A few weeks ago, I became very frustrated when frequent flier miles weren't posting to my account...I called every few weeks but kept getting shuffled around by the service reps. Finally, a little over two months after the flight, I emailed Larry Kellner, Continental's CEO. I hoped at least one of his Executive Assistants would call me back. 45 minutes later, Larry Kellner called me himself. I couldn't believe it. He was apologetic and explained why that hadn't posted. He also told me to email him back if they hadn't posted within a week. I logged in the next day to my OnePass account, and the miles had posted.

There are plenty of awful companies out there, but after this, I can say for sure that Continental isn't one of them.

And once again, that's the power of taking it to the top. Now, quick! Spend them before they're totally worthless.

(Photo: Mark J Burns)

Travel Programs

• First place: Starwood American Express
• Runner up: Diners Club MasterCard
• Other good ones: American Airlines AAdvantage MasterCard, United Mileage Plus Visa, Choice Privileges Visa, Citi PremierPass Elite MasterCard

Cash-Back Programs

• First place: American Express Blue Cash
• Runner up: Chase Freedom Visa
• Other good ones: Citi Professional Cash MasterCard, Discover Motiva

Savings Programs

• First place: Fidelity Investments 529 College Rewards American Express
• Runner up: Citi UPromise MasterCard
• Other good ones: Citi Home Rebate Platinum Select MasterCard, GM Flexible Earnings MasterCard, NestEggz Visa

One caveat about the top pick for travel, the Starwood card: "This is not the card to use for flying United. That airline requires you to give up two Starpoints for every frequent-flier mile, which makes the airline's own co-branded card a better bet for dedicated United fliers."

"The 15 most rewarding credit cards" [MSN Money]
(Photo: Getty)

Effective December 1, 2007, SkyChoice Award Ticket Reservations will no longer be available on every Delta flight in which a seat is available for sale. SkyChoice Award Ticket Reservations will continue to be available on most Delta flights, but seats will be limited and possibly unavailable on some flights.

Another stab in the back of frequent flyers [Upgrade: Travel Better]

We asked Mark Ashley of UpgradeTravel and he says:

Katie also sent her question to the Department of Transportation, but somehow we were able to respond a bit faster. — BEN POPKEN

Before, the miles had a three year expiration, but will now expire after 18 months for US Airways...

Effective January 31, 2007, active membership status is based on having earned or redeemed miles within a consecutive 18 month period. With our new Mileage Reactivation Policy, Dividend Miles members have an opportunity to reinstate their Dividend Miles accounts to active status for an additional 18 months for a $50 processing fee and reactivation fee of $.01 per mile. If members do not extend with this reactivation option, the Dividend Miles account will be closed and all miles forfeited.

...and two years for Delta.

Starting December 31, 2006, we're modifying the above policy and miles will expire after two years of account inactivity. Mileage balances of members who have had no SkyMiles activity within the last two calendar years (2005 and 2006) will expire on Dec. 31, 2006.

Mouseprint has got some great ideas on steps you can take to keep your miles active, such as spending a few miles on small items, like magazine subscriptions. Or purchasing miniature airplane models and hammering them to shreds.

But I guess our six bullet points weren't enough for him. Manic completionist that he is, he's updated his own site with no less than 8 addendums tips, tricks and points. For example, the downside of the 331 Day Rule:

Let's say you call 11 months before your desired departure day, and you snag seats for the outbound. Unless you're coming back the same day, your return ticket won't be available for booking yet. Again, this is where the hold function is useful.

If you combine our How-To with Mark's footnotes, the only free ticket you won't be able to attain will be one from Xanadu to Zembla.

Using your frequent flyer miles: A followup to the Consumerist [Upgrade Travel]

You're broke. Your woman has left you. But bigger than your heap o' troubles is a pile of Frequent Flyer miles, sitting in neat, invisible little stacks, to be exchanged for a trip to Hong Kong, Amsterdam or any other far-flung clime with easily accessible and cheap companions.

But with Frequent Flyer programs becoming increasingly impenetrable; with free tickets being harder and harder to come by; with airlines increasingly trying to parlay free ticket requests to be used for hotels and restaurants... how can you guarantee a posh seat on a free jumbo jet?

For your perusal, a six point How-To on securing a coveted free ticket. It's not fool proof. You might have to steel your gaze and bluff; you may very well have to adamantiumize your sack. But this'll get you as close to a free ticket as we can get you.

