Advice From Frequently Frustrated Fliers

You’ve finally earned 100,000 frequent-flier miles on a major airline that has lots of international partners--a guarantee of two free flights to almost anywhere your heart desires. Hawaii, Europe, Asia--the world is your oyster.

You give your travel agent a couple of dozen dates that would fit into your family’s home/school/ work schedules and also supply a list of almost as many cities you’d be willing to consider as your destination.

Then you sit by the phone, ready to circle your confirmed departure day on the calendar and start planning the trip.

However, when the phone rings, it’s reality calling. No seats are available to any of your desired destinations on any of your requested dates. There’s not even anything available on scores of additional dates your agent explored.

Welcome to the frequently frustrated flier club.

More and more travelers are complaining that, even if they’re as flexible as a circus trapeze artist, they can’t seem to collect airline freebies.

Carriers were deluged with requests for award seats before the first of this year, when most airlines raised the number of miles required for freebies. Airlines don’t disclose how many seats they set aside for award travel, but it’s been estimated at 6-8%. This year, because air travel has increased, carriers most likely have cut back on the number of freebie seats they plan to offer for each flight. After all, if you can sell ‘em, why give ‘em away?

Frequent flier Krissa Thompson reports in the current issue of Frequent Flyer magazine that her recent investigation of award-seat availability found that “Pickings are slim--or nonexistent--for top destinations.”

Thompson, who belongs to more than 20 frequent-flier programs, explored all classes of service, as well as alternative routings and dates for more than 300 flights on six major U.S. airlines between numerous U.S. and European cities for May through September travel.

Her conclusion: “Forget Hawaii or the key hubs in Europe for the rest of 1995. Seats are either gone or going.” Even “elite” high-mileage fliers, she said, are hearing “No.”

A few of her tips, along with others culled from conversations with airline reservationists:

* Rethink your options. You may not be able to get directly to London, Paris or Rome, but you’ll probably find a seat to Helsinki or Copenhagen.

* Fly midweek. There are twice as many seats available then than on weekends.

* Reconsider class. You’ll need more miles for Business Class seats, but they’re easier to get than seats in economy--or first class.

* Get put on waiting lists. Check often for cancellations--and call daily at 12:01 a.m., as soon as newly available seats are posted in airline computers.

* Consider standby. Not all airlines--or personal schedules--allow it, but it can be worth a shot.

* Try alternative routes. Maybe you can’t fly nonstop from your preferred airport, but ask your travel agent to check itineraries that involve one or more stops. If this is to be the trip of a lifetime, it might even be worth your while to leave from another city altogether.

* Explore partner carriers. Foreign airlines that are partners with U.S. carriers greatly expand your options--but can cost you twice as many miles.

* Plan ahead. Prime spots already are booked through early 1996, so consider postponing your own freebie trip until next year. Award seats on most airlines can be ticketed 320 to 330 days in advance.