tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21503568.post2584438012337448046..comments2023-11-03T06:32:28.410-04:00Comments on Staring At Empty Pages: On customer loyalty programsBarry Leibahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14205294935881991457noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21503568.post-91431531837722923482009-04-15T22:34:00.000-04:002009-04-15T22:34:00.000-04:00Time is another factor to consider. Originally, m...Time is another factor to consider. Originally, miles lasted forever, but now they expire. If the traveller scatters travel across a set of airlines, there may never be enough useful miles in a single airline's account to allow a free ticket. We've had this problem recently and tens of thousands of miles expired valueless. Of course, they are "frequent" flyer miles, not intermittent flyer miles, so this result is quite predictable. <br /><br />The solution seems to be to shop exclusively on price and treat accumulated miles as a lottery, or focus on a single carrier to build your numbers. I have an affinity credit card, and I'm going to drop it when it expires. I'll find a card that yields something I value.scouter573https://www.blogger.com/profile/10617089494446058172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21503568.post-81412298460887509102009-04-15T17:46:00.000-04:002009-04-15T17:46:00.000-04:00All this is very true, but there is a degree of we...All this is very true, but there is a degree of well, I still at some point get a free flight. It's like your tax return - Sure it's "better" to keep as much of your money on the front end, but let's face it, I wasn't gonna get interest on it anyway, and I do benefit from the big check I can spend wisely when it comes. Or like, the amount of money you spend on lattes in a year, what if you saved it? But who cares, because I wouldn't save it, I just end up spending it on something else.<br /><br />Which is just to say, you're totally right, and certainly if miles are the only consideration then it's not a good reason, but I *am* going to enjoy my free flight in August.<br /><br />Thanks for linking me and expanding the conversation. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21503568.post-41512261551903698402009-04-15T14:14:00.000-04:002009-04-15T14:14:00.000-04:00Another thing to bear in mind is the other benefit...Another thing to bear in mind is the other benefits of frequent-flier status. For example, if you fly enough to be elite, you'll get bonuses that affect the math you performed in your example (though perhaps not enough to tip the balance). You may also get free checked baggage, early boarding (well, earlier than at least a few others on the plane), and so on.<br /><br />As an aside, I not only try to concentrate my miles on Continental (though, as you said, not religiously), I also have a CO credit card that gives elite qualifying miles based on purchases. Interestingly, the threshold for getting 2K elite points dropped this month from $25K to $15K. I used some of those points this year to make CO elite status, so they do have meaning. But again, it's a cost-benefit analysis. I felt the incremental cost to get this card and get the elite miles plus airport lounge access was worth it.<br /><br />Not that you'll see me renewing next time around, I wager.Frisky070802https://www.blogger.com/profile/02366971082815298119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21503568.post-23029151062717950172009-04-15T11:12:00.000-04:002009-04-15T11:12:00.000-04:00A good reminder for people using rewards programs....A good reminder for people using rewards programs. I collect airmiles (a Canadian generic rewards program). I can get airmile when I fill up at a specific gas station, so I look for opportunities to fill up at that station. I won't pay extra to do so, nor drive a significant way out of my way, but I can plan my fill-ups so that I can take advantage. Liewise, I can collect airmiles at a specific grocery store. I don't buy everything there because they do tend to be more expensive. However, there are many items my wife and I buy regularly that we cannot find at discount grocery stores, so when we want those, we do visit that particular store to take advantage of the points. We feel that we do not pay more for the points than we would have spent anyway, and to date they have netted us an iPod, an iPod dock, and a digital camera. Several hundred dollars worth of luxury goods we would not otherwise chosen to purchase.Call me Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com