Quote:
Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here
Assuming for a moment that the tickets in question were obtained legitimately: This is another example as to why I feel frequent flyer clubs and the free flight vouchers airlines hand-out are about as useful for transportation as a bananna peel. At a minimum, one should not attempt to use these things unless they are prepared to pay a "walk-up" fare to their destination.
Frequent flyer clubs MAY make some sense if one wants to accumulate hotel "miles," in a "frequent stay" program. Even then you open yourself to the possibility of an airline screeming "fraud," taking your account down to a negative balance; then saying you owe them for the allegedly improperly obtained miles. I could easily see United Air pulling a stunt like this.
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What's the matter, Butch? Upset because your beloved Lufthansa received a negative post? I'm sure if we hear from the OP again we'll learn there was probably some impropriety.
I don't know why you consistently bad-mouth airline frequent flier programs. Of course when people have unreasonable expectations they will almost always be a letdown. One can't expect award seats in the lowest mileage category to be available on every single flight. Using miles requires some flexibility. It always has and always will.
With airlines cutting capacity and planes consistently going out full or nearly full opportunities for redemption at the lowest levels will decrease. The problem is people accumulate the required 25K miles for a domestic "super-saver" award and expect to be able to use it over the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays or to send their college kid to Cancun for Spring break. It just doesn't work that way and when they can't get a ticket for the least amount of miles during the busiest seasons they cry foul! They should just earn another 25K miles and redeem a 50K anytime award that has far fewer capacity controls.
As for those who "buy" miles through e-Bay or other similar websites they need to realize it is in EVERY mileage program's rules that miles cannot be bought, sold or bartered. If caught engaging in such practices the consequences are usually cancellation of any tickets issued with those miles, confiscation of any miles remaining in the account, and possible closure of the accounts of both the buyer and seller.