Everybody knows that frequent flyer programs can land you better seats,
free trips, and the ability to board the plane before the unwashed
masses.
But did you know that Air Baltic frequent flyer miles will pay for a dog-sled ride in Latvia?
Or that Hawaiian Air will help you tee off at the championship Coral Creek golf course in Ewa Beach, Hawaii?
As an increasing number of credit card companies offer points that
can be used on any airline, single-airline frequent flyer programs have
had to step up with better alternatives, says Jay Sorensen, president of
IdeaWorks, a company that does research and brand development for the
airline industry.
"Reward-oriented credit cards that are not affiliated with a
particular airline have forced airlines to make their offers richer,
release more seats for frequent flyer programs, and offer more
extravagant sign-up bonuses," says Sorensen. They've also spurred an
escalation in weird and wonderful reward options, like having the
opportunity to pet Artic wolves in Sweden or sup on an in-flight "happy
marriage cake."
One caution: the point-based prices for these oddball rewards aren't always a bargain.
In a world where reward points are usually worth 1 to 3 cents each,
the number of points you'd have to use to buy some of these off-kilter
purchases might indicate that your reward points are worth a fraction of
that value.
For instance, Lufthansa will let you buy onboard wireless service for
$15 in cash, but would deduct 3,500 miles from your account if you paid
with points.
At a penny per mile, that costs you the equivalent of $35. Not such a great deal.
And yet, some premium-price purchases may still be worth your while,
says Sorensen, particularly for those spending "orphaned" miles on an
airline they're no longer flying.
If you've switched favorite airlines, why not buy something with the
rejected airlines miles, which are never going to amount to a free
ticket?
Moreover, some of these offbeat rewards just can't be replicated. For
instance, Air Canada sold a leather vest autographed by George Clooney
for 177,000 Aeroplan miles.
That's hard to value and, as an added bonus, Air Canada pledged to give the value of the rewards to charity.
Intrigued? Here's a sampling of 10 other offbeat frequent flyer
rewards that Sorensen uncovered. If you want to find similar options
offered by your favorite frequent flyer program, you've got to dig deep
into the program's web site.
They're all listed, Sorensen says, but not always easy to find.
Charter a private jet. For 2,345,000 miles (about
$235,000) you can charter a private jet through Lufthansa that will take
you and six of your closest friends from Rimini, Italy to Nice, France.
Admittedly,
you're not getting a very long flight for your that
whopping number of miles. But, hey, it's a private plane.
Play fighter pilot. Southwest Airlines
Rapid Rewards program offers a three-hour fighter pilot experience --
one hour of which is in the air -- through Air Combat USA. You put on a
flight suit, parachute, and helmet, and learn how to evade the enemy and
put them in your gun sights.
The price: 213,750 Southwest points, or $1,395 cash through Air Combat USA.
Sub-orbital space flight. Virgin Australia's
Velocity program offers a sub-orbital spaceflight at 50,000 feet through
Virgin Galactic. Cost: 25,000,000 points or a minimum of $200,000 in
cash.
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