Experienced travelers will tell you that the only thing better than really cheap travel options such as cheap airplane tickets, cheap vacation packages, and discount travel packages are free airline tickets. Figuring out the best time to redeem miles for free tickets can sometimes be tricky.
Experts encourage fliers to exchange miles for airline tickets that would otherwise be expensive such as last minute flights, business travel, upgrades, and vacations to far away destinations.
While there are conflicting opinions as to what a typical airline mile is worth, most experts agree that people who get in excess of 1 and cents in value per redeemed mile have done well. This translates into a 25,000 miles domestic round trip ticket being valued at $438.
Many believe that the best time to use miles is on international trips particularly when flying during peak travel times or upgrading.
The following are factors to keep in mind when considering turning in frequent flier miles:
Select airlines charge as much as $100 to issue free tickets with departure times under two weeks of when the tickets are issued.
Be very careful when buying miles. Miles that cost in excess of 1 and cents are usually too expensive unless those miles will make the difference in you reaching an award level.
Some airlines are adding fuel surcharges to award travel. All airlines require a payment of up to $10 round trip to offset airport security fees.
Be aware that every time you pay cash for a purchase you are losing out on miles that you could otherwise earn.
You should try to use miles once you have earned enough. Airlines reserve the right to devalue their miles at any time.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to redeem miles at lower level awards because airlines have fewer empty seats than in the past. Often securing award seats meaning paying up to twice what they would otherwise cost in miles if seats were available.
Almost all airlines will allow the value of your miles to expire if you do not have activity with the airline within 18 months.
Though there is no guarantee what mergers will mean to airline miles, most airlines have retained the best of the merger partners programs.
Airlines usually have no free tickets on stops to popular destinations at lower level awards.
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