Peter Greenberg: Redeeming Frequent-Flier Miles
By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-05-20
'Don't Go There!'
Peter's newest book, "Don't Go There! The Travel Detective's Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World," is about all the places you should avoid—from high-crime areas to polluted vistas. Is there any place you'd like to warn people not to visit? Send Peter a message here. And order the book now—AARP members save 10 percent at Borders.
Peter,
My husband and I are planning to take a trip to Thailand in December 2009. We are Continental OnePass frequent fliers. We are aware that Continental is currently in the process of changing its partnership from Skyteam to the Star Alliance. Although both of us have the requisite miles required for booking a business-class upgrade (which is how we prefer to fly on such a long trip), the current Skyteam partners seemingly cannot find a single seat for any of the dates we want to fly. We have called all the different airlines repeatedly over the last month and tried various dates and routings, all to no avail. By the way, we are Platinum Elite OnePass members with over 500,000 miles in our account, which you’d think would count for something.
It appears that we are caught in the middle of Continental's transitional issues. Since gas prices are climbing and holiday travel is often tight, now is the time to move on the tickets. What advice can you provide in order for us to get the best deal and hopefully purchase an upgrade?
–Christine, Houston... Back to Article
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