Okay, I admit it. I'm a junkie for the upgrade, the airport lounge, the "free" buffet and airline miles. My wife would admonish me to "Get over yourself," and she's right, of course. But the travel experience is rife with little indignities. And to the unprepared or unwary, this can add up to death by a thousand cuts.
Although the air-travel landscape changes all the time, it's important to know some of the rules of the road. That way, you can steel yourself against a system that can be alternatively overloaded, underfunded and mismanaged.
a. The air-travel system is tilted to reward the frequent flyer. The frequent flyer gets the upgrade. The frequent flyer boards first with their carry-ons. The frequent flyer gets the short line at security. You get the picture. The casual or occasional traveler must (M-U-S-T) show up earlier and endure longer waits, particularly at busy airports.
b. The airport can be a toxic environment. That is why it's best, if possible, not to check any bags (one more line to stand in) and to print your boarding pass at home. After enduring the TSA's mandatory shakedown, consider paying the money to join the airport lounge. In Anchorage, Alaska Airlines' Board Room is a calm oasis amidst the noisy, construction-plagued airport. As a frequent flyer, it's worth the money to have this peace and quiet.
c. Airlines never met a fee they didn't love. After returning from Europe and going over RyanAir's fee list, Alaska Airlines' list is fairly tame. Delta's is more onerous, and USAir's is terrible. There is a fee for your first bag (unless you're a frequent flyer). You'll pay for any food you buy on board (except on Continental). Your cash is no good on Alaska Air -- you have to charge it. More airlines are charging for good seats. There's a fee to bring your pet, a fee to change or cancel your ticket and a fee to purchase your ticket anywhere but on the airline's website. That includes the counter at the airport--or the airline's own reservations line.
d. Don't bank your frequent flyer miles -- they're becoming eroded by "mileage inflation". All airlines are bumping up the number of miles required for a "free" ticket, as well as restricting the number of seats available for the cheap redemptions (20,000-30,000 miles). Mileage inflation is a direct result of airlines paying big rewards for credit card tie-ins, hotels, rental cars and others (wine merchants, flower sellers, mortgage bankers...the works).
e. Pay attention to your frequent-flyer account. Just because the miles are becoming eroded does not mean you should forget about the mileage accounts. On the contrary. If you're a frequent flyer, you're losing money if you do not pad your primary account. That means shifting your business to one airline or group of airlines (Alaska Airlines partners with Delta, Continental and American). Also, if you carry a credit card, consider a mileage card with your primary airline. I like Alaska's card because of the $50 companion ticket. I do not like paying interest or late fees. It's not worth the mileage.
NOTE: My super-frequent flyer buddies have shifted most of their credit card traffic to "cash back" cards, instead of mileage program cards. But I like to charge my air tickets on the program cards to get double miles ($500 ticket=1,000 miles).
f. Fly more, get more. Those of us in Alaska have a unique opportunity to get to the "premium" frequent flyer levels because of the long flights. On Alaska Airlines, for example, once you reach the "MVP" or "MVP Gold" level, it's hard to go back to standing in line. For MVP, you have to fly 20,000 actual miles. For Gold, it's 40,000 miles. Go to the website and check out the benefits, including free upgrades, double miles and so forth. Sometimes it's worth it to make an extra "Mileage Run" to bump you up to that level. I've done it before -- I'll probably do it again.
Online resources
Alaska Airlines: For those of us in Alaska, these guys are at the top of the heap. You can earn miles with Era Aviation, PenAir, American, Continental, Delta, Qantas and a host of other airlines. www.alaskaair.com
Flyer Talk: Run by Randy Peterson, the Guru of Frequent Flyer mileage plans. Great newsletter and great forums, where members post "hidden" deals, specials, etc. www.flyertalk.com
Chris Elliott: Chris's site is a great resource for consumer-oriented travel information. www.elliott.org
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant who has lived in Alaska for three decades, spending much of that time traveling the far-flung corners of the state. Visit his website at www.alaskatravelgram.com.