It’s the time of year when airlines send out their new frequent flier cards, and advise travelers if they have kept, upgraded or lost their status. Whichever category you fall into, here’s three quick tips to make the process smoother.
1. Make sure the airline shows you with the same status you believe you have earned. If that last segment didn’t credit properly, or maybe you didn’t get miles for another segment because of an airport closure, or whatever it is, the time to fix it is now. Especially if it’s at all a gray area.
If an airline didn’t credit you for a flown segment, that’s usually a straightforward fix, if there’s an issue, the aforementioned canceled flight or perhaps a bonus program that you don’t show registered for, then the longer you wait, the less the chance of winning an argument.
2. If you have lost status, most airlines allow you to keep 2009 status through the end of January. Which on United, for example, means if you book a trip by the end of January for later in the year, you can get free economy plus seating because the computer will still show you as a Premier at the time of booking.
3. If you have recently achieved the higher status and have a reservation booked already, call the airline or your travel agent and have them remove and replace your mileage number.Often the number won’t update to a higher status on an existing booking, which means you could lose out on elite privileges.
In addition, if you really and truly didn’t qualify for a status you thought you would get, there’s always begging. It doesn’t work very often, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Especially if there is some seriously good reason why you didn’t qualify. Some airlines will also send letters or emails with promotional offers where you might be able to qualify by flying a certain number of segments early in 2010, so don’t throw any airline letters or emails away.
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Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
