Customer Reviews

Mileage Pro: The Insider's Guide to Frequent Flyer Programs

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am sad to say that I found this book very disappointing. It claims to target "the middle level of the mileage earning community" however most of the information is so basic that I cannot see this being an interesting read for anyone but the complete novice. People interested enough in frequent flyer miles to purchase a book about it will surely be knowledgeable about most of the content.

Examples of such topics include sections on the possibility of mileage being earned on airline program partners and not just the home airline, that extra miles are given for purchasing first- and business tickets, and how being loyal to a single airline or alliance is the way to earn elite status. There is nothing in this book that cannot be discovered by going to any given airlines home page and reading about benefits offered to elite members or how many miles are required for an award ticket.

A lot of information on mileage maximization is neglected. Petersen's recommendation to join the program hosted by the airline that you will be flying most often is not necessarily the best idea- sometimes it pays to join one of their foreign partners who may be more generous (such as awarding full mileage on lower fares that don't qualify on the home partner). There is also no information on how to configure itineraries that will earn the most miles such as checking a ticket's rules to find out the maximum number of allowed connections or legal routing.

While I feel that Randy Petersen's website, Flyer Talk, and his input in many other websites and publications are excellent, this book leaves much to be desired and contains no insider information or little known ways to maximize miles.

This book should provide one who's new to using FF miles help. It will be a disappointment to longstanding users of FF miles - there are no new surprises in the book's contents.

Basic college courses are usually labeled 101. Sometimes remedial courses are necessary before enrolling in the 101 course. This book should be considered pre-remedial training. A minimum of research at just a few of the myriad on-line travel sites and blogs can uncover way more than is presented in this allegedly comprehensive bible. I can't imagine who could find this useful unless one is an absolute babe in the woods to airline travel programs.

This book was a total waste of time and money. I have never written a review before but I was so disappointed in this purchase I felt compelled to write one. I had high expectations for this book- I have a few hundred thousand FF miles so obviously I am aware of the ins and outs of earning miles, using miles, etc. I wanted a book to explain how to redeem "more complicated" rewards, like those involving international flights, business/first class, open jaw routing, redeeming with partner airlines, legal routing with maximizing stopovers, etc. There is absolutely nothing of that sort in this book- it was just a waste of time to read about everything I and anyone with any common sense already knows. I cannot believe they got this book published! It is full of basic common sense info like "you should use affinity credit cards to earn extra points/miles", "try to avoid blackout or holiday periods", and other useless info that anyone who actually flies enough to earn enough miles for award travel obviously knows. I agree with the reviewer who said the title should be Amateur Mileage Pro, because it takes a serious novice to think this book is valuable. I am surprised it has a lot of good reviews, but obviously those people are not really big frequent fliers otherwise they would be saying the same thing as me, that this book was a total waste of time and money. If anyone has any recommendations for a real book or website that can seriously help someone who has more than half a brain, please let me know, because this book was obviously targeted to clueless newbies. Total disappointment!

There is information here valuable to a mileage starter. But it's very dated. This book needs an updated edition to justify selling it through this website. If you are new to the mileage game check your library or used bookstore, but don't pay for a book giving advise when 2/3 of the content is no longer relevant.

I found this book complete and useful. However, 90% of the book contained Frequent Flyer info that is self evident to anyone who has spent over two or three years as a frequent flyer. There were a few good nuggets towards the end on methods to transfer miles and points between programs.

For new flyers however, lots of the book was very relevant. A key element is concentrating miles in one program which they strongly emphasize.

In short, great for new frequent flyers; very average for high flyers.

I have 2.8 milion miles. I was hoping for more info to sharpen my skills.

The ins and outs of frequent flyer programs are public knowledge, but deciphering the various Web sites, paper references, and ticket agent responses enough to really understand frequent flyer programs is an enormous undertaking. In Mileage Pro, Randy Petersen and Tim Winship tackle it with energy, humor, and an approachable writing style.

Pick up this book, and you'll discover why it's always worth being a frequent flyer program member, even if you don't fly often. Once you're convinced of that, learn strategies to maximize your earning, gain elite status faster, and leverage credit card rewards programs -- all with the goal of getting yourself one of those coveted upgrades to First Class.

Mileage Pro, Guide to Frequent Flyer Programs By Randy Petersen and Tim Winship could have been named the Bible of Frequent Flyer Programs. It tells you everything you could ever need to know about the ins and outs of getting the most from these programs. All the instructions are informative and easy to apply. You could save a lot by reading this book thoroughly and following the sound advice therein.

Mileage Pro is a definite must-read. It helped me to understand my mileage program and the many ways that I could use the miles. It's definitely a book that gave me all the answers I needed and then some. Whether you are someone learning about airline mileage programs or you think you know it all, Mileage Pro's authors will teach you something new.