Want free airfare for your unborn child? Try to give birth on one of Bolivian airline TAM’s flights. A couple of weeks ago a woman went into labor on a flight to La Paz and ended up delivering her baby at 24,000 feet. Luckily there were both a doctor and nurse onboard as passengers who assisted in the delivery. According to the Miami Herald, the child will be given free domestic flights on the airline until she reaches the age of 18. In a funny twist, the girl’s mother named the newborn Tami in honor of the airline.
While you might not be willing (or able) to go to those lengths to get cheap tickets or free airfare, there are other things that you can do to try to get airline perks.
Fly the Same Airline – A Lot: As we all learned from watching George Clooney’s character Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air, super-elite frequent fliers are treated like royalty by airlines. News stories since the movie came out have reported airlines that have private check-in areas and procedures for these fliers, as well as unique meal and boarding services. These VIPs get rebooked as soon as there is a flight delay and even have connecting flights held for them.
Even if you don’t make the super-elite status, having any status at all on an airline is a good thing. People who qualify for the lowest level of elite status on US Airways for example, get free space-available upgrades, are allowed to check in via the always shorter first class lines, and are one of the first groups to board the airplane, meaning they don’t have to fight for overhead space. Another perk, not having to pay for checked bags, is a bonus with true monetary value these days.
Because people who have elite status also get bonus miles on top of the miles flown, once you are in the club it is easier to stay there. People will go to great lengths to make sure they hold on to any sort of elite status, including taking flights they don’t really need to take simply to reach that necessary mileage threshold.
Use an Airline Credit Card: If you are the type who pays your balance in full each month and aren’t going to get in trouble with credit card debt, using an airline credit card can be a good way to earn free tickets. Often you will get bonus miles for any flights you buy on the airline using the card. Some airlines also allow cardholders to check in via the first class lines. Others award credit for miles towards bonus status once you reach a certain spending threshold. You’ll have to look at card fees verses how many miles you’ll actually earn to see if it is in fact worth it for you.
Book Crowded Flights and Get Bumped: Most people try to book flights at the least busy times to help avoid both the delays and crush of humanity that come with flying at peak travel periods. Others however, look for the busiest flight times on the busiest airlines and hope to get bumped. Airlines often offer travel vouchers either for certain dollar amounts or unrestricted domestic travel when they have overbooked planes and need to entice a few travelers to take a later flight. While airlines have gotten better at managing their inventories, getting bumped still happens and as long as you have some flexibility in your schedule, it’s a great way to earn free travel.
Those are my suggestions. Do you have other ideas, besides giving birth on a flight, to rack up some free flying time?
