Yes, it IS still possible to travel using frequent flyer miles. Here’s my advice to help you get the most for your miles when you are ready to cash them in:

-Check Award Availability Early and Often- Start searching for award tickets the minute you know when you’d like to use your miles. Most airlines allow reservations up to one year in advance and for peak travel times this may be necessary. If award tickets aren’t available for the dates you want check back often as new dates and times are always being added.

-Book on Partner Airlines- In my experience, you are more likely to get direct flights, on the best dates, for the least amount of miles if you book award travel on an airline partnered with the airline you’ve collected miles on. For example, I used Northwest miles to book a flight to Amsterdam on Continental and USAirways miles to book a flight to Los Angeles on United. Both times I got direct flights for the lowest amount of mileage possible. When I used Northwest miles on Northwest I had to choose less desirable flight times and use a greater number of miles. To use miles on a partner airline you will have to call the airline you’ve collected miles on, tell them you want to check partner flights, and make the reservation by phone. You will pay a fee for the phone service (usually $15-$30 per person) but, more often than not, you’ll get a better deal. Check out my airline alliance chart here to figure out who your preferred airline is partnered with.

-Hold It- If you find an award ticket you think is acceptable but not ideal, most airlines will let you put it on hold for up to three days free of charge. This will give you some extra time to think about if you want to take the flight without losing it. You can also call every day during the hold period and check if better flights are made available.

Budget hotel chain Motel 6 is updating their guest rooms with a fresh look by designer Paul Priestman. The new rooms will have ambient lighting, platform beds, flat screen TVs and a sitting area in the corner. Best of all, they are trading in their carpets for hard floors made from a plastic/wood hybrid material. The design will begin appearing in corporate locations later this year with more properties to follow in 2009. Despite the upgrade, rates will remain the lowest of any national chain in the U.S.

Motel 6

Updated June 2008

Below is a list of popular U.S. airlines and and how long you can go without activity on your account before losing your miles. Activity is defined as any miles in or out for any reason; miles earned or miles redeemed.

If you are getting close to your expiration dates, make sure to visit FreeFrequentFlyerMiles.com for earning opportunities or as a last resort, you can always buy miles directly from the airline. I try to make sure I have activity at least 2 months before my expiration dates to allow ample time for posting.

3 Years:
Northwest (NW miles are scheduled to convert to Delta miles when the two merge later this year.)

2 Years:
Southwest
Delta

18 Months:
United
Continental
American Airlines
US Airways
Virgin America

1 Year:
JetBlue

Updated September 2008

Most large airlines are members of an alliance which means you can earn and redeem miles for one airline on any of the other carriers in its group. Star Alliance, Skyteam and oneworld are the main alliance groups. My advice is to pick one in each and only earn on those three airlines. Every time you fly check which group you will be flying with and request to earn miles on your chosen airline. When you accrue enough miles for free travel, you can redeem with your choice or any of its partners.

For example, I choose American as my airline in the oneworld alliance. When I fly Lan, another oneworld member, I tell them I’d like to earn American miles. When I have enough miles for a free ticket, I can redeem them on American, Lan or any of the other oneworld carriers.

Here are the airlines included in each alliance:

Star Alliance:

Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, BMI, Egyptair, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, Swiss, TAP Portugal, Thai, Turkish Airlines, United, US Airways, Adria, Blue1, Croatia Airlines, Continental Airlines (joining in 2009)

Skyteam:

Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Alitalia, Air France, KLM, China Southern, Delta, Northwest, Korean Air, Czech Airlines, Air Europa, Copa Airlines, Kenya Airways, Continental Airlines (until 2009)

*Delta and Northwest are planning a merger to take place later this year. If this happens, Northwest miles will be converted to Delta miles and if you have both you’ll likely be able to combine them in your Delta account.

oneworld:

American Airlines, British Airways, Lan, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, Finnair, Iberia, Malev, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific

With gas prices at record highs, you may be re-thinking that summer road trip. Megabus, an express bus company serving cities in the Northeast and Midwest may be able to save your vacation plans with fares as low as $1 each way. The company drives European style double decker buses and offers free Wi-Fi and movies. Reservations must be made in advance online and the earlier they are made, the more likely you’ll get the cheapest tickets.

Megabus also serves Toronto, Canada and over 40 cities and towns in the United Kingdom.

Megabus

I don’t know how we’re going to keep track of all the changes the airlines keep making, but I’m going to do my best to help you keep things straight.

Some new developments:

-US Airways has announced they will begin charging $2 for non-alcoholic beverages and raise the price of alcoholic drinks from $5 to $7. Time will tell if the other airlines will follow suit.

-Continental Airlines announced a move from the Skyteam Alliance to the Star Alliance. This will affect which airlines you can redeem Onepass miles on and the partner airline miles you can redeem for flights with Continental. The switch will likely go into effect some time in 2009.

