How to
Get Free
Airline
Seats
Here’s an amazing statistic from Randy Petersen,
publisher of Inside Flyer:
Americans have racked up
nearly 17 trillion unused
frequent-flier miles.
But it’s not for lack of
trying to redeem them.
Airlines make millions selling mileage to hundreds of
marketing partners (credit
card companies and grocers, for instance)—and
then make it as difficult as
possible to use them.
With a little creativity,
however, you can beat the
airlines at their game. Airlines save their last-minute
WRANGLE
A SEAT
AND WIN
AT THE
Miles Game
PLAN AHEAD
If you’re not
rushed, you
can book up to
330 days before
you leave.
THINK SMALL
Fly to nearby,
less-busy
airports, e.g.,
Islip, New York,
versus JFK.
BE GENEROUS
If you can’t use
expiring miles,
they can often
be redeemed
for a friend.
and nonstop seats for pay-
ing customers, so try to
book far in advance, and
consider counterintuitive
routes. Want to go from
Los Angeles to Hawaii on
your mileage? Explore
flying from L.A. through
Las Vegas or even Phoenix.
It seems nonsensical, but
these days you have to find
frequent-flier seats wher-
ever you can.
Bring Your Hotel Home And not just shampoo
Hotels have sold bathrobes and spa products for years. Now they’re marketing home decor and lots more online. You can buy the W hotel chain’s funky
faux-fur throws and acrylic tables at whotelsthestore.com, or a leopard-print dog bed from the boutique Kimpton hotels at kimptonstyle.com. Mar-riott offers rainfall showerheads at shopmarriott.com, and Westin sells 230-
thread-count cotton Heavenly Bedding Sets at westin-hotelsathome.com.
flights with more seats.
Instead of flying American
to London, for instance, try
using your miles on Finnair
through Helsinki.
Another tactic: Try one of
the new mileage cards, such
as those offered by Capital
One or American Express,
that aren’t tied to a particular airline program. With
Capital One’s Venture Card,
for example, if you have
30,000 points from
qualifying purchases, you get $300
toward any type of travel
you choose. The company
will pay toward your airline
ticket, your cruise-ship
berth, or your rental car. ;
GOT A TRAVEL
QUESTION?
