So the other day I got an interesting comment from a reader. He’s traveling to London with his son and trying to decide whether to book their flight on American’s new 777-300ER with Main Cabin Extra seats and enjoy the extra room, or instead book their flight on one of the 777-200s that offers more privacy.

American Airlines 777-300ER with Main Cabin Extra

Pros: Main Cabin Extra not only offers more legroom (nearly six inches), the seats are almost three inches wider. They’re a lot more comfortable and roomy than main cabin seating, and there’s a lot more room underneath the seat in front of you. All the Main Cabin Extra seats are in a separate, forward mini-cabin and it feels less dense.

Much better entertainment system.

Cons: The downside for those traveling as a couple is that it’s in a three by three by three configuration. So unless you get lucky with an empty seat, you’re guaranteed to have a stranger sitting next to you.

If you want to sit together, one of you will have to sit in a middle seat.

My Advice: If you’re traveling as a couple, try to get row 16 – it’s the exit/bulkhead row. There’s so much room that everyone on the row (even the person sitting by the window) essentially has access to the aisle.

American Airlines 777-200

Pros: With the 2 X 5 X 2 configuration it’s easy to pick two seat that are together and you won’t have to share the row with anyone else. More privacy. And to access the aisle you only have to inconvenience an friend or family member.

Cons: Smaller seats. Less comfortable.

My Advice: The 777-300ER offers a few rows with 2 X 4 X 2 seating (rows 31, 32, 41, 42). Try to book seats on those rows, you’ll have a much better entertainment system, when the seat in front reclines it intrudes less on your space, and on most routes you’ll have Wi-fi.

777-300ER Rows 31 and 32

777-300ER Rows 41 and 42

(A big hat tip to David F. for an interesting question!)

Reader Giveaway

I’m giving away a free Gogo Inflight Wi-fi code (expires June 30th). To enter all you have to do is answer this question:

You and a family member are traveling together to London. Would you choose Main Cabin Extra with the extra room and a stranger on your row, or two seats together and privacy in the Main Cabin?

No right or wrong answer. Just leave a comment and on Monday I’ll pick a winner in a random drawing.

One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

I have a confession to make, and I’m probably alone in this regard, but I am going to miss the Burger King in American’s terminal at LAX (it was closed earlier this year to make way for new dining options).

Just as the Statue of Liberty once welcomed tired travelers to America’s shores, the T4 Burger King has often welcomed me back to the U.S. after time spent in Asia.

Even though I would nominate Tokyo as the food capital of the world, think Sydney is an interesting food city, and recognize that China represents one of the world’s great food cultures, few foods can match the taste of a T4 Whopper after two weeks in Tokyo and an hour clearing Customs at LAX. Not even an ordinary non Terminal 4 Whopper.

Maybe it’s the location, maybe it’s the circumstance, but foods delight like ‘Welcome back to the U.S.A. – T4 Burger King Whopper’.

I mentioned this to a friend who spends a long time abroad traveling frequently between Mumbai and China for her job. She said that she looks forward to the connection in Bangkok just so that she can get visit Burger King.

And the other day I read a discussion on Facebook about eating American fastfood when traveling abroad. One friend mentioned that he likes to visit the McDonald’s in each country he visits to see how the menu is localized for each market, and that it’s a great way to look a the culture from the inside. I thought that was a great idea.

Reader Giveaway

Thanks to a generous reader (Thanks Wissam!), who won an earlier reader giveaway and is donating a Gogo Inflight Wifi code, I’m having a reader giveaway this weekend.

To enter all you have to do leave an answer to this question in the comments section:

When traveling to other countries have you (or would you) stop at an American fastfood restaurant for a little taste of home?

I’ll have a random drawing on Monday. One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Good luck and have a great weekend!

Good Morning!  Since it’s a Monday I thought I’d start the week out with a fun story and a reader giveaway.

While it’s understandable that to people like us, American’s Double Elite Qualifying Miles offer is big news, and it’s not surprising that on this blog it’s treated as such.  At AAdvantage Geek World Headquarters the ‘Double Miles. Double Thanks.’ promo was bigger than the election!

It’s a little surprising though when the topic turns up in a news story by a reporter working for a real media outlet.

Last week, I was watching the news on local Dallas television station WFAA and one of the stories was about mileage running. Reporter Ron Corning joined up with local Dallas travel blogger, and proud American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Member, Aaron Kokoruz, for a mileage run.