I’ll be updating and re-posting my airline alliance and miles expiration charts later this week to help you keep track of what’s going on with your miles.

Read about our trip to Seattle, Washington in My Adventures and check out my pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Date of trip: May 2008

Since I’ve met so many great people from Seattle, it’s a place I’ve long wanted to visit. Like its natives, the city is fun and friendly and although it’s called “The Rainy City” the weather was perfect during my stay. I was told we would need a car, but Will and I had no trouble getting around without one. The city strongly encourages the use of public transportation and has underground tunnels for their buses which are free to ride in the downtown area.

Highlights:

-The most recognizable landmark in Seattle is without a doubt the Space Needle. A monorail runs to the structure from downtown and I was surprised at how excited I was when it appeared through the trees. It was like a giant “Welcome to Seattle” sign! We had lunch at the top which was expensive but the food was excellent and the view of the city is amazing. Will even got their signature dessert, a smoking ice cream called the Lunar Orbiter. The restaurant is located in the ring and rotates around the Needle so that in the course of a meal you’ll see Seattle from all angles. If you eat there, tickets to the observation deck are included. Otherwise, you can just buy tickets to visit the top.

-Next to the Space Needle is the Experience Music Project. You can’t miss the shiny, wavy, Frank Gehry designed building, especially since the monorail to the area drives right through it. Built by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2004, the museum pays tribute to Jimi Hendrix with memorabilia and interactive displays. There’s also a collection of priceless guitars and an exhibit called the “Northwest Passage” which features musicians from the Seattle area. Another section of the building serves as the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame and houses artifacts from sci-fi movies mostly from Allen’s private collection.

-Seattle’s public market, Pike Place Market has been operating since 1907 and is one of the oldest markets in the United States. Here you’ll find fresh produce, bakeries and the famous fish market where fishmongers toss salmon through the air. They are happy to do it by request for a picture but they like to mess with people so watch your head! The very first Starbucks is here and so is the Market Theater gum wall, a creation patrons add to as they wait to see a show. The market mascot is a giant piggy bank named Rachel. Visitors rub Rachel’s chin and make a wish after they’ve given her some money. Every year, Rachel receives over $9,000 in a variety of currencies to support public works at the market.

-Although the Woodland Park Zoo isn’t the best I’ve seen, I would consider it among the top zoos in the United States. You get a great view of some animals that are often tricky to spot like the snow leopard, brown bears, jaguar and gorillas.

-The Seattle Art Museum downtown is small but has a nice collection, particularly of modern and contemporary art. I love the moving “Hammering Man” sculpture in front of the building. Inside, there is a stunning piece called “Some/One” by Korean artist Do-Ho Suh made from three thousand military dog tags.

-Visiting a library isn’t often on a trip to do list, but the Seattle Public Library Central Branch is not to be missed. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, it is big and bright and fun to explore. It’s like a maze with escalators, elevators, stairs and hallways every way you turn. The windows in the library form interesting light patterns and create a unique view of the street. We visited on May Day and a large protest passed by. It was quite a sight! My one caveat is to be aware of the people around you. The library is public and homeless people hang out there, especially in bad weather. For the most part, no one will bother you, but during our visit there was one screaming man that we had to dodge.

-If you are a frequent flier, you’ve probably spent time on a Boeing aircraft. Boeing is the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world and was incorporated in Seattle in 1916. Although the company has spread operations across the globe over the years, it still remains one of the city’s top employers. Visitors can learn all about the Boeing Company and the history of flight at the Museum of Flight just outside the downtown area. The museum contains many types of aircraft, some of which you can board and explore on the inside. 25 miles north of Seattle, in Everett, you can tour the facility where new airplanes are currently assembled at the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour. The factory is home to the largest building in the world. It’s so big that at one time clouds would form in the building and it would rain inside! Today, large fans prevent condensation from collecting and creating the “storms”. Photos are not allowed and this rule is strictly enforced so I don’t have any pictures, but it’s definitely worth making the trip out there if you have the time. We didn’t have a car so we took a Grayline tour there which lasted roughly 4 hours including travel time.

I was surprised at how few tourists I encountered in Seattle. Perhaps it doesn’t have the excitement or flashiness of some other U.S. cities, but that’s just why I loved it. Whether you enjoy art, history or a great cup of coffee you can find it all in Seattle with few crowds and little hassle.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Seattle Links:
Seattle Official Site
Space Needle
Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
Pike Place Market
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Public Library
Museum of Flight
Boeing: Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour
Grayline of Seattle Boeing Tour

I’ve never found airplane seats particularly stylish, but former flight attendant Jennifer Longley has designed handbags using their material and they are really nice! Limited edition Jumpseat Bags are handcrafted from vintage aircraft seat fabrics with seatbelts for straps. Available in two retro designs they are strong, durable and perfect for travel or everyday use.

$225-275 Jumpseatbags.com