DALLAS — Airline customers are cashing in more frequent-flier awards this year, looking to avoid higher fares and believing that miles just aren’t worth the same anymore. With miles earned on everything from car rentals to groceries, savvy travelers fear it’ll become harder to go where they want, when they want, for free.
“The glamour of the frequent-flier award has faded,” says Jay Sorensen, who ran the loyalty program at Midwest Airlines and is now an airline consultant.
Randy Petersen of InsideFlyer magazine says recent fare hikes are leading many passengers to burn up miles on humdrum trips instead of vacations to Hawaii or Europe.
“They’re going to Boise, Decatur and Bakersfield,” Petersen said. “They’re spending miles on family emergencies or visiting Grandma.” The Associated Press