From the intro to “Corning goes on a ‘mileage run’ with a travel expert”

Here’s a story for anyone traveling during the holidays. First class travel for the price of coach may sound too good to be true, but let us introduce you to a North Texas man who says it’s possible for all of us.

He took me on my first “mileage run” recently. If you don’t know what that is, or why anyone would want go on one, you’re about to find out. Take a look.

Being the AA geek that I am, it was neat to see the AATHX promo mentioned in a story on the local news, it was also cool that the reporter earned enough miles to make AAdvantage Platinum!

Go here to watch the story.

Reader Giveaway.

I’m giving away this insulated AAdvantage logo drinking cup in a random drawing.

To enter, all you have to do to enter is answer this question:

Have you been able to earn any Double Elite Qualifying Miles from this recent American Airlines ‘Double Miles. Double Thanks.’ offer?

Just leave an answer in the comments section. I’ll have a random drawing Tuesday morning.  The deadline to enter is Monday night, December 10, 2012 at 11:59PM Pacific. One entry per person.

Good luck!

Speaking of giveaways, don’t forget that The Frugal Travel Guy’s Monday Deal of the Day is sponsored by AAdvantage. Share your best AAdvantage or American Airlines related travel tip for a chance to win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles!

This is the weekend that fans from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas meet in Dallas for the annual Red River Rivalry football game.

(A little trivia: almost nobody actually refers to the game as the Red River Rivalry. The correct name is the OU-Texas game.)

It’s a really big deal: the city is awash in red and orange, stores decorate for the game, the restaurants fill up, hotel rooms become hard to find.  It’s almost like a holiday.

I’m part of the Oklahoma expat community here in Dallas, so this weekend I’m busy with the game and playing host to friends from the Motherland.

This means that there won’t be the usual AAdvantage or AA related post, and instead, I’m having a Reader Giveaway!

Here’s your chance to win an either an American Airlines or a Cathay Pacific amenity kit. The Cathay Pacific kit was donated by a generous reader (and UT Longhorn fan). Thanks Mike H!

I’m making it easy to win the American Airlines kit, all you have to do is guess who will win the football game: OU (likely) or Texas (yeah right).

• I’ll have a random drawing on Monday to pick a winner.
• You don’t have to guess the correct answer to win, all you have to do is leave a guess in the comments section.

To win the Cathay Pacific amenity kit, I’m making it a little more difficult:

• Place your guess with a winner  (just like above) and both teams’ score in the comments section.
• The closest to the actual score of the game wins.
• If we have a tie, whoever comes closest to guessing Oklahoma’s actual score, closest without going over, and then first received will be the tie breaking order.

The game will begin tomorrow (Saturday, October 13) at 11 AM Central, so you’ll have to enter by kickoff.  One entry per person.

Good luck and have a great weekend!

Go Sooners!

Photo: OU-Texas Game Day at the Cotton Bowl
Credit: cybertoad on Flickr

American Airlines Vacations just launched a new scratch-off promotion that offers players a discount and a chance to win a vacation:

Plan Now for Big Savings and Enter for a Chance to Win a Dream Vacation!

Click and drag the coin across the game card to reveal vacation package savings of up to 10%! Match any three offers and with that offer.

Then, register to receive your promotion code and you’ll also be entered for a chance to win a dream vacation!

Hint: If you don’t like the scratch-off results, just refresh the page and play again.

The prize is a $5,000 electronic gift certificate issued by American Airlines to be used toward an AA Vacation package purchase. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central on September 21, 2012. Go here to read the rules and go to www.AAVacations.com/Scratch-Off to enter.

Reader Giveaway

Speaking of winning stuff….here’s your chance to win an American Airlines Amenity Kit and a 10% discount code you can use to save money on your next ticket purchase!

The discount code is courtesy a reader who had a spare (thanks WIS!), and the amenity kit is my own. It’s brand new and still sealed in the plastic.

Next time you’re in coach, pull out the kit and it’ll be just like sitting in First Class (minus the extra room, warm nuts, baked on board cookie, and butter mint).

The other day I mentioned that American was nominated for two awards in the Annual SimpliFlying Excellence in Social Media Awards. They’re among the finalist in two categories:

Best Airline in Social Media

Best Use of Social Media to Drive Customer Service

Voting runs though August 25, and if you haven’t already voted, you can go here to cast your ballot.

To enter my Reader Giveaway, all you have to do is correctly guess who I voted for in the Best Airline in Social Media category and leave your answer in the comments section.

