FIGHT RESERVATIONS USING MILES

Since I am self-employed, is pretty easy for me to get the dates I want using miles. That is until now.

The family is looking with great excitement to our granddaughter being born in Belgium. She is scheduled to arrive July 26th, however, if my daughter takes after me, the baby will be coming about ten days late. I know a mother’s worse nightmare.

I had been finishing a major project in Palm Springs and then prepared for my move back to Vancouver, Washington….complete with a car full and a road trip with a girlfriend. Home, at last, I had time to focus on the tickets.

The partner airline with Alaska was American and on America’s website showed many tickets in first class for the entire month of August. There was one small problem, I was using Alaska Miles, they are allotted by America a certain number of tickets, and they were pretty much gone.

I stayed calm and worked with the operator to go through various scenarios that would enable me to go to Belgium and see this very special granddaughter. Alas, I could not get a flight out until August 18.

I rationalized that this would work just fine, only to get an email from my daughter expressing her disappointment I could not come earlier. My saving grace is that her husband’s mother will be more than willing to help until I get there.

So what did I learn?

If you have miles on another airline, make sure you check with them to see how many seats are available from their partner airline….you will be amazed how few there are.

Just as soon as you know a date, book your flight if you are using miles.

Listen to your daughter when she urges you to get your flight book!

PS, don’t feel too sorry for me….I’m flying there round-trip First Class using miles.