on the stinking rotten QFF award search
And of course - No stinking award seats (DL) even at double or triple the price
Nov 4, 2014, 7:41 am
#64
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: EWR-SEA-IAD
Programs: UA 1P MM, AS MVP G*, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 977
Simple, my biggest pet peeve is when I know the Award ticket policies better than the reservation agent. Why yes I do know more than you and yes this stupidly complex 7 segment, double open-jaw, with stopover will work if you push it to the rate desk. lol
Nov 4, 2014, 7:47 am
#65
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,542
I would like to be able to see on line all possible flight combinations between 2 points that may be booked as awards with a particular program's miles. Today, in some cases not even the home carrier's flight combinations are properly displayed.
Once I book a flight with miles, I would like to be able to select seats immediately on line, without the need to make a phone call to a partner carrier.
I would like it to be easier and less costly to make a change if the transaction can be done on line. So, if a better set of flights becomes available as an award than what I booked, why should I have to pay for that? Reasonable restrictions would be fine. Something more like the Southwest program or most hotel programs.
In general, and perhaps off-topic, I would like to see a display that shows the current cheapest fare to each destination for the entire inventory of offered seats. For example, if today is October 29, 2014, the cheapest available flight SFO-FRA over the next 330 (or maybe 337) days is on (blank) date. I would accept that prices may change at any time.
Once I book a flight with miles, I would like to be able to select seats immediately on line, without the need to make a phone call to a partner carrier.
I would like it to be easier and less costly to make a change if the transaction can be done on line. So, if a better set of flights becomes available as an award than what I booked, why should I have to pay for that? Reasonable restrictions would be fine. Something more like the Southwest program or most hotel programs.
In general, and perhaps off-topic, I would like to see a display that shows the current cheapest fare to each destination for the entire inventory of offered seats. For example, if today is October 29, 2014, the cheapest available flight SFO-FRA over the next 330 (or maybe 337) days is on (blank) date. I would accept that prices may change at any time.
Succinct, hits the important points.Generally speaking, I wish the airlines would bring their websites up to 2005-ish standards from the late-90's capabilities they have now.
Nov 25, 2014, 11:52 am
#68
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: UA Premier 1K, Star Alliance Gold, Titanium Elite Marriott, Celebrity Elite, IHG, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 343
Pet peeves
Should have been limited to top five peeves from the total list of fifteen. Forced to selected all from list when some do not apply to past problems.
Nov 25, 2014, 5:04 pm
#70
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1
FREQUENT FLIER MILES unavailable when wanted.
I have built up many frequent flier miles and I'm not able to use them for at least a month away from when I need them, whereas some other Airlines save seats for those that have accrued miles so that they can use them anytime. Why is this the case?
Last edited by ladybarbara; Nov 25, 2014 at 5:08 pm Reason: Add additional comment.
Nov 25, 2014, 11:32 pm
#72
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta DM; *A FO. UG since(1/1/15): 11/14
Posts: 683
The fact that you need a college degree to book an award ticket (delta, but I'm sure it will apply to other programs too), at least for the advertised mileage amount(s). I keep reading stories of people spending countless hours prepping an itinerary, and then another bunch of hours on the phone to actually get it.
Nov 28, 2014, 6:05 pm
#73
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
American's refusal to either show me every connection or let me search by flight.
Example: I want to fly RDU-JFK-LAX. There's availability on the 9 AM JFK-LAX and the 10 AM JFK-LAX. AA.com will only show me a connection to the 9 AM but I want to take the 10 AM. So I have to put a reservation for the 9 AM on hold then call AA and have them manually change me to the 10 AM.
Example: I want to fly RDU-JFK-LAX. There's availability on the 9 AM JFK-LAX and the 10 AM JFK-LAX. AA.com will only show me a connection to the 9 AM but I want to take the 10 AM. So I have to put a reservation for the 9 AM on hold then call AA and have them manually change me to the 10 AM.
Nov 28, 2014, 9:54 pm
#74
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3
Frequent Flyer Award Pet Peeve
One-World is scheduling mostly all of its lower award flights to Europe via British Airways which charges a higher tax than AA. However, AA is requesting more points for the same flight but less $ in tax. As we know, they code-share and use the same planes for the same destination especially when flying to Great Britain. This is grossly unfair!!
Nov 29, 2014, 8:42 am
#75
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 13
Pet Peeves
My biggest gripe is the ridiculous fees (fuel fees?) charged by British Airways on award tickets. They are way out of line with other major airlines. Sometimes I can purchase a coach ticket for less than the fees they want to charge for an award ticket. Shame on you, BA!