Monday, I’ll have a random drawing from among all the correct answers and will announce a winner.  One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, August 19, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Good luck, don’t forget to vote, and have a great weekend!!

Last month I sat in a seat for six hours and didn’t earn a single AAdvantage Mile. It wasn’t because I was traveling on an award ticket, it was because I was taking defensive driving.

(Some advice, “Sorry officer, I didn’t see you and I live just down the street” won’t get you out of ticket if you run a stop sign.)

I searched the AAdvantage eShopping Mall, AA.com, the forums and the web: I had no luck finding a defensive driving school that offered AAdvantage Miles.

So I started to fantasize….wouldn’t it be nice if I could earn a couple of thousand miles for enrolling in defensive driving…..or better yet, wouldn’t it be nice if the City of Dallas offered some kind of AAdvantage Miles bonus when your enroll in traffic school….

I recognize that it might diminish the deterrent effect…but it was just a fantasy.

Anyway, that brings me to reader giveaway.

Thanks to the generosity of a reader (thank you WIS!) I have a 10% AA discount code, and thanks to the generosity of the AAdvantage team (thank you!), I have an AAdvantage logo pencil/pen holder to give away.

To enter, just share your fantasy AAdvantage bonus offer in the comments section.  There’s no correct answer, just keep it clean and tell me what kind of offer you’d wish existed.  I’ll have a random drawing on Monday. One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, August 5, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Have a great weekend!

By now you’ve probably read that American will be converting AAdvantage Miles earned before July 1, 1989 into “regular” AAdvantage Miles. From AA.com:

In order to streamline our program, we are announcing a change to all AAdvantage miles earned before July 1, 1989 (Miles With No Expiration).
Starting on November 1, 2012, these miles will be converted to Miles Subject to Expiration, and if you have Miles With No Expiration in your account, you will automatically earn a 25% mileage bonus when these miles are converted.

Redeeming Miles With No Expiration

If you have more than 10,000 Miles With No Expiration, then you may redeem these miles for “Regular” Awards from the original AAdvantage award structure by calling AAdvantage Reservations at 800-882-8880 (“Regular” Awards start at 10,000 Miles With No Expiration).

If you have less than 10,000 Miles With No Expiration, then you can combine these miles with any Miles Subject to Expiration to claim awards from our current structure on AA.com. On November 1, the original AAdvantage award structure will be discontinued, and miles may no longer be redeemed for those awards.

Receiving the Conversion Bonus

To have your miles converted and to earn the mileage bonus, you do not need to take any action. Please note that after the conversion, as long as you earn or redeem AAdvantage miles at least once every 18 months, your miles will not expire, just like all miles earned today

Back in 1989 most of my travel was on $29 – $59 Southwest Airlines student fares (those were the days….) and my only frequent flyer program was Southwest’s Company Club.  I didn’t join AAdvantage until 1990.

Actually, I joined AAdvantage twice: I sort of lost track of that original account, and when I switched from Delta to American ten years ago, I opened a new AAdvantage account and have been earning AA miles ever since.

A few years ago I found a box of old airline tickets and timetables in my parents’ garage. Also inside that box was a 1990 AAdvantage membership guide, and reading about these old miles reminded me that I still have it, so I decided to scan it and put it online.

Here’s a look at the cover.
The guide has a metallic silver ink cover.  That must have been expensive.

American and American Eagle Award Chart.
Back then it cost the same number of miles round-trip or one-way.

Companion Awards and Upgrade Chart.

Partner Awards
Notice that Singapore was a partner back then.

How to earn miles: Airline Partners
This must have been before the had an elite program – no mention of elite qualifying miles.

How to earn miles: Hotel Partners
From 6 to more than 76 partners.

How to earn miles: Car rental

Redeeming Awards
Since there was no “online” back 1990 awards were redeemed at a ticket counter or through the mail.

Wow, how times have changed.   That was many years and many miles ago….and that brings me to the reader giveaway.

Reader Giveaway

I’m giving away 1,000 Free AAdvantage Miles and a 10 percent discount code!

The miles are courtesy courtesy American Airlines (thank you) and the discount comes from a reader.

Thanks WIS!!

To enter, just tell me when you joined AAdvantage by leaving the year in the comments section. I’ll have a random drawing on Monday. One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 22 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Good luck and have a great weekend!!

I mentioned this the other day, but while I was on vacation American kicked off a new promotion to raise miles and awareness for the American Airlines Kid in Need Program.  From the AAdvantage Facebook page:

Join us to help give smiles with American Airlines AAdvantage miles, benefiting the American Airlines Kids in Need program!

