The Bottom Line
- Author Crandall offers a comprehensive frequent flier strategy.
- Schooling in the basics of maximizing mile opportunities.
- Easily read and understood in one sitting.
- Book does not touch on other options for flying free.
- Material might be too basic for experienced travelers.
Description
- Legendary Publishing, Boise, ID
- Publication date, 1998
- 119 pages
Guide Review - Book Review: Fly Free: As Easy as 1-2-3
Saving and spending frequent flier miles might be a budget traveler's favorite way of saving money on airfare. It's certainly not a novel approach.
But how good are you at acquiring the necessary mileage for free travel?
David Crandall outlines the best ways to earn a free trip every year without actually spending a lot of effort or money.
Crandall advises, whenever bearable, to consider skipping direct flights in favor of several plane changes. Inconvenient? Yes! But in some cases it could also add 40% or more to your mileage totals.
Crandall also addresses another common mistake in the frequent flier game: signing up for a mileage program with one airline instead of two. He points out that if husband and wife each join separate clubs, free offer opportunities are doubled.
The book is divided into 13 short chapters and includes detailed contact information for all the major airline programs.
Crandall limits the "fly free" discussion to frequent flier mileage. There are other ways, such as volunteering to be "bumped" for compensation or signing up as an air courier.
But this book provides an important if somewhat basic blueprint for getting to your destination for less money.
Don't buy the book if you've been enrolled in mileage clubs for years and already know the game.
But if frequent flier miles are new to you and somewhat scarce, the cost of this book could be repaid many fold in free flight opportunities.
