I actually got to use my Air Miles...!

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DandyDon

Colonoscopy Advocate
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Location
One kilometer high on the Texas Central Plains
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The airlines make it so difficult to use Award Miles. I have 41K with United and 51K with American (more with Delta if I want to drive to DFW!), but when I tried to book to Cozumel or even Cancun for a week in late August, it was horrible - at lowest mileage costs. United would fly me down, but not back for a month. American kept trying to route me thru Phoenix or Miami with overnight stops, etc. I'd open the search on several tabs and compare the ridiculous plans for various dates, shaking my head - and worse. Wednesday night is one of the best to shop, but the cheapest I could see for Cozumel as $670, vs $411 for Cancun plus bag drag bus & ferry - yuck.

I kept checking back to see if options improved, and my first tab blew me away! Leave Lubbock August 13 at 10am, less than an hour in DFW, arrive Cozumel mid-afternoon, then return a week later, leaving mid-afternoon, less than 3 hours in DFW, Lubbock before midnight - with reasonable aisle seats selected. That's about as good as it gets from here, love it, not even a middle of the night run to the airport like I have done so many times...!

Of course, they still charged me $80 in booking fees, there will be $65 to check my two bags of gear with some clothes each way, and they would further charge me $150 if I canceled and wanted to redeposit my miles. I'm sure there are people at each airline scheming to make it worse if the can get away with it.

This is long range planning for me, further than I like, but I figured that I had to plan early to use those miles - and I hate for them to just sit there with no hope.
 
That’s insane. 8 months out and still no luck for saver awards???? I have United and have never had issues booking award travel, even close-in and on popular routes like SFO-HKG. It may be because I live in one of their hub cities and also have status.

I would look into getting a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred card. Without going into a lot of detail on how good their Reserve + Freedom ecosystem is, I’ll share what great value it is. San Francisco to Jakarta was 42,000 points based on the fare I was looking at. If I booked through United on the same itinerary and flights it would have been at least 80,000. To put that into perspective, i want to say flying to Hawaii is 45K! Apart from butt in seat mileage earnings, I earn 1X, 3X, or 5X points with the credit card. I can transfer 1:1 with united and other airline or hotel partners and with those airline partners, fly with many other airlines and routes that they in turn partner with.

In short, if there’s an open seat, it can be booked with award points through Chase and is a function of airfare price instead of flat rate redemption. Sometimes, depending on price, it’s better value to transfer points to United or the airline you want to fly with. Other times, as in my Jakarta example, it’s better value to book with Chase. You should look into it. :) You also don’t lock up your miles from spending into one program. However, butt in seat miles accrue with whatever program you are a frequent flyer with and there’s no way around that.
 
It may be because I live in one of their hub cities and also have status.
Probably so.

My life isn't very compatible with fancy benefits of travel. I don't spend all that much month to month, and what I do - I prefer to get 2% cash refunds on my credit card. I have a few other week long trips also already planned for the new year - a family trip to near Galveston (long drive, but I get to sleep), camping trip to Big Bend NP, and another camping trip with a few state parks west of San Antonio.
 
I have reward points with both Delta and American. I found I have to book as far in advance as possible to be able to use them for a reasonable flight schedule. Delta isn't great but American is even worse. They have really devalued what miles are worth now. I need to look into getting that Chase card that outofofficebrb suggested. I have heard good things about it.
 
Airlines don't offer free travel for our benefit; it's not surprising to me that they will put you on less booked flights that were flying with open seats anyway.
 
The airlines make it so difficult to use Award Miles...

Yes they do. It's not an accident - the major airlines' so-called "loyalty programs" are one of the greatest frauds committed against consumers in history. They have every incentive to make it all but impossible to get a decent flight, and they work relentlessly to stick it to you. Some work harder at this than others. American is by far and away the absolute worst - no company works harder to intentionally and systematically screw their customers. Delta isn't too far behind, but they're more sneaky about it. United is generally a bit less scammy and is more usable if you plan far enough ahead, though even United is still far from being consumer-friendly.

The keys to being able to use your miles are generally:
  1. Be very flexible, with your travel dates, times, routing.
  2. Plan far, far in advance.
  3. Keep your expectations low, don't be surprised if you're disappointed and feel like it's s game stacked against you (because it is).
 
I have Alaska Airlines mileage, and usually never have issues finding a flight that will work. I leave for Cozumel out of Toledo in January via Cancun. My home airport is usually Fairbanks, but since I'm in the lower 48 for the holidays I'll leave out of Toledo this time. This is my 7th trip to either Cozumel or Roatan in 7 years, and each time has been with miles. This will be my second time doing the bag drag as I usually fly into Cozumel, but this time it was going to be either that or staying 6 hours in a connecting airports lobby.
 
Yes they do. It's not an accident - the major airlines' so-called "loyalty programs" are one of the greatest frauds committed against consumers in history. They have every incentive to make it all but impossible to get a decent flight, and they work relentlessly to stick it to you. Some work harder at this than others. American is by far and away the absolute worst - no company works harder to intentionally and systematically screw their customers. Delta isn't too far behind, but they're more sneaky about it. United is generally a bit less scammy and is more usable if you plan far enough ahead, though even United is still far from being consumer-friendly.

The keys to being able to use your miles are generally:
  1. Be very flexible, with your travel dates, times, routing.
  2. Plan far, far in advance.
  3. Keep your expectations low, don't be surprised if you're disappointed and feel like it's s game stacked against you (because it is).
That's two of you who said that is generally easy. I wonder if I did it wrong? I checked again, just one-way from Cancun to Lubbock, no restrictions on number of stops or anything - and they show two dates that could work for me in late August, but those include overnights in Houston, or worse. From Cozumel to Lubbock, nothing from August 11 to September 22.
Capture.JPG
 
That's two of you who said that is generally easy. I wonder if I did it wrong? I checked again, just one-way from Cancun to Lubbock, no restrictions on number of stops or anything - and they show two dates that could work for me in late August, but those include overnights in Houston, or worse. From Cozumel to Lubbock, nothing from August 11 to September 22. View attachment 439409

Is Lubbock a smaller airport with fewer United flights? It’s probably like me trying to do this with San Jose or worse, Oakland airport instead of San Francisco. You will probably have much better luck with a larger airport but as you said it might be a drive. How far or long of a drive?
 
I have not flown for several years.

TSA, 1-2 hour check in, overbooked flights, no legroom, baggage charges, etc.

If my destination is within a days drive I just get in the car, when I want, at the
time I want.

No airport hassles, no rental car, some nice music on the radio.

Of course, offshore travel means booking a flight.

Forget "Frequent Flyer" BS.

Book the best priced airline for the destination.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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