Our Smile Meter fills up when you register and share – one smile for registering and up to two smiles for sharing. Each smile equals one AAdvantage mile donated. As the Smile Meter fills up, each goal met triggers a sweepstakes give-away and a donation of up to 100,000 AAdvantage miles!

It’s easy – simply register to automatically earn 100 AAdvantage miles and be entered for a chance to win up to 100,000 AAdvantage miles!

So if you haven’t participated yet, go here to help out and claim your 100 free AAdvantage Miles.

American reports that last year AAdvantage members donated almost 117 million of their unused AAdvantage miles. These miles helped hundreds of children’s organizations and have also been used to provide air transportation to nearly 300 critically ill children, and their parents/guardians, in need of medical treatment.

So to bring attention to a good cause, I’m donating 1,000 AAdvantage Miles to the Miles for Kids program and giving away 1,000 miles to one reader.

To enter all you have to do is look at this list of some of the organizations that benefit from the Miles for Kids program and post their name and something about them in the comments section.

I’ll have a random drawing on Monday. One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 1 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

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Speaking for reader giveaways, The Weekly Flyer over at Points, Miles & Martinis has a guide to my favorite summer destination – Montreal. He’s got some great tips for visiting the city and he’s asking reader’s to share their own. He’s also giving away a great prize:

We are giving away a Hyatt Platinum Extra to one lucky reader who shares their favorite thing to do in Montreal. The winner will receive one Hyatt Platinum Extra certificate good for (1) Complimentary food & beverage, or (2) 1,000 Bonus Hyatt points, or (3) Regency Club upgrade or (4) complimentary beverage at Hyatt Place and Summerfield suites.

My favorite thing to do in Montreal is enjoy the summer weather!  Go here to read his post, share your tip and enter his promotion.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Photo: win
Credit: Crystian Cruz on Flickr

This is a little off topic, but I’m traveling this weekend with my five year old nephew (just call me Uncle Points). We’ll be joining the family for a beach vacation.

His mom and dad are going out ahead of us to get things ready, to go to the grocery store, to buy some supplies. My nephew and I are flying out Monday to join them.

He and I have traveled together before, but always with his parents. This is our first time fly together without them.

Keeping him entertained in the air should be easy (it’s good to be alive in the age of iPad and Angry Birds), he enjoys riding in an airplane, and he’s a great litte traveler so everything should go pretty smoothly.

Of course, it never hurts to be prepared or to “know before you go”, so for this weekend’s Reader Giveaway, I’m asking for your tips.

Share you best advice for traveling with a child. And if you don’t have any, just make something up.

I’m giving away 1,000 Free AAdvantage Miles and this cool AAdvantage tin of airplane shaped paper clips – they have an unpainted metal finish, so they even look like AA planes! (Both items are courtesy of American Airlines – thanks AA!)

Just leave your advice in the comments section, I’ll have a random drawing on Monday. One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday, June 10 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Good luck and have a great weekend!

However you’re spending the Memorial Day, I hope you’re having a good weekend.

Win 2,000 AAdvantage Miles
I just wanted to remind you that today is the last day to enter my 2,000 AAdvantage Miles giveaway.  Just follow this link to answer Friday’s reader question.

Win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles
Speaking of winning AAdvantage Miles, don’t forget that the Frugal Travel Guy’s Monday DeAAl of the Day is your chance to share your best AAdvantage related deals, offers, or redemptions and win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles. LINK

Donate to the USO and earn 50 Percent More AAdvantage Miles
I mentioned this last week, but just in case you missed it.

The USO does many good things, and one of the programs that they offer is the United Through Reading Service so that troops can record a DVD of themselves reading a book for their family to enjoy.  Take a look at this soldier reading a book to his 2 year old:

Ahhhh…..

From now through Independence Day you can support great programs like United Through Reading  and earn Bonus AAdvantage Miles with a $25 minimum donation:

Through July 4, as we Honor, Salute and Celebrate during the next “patriotic” six weeks, AAdvantage members will be awarded 15 AAdvantge miles – instead of 10 – for each dollar donated through American’s Miles In Support of All Who Serve campaign, which supports USO programs and services to support the morale, welfare, social and entertainment needs of troops and their families.

That video and the bonus miles make me pull out my credit card every time.

Go here for complete details or to make a donation. 

Photo: Grill Face
Credit: Stephen Cummings on Flickr