Using Frequent Flyer Mileage for Free Ticket - Are you Joking?

[xqqzme]

Has anybody tried to get to Mexico for a free flight using your Frequent Flyer Mileage??? It's an amazing task! I have lots of mileage on Alaska Airlines (and they have lots of partner airlines) so I used my $50 companion ticket for the next trip to Playa...no problem there, it worked pretty slick. My sister wants to go to Ixtapa/Zihua again in March 2007 so I thought I'd use my mileage to just go for free (I'm flying from Seattle). Four hours of grueling computer work later, I did the best I could and still have to sleep overnight in the Los Angeles Airport! There was not one 30,000 mile freebie ANY time from Jan 1 - April 30...I checked EVERY one of them that did not involve an overnight (for 60,000 miles you don't have to sleep in an airport). I could have flown from Seattle to Atlanta, sleep in the Atlanta Airport, and then fly back to the west coast of Mexico the next AM...yeah that sounds like fun!! I could fly to Boise, then to Portland, then to San Francisco and then to Ixtapa...yeah that sounds like fun!! Settled for flying from Seattle to LA (sleep on the floor) and go to Ixtapa at 7AM the next morning; but my return flight is a normal one-dayer. I figured I could sleep on the beach when I get there.
So what's your horror story with frequent flyer miles???????

[Rissask]

My sister wants to go to Ixtapa/Zihua again in March 2007 so I thought I'd use my mileage to just go for free (I'm flying from Seattle). Four hours of grueling computer work later, I did the best I could and still have to sleep overnight in the Los Angeles Airport!

I have been looking at flights from Calgary on Alaska Airlines for next February- best deal I have found is $668 plus taxes, with a two hour stopover in LA. Not bad. But I saw a few of them also have that one night layover in LA. Same airline then? That sucks.
We have never used air miles; actually my mom turned in hers once and booked me a flight to New York- but it was fairly painless, just one quick connector stop in Toronto, no long layovers.
But we met a couple from Alberta in Zihua in 2004. They had used Air Miles (Canuck equivalent of 'frequent flyer' miles I guess?) and their itinerary was a nightmare.
They drive four hours from their hometown to the Calgary Airport. Flew to Vancouver. Connect and flew to Denver (or Phoenix? can't recall). One night layover. Then fly to Mexico City, then connect again and fly to Zihua. Craziness!

[xqqzme]

There's always a catch to something "free"....I'll have to laugh out loud next time I hear the flight attendant speil about signing up for your Alaska Airlines VISA ('and you get more free miles to start your life of adventure')! I wonder if all airlines are as discouraging to actually USE the miles you get....

[mfl*s queen]

I have no horror stories. We have used our frequent flyer (AA) miles to fly from Chicago to Cancun in Feb/Mar for the last several years without any problems. I always book as soon as I can, which is 329 days out.

[denisea]

I used my US Airways FF miles last August for a ticket so that my girlfriend who lives outside Rochester, NY could join us for a week in Playa over last year's New Years holidaze. Booked in August 2005 departing Rochester, NY to Cancun with one connection in Philadelphia, PA. The process couldn't have been simpler... did it all online. Used 30,000 miles. The cost for that same flight if purchased would've been $800.

[Just Lucky]

It's too bad you can't have your layover in Singapore. I found this website some time ago.:http://www.sleepinginairports.net/ Maybe it will be helpful to someone here. I bookmarked it because it reminded me of my youth.

[MWC]

We don't go through airlines; we have a WorldPoints Account through our credit card. Absolutely no complaints with cashing the points in for flights -- but do it as early as you can to have the best flight selection.

[babs31]

In January we flew to Tucson and it literally took all day. But as you say nothing is free... We leave this week again and my husbands ticket was $500 , I wouldnt mind spending all day flying to save that cash.

[roni]

We have about 40,000 Amex reward points that we can exchange for FF miles on a variety of carriers, but I have not looked at it closely yet. Continetal used to have a $75 companion ticket with the Reward Points - we used that in 2003 - but it went away when we checked last year.

Mexicana had a partnership with a bank for a credit card - first time use is supposed to get you a free companion ticket, and then one reduced fare companion ticket each year, but I have procrastinated on that - hate to apply for credit cards.

[xqqzme]

I'm thinking spending the night on the floor at Los Angeles Airport MAY be an adventure. I did check that website for 'sleeping in airports' so I now know the good spots in the airport to catch a few winks. They said the biggest problem would be the messages every 10 minutes (nite & day) in every language known to mankind (and some they made up)...that should be cozy. My sister is flying in from Vegas to meet up for the flight from LA to Ixtapa. I convinced her to be a good sport and come the night before so she too can sleep on the floor...she must have felt sorry for me

[james]

would be nice to get all these programs dropped and just have cheaper tickets, eh?!

[bufante]

Originally Posted by james

would be nice to get all these programs dropped and just have cheaper tickets, eh?!

yes, i feel like i have signed up for all of these different programs...its a full time job just keeping up with them.

[Riviera Maya Ar]

you have to be flexible on time and day. We used points for years atlanta cancun in jan.before we moved to PDC. Penny is is in atlanta now made plans 3 weeks ago American, Delta is still a problem they haven't moved back to normal number of flights yet financial picture is grim hope they will get their house in order we still have a lot of points. We would rather fly AeroMex But their free seats are all used because of delta connection. We used to find if we could go to delta office in atlanta and stand in front of a human being, they would always find us seats its harder to say no in person. Good luck.
Penny& Jim
Art publishers in Playa del Carmen

[Buns]

Originally Posted by xqqzme

I'm thinking spending the night on the floor at Los Angeles Airport MAY be an adventure. I did check that website for 'sleeping in airports' so I now know the good spots in the airport to catch a few winks. They said the biggest problem would be the messages every 10 minutes (nite & day) in every language known to mankind (and some they made up)...that should be cozy. My sister is flying in from Vegas to meet up for the flight from LA to Ixtapa. I convinced her to be a good sport and come the night before so she too can sleep on the floor...she must have felt sorry for me

Now that your sister is coming in the night before, why not 'spurlge" on a hotel room to share? I'm sure you can get a good, cheap hotel right near the airport that'll even have transportation to pick you up and drop you off...maybe even offer a free breakfast! To me, it'd be worth it to spend the few extra $$ for a comfortable bed, even if it is for only a couple of hours!