Frequent Flyer Miles - Travel Deals

We’ve heard this for awhile now, but today we decided to actually check it out: what else can you do with your miles, besides redeem them for never-available seats (or, what can you do with those miscellaneous miles that will never-quite-reach-a-ticket level?)

For our sleuthing, we discovered a few unusual things that the airlines are doing.

With United Air Lines miles, you can bid on auctions.

If you’re a member of NWA’s WorldPerks, why not use some extra miles to donate to a good cause, or order a magazine? Delta also offers magazines for miles.

For AmericanAirlines frequent flyer program, you can simply save up for hotel reservations and rentals.

United Vacation Packages

Mexico, Caribbean, Latin America: Spice up your summer with these hot offers thanks to United Vacation!

Enjoy a relaxing beach vacation in Mexico and the Caribbean, or plan a Latin American getaway and you’ll even find the following bonuses for Mileage Plus members:

Marriott and Renaissance Resorts – Caribbean & Mexico - Free night
Cruise deals to get you packing for fun in the sun – Earn 2,500 miles
United Vacations – Save 50% on kids’ airfare to Jamaica and Mexico
Budget – Receive 1,000 miles + free day on weekend rentals

United Vacation Packages

OAG’s Airline of the year Cathay Pacific is celebrating 60 years of service - and rewarding their customers!

Register now through October 15, 2006 and fly anytime from September 15 to November 15 and you can add on an extra 10 G to your mileage account.

In order to snag the extra bonuses, you must fly an Economy Class round-trip from Los Angeles, New York (JFK), or San Francisco to Hong Kong, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City or Bangkok to qualify.

United Airlines has a few extra promos to bulk up your miles account! Get quadruple miles for every stay at Hyatt: Earn 1,500 Mileage Plus bonus miles when you book on hyatt.com and stay through August 31, 2006. Enter offer code 1500UA.

Plus! United Mileage Plus members get there for less with Avis. Save $25 off your weekly rental, plus earn 1,000 bonus miles on qualifying rentals. Mention coupon number MUAA012.

To save up to 20% every time you rent, use AWD# K019300.

Get Started Now: For reservations, reserve online or call 800-331-1212. Provide your Mileage Plus number for each rental to earn 1,000 bonus miles. This offer is reusable so you can save again and again.

It’s often a source of frustration for travelers - they spend the money, get the credit cards, fly the miles…and then when they go to use them, they learn the flights are all ’sold out’, or, they can get a seat at twice the cost of normal miles.

CNN has addressed this concern in a recent article -

…these days many travelers argue that there are too many air miles chasing too few seats, and that the popular destinations are snapped up too easily.

The airlines make no apology for the fact that sometimes it can be tricky to get the seat you want.

See Getting mileage out of your air miles

The airlines are really pushing their advance check-in features. And why shouldn’t then? More machines = less staff = save airlines $$.

Since it saves most people time, you probably do it anyway. But just in case you’re not on the bandwagon, United Airlines is making it worth figuring out.

When you use EasyCheck-in online you could get 15% off the next qualifying flight you book!

Use EasyCheck-in online with your Mileage Plus number and you could be one of the people they randomly select to get an extra savings on your next ticket. United will be awarding the certificate to every 100th person who checks in online with their Mileage Plus number, through August 31, 2006.

To book your United ticket, check out the great rates on Priceline.com

The big wigs of air travel always have one deal or another going on. The most recent one from American Airlines is an interactive game to get people to sign up for their newsletters.

Give the system your email address (which they promise not to spam, but we’re not so sure) to enter the AA.com Insider’s Deal sweepstakes for your chance to win cash, miles or rewards!

You have to learn more about the newsletters in the process, but it’s a pretty easy system. Now, if only we can win that million bucks…

AA Sweepstakes

Hertz rental car deals through Travelocity

Earn double miles and receive a one-car-class upgrade from July 1 through December 31, 2006 with United Airlines and Hertz.

Earn double miles, or up to 1,000 miles per rental, and receive a one-car-class upgrade when you mention your mileage plus number when you book a Hertz rental car. Offer applies to all qualifying weekend rentals and weekly rentals of Compact through Full Size cars at participating Hertz locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

Drive away with double miles. Be sure to provide your Mileage Plus number, discount number 62455 and PC #960050 at the time of reservation.

Hertz rental car deals through Travelocity

Often times, after struggling to book a frequent flyer ticket, we’ve had to ask ourselves - ok, there just wher CAN my seemingly worthless miles get me?

To answer that question and to make it even easier for you to redeem your miles for award travel, United has compiled a list of destinations where United flies that have additional space available for travel July 1 through August 31, 2006. Keep in mind that seats are limited. The sooner you book, the better chance you have at securing your seat to locations from Amsterdam, Hamilton, Dallas Fort Worth, Las Vegas and San Francisco to great destinations like Chicago, San Francisco and Sydney. Where will your miles take you?

Check out the added awards.

You can receive a Free Two Car Class Upgrade & Double Mileage Plus Miles on qualifying Leisure Weekend Rate rentals of 2 or more days and Leisure Weekly Rate rentals.

That’s 100 Mileage Plus Miles per day on Leisure Weekend Rate rentals or 1,000 Mileage Plus Miles per rental on Leisure Weekly Rate rentals.

This offer is valid when renting a Compact (Class B) through Special Sporty (Class D) car, with a maximum upgrade to a Premium (Class G) car, at participating airport and off airport locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. And not just once, but every time you rent through July 31, 2006.

Reserve your Hertz booking online!