[peternh]

In any transaction, the party who fails to read the small print only has himself to blame--which is pretty much the position of the reply given to The Guardian's correspondent.

We might wish that reward tickets were easier to obtain (actually still quite easy with some schemes); we might wish that fees and taxes were also covered as they used to be (with some airlines they still are, I'm told); we might rail against the introduction of expiry dates (not all schemes have these) or arbitrary increases in the numbers of points necessary to reach a certain destination (very tiresome); we might get annoyed that the dates we want to fly are 'black-out' dates (some schemes have none); but the fact is that far from being 'a fraud on the consumer' these point-collecting schemes offer an extra benefit to travel, however modest, that no airline is obliged to offer.

Typically every sixth or seventh flight on a particular route can be either free, or cost only surcharges and taxes. I have flown extensively on this basis, recently, for instance, acquiring four seats on the same trans-Atlantic flight using three completely different points schemes (Aeroplan, Air Miles, and RBC Avion).

In some schemes upgraded seats, lounge access, increased luggage allowances, priority boarding, and other benefits which at least some travellers will regard as having value and importance are also offered. Clear target numbers of flight segments and miles flown are provided, and its up to each traveller, when purchasing a ticket, to consider whether any premium involved in taking one particular airline over another cheaper one, if that's the case, is worth the benefit gained.

In general I shop where the best value for money can be found, but I take any points that are available, and use credit cards that earn me points. Where I'm buying tickets for myself I fly with the airline that offers the best value for money on that particular route, but I take any points that are available. As a result points accumulate slowly under a variety of schemes, but eventually the benefit is there. Although all these schemes could be more generous, and have less small print, and certainly shouldn't influence you to spend more money than you usually would, four free trans-Atlantic tickets (in the example given, plus taxes) are not to be sneezed at, and resemble a substantial financial saving which I'd rather have than not have.

Those who don't read the small print or who fail to work out the costs and benefits have only themselves to blame.