3of4

we booked our trip to italy in a few weeks via delta frequent flyer miles - it's our honeymoon - almost a year after our wedding. oh well, yes, last year we experienced the same problem you are having. but what's going on is that each flight only has a few seats designated for frequent flyers. over a course of 6 months this spring/summer, we had 3 choices to fly into italy and two days to fly out - and we had to fly in and out of rome. if you book far enough in advance you can do it. and i think it's worth it. good luck.

Sue

A couple of years ago I stayed at the London Guards Hotel. It has air conditioning and a fridge in each room. The location is good and it is excellent value for money. Check out demon.co.uk/hotel-uk/

Judy

Hell, we are going to Scotland/Ireland in Aug. on Delta, code sharing with AF.<BR>Non-stop Atl to Paris, Paris to Edinburgh on AF, I think if we would have purchased that particular tkt (high season), it would have been biiiiiig bucks. I did not do a search but I think most people would agree, that it would be expensive. Plus my return from Dublin non stop to Atl. would not be cheap either. In fact, Delta FF reservationists were extremely helpful and friendly. I was very impressed. Brian: that is good news on the FF front for us Delta people, yes? <BR>Money saving Judy <BR>

Debbie

We just got back from Turkey using our miles on the credit card. Booked it four days before we went?(We decided last minute to go someplace over spring break and ironically one of the few places that had seats was Istanbul/Turkey.) We had a fabulous time and our family enjoyed an experience we might not have thought of previously! My advice would be to those who want to use their miles and don't book ahead for busy times(summer,holidays,etc.)-be somewhat spontaneous and see where your miles might take you(something other than the "usual" Paris,London,Spain or Italy.I admit that I am good at researching and booking things at the last minute but my point is that it can be done.Our family did a trip that will be a lasting memory for years to come!<BR>Also-for those complaining about the redeemption of those miles....do you realize how many people have those miles?There are only so many flights!

Diane

I have had mixed results using FF miles. Flexability really is key. I tried, starting last September, trying to book one trip using USAirways miles to Italy, assuming we'd just purchase the companion ticket. The routes that were possible involved at least two changes each way, one taking us from Baltimore/DC to Chicago before going across the pond. It was next to impossible to get a price for the companion ticket, and we really didn't like the idea of touring so many different airports (I get to spend many hours in these US airports ANYWAY in the course of earning miles!) The second option was to upgrade to business class. However, we still would have been paying over $2000 for the two upgradeable seats, and for some reason we could only get an upgrade on the way over. None of the flights coming back during the week we hoped to return were available. When I found at least acceptable fare for flights to/from Rome on USAirways direct between Philly and Rome, I grabbed them. The miles we earn will accumulate for a trip next year...when we will not have our hearts set on a destination country! The most successful use I've made were when I got my husband a 1st class round trip to Puerto Rico one January. My company meeting had been scheduled (and my economy fare covered) so at the end he flew out and joined me. When we returned, at check-in I joked about "Wasn't it nice of me to get my husband a 1st class ticket when I was stuck in coach?" They paged me about ten minutes before boarding and had moved me up as well. You have to look at them as a fringe benefit. It's great when you can get them to work for you.

Karen

We are family of five and depend on FF miles for travel. We have AA UA and American Express because I can use their miles on a number of airlines. For Europe we do book far in advance because of school vacations and buy coach and upgrade to business (from LA) no deals but a nice flight. In the states I will try for a free flight often if there are no flights left I will talk to a supervisor and buy a couple of tickets and use miles for the others. I booked our United flights from LA to London and home from Milan in December for July/August paid 1200 but upgraded each to business. It would of cost the same for one full fare business.

Curt

I think they are very valuable. I have never had any major problem other than having to be a bit flexible in using them. We have used them for at least 6 trips to Europe and have always been able to get seats. Now, I must say that we always travel in the off season and that does help. I am sure that getting seats in the midst of the summer would be tricky. We are also flexible on our travel days. We are willing to leave on a weekday and return on a weekday. This seems to help as well. I will start out by selecting a range of dates, then try to get our first choice (usually a weekend departure/return). Based on what I learn I then begin to pick alternate dates and days until I find something that will work for us. So far, we have never had to rearrange too much, at the most perhaps come back a day later than planned. I have found that I have had more trouble getting the return dates I wanted than the going dates, which is interesting.<BR><BR>I think the basic secret is to travel in the off-season. This makes it easier to get seats. Plus, and it is a BIG PLUS, off season travel is much more pleasant, with smaller crowds, less rushed locals, and easier access to all the sights. I highly recommend off-season travel.

cher

I was able to book a FF ticket in Feburary for September travel. I went for business class and didn't have a lot of trouble. I can imagine that the coach tickets book up pretty fast. I have also heard you need to book early, 364 days in advance.

Doranne

Anthony,<BR>I empathize with your dilema, but 4 months is a little short notice, especially considering the kiddies are all out of school and the family vacation season is in high gear. But here's an idea...<BR> United and Delta are now partners and their mileage programs are interchangable, at least for domestic flights. You'll have to double check to ensure it goes for international travel. So if Delta has no seats available, check with United using your Delta Skymiles. Also, on a paid fare with United or Delta you can now designate which frequent flyer program you want your miles credited to, dispite which airline you're traveling on.( however the miles will NOT count towards your "qualifying status" for program levels))When you're on the phone with a Delta reservations agent, and there are no seats available, they can go into the United reservations system and check for you. <BR>Do I think they're worth it- you bet!<BR>Most of my points come from business travel, so I view it as a bonus for all the business travel I do. But my family enjoys the payoff every year when we are able to go on a vacation we otherwise would not have been able to take by using mileage tickets.<BR>In February I traded in 200,000 miles for two first class tickets to Italy in September and my only restriction was there were no seats available on a weekend (which wasn't an issue anyway).These tickets, if purchased, were quoted at $11,000 each (now who would pay that anyway?!!!)It's our 25th wedding anniversary and I wanted to splurge. So yes, they gave me trip of a lifetime!!<BR>So, bank these miles that you can't use, plan a little further ahead next time and perhaps you'll have enough for a nice upgraded ticket.<BR>Good Luck!!