Airlines keep tightening the screws on mileage rules

As airlines keep watching their passenger traffic growing, and their loads factors reaching or exceeding 80 percent, they continue to fine-tune their frequent flyer award programs -- often to the detriment of members. Among the recent changes:

• After December 1, Delta SkyMiles members willing to pay double miles for unrestricted award travel availability will find that those so-called SkyChoice award seats will no longer be available on every flight.
• Starting March 1, 2008, members of American Airlines’ AAdvantage program who fly on Oneworld partner British Airways will no longer earn elite-status bonus miles for their BA flights.
• Continental is raising the mileage cost of several award types beginning in February; e.g., BusinessFirst award seats to Asia, the Mideast, Africa or India will cost 300,000 miles instead of the current 250,000.
• Alaska Airlines next April will void the mileage accounts of members who show no activity for a period of two years, down form the current three years – following the lead of several other airlines.