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Airlines play musical chairs

Ever tried to cash in those Saver Award Miles from the airlines, the ones you accumulate through purchases on a credit card? It isn’t easy.

I’ve been accumulating miles on my credit card for the past 10 years for a dream trip to Europe. I called this past week to book my flight for next summer. A telemarketer at a call center in Manila, Philippines, told me they only give out a certain number of seats and that I would need to keep checking back with the airlines to see when a seat would become available, i.e., if I could leave at the last minute at the airline’s convenience. Seven months in advance, and they don’t have a seat? What are they smoking?

And how often should I check back? Every month, day, hour or minute? It was exhausting to think about.

A seat was available if I was willing to pay $2,000 for it. (Even though gas prices have gone down, airline tickets haven’t.) I protested, but was told I needed to read the fine print.

Joan Kopczynski

Spokane

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