1) Remember the 331st Day Rule. When trying to exchange your Frequent Flyer miles for a free ticket, the inner-most junta of savvy travelers darkly murmur of the infamous 331st Day Rule.

What is the 331st Day Rule? Essentially, that you will be most likely to get one of the small numbers of Frequent Flyer seats on a flight on the first day bookings are available, which is generally 331 days before the flight you want. This is completely arbitrary, except that it appears to be a loose industry standard for the furthest day out possible that you can realistically book a ticket.

2) Do your research. Need we say that, whether you are turning in thick wads of your own cash or the ephemeral, easily deflated currency of Frequent Flyer points, a responsible consumer does their homework?

Your first step when trying to find that juicy, much coveted Frequent Flyer seat is the same as if you were buying it flat-out: do an Internet search for tickets. Check fare aggregators like Kayak, Farechase, Mobissimo, whatever you prefer. (For a great review of the usability of these sites, click here). Find all the flights that are within your airlines' Frequent Flyers partner program. Print them out. Keep them on hand.

3) Now pick up the phone. According to Better Living Through Miles, "When you do a free-ticket search on the web, most airline websites will only search their own, most-direct flights, and not their partners' inventory or quirkier connections. If you use the phone, the agent can manually search a number of alternatives, such as partner airlines, alternate connecting cities, "open jaw" itineraries, and flights with free stopovers."

While you'll have to pay an extra $10 or $15 for the service of talking to a human, an agent will be able to search a larger variety of connection options for you than a website can. You remember that list of possible flights you printed out? If the agent comes up with nothing, don't be afraid to rattle off flight numbers... Better Living Through Miles knows from personal experiences that some agents slack, and can be jarred by a knowledgeable consumer.

If you can't get a ticket even 331 days out, you've got three options left.

4) Book any free ticket you can get, then reschedule. It's that simple. You may have to pay a $50 or $100 rescheduling free but if you're scheduling an expensive trip, that's as close to free as you can get.

5) The four week rule. Was Number Four too risky for you? The Frequent Flyer Junta have another rule, in secondary importance: four weeks before your flight is a good time to try to book a free ticket. Cancellations and reschedules happen. Furthermore, airlines usually open up their inventory as flight date approaches.

6) Just show up. This is another variation on Number Four, but if you book any old free ticket to the cities you want to travel to, then show up on the day of the flight and ask to be put on the plane. Again, you'll be $50 or $100 shorter, but it worked for John Ewolt of the Star-Tribune.

And that's all the advice we can give. Like most of life, it's largely a crap shoot... the trick is in knowing when to roll.

(Much, much thanks to Better Living Through Miles, whom is knowledgeable about the ins-and-outs of the consumer end of the airline industry almost to the point of sickness. He is an absurdly helpful and informative cat, and we can't thank him enough for his help. Read his blog, click on his Google Ads, buy him dinner!)

Employing a trick gleaned from Peter Greenberg, author of "The Travel Detective" Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter John Ewoldt was able to actually cash in his miles in a manner he found pleasing.

How the gambit works, after the jump...

First, try to book a seat using frequent flyer miles. If you get it, great, enjoy your complimentary roast flying pig. If not, take the first available seat, even if it's for days or even weeks later. Then show up at the airport with your e-ticket on the date you really wanted to fly on. Ask to get on a flight that day.

Make sure to keep track, though, as your choice date arrives near, of available coach seats. If none are available, this stratagem's success is slim. Once you arrive at the airport, ask for your ticket change. The reporter was successful, though Northwest dinged him for $50 each way, which was still about $350 cheaper than what he would have normally.

You also have to be up for some pleading and begging if the situation gets tight but Greenberg reportedly has never an airport disappointed in this method.

Anyone else try this? Or wanna, and tell us how well it works?

"How frequent flier found way to spread his wings" [Star-Tribune] (Thanks to Jennifer!)

But there's some other interesting statistics in the sidebar about frequent flyer programs, one of which we (like Upgrade Travel before us) thought worth highlighting.

• If travelers converted all their miles into free travel simultaneously, airlines would be liable for 27 million free trips.

The mind boggles. Twenty seven million free trips are owed to consumers right now, yet airlines are making it harder than ever before to get just one of those. Talk about an industry stretching itself thin as a wafer.

Frequent fliers turn a skeptical eye to the skies [USA Today]