ON BOARD WITH RANDY PETERSEN

Randy Petersen FLY THREE PROMOTION: GIFT OR GIMMICK?
August 2003
by Randy Petersen

The skies may be a bit busier these days, thanks to the latest promotion to sweep the frequent flyer world: Fly Three, Get One Free.

United got the bandwagon rolling, and within a week, all the members of the Big Six, in addition to Alaska, had jumped aboard.

While overdue, there is something particularly unique about these promotions—not the promotions themselves, but the feedback from some of the media. I've done a few interviews on the topic, and the reporter always seems to start by suggesting that these promotions aren't that good. Of course, they're just echoing the chorus of travel "experts" who complain that you pay too much to earn the free flight.

To these people, I say: "Take your Ritalin. You're looking at these promotions all wrong."

Let's start with this basic premise: There's absolutely no way to justify three unnecessary flights to earn one free. That might have made sense in the early '90s, when similar promotions offered free international tickets with few restrictions. Not so today.

This is simply an incentive for additional travel if you will already be logging two or five flights.

Here's the best way to look at these promotions. Fly your normal number of trips during this period and enjoy whatever bonus miles you are earning. If you are lucky enough to earn this extra gift from the programs, enjoy. But I don't think anyone on the verge of their second or fifth flight should consider paying for the privilege of another flight.

These awards require a 14-day advance notice, which means you'll have to plan well in advance.

Also, airlines have their slow seasons, which they try to make up for with air fare sales. Do you really want to spend $385 on an extra trip to get an award that has limited life span, when you could buy a ticket to your award destination for $285?

The concept is right, but the execution is wrong—there are too many rules and restrictions. The only ones who have it right are Alaska and Southwest. Southwest Rapid Rewards' double-credit-for-online-booking is still better than any of these, and Alaska Mileage Plan wins points for not creating a special (restricted) class of award. If I were to choose a program that would be worthy of the effort, it would be this one.

I would warn the airlines that promotions like these, that draw the public's attention to their convoluted fare structure, will likely backfire on them. Many flyers may be driven to the simple programs provided by the low-cost carriers.

In the early 1990s, the industry was powered by similar promotions, but with little or no restrictions. They did not lead airlines into ruin, and in fact, it could be said that they contributed to the financial success of years following.

I think this is a solid promotion—one that I hope members are thankful for. But to call them phony is unfair; they're a gift on top of a gift.

You can contact Randy Petersen at randy@insideflyer.com.

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